I Became The King Of Crusaders [EN]: Chapter 139

Shield and Spear (4)

* * *

The tent was filled with monks.

They moved their pens, illuminated by the dim candlelight.

A middle-aged monk with a shaved head sat in the center.

A knight approached him.

“Aren’t you finished with today’s records yet, Father?”

“Ah, Sir Aygue.”

The monk smiled.

“We have to record even the song of a single bird. The work never ends.”

The monk stood up and asked,

“Is there anything I can help you with?”

“Yes, I came to ask you for a favor, Father… We need more paper.”

Aygue looked around at the monks.

They were writing on everything from papers brought from Jerusalem to parchment made of leather and papyrus from Egypt.

“We have so much to record, it’s unavoidable.”

Guillaume said with a wry smile.

“We managed to acquire some parchment nearby in a hurry, but even that’s becoming scarce these days.”

He added,

“It’s a relief that we’re leaving England now. If we had stayed a few more weeks, we would have had to carve letters into stone slabs.”

He joked.

“A few days ago, I even bought parchment that already had writing on it, scratched it off, and rewrote it.”

“Duke Baldwin is obsessed with records.”

Aygue nodded.

Wherever Baldwin’s army went, papers and records followed.

The number of troops mobilized for each unit, the dates, and records of the supply and disbursement of military provisions and equipment were all meticulously documented.

Baldwin thoroughly recorded and analyzed all this information.

“Duke Baldwin is probably the only one who pays attention to such minute details.”

Guillaume said with a smile.

“Thanks to him, we have a mountain of work to deal with. I’m just complaining too much.”

He clapped his hands.

“So, what do you need, sir? Records?”

“Father Pierre wants to check some of the records directly.”

“Father Pierre?”

“Yes, is there a problem?”

“There’s no problem. But his way of proselytizing is… well…”

Guillaume scratched his head.

“Isn’t it a bit… zealous? I think even the Duke finds it a bit much.”

“Things keep happening every time he gets involved. Like the Holy Shroud incident a while ago.”

Aygue shrugged.

“But didn’t it all work out in the end?”

“You’re not wrong…”

“The Duke has already given his permission.”

“Well, if the Duke has given his permission, who am I to say anything? Records shouldn’t be a problem.”

He looked at the space behind the table.

On one side of the tent, piles of paper and papyrus scrolls were stacked like mountains.

“What records exactly do you want? Battle reports? Hunting logs? Or we even have records of banquets.”

“I need records containing the Duke’s words. All of them, without exception.”

“The Duke’s words… all of them?”

Guillaume asked, his eyes wide.

The other monks in the tent stopped writing and looked at the two of them.

“What are you going to do with them all?”

“To be honest, I don’t really know either.”

Aygue shrugged.

“Probably something for the Lord.”

“Everything in this world is for the Lord, Sir Aygue.”

Guillaume sighed.

He clapped his hands, and all the monks gathered.

“I believe you’ve all heard. Let’s start sorting. All the records containing Duke Baldwin’s words go over here…”

The sound of monks sighing echoed faintly.

* * *

“We can prepare the necessary supplies and troops in a few months.”

Henry II said.

“But we have a severe shortage of ships to carry them.”

“You don’t have to worry about ships. I’ll contact Venice and Genoa on my way back.”

I said.

“By the time you arrive in Aquitaine, a fleet will be waiting.”

“There’s no way you can prepare transport ships that quickly. How…?”

Henry II burst out laughing.

“You prepared this in advance before coming to Europe, didn’t you? Am I right?”

“The maritime cities have been preparing fleets since last year.”

I nodded.

The thing I was most concerned about before coming to Europe was securing ships.

‘No matter how many troops you gather in Europe, it’s useless if you can’t transport them to Jerusalem.’

That’s why I entrusted Venice and Genoa with preparing the fleets in advance.

In this era, traveling to Jerusalem by land was too dangerous.

France during the Second Crusade suffered greatly.

The Holy Roman Empire during the Third Crusade also suffered heavy losses coming by land.

Even if the Eastern Roman Empire has brought the Sultanate of Rum to its knees, there are still risks.

