The Youngest Prince Of The English Royalty House [EN]: Chapter 154

154. Aquitaine is a Wave (3)

-England, Normandy-

In any era, shipbuilding was a money-guzzling endeavor.

Naturally, even with Aquitaine’s wealth, constructing a new fleet independently was impossible.

So, after the civil war and the virtual exile of my brothers Henry and Geoffrey from England, I persistently told Richard.

‘Brother, we need to invest in the English fleet.’

I requested ‘budget’ for new battleships from Duke Richard of Normandy. Quite a lot!

‘Your Highness, some might object to this request, claiming it demands an unreasonable budget. Or they might use this as an excuse to slander you.’

‘Don’t worry. I trust you.’

Peter was very worried at the time, but I wasn’t concerned at all.

I had nobles planted in Rouen, and even if they tried to target me with the budget now, it wouldn’t benefit them much.

Although I am brothers with Richard I, with the marriage alliance of Richard I’s daughter Adelaide to my eldest son James, I was as good as promised the position of the next king.

Of course, I couldn’t be completely sure that no one would try to drag me down like a drowning man, even at great political cost.

Anyone thinking that inefficiently would obviously be too foolish to be a close aide to Richard I. They’d probably just be playing the role of a low-ranking noble.

Right, I’m going to use England’s budget to protect England’s seas. Who can stop me?

So, I received the budget without any interference and was able to build the new ships in Aquitaine without worry.

And today, the result is here.

‘You’ve worked so hard all this time.’

Even while doing many other things, I couldn’t neglect the construction of the new fleet. Naturally, I had to work my fingers to the bone.

Now is the time for fruition.

This is the coast of Normandy.

In front of my vassals and my brother Richard I, I said with a proud voice.

‘Let me introduce you. The Great William and the Queen Matilda.’

‘···!’

A heavy silence fell.

There are only two battleships on the beach.

But these aren’t just any battleships, they are ‘galleons’ [large, multi-decked sailing ships used from the 16th to 18th centuries]. They have a majesty that cannot be dismissed.

Moreover, isn’t it a magnificent figure that has never been seen before?

Originally, I wanted to build battleships, but building battleships in this era was impossible unless Jesus was resurrected. No matter how much money I poured in, the shipbuilding base wasn’t there.

So, I made a galleon.

In fact, building a ‘galleon’ in the early 13th century is revolutionary.

‘Of course, the process was difficult.’

Anyway, I was lucky.

Some Han Chinese technicians from the Jin and Song dynasties, who unfortunately became slaves, were sold to England. Also, it was a miracle created by Eastern Roman technicians hired by my wife’s aides!

The process was complex and bizarre, but the great ‘galleon’ created by the combined efforts of the strongest engineers in the Chinese and Eastern Roman worlds was a masterpiece.

Of course, the names of the battleships had to be special.

The Great William naturally represents William the Conqueror, who founded the Norman dynasty.

Queen Matilda is a battleship built to commemorate my unfortunate grandmother Matilda, who could not officially be queen.

It means that it is a battleship that has meaning for our Angevin dynasty.

‘Oho!’

‘···!’

The medieval English vassals, who had been silent for a moment at the new battleship symbolizing a new era, began to react.

Especially the old Duke of Norfolk.

‘Your Highness, are these really our battleships?’

‘Yes. They are great spears to protect our seas.’

‘I didn’t know you could build such battleships.’

He reacted intensely, not befitting his age.

‘Such magnificent battleships! Your Majesty, England has become great again.’

William Marshal, the English Master-at-Arms, also failed to manage his expression, unlike usual.

Our Richard I was now beaming.

‘Dargun, it’s really different. It’s like preparing for a naval battle of the future.’

‘That’s right.’

‘The new weapons are ready?’

It’s a trivial word, but it refers to the cannons that will be mounted soon. Of course, this was top secret, and few people knew about it.

‘Yes, they will be mounted as soon as Your Majesty orders.’

Richard smiled at my unwavering answer.

‘Yes, everything is ready. Very good. Load the weapons tomorrow. I have a use for them.’

‘Yes, Your Majesty.’

Right, the era of fleets only firing arrows is over.

I smiled contentedly, and soon Richard I’s lips also turned up.

He also liked the new warship that I had created with blood and sweat.

‘The world thinks I only care about the army, but I actually think the fleet is important too. Naval power is very important.’

‘That’s right.’

Of course. The army can’t be the only one active. The power of the navy is also very necessary in this world. In fact, naval power was the basic force to protect the hegemony of Europe.

‘Duke of Normandy, can we board right away?’

‘Yes, you can board right away.’

Some time later.

Richard, who boarded the Great William with his ministers,

said with a sharp glint in his eyes.

‘Now our England will be a more just balancer of Europe.’

-That is so, Your Majesty!

‘Now, everyone, step back. I have something to discuss with the Duke of Normandy.’

‘Yes, Your Majesty.’

Ah, now the underlings should step aside!

* * *

‘John, I have something to tell you.’

Richard I, who had sent away all the vassals, came into a separate cabin with me and said.

‘Tell me, Your Majesty.’

‘Brother, frankly, I hesitated when you asked for so much budget.’

‘··· It was quite a demand, to be honest.’

Even for a successful England, the development and construction costs of a new warship were bound to be burdensome. Still, I felt that Richard, who had supported me like a real man, was great again.

Because I, as a great lord, knew that it was not easy to trust and entrust someone completely.

‘But… you did it perfectly. I’m not worried anymore.’

‘It’s thanks to Your Majesty’s trust.’

