The Youngest Prince Of The English Royalty House [EN]: Chapter 113

113. Bonjour, Brittany (5)

—Brittany Region. Nantes Castle, White Lion Camp—

Prince Geoffrey, who oversaw the White Lion army throughout Brittany, was in Nantes’ inner castle, the place that would determine the fate of the entire Brittany region.

In fact, Prince Geoffrey rarely went to the front lines except on special occasions.

He wasn’t a brave general who slashed enemies on the front lines, but rather one who coordinated several capable commanders to go to the battlefield. He was a strategist, not an adventurer.

However, Prince Geoffrey’s strategies began to falter.

It wasn’t because the grand strategies that Prince Geoffrey had contemplated while preparing for the civil war were insufficient. The strategies Prince Geoffrey prepared were sharp, deadly, and flawless.

If it were the Original Zone instead of the Safe Zone, he would have been unhorsed or become a useful prisoner long ago.

But the Safe Zone was different. [A region under John’s control, known for its stability and resources.]

Despite having no experience in Brittany and only loitering around England, Mortain, and Ireland, John moved as if he had been preparing for the entire Brittany region for a long time, grasping all the terrain.

‘Just when did John start preparing for Brittany?’

Prince Geoffrey watched the Black Lion army ravaging the outskirts of Anjou with a pale face.

The White Lion army was not foolish enough to sit and die, and as an army made up of native Bretons, they resisted fiercely, but the Black Lion army, already possessing the advantages of the latest weaponry and numerical superiority, was too strong.

Especially,

Godfrey.

Charles.

Robin.

Ak Bulwhe.

The four commanders, called the legion commanders of the Safe Knights, each tormented the White Lion army in different ways. Thanks to them, Nantes was now facing a tremendous crisis.

‘John, you treacherous younger brother. Using the flaw in my legitimacy as the son-in-law of the Duchess of Brittany, you’re enticing disloyal people in our territory. And stirring up riots to attract attention, and expanding mercenary forces from Germany and Spain? The real devil of the Anjou family isn’t me, it’s you, John!’

As Prince Geoffrey said, the reason why Prince John could shake things up wasn’t only because he promised various benefits, but also because he knew well the dissatisfaction of the native nobles towards Geoffrey, the ‘outsider’ who became the Duke of Brittany by marrying the Duchess of Brittany.

Of course, Prince Geoffrey was not foolish enough to just be defeated.

He quickly suppressed not only the internal rebellion of the lower nobles but also the riots. He knew that if he quickly removed the focal point and created internal conflicts among them, the embers would soon die out.

But the important thing is that Prince John benefited from these internal conflicts.

“We must stop them somehow… If we can just win this siege of Nantes… there will be a second wave of support from France.”

Philip II, at least, would never want Prince Geoffrey’s army to be completely destroyed by Prince John’s army.

So, he decided to send troops directly under the Capetian dynasty [The ruling royal house of France], which were incomparably stronger than Burgundy, in a letter. It was a moment of hope for the White Lion army.

If elite troops from the Kingdom of France come this time, they can at least launch a counterattack different from the past. Although the Black Lion army has occupied the economic centers, their control is not solid. So, the White Lion army must hold out as much as possible and wait for the French relief force.

Then, counterattack Prince John from Nantes, retake the lost centers, and drive Prince John back to the Normandy region.

There is still reserved power, so just hold on. But even that simple thing has become difficult now.

But the situation was not good.

“Your Highness, the Third Outer Castle has fallen.”

“Is it so difficult to just defend?”

“Your Highness… that is….”

The outer castle does not literally mean the outer castle, but the defense zone. [A fortified area surrounding the main castle.]

They concentrated on defending the outer areas with all means.

Now it means that the Black Lion is right in front of them.

“Huh….”

Prince Geoffrey was going crazy. Just why did Prince John hide such power?

Then, another unwanted report came in.

“Your Highness, all the outer castles defending Nantes have fallen.”

Geoffrey said after hearing the liaison’s words.

“I want to think alone for a moment.”

“We need a countermeasure.”

