The Youngest Prince Of The English Royalty House [EN]: Chapter 178

178. The Start of the World War (3)

-Aachen, Holy Roman Empire-

France and England had long been ‘rivals,’ locked in a deadly struggle over scraps of land since the Hundred Years’ War.

However, with the rise of the Mongols, the most formidable heretics threatening the West, the French and English forces found themselves as uneasy comrades.

But even among comrades, surprises abounded.

“Their forces have increased again.”

The English army advanced, their lion banner snapping in the wind.

“What are all those troops?”

“It’s my brother’s special supply.”

“Supply, you say?”

Few understood the true nature of King John I’s ‘supply,’

It was a mercenary force, carefully and expensively assembled by John I.

Philip II, after observing the newly arrived troops, couldn’t help but inquire, “Muskets and… even shields? When did you amass such an arsenal?”

“Surprised?”

“Astonished. You possessed these weapons all along, yet you sold us inferior ones.”

Philip II, who had recently purchased war supplies from John I, was once again struck by England’s capabilities.

‘To possess weaponry of this caliber…’

He recalled the advanced, albeit temporary, weapons and armor displayed during the War of the Lions [English civil war during Richard I’s reign].

A chill ran down his spine as he witnessed England’s steady military advancements.

And their recent open sales of useful equipment and gunpowder weapons confirmed his suspicions: they had secured even more advanced weaponry.

“Hahaha, my brother John orchestrated all of this.”

‘Though it consumed a great deal of wealth and manpower.’

Richard I answered casually, but Philip II couldn’t shake off a feeling of unease.

‘John… what kind of man is he?’

Philip II pictured John, a man who developed weapons that seemed ahead of their time and employed unpredictable ‘schemes’ to confound his enemies. He seemed to possess limitless potential.

It was comforting, for the moment, that he was an ally, not an enemy. John’s capabilities would be invaluable in defeating the Mongols.

Just then,

A German knight, leading his own contingent, approached Philip II and Richard I.

“I have come to welcome the two noble figures.”

“Elector Palatine [a prince of the Holy Roman Empire entitled to take part in the election of the Holy Roman Emperor], it has been a while.”

But words were unnecessary now.

A representative of the Holy Roman Empire had arrived to greet the two kings, and the designated meeting place was now in sight.

Step, step, step, step.

The armies of France and England marched into Aachen, the capital of the Holy Roman Empire.

These men, the elite of their respective nations, were battle-ready, their faces grim and determined.

The citizens of the Holy Roman Empire cheered at the sight of the massive army.

Their presence was as reassuring as a hearty stew.

“Brothers in faith have arrived!”

“Righteous Christians have gathered as one!”

The rumors of the Mongols’ atrocities had already spread to Aachen.

The Mongols, who claimed to be Christians but were not, instilled fear in many Germans.

In this dire situation,

The armies led by Philip II and Richard I had come to support the Holy Roman Empire.

“Welcome.”

Otto IV, younger and of lower standing to be considered an equal ‘monarch,’ greeted the two kings politely. After all, they were his ‘seniors.’

And he hoped to gain much from these seniors.

Thus, the three monarchs gathered to reaffirm the strategies they had discussed through letters and envoys.

“As we know, the Mongol army’s primary targets are Poland, the Eastern Roman Empire, and the Holy Land of Jerusalem.”

Richard I revealed the full extent of England’s power, something that letters and envoys couldn’t convey due to its sensitive nature.

“This is the grand strategy devised by our English commanders, after much deliberation.”

“I didn’t realize my uncle had prepared so thoroughly.”

While Otto IV examined Richard I’s grand strategy with surprise,

Philip II turned to Richard I and asked, “Richard, have you decided on your priorities?”

“The place where their emperor resides.”

Richard’s answer was simple.

His mind was set on attacking the main camp of their emperor, Temujin [also known as Genghis Khan].

“Well… now that we’ve discussed matters to some extent, we need to quickly go and save Poland.”

“Is it because the Mongol Emperor is targeting the Kingdom of Poland?”

At Otto IV’s question, Philip II glanced at the map and replied,

“That’s right, we must go to Poland, of course.”

