Time Travel? Rebirth? I Win This Time!

"Impossible, right?" Mike Bai muttered to himself, staring at the ledger in his hands. He carefully recalculated the numbers, confirming they were correct before shakily setting it down, still in disbelief. "This can't be right! It just can't be! There must be something wrong."

The ledger clearly recorded all the expenses and income from his recent campaign.

At first, Mike Bai had prepared himself to lose everything to rescue his uncle. Hiring 1,500 soldiers alone cost him 3,000 gold nomi, and the additional 3,000 gold nomi spent on supplies meant that before even setting out, he'd already spent more than a quarter of his savings.

Once the campaign began, Mike Bai had distributed several rounds of wages and bonuses to boost morale, totaling 2,000 gold nomi. After the victories at Ascalon Castle and Mongissa, they had captured plenty of spoils. Mike Bai had paid his mercenaries nearly 8,000 gold nomi based on the number of enemy heads they collected.

Upon returning, the costs continued to mount: paying doctors, buying wine and spirits, and compensating the families of the fallen soldiers set him back another 4,000 gold nomi.

Mike Bai counted on his fingers. A single war, lasting less than two months, had wiped out 20,000 gold nomi.

For a moment, he felt a flicker of relief. At least Saladin had fled—otherwise, he wouldn't even have had enough to pay his men.

He sighed deeply as he looked at the expenses. More than two years of hard work, and it was all gone in the blink of an eye.

"Well, well... the wind blows the eggshells away, and wealth fades, but at least my uncle is safe."

Mike Bai muttered, turning the page to the income section.

The first item was the ransom from prisoners. The Knights Templar had paid an irresistible sum of 8,000 gold nomi for the capture of Taqiddin. On the other hand, Saladin had managed to redeem Emir's corpse for a modest 1,500 gold nomi.

Mike Bai couldn't help but reflect. No wonder these nobles preferred capturing live prisoners—the ransom was simply too lucrative.

There were also the 200-odd slaves and prisoners he had captured during his two campaigns. Strong young men, skilled in chopping, mining, and rowing, they were worth 5 gold nomi each according to the slave traders who specialized in ransom.

As he thought about these captives, Mike Bai felt a headache coming on. Selling them would weigh on his conscience. Freeing them, however, could mean they would once again become a threat to others. Killing them? That was something he couldn't bring himself to do.

"I'll have to keep them for now... and find them some other work," Mike Bai sighed, reluctantly paying for their food.

The second item of income was the looted goods. In order to force King Baldwin into battle, Saladin's army had ravaged half the kingdom, capturing cattle, sheep, and vast amounts of wealth. But in the Battle of Mongissa, most of those spoils were lost to the kingdom's nobles who fought bravely.

Of course, Mike Bai had managed to grab a small share: about 100 cattle, 300 sheep, and various other goods, which together were worth around 8,000 gold nomi.

There was a minor issue, though. Some of the kingdom's nobles had started to protest, claiming that these items rightfully belonged to them, as Saladin had taken them from their territories.

Mike Bai and the other nobles scoffed at their complaints. Duke Leonard, with his notoriously short temper, even pointed his finger at them and said, "What does it matter if Saladin stole it from you? Go complain to him!"

Besides the material goods, Mike Bai was pleased to have saved many kingdom citizens. About 200 Latin immigrants, having endured the ravages of war, chose not to return home but to follow Mike Bai instead. This meant that his estate wouldn't be filled entirely with Saracens anymore.

The third item was the captured equipment. Mike Bai couldn't help but appreciate his foresight—he had negotiated a better share of the spoils with the mercenaries, securing 70% of the loot instead of the usual 50%. The first battle at Ascalon had yielded worthless scraps, which he had given to the mercenaries in lieu of wages, about 4,000 gold nomi worth.

However, in the Battle of Mongissa, Mike Bai had received something far more valuable. Among the spoils were nearly 300 sets of luxurious Mamluk armor, along with about 100 magnificent Arabian horses.

Initially, Demor had planned to keep the horses and undamaged armor for himself, selling off the damaged items. But Mike Bai stopped him.

Mike Bai had a plan. He had the damaged Mamluk armor displayed on racks and meticulously designed to appear as authentic, battle-worn pieces. He even arranged for the pieces to look distinctly Saracen, with wounds and bloodstains strategically left visible. Then, he invited famous merchants, particularly those from Venice, to his estate for a tour.

With great flair, Mike Bai narrated the "histories" of the armor.

"This was the suit of a mighty infidel warrior who trained tirelessly in the art of combat. His scimitar once decapitated a sergeant, and his lance drank the blood of knights," Mike Bai spoke, weaving an elaborate tale. "I met him at the foot of Mongissa Hill—what a worthy adversary he was! Our battle was one for the ages. After five hundred rounds of combat, I finally struck him down."

Mike Bai sighed dramatically. "It's such a shame... this once-great warrior can no longer boast of his deeds."

The merchants, utterly entranced, quickly realized the unspoken subtext of Mike Bai's storytelling: it was all about showcasing his own martial prowess.

At once, they made an offer to buy the damaged armor at a high price, and Mike Bai eagerly agreed. Although the armor would have been worth just 50 gold nomi a set if it had been in good condition, he sold the damaged sets for 55 gold nomi each.

One particular item, a ruby-encrusted golden helmet that had belonged to Saladin, fetched an astonishing 1,700 gold nomi in an impromptu auction.

This entire transaction left Anna wide-eyed with admiration.

"Mike Bai, Mike Bai, how did you manage to make those merchants pay so much for your broken armor?" Anna asked, her face full of wonder.

"Because I wasn't selling armor," Mike Bai answered with a mysterious smile. "I was selling a story."

As for where those greedy merchants ended up selling the armor, whether to boast among the nouveau riche in Italy or to mask Saladin's shame in Damascus, Mike Bai didn't care.

In the end, Mike Bai had sold the Mamluk armor and the broken infantry gear for a total of 22,000 gold nomi. After subtracting the 5,000 gold nomi worth of Arabian horses and 4,000 gold nomi in slaves he kept for himself, Mike Bai had a total net income of 40,112 gold nomi.

The number dazzled him, and for a moment, Mike Bai felt faint from the sheer joy.