The Youngest Prince Of The English Royalty House [EN]: Chapter 160

160. The Three Musketeers (1)

-Egypt, Alexandria Principality-

[Even if I played a crucial role, England cannot monopolize Egypt alone.]

Prince John, a practical man, never considered seizing all of Egypt for himself.

Firstly, the Holy Roman Empire had significantly contributed to Prince John’s victory in the Crusades.

Therefore, John decided to divide Egypt into three parts:

English Egypt, Holy Roman Empire Egypt, and French Egypt.

Naturally, England and the Holy Roman Empire, as the primary forces in the conquest, claimed the most valuable territories.

John then entrusted the land near Alexandria to Duke Masud, a Middle Easterner he deeply trusted.

‘Duke Masud, I want you to govern my region in Egypt. Think of it as running a small Sultanate; it won’t be too difficult.’

Masud, who had converted to Christianity to reside in the Middle East, had faced numerous hardships since childhood and readily accepted the offer.

Masud admired John, a young and capable man without prejudice against Middle Easterners. He also knew that refusing the offer would leave him without support.

‘Masud has converted, but he used to believe in Islam.’

Unsurprisingly, many opposed this decision.

[Masud was the commander who sent reinforcements at the crucial moment and defeated the fearsome Saladin.]

With a single sentence, Prince John silenced the dissenters.

Masud governed the Alexandria region and realized:

‘I think I understand Prince John’s intention in entrusting the Egyptian region to me.’

Initially, he believed it was for trade, as he was crucial to the trade route from the port of Alexandria in Egypt to southern English France, Venice, and Ireland.

However, he soon realized there was more to it. The potential for revenge from Islamic forces, the ambition of European powers to integrate Egyptian territories, and the ever-present threat from the East.

Considering these factors, the wealthy Alexandria region required significant preparation. He understood that Prince John had entrusted this valuable land to a convert like himself for future security.

Masud, though a former pagan, had converted to Catholicism and, as Prince John’s ally, governed the Christian Jews and Copts effectively.

But Masud received a guest who stirred complicated emotions within him.

Jalal al-Din, seemingly traumatized by the Mongol invasion and rendered speechless, and his aides sought asylum.

The child the refugees protected was remarkably young.

“Is this little child Jalal al-Din?”

“Yes, it is.”

He felt a strange sense of irony. The family of his half-brother, whom he had tried so hard to eliminate, was now gone, leaving only this tiny child.

“Raise your head.”

Too young. He appeared barely past infancy. How could such a young child escape from Khwarazm and reach distant Egypt? It was almost a miracle.

‘A child who must miss his mother’s embrace… how did this happen?’

Masud, having been the Sultan of Khwarazm, knew the true nature of the Mongols and the sect they claimed to be, the Eastern Church.

They called themselves the Holy Mongol Empire and the Eastern Church, but Masud knew their true nature. They were a disaster. Neither Christian nor Muslim, but a disaster disguised as nomadic Christianity, using Christianity as a tool for conquest.

‘Should I protect this young child?’

He even considered seeking revenge by handing over his grandnephew to the Mongols.

Masud’s resentment and hatred towards Tekish, who had ousted him from the Sultanate with the help of Western Xia, were immense.

But blood is blood, and affection is affection. Masud spoke to his grandnephew.

“Jalal al-Din, I have only one thing to say to you, old man. Convert!”

Then the young Muslim, who had been silent, spoke.

“No matter the hardships, how can I abandon Allah?”

Seeing his nephew, too young to fully grasp the laws of Islam, declare that he would not violate them, Masud said coldly.

“Do you think you have a choice?”

“…”

Perhaps due to his youth, the child was naive to the ways of the world.

The reason his father sent him to his vengeful uncle was likely to save his son.

But if he remained uncooperative, Masud might lose the desire to protect him.

Masud’s original identity was Sultan Shah of Khwarazm. He had fought Tekish, his half-brother, for control of Khwarazm at the risk of his life.

He had shown mercy by not killing Jalal al-Din, the eldest grandson of Tekish, and accepting him.

“Great-uncle, but if I convert, there will be no leader to protect the Muslims of Khwarazm.”

“Hahaha, is this the spirit of Khwarazm?”

At that moment, hearing this young child, who still smelled of milk, speak of his beliefs, Masud felt a surge of favor towards him.

It was because he understood the weight on the child’s shoulders.

* * *

-April 1203, England, Normandy, Caen-

News arrived that a little boy named Jalal al-Din had sought asylum in the Principality of Alexandria. Well, that’s Masud’s problem.

My daughter-in-law Adelaide’s belly grew bigger, and as expected, a new Pope was elected in Italy.

Cardinal Lothario di Segni, whom the English had consistently called Lothaire, was elected at the conclave and became the new ruler of the Papal States under the papal name Innocent III.

[We are still supporters.]

He reaffirmed his support for England through a letter stamped with the Fisherman’s Ring [the Pope’s official seal].

‘I have a lot to do.’

I completed the major tasks, delegated the rest to my subordinates, and traveled to the newly acquired city.

Caen.

A city in central Normandy, once the economic heart during the reign of our ancestor William the Conqueror. In the distant future, it would be chosen as the best stronghold to counterattack the German army during the Normandy landings [referring to World War II].

What is my brother’s intention in giving me control of this city, as important as Rouen? Is he acknowledging me? Or is he preparing for the ‘Great War’?

Lost in these thoughts, I observed the scenery of Caen as people cheered enthusiastically.

“Long live the Duke of Normandy!”

The people were already celebrating, anticipating privileges from me, now in control of Caen.

