Chapter 3: Golden Card
[You have unlocked the Milestone System.]
[First Blood: Achieve your first victory in an armed conflict (involving a minimum of 30 combatants.)
Tournament Champion: Win three knightly tournaments organized by counts or higher-ranking nobles.)
Chivalrous Knight: Uphold justice by stopping three bandit raids on civilians or eliminating three bandit groups (20+ members each.)
Model Fief: Your fief must have at least 2,000 acres of land and over 200 inhabitants living above the subsistence line.) ]
Milestones were essentially the game's achievement system, and the rewards were decent. But after a quick glance, Lothar realized none could be completed in the short term, so he shifted his focus to his first squire.
In the system interface, a golden-glowing card slowly materialized.
The card had an ornate golden frame, and at its top perched a black dragon with wings spread as if ready to take flight.
At the center of the card stood a young woman holding a massive black triangular shield. The shield was adorned with a demonic face—crimson-eyed, fanged, and seemingly alive, as if it might leap out and devour its prey.
The girl had long black hair, a slender yet athletic build, and wore a black leather biker jacket that left her arms bare. She stood with arms crossed, her expression cold as frost—a true ice queen.
The description below read:
"This is Banu, the Gatekeeper of Hell."
"Her shield is the very door to the underworld."
"No one can breach it, nor harm those under her protection."
"Congratulations on obtaining your first squire! Build your territory, make it prosperous, and conquer the world!"
Lothar's lips twitched.
'I'd love to…'
Banu was the top-tier squire given to every new player in the game.
Despite her seemingly light attire, she was actually a heavy-armored tank, boasting insane defensive capabilities.
The reason beginners got a tank was simple. In the early game, a defensive unit was essential—without one, players would get steamrolled. But she didn't boost damage output—forcing players to either pay for high-tier DPS squires or grind endlessly with weak free units.
This tactic was to force the players to become… "pay-to-win."
"I was the one scheming to milk players dry, and now I'm the one getting milked."
Lothar felt a pang of regret. 'If I'd known this would happen, I'd have made the starter rewards even juicier—like giving away all 6-star squires for free…'
But the regret vanished quickly, replaced by excitement.
Because Banu was broken as hell.
Even at base level, her strength surpassed that of ordinary humans—on par with the witches of this world.
***
After lunch, Count Werner left first. Only then did Otto, who had been silent the whole time, speak up.
"Lothar, congratulations. You've finally achieved your dream—becoming a knight."
"Thanks."
Lothar's relationship with his elder brother wasn't bad, but it wasn't close either.
As long as Lothar existed, there would always be suspicion that he was waiting for Otto to die. And the original Lothar had resented being the eternal backup.
Still, it was better than many noble families, where brothers schemed and even killed each other for inheritance.
Soon, both finished their meals.
Lothar didn't leave the castle for training in the afternoon. Instead, he returned to his room for a nap. It was midsummer, and the scorching midday sun made outdoor training unbearable.
The castle, however, was cold and damp year-round. While not exactly comfortable, it was still better than roasting under the sun.
The bedroom window was small, allowing only slivers of light inside.
Lothar sat at his desk, dipping a quill into ink as he began planning his journey route and the supplies he'd need.
Traditionally, Crusaders had two routes to the Holy Land:
1. By Sea – Depart from Venice, Naples, or Sicily, sail past Rhodes and Cyprus, then land in the Levant.
- 'Faster, but risky.' The Mediterranean was crawling with pirates, and if the ship sank, even the mightiest warriors would end up as fish food.
2. By Land – Travel through the Eastern Empire, pass through Constantinople, then march through Anatolia.
- 'Not much safer.' Most of Anatolia was now controlled by fire-worshipping states loyal to the Shahanshah of Persia. While these rulers warred among themselves, they'd all hate a Crusader like Lothar.
'Knock, knock' Someone rapped on the door.
Lothar frowned. "Enter."
A maid in rough linen pushed the door open. She carried a well-worn surcoat, visibly patched in many places and embroidered with black-and-red crosses.
"This… this is the surcoat the Count wore during his campaign in the Holy Land. He asked me to give it to you. I've washed it—it's clean."
Lothar nodded. "Leave it on the bed."
"Yes, my lord."
The maid's cheeks flushed slightly, her eyes brimming with admiration. But neither the original Lothar nor the current one had any interest in her.
Frankly, most women of this era held little appeal to Lothar.
The maids, the noblewomen he'd seen at Count Werner's banquets—all mediocre at best.
A few noble ladies were decent-looking, but they were the type to keep multiple lovers, and Lothar had no fetish for that.
'None of them compare to the "waifus" in the system.'
As the developer, he knew exactly how stunning the game's summonable characters were. Especially the 6-star cards—every single one was a breathtaking beauty in scandalously light armor.
Over half the game's budget had gone into their gorgeous artwork.
Even the tank-class characters followed the rule: '"The less they wear, the higher their defense."'
Thigh-high slits in battle skirts? Standard procedure.
***
The afternoon passed quickly.
By evening, Lothar returned to the castle's tower, gazing at the distant mountains. Nightfall brought a chilling contrast to the midday heat. A cold wind blew down from the Alps, and Lothar tightened the Crusader surcoat around himself.
For now, he wouldn't summon Banu. Explaining her origins would be tricky.
While the Church in this world wasn't as trigger-happy with burnings at the stake as in his past life, he still had no desire to court trouble.