The Youngest Prince Of The English Royalty House [EN]: Chapter 20

[Episode 20, Ireland is Warm]

Cardinal Thomas was crowned as the new Pope Pius II.

A fresh breeze swept through Rome, the heart of the Papal States.

The Pope’s subjects hoped that the new Holy Father would lead the Church without turmoil.

And here, there was a young but thoughtful clergyman.

“Lord, look down upon this insufficient young servant.”

The young clergyman praying while touching his rosary was named Lothaire de Segni.

He was only a clergyman in his twenties, but already a capable figure favored by several cardinals.

A devout clergyman who tried not to violate the words set by Christ and who was grateful for the beauty of the world God created.

But now, the world he saw was a living hell.

At the whim of the lords who ruled various territories, countless people suffered.

However, since he himself was making a living with the help of several nobles, he felt guilty in this contradictory situation.

‘Is this world not like Sodom and Gomorrah?’

The young clergyman, tormented by such thoughts, entered a cathedral.

There, he greeted his superior who was waiting for him.

“I came at Your Eminence’s call.”

“Lothaire, you’ve come. You look very troubled.”

“Your Eminence, Cardinal, I am simply perplexed.”

Lothaire said, pausing for a moment before speaking his true feelings.

“You are trying to sell your nephew into a political game.”

“…”

This time, the Cardinal could not speak.

With a face mixed with apology and guilt, he simply looked at the young clergyman, his nephew.

But the young clergyman, Lothaire, looked at his uncle with resentful eyes.

The letter stated that Lothaire would be sent to Ireland at the ‘request’ of the young King Henry.

Of course, he was well aware that this situation was orchestrated by King Philip II of France.

“Ha.”

Lothaire let out a bitter laugh.

‘Is that a request? It’s an order.’

“Do we have to follow the orders of corrupt royalty and nobles?”

Most clergymen are also from noble families.

But apart from that, corrupt nobles shed countless blood with their own hands to gain gold and territory.

The young King Henry as well.

He was just a cunning man who shed more blood than necessary to take away the rights of the eldest son from his father, Henry II.

“Don’t you know? The reason why the late Pope abdicated was due to the machinations of England and the Holy Roman Empire.”

“Are you going to defy the current Pope?”

The uncle looked at his nephew with complicated eyes.

As a clergyman, the Cardinal knew better than anyone the intelligence and competence of his nephew, but he was worried that his nephew’s fiery temper would be a problem.

Noticing his uncle’s concerns, Lothaire said firmly.

“How could I? Despite being from England, he is a devout man.”

Although he was from England,

Thomas Becket was no ordinary clergyman before becoming Pope.

A devout, faithful, and somewhat self-protective senior.

Therefore, Lothaire swore respect and loyalty to Pius II, even though he ascended to the papacy for political reasons.

“Then do you also deny Prince John, who was His Holiness’s secular disciple?”

“Prince John…”

At his uncle’s words, the young priest fell into thought.

Prince John.

He is already a well-known royal in Europe.

Born as a prince of the Angevin-Plantagenet dynasty, but unlike his brothers, he was not particularly bright.

However, he was a celebrity who stirred the hearts of many troubadours [traveling poets and musicians] with his skill in composing medieval ballads since he was a boy.

And he confessed his love to Princess Agnes 200 times with his beautiful poems, but eventually, he was a lover who could not win her heart.

After the heartbreak, he chose the Claire family as his in-laws, which no one expected.

And unlike other princes, he was a lord who practiced good governance to the extent that he was called a benevolent prince.

From Safe John’s point of view, it was only at the level of maintaining moral standards as a modern person.

Unlike other lords in the Middle Ages, Prince John gained the support of the people of Mortain by practicing good governance.

That fact was known even in Ireland, and eventually, Prince John was able to take Ireland without much effort.

Anyway, Lothaire, thinking about Prince John, sighed and said.

“He is an enigma.”

“Indeed, the King of France has raised questions. It is unknown whether Prince John is a benevolent man or a snake hiding his tongue.”

