I Became The King Of Crusaders [EN]: Chapter 125

Excalibur (5)

* * *

England

Buckinghamshire, Loxley Castle

“For Henry to resort to such extremes, he must be truly terrified.”

Eleanor spoke, rising from her bed and arranging her hair.

“To go as far as attacking his son’s entourage, he must be that afraid.”

“But there’s no proof that His Majesty orchestrated this…”

“It was Henry’s doing. Exactly the kind of thing he’d do.”

“…”

“I miss Richard today.”

Eleanor gazed out the window.

A few crows flapped their wings around the window.

“The eagle shall find joy in the third nest.”

The woman in the silk dress said,

“If Merlin’s prophecy comes true, the Queen will soon be freed. Did not young Henry also seek Arthur’s tomb this time?”

“It was Baldwin who found the tomb.”

Eleanor shook her head.

“Merlin’s prophecy… Could what Baldwin found truly be Arthur’s cross?”

“Lord Baldwin predicted the comet’s appearance. How could he achieve such a miracle without divine aid?”

“Yes, you may be right.”

Eleanor picked up a grape from the table.

“But Baldwin is cleverly using the prophecy, like a hunter dropping stones to drive a fox in one direction.”

She added,

“The nobles and lords must be floundering between the stones [being manipulated].”

“There are still many in the royal court who follow the Queen. The lords of Aquitaine as well.”

“A keen sailor knows when a ship is sinking.”

Eleanor scoffed.

She rolled the grape between her fingers.

“They’re calculating who will win.”

“But if Henry II wins this time as well, the situation will become dire.”

Silence fell.

Eleanor looked at the woman and asked,

“Have you ever seen birds take their first flight?”

“Their first flight…”

“The only way for fledglings to learn to fly is to fall from the nest.”

Eleanor dropped the grape she was holding.

The grape bounced off the floor and fell again.

“First, they must fall to learn to fly. They don’t learn to fly before they fly.”

“Then what happens to the fledglings that fall without flying?”

“They become food for the fox. But if they remain in the nest out of fear…”

Eleanor smiled.

“They’ll be eaten by the snake. No matter how timid the fledgling, it won’t stay in the nest.”

She said,

“I need to write a new letter. We need to bring more lords over to our side.”

“Understood, Your Majesty.”

“We must give Baldwin the sword he will wield [the means to achieve his goals].”

* * *

London

‘It’s much calmer than other cities.’

I looked out from the city walls.

The crowds were the same as in other cities.

But the atmosphere was the opposite.

Rather than being excited, everyone seemed reverent.

Two men stood at the head of the welcoming party.

Father Pierre, with his balding head, and Richard, with his red hair.

Is it because of those two?

Young Henry said,

“I-I’ll go ahead and clear the crowd.”

“It’s alright, Your Majesty. Come with me.”

I stepped forward with young Henry and Marshal.

Father Pierre approached, tears streaming down his face.

“I saw the comet that the Prince predicted with my own eyes! Some wicked people dismissed the Prince’s prophecy as false…”

“You’ve worked hard, Father.”

I replied with a smile.

If I’m not careful, I’ll be stuck here for hours.

Richard came to my rescue.

He chuckled.

“You’ve really turned England upside down, Prince. I heard you encountered some wolves on the way.”

“They were trying to steal the meat from the carriage.”

I shrugged.

“It took some effort to chase them away.”

“That was probably Father’s doing. He wouldn’t want you and my brother to arrive in London with Arthur’s cross.”

Richard leaned forward.

“Did you obtain any evidence or testimony?”

“Their work is more thorough than Geoffrey’s. Even the captured ones didn’t know exactly who their employer was.”

“Father has men he uses specifically for these tasks.”

Richard nodded.

“He hires mercenaries through several intermediaries, then eliminates them later. It will be difficult to find evidence.”

“I wasn’t planning on finding any in the first place.”

I replied with a smile.

That’s not what’s important anyway.

It’s not like you can question the king of the kingdom even if you have evidence.

“We should free Queen Eleanor first. Isn’t that what the Duke wants as well?”

“My mother is the person I trust next to God.”

Richard said.

He looked at me directly.

“But it will be difficult to free my mother from prison with just Arthur’s cross. Or are you going to drop another comet?”

“Something similar. But on a larger scale.”

I said.

Richard’s help was also needed for the plan to succeed.

“As the Duke, you probably know where the Queen is being held. Go near there in advance. I’ll send a signal when the time comes.”

“A signal? What exactly do you mean?”

I looked at him and smiled.

“You’ll know when the time comes.”

* * *

The audience chamber was filled with noise.

The murmuring of nobles and clergy.

Henry II’s occasional shouts.

All of this mixed together, creating a chaotic scene like a marketplace.

As I entered, the herald hurriedly shouted,

“Baldwin, royalty of the Holy City of Jerusalem and the Papal Legate…”

I strode towards the center.

The flustered herald fell silent.

Silence descended upon the audience chamber.

Everyone’s eyes turned to me.

I looked at Henry II.

This is war.

There was no reason to hesitate in front of the enemy.

“Welcome, Prince Baldwin. I heard that you and Henry were attacked by bandits on the way here.”

Henry II said, rising from his throne.

He looked at young Henry, who was standing behind me.

“I can’t tell you how shocked I was to hear that news, son. I’m so glad you’re safe.”

“They were trying to steal Arthur’s cross. They attacked without regard for the pilgrims near the cross.”

I said.

I took a step towards the throne.

“As the King of England, it’s shameful to say this…”

Henry II said.

Still in a calm tone.

“There are always those who seek holy relics. I will increase the guard so that there are no more problems while you stay here.”

