I Became The King Of Crusaders [EN]: Chapter 111

The Lion and the Hunter (1)

* * *

“The ship carrying the money sank? And that was two days ago?”

I looked at Aieg, my brow furrowing involuntarily.

“We don’t know for sure if it sank, but it hasn’t entered the port for three days now,” Aieg said. The sound of wind buffeted the tent.

“The captains say the waves are strong this time of year. Many ships sink while crossing the sea.”

“Venice wouldn’t have failed to send the ship. Marco was directly in charge of it.” I thought Venice, with their renowned navigation skills, wouldn’t encounter any problems.

I glanced at the map on the table. We had only brought the bare minimum of funds when we traveled from Italy to France. In Italy, we hadn’t really needed much cash, anyway. Venice was responsible for supplying food, with payment to be made in Jerusalem.

“It will take some time to wait for the sea to calm down. We’ll know more when the next ship arrives.” Aieg shrugged. “At least a few weeks.”

“A few weeks? That’s too long to just wait.” I was going crazy without satellite communication. Having to wait weeks for something I could confirm with a single phone call was infuriating.

“We need to secure food right away, too.”

“Wouldn’t it be enough to just requisition food from the surrounding villages?” Luark, who had been listening to our conversation, suggested. “There’s no need to buy food with money every time.”

“If we do that, we’ll be seen as no different from the nearby mercenaries. We need to avoid that at all costs,” I countered. I hadn’t come here just to fight.

‘A man who has come to execute God’s will!’

To maintain this image, I had to act accordingly. That meant refraining from looting and pillaging, and instead, buying food with money.

“We’re here to do the Lord’s work. At least, we need to appear that way.” Gaining the local population’s goodwill was crucial.

And there was another reason, too.

“If we requisition food a few times, all the residents will abandon the village. Then we’ll have to send troops further and further away to get food.” To prevent this, money had to keep circulating within the local economy.

I recalled Wallenstein, the German mercenary leader who organized an army of over 100,000 in the 16th century. He introduced a policy called ‘contribution’ [a system of levying taxes on occupied territories] instead of requisition to maintain the economy.

‘Collect taxes instead of looting or requisitioning!’

The necessary food and supplies are purchased with this money. Merchants from other regions hear this news and flock to make money. This seemed like the best approach.

I tapped the table. But it would be strange to collect taxes in a place that wasn’t even my land.

“But we can’t let the knights and soldiers starve, my lord,” Luark said firmly. “A warrior’s performance suffers immediately if he misses even a day of food. We can’t feed them meat every day, but we have to fill their bellies.”

“I know, Sir Luark,” I nodded. Even knights accustomed to fasting wouldn’t be able to fight while starving. I was reminded of the pictures of emaciated Japanese soldiers on Guadalcanal during World War II.

Then Aieg spoke up. “Then how about asking Richard or young King Henry for help? They’re both eager to join forces with you.”

“I don’t know much about politics, but that wouldn’t be a very wise move,” Luark said. “They’ll both want an alliance in return. But you can’t sail while facing winds from both sides at the same time.”

“You’re right. They wouldn’t give us food without any conditions,” I agreed. If young Henry was the wind coming from the front, then Richard was the wind coming from behind. You can’t sail while facing both winds simultaneously.

“If we receive food from Richard, young Henry will become suspicious. If we receive it from Henry, Richard will be suspicious.”

“…”

Silence descended. All three of us stared at the map.

Money. We needed money.

What would other countries do in this situation? If Napoleon were in this situation….

“How about this?” I suggested. “We issue military scrip [temporary paper money issued to soldiers or in occupied territories].”

“Military scrip….”

“We write a certain amount on paper and give it out like money. We promise to pay that amount later.”

“It’s a kind of contract. Or a promissory note,” Luark said, stroking his beard.

“That’s right. Because we’re selling a promise to pay money later.” I nodded. It was already something the Knights Templar were doing.

You deposit money at a Knights Templar branch in Europe and receive a receipt. Then you take that receipt to the Levant [historical region in the Middle East] and receive the corresponding amount.

‘What made this possible was the trust in the Knights Templar.’

The Knights Templar act as a bank because there is trust that they will not run away with the money. If people believe it, even a piece of paper can have value. Napoleon also traveled around Europe and scattered promissory notes everywhere. Later, in the 19th and 20th centuries, countries also issued military scrip while fighting wars.

“But would the people here believe such a thing? Even if we say we’ll exchange it for real money later….”

“They wouldn’t believe it. At least not until we pay them real money. But this is the best we can do for now,” I said. Anyway, we weren’t planning to stay here for several years.

“You said the sea will calm down in a few weeks. We just need to hold out until then. If we pay the money as promised, there won’t be any complaints.”

“It’s better than just taking it by force,” Luark shrugged. “If you, Lord Baudouin, guarantee it, it’s as good as the Jerusalem royal family guaranteeing it.”

“Then let’s get to work right away. Gather the paper and sign….” It was a relief that there was a lot of paper because I had emphasized administration.

I looked at Luark. “What are Richard and Henry’s movements?”

“There aren’t any particular movements yet, but they are still recruiting mercenary groups. It won’t end like this.”

“I expected as much,” I said. Richard and Henry were both bound to test me. And there was Geoffrey, too. Even the troubadour [a medieval poet and musician] and warrior, Bertrand. There were too many people who would play tricks.

“We need to respond immediately to whatever side moves. And as quickly as possible.”

“You don’t have to worry about that part,” Luark smiled, drawing the axe from his waist. “Me and my men are all just waiting for a chance to fight. We’ll smash them if we see even the slightest sign.”

