The Youngest Prince Of The English Royalty House [EN]: Chapter 204

[204, The Finale (4)]

The Crusaders, emboldened, launched a massive counterattack. Initially overwhelmed by the Mongol onslaught, they had gradually learned to adapt. Ultimately, the Crusaders successfully landed in Anatolia.

Of course, Temujin’s death and Chagatai’s rampage contributed to the success of the landing, but the underlying factor was the effective deployment of European Crusader forces.

In the end, the Holy Mongol Empire was forced to retreat eastward by the Crusader counteroffensive.

Of course, this didn’t mean the immediate collapse of the Holy Mongol Empire. They simply relocated their base of operations to the East.

What the invading Mongols did in the East was of no concern to the Europeans. The important thing was that they had been driven out, a fact that soon spread from the capital of England.

“Long live England!”

“Long live the Crusaders!”

“Long live Safe John!”

England was in a festive mood. The Mongols, in some ways more brutal than the Huns, had lost all their European strongholds and retreated to their homeland.

Although no conscription orders had been issued, how much had the people suffered under the wartime regime? Now, as always, the people in the capital were the first to be taken care of.

Naturally, as king, I couldn’t stand idly by.

“The Angevin royal family will host a grand banquet.”

I threw a lavish banquet.

Wasn’t the very fact that we could hold a banquet without worry a clear sign that the Mongol threat was over?

“James, Mary, I’ll need to borrow some money.”

Of course, I wasn’t exactly flush with cash myself, so I had to rely on the help of my wife, Mary, and my son, Prince James, who had been earning quite a bit lately.

No one in this world dislikes a freebie. Everyone was pleased that the king himself was hosting the banquet, and they shared wine and bread with satisfaction.

But someone was about to pour cold water on the good atmosphere.

[It’s a banquet, but I can’t enjoy it.]

It was the spirit of King John Lackland. He looked with a bitter expression at the faces of the people, happy and smiling. He must be envious of my subjects being so happy.

‘Regretting your actions for the people in your past life?’

[Safe John, you’re mistaken. Although I was politically inept and foolish, I wasn’t a cruel ruler who reveled in being the villain, like in the Robin Hood stories. I treated the people well in my own way. It’s just that the results weren’t good. I was simply unlucky, like Emperor Chongzhen [the last emperor of the Ming Dynasty] or Constantine XI [the last Byzantine emperor].]

I must have hit a nerve, because King John’s expression darkened. But even knowing that it was an excuse, I couldn’t bring myself to hate him.

‘Well, I understand your feelings… Even though I’m ruling really well, things often don’t work out.’

[…You understand me?]

‘In any case, both you and I, John, are descended from the same name.’

Yes, the world is not an easy place.

I was targeted as soon as I took office in the Mortain territory, and there were so many forces trying to undermine me.

[Hmm, Safe John. I think I’ll go visit Isabella. Now that I think about it, I’m curious about her changed life.]

‘Do you really need to ask my permission? Go ahead.’

He was going to see the woman John had taken as his second queen in the original history? It felt strange. Since he was an invisible ghost to everyone else, he might still have lingering feelings.

Come to think of it, the famous line from the wuxia novel, ‘An-gu Sa,’ came to mind.

—I ask the world, what is love that it makes one willing to live or die?

That King John, who only knew money and fame, couldn’t forget love even as a mere spirit. The world is truly unknowable.

“Your Majesty, the Queen is entering.”

After King John left, the Queen came to my side. My love was still with me.

I had one more thing I was better at than King John.

‘Come to think of it, we’ve been together for quite a while now.’

Looking at her face, still maintaining her 30s appearance even though we were getting old, I felt like I was a really good husband. If I hadn’t made her life so happy, she wouldn’t be maintaining her youth like that.

“John, you’ve worked hard.”

She was referring to this war.

Of course, this war wasn’t one I had planned, but rather a war of retaliation after the Mongols invaded. But I had worked hard nonetheless.

How hard had I worked to see a ghost like King John?

Of course, I didn’t reveal these thoughts and expressed my gratitude to her.

“No, you’ve worked harder, Mary. You’ve worked hard in many ways, managing the noble ladies and solving the problems of our royal family.”

Even though Mary and I had different ‘fields,’ we both worked hard to fulfill our respective roles in the wartime government.

“John, you’re getting wrinkles on your forehead. Ah, we’re getting old now.”

“No, even though I’m getting old, you’re still the same. Just like when you challenged me to a duel.”

Looking back now, it seems like my wife went easy on me back then. How could the daughter of that monster Manuel Komnenos be defeated by me in one move?

“Heh.”

Mary smiled, finding my words amusing. Now that I think about it, it’s laughable. An older woman pretending to be a younger girl, and I fell for it.

“Marrying you was a big challenge for me too.”

“It must have been. Mary, you have so much.”

I didn’t know it at first, but now that I know her hidden identity as the second daughter of Manuel Komnenos and the owner of the Red Eagle Guild, I realize how much I gained by her choosing me, and how much wealth she spent.

“Do you regret that choice?”

“Not at all… I prefer it here to that scheming imperial palace. Above all, our family isn’t a mess, is it?”

“That’s true.”

“So I’m really grateful to you.”

Yes, it’s all thanks to that true father, Safe John. Both my family and Mary’s family are full of interesting people.

