I Became The King Of Crusaders [EN]: Chapter 138

Became a King of the Crusades – Episode 138

Shield and Spear (3)

* * *

“Why didn’t you tell me beforehand?”

Richard glared at me, his breath coming in ragged gasps.

“When I asked, you could have given me a hint, couldn’t you?”

“I didn’t intend to deceive you, Duke,” I said with a smile.

Richard must have been quite surprised by my sudden bombshell.

‘If Philip doesn’t go on the Crusade, Richard won’t either!’

It was a wonder Richard didn’t explode with anger right there.

“If I had told you in advance, you wouldn’t have been surprised, Duke. Philip would have definitely become suspicious, too.”

You have to deceive your allies to deceive your enemies.

Everyone knew Richard was going on the Crusade. That itself was the situation Philip wanted. If left alone, only France would benefit.

‘I just turned that into a card.’

Yesterday, my statement turned the tables. Now, to make Richard leave, Philip himself had no choice but to follow.

“…”

Richard stroked his chin, a thoughtful expression on his face.

“What you say isn’t wrong. Philip certainly wouldn’t want me to stay in Aquitaine.”

He looked at me. “But what if Philip gives up on the expedition? Wouldn’t that be a great loss for you and Jerusalem?”

“Philip will definitely come to Jerusalem with you, Duke.”

“Is that another prophecy?”

“Let’s just say it is,” I replied with a smile.

At least that’s how it was in the original history. In the original history, Richard and Philip went on the Third Crusade together. Philip only pretended to fight and then returned to France.

‘He knows he can’t fight Richard one-on-one.’

Richard had already proven his skills by ruling Aquitaine for decades, including the tremendous inner strength he had built up by suppressing rebellions.

“The words from the tent yesterday have probably spread throughout the entire army by now,” I said.

“And after the jousting tournament, it will spread throughout Europe. Even Philip won’t be able to ignore it.”

He even swore an oath to go on the Crusade himself. The pressure from the nobles and the people couldn’t be ignored either.

Like in the original history, after going with Richard, he would try to escape by making excuses such as illness.

‘Of course, I don’t intend to let that happen.’

If I set up a way to prevent it in advance, that would be the end of it. Knowing the future is convenient in many ways.

“For now, I have no choice but to believe what you say. There’s nothing I can do about it now anyway,” Richard sighed.

“No matter what happens, I’m going to Jerusalem. If Philip hesitates, I’ll drag him by the collar.”

I smiled as I looked at him.

Richard, Henry II, Philip, and the volunteer soldiers and knights gathered from Italy. With this much, my European expedition was close to a great success.

‘How many years did I bring forward the Third Crusade from the original history?’

But there was one thing left to take care of before leaving: Geoffrey of Brittany.

“How was the ‘weed’ dealt with?”

“My brother will take care of that part,” Richard shrugged. “He’s a king now, so I’m sure he’ll handle it.”

“…”

I nodded instead of answering. Punishing Geoffrey had to be done by young Henry or Richard. I was just an outsider. I couldn’t interfere in the affairs of Cain and Abel [a biblical reference to sibling rivalry and betrayal].

Did Henry II and Eleanor foresee this situation?

Lost in thought, Richard said, “I don’t know how much of what you say is revelation and how much is a lie.”

He continued, “You used miracles to gain profit. You sparked a new Crusader fervor in Europe.”

He added, “But no con man can predict comets and earthquakes. The same goes for moving an army like it’s your own limbs.”

“…”

“I saw you commanding the troops yesterday. You accurately stabbed and attacked just before the enemy formation faltered, as if you had predicted it.”

“But I’m still lacking compared to you, Duke,” I replied with a smile.

Sixth sense. I was now used to grasping the battlefield—the emotions and morale of the soldiers.

If I concentrated, I could tell where the front line was weak and strong, concentrating troops where it was shaking as if about to collapse. That was my favorite tactic.

‘If I had to grasp the battlefield by relying on sight or messengers like others…’

Maybe it would have been several times harder than it is now.

“To be honest, I don’t care if you’re a real saint or not. You’re a person who brings about change. What could be more interesting than that?”

“I’m just someone trying to achieve something,” I said.

I wasn’t a saint or a holy man from the Bible or legends. I had appetite, lust, and the desire to live.

‘I don’t even believe in Christianity or anything else in the first place.’

Protect Jerusalem, the place that Hugh risked his life to protect, the place where Aig, Garnier, Theodora, and tens of thousands of people live. I wanted to protect that place.

I didn’t care what happened to the fight between Christianity and Islam.

“If obstacles block the way, I’ll just remove them.”

“You’re more honest than other clergymen. As I often say…,” Richard, with a surprised expression, burst into laughter.

“I don’t trust priests and monks. They always say that it’s harder for a rich man to go to heaven than for a camel to go through the eye of a needle [a biblical saying about the difficulty of the wealthy achieving salvation].”

He continued, “But they themselves greedily gather money more than anyone else? They say it’s for the church, for the believers, but…”

He added, “In the end, they’re just eager to build bigger churches than others. You say you’re not a saint, but you act like one. Ordinary clergymen are the opposite.”

“…”

I scratched my head. Could being extremely hypocritical become good?

“I like people who are honest about their desires.”

“Then I should start acting the opposite from now on.”

“It’s already too late for that. When people think someone is a devil or an angel, they interpret whatever that person does according to their own thoughts,” Richard laughed heartily.