“Ha…”

He sighed.

It was a public secret that Philip II despised Prince John.

But the fact that the young King Henry accepted Philip II’s suspicion is another matter.

‘Isn’t that youngest one hiding something? He seems suspicious.’ He began to harbor such doubts.

“I am also curious.”

Lothaire, he was a variable in itself that did not fit the ‘calculations’ of this young and ambitious clergyman.

Anyway, he wouldn’t be able to refuse.

“I will follow the demands of the young King Henry. I am also curious about Prince John.”

And some time later, in Ireland.

“The young King Henry sent me here. I am the Lord’s servant, Lothaire.”

Lothaire greeted and looked at Prince John.

Some call him John the Benevolent, but Lothaire’s suspicion that his reputation might not be true deepened again.

‘Did Philip II catch a case of hating his own kind? Or is Prince John really a benevolent royal?’

Just then, Prince John, no, the man who had become the Duke of Ireland, spoke with an unknowable expression.

“Welcome to my Ireland.”

**

Lothaire.

Wow, he’s really handsome.

He was said to be the most handsome clergyman in Europe at the time, and he had the features to match that nickname.

The handsome man bowed politely to me.

“Thank you for welcoming the Lord’s servant in such a way.”

“No. You must have suffered a lot coming all the way to Ireland.”

The Diocese of Dublin was the most prosperous diocese in Ireland, but in the whole of Europe, it was just a backwater.

“There must be many lambs here too, right?”

“That’s right.”

Will that young priest clash with me?

Ah… but I can’t have a catastrophe like my father and teacher [Thomas Becket] experienced?

The conflict between my father, Henry II, and my teacher.

That was partly because my teacher went too far, but it was also because Henry II was too ahead of his time.

My teacher wanted as much power as the prophet Samuel, who could ‘excommunicate’ King Saul of Israel at will.

My father gave power and money to the church guys, but he felt betrayed by my teacher, who crossed the line he allowed.

So my teacher almost died.

I smiled and looked at Lothaire, and I remembered what Peter had said to me before.

[Prince John, this clergyman called Lothaire can be a good rival for us.]

Peter’s words that real politics begins when there is someone in conflict.

Knowing this man’s future, I thought Peter’s words were not entirely wrong.

I said in a reverent voice.

“I will become a faithful great lord. I have no intention of using the name of Saint Patrick in vain.”

This is sincere.

**

“So, have you decided? Well, it doesn’t matter if you want to be a martyr for the Celts.”

That’s how I threatened them.

Next to me, the knights of the Claire family were raising their swords and glaring.

‘Actually, I have no intention of killing them; I’m planning to use them as laborers.’

Anyway, as I, the main actor [great lord], played the role with the supporting actors, the knights,

“I pledge my loyalty to the Duke.”

Like this, the native nobles bowed their heads to me on their own.

Good sign.

Anyway, from now on, there were many things to do.

What I wanted from Dublin, the capital of Ireland, was to create an environment where fresh beer and fresh milk were readily available.

Of course, it’s not easy.

The revival of brewing and livestock farming.

The former requires a good relationship with the Catholic Church to have delicious alcohol, and the latter requires a lot of money and good luck to have food and clothing.

‘Ireland means beer.’

German beer is the best, but I couldn’t forget the Irish beer that I used to buy for 10,000 won for 4 cans in my previous life.

Of course, I’m not going to start brewing right away.

First, I decided to introduce crop rotation on a large scale.

Already in Mortain, crop rotation is showing various results and proving the recovery of ‘self-sufficiency’.

Apart from the most important farming, it’s tourism.

‘Ireland means a city of tourism.’

“The Way of Saint Patrick. Wouldn’t that be good?”

“….!”

Peter’s eyes lit up at my plan.

As he had been with me for a long time, Peter, who could read my mind, said.

“Unlike the pilgrim’s path in Iberia [Spain and Portugal], you must have several purposes.”

“That’s right.”

The purpose of pilgrimage, the purpose of military movement, the purpose of logistics movement.

