I Became The King Of Crusaders [EN]: Chapter 117

Became the King of Crusaders – Episode 117

The Eagle of Broken Oaths (2)

* * *

“Bertrand of Born. Do you have anything to say?”

All eyes turned to Bertrand.

Geoffrey frowned as he looked at him.

He seemed to realize that something was amiss.

Bertrand looked around, his face pale white.

“B, Bertrand. If you have something to say, s, say it quickly.”

“…”

A long silence followed.

The lords’ breaths could be heard.

Situations like this were probably rare.

Suddenly, the king calls a meeting and is now interrogating his brother.

What could be more exciting than this?

“Duke Geoffrey is the one who instigated the mercenary raid on the village.”

No sooner had he finished speaking than several lords jumped up from their seats.

They pointed and shouted at Bertrand.

“Bertrand! How dare you utter such lies!”

“Aren’t you ashamed before the Lord?!”

“Silence, everyone!”

The commotion subsided only after young Henry shouted several times.

The lords were divided into two factions, glaring at each other.

Those who followed young Henry, and

The lords under Geoffrey.

“Bertrand of Born. Do you have any evidence or witnesses to prove that what you say is true?”

“I don’t need any other witnesses. I received money from the Duke and paid it to the mercenaries.”

The tent shook again.

The lords all stood up and shouted.

Bertrand knelt before young Henry.

“At the time, I thought it was for the good of the kingdom and His Majesty the King. Duke Geoffrey told me so.”

He said, sobbing.

“But in reality, it was just a conspiracy to satisfy the Duke’s private interests. I will gladly accept whatever punishment Your Majesty may impose.”

I barely suppressed a snort.

He’s a good actor.

There’s no bat like that bat. [Referring to someone who betrays others]

No, should I call him a lizard that abandons its tail and runs away as soon as it’s caught?

“You may rise, Bertrand. You are still my friend and loyal subject.”

Young Henry helped Bertrand up.

After sharing a kiss of peace [a ceremonial greeting], he looked at Geoffrey.

“Bertrand has confessed his sins, Geoffrey. But you’re the only one who won’t admit what you’ve done.”

“Brother, don’t you understand yet? Richard instigated him to put on this play.”

Geoffrey said, as if chewing on his lips.

His face was flushed red.

His accomplice suddenly confessed without saying a word.

It must be difficult to maintain composure.

He’s doing great just keeping it together.

“He’s trying to drive a wedge between you and me, brother. Didn’t you drive out Marshall in the first place? But how could Marshall have repelled the mercenaries…”

“I, I didn’t drive out Marshall. Brother.”

Silence covered the tent.

The nobles and lords all frowned and looked at each other.

“You didn’t drive out Marshall? What do you mean by that?”

“It’s as I said. Marshall was chasing your mercenaries under my orders. Not because he was instigated by Ri, Richard.”

Young Henry said, growling.

“I, I never believed such rumors in the first place. To drive out Marshall for something like that. It doesn’t, doesn’t make sense.”

“Brother, think about it. There’s no guarantee that Bertrand is telling the truth.”

Geoffrey said with a sigh.

He openly showed his disappointment towards young Henry.

“Didn’t he usually engage in lies and conspiracies? This time, he’s setting this trap to kick me out and monopolize your attention.”

“That part, we, we need to confirm it.”

Young Henry looked at me.

“I, I heard that the Prince can fi, find out who is lying. And you are also the representative of His Holiness the Pope. Is, is Bertrand’s wo, word a lie?”

“Bertrand told the truth, Your Majesty.”

The lords let out a groan-like sound at my words.

The atmosphere inside the tent changed by the second.

A suffocating silence flowed, and then all sorts of murmurs erupted.

“Prince Baldwin. You came from far away Jerusalem.”

Geoffrey looked at me.

A cold look.

“It is inappropriate for you to discuss the problems of the English royal family here.”

“I think that’s a matter for His Majesty Henry to decide, not the Duke.”

I looked at young Henry.

He nodded instead of answering.

Geoffrey opened his mouth again.

“There is no guarantee that Prince Baldwin is telling the truth…”

“It seems the Duke suspects everyone he meets. There’s a saying I know: ‘Dirty minds see dirty things’.”

Some people chuckled.

They immediately closed their mouths when they met Geoffrey’s eyes.

Geoffrey snorted in disbelief and looked at me.

“It seems you only listen to the words of sycophants, brother. To treat me, the only one of your brothers who came to help you, like this.”

He glared at young Henry.

“I guarantee that if this news gets out, no one will come to help you anymore.”

“We, we’ll have to see about that.”

Young Henry said, standing up.

He looked around the crowd.

“Those who are di, dissatisfied with my judgment are free to leave. I wo, won’t stop anyone from leaving.”

Several people stood up from their seats.

About four or five people.

They were all Breton lords under Geoffrey.

Geoffrey stood up and said.

“Since that’s what you want, brother, I’ll withdraw from this war now. If you have nothing more to say, I’ll return to my territory.”

“You still have a chance to co, confess your mistakes. Brother.”

Young Henry said.

“I do, don’t understand the things you’ve done. If you admit your sins yourself…”

“I have committed no sin, ‘Brother’. Then, goodbye.”

Geoffrey bowed and turned to leave the tent.

The Breton lords hurriedly followed him.

An awkward silence followed.

Young Henry clapped his hands and stood up.

He strode towards me.

