I Became The King Of Crusaders [EN]: Chapter 36

The Angel’s Eyes (1)

* * *

“Your Majesty, you should move further back. This place isn’t safe either.”

“I feel like I’m suffocating hiding behind you. And you want me to retreat even further? How much of a coward do you think I am?”

Alexios frowned as he gazed at the Theodosian Walls [massive defensive walls protecting Constantinople].

Shouts and screams echoed from the distance.

The clash of spears and swords.

It was clear that a fierce battle was underway.

Alexios sighed.

He looked at his chief of the Imperial Guard, Ruark, and asked,

“Any news from the walls yet?”

“The last report we received indicated heavy fighting. Our Varangian Guard [elite unit of Norse warriors serving as the Emperor’s bodyguard] is also fighting on the walls, so you don’t need to worry…”

“No, I need to see it with my own eyes.”

“That’s impossible! What if a stray arrow hits Your Majesty…”

“Isn’t that why I’m wearing so much armor?”

“Your Majesty should stay in the safest place possible. Didn’t Lord Baldwin say so?”

“The lord did say that.”

The young Emperor sighed.

Baldwin.

The benefactor who had saved his and the Empress’s lives.

He was personally fighting the rebels.

“The lord and the Knights of Jerusalem stayed here to fight.”

Alexios said, looking at the chief of the Imperial Guard.

“They could have escaped by ship. If it were me, I probably would have.”

“Your Majesty is brave enough. This place is as much of a front line as any other.”

He added,

“The soldiers are drawing strength from seeing the Imperial banner.”

At that moment, the shouts grew even louder.

Even the soldiers around them flinched.

“I really need to see it for myself.”

“Let’s go to the watchtower behind that wall! You’ll be able to see the walls from there.”

Ruark approached Alexios and shouted.

He brandished the axe in his hand.

“Quickly, escort His Majesty! The tower is this way, Your Majesty!”

The young Emperor nodded instead of answering.

The Varangian Guards, holding round shields, surged forward and surrounded the Emperor.

Under heavy guard, Alexios ascended the watchtower.

The guards also hurried after him.

The sound of panting echoed in the tower.

Alexios took a deep breath and stood on top of the tower.

As he reached the top, the walls spread out before his eyes.

A sight completely different from what he had imagined.

“What on earth is that…”

Alexios muttered.

A massive pillar.

That was all he could see at first.

Like a long chimney sweep, a long pillar swept across the walls.

Alexios stared blankly at the scene before him.

It was only after a few seconds that he realized the pillars were knights.

The young Emperor gaped at the magnificent sight.

“Ah…”

The Varangian Guards also watched the scene in silence.

* * *

“Reform the ranks!”

“We’ve captured the traitor! Stop the pursuit and reform the ranks!”

“Stop the pursuit!”

I shouted, gasping for breath.

My legs were trembling.

The muscles were shaking slightly.

How many hours had I been running?

My memory was hazy.

Adrenaline surged through my body, coursing through my veins.

Collapse.

With a single charge, the rebels lost their will to fight.

What followed was a chase.

No, it was more like a cleanup than a battle.

So many surrendered that we had to leave troops behind to manage them.

After hours of pursuit, we finally caught Andronikos, who was trying to escape.

“The clothes you’re wearing suit you better than I thought, Andronikos. Anyone would think you were a farmer from around here.”

I said, looking at the man before me.

Andronikos was no longer wearing the fancy silk clothes he had worn on the ship.

Rough clothes that a farmer might wear.

It was clear at a glance that it was cheap cotton, with holes and tears here and there.

“Why didn’t you just trade clothes with him? Then the farmer wouldn’t have reported you.”

I said with a laugh.

When his army collapsed, Andronikos abandoned everything and fled.

He even stole a farmer’s clothes nearby to disguise himself.

Thanks to the angry farmer’s testimony, we were able to find out which way he had fled.

What a pathetic escape.

Even his bodyguards had all run away, leaving him alone.

Considering his usual behavior, it wasn’t surprising.

“L, listen, Lord Baldwin! I never intended to be hostile to you!”

He shouted in a hurried tone.

His face was full of fear, unlike the arrogant expression he had shown before.

“You didn’t intend to be hostile to me? Then why did you attack my ship?”

“Didn’t I tell you? That has nothing to do with me. It was Admiral Kontostephanos who did it!”

I sighed.

Neither Princess Mani and her husband nor he, why doesn’t anyone admit their sins?

Did he really think I would believe him after coming this far?

‘My only sin is that I failed!’

‘May my blood flow for the blessing of the French people!’

You have to show that level of courage at the end.

I struggled to bear the throbbing pain.

It felt like the muscles all over my body were tearing like paper.

‘I’ve overdone it with this young body.’

It was no wonder, after fighting on horseback for hours.

But I couldn’t collapse here.

The knights and soldiers around me were all watching me.

I took a deep breath.

“Andronikos Komnenos. You rebelled against the Empire and led countless innocent people to their deaths.”

I looked around.

Fortunately, none of the knights had died.