“You fell into your own trap. Now, let’s stop the trivial talk and go see my father together. There are things to discuss regarding the expedition.”

I followed him.

* * *

“Your Majesty, I heard you summoned me.”

“Y-yes. It seems this is the first time I’ve m-met you like this,” young Henry said. Inside the tent, there were only him and two men wearing robes. There were no guards or soldiers visible. Outside the tent, the sounds of knights and servants preparing for the tournament could be heard.

Young Henry leaned back in his chair and looked at the man opposite him—a face full of scars in a black robe.

‘The King’s Hound’. No one in the palace didn’t know the man, but no one knew his real name either.

“Y-you have served my father for a long time. Almost twenty years, I heard, is that right?”

“Yes, that’s right. I have dedicated most of my life to the English royal family.”

“Weren’t your men the ones who attacked when I brought the Arthurian Cross?”

“…”

“I’ll ask again. Weren’t your men the ones who attacked me?”

“I was only carrying out the orders of His Majesty Henry II, and I took every precaution to ensure that Your Majesty was not harmed…”

“Why do you keep b-beating around the bush? Just say yes,” young Henry said. “I’m not going to hold you responsible. You can’t blame the arrow for killing the deer [an idiom meaning to not blame the instrument used to carry out an action].”

“…”

The man lowered his head.

“Do you still serve my father, or do you s-serve me?”

“I serve the English royal family, Your Majesty. Whoever sits on the throne, my loyalty will not change.”

“And now I’m s-sitting on the throne. Even if Richard or Geoffrey w-were sitting there, it would be the same?”

“…”

Young Henry chuckled. “N-no need to answer. I already k-know the answer.”

He asked, “Why do you think I c-called you here today?”

“Was it not to catch a viper?”

“A v-viper. Y-you’re not wrong,” young Henry sighed. He leaned forward.

“G-Geoffrey left for the port before the tournament even ended. He couldn’t stand the humiliation he s-suffered in front of everyone.”

“And he is now at Rye Harbor. The waves are rough at this time of year, so he probably hasn’t crossed the channel yet,” the robed man said. “I sent my men to the harbor in advance.”

“S-so you expected it too?”

“I have served His Majesty Henry II for many years. There were always many enemies around him.”

“And now they are my enemies,” young Henry said.

A moment of silence flowed.

“But the decision is up to Your Majesty. As Your Majesty said, I am merely an arrow.”

“Handle it so that there is no noise,” young Henry sighed. “That is the first order I give you as the King of England.”

“I will obey Your Majesty’s command. Duke Geoffrey will disappear in the channel.”

The man bowed his head. “What happens at sea stays at sea [a reference to the saying ‘What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas’, implying secrecy].”

* * *

Three days later

Southern England

Rye Harbor

“So you still haven’t found a ship? It’s been a week! A week!” Geoffrey shouted, waving his arms at his nobles and knights. They all avoided Geoffrey’s gaze.

“Someone speak up! Speak!”

“All the captains are refusing to set sail, saying the waves are too high,” a middle-aged lord said. “Even promising extra money, no one is coming forward. It seems it would be better to wait a little longer…”

“So you’re telling me to sit here sucking my thumb [an idiom for doing nothing]?!” Geoffrey frowned.

“Richard and Philip will be down here soon, and they’ll openly laugh at me,” he shouted. “Do you want me to suffer such humiliation?”

“O-of course not, Duke. If you give us a little more time, we will definitely find a ship.”

“If no one comes forward, then requisition one.”

“But if we do that, His Majesty Henry will never forgive us…”

“It would be better to find a ship, no matter what method you use, even for your own sake,” Geoffrey waved his hand, and they all went out of the tent.

Left alone, Geoffrey slumped into a chair. The elixir on the table was almost empty.

‘Philip betrayed me in the end too.’

He muttered as he filled his glass. The memory of the tournament slowly surfaced in his mind—the sight of Duke Baudouin charging forward, crushing everything on horseback.

Baudouin was the first to perform such a feat since William Marshal.

And the humiliation of being captured and dragged away.

Geoffrey’s hands trembled.

‘Aquitaine and Normandy are completely empty now.’

It would take Richard and Philip several weeks to return. Now is the perfect opportunity with them gone—an opportunity to increase territory and win over the surrounding lords.

To do that, he had to cross the channel right now.

‘Is requisitioning a ship the only option?’

But if he did that, young Henry would realize his intentions. He had to hide his intentions somehow right now.

As Geoffrey tilted his glass, the captain of the knights opened the tent and entered. He said, panting, “Duke! A captain has appeared who says he will launch a ship!”

“The Lord hasn’t completely abandoned me either,” Geoffrey said with a smirk.

“Then tell him to prepare to set sail immediately. As soon as preparations are complete, we will cross the channel.”

“There is one problem, Duke,” the captain of the knights said hesitantly. “Because there is only one ship, the knights cannot all board, and there is no fleet to escort the ship…”

“The army can come over slowly,” Geoffrey waved his hand. “The important thing is that I cross the channel, and there are no big guys who will do piracy here.”

He said, “Then I and the lords will cross the channel first. Go and give the order.”

“Yes, Duke.”

The captain of the knights saluted and went back out of the tent. Looking at the sea outside the tent, Geoffrey licked his lips.

‘It’s not over yet, Baudouin.’