I Became The King Of Crusaders [EN]: Chapter 121

Excalibur (1)

* * *

“By the grace of God, the glorious King of England, the most excellent and noble…!”

“Archangel Michael, who leads the heavenly host! Vanquish the forces of evil and save us from the clutches of Satan!”

The port of Dover was packed with people.

Eyes blazing like fire.

They clung to us, chanting prayers.

Knights had to step in to control the crowd.

“Stand back! I told you all to stand back!”

Most of their attention was focused on me.

It was the first time a member of the Jerusalem royalty had come to England.

Not to mention the True Cross [a relic believed to be the cross upon which Jesus was crucified].

We were welcomed from all sides as we made our way to London.

It was the third day when we arrived in London, leading the group.

“T-that’s London, sir.”

Young Henry said with a smile.

He raised his hand and pointed to the walls.

“Isn’t it a beautiful city? Of course, it’s not nearly as good as Jerusalem, but still…”

“It’s magnificent enough, even compared to Jerusalem.”

I said.

The defenses look more solid than I thought.

High walls and a total of seven gates.

Soldiers patrolling on the stone walls could be seen.

The bridges connecting the city and the River Thames were all made of stone.

It may be smaller in scale than Jerusalem, but the defensive posture was similar.

“You’d better be careful, sir.”

Richard approached the two of us and said.

He smirked.

“London may look like a beautiful woman on the outside, but her heart is as black as a witch. Look at the banks of the River Thames across that bridge.”

He raised his hand and pointed to the other side of the bridge.

“The land connecting Winchester Bishop’s Palace and Canterbury Archbishop’s Palace. Prostitutes and thieves have made it their own territory.”

“Richard, there’s no need to say unnecessary things to someone from the Holy Land.”

“If that’s what you say, brother.”

Richard shrugged.

We approached the citadel to the cheers of the London citizens.

Most of the buildings inside the walls were wooden.

The buildings painted in red, blue, and black looked colorful.

Not as drab as I thought.

As we passed through the streets, the smell of food wafted from everywhere.

The pungent smell of familiar spices.

Pigs and sheep roamed the streets, spreading a stench.

The city was full of life.

An energy that is hard to feel in other places.

The security inside the citadel was even tighter than the outer walls.

We could only enter after passing through several huge wooden gates.

The three of us continued inside.

The audience chamber was filled with clergy, nobles, and officials.

They all bowed their heads to us.

A middle-aged man who looked to be in his fifties was sitting on the throne in the center.

Red hair and a large build.

That’s Henry II.

The old lion of England.

As we entered, the herald shouted loudly.

“His Majesty Henry, the glorious King of England, Duke of Normandy, Count of Anjou and Touraine!”

Young Henry stepped forward as if he was used to it.

Next was Richard’s turn.

“Duke Richard, the blessed Duke of Aquitaine!”

Richard strode forward.

Now it’s my turn.

“Lord Baldwin, royalty of the Holy City of Jerusalem and proxy of His Holiness the Pope!”

I followed the two of them and walked forward.

I could feel the gazes of the surrounding nobles and clergy.

“Henry, Richard. Welcome, both of you.”

Henry II rose from his throne.

He smiled brightly.

“I can’t tell you how happy this father was to hear that you two had stopped fighting.”

He said.

“You two coming to London hand in hand like this. What more could a father ask for?”

“I thought you’d want my brother and me to fight more.”

Richard said.

A tone mixed with sarcasm.

“Richard, you seem to be getting bigger every time I see you. And your silk clothes are getting more colorful.”

Henry II said with a smile.

“You’re just like your mother when it comes to clothes.”

“I think so too, Father. That’s a good thing.”

Richard bowed his head.

I barely managed to hold back a laugh.

Richard and Henry II’s fashion is definitely different.

Richard was wearing golden spurs and colorful silk clothes.

A sophisticated royal look, even by 21st-century standards.

In contrast, Henry II was wearing a red robe and a blue cloak.

He looked more like a peddler than a king.

Henry II approached his sons and kissed them lightly.

