I Became The King Of Crusaders [EN]: Chapter 115

The Lion and the Hunters (5)

* * *

“Of all days, it has to rain. Why today?”

“There aren’t any troops in the village anyway. Not many men either. The scouts confirmed it yesterday.”

“I really don’t feel like fighting in this downpour.”

The men on the hill grumbled amongst themselves.

Swords, hammers, and axes glistened, rainwater trickling down the steel.

“We can’t even set fire to the buildings in this.”

“Still, we might be able to grab a few girls and have some fun.”

“Don’t you remember what the boss said? We don’t have time for playing around today.”

A large, bald man spoke, his voice cutting through the drizzle.

“We won’t have to see you waving your little stick around either,” someone joked.

The men burst into laughter.

They were mercenaries – the second and third sons of families with no inheritance, and those who couldn’t bear the increasingly heavy taxes and ran away.

Mercenary work was life-threatening, but the pay was good. If you survived for a few years, you could buy land and start a family.

But there were also those who were captured by the madness of war, addicted to the thrill of wielding a sword and barely escaping death – a feeling you couldn’t get from farming.

“Stop the chatter and move it! No time to dawdle!”

“Boss! Why are we in such a hurry? Is someone chasing us?”

“Markarby! I’m not paying you to think, am I?”

The mercenary captain shouted, his voice echoing through the rain.

“No need to worry! Once this job is done, I’ll make sure you each get a few gold coins. Unless someone doesn’t want them?!”

He continued, “Remember, we’re here under the command of Duke Richard. We need to let a few live.”

“We can cut off their noses.”

“No, ears are better. Cutting off noses takes too long.”

A man raised his axe to his nose, demonstrating.

“There’s bone in the nose, so it’s hard. Ears just slice right off.”

“I’ve never heard such a stupid story in my life. What bone is in the ear?”

They went down the hill and approached the village. Old buildings that looked like a giant had trampled them greeted them.

Rotting wooden pillars supported walls made of wood and straw. The only stone building was the small church in the square.

Raindrops fell, soaking the buildings.

“Something’s not right. There’s not a single person.”

“Did they have a festival in the forest or something?”

“What festival would it be with this rain?”

The mercenaries murmured.

The captain frowned and asked, “Markarby, you said everything was fine yesterday?”

“It was full of people until yesterday afternoon. Smoke was coming from the chimneys….”

They continued into the square. Some gripped their weapons and looked around, their unease growing with each step.

An empty village, even the pouring rain seemed ominous. Everyone could tell something was wrong.

Then someone shouted, “Look over there!”

“It’s gold! It’s gold!”

“What?”

Several carts were placed in the center of the square, piled high with gold coins, silver coins, marks, and dinars [various types of currency]. All sorts of coins filled the carts.

The mercenaries rushed to the carts.

“I found it first, you bastards!”

“Looks like they paid tribute and ran away! I never thought we’d get so lucky here.”

Before long, fists started flying as greed took over. Some were stuffing coins into their pockets in the meantime.

“Everyone calm down! We’ll divide the spoils later. You stupid bastards….”

The mercenary captain shouted. When his men didn’t calm down, he drew his sword.

Then the church door, which had been tightly closed, slowly opened. But none of the mercenaries noticed, too focused on the gold.

“Can’t you hear me! There’s plenty of time to divide the spoils later… Kuh!”

The mercenary captain collapsed, clutching his neck. A long arrow had pierced his neck.

“Enemies!”

Men poured out of the church. They swung scythes, hammers, and axes at the mercenaries gathered in front of the carts.

The area in front of the carts quickly became a scene of carnage. Blood mixed with muddy water, creating bubbles.

“Get out! Get out of the village!”

Some quick-witted mercenaries gasped and ran out of the square. But outside, a new enemy greeted them.

The shapes of horses and knights were faintly visible through the rain. Soon, the sound of hooves echoed.

“Chase them down!”

* * *

“Catch them all, without exception! You can kill those you can’t capture!”

Screams and shouts echoed everywhere. I closed my eyes and focused.

Visibility is short anyway because of the rain. It’s better to focus on my sixth sense.

Fear was felt between excitement and tension. Probably mercenaries.

‘There are still many guys stuck in the square.’

I was able to find out the village that the mercenary group was targeting through the information Kang gave me.

Evacuating all the villagers to the church was this morning. I calmly prepared a trap while waiting for the mercenary group to come.

A cart full of money. How many mercenaries would be able to pass by this without a second glance?

Even knights would lose their minds and rush in.

I filled the cart with money I borrowed from Kang.

‘The coins are only on top, and the bottom of the cart is straw, but…’

By the time they realize that, it’ll be too late.

The money was a delicious bait to keep the mercenaries in the square. All that was left was to drive the mercenaries out of the village and chase them.

“Kang’s men aren’t bad at archery for bandits.”

Marshall said. He put on his helmet.

“It’s not easy to hit when it’s raining like this.”

“I guess they have that much experience.”

It would be impossible to shoot arrows calmly at such close range without experience.

