The Youngest Prince Of The English Royalty House [EN]: Chapter 170

170. Co-King (2)

—November, 1204—

Human history has always been fraught with conflict, but before Temujin [Genghis Khan] unified the Mongol tribes, their history was one of constant struggle.

A bloody history of tribal divisions and endless battles.

The survivors, swallowing their bitter tears, were always ready for cruel revenge.

With so many people scattered across the vast plains, revenge fueled more revenge, and resentment and despair only grew.

‘Damn it, they raped and killed my wife. I’ll kill them all!’

‘What did we ever do?’

In reality, much of this conflict was orchestrated by foreign powers who didn’t want the Mongol tribes to unite.

The Khitans, the Jurchens, and even the Han Chinese. They didn’t want the power of the Mongol plains to consolidate.

Then came Temujin, from the Golden Clan [Borjigin clan, the Mongol royal family].

He took the lead in resolving the chaos on the Mongol plains.

‘We will no longer be deceived by foreign powers.’

He realized that the root cause of all the conflicts was the schemes of foreign powers.

‘The Eternal Sky is Jehovah.’

Furthermore, he equated the Eternal Sky [Tengri], worshiped by the Mongols, with God.

[What are you talking about?]

At first, many tribesmen thought it was nonsense.

However, the Mongols, who had long been closely associated with the Nestorian Church [an early Christian sect], readily accepted it.

They understood Temujin’s intention to absorb Ong Khan’s forces, who believed in Nestorianism, without shedding a drop of blood.

Of course, even if the leadership understood the political intent, there was initial confusion.

The combination of the Mongol’s indigenous religion and Christianity was something very alien.

But.

In human affairs, visible power is what ultimately matters.

Temujin’s army, the strongest among the Mongol tribes, convinced the Mongol tribes and the Uyghurs that the Eternal Sky they worshiped was indeed Jehovah, their God.

From then on, the rise of the Mongols began.

Different from the Mongols who had been exploited by foreign powers until now.

They fought, slashed, enslaved, and converted.

And it was even sacred.

Because Mongolia was a legitimate Christian empire chosen by God.

“We are soldiers with the banner of the Lord!”

“Holding the banner with His noble name engraved!”

The Mongol army, carrying crosses, charged forward.

No longer to gain the small place called the Mongol plains, but to gain the endless ‘plains’ of the world.

With the last stronghold of the remaining forces captured, the Islamic forces were completely destroyed.

Of course, they might hide somewhere and try to regroup, but at this rate, their destruction was only a matter of time.

‘We… never knew we would become this strong.’

Jamukha, the commander of the Mongol army’s First Corps and Temujin’s most trusted commander, felt a surge of pride. They had conquered all of China, surpassed the Persian region, and defeated the Islamic forces.

In the original history, the Mongol hero, who would have been defeated by Temujin and died long ago, conquered the Islamic forces with Temujin. It was the world Safe Zone had created.

However, Temujin remained calm.

“Not yet… not yet…”

“Not yet? What do you mean by that?”

When Jamukha asked, Temujin said.

“No matter how good the horse is, it cannot run forever without rest. We have run too fast to this point. Now, we need some rest.”

‘It’s not always about being fast.’

Temujin thought.

The sacred conquest was possible because of the talented commanders and Temujin’s own strength, but it was also true that some luck was involved in the process.

However, if he became intoxicated with this luck and didn’t see the essence, it wouldn’t do. Conquering the world and managing the world are completely different matters.

Temujin didn’t just want conquest; the true conquest he envisioned was to take away even the opportunity for the conquered to rebel.

Although Temujin had conquered both the Jin and Southern Song dynasties, he had already experienced how severely the slaves in the conquered territories could rebel if they wanted to.

In any case, Islam, which had long been the sworn enemy of Christianity, was destroyed.

The Mongol Empire, which had only half of China, was different from the Mongol Empire, which had completely absorbed China.

Thanks to his clumsy eldest son, Jochi, he couldn’t conquer Goryeo [Korea] or Wa [Japan], but that wasn’t a big problem.