‘It’s much safer to cross the Mediterranean.’

The only problem was securing a sufficient number of transport ships.

But I had a lot of money.

More than enough to spare.

‘Hurry up and pay the promised shipping fees!’

It’s better than the Fourth Crusade, which was plagued by Venice’s demands.

There was no need to invade Constantinople to repay the debt.

The Fourth Crusade!

It’s still ironic to think about it.

Who would have known that a campaign that started to recapture Jerusalem would end with the looting of Constantinople?

“Weren’t you on good terms with the Emperor of Constantinople?”

Henry II asked.

“Then it might be okay to go to Jerusalem by land.”

“It’s true that I’m on good terms with the Basileus [Byzantine Emperor].”

I nodded.

Moreover, this time I persuaded Count Raymond to help the Eastern Roman army.

The Eastern Roman-Jerusalem allied forces brought the Sultanate of Rum to its knees.

That’s how strong the relationship between the two countries became.

“But traveling by land will inevitably consume more time and resources. The funds will run out quickly.”

I said.

“It’s better to prepare supplies in advance at the ports.”

The supply line was already established while fighting Emperor Frederick.

“Then we’ll do that part as you say.”

Henry II closed his mouth with a thoughtful expression.

Silence fell.

“By the way, the ship Geoffrey was on hasn’t arrived in Normandy yet. It’s been several days since it set sail.”

“….”

I looked at him.

A mixture of complexity and composure.

He already knows the truth.

Henry II was a king who had been through a lot.

He must have figured out how things were going.

“Many things can happen in the straits.”

I said.

It was a common occurrence in medieval politics.

‘Cain killed Abel.’

In this case, Abel was arguably more wicked than Cain.

“That Geoffrey was born with a more wicked side than Henry, Richard, and John. He tried to humiliate you at this tournament.”

Henry II said in a calm tone.

“He was a rotten branch. But… but he was my son by blood.”

“How many rotten branches have you removed since you sat on the throne, Your Majesty?”

“…Too many to count.”

Henry II sighed.

His gaze turned to the plains behind me.

“I probably would have done the same thing if I were Henry. I would have cut off the branch.”

“….”

I closed my mouth.

Henry II wasn’t blaming me.

In the first place, it was Geoffrey himself who was asking for it.

Henry II knew that very well.

‘But the feelings a father feels would be different.’

A calm sadness emanated from him.

“All that’s left is to protect the remaining branches.”

“England will regain stability.”

I said.

Even in the original history, it was death that ended the civil war between brothers.

Young Henry and Geoffrey died of illness, and Richard became king.

Then Richard died, and the youngest, John, sat on the throne.

A fight that continues until one person remains.

That was power and politics.

‘Come to think of it, did young Henry die of dysentery?’

A disease caused by drinking water or food contaminated with germs.

I should emphasize boiling water even more.

It would be a problem if he suddenly died now.

“But what will happen to England after this crusade depends on young Henry and Richard.”

“That’s why the expedition has to succeed even more.”

Henry II looked at me.

For a brief moment, his eyes blazed.

The same fervor as when we first met.

“Be careful too. If something happens to you, the expedition itself could be canceled.”

“Are you already preparing to back out?”

I asked with a smile.

“I’m not trying to back out, I’m just stating the reality. You alone created the current crusade craze in Europe.”

He replied in a serious tone.

“And you alone are supporting it. You are the firewood, the spark, and the flame.”

He muttered in a small voice.

“The flame that burned Europe.”

“….”

“Do you know how many people crossed over to England to see you this time? Father Pierre is also there.”

Henry II said.

“He has made you a living saint and a holy man. He’s been making gospels out of your words for days now. Did you know that?”

I stared blankly at Henry II.

My words? Gospels?

I remembered Pierre coming to me a few days ago and asking to see the records.

Then maybe….

“Please wait a moment.”

I left Henry II behind and walked to one side of the plain.

I had a feeling that something troublesome had happened.

* * *

Pierre and his followers were gathered around the Holy Cross as always.

