I was a knight in the Middle Ages

At this moment, Alpha is no longer just an individual; behind him are countless expectant eyes and the fate of an entire group.

Alpha must fight for territory and conquer a domain for the sake of these people and for its own sake.

He must consider the long-term implications for his position and future.

Now, three insurmountable mountains stand in Alpha's way: the vast Ottoman Empire, the pirate alliance that entrenched itself in the seas, and the supreme Papacy.

None of these three forces are something he can currently confront head-on.

He had no choice but to hide and develop.

At the same time, they secretly stir up trouble, create divisions, and incite infighting among the enemy, thereby winning space for their own survival and growth.

Athena was silent.

She was merely a papal knight acting on orders, her gaze often fixed only on the tasks and goals at hand.

At this moment, she realized for the first time that the Alpha in front of her was not as simple and reckless as she had imagined.

His gaze seemed to pierce through layers of mist, glimpsing a more distant future.

“Our mission,” Athena’s voice lowered, no longer so aggressive, “is to cover the paladin as he completes his mission. Everything else is unimportant to me.”

"Isn't what you're seeing now a cover for the paladins?" Alpha retorted, a wise smile playing on his lips.

"The more murky the waters of the Holy City and the more chaotic the situation, the better the Holy Knights can fish in troubled waters and complete their mission. There is an ancient Eastern wisdom: 'The greatest hermit hides in the court, the lesser hermit hides in the wilderness.' Our high-profile disturbances, though seemingly ostentatious, are actually a special kind of concealment. We are creating the best cover for the true protagonists!"

Athena opened her mouth, but found herself speechless.

She didn't know how Alpha's actions would ultimately affect the mission, and this scheme, which was beyond her comprehension, made her uneasy.

In the end, Athena could only place all the blame on Alpha.

“No matter your reasons or plans,” she warned, staring into Alpha’s eyes, “if it ultimately leads to the mission’s failure, I will never let you off the hook!”

“Okay.” Alpha met her gaze without flinching, his voice steady and powerful.

"If that day ever comes, I, Alpha, will take full responsibility!"

Of course, Alpha has its own plans. If it fails, Alpha can simply survive, go far away, and find another way out.

The air inside the tent seemed to freeze.

Athena gave Alpha a deep look, but ultimately said nothing.

I turned around, lifted the tent flap, and disappeared into the night outside.

Athena knew that from this moment on, this man named Ray Hashim...

It has embarked on a path of dominance that no one could have predicted, one fraught with thorns and unknowns.

Inside the massive ancient castle of the Chandarle family in Haifa, candlelight flickered.

"Lord Bayezid, those deserter commoner knights are encamped on the hillside five miles outside the city, and their numbers seem to be increasing." Tony bowed and reported cautiously, his eyes filled with obsequiousness and resentment.

"Should we send out our elite cavalry now, take advantage of their unstable foothold, and wipe them out completely in one fell swoop?"

Tony wished he could tear Alpha to pieces immediately to vent his hatred.

He was originally the manager of the arena, living a life of comfort and happiness, but now he has to lead troops into battle, and more importantly, redeem himself through meritorious service.

Bayezid Chandarle reclined on a luxurious couch, holding a glass of deep red wine in his hand, swirling it gently.

His face betrayed no emotion, but a dangerous glint flashed in his deep eyes.

"What's going on with the Hashim family?" Bayezid didn't care about these commoner knights who were like ants in his eyes; what he really cared about was Hashim's attitude.

If the Hashim family were to openly intervene, even with his immense power, he could not blatantly violate the Empire's supreme law of "a knight is never a slave" in broad daylight, and would have to act with restraint.

Originally, his plan was to take action at Luanshipo, twenty miles outside the city.

The area is characterized by jagged rocks and is rarely visited by humans, making it an ideal place for murder to cover up the crime and destroy evidence.

As long as it's done cleanly and efficiently, even if Hashim investigates afterwards, he will have no evidence.

“My lord, the Hashim family has not made any unusual moves and does not seem to intend to confront you directly for the sake of these lowly people,” Tony replied hastily.

"Hmph, they know what's good for them." Bayezid snorted and downed his drink in one gulp.

"But we can't let them get away with it too easily. Pass on my order: let them catch their breath a little longer tonight. If they're still lingering outside the city by tomorrow noon, don't blame me for being ruthless! I'll then execute them on the spot on charges of 'forming a clique and plotting something sinister'! Let's see who dares to say a word against it!"

Bayezid, too lazy to bother with such a "trivial matter," waved his hand to dismiss his subordinates.

Tonight, he will also host a grand banquet, with fine wine, delicacies, songs and dances—nothing can be missing.

Even a "disaster" like the Colosseum riot that occurred during the day could not disturb his enjoyment of life.

Life is short, so seize the day and enjoy life to the fullest.

On the other side, in the dead of night, all was quiet.

Alpha, alone, quietly arrived once again at the ancient castle of the Hashim family, which stood on the edge of a cliff.

