I Became The King Of Crusaders [EN]: Chapter 81

Became the King of the Crusades – Episode 81 (81/215)

The Holy Roman Empire (1)

* * *

“Lord Garnier of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, thank you for traveling so far from the Holy Land.”

The interpreter relayed the king’s words.

Garnier straightened his shoulders and looked ahead.

The palace was even more impressive than he had imagined.

Stone walls rose high, adorned with intricate decorations and sculptures.

It rivaled the Palace of Jerusalem.

“My kingdom and I welcome the brothers from Jerusalem with open arms.”

“Thank you for your hospitality, Your Majesty.”

Garnier bowed his head.

He glanced at the man sitting on the throne.

A face that looked to be in his early twenties.

Gowns embroidered with gold and a crown studded with jewels.

Two women stood beside the throne, fanning him with large feather fans.

‘So that’s King Lalibela.’

Everyone in the audience chamber stared at Garnier and the knights.

He felt as if he had been dropped into the middle of enemy territory.

“Venetian merchants have already informed us of your visit. We have prepared accommodations, so please make yourselves comfortable during your stay in our kingdom,” Lalibela said.

“The wine and weapons you brought as gifts are all new to me. I express my gratitude for these precious gifts.”

“The elixir is from Prince Baldwin. The armor and weapons were also produced directly by the Knights,” Garnier said.

“The Saracens [Muslims], like demons, have invaded, preventing us from interacting with other Christian kingdoms. Now, according to the Lord’s will, it is time for brothers to meet again,” Lalibela said.

“As Christian brothers, we are willing to support Jerusalem, but…”

He rested his chin on his hand and continued, “Dispatching a large force, as you requested, is not an easy decision. It will inevitably affect the security of our kingdom.”

“Of course, Your Majesty.”

Garnier bowed his head.

This was exactly what Prince Baldwin had predicted.

The king who had recently ascended the throne faced an insufficient support base, with rebellions breaking out in various parts of the region and even Saracen settlers invading from the east.

“We have not come this far simply to ask for help,” he said.

“The Kingdom of Jerusalem is also willing to help Your Majesty as Christian brothers. This includes not only weapons support and trade, but also the assistance of our knights.”

“You mean…” King Lalibela lowered his hand and asked, “You are offering to help us?”

“That is correct.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the courtiers buzzed with murmurs.

Garnier looked around. He could tell they were all surprised, even without understanding their language.

He spoke again, “Although our numbers may be small, we have been fighting the Saracens for decades. We are familiar with their strategies.”

He continued, “Isn’t it the duty of brothers to help each other in difficult times?”

“….”

Silence fell.

Soon, the king raised his hand.

“First, I think I should review this proposal with my ministers. You must be tired from the long journey, so please rest in your quarters,” he added. “The welcome banquet will be held this evening.”

“Thank you once again for Your Majesty’s hospitality.”

Garnier bowed his head.

As he left the audience chamber, a murmur erupted behind him.

He walked out of the palace without hesitation.

The guards stared at him with curious eyes.

One of his subordinate knights approached.

“King Lalibela seemed quite surprised.”

“He did.”

“Did Prince Baldwin really tell you all that information?”

“If not the Prince, who else would have?”

Garnier replied with a smile.

The current state of this kingdom, King Lalibela’s disposition and political base – Prince Baldwin had told him all of this before departing from Eilat.

“Even the Venetians didn’t know much about this place,” he muttered.

As always, Prince Baldwin’s knowledge was astonishing.

“We just need to do our job: support and persuade the Christian kingdoms here to become friends of Jerusalem.”

“Of course. By the way, I thought only barbarians lived here…”

The subordinate knight said, “The quality of their spears, helmets, and shields is comparable to that of Europe.”

“Their eyes are sharp too. Their training level isn’t bad either.”

Garnier nodded.

“They could be of great help in defending the Holy City. But first, we must earn their trust.”

He trudged out and looked north. Blue sky could be seen beyond the clouds.

What could be happening in Jerusalem right now?

“Ah, the king here is building churches underground so that they can be protected even if the Saracens invade…”

“Building churches underground?” Garnier asked with a smile. “I should go and see it myself.”

* * *

Jerusalem

“Emperor Frederick is preparing to fight the Pope?”

I asked, looking at Marco.

He shuffled through the letters and took out one or two.

“Yes, that’s what our merchants are reporting.”

He wiped sweat from his brow with his silk clothes and nodded. “The Diet [assembly of lords] has already been convened. He must be trying to create a mood by gathering the lords.”

“The Holy Roman Empire is stepping in.”

“I’m not sure what kind of conversations took place at the meeting, but…” he said with an apologetic expression.

I waved my hand to indicate that it was okay.

“It would be difficult to find out the details of the meeting. The information you’ve given me so far is enough.”

The Holy Roman Empire.

‘Neither holy, nor Roman, nor an empire.’

Did Voltaire say that?

Why is Germany called the Roman Empire in the first place?

Originally, Italy and Europe were ruled by the Roman Empire. After the empire was divided into West and East, there was the Western Roman Empire.

When this Western Roman Empire collapsed, Europe was torn apart. The same was true of the Roman Church.

The Roman Popes sought a new protector, not the incompetent Roman Empire. It was Charlemagne, the king of the Franks, who appeared at this time.

The Roman Pope directly appointed him as the Holy Roman Emperor. Later, Otto I established a systematic empire.

‘He fought steadily with the Pope too.’