“I, I owe the Prince a great debt this time. As King of England, I would like to formally express my gratitude.”

“It is my honor, Your Majesty.”

I shared a hug with him.

The atmosphere in the tent, which had been heavy, became much lighter.

The servants brought meat and wine glasses one by one.

The nobles and lords drank, laughed, and chatted.

The tension that had covered the tent had disappeared without a trace.

I also tilted the glass in my hand.

My hand, probably because of sweat, was slippery as I held the glass.

‘This round is over.’

Bertrand turned to Henry’s side, and Geoffrey fled to his territory in an unsightly manner.

Now all that’s left is for Richard and young Henry to make a peace agreement.

I should be satisfied with this for now.

I emptied my glass and headed out of the tent.

A figure approached me.

* * *

“Are you alright, Prince?”

“I’m fine. I’m just still riding the high.”

I said, sitting on the floor.

My heart was pounding.

Inside the tent, I could still hear the boisterous chatter.

“You didn’t seem excited at all when you were talking earlier?”

“Did you hear what I said?”

“I didn’t want to, but I could hear it all the way outside the tent.”

Eig scratched his head.

“I saw Geoffrey coming out of the tent, and he staggered a few times before yelling at the lords next to him.”

Eig burst out laughing.

“He must have been very upset.”

“It’s no wonder, after being publicly humiliated like that.”

I said.

He might have expected his plan to fail.

But for his plan to be exposed and his accomplice to confess.

The political damage Geoffrey suffered from this incident was not small.

“Still, it was worth the trouble for both you and me for the past few days. Now that we’ve revealed the truth.”

Eig sighed.

“Didn’t you also get the peace you wanted in the first place?”

“Revealing the truth wasn’t that important.”

I shook my head.

What I did wasn’t reasoning.

In detective stories, detectives or investigators reveal the truth and catch the culprit.

Then the police arrest the culprit.

Everyone ends happily.

But the definition of justice in this era was different from the 21st century.

It doesn’t really matter who committed the real crime.

“If the truth doesn’t matter, then why did you go to so much trouble to gather evidence and threaten Bertrand? It would have been enough to just persuade young King Henry.”

“Let’s just say it was for a more dramatic effect. What I did was like preparing a play.”

A sudden meeting.

And even interrogating the crime in front of all the nobles and lords.

The mercenary caught on the spot.

William Marshall and Richard.

Even Bertrand’s confession.

Geoffrey finally left the tent without being able to refute.

‘He probably didn’t know I had prepared this much.’

Eig sighed after hearing my explanation.

“I don’t understand politics at all.”

“Neither do I.”

“I didn’t know Bertrand would betray Duke Geoffrey so quickly.”

Eig said.

“Even though they hang out with their own kind, accusing a royal…”

“Bertrand had no choice but to grab young Henry’s hand if he wanted to survive.”

I said with a smile.

Since he knows all his secrets.

He had no choice but to switch sides.

Still, he didn’t ride the line ambiguously and clearly took sides.

If that’s the case, his head is turning quite a bit.

I stretched all the way.

“I should go to bed now.”

As the tension was released, all the muscles in my body were screaming that they were tired.

Sleep.

I wish I could just sleep soundly for a few hours.

“I have to meet Richard tomorrow, so I need to save my strength.”

* * *

The next day.

Young King Henry’s camp.

Hundreds of knights stood lined up on both sides.

A man with reddish-brown hair passed through the center of them on horseback.

“You seem to be in a good mood, Duke. Is it because the war is over?”

“The end of the war is also a good thing. It was a meaningless fight in the first place.”

Richard replied, stretching.

He passed the knights with an indifferent expression.

The Jerusalem flag with five crosses fluttered in the center of the camp.

Richard looked at the flag and opened his mouth.

“But that’s not the only reason I’m in a good mood.”

“Then…”

“Isn’t it really interesting? When I first saw Baldwin, that guy seemed more bland than I thought.”

Richard said.

“His face is as pretty as a girl, but his muscles aren’t properly attached. No one would see him as a warrior.”

“You can’t ignore a snake just because it’s smaller than a dog.”

“You’re right, Mercadier. You’re right.”

Richard laughed as he looked at the mercenary captain.

“That guy is closer to a lion than a snake, though. He didn’t flinch even after hearing my threats. He was a gutsy guy.”

“Baldwin has gained the trust of young King Henry with this incident.”

Mercadier said.

He raised his hand and stroked his bald forehead.

“Young Henry will accept whatever the Prince says.”

“And later, he will also follow the Crusade. Like a gentle lamb following a shepherd.”

“When that time comes, the Duke will also have an opportunity. Not only the empty land of the young king, but also the Kingdom of England…”

“You’re starting to talk like my brother Geoffrey now.”

Richard said.

In the center of the plain stood a Holy Cross.

The cross on which Jesus was nailed to death.

Richard smirked when he saw it.

“But my thoughts are a little different.”

“You mean…”

“Wouldn’t it be fun to fight that Baldwin guy too?”

He said, looking at Mercadier.

“Do you want to fight the Prince?”

“That wouldn’t be bad either. But what I mean is to fight ‘together’.”

“You mean…”

“It wouldn’t be bad to go to Jerusalem once in a while. I’m tired of fighting with the lords here every day. It’s too easy.”

He smiled as he looked ahead.

“If I follow that Baldwin guy, I have a feeling there will be some fun things to do.”