The Youngest Prince Of The English Royalty House [EN]: Chapter 201

201. The Finale (1)

King John, whom Safe John called ‘Original John,’ led a life that was anything but smooth sailing, even until his final moments. History remembers him as John the Landless.

“Can’t you even do that properly?”

“It would have been better if you were born a girl instead of a boy.”

“You’re a landless prince with no ability.”

“Neither I, Geoffrey, nor Richard feel threatened by you. You dull youngest son.”

His abilities were indeed lacking compared to his brothers, and as a result, his childhood was marked by neglect from his parents and siblings.

Ironically, Henry II, well aware that his incompetent son posed no threat to his power, was the one who treated the Landless Prince with kindness.

“Our John… I like that you’re ordinary.”

As a child, John found that affection very comforting.

However, after becoming the ‘Landless Prince’ who even lost Ireland due to an Irish rebellion, he realized that even his father’s love stemmed from his own inadequacy.

The young Prince John thought.

‘I have no intention of dying as a clumsy prince.’

“John… why are you doing this…?”

So, he betrayed his father, Henry II, at a crucial moment.

“Look, Father. I am also a cunning prince born of your blood.”

And soon after, while Richard was away on a campaign, John ambitiously seized the throne of England.

“Brother, England is now mine.”

But he couldn’t hold onto England completely.

“John, you are still my brother.”

Because his brother reclaimed it upon returning to England after the Crusades.

‘No confinement, no punishment… just leaving me be.’

Even in the act of taking England back from John, Richard didn’t acknowledge John as a rival.

Since he posed no real threat, even in rebellion, Richard simply let it go.

“Finally, my time has come… I am England.”

As time passed, Richard died suppressing a rebellion, and John ascended to the throne.

“In the end, to protect our land, we must bring down the Kingdom of France. Unless we want to be struck first.”

John was determined to deal with the Kingdom of France, one way or another, during his reign. But it was King John who was ultimately defeated by Philip II.

“King John, you cannot defeat the Kingdom of France. Because you are ‘weak,’ unlike Richard.”

“Philip… mark my words.”

“King John, isn’t now the time to worry about your throne?”

King John lost a vast territory to the Kingdom of France, earning him the reputation as one of the worst monarchs in history.

And as Philip had predicted, King John had to worry about his own safety.

“Sign it, Your Majesty.”

“I understand…”

He yielded to the rebellion of the barons and signed the Magna Carta [a charter of rights agreed to by King John of England at Runnymede, near Windsor, on 15 June 1215], placing a significant burden on his descendants.

The young Prince Henry (Henry III) resented his father with all his small being.

“Father, why have you given such a burden to your young son?”

He could only resent his aging father.

“I’m sorry, Henry…”

“But I don’t hate you, Father. Although you are despised by the people, I know that you work day and night for England.”

He felt sorry for his son, who had matured too quickly at an age when he should have been playing, all because of his own failings.

So, he decided to fight back.

“Punish the rebels! The only thing I can do right now is to drive away the troublemakers for my son! With this fight, I will tear the Magna Carta to shreds.”

As King John attempted to suppress the rebellion once more, he contracted dysentery and died in vain.

And became the eternal Landless King.

[Wasn’t even the rest of death granted to me?]

The ghost of the Landless King wandered Westminster Abbey. He couldn’t even find peace in death.

He became a ghost haunting Westminster Abbey!

The Hundred Years’ War.

The Puritan Revolution.

The French Revolution.

World War I and II.

[I continue to exist as punishment for plunging so many in England into sorrow.]

Watching history unfold, King John lived on as a ghost.

“King John, you are so pitiful.”

The ghost of Anne Boleyn.

“It would have been better if you had been executed like me, my distant ancestor.”

And the ghost of Charles I.

-Bang.

And as time passed.

World War III erupted, filled with nuclear missiles.

One day, as London crumbled.

[Lord, do you finally grant me rest?]

The Landless King thought he was finally finding peace, but that wasn’t the case.

When he opened his eyes again.

-Waa.

He saw baby Safe John.

[Is there no rest yet?]

The ghost found no rest. It could only observe.

-Waa!

“Your Majesty, it’s a healthy prince.”

“Oh, a prince.”

“It’s a relief, Your Majesty. A prince!”

“The child’s name is John!”