The night wind blew his tattered cloak, making his figure appear somewhat desolate.

Alpha came seeking support.

At this moment, he had nothing and desperately needed a strong backing, the key being the supply of materials.

However, although Hashim treated him with great courtesy, he made it clear that he could not provide him with positive and substantial support due to various "special circumstances".

Hashim could only offer Alpha a vague and uncertain promise.

In the future, they will provide assistance during Alpha's most difficult and critical moments.

As for the immediate needs, such as food, equipment, and shelter, Hashim could not help.

They simply used grand visions and blueprints for the future to "inspire" Alpha.

That situation was like Alpha offering empty promises to commoner knights during the day.

In the end, Alpha realized that these high-ranking nobles were ultimately unreliable.

Everything depends on yourself.

At dawn, the sky turned a pale white, and a new day began.

Alpha returned to the camp.

Without the slightest hesitation, he distributed the last bit of food he had brought from the warship to the knights who followed him.

One meal is one meal; Alpha doesn't want to appease people with false promises.

I just want them to be well-fed so they have the strength to walk the rest of the way.

The campsite was bustling with people in the morning sunlight.

After a night of fermentation, the number of knights who gathered had reached a thousand.

Eight hundred of them were commoner knights or down-on-their-luck knights like him.

They wore tattered armor pieced together from various other sources, and their weapons were a motley collection, but their eyes burned with an indomitable flame.

The remaining two hundred people are probably more presentable than even the homeless.

They were emaciated, dressed in rags, and on the verge of abject poverty.

If it weren't for the equally indomitable light in their eyes, Alpha would almost suspect that these people had smelled the food and come here specifically to freeload.

Alpha looked around at his thousand followers, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

Alpha knew it couldn't wait any longer.

The more people come, the heavier his burden becomes, and the greater the risk of his destruction.

All I can say is that we met too late, time waits for no one, and I was born at the wrong time.

The gears of fate have forcibly bound this group of people abandoned by the times together, pushing them toward the unknown future.

"The army marches forth, destination—the holy city of Jerusalem!"

The midday sun beat down fiercely on the earth. Alpha stood on a boulder, waving his arm against the wind, his voice loud and firm.

With Alpha's command, this "army" of over a thousand diverse individuals, dragging their weary yet hopeful steps, marched eastward in a mighty procession.

The procession was not moving very fast.

This was not just a knightly order, but more like a large contingent of refugees and exiles.

One after another, more commoner knights and wanderers who had heard the news gathered from all directions and joined the ranks.

They are like trickles of water gathering on parched land; though weak, they are constantly amplifying the momentum of the team.

It wasn't until the sun was high in the sky, close to noon, that the sun began to rise.

The long, winding dragon finally reached the first dangerous spot on its journey—a mile before the Strange Stone Forest.

Alfa reined in and raised his hand to signal the entire army to rest on the spot.

However, there were no tents, no cooking smoke, and no hot food.

They had no supplies, and even drinking water was a problem.

The knights sat slumped in twos and threes on the scorching sand, gazing blankly at the vultures circling in the sky.

At this moment, they have no choice but to "quench their thirst by looking at plums and sigh at the vast ocean."

"Lord Lei," just as the group fell silent, an old knight with a hunched back and a weathered face stepped out from the crowd.

His armor had long lost its luster, leaving only the chest area covered with marks from cuts and chisels.

"We can't go any further! There's a rocky slope ahead, it's a dead end!"

Alpha frowned slightly, about to ask a question, when the man continued, “My name is John, everyone calls me Old John. I know this area like the back of my hand. In my younger days, I was the leader of a mercenary group, specializing in escorting goods for caravans. But it was on this rocky slope that I stumbled and suffered a crushing defeat.”

"Oh? Tell me about it." A glint flashed in Alpha's eyes.

He had already sent the dark elf Peter to scout ahead, but he has not yet returned.

Upon hearing Old John's words, Alpha's heart stirred, realizing that the old man might indeed have some insight.

Old John sighed, his eyes filled with deep regret and resentment: "The Rocky Slope is ten miles long and about five miles wide, with steep mountains and deep canyons on both sides. If we take a detour, it will take at least two more days. Therefore, large caravans have to risk taking this route to save time; while small groups either take a detour or have to pay someone to escort them."

Old John pointed to the rugged mountain peaks that were faintly visible in the distance and said in a deep voice, "The terrain there is extremely complex. Although there is a narrow road in the middle that is barely passable, the sides are full of treacherous, rugged terrain with jagged rocks, making it a perfect natural place for ambushes and sneak attacks. It was there that my team was robbed by a band of robbers. Not only were our goods stolen, but our boss and most of our brothers were also killed or wounded. Since then, no one has dared to hire me, which is why I have fallen on hard times."

"Then do you know the details of the bandits entrenched inside?" Alpha's tone became serious.

Alpha surveyed his hungry subordinates, but in his mind he was calculating something else—they lacked everything except manpower.