The Youngest Prince Of The English Royalty House [EN]: Chapter 192

[192. The Death of the Lion]

Richard’s last order was given to Count Champagne, his uncle and lord.

“Henri, you must live. I have no intention of breaking my promise to your aunt.”

[I will die with you, my lord.]

At first, he refused his lord’s will, as he had always thought of the battlefield as his tomb.

However, Count Champagne was forced to escape the battlefield by Richard’s command, due to his lord’s order and his mother’s last words.

“I should have stayed by my lord’s side.”

“Your Excellency, it was His Majesty Richard’s last order.”

“I know… damn it, I had to obey that order…!”

As Count Champagne was lamenting, a new army appeared in the distance, and the commander leading them spoke.

“We are soldiers sent by the Emperor of the ‘Roman Empire’ to welcome the knights of the Safe Zone.”

They spoke in the international language of Latin, but their use of the Eastern Roman self-designation suggested they were indeed from the Eastern Roman Empire.

“Has Emperor Alexios made a decision?”

Count Champagne was asking if they were changing their strategy from an independent operation to a joint operation.

“Yes, he has.”

“Your Excellency, we are saved! If they are friends from the Eastern Roman Empire, they will save us.”

However, Count Champagne could not be so happy.

Suspicion clouded his eyes. Why would Eastern Roman reinforcements arrive like saviors at this point?

‘It’s a trap.’

If the Eastern Roman forces were in this area, they would have rescued them from the Mongol army long ago, and his lord would not have even needed to make a final stand.

Count Champagne realized it was a trap and immediately spoke in the Gascon dialect to his trusted subordinate.

“Pierre, take three knights and go to the Holy Roman Empire with Christian! This is a trap.”

“Your Excellency, could it be?”

“This is my tomb.”

“Yes, Your Excellency.”

Both the remaining subordinates and those who left followed Count Champagne’s decision.

It was already unavoidable.

Christian, who did not fully understand the Gascon dialect, was simply led away by the knights, clueless.

Now, only three knights remained by Count Champagne’s side.

Then, the self-proclaimed commander of the Roman Empire asked with a puzzled expression.

“Where are those men going?”

“Now that the Eastern Roman Imperial Army has arrived, shouldn’t we deliver this joyful news?”

Then.

“Indeed. A very wise choice.”

The commander, who had been answering kindly, changed his expression coldly and spoke in ‘French’.

“Count Champagne, did you think I couldn’t understand French? Or did you want me to be confused by the Gascon dialect? Unfortunately, my hometown is in the south.”

“···!”

Everyone present was shocked.

However, the self-proclaimed commander of the Roman Empire looked at the place where Christian and the knights had left and said.

“Well, I will spare those small fries. Aren’t they just a commoner and a bastard knight? Of course, other friends might not spare them, but I will.”

His French was fluent, though with a southern accent.

Naturally, Count Champagne and the knights were shocked.

“Your Excellency, who is this man!”

“Reveal yourself to Count Champagne.”

“I am a Frenchman who hates Anjou and Capet.”

“···Could it be? Are you henchmen of Raymond!”

At the meaningful words that came from Count Champagne, the ‘Frenchman’ answered indifferently.

“We are merely… partners.”

“We are just… angels of death come to judge you Catholic heretics.”

Angel of death.

It was a word used in many ways, but now Count Champagne could identify who they were.

Count Champagne said in a tense voice, looking at the knight wearing heavy armor and speaking with a Toulouse accent.

“Why did you betray Europe?”

“Hahaha, that’s funny. Since 1122, you have only been oppressors.”

“But aren’t we still Europeans?”

“Europe? That’s funny. I trust the Mongols more than Europeans, who massacre their own kind at every opportunity.”

“Then what about the betrayal of the Poles?”

“It was planned. By ‘us’.”

Just then.

“Don’t drag out the time.”

New knights appeared.

Then, the self-proclaimed ‘Frenchman’ said with a hint of dissatisfaction.

“Kaloyan, you’re being rude.”