Of course, I planned to grant them privileges later, but their premature joy seemed excessive.

Perhaps they were even more delighted by the news of my daughter-in-law’s pregnancy.

‘Caen, Caen!’

My plans for Caen were on a ‘grand scale’.

Because I had already found an administrator.

Like the sheriff in the Robin Hood legend, I created a ‘Caen’ sheriff. Naturally, this position would be held by an administrator from the ‘youngest line’ who was very close to me.

As chancellor, I would oversee the broader strategy. As I pondered this, I found myself at the Saint-Étienne Church.

Perhaps it was a place I had long desired to visit.

“I have come to see the sarcophagus of William the Conqueror.”

“I will guide you.”

Led by the priests, I stood before the sarcophagus where our distant ancestor of the Angevin dynasty lay.

The basement held the sarcophagus inscribed with the word Guillaume (William) in medieval Norman.

It should have felt cold and fearful, but instead, it felt strangely comforting. Was this the pull of blood?

“An ancestor who began as William the Bastard and lived as William the Conqueror… To be honest, my heart is very complicated.”

My heart had been complicated since my daughter-in-law and niece had conceived a precious grandchild.

Because I had so much to bear.

This was the medieval European era.

If I failed, the people I had embraced could also be destroyed.

I knew it all too well.

There would be many who envied me, like Philip II of France.

Perhaps my brother, currently friendly, could transform into the ruthless Richard I at any moment.

I may have come to this place to find peace from the pressure of such a situation.

[My descendant Jean (John’s French name). You can overcome it. Haven’t you already experienced many hells?]

Then I heard a man’s voice in my ear.

I hoped it wasn’t a hallucination.

* * *

After finishing my business at the Saint-Étienne Church.

I met my capable nephew after a long time.

“Count of Champagne, it’s been a while.”

I treated him with appropriate courtesy, unlike before. He was no longer just my nephew but the head of a faction.

“Uncle, have you been well?”

“I have a grandchild. Of course, the grandfather must be healthy.”

“I heard the news. The news that the Duchess of Poitiers was pregnant was a joyous occasion for all of England.”

Count of Champagne.

A nephew left by my late sister Marie, and a close aide to Richard.

The position of second-in-command was limited, making him a competitor in a way, but I had already won the battle of momentum.

Richard’s willingness to grant me control of Caen in Normandy and the position of chancellor signified that I was the established heir and second-in-command.

I am the next king anyway; you are just a nobleman.

As I concealed these thoughts, my nephew spoke.

“I heard about it in a letter, but what is a public performance?”

“It’s a form of propaganda. Come out.”

“Did you call, my lord?”

One of my subordinates, posing as my bodyguard, stepped forward.

“This is François, one of the administrators who proved valuable in Ireland after completing Sunday school.”

“François, as in the King of France’s…”

“That’s right, Count of Champagne. My impure blood carries the fragrance of noble lilies.”

François answered for me.

François, whose name itself meant Frenchman, was particularly devoted to the Angevin cause.

While not as much as my sons, he possessed handsome features.

This guy is one of Philip’s bastards. Philip pretends to be virtuous, but I didn’t know he had a bastard.

‘Anyway, look at the lower bodies of the European monarchs.’

Of course, I had the right to say this. I swear to God, I have never been with another woman besides Mary.

The Count of Champagne, having grasped the situation, nodded after hearing our plan.

“I will inform His Majesty.”

A few days later.

Richard himself arrived.

“The amusing Three Musketeers who guard the baggage and perform plays at special times?”

“Yes, they are the Three Musketeers for His Majesty.”

“The commander of the Three Musketeers is the Count of Champagne?”

“That’s right.”

People are aware of the Three Musketeers’ role. They serve as a type of guard, but

Like the noble youths of ancient Rome, they also serve as ‘actors’ for propaganda.

The stage to be presented today.

A stage that faithfully recreates the street theaters of France in the distant future.

‘The Three Musketeers’.

The greatest masterpiece of modern France is in my hands.

Original: Alexandre Dumas

Screenplay: Safe John.

Director: Safe John.

Producer: Safe John.

Starring D’Artagnan: François.

“One for all, all for one!”

The threat of Mongolia, the incompetence of France, the nobility of England.

* * *

-Kingdom of France, Paris-

The eyes of the Western European monarchs were focused on Safe John.

They often commented on how someone as safe and peaceful as him could exist, but the course of the world had shifted based on his actions.

This was not an exaggeration of Prince John’s influence.

The rulers of Western Europe acknowledged that John was the one who had introduced numerous variables thus far.

Philip II received the news.

‘The Three Musketeers’ was being publicly performed in Caen and Rouen, major cities in Normandy.

The content was quite a spectacle.

The plot of The Three Musketeers was a play depicting a thrilling epic involving the conspiracies of the evil Franks (the old name of France) and the formidable enemy known as the Holy Mongol Empire, set against the backdrop of the English Musketeers.

The Three Musketeers was not only performed as a play but also distributed as a novel.

Of course, the author was John.

“Hahaha, I respect him at this point.”

In the world.

What a crazy writer.

I can’t believe he’s using someone else’s bastard for propaganda. With that ridiculous play.

I heard that François had defected to England, but I didn’t expect to see him on the front lines, being used by John.

No, is he really being used? Perhaps it’s a subtle act of revenge by Safe John, who doesn’t have a good relationship with his biological father?

“John, doesn’t that guy really have any bastards?”

“No, he doesn’t.”

“That damn writer is disgustingly clean.”

Philip II cursed John using two contradictory terms.