“I said I want to be alone! And don’t you know that no matter what we do now, it will be a defeat! Get out!”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Geoffrey, left alone.

“God, why did you create me and then create John?”

He looked at the clear sky with resentful eyes. He resented God. Why give him the trial of Prince John?

“Ugh.”

Prince Geoffrey, who had never felt the inferiority he had towards his older brothers from his youngest brother, vomited blood.

* * *

—March 17, 1191, Outer Nantes Region—

Nantes.

Running through the Brittany region for quite a long time, I felt new in many ways. Especially when looking at the castle of Nantes in front of me.

Prince Geoffrey.

The tragic prince, my brother, who was born right before me in our dysfunctional royal family, was truly amazing. Frankly, even if he became the King of England alone without Henry and Richard, he would have become a great monarch who could easily defeat Philip II.

But unfortunately, I became like a triple-combined John. I became stronger as the days went by.

I accepted the power of German and Spanish mercenaries that my brother-in-law Heinrich and my younger sister Eleanor suggested.

‘I am already a monarch of a ruined nation, and your vassal. But isn’t my lord a lord so beloved by my Scottish people that he is called Cyrus [Cyrus II, the Persian monarch who was called the Messiah for his tolerant policies towards the Jews]?’

I also heard high praise from the former monarch of Scotland. Of course, I am not foolish enough to believe that praise as it is, but I knew well that the public sentiment in Scotland was not bad at least.

Anyway, everything is ripe now.

Our poor brother Geoffrey struggled in many ways, and even took away our territory, but he repeatedly failed against my army.

Can Prince Geoffrey, who failed to defeat me even when attacking with William Marshal, defeat my completed army?

Anyway, after leisurely capturing the Third Outer Castle and placing soldiers and commanders in front, I began to act with Shakespearean emotional acting.

“Righteous army, you are the proud army of Great England.”

After all, the White Lion army are cruel rebels, so they cannot be called Englishmen.

The key here is that we are a righteous army, so victory is natural.

“Sir Godfrey.”

“At your command, Your Highness.”

“Bring the cups to feed everyone.”

Soon after, the merchants of the Safe Guild brought cups filled with Safe Guild wine with reverent faces.

It is a cup containing Guinness beer made by my subsidiary, the Safe Guild. Of course, all the cups were made of wood.

Everyone is working in a bad environment. There is no way I can use a noble wine glass alone.

Rank is not important now. Everyone is comrades facing a final battle.

“Let’s have a drink first, and the rest of the glasses will be drunk in the castle.”

With those words, I one-shotted the wooden beer mug and shook it over my head. [Drank the entire mug in one go.]

Everyone drank the beer with serious faces.

After that, I said with a very serious face.

“St. Patrick’s Day, from today until the end of the world, we will never be connected unless we remember us… The enemy is us, but we are small but happy, we are brothers. Whoever sheds blood with me today will be my brother.”

After that, a huge shout was heard.

“Waaaaaa!”

The soldiers’ shouts were often half-hearted, but now they were almost sincere. In fact, it couldn’t be helped. Now the outcome of the entire Brittany region is slowly coming to an end.

Most of those soldiers may be mercenaries who are paid for their lives on the battlefield rather than conscripts, but they will feel the same as conscripts.

Their goal is not victory but survival, thinking, ‘I will live for my family.’ In that sense, the name Safe John instilled the concept that the name Safe John is a strong fortress, and those who belong to it are safe.

Of course, I am not an otherworlder who has obtained some kind of cheat key, so my army also dies on the battlefield, but at least the Challenger’s reward and the compensation fee according to the formal attack have been provided without fail since the Crusades.

Thanks to that, my money is drying up, but I don’t regret it because I have the support of the soldiers.

I, Safe John, may also be a foregone conclusion that something big will happen someday if I am arrogant that I am doing well in Brittany through various luck.

But I have already seen spoilers in history. I knew very well why Prince Geoffrey could not defeat Henry II and Richard until just before his death, and why Geoffrey, the most ambitious man in England, could not become king.

‘The reason is simple: Prince Geoffrey’s strength and weakness is that he is a cunning and political prince.’