“You guys!”

Count Champagne asked, looking at the new men.

Then, the man called Kaloyan said.

“You don’t need to know, since you’re about to die.”

-Phew.

At that moment, several arrows flew towards Count Champagne.

‘Richard, my lord… I, too, will meet an honorable death.’

“Die for England!”

“Waaaaa!”

Count Henri of Champagne made a final charge with his three knights.

* * *

-1206, Throughout Poland-

The Holy Mongol Empire, which had already conquered the East, was the strongest army in Asian history.

In this Polish campaign, what the Mongols showed the Europeans was a kind of despair and warning.

‘We Mongols have destroyed the Kingdom of Poland, the gateway to Europe, in an instant. So what can you do?’

Although they had touched the Middle East and the vicinity of the Eastern Roman Empire, the offensives were not very strong. That was natural. In the first place, the first prey the Mongols had set their sights on was Poland.

The Mongol army’s strategic goal was to defeat the European soldiers who came to rescue Poland and establish a supply base in Poland.

That goal was achieved.

The Kingdom of Poland was destroyed.

Now, all that was left was to destroy the European coalition forces that had come to help the Kingdom of Poland.

No, the European Union was already being slaughtered in real time.

But at the end of that goal.

Richard and his ten knights, who did not fear death.

The Mongol generals and soldiers felt fear for the first time when they saw those monstrous ‘last suicide squad members’.

“Haven’t they given up yet?”

“Why aren’t they afraid of death!”

The Mongol chiliarchs [commanders of a thousand soldiers] lamented.

The nobles of the Holy Roman Empire died, and the so-called King of France died.

But berserkers who did not fear death remained.

“We are the honorable descendants of England!”

“Let’s go!”

Temujin had met many heroes and heroines in his life. But the Westerner he saw today was on a different level from those heroes.

Richard I.

A Western monarch. He knew him as the famous Safe Zone’s brother, but he didn’t know he was such a monster.

It was reminiscent of Samson in the Bible.

‘That man… is a hero.’

But unlike Samson, who revealed his weaknesses by being swayed by women, Richard, who did not lose his dignity until the very end, was admirable even as an enemy.

“Protect His Majesty!”

“This is our last crusade.”

Even the knights who knew they were going to die and were guarding their lord were massacring the Mongols.

-Phew.

Even as they were shot by arrows and died one by one, they did not lose their will to fight.

“They are terrible people.”

Zelme could hardly believe it.

Richard I and the ‘human weapons’ who followed him, who were now visible, continued to run even after being hit by arrows all over their bodies like hedgehogs.

The English nobles have many lineages, but most are descendants of the Normans who swore allegiance to William the Conqueror.

Like the knights who followed William the Conqueror in countless battles in the past, they, with the blood of the Vikings flowing through them, tried to be with their lord until the very end.

-Swish.

Even with countless Mongol troops in front of them, these descendants of the Normans did not fear death.

Rather, they sang.

“Long live England! Long live Richard!”

“He received three wondrous abilities.”

“He is the one who kills, kills… and kills again.”

They were cutting down the Mongol army.

“Mo… Monsters!”

“Even the Arang warriors can’t beat them!”

“Those guys are… demons.”

Demons.

It was a word referring to Richard and the knights, who had a firm belief that they would kill even one Mongol and die, even as they felt death approaching.

Michael, who survived to the end and became the last knight, shouted in a blood-soaked state.

“Long live Richard, Safe Zone!”

-Phew

And he died.

Michael, the last knight who had served with Richard for a long time, died.

But Richard had no time to grieve. Temujin was visible nearby.

To achieve his final goal, he had to move forward, further forward.

He knew that the armor and halberd that John had given him were great, and that his martial prowess was even greater.

Originally, his abilities were outstanding. It was not for nothing that he was called Lionheart. Like a hungry lion, he could instinctively find the weaknesses and insufficient formations of his enemies.

-Stab.

-Swish.

He persistently dug in, using his halberd to cut and stab.