He could already properly utilize the power of the Chinese continent, and efficient supply routes were secured.

The momentum of the Mongol army, with everything prepared, only grew stronger.

Now, they had even dealt with the leader of Islam, the Caliph, who had been moving from place to place, hiding after Saladin.

“This is the head of the real Caliph.”

The Caliph, who would have skillfully defended the Islamic world if Safe Zone hadn’t existed, was deprived of his life by the mighty Mongol army.

“Has the last obstacle on the path finally fallen?”

However, for Temujin, who called himself the true emperor of Christianity, the destruction of Islam was merely the removal of an obstacle on the path.

The holy Divine Mongol Empire had余裕 [leisure,余裕 in Japanese, implying余裕 in Japanese, implying a sense of composure and capacity to handle situations].

Understanding the information of the West, with a little more 余裕.

Uniting the empires of Christianity into one.

‘Richard, John… the world… the world… and towards home.’

The wolf of the plains, holding a cross, thought of John far away.

The red sun is setting.

It was winter.

* * *

—Kingdom of Jerusalem, Tyre—

While a film noir-like atmosphere was flowing in the Mongol camp.

This Kingdom of Jerusalem was in chaos.

“Islam has been destroyed.”

“The Eastern heretics have captured Baghdad.”

“The Islamic Caliph has fallen!”

“The Divine Mongol Empire cannot be stopped!”

In the original history, Baghdad was far from the Christian forces, but now that the European Crusaders had territories in the Middle East and Africa, it was different.

It was natural for the news of the destruction of the Islamic forces to spread quickly to the relatively close territories of the Christian forces.

The ruler of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, who already had much to think about these days, had to ask for confirmation of the facts several times.

“What did you say? Islam has fallen? Both the Caliph and Saladin are dead?”

“Your Majesty, the Syrian region has also fallen into the hands of the Mongols.”

‘The next target is us and the Eastern Romans.’

Geoffrey I felt fear.

My God.

Those hateful Islamic bastards have fallen like that.

Could there be such a tremendous event?

The Muslims could call the Christians antichrists and dog-like heretics. They were people who should not have fallen like this.

“This can’t be….”

“Your Majesty….”

“I still can’t believe it.”

[The Divine Mongol Empire is a terrifying heresy, as Safe Zone said.]

Geoffrey was known as a schemer in England. He had no intention of denying the obvious facts before his eyes.

“Your Majesty….”

“What on earth has the West been doing?”

The lamenting King Geoffrey I looked as pathetic as if he had witnessed a new tragedy.

As if he weren’t from the House of Anjou. Although he was born into royalty in the West, he had no conscience to distinguish ‘the West’ from himself.

Now, the ruler of the Kingdom of Jerusalem made the first decision he had to make as king.

“Immediately mobilize all troops to defend the fortress. I must send a letter to His Holiness the Pope.”

He knew that the new Pope was close to John, but at this point, it was a trivial matter.

* * *

—Eastern Roman Empire, Constantinople—

Information is the power of a nation. In that sense, the Eastern Roman Empire, which oversees all information in this world through the Immigration Bureau (Intelligence Agency), was aware of the changes occurring in the East.

The people of the Eastern Roman Empire felt an ominous atmosphere.

Having long known the potential of the Islamic forces, they properly felt the presence of the Mongols, who had the power to annihilate Islam.

Just as the Eastern Roman Empire had foreseen the invasion of Attila, the leader of the Huns, now the Eastern Roman Empire was mobilizing all means to defend against the Mongols.

“John’s warning was not wrong.”

The Mongol problem, which had been someone else’s business, was now completely imminent.

The powerful heretical force called the Divine Mongol Empire is truly a disaster.

Now Alexios II felt a chill.

[Do not believe in false beliefs. True faith is in the East.]

Because a letter had arrived from the man Temujin, who called himself the emperor of the Eastern Christian Empire.

“Summon the troops. It is time for us to become the shield of Christianity again.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

The Eastern Romans were now aware.