“That’s reassuring,” I smiled and replied. This battle could be an opportunity to restore the honor of the Holy Sepulchre Guard.

I looked at Aieg. “Did you contact all the merchants I told you about?”

“Yes, we’re just waiting for your orders, my lord.”

“Good.” I nodded. I had previously worked with Balian to build an intelligence organization: a network of spies made up of merchants throughout Europe. Some of them were active in France and Germany. There couldn’t be a better situation to use them than now.

“As it happens, there are a few guys we need to put spies on.”

* * *

Richard was the first of the brothers to take action. The mercenaries he hired attacked villages under young Henry’s control.

“Everyone advance! Earn your keep, you bastards!”

In less than half a day, the knights of Jerusalem mobilized.

Thousands of hooves pounded the ground, shaking it.

“Enemy! The enemy is coming!” The chainmail worn by the knights rattled.

“Drive them out of the village!”

“Deus Vult! [God wills it! – a Crusader battle cry]”

At the head was the Holy Sepulchre Guard led by Luark. They charged straight at the mercenary group.

“E, everyone run away! Run to the forest!”

“Don’t miss a single one, catch them all! They are sinners who have defied the Pope’s orders!” The hunt was thorough. The Jerusalem knights chased the mercenaries like wolves chasing prey deep into the forest.

It didn’t take long for this rumor to spread.

‘God wants the war to stop!’

When Richard’s mercenaries retreated, young King Henry and Geoffrey’s mercenaries stepped forward this time. At their head was William Marshal.

They retook the lost villages and advanced into Richard’s territory. Richard’s army had already retreated. They cheered at the easy victory, but the joy didn’t last long.

“The Jerusalem guys are coming!”

The Jerusalem knights, who had driven out Richard a few days ago, now fought against young Henry’s mercenaries.

“Now it’s our turn to counterattack! Everyone advance!” Richard’s army took advantage of the gap and advanced, retaking the lost villages.

“Retreat! Everyone retreat!”

“The Holy Cross!”

Every time the scale tipped to one side, the knights of Jerusalem stood on the opposite side. They repeated marching and retreating every day. Both young Henry and Richard only used mercenaries, and their main forces remained stationary. The knights in heavy armor calmly waited for orders.

As the stalemate continued, Poitou [a historical region in France], where the Jerusalem army was stationed, became the safest place.

“No, you’re saying you’ll give us these scraps of paper and buy food?”

“Scraps of paper? Look at this. It’s Lord Baudouin’s signature promising payment to your village.”

“But….”

“I swear on the cross that the amount will be paid on the promised date.”

Many farmers and merchants showed various reactions to the ‘military scrip.’ Some hid their food, while some quick-witted ones sold their goods at a higher price.

“Isn’t it much more profitable if we get the money properly later? I heard from the Venetian merchants that Lord Baudouin pays on time.”

“You foolish friend. Would they come this far and pay properly? They’ll just leave.”

As time passed, it became August. The Feast of the Visitation had passed, and the Feast of the Assumption of Mary was approaching.

Both Richard and young Henry had stopped fighting for several weeks. Among the soldiers and knights, there was talk that the war would soon be over.

* * *

Young Henry’s camp

Duke of Brittany, Geoffrey’s tent

“Your Grace, we can’t let this war end like this. How long have you and I been preparing for this war?” A man in silk clothes said. Bertrand de Born.

His muscular body was hard to hide even beneath the silk clothes.

“I know, Bertrand. Anyone would think I’ve just been playing around,” Geoffrey said. The sun had already set long ago. Only he and Bertrand were in the tent.

“You were the one who persuaded my brother to start this war? Use your troubadours a little more,” Geoffrey said. “Use them to undermine Baudouin and the Jerusalem knights.”

“All the troubadours are in love with Baudouin himself. A hero from Jerusalem and the protector of Rome who defeated Emperor Frederick,” Bertrand waved his hands dismissively. “How can we bring down a man who is revered as the second Roland [a legendary Frankish military leader]? And he claims he came here by the command of Christ, so if we attack him directly, we’ll only face a backlash.”

“He defeated that Redbeard Emperor, so it’s not unreasonable. Who could have thought of such a thing?” Geoffrey leaned forward. Standing next to Bertrand, he looked like a child next to an adult.

“Anyway, we need a new plan. If the war ends like this, it’s a big loss for both you and me.”

“If the war ends like this, the King of France will cut off support. The money will dry up.”

“Marshal, William Marshal, is the problem. It’s not easy because he’s just hindering my brother.”

“Then let’s undermine Marshal first. I can leave that to my poets.”

“But that alone is not enough,” Geoffrey said. He picked up a glass of wine and tilted it. Red drops dripped from his chin. “Let’s use a more subtle trick. A trick that will force us to continue the war.”

* * *

Additional information: The lords of Aquitaine plotted to drive out Richard and serve young King Henry as their lord. The ‘evil spirit’ who controlled this plot from behind was Bertrand de Born, a troubadour and noble lord. He encouraged young King Henry to attack Richard.

The young king, blinded by jealousy of his brothers, was easily deceived.

Bertrand even turned public opinion against Richard by writing satirical poems and subtly spreading them in the Limousin and Dordogne regions. And he boasted that he could mobilize even a thousand poets and troubadours for this purpose.

Duke Geoffrey, calculating that he would also benefit greatly, led a mercenary force and joined the young king.

King Henry II came to the south to mediate between his sons, but no one paid attention.

According to Giraldus, King Henry II actually chose to condone it for the time being, unless his sons united and opposed him.

(Source – Eleanor of Aquitaine, Alison Weir)