“Then what about Jerusalem?”

“Support troops from the Kingdom of Spain and my brother’s army will handle that. Of course, we need to put up a proper fight before then.”

He made no mention of the Eastern Roman Empire. The three monarchs had no intention of aiding them. It wasn’t simply because the Western powers disliked the Eastern Roman Empire.

‘We will protect our cities with our own hands. However, we will provide you with various conveniences.’

The Emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire, Alexios II, had declared that he would defend Asia Minor with his own strength. Such was the pride of traditional Rome.

Now was the time to save Poland!

“Let’s go, warriors of England!”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

-Doo-doo-doo-doo.

The knights of England, armed with advanced weaponry, surged forward.

“Save Poland!”

The French army also began to advance.

“Richard, Philip. Why are those who know everything so impatient?”

And even the army of the Holy Roman Empire, which prided itself on being ‘Roman’ and felt compelled to save Poland, began to move.

As Casimir II [King of Poland] had requested.

* * *

-Somewhere in the Black Sea-

Swaaa.

Amidst the surging waves,

Charles, wearing the admiral’s uniform bestowed by King John I, gazed at the distant sea.

“The Eastern Roman friends are only opening the sea route and not providing support?”

“Yes, Your Excellency.”

“Even in this situation, they’re being difficult? Damn Greek bastards. They received unilateral aid during the last Crusade and are still so arrogant!”

The Emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire, Alexios II, had declared that he would fight the war with the independent power of the Eastern Roman Empire, unlike the Third Crusade. Since then, he had only shown a ‘cooperative’ attitude to the Western powers, not an alliance willing to shed blood together.

Regardless, they now had to focus on winning the fight against the Mongols.

‘Naval warfare is the only area where we can surpass the Mongols.’

Charles had learned about the Mongols’ weaknesses from his lord. The Mongols’ weakness was ‘naval warfare.’

Since they were born as nomads, their army was incredibly strong, but their fleet had limitations, right?

“Your Excellency, the Mongol fleet is approaching.”

Charles was taken aback by the sight of the fleet bearing the flags of the wolf and the cross.

‘Damn it, what kind of ‘weak navy’ is that?’

He couldn’t show it to his subordinates, but Charles was deeply troubled. The Mongol fleet before him was nothing like what he had expected.

He had heard that it was ‘inferior’ to their army, but judging by the fleet’s imposing presence, it was by no means an easy force to deal with.

“They also have cannons like us.”

“As expected, they are not easy opponents.”

‘They absorb technology as they conquer. That’s what makes them so dangerous.’

“Should we probe their defenses?”

Two ships from the English fleet began to approach the Mongol fleet from the right, testing their reactions.

-Bang.

The Mongol navy immediately responded with artillery fire.

“They do have useful cannons after all…”

Still, there was hope.

The range was within the expected parameters.

Moreover, considering the effective range that could actually inflict damage, there were ways to gain an advantage.

“Maneuver into a single line of battle.”

“Yes, Your Excellency.”

The signal was given.

The English fleet shifted into a single line formation.

“Fortunately, the Mongol fleet lags behind their terrifying army. My assumptions were correct.”

It was a relief. If their artillery technology had been far superior, this operation would have been doomed from the start.

“Now… shall we see what the Mongol bastards are capable of?”

The English fleet approached within firing range.

As expected, the Mongol fleet was prepared to ram, ready to die.

“Fire the longbows! Throw the hooks!”

The English fleet knew that the Mongols wouldn’t hesitate to engage in naval close combat if the opportunity arose.

-Bang.

The English cannons were even more advanced than when they had sailed to the North Sea.

As the Mongol fleet faltered under the English fleet’s heavy bombardment,

The Venetian fleet, which had been waiting in the military port behind the English fleet, moved forward.

-Bang, bang.

They began to fire the cannons they had purchased from King John I at a high price.

The roar echoed.

“Occupy the deck!”

The Western forces, with a clear advantage in ‘range,’ held the upper hand in the artillery battle.

But.

“I told you not to let your guard down, you bastards!”