“The youngest prince of our Angevin [a dynasty originating in Anjou, France] family!”

The baby looked remarkably like his son Henry (Henry III).

The people surrounding the baby were the family the Landless King had known in his past life.

[Brother… and my sisters, as they were.]

[I’ve become a cursed soul, wandering the heavens. Is this the punishment for being trapped in regret, forced to watch my younger self?]

At that moment.

The Landless King made eye contact with baby John and glimpsed the baby’s past life.

‘Charles Lee.’

Born of Korean-French heritage, a father who lived an even more unfortunate life than his own due to World War III.

Even suffering a miserable end, just like him.

So, he felt a stirring of curiosity.

How would this person, in the same predicament as himself, live?

[Can you be different from me?]

The Landless King doubted it.

Even as a reincarnator with future knowledge, even knowing what was to come, this era was far from easy.

So, the Landless King watched Safe John’s life, becoming a ghost that haunted his side.

At first, it was fascinating.

Unlike existing as a vengeful spirit in that damned Westminster Abbey, watching John’s life, guided by another soul, was somewhat entertaining.

“Don’t forget. I am Safe John.”

[Safe John?]

From the moment he began to speak, the reincarnated John called himself Safe John to everyone.

A ‘safe’ John in this world. What a bizarre declaration.

Time continued to flow.

“I like milk.”

Safe John drank milk with his tiny hands.

Safe John loved milk from a very young age.

The Landless King watched Safe John and thought.

[When he was Charles Lee, milk was such a precious commodity…]

Time passed in this way.

[Good heavens… such a proposal to a French princess! It’s even more meticulously planned than when I made Isabella, Countess of Gloucester, queen.]

The Landless King, watching Safe John visit Paris nearly 200 times to propose to Princess Agnes, felt his hands and feet cramping, even as a non-corporeal soul.

[He doesn’t actually like Princess Agnes. He’s doing this to make a name for himself and reduce people’s suspicion.]

And Safe John took Peter, the bastard whom the Landless King knew as the traitor Pierre, as his confidant. At a young age.

[He’s accepting that child, whom I ignored as a bastard, as a vassal? Well, he was a useful person. Though he betrayed me at the most critical moment, he was a vassal who could see the bigger picture.]

Then, an amazing thing happened.

‘Please save my teacher as a birthday present.’

The young Safe John asked Henry II to pardon his teacher as his birthday present.

[Thomas Becket’s survival is an enormous disruption. Safe John’s choice will truly change international political history.]

The Landless King, who had struggled his whole life with the English Church alongside the nobles, could see it. Safe John’s choice would bring about a transformation in England.

‘You’re too much, brother.’

‘Draw your sword, John.’

-Clang.

He also saw Safe John, now a teenager, dueling with his brother.

[That’s a lie… although his martial prowess is inferior to Richard’s, he is skilled. That’s why he swept away countless people in his past life.]

He could already sense the murderous intent in his swordsmanship. He may have been an incompetent Landless King, but wasn’t he also a monarch who suppressed numerous rebellions?

‘I will pledge my loyalty to Prince John.’

[Isn’t that Archbishop Godfrey? He’s even employing him? As a knight, too!]

Watching Safe John employ even those who were his enemies in his past life felt like another form of entertainment.

However, as time passed, the Landless King couldn’t help but feel jealousy towards Safe John.

‘John, you’re the only one.’

‘Long live Lord, Count of Mortain!’

‘I give you Ireland.’

‘Please become the master of our Ireland.’

Because in his past life, the Landless King had never received such love and respect from the people.

Time passed again.

Safe John proposed to the sister of the Earl of Hartford. Looking only at the immediate future, the Hartford family was not particularly attractive.

In this era, an attractive bride was an ‘heiress’ who possessed fertile land without a father or male siblings. In that sense, Hartford was a family from whom nothing could be expected except immediate military power.

But John insisted on marrying into that family, and the Landless King felt a sense of déjà vu.

[There was no Mary in the Hartford family. She must be someone who has disguised her identity. But where did this woman come from?]

So, the ghost of the Landless King followed Mary and was able to learn her true identity.

[The Princess of the Eastern Roman Empire, Anna…]

She was the daughter of Manuel I, who was known to have died.

Time passed again.

