The Youngest Prince Of The English Royalty House [EN]: Chapter 140

Aachen’s Tears (3)

―1201, Duchy of Aquitaine, Capital Poitiers―

It was a peaceful day.

It was one of those days where I could enjoy the sun and play outdoor chess with the children because nothing particularly eventful was happening.

Anyway, the Imperial election of the Holy Roman Empire is over, and things will be brewing soon, so I can take a break for a while.

So, I went hunting with the children in the morning.

And now, after finishing my afternoon work, I was playing chess with my eldest son, James.

―Tap.

“Father, it goes in like this.”

Looking at the smug face of the newlywed James, I felt like he resembled me at times like this. Is this what they call family?

“Hahaha, you rascal. You think you’ve already won.”

“Check, Father.”

“Not yet, my son.”

“No… with just a bishop!”

“A bishop is a good variable.”

Anyway, while I was enjoying a game of chess with James, who had become a newlywed, Robin came in and said,

“Your Highness, urgent news.”

“What news is it, Sir Robin?”

Oh, latest news.

Judging from Robin’s expression, it must be shocking news.

It didn’t take long for me to realize that peaceful days couldn’t last in this damn Europe.

“That is…”

“Speak.”

“Enrico Dandolo and Duke Heinrich the Lion were assassinated, and the perpetrators took their own lives on the spot. Your Highness, the atmosphere in the Holy Roman Empire is grim.”

“…”

After Robin, who was like the head of our territory’s intelligence agency, finished speaking, James and I were silent for a moment. Two big figures assassinated at once. In broad daylight. It’s not like Nazis appeared in the Holy Roman Empire. What’s going on?

The first to break the silence was my son James.

“Gasp, Father, what’s going on?”

“What do you mean? It’s a big deal.”

It’s a big deal. Their confusion isn’t bad for us, but a key figure in Venice is dead.

“Ha…”

I took a long breath. Who the hell did this? Could it be Philip II?

I said to my son, who was sitting with a serious expression,

“First, you go back to Bordeaux. That’s all you need to do right now.”

“Yes, Father.”

He shouldn’t get involved in big matters yet.

“Sir Robin, I want to be alone for a while. I have a lot to think about regarding the Aachen issue.”

“Yes, Your Highness. I’ll step back for a moment.”

[To Prince Richard…]

First, I sent a letter to my brother Richard with the information I had gathered.

Anyway, he has many capable vassals, so he must have figured out the information about the Aachen incident, but I’m sending the information I heard from Robin in a letter.

It’s to tell Richard how much I lost in this incident.

After writing the letter, I

“Ha…”

Sighed again.

In 1201, I was scared to death that the ominous 13th century was coming. An incident broke out in the Holy Roman Empire.

How do I feel right now? I was so confused. I can’t get a grip.

I knew there would be chaos after the Holy Roman Emperor died, but I didn’t know things would happen so quickly.

Honestly, this is too much of a forced development. Did God give me a set of trials because I’m too good? My head and heart hurt so much.

‘I miss you, old man Friedrich.’

This happened as soon as the Holy Roman Emperor died. What kind of fight was old man Friedrich fighting? Was it such a great thing to be a breakwater or a center of an empire?

Why did you leave so quickly without living a little longer and happily serving as the breakwater of the Holy Roman Empire?

In the East, the Mongols are being Christianized.

While the Holy Mongol Empire was being created, the Holy Roman Empire was collapsing.

Ah, the Mongols are running wild in the East, but what is holy and Roman?

Well, it’s not a bad thing that a strong country next to us is divided. But it wasn’t a good thing that things were proceeding with unexpected variables.

A few minutes later.

I called Robin, who was outside, and said,

“When I think about it, it’s not necessarily a bad thing for us, but it’s not necessarily a good thing either.”

“Your Highness…”

I calmed down to some extent.

My head is throbbing a little.

“If it’s just a problem with the Holy Roman Empire, we can appease the Germans. The problem is that Venice is involved.”

“As Your Highness said.”

Ha.

Let’s calm down and look at what happened.

My brother-in-law, Duke Heinrich the Lion, who was living in my first territory, Mortagne, was assassinated.

‘He endured such humiliation and lived for so long, but he died from assassination.’

Honestly, the death of my brother-in-law, with whom I had both good and bad feelings, made me feel depressed.

But it wasn’t just my brother-in-law who was assassinated. Enrico Dandolo, who was about to make a big deal, also went to Christ [died].

“The German King is not the culprit.”

“I think so too. Wouldn’t that be destroying the empire that the late emperor unified himself if he did such a thing?”

Assassination is more than just playing games; it’s a forbidden situation. In the Middle Ages, no matter how cunning people played dirty, they didn’t recklessly use the extreme tactic of assassination because you have to be prepared for social and political burial.

I don’t think the German King Heinrich is that stupid.

Even if he is called an incompetent crown prince by those around him, that’s only when compared to his father, Friedrich I.

He has an inferiority complex and several flaws. But the German King Heinrich is not a fool who would stab himself in the neck.

If an assassination occurs in broad daylight, he would be the first to be suspected. Would he do such a thing?

It would make more sense to create a scary alchemy that would make him die in an accident during a ‘hunt’ or make him die of ‘exhaustion’ with poison.

Sweden and Denmark are fighting each other, saying, ‘Poland is because of you!’

The Italian city-states ‘dare’ not do that.

Spain and Sicily are busy eating North Africa right now, so they don’t have time to do anything else.