“There couldn’t be a happier day than this. Ah, Baldwin of Jerusalem.”

He turned his head towards me.

“I’ve heard many stories about you. A hero who saved Constantinople and His Holiness the Pope. And this time, you even reconciled my sons.”

I shared a hug with him.

This man is different on the outside and inside.

Unlike the smile that filled his face, his heart was full of suspicion and vigilance.

“I don’t know how to repay you. If there’s anything you need during your stay here in England, just say the word.”

“Thank you for your hospitality, Your Majesty.”

I bowed my head politely.

Henry II patted my arm.

“First, rest comfortably with my sons and relieve your fatigue. Tonight, we’ll have a celebratory banquet.”

“Ah, Father.”

Young Henry opened his mouth.

A throbbing heart.

I could feel he was very nervous.

“The reason I fought with Richard this time was, in part, your fault, Father.”

He continued.

“Father, you haven’t granted me any authority as co-king. That part….”

“My beloved son. But I’ve already given you everything. You are the King of England. A king who rules this land with me.”

“Where is there a king who lives on an allowance from his father?”

Young Henry asked with a reddened face.

“You know the rumors about me, Father. They say I’m a ‘young king with no land to rule’.”

“Your stuttering has improved a lot, Henry.”

Henry II smiled.

He patted his son’s shoulder.

“You have received a greater inheritance than Geoffrey, Richard, and John. When the time comes, you will rule this kingdom.”

He added.

“It’s just that the time hasn’t come yet. A fruit needs time to ripen. When the time comes, the fruit will fall on its own.”

“But….”

“Now is not the right time, so let’s continue this conversation later.”

Henry II looked at Richard.

“I heard that quite a few Aquitaine lords have revolted this time. Is it okay for you to come to England like this?”

“The people of Aquitaine are natural fighters, Father. Unlike the people of England, who only have money in their heads. Fighting is as natural to them as breathing.”

Richard said.

“I’ve suppressed them appropriately, so there won’t be anyone causing trouble for the time being.”

“I know very well that you have an attachment to Aquitaine, Richard.”

Henry II said.

“But seeing how this commotion continues, maybe Aquitaine isn’t right for you….”

“Aquitaine is the land my mother gave me. Not you, Father.”

“And the land I allowed. The King of England, not your mother or anyone else, allowed you that land.”

“….”

A suffocating atmosphere followed.

I took a deep breath.

How can a father-son conversation be so brutal?

“We can’t just argue on such a happy day. You guys go and get some rest.”

Henry II said.

He gestured for the others to leave and added.

“Lord Baldwin. If you don’t mind, I’d like to have a separate conversation with you.”

“Of course, Your Majesty.”

Young Henry approached me and whispered.

“You’d better be careful, sir. My father has a tongue like a viper.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

I said with a smile.

I expected that much.

Everyone left the room, leaving only me and Henry II.

He looked at me and smiled.

“Now, let’s share the words we need to share, sir.”

* * *

“You’ve come at a very confusing time. At any other time, I would welcome your visit, but the situation is not favorable right now.”

Henry II said.

“There are those who seek to shake the kingdom on all sides.”

“….”

“But I sincerely thank you for stopping the fight between Henry and Richard.”

I looked at Henry II.

A man with high political and military power.

But his obsession with power was too strong.

‘That’s why he fought with Richard until just before he died.’

Henry II shamefully surrendered to Richard just a few days before his death.

A miserable end as a king and a father.

“There is this one curse. The descendants of William IV will not receive any joy from their children.”

Henry II frowned.

“As the curse says, my sons have always been a pain in my neck.”

“The sun sets when the time comes.”

I said.

Father and sons are all ambitious.

It would be more strange if they didn’t clash.

“Shouldn’t the sun rise again the next day?”

“But the sun is still in the middle of the sky.”

Henry II said.

“And how England is governed is entirely in my hands. Rome or Jerusalem cannot interfere as they please. His Holiness the Pope has also acknowledged that.”

“Of course, that’s right.”

I nodded.