Blood splattered on Richard’s face.

But even so, he had to run.

‘Even Samson, whom God gave abilities to, couldn’t do as well as I can. Yes, because I was prepared.’

At that moment, the Jordan River was visible beyond.

[Richard, rest now. You have accomplished everything.]

His father, Henry II, whom he both loved and hated, was visible.

[Richard…]

His mother, Eleanor, who perhaps thought of him as more than a son, was seen swallowing her tears.

Richard I knew it well.

Richard no longer felt any pain. All his senses had disappeared, and now he was almost losing consciousness.

But even so, he could bear it.

Because he had a goal.

“The Great Khan is in danger.”

“Kill that man quickly!”

At that moment, Richard.

[John… let’s have a sparring match.]

He remembered the sparring match he had with his youngest brother, John, in the past.

‘John, I entrust my kingdom to you. To do that.’

-Heeheehee!

Richard’s beloved horse, Lion, cried out.

Perhaps it also sensed its death.

“That’s not a human.”

“We can’t stop him.”

“That man is death!”

It was still the romantic era when the heroes of the battlefield were alive and breathing. The superhuman last charge, with death in mind, could not be stopped by the Mongol army, no matter how strong they were.

He cut down the Mongol cavalrymen who were blocking his way and moved forward.

Was this what the heroes in ancient myths were like?

Richard, who had mustered his remaining strength until the very end, charged like Thor.

And.

-Stab.

“Temujin, I have won…”

“Richard, it was an honorable duel.”

Blood splattered.

Unfortunately, he did not kill Temujin, but he was satisfied. Because he had left a pretty good wound.

When the flame of life was flickering.

[Richard, come back safely.]

[Richard, please take care of my son.]

He wondered if his nephew, whom his half-sister Marie had asked him to take care of, had escaped safely.

I hope he’s alive. Henri was a good kid.

And he thought one last time.

‘John… I’ll leave the rest to you.’.

[Brother, I’m just the youngest prince of a dysfunctional family!]

He remembered the complaint that his youngest brother, John, had made to him when they first sparred.

Richard smiled.

At least it was a better death than the ending in his dream.

* * *

-England, Rouen-

The Crusades were officially declared, and I returned to Rouen.

In the carriage on the way back, I had to think about many things.

[There is nothing more dangerous than those who are hidden. In another sense, they are more troublesome enemies than the Mongols.]

‘Troublesome enemies…’

The valuable ‘information’ that Roniero had gathered using all means made me shudder.

So much so that I had already sought cooperation from Prince Louis of the Kingdom of France and was preparing a crusade against them.

Anyway, after returning to Rouen, I summoned my close aides.

Charles, Evil Bulhoe, and Godfrey were all out on the battlefield, so Amiar, Peter, and Robin remained in this place.

I told them about the ‘enemy’ who created the Polish situation.

“In the end, the root of all evil was the Albigensians (Cathars).”

“The Albigensians, you say?”

The Albigensians are original heretics who were officially banned as heretics at the Third Lateran Council (1179). And they were heretics who were very relevant to us.

In the original history, the Albigensian Crusade was declared to eradicate the Albigensian forces on a large scale.

I thought they were so quiet that they had given up on ‘their faith’ on their own, but they are still alive like this.

“The heretics who had been holding their breath in Cologne, Albi, Toulouse, southern Italy, the Balkans, and the Middle East moved for their own purposes.”

“I can’t believe that all the unfortunate events that have happened so far are the work of them.”

As Peter bitterly grasped reality.

A liaison officer came.

“Your Majesty, something terrible has happened.”

“What is it?”

“The only survivor from the Polish campaign has arrived. It’s the soldier Christian.”

The only survivor of the Mongol defense war in Poland was one person.

He was Christian, a musketeer from the lowest commoner background.

“I, I greet Your Majesty.”

He was from a commoner background, but he was also a veteran.

“My name is Christian. And I am the only survivor.”

Because he was the only soldier who returned alive from the Polish campaign.