The Mongol fleet were berserkers, prepared to die.

“Respond as planned.”

-Bang.

-Bang.

The Mongol fleet lured the English fleet closer, sacrificing themselves to compensate for their disadvantage in range. They continued the battle by maximizing close combat to lower morale.

The naval battle was fiercer than expected.

But Charles knew that something else was more important.

“Now, we have to send them ashore. Our dagger.”

“Signal those waiting behind.”

“Yes, Your Excellency.”

The Second Fleet, with Godfrey on board, came into view.

Charles smiled.

While the vanguard fleet he led drew the enemy’s attention,

The forces to save the Kingdom of Jerusalem would have landed successfully.

* * *

-Kingdom of Jerusalem, Acre-

The Mongol army was caught off guard during the landing.

Most of their troops had already been deployed to fight the main force of the Kingdom of Jerusalem.

A large fleet appeared on the coast.

“Stop the enemy from landing!”

-Bang.

The small number of Mongol coastal guards tried their best to resist.

But the disadvantage in manpower and equipment was insurmountable.

Soon after, a large English transport fleet successfully landed.

“Is this the battlefield where the fate of the world is at stake?”

The fate of the world.

As Westerners who knew nothing about America, they believed they had a sacred mission to protect the world from the Holy Mongol Empire.

A handsome middle-aged man.

Wore a black helmet on his head.

Godfrey, who held the most ‘authority’ among the vassals King John I trusted.

Once the greatest bastard in history, he had long been King John I’s favorite and a key commander.

It was no exaggeration that King John I had sent Godfrey to the battlefield in his stead, as he himself couldn’t participate in the war.

Godfrey knew this well, and he was betting everything on this war.

He was determined to bring a valuable victory to John, his half-brother and ‘legitimate son,’ who had embraced him despite his illegitimacy.

“Your Excellency, the person you promised has arrived.”

A Middle Eastern man approached.

He was an ‘informant’ who had been waiting at the landing point.

“I am Ismail, a refugee from Khwarazm [a Central Asian region].”

Khwarazm referred to the former Khwarazmian Dynasty that had been destroyed in the past. Ismail was, of course, a Muslim.

But Godfrey didn’t care about his religion. What mattered was the information that could be used to harass the Mongols.

Godfrey, who had received the sacred order to defeat the Mongols, had already made numerous preparations.

The informant from Khwarazm would provide him with crucial information gathered from people in Central Asia, Persia, and China who harbored grudges against the Mongols.

“I hope this information will be helpful.”

“It was very helpful.”

-Check.

Godfrey raised his hand and gave the order.

“Advance.”

To strike the rear of the Mongols.

“Attack!”

“It’s a surprise attack by Westerners!”

“Respond quickly!”

It was a surprise attack targeting their rear.

But the Mongol counterattack was swift.

The main cavalry, the light cavalry, tried to respond by reaching for their horn bows or raising their curved swords.

-Pheeoong.

The Mongol horn bows and the English longbows were fired.

In the blink of an eye, several casualties occurred.

Seeing this, Godfrey thought.

‘They are stronger than I heard after all…’

However, the advanced weapons that King John I had developed over a long period by gathering Easterners and Greeks allowed the English army to employ different strategies than before.

One of the knights judged the effective range and blew a horn.

It was ‘Caracole’ [a cavalry tactic involving firing pistols and retreating].

-Tadang, tadang, tadang.

The cavalry armed with small cavalry pistols fired simultaneously and retreated. Originally, it was a tactic against infantry, but this time it was used as a lure.

‘Chase them!’

The Mongols fell for the lure as planned.

Then.

-Tadang, tadang, tadang.

Flintlock muskets were fired.

‘There is no existence in this world without weaknesses. The self-proclaimed Holy Mongol Empire is certainly strong now, but I can clearly see its weaknesses.’

Godfrey, filled with the DNA of a hateful nation, shone his eyes.

Godfrey, having set the grand strategy, considered what England needed to address most urgently.

“Go to where the Lord of Jerusalem is!”

It was to save Geoffrey I, King John I’s brother, whom he both loved and hated.