Most of them were wearing rough hemp robes.

The same pilgrim’s clothes that Henry II was wearing.

Pierre was giving a speech in front of the people.

‘What on earth is he doing this time?’

It feels like only yesterday that I cleaned up the Holy Shroud incident.

My head was already throbbing.

I can’t rebuke someone who sincerely praises me.

As I got closer, I heard his cry.

“The Duke also saw through the lies of the evil Andronikos in Constantinople! He informed the Emperor of his betrayal… Oh, Duke!”

Pierre, who found me, shouted loudly.

The other followers bowed their heads at the same time as if they had promised.

“Duke, please bless my child…!”

“I haven’t been able to use one of my legs for a while. Please have mercy….”

People flocked to me.

I talked to each of them and shook their hands.

Even though I didn’t actually do anything, people were moved and shed tears.

“My leg! My leg is all better! I can walk again!”

“Oh! Praise the Lord!”

I’m going crazy, really.

I was led by Pierre to the Holy Cross.

Everyone’s eyes were on me.

I tried to maintain a calm expression.

“All of the Lord’s believers want to receive teachings from the Duke. Please bestow such glory upon us.”

“I’m not someone who can teach anyone.”

I whispered to Pierre in a small voice.

I’m not even a Christian in the first place.

“Who can give teachings if not the Duke, who has received the Lord’s revelation?”

Pierre said in a firm tone.

“The miracles that the Duke has already performed in Jerusalem are saving countless lives here in Europe as well.”

“Miracles, you say….”

Are you talking about boiling water and basic hygiene?

Well, there probably weren’t any prophets who emphasized that.

I took a deep breath.

Until now, I have maintained strategic ambiguity regarding my ‘powers’.

Future knowledge and intuition.

A means of appropriately packaging these two things.

Is that what’s coming back as a boomerang?

No, it’s not really a boomerang.

If I get through it well, it could be advantageous to me as well.

The problem is that I don’t know how to do it.

“What if I say I don’t have such qualifications?”

“Do not believe everyone who claims to have received the Spirit, but test whether the spirits they claim to have come from God. Many false prophets have appeared in this world.”

Pierre rattled off.

“‘This is how to recognize the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God. Everyone who acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh has received the Spirit of God.’ This is written in John 4:1.”

Pierre looked at me.

“Do you acknowledge that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh?”

“Of course, I acknowledge it.”

“Then you have received the Spirit of God!”

Pierre shouted, and the followers cheered along.

I sighed, half giving up.

“The Lord Jesus Christ performed many miracles and tried to hide his identity.”

Pierre shouted.

“‘Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone about this, but the more he forbade them, the more they spread it widely.’ This is what is written in Mark 7:36!”

Hearing those words, I was reminded of what Hugh had said to me before.

‘Dignity doesn’t necessarily come from acting like a warrior. Jesus Christ didn’t act like a king either.’

Has my strategic ambiguity rather fueled such claims?

People flocked to me.

“Noble Duke, if you would allow me the opportunity to ask a question….”

I nodded instead of answering.

“What is the truth spoken of in the Bible? And how can we walk the path of true salvation?”

“The truth is….”

I stroked my chin, pretending to think.

I should have read a few philosophy books if I had known this would happen.

A tree next to the plain came into view.

I’ll just wing it.

“It’s that tree right there.”

I pointed to the tree, and people’s eyes followed.

“And salvation is the fruit that grows on that tree.”

“Ooooooh!”

People nodded.

No, are you convinced with just this?

“If you wish, I will tell you stories. From the events that took place far away in the holy cities of Jerusalem and Constantinople, Italy and England….”

I said.

I can tell as many stories as you want.

“There are also things that will happen in the distant future.”

It’s up to these people to interpret my stories.

I saw monks holding quills and writing down my words.

I glanced at the Holy Cross.

‘You wouldn’t say anything to me, would you? In the first place, it was God who threw me into this situation.’

I’m grumbling at God while talking about God.

I turned my eyes away from the Holy Cross and slowly opened my mouth.

“The wars and conflicts that took place in Jerusalem were….”