The Real Big Shots

"Little Tank Red, you didn't hear me wrong, did you? It really is Giscard?" Old John asked incredulously.

Tankred nodded heavily.

Old John felt a chill run down his spine, after all, the name "Giscal" was truly legendary among the Normans.

"Uncle John, it must be Giscard. Think about it, who else but such a truly important person could have such power and dare to do something so audacious?"

After a moment's thought, old John had to admit that Tancred was right.

If we're talking about the most prominent Norman in southern Italy in recent years, it has to be Giscard.

His real name was Robert de Hautville, but he was known as "Giscal" because of his cunning and treacherous nature. Gradually, the nicknames "the cunning one" or "the fox" became more common than his real name.

The Robert family, the Autreville family, was one of the most awe-inspiring families in this land. While other Normans were content with the spoils of plunder and the wages of their mercenaries, the Autreville family had already begun to take a serious look at the land beneath their feet and plotted to make it their own.

In 1043, the Normans and Lombards held a meeting in Mefino, marking the first time the Normans were recognized as masters of the land. At that meeting, the lands of twelve Norman grand lords were recognized as counts, eleven of whom either bore the surname Autreville or submitted to the Autrevilles.

So when Robert first set foot on Italian soil in 1047, his brothers had already established a large empire there.

However, Robert Giscard was the eldest son of his father's second wife. William the Iron-Armed had already died, and William's brother Drogon had been re-elected as leader. Robert had hoped his half-brother would generously help him, but his half-brother viewed him as a threat and refused to grant him any land.

Enraged, Robert led only five knights and thirty infantry adventurers, working as both a mercenary and a thief. After several years of struggle, he finally became the leader of the largest mercenary group in Southern Italy, uniting almost all the Norman mercenaries and forcing his brother Drogon to accept him again.

Some say that Drogon harbored resentment towards his stepmother (Robert's biological mother) and was therefore sabotaging him; others say that this was a charade orchestrated by Autel and his ilk to cultivate Robert's ability to unite the Norman mercenaries in southern Italy.

In short, Robert Giscard had long been a big shot in southern Italy.

"Oh my god, little Tank Red, thank goodness you know a lot of foreign languages!" Old John muttered, a layer of cold sweat seeping from his back.

If Tancred hadn't understood the Hebrew curse, they probably would have unknowingly angered someone they absolutely shouldn't have messed with.

"I just can't understand it. Who is Robert Giscard? Why would he take such a big risk to touch the Vatican's property? Is he that short of money?" Tancred said, puzzled.

"Hahahaha!" Old John laughed loudly upon hearing this. "Little Tank Red, you've only been in the mercenary world for a short time; you have no experience yet. What else could a mercenary leader like him be so eager to make money for?"

"War! Only preparing for war would leave a mercenary group commander so short of money! Men, horses, provisions, armor, weapons—aren't they all money-devouring beasts?"

"You have no idea how many captains I've seen borrowing money everywhere before a war... Wait a minute!?"

Old John and Tancred were both stunned halfway through their conversation.

Borrowing money everywhere, a mercenary captain? Isn't that exactly what old Tank Red did before he died?

They had never known why old Tanker would borrow such a large sum of money, but at this moment a vague yet startling guess came to mind.

"Bashir, come here!" Old John turned around abruptly and shouted at the Saracens who were sorting through the spoils of war.

When Bashir trotted up to him, old John asked eagerly:

"You bragged to me before that a 'great war' was going to happen soon, is that true?"

Bashir was taken aback by the question and tried hard to recall:

"Ah...right, sir, yes, that's true. But I'm not bragging, it's what old Commander Tankred told me!"

"I was trimming his beard when he suddenly asked me out of the blue, 'Bashir, would you like to get a knighthood and your own fiefdom?' I was completely dumbfounded!"

"My lords, think about it. Me, a Saracen, serving as a knight in southern Italy? What a ridiculous thing! So I smiled and told the master not to make fun of me."

"However, that day, the master suddenly looked at me very seriously, and I still remember what he said to this day—"

He said, “The world is about to change, Bashir. When a major war breaks out, it will be time to reshuffle the cards. Luck, swords, and a little starting capital, even a peasant has a chance to rise up. Twenty years ago, who could have imagined that Normans would be lords in Italy? Twenty years later, why can't Saracens be knights in Italy?”

After Bashir finished speaking, old John waved him away and then fell silent with Tancred.

A major battle, fundraising, a reshuffling of the game, and a Jewish businessman connected to both old Tancred and Robert.

To say that there's no connection between these things is absurd!

"Little Tank Red, our capabilities are limited, let's focus on the present. Even if we wanted to investigate, a big shot like Robert is beyond our current capabilities," Old John sighed, speaking with a hint of uncertainty. "Luckily, we let Isaac off the hook in the end, and didn't push things too far. He took back those Vatican goods, which is enough to satisfy Robert. To avoid further complications, he shouldn't... bother us anymore, right?"

Tankred, however, showed no sign of relief.

After negotiating and reaching a deal with Bashir last time, the system provided clear feedback. However, this time, with this Jewish man, the system showed no reaction whatsoever.

Does this mean that the Jewish merchant was not satisfied with the deal and would secretly retaliate?

Moreover, if Tancred's speculation is correct, the original owner's father was probably already being targeted. He originally thought the original owner's father's death was just an unfortunate accident, but now, everything seems to be more complicated than that.

"I need to become stronger quickly!" Tancred vowed silently. In the Middle Ages, only by possessing sufficient power could one better survive.

However, if he wanted to develop smoothly under Robert's scheming gaze, he needed to find shelter under a strong enough roof to protect him from the storms.

Where can one find such shelter?

Tancred's gaze swept across the plains below the mountain, where the walls of Aversa loomed faintly in the distance.

It seems there's only one answer!

The only independent lord among the twelve lords who is not subordinate to the Autelville family—

Count Aversa, Richard Drogon.