The current Holy Roman Emperor, Frederick, had nominated a rival pope from his own faction. He even led his army to Italy, although he was defeated by the Lombard League, which followed the Pope.

“If he’s planning to cross the mountains again and attack the Pope…” he wouldn’t welcome me going to Italy now.

Is that why he sent this delegation?

“You’ve done a great job this time too,” I said to Marco. “I’ll have to set aside a bonus separately. Please pass it on to the local merchants as well.”

“Of course, Prince.”

I could feel his joy.

I had a light chat with him and left the building.

The place I headed to was Baldwin IV’s office.

When I went inside, I saw Baldwin IV and three men sitting opposite him.

White clothes and blue silk pieces indicated they were high-ranking nobles.

“Ah, Baldwin, you’re just in time. I’ve been waiting for you,” Baldwin IV said with a smile.

We exchanged glances. The plan had already been coordinated.

While I gathered information, Baldwin IV was stalling for time. Until now, he must have been just chatting uselessly.

Baldwin IV introduced the middle-aged man opposite him. “This is Count Hartmann of Württemberg. He is the most favored by His Majesty Emperor Frederick.”

“It is an honor to meet you, Count.”

“The honor is mine, Prince,” he bowed slightly. “I have heard many rumors about the Prince, from the story of driving out the rebels in Constantinople to the Archangel Michael…”

He examined me. “Many stories are circulating, so much so that it’s hard to tell which is true and which is false.”

“If you tell me what’s confusing, I’ll be happy to answer in detail,” I replied with a smile.

A war of nerves as soon as we met.

I sat in the chair next to Baldwin IV. The cold touch of the stone was felt on my buttocks.

Baldwin IV opened his mouth. “Young Baldwin is my beloved nephew, so I don’t think there will be any problem even if he joins the conversation.”

“Of course, Your Majesty,” Count Hartmann said.

He fiddled with his white beard.

“What I want to say is that the situation in Italy is chaotic right now,” he continued. “Pope Lucius was driven out of Rome in less than a year. He has lost the support of not only Rome but also European believers.”

“His Holiness Pope Lucius was elected Pope, the successor of St. Peter, through legitimate procedures,” Baldwin IV said. “In addition, His predecessor, Alexander III, was outside Rome for a long time. Didn’t Emperor Frederick recognize him as the legitimate Pope?”

“That was only Pope Alexander, not this Pope,” Count Hartmann said in a calm tone.

What a great speaking skill – to be able to say such a thing so confidently without changing his face.

I closed my mouth and looked at them. There was no need for me to step in unnecessarily.

The emotions changed subtly.

“What are you trying to say? That the situation in Italy is chaotic, so we should take the side of the Holy Roman Empire?”

“His Imperial Majesty does not need help. He is the protector of Christian believers and Europe…” Count Hartmann bowed forward and replied. He took a deep breath.

“His Imperial Majesty Frederick, Emperor of the Roman Empire, rules over the Rhineland, the large Bavaria, the Saxons who wield spears like arms, Thuringia, Westphalia who raise hawks, the Alps, Frisia, Poland, and Bohemia.”

The list went on and on. How long did it take to memorize that?

“Also, the people of Venice, Pisa, and Tuscany are loyal to His Imperial Majesty.”

“I thought the people in those cities only followed money,” Baldwin IV said with a smile.

One of the men next to the Count chuckled and stopped.

“What I want to say is…” the Count said, blushing.

“His Imperial Majesty does not want the support of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. He simply hopes that the Holy City will not be caught up in this chaos.”

“I understand what you mean,” Baldwin IV said. He glanced at me and turned his head back to the Count.

I stared intently at the Count. The emotional fluctuations were not that great, but it was clear what he wanted, as I expected: to prevent the Kingdom of Jerusalem, that is, me, from going to Italy.

Did information leak from the Pope’s side?

The Count spoke again. “Also, His Imperial Majesty has promised generous donations to the Kingdom of Jerusalem for the defense of the Holy City. He is also planning a crusade in the future,” he added. “But all of this will only be possible when the situation in Europe stabilizes. If the Kingdom of Jerusalem intervenes in the Italian issue…”

“Intervene? That’s not a very good word,” Baldwin IV said. “As a Christian kingdom that follows His Holiness the Pope, we have a duty to support the legitimate Pope.”

“That is the same for the Holy Roman Empire and His Imperial Majesty,” Count Hartmann replied in a calm tone. “But which one is legitimate needs more discussion. To solve this problem, the Roman Empire plans to use any means.”

I listened to their conversation calmly, but every time I feel it… the 12th-century Middle Ages were very different from what I thought.

On the surface, everything is moral and religious, but in reality, it was extremely pragmatic and calculating.

Kings and nobles, from warriors and clergy to commoners – everything revolved around cold compromise and conflict.

Is this the same in the 21st century?

“I understand what His Imperial Majesty’s intentions are. I think the conversation has been enough,” Baldwin IV said, standing up. “I hope you will also attend Baldwin’s wedding and grace the occasion.”

“Of course, Your Majesty. How can we just leave such a glorious event?” Count Hartmann said, standing up. He looked at me and smiled. I also replied with a smile.

When they left, only Baldwin IV and I remained in the office.

“So, what do you think? If they are sincere…”

“What they said was sincere,” I shook my head. The last feeling I felt was conviction and confidence.

“They will attack the land of Lombardy, where His Holiness the Pope is.”