I guess Eleanor [Eleanor of Aquitaine, Henry II’s wife and Richard’s mother] is needed.

Henry II had no intention of letting go of his sons.

He would never allow the Crusades.

“Donations for the Holy City of Jerusalem are pouring in from all over England right now. And the Knights of Saint Thomas are also flooded with applicants.”

His emotions changed subtly when he mentioned Thomas.

Thomas Becket [Archbishop of Canterbury].

The Archbishop of Canterbury he accidentally killed.

Becket was originally a loyal servant of Henry II.

They used to hunt together and collect silk clothes.

But after becoming the Archbishop of Canterbury, Becket changed 180 degrees.

He even confronted Henry II head-on to defend canon law.

The relationship between the two deteriorated to the worst….

‘Is there no one in my kingdom who will get rid of this arrogant man?!’

Henry II’s subordinates, misunderstanding these words, brutally murdered Becket in the church.

This incident shook not only England but the entire Europe.

The Roman Papacy canonized Becket as a saint.

It took Henry II more than a few years to clean up this mess.

I looked at the king.

I didn’t expect him to feel genuinely guilty.

“I will give you the donations and the members of the Knights before you leave England. But if something unpleasant happens…. There may be some ‘setbacks’.”

He cleared his throat.

“My royal family and I have been the biggest supporters of Jerusalem. Please keep that in mind.”

“Of course, Your Majesty.”

I said.

He’s telling me to stay still and get out if I want to get money.

But I have no intention of doing that.

I didn’t come here to get some petty money in the first place.

I looked at Henry II.

As he said, this was the kingdom he ruled.

‘I can’t just blindly assert the authority of God or the Roman Pope.’

A more sophisticated plan was needed.

To make Henry II give up his power.

The legend of King Arthur.

I should start with this.

“I have one request for Your Majesty.”

“Feel free to speak.”

“I would like to go to Glastonbury with His Majesty Young Henry.”

“Glastonbury? Well, there’s no problem with that…. It’s not a very big city, though.”

Henry II tilted his head.

“Is there something you want there?”

“I think it would be better to be away from this palace for a while.”

I smiled.

Of course, there is something I want.

“Wouldn’t it be more beneficial for Your Majesty to minimize the commotion?”

Glastonbury.

The place where King Arthur’s remains were found.

* * *

“Everyone, prepare to leave! Take your swords and armor!”

The knights shouted loudly.

The servants ran around busily, checking the horses and weapons.

Eig was fidgeting with the cross in his hand.

‘I wonder if she’s doing well.’

The image of the girl came to mind.

The shy smile she gave when she handed him the token.

Eig, lost in thought, shook his head.

He didn’t have time to be spacing out like this.

He walked past the knights and squires and walked down the corridor of the citadel.

The place where Lord Baldwin was staying was at the end of the corridor.

He knocked on the door and entered the room.

The lord was sitting at his desk, writing something.

He saw unfamiliar but familiar numbers.

“Those are the numbers used by Arab merchants. I didn’t know you could use them, sir.”

“Let’s just say I learned them by chance. Is the preparation for the march all done?”

“It will be finished before sunset today.”

Eig hesitated for a moment.

“But if we really go to Glastonbury, can we find King Arthur’s tomb?”

“We will, if my memory serves me right.”

“Memory, what do you mean by that?”

Eig scratched his head.

The lord always said things that were like riddles.

Constantinople, Eilat, even in Italy.

“You always speak like a prophet, sir.”

“Then, while I’m at it, I’ll tell you this too.”

The lord said, standing up.

He slowly approached Eig.

“According to my calculations, two comets will fall soon. They will be clearly visible even in the sky of England.”

“I didn’t know you knew astrology, sir. Or do you ‘remember’ that too?”

“Yes, I remember it.”

The lord, who said that, burst into laughter.

“But the real important thing is not the comet. It’s what will happen after that.”

The lord said in a serious tone.

Eig unknowingly swallowed.

“About a month after the comet falls, there will be an earthquake.”

He said, looking at Eig.

“An earthquake that will shake the center of England.”