‘I cannot forgive anyone who dares to disgrace my son’s Mortain.’

Under the pretext of foreign powers trying to meddle with Mortain, Henry II had his sons raise a large army. Wales, Scotland, and Ireland, which he had indirectly ruled or influenced, became definitively integrated territories of England.

The events unfolded so quickly that even the Landless King, watching as a ghost, was horrified.

[Can such a thing be? Safe John is so reliable that even the King is doing this?]

Safe John, who married Mary, governed the island nation of Ireland wonderfully.

[He is perfecting the rule of Ireland, which I failed at. In my life, Ireland was an island of traitors with no foresight.]

Enough for the Landless King to be jealous.

Of course, behind the brilliant rule was human trafficking (supply of slaves from bandits and pirates), but considering the honest and good people, it was not a significant matter. Or, at least, that’s how the ends justified the means in that era.

Having stabilized Ireland, Safe John contributed to the new changes in history.

His father, Henry II, and the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I, had their interests aligned, creating the second English Pope in history.

[Thomas Becket becoming the Pope of the Roman Catholic Church?]

The Landless King, knowing that the reason the second Pope could emerge was because England had firmly established itself as a great power, was impressed.

[Now I’m starting to have expectations. Safe John, can you truly become the Safe John of your name, not the Landless King John?]

The ghost of the Landless King was now even looking forward to it, wondering how much Safe John would change history.

The Third Crusade occurred earlier than in history.

‘With this, our Christian forces have annihilated the infidels!’

Unlike history, the Christian forces achieved a great victory.

[Safe John won the Third Crusade single-handedly?]

Of course, Safe John did not win this war solely through his abilities. However, it was clear to anyone that this was a change in history centered around Safe John.

That one variable changed the outcome of the war.

Moreover, Safe John personally led the campaign, helping Emperor Frederick conquer Egypt.

[This is Safe John’s own ability.]

Even the Landless King John, who was watching, acknowledged his outstanding abilities.

[To have commanders like Godfrey, Charles, Akbulhui, Robin, and figures like Charles Amiens as vassals.]

‘Bishop Lothair, your help is needed.’

[Isn’t that the ‘great’ Pope Innocent III?]

After that, the Landless King silently observed Safe John’s life.

Successive civil wars and ascending to the position of Prime Minister.

And rising to become co-ruler and sole monarch.

Safe John was remarkable. Even as a reincarnator who knew the knowledge of the future, he elevated England to the ranks of great powers through painstaking efforts.

‘I won’t become as incompetent as the original King John, will I?’

‘My family must be happy.’

But on the other side, Safe John was a weak man.

Would he fall like the King John of the original history he knew? Would he burden his family? He, too, shed tears in secret and was a very emotional person.

The important thing was that even while experiencing such pain, he always maintained his initial commitment to England and his family.

[Safe John is a great monarch who has created a history that cannot be compared to someone like me, but he is also a pitiful man who sheds tears in secret.]

So, the ghost of the Landless King decided to genuinely acknowledge Safe John.

[Safe John, the name John is a name that suits you, not me…]

Right then.

-Now your words will be heard by another you.

Along with someone’s voice.

At some point, he was able to communicate with Safe John.

* * *

[…That’s what happened.]

Thus, the ghost’s story ended.

‘I see.’

[Safe John, can you hear me even if you speak in your mind? There’s no need to attract attention by talking to yourself.]

‘The Landless King, whom I cursed so much, was by my side.’

[I have watched over everything about you.]

In a way, it was as if my entire life had been spied on, but I didn’t feel bad. Rather, I felt sorry for him.

In short, he died and ended up wandering in the same world as me.

‘In short, he saw everything about me, didn’t he?’

Come to think of it, watching everything means he was with me in every moment. Thinking about it again, it was embarrassing.

[I kept my distance. I didn’t go into the bathroom or bedroom.]

‘Landless King, so what did you think? About the life of Safe John.’

The Landless King said in response to my question.

[Your life was interesting because it had different sorrows than mine. And it shone brilliantly. Safe John, shouldn’t you start writing the finale of a decent epic?]

A finale.

I agreed with the Landless King’s words.

‘Yes, I must finish it.’

‘Sir Peter, summon the Earl of Hartford.’

‘Yes, Your Majesty.’

I took up the final greatsword.

< End (2) >