Poland has become a new bird drinking the Rus of Europe [a rising power absorbing smaller states] and has become a huge Eastern European powerhouse.

Who is the culprit in this chaotic European history?

I named the candidates in front of Robin.

“The countries that would do this are the Eastern Roman Empire… the Kingdom of France… and ‘England’…”

* * *

Ironically, the one I suspect the most is not France or the Eastern Roman Empire. It’s my proud England. More precisely, I thought it might be something that a rebellious royal family member who was exiled to Jerusalem planned to screw over the youngest.

“Could it be something that Geoffrey’s remnants did?”

It makes sense if our brother Geoffrey is trying to screw me over. Sending the next emperor and a reliable partner who will represent Safe Zone in the Holy Roman Empire in one go is this person.

Clearly, my brother-in-law would have won the imperial election. And the incident would have happened after that.

If the German king had recognized his succession, it would have ended smoothly, but the German king would have prevented the Elector of Saxony from taking the throne in various ways. Whether or not the ‘civil war’ I expected was the choice the German king would make at that point.

But the fact that things would happen on the day the imperial election was held. This was a development that none of my staff had expected.

Was Geoffrey aiming for that?

No, why would a man who is healing in Jerusalem do that now?

I couldn’t find an answer even if I thought about it.

‘In the end, Venice is the problem.’

Enrico Dandolo is a big figure with a lot to say, but he was a good business partner for me. Of course, there may be conflicts later over money, but until 1201, our interests were not twisted, so we were not on bad terms.

Such a key business partner died. Who is responsible for my money!

At that time.

“Your Highness, Venetian Ambassador Raniero has arrived.”

A guest has arrived.

Ha, it never rains but it pours. Raniero Dandolo, who is considered the most hard-line in Venice, came so quickly.

Squeak.

The door opened, and Venetian Ambassador Raniero Dandolo entered.

“Raniero Dandolo, Venetian Ambassador, greets the Duke of Aquitaine.”

“Welcome to my Aquitaine.”

Looking at the expression of the guest from Venice, it seems like he is planning to devour the Holy Roman Empire. Well, if his father went to make a big deal and was murdered, I would be angry too.

“Your Highness, what are you going to do now?”

It is not European etiquette to leave the Holy Roman Empire, which will soon be in chaos, alone.

“I am also angry at the death of Sir Enrico. First of all, it is a priority to confirm the ‘deal’ that I was thinking about this time.”

The reason Enrico Dandolo went to Aachen was to make a deal with Duke Heinrich the Lion for his own benefit. In a broader sense, it is also a business linked to Safe Zone’s business.

But fact-checking comes first in any case.

If Raniero Dandola, who is angry at his father’s death, goes crazy and a new conflict arises in the Venetian upper class, that is also a problem.

“Prince John. I know that too. If I act recklessly, I will be hated by our home country (Venice).”

“Then why did you come to me?”

“My father was killed by a ‘German’. If I just watch this, my honor will be ruined. The new Elector of Saxony, Sir Otto, will also be like that. Don’t you think so too, Your Highness?”

Revenge was burning in Raniero’s eyes.

Oh, it’s hot.

* * *

―England, London―

While Prince John was agonizing over the death of his brother-in-law and business partner in the Holy Roman Empire,

In England, an old king who wouldn’t be surprised if he died today or tomorrow was laughing in vain.

The latest news from Aachen is an unprecedented incident that would shock anyone.

An incident in which both the Elector of the Holy Roman Empire and the great merchant of Venice died.

Does the Lord Jesus Christ intend to judge the fallen Germans?

“Wow… the Germans caused an accident. Aigo [expression of dismay].”

Eleanor said with annoyance at Henry II’s dry reaction.

“An accident? This is not a simple accident, you old man.”

“My son John must be having a hard time. His business partner died.”

Henry II knew very well how much profit Prince John could gain from the Crusades by colluding with Venice.

And for Prince John’s plan, the noble who obtained the title of the next Emperor Heinrich VI had to be Duke Heinrich the Lion of Saxony, not King Heinrich of Germany.

‘What a complicated problem.’

It’s a complicated problem.

With a single assassination, all of his beloved youngest son’s plans were twisted. What kind of mastermind planned this?

As the old king thought so, he turned his gaze and said to his wife.

“My beloved woman, you didn’t plan this, did you?”

The woman who received Henry II’s glare said with a reddened face.

“Why would I do that!”

Queen Eleanor was really wronged. To hear such words from that damn Henry, who surpassed Satan in being cunning and insidious.

Is he really going senile because he doesn’t have much time left to live?

“Your Majesty, a letter has arrived from the King of Jerusalem.”

A letter arrived from his son Geoffrey I of the Kingdom of Jerusalem.

“Geoffrey? Is it time for that bastard to die like his brother?”

Henry II, who spat out such complaints, tore open the seal.

Several unnecessary rhetorical devices unique to medieval Europe. If you take out words like ‘Ah, God helps us, so the Middle East is so comfortable,’ the main point of the letter was simple.

[The incident in Aachen was not caused by me. Don’t my father and mother know that well?]

Geoffrey I himself did not cause the incident in Aachen.

‘That bastard calls this a letter.’

Henry II, who read the letter blankly for a moment, said.

“After all, wasn’t the incident in Aachen a conspiracy planned by Geoffrey, who sent this letter?”

“Actually, didn’t you do it, Henry?”

At this point, Queen Eleanor could have reasonable doubts.