The Youngest Prince Of The English Royalty House [EN]: Chapter 104

104. The Prelude to Civil War (1)

I watched the rain of arrows and thought,

‘So it begins.’

A civil war I face not as the youngest prince of England, but as a noble of Richard’s faction.

—Phew.

—Phew.

—Phew.

Our camp also fired arrows back, repeatedly.

The hot, sharp arrows were merely a first greeting.

My heart was already starting to pound. How many will I kill today, and how many will I save? Perhaps it was purely a human feeling.

“The enemy’s knights are approaching.”

At Godfrey’s words, I looked towards the enemy camp.

Knights who looked like elite troops at a glance.

And among them, here and there, flags were visible.

‘The flags bear the white lion and the black lion.’

Both sides bore the Angevin family’s three lions flag.

However, what was unique was that our camp had black lions, while the enemy had white lions.

In this situation, there was a man near me trembling with fear.

“Your Highness…”

Longspee, my half-brother and a young knight who had recently returned from France, looked terrified.

Unlike others, even as a knight on horseback, he was still shaken by the thought of death. It was inevitable, as it was his first battle.

“Longspee.”

“Your Highness?”

The first battle always brings such fear. Knowing that feeling, I, the youngest prince of the legitimate line, couldn’t show fear in front of my half-brother.

“Loyal knight Longspee, do not worry. We will not die… this *hyung* [older brother/respected elder] will ensure you do not die.”

“Your Highness… No, I should be the one protecting Your Highness!”

Having experienced the battlefield enough during the Crusades, I comforted my brother.

Fortunately, Longspee seemed to have regained his spirit.

In truth, who wouldn’t be afraid on this battlefield? Even that monster Richard doesn’t enjoy the battlefield.

Just then, an arrow flew.

—Heeheeing.

I immediately pulled the reins and stepped forward, then—

—Thwack.

I cut down the arrow aimed at Longspee.

“Your Highness.”

“Didn’t I tell you? I would protect you.”

I looked at my brother with a kind voice, cutting down the arrows that continued to fly.

Of course, I had to protect him! William Longspee, this man is the reason why he cooperated with Philip II because he couldn’t stand being backstabbed by King John.

“Prince John saved a knight!”

“The legion commanders of the Safe Knights are protecting His Highness!”

“Whoa!”

“These are our commanders!”

Godfrey, Charles, Robin, and Akbulhoi were already cutting down the arrows flying towards me.

It wasn’t because I and the four knights were martial arts masters who could easily cut down arrows.

The reason was that the arrows flying towards us had lost their power and become dull.

But even knowing that, morale rose.

Yes, this is the Middle Ages. An era where there are people like Geoffrey and Philip who deny justice with cunning schemes, but also an era of romance where one sacrifices their life for their lord.

It’s not about the arrows, but about the fact that subordinates are moving for their lord.

The battlefield of the Middle Ages required bravery.

“Your Highness, we will assist you.”

“I appreciate it.”

I held the well-made sword.

As a medieval sword, it felt heavy, but today it felt different.

Now, with just one order from Richard, it would be a proper start. I thought a signal would come soon, and as expected, a bugle call and a flag from Richard’s main camp signaled us.

“Mobilize!”

—Dudududu.

—Ppooooooong.

Meaningful noises.

‘It begins.’

Even though infantry tactics to counter cavalry had developed by the late 12th century, the true power of the Middle Ages was the knights.

Among Richard’s forces, my legion’s role was the left flank of the First Army.

The Second Army, the main force, was Richard’s central army.

The Third Army, led by the Earl of Oxford, was on the right flank.

The army I was in charge of was the left flank.

Richard had entrusted the left wing to me.

And I could see that the central army had begun to target Prince Henry’s main force.

“Your Highness, give the order.”

To Godfrey, who was telling me to give the order, I said,

“Charge towards the enemy’s right wing!”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

I gave the order without hesitation.

—Dudududu.

Richard had pitted me against Geoffrey on the enemy’s right wing. It was, of course, an appropriate measure.

Now there was no need to worry about the other side.

Now I was not the commander-in-chief, but the legion commander John, in a position to faithfully execute the grand strategy Richard had created.

‘It’s time for the Puritan Revolution. My beloved horse Cromwell.’

—Heeheeheeing.

Cromwell cried out. Thomas Cromwell and Oliver Cromwell, please help me defeat these treacherous Angevins.

Pulling the reins, I moved forward.

My legion, already divided into four, rushed towards the target point.

“Kill!”

Medieval infantry was a snack for heavy cavalry.

My four reliable knights were clearing the way by my side. Of course, I was not a naive prince who only wanted the protection of knights.

—Heeheeing.

Holding the reins with one hand and raising the greatsword with the other.

Cutting down the enemy. That was all.

“Kill Prince John!”

“Behead John, the traitor!”

Those who had already experienced me knew me well, but—

“Shall we capture the precious prince as a prisoner?”

The youngsters who didn’t know my terror showed a desire to capture me and sell me for a high price.

Foolish ones.

“Don’t you know that the prince is confident enough to face us head-on?”

There were people who targeted me for their own purposes. But I wasn’t afraid. It might be arrogant, but there weren’t many who could face me, who had experienced so much combat and survived on the battlefield for so long.

And if there were such knights, my knights would stop them. There weren’t that many such knights in Geoffrey’s camp.

‘Those who campaigned with me in Egypt are not in Geoffrey’s camp. So everyone must be off guard. So, it can be called a massacre.’

I wasn’t as strong as Richard, but at least I learned anatomy properly during the Crusades.

I knew where to cut to kill the enemy quickly. Those who fell for my unexpected charm began to die.

—Thwack.

“Kkeuaaaack.”

“This is impossible!”

“It is!”

“Please save me.”