He continued,

“We must also find those who committed this act and punish them accordingly.”

“That’s fortunate. I feel the same way as Your Majesty.”

I glared at him.

A brief silence fell.

“Come now, don’t just stand there, come here. We’ve discovered Arthur’s tomb, what greater celebration could there be for the royal family?”

Henry II stretched out his arms.

“I’ve prepared a celebratory banquet, so let’s drink and talk to our heart’s content today.”

I resisted the urge to scoff.

He doesn’t even mention the comet.

He’s probably trying to gloss over it.

I stood right in front of him.

“If it’s a celebratory banquet, shouldn’t the Queen also be in attendance? Now that I think about it, I don’t think I’ve seen her once since coming to England.”

“Eleanor is resting because she is not feeling well.”

Henry II frowned.

A faint sense of anger and embarrassment could be felt.

‘Now it’s time to wield the sword.’

Should I poke at the most painful spot first?

“Then why are you sleeping with Duke Richard’s fiancée, Adele?”

Some nobles gasped.

The clergy as well.

Some even sighed.

Embarrassment and surprise.

Excitement poured out from all directions.

Even young Henry and Richard stared at me, speechless.

“…”

Henry II’s hands trembled.

Anger boiled within him.

He no longer hid his emotions.

“For me to be sleeping with Adele… That’s quite an overreach [an exaggeration].”

He glared at me.

He no longer hides his emotions.

“Do you think that saying such rude things to my face will make them true? To dare insult me in my own palace… This will never…”

“I am only speaking the truth. Just as I discovered Arthur’s remains.”

I recalled the memory of when I first met Henry II.

Thomas Becket.

I was shaken when I heard that name.

The king genuinely felt guilty about Becket’s death.

“Saint Thomas Becket appeared in my dream last night and told me directly.”

Henry II flinched at my words.

“He said that you have unjustly imprisoned the Queen, violated your son’s fiancée, and conspired to eliminate Arthur’s cross by hiring mercenaries.”

I looked around and continued speaking.

“But the Saint said that there is still a path to salvation for you.”

“Such insolence…! What right do you, from Jerusalem, have to spout such words!”

“Even if you are the Papal Legate, this is going too far!”

Some nobles shouted, their faces red.

I looked at them one by one.

Those who follow Henry II.

The king remained silent.

From the moment he heard the name Thomas Becket, he had been silent.

I turned my head back to the throne.

“But there is a condition. You must return freedom to the Queen, whom you have unjustly imprisoned.”

I raised my index and middle fingers in turn.

“You must give your sons their rightful rights and qualifications. No more fancy excuses.”

“…And if I don’t?”

“Then an earthquake will strike England within 14 days. Houses and churches will collapse, and trees will fall. Central England will suffer the most.”

Groans and sighs echoed from all around.

“An earthquake.”

Henry II let out a hollow laugh.

His face was seemingly calm, but his emotions were the opposite.

Anxiety and unease swirled like a vortex.

“Are you trying to imitate Moses, who threatened Pharaoh? I am a king who has followed Christ all my life.”

He waved his arms.

“My strength and power come from Him. Why would the Lord punish me, the rightful King of England?!”

“I am also the King of England, Father.”

Young Henry stepped forward.

His face was flushed, perhaps from excitement.

“A-And everything Prince Baldwin has said so far has been true.”

“You be quiet, Henry. Now is not the time for you to step forward.”

“N-Now is precisely the time for me to step forward. I can forgive you, Father.”

“You forgive me?”

Henry II shouted.

The startled retainers stepped back, but young Henry stood his ground.

“I gave you the throne, Henry. I bestowed upon you a glory that no one else could enjoy. Is this how you repay me? Couldn’t you wait just a few years?!”

He turned his head and looked at me.

“You are nothing but a fraud. An evil snake who uses fortune tellers and witches to perform false miracles.”

He waved his arms and continued speaking.

“To dare sell Becket’s name in front of me. Did you think I would kneel to such pathetic threats?!”

“It is not a threat, but a path to salvation, Your Majesty.”

I gave a faint smile.

At that, Henry II’s face turned even whiter.

Anger that made it hard to breathe.

He shouted at the knights around him.

“What are you doing! Seize this insolent fellow at once!”

“But, Your Majesty…!”

“This man has insulted and threatened the English royal family and me, the King! He has also seduced my sons and performed false magic.”

Henry II shouted, his hands trembling.

“Put this fellow in prison at once!”

“…”

The knights around him exchanged glances.

No one readily stepped forward.

“If that is Your Majesty’s wish, I will go to prison myself.”

I released the sword at my waist and threw it to the ground.

The clang of metal echoed through the audience chamber.

I stretched out my arms to stop Richard and young Henry from stepping forward.

‘This is actually better.’

The picture would have been stranger if Henry II had surrendered willingly.

The more he struggled, the higher my status rose.

“Please keep this in mind, Your Majesty.”

I slowly opened my mouth.

“14 days. The earthquake will occur within 14 days.”

* * *

Additional explanation: In actual history, the earthquake occurred on April 15, 1185.

‘The earthquake that occurred in the East Midlands region on April 15, 1185, was one of the largest and most damaging earthquakes to occur in the British Isles. There are records of entire villages being completely demolished, including the villages of Rollright and Dauntsey. In certain locations where stone houses were completely destroyed, it indicates an intensity of VII or greater. Ralph of Diss reported from London that the earthquake struck central and northern England and that [in some places buildings were completely destroyed]. There are also reports of stones being split. Part of Lincoln Cathedral also collapsed. The city of Lincoln was recorded as having suffered the most damage from the earthquake.’

– English Wikipedia, 1185 East Midlands earthquake