I also knew well what kind of development the civil war between Geoffrey’s son Arthur and Richard would take place in the more distant future of English history.

Frankly, to fight against a cunning enemy like Prince Geoffrey, I had to accept the damage. Frankly speaking, apart from introducing various weapons. In that sense, our army also suffered quite a bit of damage. It is a sound that really breaks my heart when I think that each one is a precious force.

But I strongly fought back.

Inside, riots and rebellions of lower nobles.

Outside, a relaxed advance due to stable supply.

And preparation for Prince Geoffrey’s strength, ‘political power.’

‘Kuaaaaaang.’

The righteous Black Lion in my head roared.

After occupying all the key areas of the Brittany territory, Rennes, Dinan, and Brest. Our army is now facing the final battle of Brittany.

“Your Highness, this is the last ridge in the entire Brittany region.”

My bastard brother Longspee looks excited. At first, it was difficult to adapt to the battlefield, but now he has become a loyal knight.

Now that the fresh rookie knight is about to learn the essence of the battlefield.

Exactly, now is the time for me to shout.

“Charge!”

I shouted, holding a greatsword.

“Raise the ladders!”

“Move the sword carts and wagons!”

Create cover.

“Longbowmen, fire!”

Fire arrows.

When the cracks in the fortress were visible, I prepared the finishing weapon.

“Fire the New John’s Bow!”

“Yes!”

—Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang!

After the siege weapon was fired.

Not long after, a white flag was raised.

* * *

—English Territory, Aquitaine Region—

While Prince John was fighting hard in the Brittany region to achieve righteous greed.

The Aquitaine region was also in a fierce battle.

It was a relief that the annoying White Lion’s chief strategist, Prince Geoffrey, had left for Brittany to deal with John. But still, the fight dragged on.

“They are persistent.”

Prince Richard smiled as he watched the newly dispatched French army.

He could not see it up close, but he felt the impatience of the Kingdom of France.

The Earl of Oxford also agreed, looking at the enemy camp.

“Your Highness, it was an army that would have collapsed long ago without William Marshal.”

‘Father is still not here.’

Just as Prince John thought of Henry II in Brittany, Prince Richard was also dissatisfied that his father’s army in the Anjou territory was not coming.

If Henry II takes sides with either camp, this troublesome civil war will end quickly. Above all, isn’t William Marshal a commander from the Seven Great Earls who would immediately suppress the rebels with just one word from Henry II?

Since Henry II loves Prince John and highly values his abilities, he will side with the Black Lion when he returns, but Henry II is still pretending to be sick.

‘But there’s no need to rush.’

The fight between William Marshal, Philip II, and Prince Henry. Although the fight between the three high-ranking commanders is troublesome, Richard was not in a hurry.

The first reason is that the famous general, the Earl of Oxford, called the last sword of the Norman dynasty, is reliably guarding the front.

The second reason is that his younger brother John in Brittany is holding out well. No, beyond holding out, he was making Prince Geoffrey miserable in reverse.

“Your Highness, the various new weapons sent by Prince John are adjusting the battlefield.”

And the third reason is the new weapons supplied by Prince John. Starting with the halberd, various weapons are showing the taste of new civilization on the battlefield.

‘John, that child has always been great.’

Since the Black Lion army was taking a visible advantage in the Brittany region, he could relatively concentrate only on the Aquitaine region.

What is really important is that the battlefield was the Aquitaine territory ruled by Prince Henry, not the Normandy territory, which is Prince Richard’s power base.

In addition, supplies from Venice, the Electorate of Saxony, and Ireland were coming in a timely manner through Normandy. Prince Richard was able to fight relatively comfortably based on the stable supply he was pursuing.

At that time.

“Your Highness, Prince John has accepted the surrender of Nantes, obtained Brittany, and Prince Geoffrey has been taken prisoner.”

It is the news that Geoffrey has become a noble prisoner.

“Hahahaha.”

Thanks to that, Richard laughed coolly on the saddle.

‘Geoffrey, to be careless even though he knew that child was a true genius of scheming. He deserves it!’

It is the law of the world that the cunning are caught by the more cunning.