“Cross the Jordan River.”

That’s how civil wars are.

A fight where those who fight among traitors and lose become the real traitors!

It was natural that I, Safe John, was called a traitor by the Henry-Geoffrey faction.

Even though I don’t feel pleasure in killing people, I am prepared to be a victim.

Now it’s not just a prince’s feud.

It’s a bloody war where we risk everything to give the other side the disgrace of being a true traitor.

Of course, I was not just a knight, but a commander who had to see the big picture. I not only cut down enemies but also gave orders appropriate to the situation.

‘But it’s too passive. Henry’s army wasn’t this weak.’

As I fought, Richard’s army was at an advantage. But I felt a sense of déjà vu.

I began to wonder, [Is Richard’s army really this strong?]

And I met Geoffrey by ‘chance.’

“Traitor John.”

“Geoffrey, aren’t you the traitor?”

“I’m still your *hyung* [older brother], don’t be so harsh.”

“There’s no such thing in our Angevin family. The war of the lions is ultimately about tearing each other apart.”

“Haha, that’s funny! It’s too true to deny.”

Geoffrey, who was laughing like that, aimed at me with his greatsword. Of course, I didn’t just stand there.

—Clang.

The sky didn’t split, but my fingertips tingled.

“Traitor John, as an enemy, I want to challenge you. Come at me.”

“I accept.”

Single combat.

Is this also the romance of the Middle Ages? Or am I just born with the blood.

—It’s single combat!

—It’s the single combat of the two princes!

—Do not interfere here.

The fighting stopped in a certain radius around us.

* * *

Geoffrey was not just an intelligent character. He also had the strength, truly a person who inherited the blood of the Angevin family.

“Why did you come out yourself?”

I asked why he had bothered to have a head-on fight with me.

“I wanted to have a battle of strategists.”

“Isn’t that done with strategy, not force?”

“Don’t you know? Sometimes there are things you have to show.”

—Clang.

The greatswords collided.

The impact was great.

He was serious. Geoffrey was planning to kill me here if an ‘opportunity’ arose. But it wasn’t bad.

I, too, am an inevitable descendant of the Vikings.

Our Angevin—Plantagenet family’s roots are descendants of a Frenchified Viking clan (Norman), so it’s a natural fact.

“You’re strong.”

“Perhaps it’s because you’re a traitor, but you’re stronger.”

But I felt a sense of doubt in this single combat.

Geoffrey gave me just the right amount of strength to match my strength. As if he was matching me.

No matter how much single combat in the Middle Ages was a game on the battlefield, this had another intention.

“What are you thinking?”

“Stalling for time, as you think.”

I swung my greatsword with all my might, even risking falling from my horse.

Geoffrey staggered slightly. Of course, unfortunately, he didn’t fall.

“Your Highness Geoffrey!”

A knight intervened, and I immediately retreated to where my army was, saying,

“There’s an interferer, so the single combat ends here.”

“I was careless. I won’t play like this next time.”

* * *

Prince John, who finished the single combat, quickly gave orders.

“Mobilize the Third Army! Guard the rear.”

—Yes, Your Highness!

Prince John’s Third Army began to move.

“Good… now it begins.”

Now, Akbulhoi, who was fluent in Angevin, which Prince John had secretly created, liked this kind of battlefield.

There were no old-fashioned Confucian superiors here.

Here, in China, where obedience to superiors is natural, instead of old-fashioned superiors, there was a superior like Liu Xuande (Liu Bei) [a benevolent and virtuous ruler from the Three Kingdoms period] who took care of you if you did your job well. Akbulhoi liked Prince John better than old-fashioned Confucian officials.

“Mobilize the Third Army according to the prince’s orders and thoroughly defend the rear!”

“Yes, Lord Ark!”

—Thud.

“Euaak, it’s Chevalier Ark.”

“That damn Easterner is killing us!”

“He’s a descendant of the Huns!”

“Children like the Antichrist.”

The Easterner who could now swear in familiar Latin.

He became a knight called Ark, which was easier to pronounce than the difficult pronunciation of Ak.

“It’s Akga’s spear technique. You barbarians!”

Since it was Chinese anyway, no one understood.

Of course, Akbulhoi, who had studied abroad as a boy and was versed in reason, was not a brave general and could see the trends of the battlefield.

“Aim for this front line!”

“Yes, Lord!”

The Fourth Safe Knights, who no longer had prejudice against being from the East, faithfully carried out Akbulhoi’s orders, and the Third Army knights quickly moved.

“Kill the traitor!”

—Eliminate the vanguard.

‘The emperor has fallen and it’s a civil war between the princes. It’s too one-sided. This means there’s a reason for something.’

Akbulhoi felt a sense of déjà vu. Of course, he didn’t think this déjà vu was in vain.

Everything in the world has a cause and effect.

Today’s battlefield was too advantageous for Prince Richard. Prince Henry’s army was weak compared to its reputation.

This means they are aiming for something else.

As expected, a new protagonist appeared on the stage.

—Ppooooooooong.

—Dudududududu.

—Heeheeheeing.

—Phew. Phew. Phew. Phew. Phew. Phew. Phew.

“Waaaaaaa!”

“Defend the base!”

“That… what is that flag?”

“Lord Ark, this is truly something we could not have predicted.”

“I think so too.”

Akbulhoi, who knew the English command structure well, knew.

It would have been better if King Philip had invaded. Because a relief force that no one expected had joined the evil forces.

Now Akbulhoi realized that the weakest lion would be targeted first in the war of the lions.

“Quickly raise the flag, blow the trumpet, and fire the signal flare. It’s an emergency!”

Akbulhoi, who had been properly Christianized, exclaimed as he looked at the new army holding shields with red lions painted on them.

“Oh my God……”