The Youngest Prince Of The English Royalty House [EN]: Chapter 190

[Sudden Event (1)]

(Initially, Europeans considered Mongolian Orthodox Christianity merely a heretical sect and the Mongols a variant of the Huns, but as time passed, the Mongolian threat grew. Especially after the death of Casimir II, many Europeans began to see the Mongols not as mere nomads, but as enemies of the world.

-Pierre Nora, From the Palace of Anjou-)

“Caw, caw!”

The crows, gorged from their long-awaited feast, cried out.

But whether the crows cried or not, the war continued.

The English musketeer, firing his last remaining bullets, sighed.

As the battle dragged on, the limitations of the musketeers became increasingly apparent.

Yet, they did not cease firing.

-Thud, thud.

-Heeheehee.

A Mongolian cavalryman, aiming for the English lines, fell from his horse and died.

Before bullets, everyone was equal, and it was evident that the Mongol horses had not fully adapted to bullets. (Mongol horses were not trained to withstand the sound and impact of gunfire.)

And there was a steadfast comrade protecting the muskets: the pikeman.

“Your shooting skills got us through this again, Christian.”

“Damien, I owe my life to you.”

The relief of survival turned into joy. But a new shadow of death approached: newly deployed Mongolian troops.

Yes, the true strength of the Mongols was the endless ‘manpower’ they obtained from Asia. Those cursed devils were endless, no matter how many you killed.

“Damn it, more Mongolian cavalry are coming.”

“Block the arrows first.”

“Got it.”

“Raise shields!”

After the volley of fire.

-Dudududu.

The Mongolian cavalry charged again towards the dense infantry formation.

-Clang.

The shieldbearers and pikemen tried to hold back the cavalry, but they were overwhelmed due to accumulated fatigue.

“Damien!”

“I… I want to… live…”

The pikeman Damien died on the battlefield without uttering a proper last word.

‘I want to live too…’

With the shieldbearers and pikemen falling one after another, Christian was next in line to die.

He, too, desperately wanted to live.

‘God, please save me.’

Was his prayer answered? Luckily, Christian avoided death.

“Waaaaaaah!”

The French cavalry arrived, waving banners with golden lilies [fleur-de-lis, a symbol of French royalty].

“Die, you shameless Mongol bastards!”

-Dududududu.

The knights of the Holy Roman Empire, with banners bearing the double-headed eagle and the flags of each ‘family’ [noble house], also began to move.

“We are saving our Catholic brothers.”

Barely rescued, Christian tried to improve his chances of survival in his position.

“Fix bayonets.”

-Stab.

He simply killed the Mongolian infantryman in front of him without thinking.

But surrounded by the numerically superior Mongolian infantry, Christian faced another crisis.

-Bang!

-Thud!

But this time, Christian was lucky again.

The French musketeer fired his gun.

Fire spewed from the muzzle of the outdated Brown Bess musket, purchased from England after being taken advantage of. (England sold outdated weapons to France at inflated prices.)

Christian immediately turned his gaze and expressed his gratitude to the French musketeer.

“Wake up, Englishman.”

“Thank you, French friends.”

Although the two countries were not usually on good terms, at this moment, they were the best of comrades.

Because of the tiresome war with the Mongols.

‘Yes… I need to wake up and survive properly.’

Christian thought of the faces of his family, who were living on the living expenses he provided.

“Kill the Mongol troops!”

So, Christian was determined to survive tenaciously. He had to survive to return to his family.

* * *

Although there were no ‘traitors,’ it wasn’t as if the European forces were prevailing against the Mongol army.

It was a war of attrition where no grand strategy could easily succeed.

The Mongol soldiers were like weeds, endless no matter how many you killed.

‘Their manpower is endless… They’re not devils from hell, are they?’

Richard I, being human, was also exhausted and tired.

Although commanders, including William Marshal, were struggling valiantly, overcoming the numerical disadvantage was by no means easy.

‘Why aren’t the reinforcements coming?’