That enemies worse than the Huns would arrive.

‘Is a time of chaos returning?’

The crown on the head of the Eastern Roman Emperor felt truly heavy.

* * *

—England, Mortain—

For John, Mortain, the territory of his origin.

Here, too, the story that the Islamic forces had recently been destroyed by the Mongols was heard.

Even so, his own work came first.

“Of course, we must be prepared to fight those heretical bastards.”

Here.

There is an army that will be responsible for the basic military strength of future England.

“Present arms!”

“Arms!”

—Bang.

Charles was very busy.

“Seriously, I’m training soldiers at this age.”

“But you’re getting a lot out of it, aren’t you?”

“That’s right. I’m being recognized by my lord as much as shining gold coins.”

Charles couldn’t deny the words of Akbul-hoe, who had now become a comfortable friend.

“Entrusted education, our lord is amazing. To provide such advanced education to the Emperor’s Imperial Guard.”

At that time.

A new guest came to visit the two.

To check the entrusted military power.

“Have you arrived?”

“I heard that all the training is over.”

Akbul-hoe and Charles, who heard the words of the Count of Champagne, guided him.

Safe Zone always fights for his own safety.

However, he knows better than anyone that there are things that cannot be monopolized at times.

So, he planned to foster the Royal Guard for his brother through entrusted training. That way, Richard I wouldn’t be uneasy.

“How is it? Aren’t these people who will become His Majesty’s Imperial Guard wonderful?”

The Count of Champagne, who watched the Imperial Guard doing shooting training like John’s army, said.

“With this, my doubts have faded.”

—Bang, bang.

The sound of gunfire was heard in the distance as shooting training progressed.

* * *

—December 1204, England, Rouen—

“I have completed the tasks you entrusted to me.”

“You’ve worked hard.”

Peter and I had dark circles under our eyes.

‘I’m really tired.’

1204 was full of things to do.

The Mongols were a problem, but.

Now England was in a position where checks could come in at any time, so we had to prepare in various ways.

It’s December now. There has been no Mongol invasion yet.

‘Should I say it’s a relief.’

The Mongols, who seemed like they would march into the Kingdom of Poland at any moment, stopped in Syria.

They would likely advance when the weather warmed up.

I worked again.

Richard Hyung [older brother] called me after receiving a report from the Count of Champagne.

“His Majesty has granted an audience.”

I heard the words of Richard Hyung’s chief secretary and entered the king’s room.

“Your Majesty, did you call me?”

“John… come in.”

I looked at the countless maps and documents containing information on key locations that Richard Hyung had prepared.

“When did you prepare all this?”

“It is the power of those who investigated while my lacking brother Geoffrey complained.”

Richard Hyung’s tenacity was truly amazing.

Because all of those were information related to the Divine Mongol Empire.

“That’s amazing.”

Unlike the original history I knew, the aspect of the Lionheart, who seemed completely mad about war, seemed endless.

Such preparedness.

“And I received a report on the power of the Imperial Guard you fostered. You’ve worked hard.”

“All the power of England must be subordinate to His Majesty the King.”

“Thank you.”

Richard Hyung, who answered briefly, smiled bitterly and said again.

“There will be many difficult things in the future. It feels bad to be called a Christian empire by a heretical subject, but Temujin is a great man enough to compete with me.”

“I felt that way too.”

“I think I have to make the same choice as my father.”

Why suddenly the nobleman in Britain? And the choice of the word father instead of the late king.

“Could it be, are you talking about co-kingship?”

“Why not?”

“Do you really have to do that?”

“I have tested you, John, for a long time. So I can trust you.”

For some reason, Richard Hyung is showing infinite trust in me now, but in reality, it was too much of a burden.

“Your Majesty, something terrible has happened!”

A knight approached urgently.

‘Why do I feel a sense of déjà vu?’

“What’s wrong?”

“The army of the Divine Mongol Empire is now….”

I felt like I would have a seizure just hearing the ‘Mong’ in Mongol.

What again with those Mongol friends?