The Youngest Prince Of The English Royalty House [EN]: Chapter 187

[Red Eagle (3)]

-Across Poland-

The Mongol light cavalry charged, loosing a storm of arrows.

Their accuracy while shooting from horseback was astonishing, each arrow finding its mark on the enemy’s head with unnerving precision.

-Phew.

The Mongol army, with its seemingly endless supplies, unleashed a relentless barrage of arrows, showcasing their formidable combat prowess.

Of course, the Westerners had no intention of simply becoming pincushions.

“Shieldbearers, advance!”

The shieldbearers in the front ranks braced themselves, forming a wall against the arrow rain.

However, no shield was impenetrable.

The arrows found their way through the gaps.

-Thud.

A soldier, unlucky enough to be struck, fell, his life extinguished in an instant.

England and France, nations renowned for their archers, were not about to stand idly by.

“Fire!”

“Yes, sir!”

‘Mounted archers… We have longbowmen, and our French allies have their expertly trained crossbowmen.’

English longbowmen and French crossbowmen unleashed their own volleys, turning the tide of the ranged battle.

-Thud thud thud.

The Mongol warriors, having exhausted their arrows, drew their curved swords from their saddles, preparing for close-quarters combat.

The Western army responded with practiced efficiency, as if anticipating this move.

“Pikemen, prepare!”

“Yes, sir!”

“Musket men, fire!”

-Bang, bang.

A dense infantry formation braced for the charge.

“When you run out of bullets, fix bayonets, form ranks, and charge!”

The musket soldiers secured their bayonets, ready for a brutal melee.

Though the Mongol horses were accustomed to the smell of gunpowder, many cavalrymen, struck by bullets, tumbled from their mounts.

Casualties mounted on both sides.

“For the unification of Christianity!”

Undeterred by the sight of their comrades falling, the Mongol cavalrymen pressed forward with unwavering resolve.

As the front ranks fell, those behind surged ahead, their voices filled with a frenzied battle cry.

-Long live the Great Khan!

Even the sight of the crazed Mongol cavalrymen did not instill fear in the hearts of the English and French knights.

“We stand against them to protect the infantry.”

“We can’t let the English steal all the glory.”

They were prepared to meet their end on this battlefield.

They understood the might of the Mongols, who had conquered vast swathes of the East, and knew this place might become their final resting place.

But the French and English were driven by a fierce rivalry, each determined to outshine the other.

‘We must earn more merit than the other side to satisfy our lord.’

The thought of fighting worse than France (or England) was unbearable. This rivalry was deeply ingrained, dating back to the very origins of Britain.

The knights of France fought to restore their nation’s diminished prestige, while the knights of England sought to bring even greater honor to their “great” homeland by vanquishing the satanic Mongol army.

Beyond the competition, a sense of righteous purpose fueled their resolve.

‘These enemies are nothing more than the Antichrist. They have murdered countless brothers, cloaking themselves in the guise of Christianity.’

Even ordinary knights were aware of the Mongols’ atrocities, the devastation they had wrought upon nations while falsely proclaiming a unified Christian empire.

They knew the Mongols’ true ambition was world domination under the pretense of uniting Christendom, and they refused to be subjugated.

Inspired by this conviction, the Count of Champagne raised his voice.

“Our English knights cannot be outdone!”

“Waaaah!”

-Phew.

They needed to create openings in the enemy lines with well-aimed arrows.

“Target the enemy’s right-wing cavalry.”

But the enemy proved more resilient than anticipated.

It was as if they anticipated their every move.

The knights began their charge through the narrow gaps.

‘My lord is a formidable warrior himself.’

“Protect His Majesty!”

“Yes, Your Excellency!”

The knights guarding Richard I surged forward.

“…”

Richard, at the head of the charge, silently raised his halberd and began to cut down Mongol cavalrymen with ruthless efficiency.

His valor was reminiscent of Samson or Hercules.

“He’s a monster…!”

“Like that.”

-Swoosh.

With each swing of his halberd, heads flew. Not just those of ordinary soldiers, but also commanders like centurions and chiliarchs [military ranks in the Mongol army] were decapitated.

While a duel with Temujin [Genghis Khan’s birth name] demanded caution, dealing with these lesser foes required no such restraint.

Richard’s rampage had begun.

He wielded the massive halberd, a one-man army reminiscent of Lu Bu in the *Romance of the Three Kingdoms* [a famous Chinese historical novel].

“Your Majesty.”

“William Marshal, I entrust the right flank to you.”

Richard felt reassured by the presence of William Marshal, the finest knight his father had bequeathed him, despite their past as adversaries.

“Philippe, you and the French army will take charge of the left flank.”

“Understood.”

Richard I, watching the two high-ranking commanders move into position, mused.

‘Our Polish allies seem to be delayed.’

He had expected reinforcements from the Holy Roman Empire to arrive in time to assist them, but Poland’s late arrival suggested something had gone awry with the original plan.

But he knew there was nothing he could do. War rarely adheres to plans. Perhaps he was on a stage he didn’t even know about.

Ultimately, victory would depend on strength.

“We are not merely the West, but the European Allied Forces.”

“To protect Europe, let us cast aside our past grievances. Descendants of Rome!”

The front lines remained a scene of intense carnage.

Richard, bolstering the morale of his allies by cutting down countless Easterners, thought.

‘John, I must ease the last burden of that child.’

He had originally intended to abdicate.

Since his grandson William was destined to be the next king but one, he had few concerns.

However, the Mongols were such formidable adversaries that even Richard was wary of them.

He sought to remove the final obstacle for his brother. That was why he had postponed his abdication. He needed the authority of a king to mobilize a large number of troops without resistance.