Three had been injured after falling from their horses during the battle.

But the situation was different for the guards who had died defending the walls.

The same was true for the rebel soldiers who had tried to break through the walls.

Both were people who had no reason to die.

“But you were the first to run away. ‘Disgusting’ is too good a word for it.”

I got off my horse.

I don’t need to be formal anymore.

“You even had the audacity to tell the Emperor that you would withdraw your troops, only to attack immediately. And you still call yourself a noble member of the Imperial family?”

He stepped back and collapsed to the ground.

I looked down at him and asked.

“If you have anything to say, go ahead and say it. I’ll listen.”

“L, listen! Lord Baldwin! Only the Emperor can punish me! If you lay a hand on me without permission…”

“Yes, I can’t punish a traitor to the Empire myself. I’m an outsider, after all.”

I said with a smile.

But that’s only when killing him.

“Then hurry up and… Aaaagh!!”

He screamed as he sighed in relief.

I put strength into my foot.

“But crushing an ankle shouldn’t be a big problem, right?”

Even a thirteen-year-old could easily put their weight on it.

My weight, plus the weight of the armor.

As I pressed down hard, I heard a cracking sound.

His face turned white.

“S, stop!! I’m begging you…!”

“You left all the women you brought with you in the tents, didn’t you? Were you that afraid of getting caught?”

I glared at him.

Fear.

All I could feel from him was fear.

I couldn’t help but laugh.

He didn’t even bother to bring supplies, but he brought his lovers along.

No wonder this guy ruined the Eastern Roman Empire.

At that moment, the sound of clanking armor echoed.

Alexios.

He was approaching, guarded by the Varangian Guard.

“Lord Baldwin!”

He approached me with quick steps.

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

“The enemies were too busy running away for me to get hurt.”

I said with a laugh.

The young Emperor’s gaze turned to Andronikos.

“Andronikos. So you were here.”

“Y, Your Majesty! I was just waiting for Basileus [Greek for Emperor] to come!”

He rushed over and kissed Alexios’s feet.

He was half-crawling because of his crushed ankle.

“Please, have mercy. I was only doing it for Your Majesty…”

“So that’s why you said you would withdraw your troops, only to launch an attack immediately? Taking advantage of the moment when I was most off guard?! Unless you think I’m a fool…”

Alexios’s face turned red.

I started to open my mouth, then closed it.

There was no need to add anything.

“It’s not even worth saying more. You will receive a ‘fitting’ punishment for the crimes you have committed. Guards! Get this disgusting man out of my sight right now!”

The Varangian Guards approached and grabbed Andronikos’s arms.

He was dragged away, shouting.

“Your Majesty! Your Majesty!!!”

Alexios turned his head back towards me.

We looked at each other in silence.

How much had we both suffered over the past few days?

Finally, I could feel a sense of relief from him.

A sense of relief that I hadn’t felt since the assassination attempt.

“So this is the end.”

“It’s not completely over yet.”

I said.

The prisoners we had captured were far fewer than the forces that had besieged Constantinople.

Even considering the number of deserters.

And Admiral Kontostephanos’s fleet had disappeared without a trace.

“It seems that Admiral Kontostephanos fled as soon as he saw that the siege had failed.”

I said.

“But now that we’ve captured Andronikos, there’s no longer a central figure to rally the rebels.”

Now that the rebellion had failed, the justification for it had disappeared.

Leaving aside Andronikos, who was a member of the Imperial family, all an admiral like Kontostephanos could do was make a last-ditch effort.

“Wherever he runs, we’ll catch him soon. The Empire is in my hands.”

Alexios nodded.

He smiled.

“You’ve really done a great job, Lord. You saved my life and even put down the rebellion…”

The young Emperor and I embraced.

“Let’s return to the Imperial Palace together. I have a lot to talk about with you. And there’s a lot to do in the future.”

His gaze turned to Andronikos, who was being dragged away.

“We need to deal with him first.”

“I was about to say the same thing.”

I spat on the ground.

In fact, Andronikos’s fate was obvious.

‘The Eastern Roman Empire’s long tradition.’

Castration and blinding.

And when things calmed down, probably poisoning.

That was better than the original history.

I dredged up my memories.

In the original history….

Andronikos, who became Emperor through treason, committed all sorts of tyranny and misgovernment before being captured by angry citizens.

His eyes and hair were pulled out, his arms were cut off, and boiling water was poured on him.

Considering that, the current situation was more merciful.

I leaned against Bult, almost collapsing.

The beast snorted and licked me with his tongue.

‘It’s really over.’

Rest.

All I could think about was resting.

Alexios came back to me and said.

“First, let’s hold a thanksgiving service at the Hagia Sophia [Great Church of Holy Wisdom in Constantinople]. Then, a celebration so that all the people can know what you’ve done…”

His words went on and on.

Wait a minute.

It didn’t seem like I’d have time to rest?

I said with an awkward smile.

“I, I see. It sounds really exciting just hearing about it.”

Not knowing how I really felt, he smiled brightly.

“I knew you’d say that, Lord! Now, let’s go!”