The next day.

In the afternoon, while I was back at work.

—Swish.

The familiar man came to my office. Wearing an old crown and a blue ceremonial robe, with the same face as mine but a little older and more tired. It was King John.

He had gone far away to see Isabella of Angoulême, the wife he loved most in his past life. Of course, it was fortunate that King John was only visible to me because our spiritual wavelengths matched. If Isabella had seen King John’s ghost, she would have foamed at the mouth and made a fuss.

[I’m back. She ended up marrying another man. Thanks to you changing history, she went to another noble family.]

‘So you must be feeling depressed?’

Isabella of Angoulême was King John’s second wife, whom he married after one divorce, and whom he loved dearly.

[What can a soul do that is not allowed to rest?]

‘That’s the same for me. I’m also a soul that can’t rest.’

[Because of your family in your past life?]

‘Yes.’

At first, I was happy about being reincarnated, but when I thought about my wife and children from my past life, I felt depressed again. My family from my past life, whose names I don’t even remember anymore.

But just as that King John couldn’t do anything about his queen from his past life, I couldn’t do anything about my family from my past life anymore.

Just as King John couldn’t become ‘King John’ in this place where I am, I could no longer be Charles Lee. I felt depressed, but also a sense of responsibility in many ways.

So I said to King John in front of me.

‘King John.’

[Why do you call me?]

‘What should we do to develop England in the future?’

[I think you’re doing a good job on your own?]

‘I’m just worried that my efforts… will only end up being partial.’

At my words, King John looked at me with a dumbfounded expression, then smiled and said to me.

[You’re trying to learn properly from my failures.]

Of course, that King John taught me diligently.

[In my opinion…]

It was a beneficial moonlit night.

* * *

Although I had prepared for various variables during the wartime situation, at least no serious problems arose within England.

Therefore, I expressed my gratitude to several nobles.

“Earl of Oxford, I can only say thank you very much to you.”

The other party replied with a humble attitude after hearing my words.

“No. I have simply fulfilled my duty as a nobleman.”

The Earl of Oxford was the nobleman who controlled the nobles who tried to resist even a little in the sensitive wartime situation.

Of course, it wasn’t all for me that he controlled the nobles. But at least he didn’t stab the king in the back during the wartime situation, so should I be grateful for that alone?

‘Actually, he’s the first person who would cause a rebellion, but I didn’t expect him to be so quiet.’

Anyway, you really never know what will happen in the world. Of course, there are no eternal enemies or eternal allies in the world, so there is no need to alienate nobles who are politically neutral or have a bad relationship with each other too much.

“I do not ignore the honorable nobles of England, even if they are not my direct vassals. To you as well.”

“…”

The Earl of Oxford, who knew very well what my words meant, was silent as if thinking about something.

Then he said to me with a good-natured face.

“I am also a nobleman of England and a vassal of Your Majesty.”

On the surface, it seemed like he was saying that he was not a dangerous person, but knowing the essence of the Earl of Oxford well, I could not completely rest assured with that answer.

Is it time to visit some nobles who are a little closer to me now? This time, I expressed my gratitude to an older nobleman.

“Hahaha, Your Majesty. This old man has been able to live honorably thanks to Your Majesty.”

It was the Duke of Norfolk, the father of Robin, whom I cherish.

‘The Duke of Norfolk is a person close to a political nobleman, like his son Robin.’

The Duke of Norfolk and his son Robin did not go directly to the battlefield, but helped me by taking political steps.

“Rather, I was able to do internal affairs with peace of mind because the Duke of Norfolk helped me.”

“I have only fulfilled my duty as a vassal.”

I was grateful to the Earl of Oxford, who did not cross the line despite being a young nobleman who was calculating this and that, but I am also grateful to the Duke of Norfolk, who provided support for this and that just because he promoted his son.

Of course, the problem is the aftermath.

When other greedy countries try to do more, our England must completely close the game, and we must also check whether the commanders with military power have any ‘other thoughts’.

So I started writing letters.

* * *

—Europe, Main Camp near Bohemia—

The commanders of England gathered in one place through liaisons.

The people who received King John’s letter were all worried.

[John Angevin-Plantagenet, the representative of God, sends this to the commanders…]

King John’s letter, filled with all sorts of Christian rhetoric, ultimately said.

[Stop fighting and return.]

Because there was a meaning to retreat.

Of course, with ‘certain’ compensation. The East, where the Holy Mongol Empire’s army was retreating after losing Europe, was quite an attractive looting ground.

The commanders of the Crusaders thought that the probability of success of looting through the Crusaders would be high because the Mongol Empire was already weakened. And the English commanders also had a desire to join this game.

Of course. Godfrey, Safe John’s most loyal vassal, knew this situation well, so he said to the commanders with an ice-cold face.

“I hope there are no traitors who go against His Majesty’s will to stabilize England.”

Some nobles were conflicted in their hearts, but as a result, they decided to retreat because they could not overcome Godfrey’s forces.

—Doo-doo-doo-doo.

The English Crusaders began to retreat, and at that very moment, there was someone who confirmed the army of his homeland that was retreating.

“It’s the English Crusaders.”

A man leading shabby-looking people with all sorts of hardships visible on their faces, like the prodigal son in the Bible.

He was Sir Longspée, whom King John had dispatched to the distant East.