We will implement road maintenance that meets all three needs.

And to achieve that, we will sell the name of Saint Patrick.

‘Saint Patrick, are you watching from heaven?’

Saint Patrick was a saint who gave generously.

It will also be my image making, and it will also be my money making.

He came from the British Isles, but I will uphold the will of the noble Saint Patrick who sacrificed for Ireland.

Yes, let’s work hard too.

Before I knew it, my wife’s due date was approaching.

“Your Highness, we are doctors from the Roman (Eastern Roman) Empire.”

“Welcome.”

The best medical staff of this era were in Eastern Rome, not France.

Of course, I called them.

Duchess Mary of Ireland, what wouldn’t I do for my beloved wife who is giving birth.

“John, did you overdo it?”

“What’s money compared to you and our baby?”

But it’s expensive. It’s very expensive.

They were supposedly doctors from the Roman Empire, so their travel expenses were high.

Still, in this barbaric Middle Ages, the most reliable people in Europe were doctors from Eastern Rome.

I decided to spend money generously.

“You can use my money.”

“Madam, do you have that much money?”

“Of course. Our family may look like a small and medium-sized noble family on the outside, but how much money have we made while working as mercenaries?”

“At times like this, you just have to accept my heart.”

Why would a wife use money recklessly?

At times like this, the husband takes care of it.

Some time later.

My wife said, sweating.

“John, I think our baby will be born soon.”

Labor pains came.

“I have prepared distilled liquor, so use that.”

I can’t let all sorts of terrible diseases, including puerperal fever [infection after childbirth], torment my wife!

“Your Highness, don’t worry. The descendants of Hippocrates [ancient Greek physician] have prepared thoroughly.”

Did the concept of disinfection exist in the Middle Ages?

I couldn’t see the scene of childbirth up close because the doctors from Eastern Rome said that isolation was important during childbirth.

“…”

The wait was long.

When I was reincarnated as John, was my father Henry II feeling like this?

As time passed again, my wife’s screams began to subside.

“Wah, wah!”

That’s how a life was born.

After a while, I was fiddling with invisible fingers.

“John, it’s a son!”

“This child’s name is James.”

James.

“Wah!”

The son cried loudly as if to announce his birth to the world. Looking at such a son, I felt a great sense of responsibility.

“Wah~ Wah~”

I looked at baby James softly.

Unlike the usual European naming method, James received the name James without inheriting the name of my grandfather Jeffrey (Duke Geoffrey of Anjou) or my father Henry (II)!

I want to be a competent and good father so that this child doesn’t suffer the humiliation like Henry III, the son of the original John.

Unlike my son ‘Hyun-joon’ who I lost in my previous life, I decided to be a reliable and trustworthy father to my son in this life.

When complex thoughts swirled in my head, Mary looked at me and said.

“John, what are you thinking about?”

I answered the question simply.

“Thinking about becoming safer.”

At my words, Mary raised the corners of her mouth lovingly.

It was the happiest moment in the world.

**

-Holy Roman Empire, Swabia-

While John was feeling responsible for the birth of a new life, Emperor Frederick with the red beard [Frederick Barbarossa], with a solemn expression, welcomed another distinguished guest.

The guest is Henry II, the ruler of England.

“Welcome, King Henry.”

“Emperor, thank you for accepting my request.”

Each.

The two greatest monarchs with key powers in Western and Central Europe held a public meeting.

The fact that it is ‘public’ was also a signal that the behind-the-scenes work was already finished.

“King Henry, we are brothers before the Lord.”

“That’s right. We are brothers before the Lord. It’s not the time to play petty politics.”

It wasn’t something that people who had already become masters of political maneuvering and even changed the Pope with their political power should say.

But what does it matter?

Several electors [individuals entitled to vote in an election] and King Henry II’s princes were silently watching their 모습 [Korean word meaning appearance or figure].

This place is originally such a place.

Whirr, whirr.

The wheels of history spin.

A folk game in some neighborhood