The news of the annihilation of Casimir II’s personal guard gradually wore down the European forces.

The King of Poland was dead.

And the reinforcements that were supposed to come from the Eastern Roman front and the Middle Eastern front were nowhere to be seen, perhaps blocked by the Mongol army.

In the distance, artillery was fired.

-Boom.

‘Moreover, the Mongols also have gunpowder weapons.’

The number of troops was overwhelmingly in favor of the Mongols, and it wasn’t even as if the European forces had the advantage in weaponry. Seeing the musketeer who had survived after being nearly killed, Richard I steeled his resolve again.

Even mere musketeers were gritting their teeth and fighting like that. As the king, he could not shrink from the enemy’s momentum.

“Lords, look at that musketeer. Death is before his eyes, but he grits his teeth and endures to survive.”

“Your Majesty…”

“I, too, will endure. Until our brothers arrive. I will not yield.”

The Count of Champagne, serving as the deputy commander and assisting his lord, felt a surge of emotion from Richard I’s words.

And the soldiers who heard Richard’s loud voice were also inspired.

Then, Richard shouted the Anjou battle cry that Safe Zone had told him.

“Elan!” (Élan: a French term for enthusiasm, energy, and style.)

-Elan!

There was still hope.

Because no one had given up the fight yet.

Far away.

William Marshal’s camp began to effectively strike the enemy’s rear.

‘The Mongols are not yet accustomed to heavy armored cavalry. Their main force is, after all, infantry and light cavalry. We must find a way out in that area.’

Richard I stared at the battlefield, giving instructions to the commanders while cutting down enemies with his halberd.

“Do not be careless.”

“While the 3rd Assault Team draws attention, charge to the center.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Philip II, who was assisting William Marshal, asked Richard I, seeing his command.

“Richard, how can you fight like that?”

“Philip, if we lose here, the history of Europe will end. We must fight with gritted teeth.”

“Haa…”

“Philip, don’t act weak. Aren’t you also fighting with the determination to die?”

“Me… That can’t be. I am not a knight-king who sacrifices his life to protect romance.”

“That can’t be. The one who sacrifices everything to protect his country is the great monarch of France. Don’t you think so too? Count of Habsburg.”

“I think so too.”

At that time, Philip II, who was listening to Richard and the Count of Habsburg’s conversation while staring at the battlefield, said.

“It’s good to praise me, but the situation is not good. Our nobles are being swayed by the enemy’s schemes.”

Of course, opportunity comes with crisis.

* * *

Temujin surveyed the battlefield with the Mongols’ exceptional eyesight.

“Is this going to be such a long fight?”

The battlefield was more intense than expected. Of course, intense meant from the European forces’ point of view.

From the Mongol perspective, it was by no means a good situation.

Drawing out time in a situation where everything was advantageous was in itself indicative of Mongol ‘incompetence.’

Jelme, the commander of the 1st Assault Team, who was surveying the battlefield with Temujin, admired the figure of the enemy commander Richard.

‘There are many who fear us but maintain their formation.’

The European soldiers were fighting fiercely in the worst situation, and.

‘Is that the Lionheart of the West?’

Richard.

The sight of a man who was a king before being a general, displaying such bravery and commanding to prevent the formation from collapsing as much as possible, was a great spectacle even in the eyes of the people of the Mongol Empire.

However, the Mongol Empire observed that the European forces were gradually becoming exhausted.

The Mongol army had already blocked the movement route of troops that could support Poland. They pressured the England-France-Holy Roman Empire forces centered on Richard.

Even the gunpowder for the musketeers, which was the strength of the European forces, was gradually running out.

-Heeheehee.

-I am Richard, the monarch of England, and the weapon I hold is the world’s strongest halberd made by my brother Safe Zone. Who dares to stand against me?

Richard’s loud voice echoed across the battlefield.

“Amazing… I admit, Richard is my match. To be holding out like this even in this situation without tea and cannons [referencing advanced weaponry or supplies].”