-Whoosh.

Amidst the biting wind.

The fighting raged on.

-Clang.

-Thud.

“Kill!”

The soldiers were locked in a brutal embrace, fighting like tangled vines.

War is not a romantic pursuit of ideals.

It is a massacre disguised as romance.

The Holy Mongol Empire, claiming to spread “true Christianity (Nestorianism)” to the far reaches of Iberia, fought not for faith but for endless “pasture land.”

Europe, on the other hand, justified its actions as defending the European order from the Mongol threat.

In terms of justification, Europe arguably had a stronger claim.

The intention of the Holy Roman Empire, England, and France – who directly and indirectly supported Poland, the Middle East, and Eastern Rome – was to receive a kind of ‘mercenary fee’ and defeat the world’s most heinous Mongols outside their own countries.

“For the Great Khan!”

“For the Catholic Church!”

However, the ordinary soldiers, weapons in hand, cherished their own “cause” in their hearts: patriotism for their respective countries.

Without that, enduring this hell would have been impossible.

Many infantrymen wielded halberds and long spears.

Unlike the “elite infantry” who used muskets, they were the unchosen ones.

Facing the frigid wind, death felt more real to those who fought most desperately than the cold itself.

In any war, the “infantry” was the foundation.

They were mostly born in the territories under John’s rule, risking their lives on the battlefield to provide for their families.

Despite the constant threat of death, they were motivated by generous salaries and various benefits.

-Thud.

One of them, Christian, killed a man for the first time.

Contrary to rumors, the Mongol unit included infantry as well as cavalry.

Killing someone was not a pleasant experience.

But he had to fight.

Because his family’s livelihood depended on it.

‘Safe John said that the death benefits would increase according to merit.’

Even though he had become John I, many still called him Safe John.

Because no one cared for the people as much as he did.

“For England!”

Christian charged forward.

All he could do now was cut down more enemies.

***

Why was Poland delayed in reaching Richard’s battlefield? Because they had already suffered a devastating defeat at the hands of the Mongol Empire.

The army of the Kingdom of Poland did not rely solely on the castle in complacency. They knew better than anyone that there was a limit to enduring. Gunpowder, arrows, and military rations would eventually run out.

Still, they had to hold out.

Launching a full-scale war when their forces were inferior would be tantamount to Poland destroying its own precious military strength.

One day, while awaiting an opportunity to sortie.

The opportunity finally arrived.

The Mongol forces, after repeated offensives and defenses, began to retreat with a somewhat hurried air.

‘Have they been counterattacked by the Eastern Roman Empire?’

They considered the possibility of support from the Eastern Roman Empire.

-Thud thud thud.

‘It’s a trap!’

‘We have to retreat quickly!’

They realized it was a trap when they saw the Mongol army suddenly emerge.

The Mongol army, which had been lying in ambush in a more distant area, began to butcher the Polish army as soon as they ventured out of the castle.

‘Let’s hunt the weak Westerners!’

‘It is to establish merit for the Great Khan. We will give you a huge reward according to the number of heads….’

It was a great offensive, bordering on a hunt.

But the Polish army was not easily defeated.

The Polish army, having suffered heavy losses, barely managed to retreat behind the castle walls, but only after enduring numerous crises.

They had to endure.

Of course, holding out within the castle was not easy.

As the kingdom was rebuilt faster than in the original history,
The Kingdom of Poland was not helplessly defeated by the Mongol invasion.

Furthermore, Casimir II had learned of the Mongol threat from his old pen pal Safe John and had made thorough preparations.

But even with such preparations, the Mongol army was strong. Truly like Satan risen from hell.

But there was hope.

The Kingdom of Poland received word that the Anglo-French Allied Forces had advanced to save southern Poland.

“Reinforcements are coming soon. My knights, hold on until our brothers in faith arrive.”

“But Your Majesty, the enemies outside the castle are too strong.”

-Bang!

The Mongols, having learned the lesson that ‘siege warfare is gunpowder!’ from the Han Chinese, fired newly supplied shells.

“It’s the army of the Holy Roman Empire!”

“They’ve come to save us!”

Just as Poland had come to save Austria in the Second Siege of Vienna, the army of the Holy Roman Empire arrived to rescue Poland.

Their armor was already stained with blood.

That meant they had already defeated the Mongol army around them and come to support them.

“Charge!”

“Let’s drive out these bastards!”

With the arrival of their reliable Catholic brothers, the morale of the soldiers within the castle soared.

“Waaaaaaa.”

“Attack!”

“Waaaaaaa.”

And Casimir II, realizing that it was time to properly counterattack the Mongol bastards, raised his voice.

“Now is the time for the enemies to suffer!”

But Casimir II was unaware that the nobles of Poland were among the most treacherous in the world.

* * *

Far away.

Someone watched the cheering army and said,

“As expected, the armies of the two countries have met.”

Mukhali, leading the 3rd Army of the Holy Mongol Empire, gazed at the two eagle flags in the distance.

The Mongols possessed keen eyesight and could see great distances.

One of the fluttering flags bore a double-headed eagle, the other a white eagle. Mukhali, seeing that the armies of Poland and the Holy Roman Empire had converged, smiled faintly. Everything was proceeding according to plan.

“We must buy time while the Great Khan captures the lion.”

“That’s right, General.”

“Then we must exploit the discord within Europe.”

“General Jamukha said, ‘Europe appears united, but in reality, they are a race that delights in each other’s misfortunes.'”

At that moment.

From afar.

“The Great Khan commands us to begin now.”

“I understand.”

General Mukhali, with a subtle smile, turned to his subordinates and said,

“Chiliarch.”

“Yes, General.”

“Now is the time. Proceed.”