‘John, seeing what you’re preparing, it seems you’re considering more than just the hegemony of the Mediterranean…’ [Dominance or control over the Mediterranean Sea region]

‘··· Of course, that’s right.’

‘The hegemony of the Mediterranean, and the Mongols will be a problem, right?’

‘That’s right.’

‘Those… heretics are a problem.’

The Mongols are strong. Their monstrous military power has long surpassed the fear of the Huns. However, there is a fatal weakness, and that was naval warfare.

In the original history, Kublai Khan failed to conquer Japan for various reasons, so it is not that their naval battles are being criticized, but that the Mongols themselves are not familiar with the sea.

‘From what I heard from Lord Ak (Akbulhoe) [Likely a reference to a character or group, clarification needed for full understanding], they are a fighting people who have already conquered all of China. But they have not conquered the sea. So, we need to think about how to utilize our fleet.’

‘Hmm… yes, we must.’

Richard nodded for a moment and said.

‘By the way, I think we need to restore discipline.’

‘Discipline?’

Richard I said to my question.

‘I hate fighting and conflict, but the surrounding countries are not helping.’

‘Is it because of France?’

The Kingdom of France, which now hangs its head obediently as Japan did to England in the early 20th century. It has not completely submitted, but it does not cause conflict.

However, France was a powerful country with the potential to diplomatically isolate England.

But Richard I shook his head at my words.

‘It’s not the Kingdom of France.’

Well, the Kingdom of France is living well now, so there is no need to touch it.

‘Then where is it?’

‘It is the North Sea that threatens our peace with Poland. They still think they are Vikings.’

The North Sea is not just the name of the sea. It refers to the two North Sea countries, Denmark and Sweden.

Anyway, these bad guys! How dare they harass Poland!

‘Have you prepared the justification?’

‘Aren’t they creating the justification over there now?’

Is it time for the righteous England to set out?

* * *

Having an interest in other people’s affairs is a new issue in recent Europe.

[England has built a new battleship!]

Rumors about England’s new battleship spread.

It’s not just a rumor.

There were stories that powerful countries with a lot of interest in the Mediterranean, such as Venice and the Kingdom of France, had witnessed it directly.

Europe, which already knew the power of Richard I’s mighty standing army, trembled.

What are those sinister English guys up to?

‘New weapons will be introduced to England’s new battleship.’

‘No, it may have already been introduced.’

‘Now… the English will take over the sea as well.’

Such desperate predictions began to emerge.

Considering the meaning of the Mediterranean, it was right to be wary of the appearance of the new battleship.

‘What on earth are they planning?’

Many surrounding countries that had been checking the emerging power, England, since the Eastern Roman Empire, would have had the same question.

What will that fleet do, and how will they deal with that fleet?

The hegemony of the ‘Mediterranean’, where England’s new battleship would make a name for itself, was such a sensitive issue.

But everyone’s expectations were shattered. The place where the English fleet moved was not the Mediterranean.

England’s gaze turned north.

[Our England loves peace. But enemies who break that peace must be prepared for ruin.]

Richard I strongly warned certain countries in Rouen, the capital of England.

The eyes of all of Europe were also focused on the north.

* * *

-Europe, North Sea-

Denmark and Sweden, the true descendants of the Vikings. Thanks to the emerging power, Poland, they stopped fighting each other.

Uniting their forces, they sternly warned Poland.

‘Keep conquering. If you want to taste the North Sea Allied Forces!’

‘Okay, I’ll stop now.’

The Kingdom of Poland bowed its head to the warning.

Poland stopped its conquest activities and signed a peace treaty when the two northern powers joined forces to check it. Of course, the mediator was the Eastern Roman Empire.

‘Now, the peace of the Lord.’

Poland’s conquest of Eastern Europe came to an end.

The once powerful Kievan Rus’ in Eastern Europe collapsed, and a new strongman, the Kingdom of Poland, gained hegemony in Eastern Europe.

Poland, which had obtained the plains of Kyiv, began trading with England to dispose of the remaining food.

England needed a lot of food. Because there were many people as the land they ruled was large.

In comparison, Poland had a small population, so there was plenty of food. Based on that understanding, the two countries began to trade grain.

But there were those who couldn’t stand to see that.

‘It’s a Polish merchant ship!’

‘They’ll have to pay tribute, right?’

‘Give us some slaves too!’

‘Pirates!’

The pirates of the North Sea, claiming to be descendants of the Vikings, began to harass Polish merchant ships one by one.

King Casimir II of Poland endured it once or twice.

He had spent a lot of national power on conquest wars, and he was annoyed, but fighting the North Sea forces was just a bad move.

Then Richard I, the ruler of England.

[Our England loves peace. But enemies who break that peace must be prepared for ruin.]

He said something that seemed to warn the North Sea.

‘Oh, yeah, England, we’ll keep plundering.’

The problem was that the North Sea’s response was bland.

Despite Richard I’s strong warning, they could not stop the lucrative piracy, which was a fixed income. They judged that England only valued the Mediterranean, so they would not come up to the North Sea.

‘We are merchant ships!’

‘Is England going to leave you alone?’

‘Are you perhaps a navy disguised as pirates?’

The wronged Polish merchants sighed. No, let’s just trade peacefully. Those vicious pirates are interfering with business!

Poland’s power came from the army. They were not yet ready with a fleet to properly defeat the pirates.

Moreover, the Venetian fleet, which claimed to be a guard ship these days, was not visible, so the situation was even more uneasy.

But that moment of crisis is precisely.

‘It’s a fleet with a lion flag!’

It was when the English fleet appeared.