“Great Emperor, the actions of their ‘France’ are turning in our favor.”

“Why is that?”

“Gradually, the French nobles…”

“It can’t be a rebellion, so what’s going on?”

“It seems they can’t restrain their bellicose nature and are acting independently without following orders.”

“The determination to fight to the death sometimes becomes poison. The time to despair is near.”

Temujin had keen eyes. So, he saw the ‘dust’ rising in the rear.

Soon, the sound of a horn was heard.

-Puuuuuuuuung.

The New Holy Mongol Empire’s reinforcements arrived.

The Mongol army, with their morale boosted by the reliable reinforcements.

“Waaaaaaah!”

“We are the real Christians!”

“Brothers of the Holy Mongol Empire, judge the heretics!”

Their morale increased.

“Now… Richard, can you stop this too?”

Temujin was a great blue wolf leading the wolves. Perhaps that’s why he wanted Richard’s presence, the great lion leading the European forces, to be exhausted now.

But Richard, visible in the distance, was smiling and cutting down enemies. Seeing that sight, Temujin thought that he had to capture Richard this time.

He couldn’t afford to miss such an enemy, caught up in romance.

* * *

-1206, Vatican-

I was here on a business trip, not a vacation.

“Do you two agree with my intentions?”

“The Vatican will fully follow John I’s opinion.”

“Our Emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire also agrees with John I’s opinion.”

Once the political agreement with me was concluded, the Pope and the Patriarch agreed with my intention to increase more troops and supplies in the future.

And then, the ‘thing’ I wanted. Like candidates campaigning during election season, I persuaded the nobles.

“Do you understand now?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. Our family will also follow Your Majesty’s will.”

“That’s fortunate. I am truly grateful for making a righteous choice.”

I had to meet the nobles who had gathered at the Vatican without making a decision and win as many people over to my side as possible.

I was moving with my subordinates, including Amiar, but I felt like my stamina was running out.

Another new year had come without fail. Now I was 39 years old in European age.

‘I’m getting old.’

Was it because I remembered my past life? My hands and feet trembled every time I got older.

Of course, there were quite a few difficulties.

An unexpected intruder had come to this Vatican.

“John… My beloved brother, how wonderful it is to see your face like this.”

“What brings you here, Sister?”

“My husband is a bit busy.”

Joan, the Queen of Sicily and my youngest sister, came to see my face in person.

What was she thinking?

As I made a puzzled face, Sister Joan said to me with a kind face.

“I came to help this time. Our Kingdom of Sicily has more than a few headaches because of the Mongols.”

“Is that so?”

“I’ve been having some fun in the Mediterranean these days, right? Would you protect our Sicilian transport fleet?”

“Protect?”

Meeting many people, doing business, and even dealing with my sister, I realized once again that an external enemy unites Europe.

As time passed like that, I went up to the podium and spoke like an ancient Roman politician.

“We must save as many brothers of faith as possible to protect Europe from the evil Mongol Empire.”

Whether it was because of my passionate voice or because they felt fear at the Mongols’ cunning, the princes of the Holy Roman Empire in the room agreed with my words.

“That’s right!”

“The time has come for us Christians to defeat the Antichrist.”

Yes, let’s defeat those evil bastards first and have the family feud later.

The Mongols are the Antichrist themselves. They are already ruined.

Daring to incite the internal strife of Europeans. Such cowardly Mongols.

Anyway, John, who was nine years old, worked hard today for the banner of European defense.

And due to that effort, a new event was held.

Rome, where numerous orders of knights and nobles’ armies gathered.

“With this… all preparations for the 4th Crusade have been completed.”

The 4th Crusade, which would have shattered the Eastern Roman Empire in the original history, was now formed to defeat the Antichrist called the Mongols.

But then I felt uneasy.

I had an uneasy feeling that something bad might happen.

I don’t know why.

“Let’s go defeat the Mongols!”

Of course, I don’t go on a personal expedition. I had to return to England and fight my own ‘war.’