I opened my eyes again.

“Now it’s our turn. I’ll leave the lead to Lord Marshall.”

“It’s a pity that young Henry wasn’t here.”

Marshall smiled and replied. “He missed such an exciting hunt. Then I’ll go first.”

He rushed towards the mercenaries coming out of the village, his knights following him.

I closed my eyes and pulled up my sixth sense.

About two hundred enemy mercenaries in total.

I had commanded battles where tens of thousands fought. Two hundred mercenaries? This is a piece of cake.

I kept giving orders to the knights.

“Gannelon, take five of your men and go up the hill! About ten are running that way.”

“I will follow your orders.”

“Bajan! You go around the hill….”

It felt like playing whack-a-mole. Every time the mercenaries popped out on one side, I immediately sent the knights to strike them down.

William Marshall… he’s knocking them all down by himself. He was running through the mercenaries, wielding his spear and sword.

Some mercenaries threw grappling hooks at him, but no one hit him.

I’m glad Marshall is on our side. If that monster was the enemy, I would have run away first.

Kang and his men stood blankly, driving the mercenaries out of the village. ‘They don’t know what’s going on.’

I can’t see properly, but dozens of knights are moving around in all directions. I kept giving orders.

The Knights of Jerusalem and the Sepulcher moved precisely according to my orders.

“I think it’s almost done….”

When I inhaled, the humid air filled my lungs. Then I felt something strange.

Hundreds of horses approaching at high speed. They were running towards this village.

I shouted to the knight next to me, “Gordry! Lead the remaining knights and gather to me!”

“Why, Prince?”

“Cavalry is approaching from the forest in the east! I don’t know if they are allies or not!”

I shouted as hard as I could. My voice kept getting buried in the rain. I had to shout so hard that my throat hurt to barely be heard.

“Then are they enemies?”

“That’s what I’m trying to confirm now! Gather all the knights nearby here!”

“I will follow your orders!”

I looked towards the forest.

Are there more mercenaries that I didn’t catch? Maybe Geoffrey brought in new mercenaries. Bertrand could have done that too.

I closed my eyes and focused all my attention on my sixth sense.

The number is about hundreds. A man was running at the front.

A calm yet boiling lion-like feeling. A familiar feeling I’ve felt before.

Richard?

Why is he here now? Is he coming to meet young King Henry?

‘The timing is so bad.’

I didn’t know what would happen if Richard got involved in this mess. There was no time to worry. I had to act right now.

I shook my fist and shouted, “Everyone follow me!”

* * *

We met Richard in less than a few minutes.

“Prince Baldwin! I never thought I’d see you here again. Did you come to see me off? Is this the Jerusalem way of seeing someone off?”

Richard shouted. The rain was still pouring down. Richard’s reddish-brown hair, wet with rain, caught my eye.

“I didn’t expect to meet you here either, Duke,” I replied.

I felt calm anger and curiosity from Richard at the same time. If I explained it wrong, I might get Richard wrong.

Richard might think I’m attacking the village. I had to explain the situation somehow.

“I received a report that there was a disturbance in this village while I was on my way to my brother’s camp,” Richard said.

“Are you attacking that village, Prince?”

“On the contrary. I’m saving that village. Lord Marshall is with me too.”

I briefly explained the situation to Richard – Geoffrey’s plot to prevent the peace agreement between young Henry and Richard, and even Bertrand’s intervention.

Richard burst out laughing after hearing my words.

“That’s an interesting claim. It’s something Geoffrey would do. But can’t we see it this way?” He said, coming closer.

Seeing that, the knights flinched and stepped forward. I reached out and stopped the members from stepping forward.

“You and Marshall attacked the village on the way I was coming up and put the blame on me.”

He stared into my eyes. I looked at him straight on as well.

“If I wanted war like Duke Geoffrey or Bertrand, I probably would have,” I scoffed.

Richard was indeed a lion-like man. To deal with a lion, I had to become a lion too.

“But if that were the case, you wouldn’t be standing here now. Who has been protecting your villages all this time?” I asked.

“You must have received a letter from Queen Eleanor. My goal now is not for one side to win.”

“….”

Silence flowed. The sound of steel clashing was faintly heard through the rain. Richard’s knights advanced little by little. The members behind me also drew their swords.

“I’m sorry, Prince. I didn’t know you would take it so seriously,” Richard burst out laughing.

He came closer and grabbed my arm. “The Knights of Jerusalem did not take any sides in this war. I know that well. You want both me and my brother. Isn’t that right?”

“You are right, Duke.”

I sighed inwardly with relief. Everything almost went wrong. If Richard had misunderstood the situation and attacked me and Marshall… young Henry would have had no choice but to retaliate immediately. The peace agreement would have gone down the drain. I avoided that situation for now.

“Come with me. The battle is not over yet.”

“If it’s to save my brother’s village, my knights and I will help. I can do this much to reconcile.”

Richard gestured, and the knights came forward. He looked at me and smiled.

“I wanted to see the Knights of Jerusalem fight in person, so it’s a good thing.”