The Youngest Prince Of The English Royalty House [EN]: Chapter 25

[Episode 25, God Wills It]

-1183, Dublin, Ireland-

Just as I was finishing work and about to have dinner, Mary surprised us with a meal she had prepared.

“Mother, I’ve prepared a meal myself today. I’ve added plenty of meat and vegetables!”

“Thank you, daughter-in-law. I will enjoy it.”

Saying so, my mother washed her hands and savored the meal Mary had made.

Then, she offered a warm compliment to Mary.

“Oh, this is a truly delicious dish. It’s a traditional Norman meat dish, and the quality of the meat is excellent.”

“I’m so glad you enjoy my humble cooking, Mother.”

On the surface, Mary and my mother seemed to have grown close.

They had initially exchanged harsh words, but now they were calling each other ‘Mother’ and ‘Mary, my daughter-in-law,’ and laughing ‘Ho ho ho!’

From the outside, it seemed that peace had finally come to our home.

However, knowing my mother’s true feelings,

I knew very well that she had not truly become close to Mary.

‘Ah, playing the role of a husband has become even more difficult now.’

Thanks to this, I had even more reasons to apologize to Mary.

After dinner, I went into our room and spoke to my wife, who was holding James, with as much sincere regret as possible.

“Mary, I’m sorry. Seeing you suffer because of my mother, I regret allowing her to stay.”

“No, John. I was already prepared for this when I married into your family. In fact, I find it amusing.”

“Amusing…?”

Good heavens! This is the first time I’ve heard that living with a mother-in-law is amusing.

It seems my wife’s personality is no joke either.

Perhaps our Angevin-Plantagenet family has a magical aura that drives people a little mad?

Anyway, fortunately, the conflict between mother and daughter-in-law did not escalate further.

My mother, who had been engaged in a battle of wills with Mary,

suddenly seemed to have regained her senses and said with a gentle smile.

“John, how have you been?”

“Yes, Mother.”

But.

We saw each other yesterday and even at the dawn mass this morning, so why is she acting so pleased to see me?

I couldn’t understand it.

Could she be asking me for a favor?

“Mother, how are you finding life in Ireland?”

I asked out of courtesy.

“It’s wonderful. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt such a refreshing breeze. Instead of the smell of salt, there’s the scent of lush grass.”

After saying such elegant words, my mother

suddenly said with a look of regret.

“But there is something I find disappointing.”

“Yes?”

Why is my mother suddenly acting like this?

“The situation in the territory is good. But there is still a lack of talent.”

“Yes?”

But don’t we have the Four Heavenly Kings like Godfrey, Peter, Lothair, and Charles?

Do we need more than that?

“Talent is something you must seize from others. That Philip you dislike has poor judgment and has left many talented individuals unattended.”

“Strictly speaking, you are also three-quarters Frankish [an old term for French], except for the Norman part of your grandmother Matilda’s Norman-English lineage.”

I understood what my mother meant.

Before the Hundred Years’ War, until a clear distinction between nationalities was possible,

the distinction between France and England was ambiguous.

Even Philip’s Capetian dynasty was just a family of ‘lords among lords’ until centralization occurred.

If the mutual contracts are good, many French people will follow me.

“As a taste, I will introduce you to a talented individual from France that I have discovered.”

She’s going to show me a talent that my mother has acknowledged?

I’m honestly skeptical, but I’ll be happy if more people join me.

I’ll try them out first, and if they seem suspicious, I’ll replace them.

A few days later.

The talent my mother mentioned arrived.

But he was too old.

But I feel like I’ve seen him somewhere before?

Was he someone who was there when Agnes rejected me?

He greeted me with French etiquette.

“I am Chrétien de Troyes [a 12th-century French poet], a minstrel, and I greet Prince John.”

“It is a pleasure to meet such a famous poet.”

I accepted the greeting without thinking,

but I don’t know why this person came here.

My songs, boosted by future cheat codes, and my lineage have pushed him out of the spotlight, but he was a famous 12th-century French artist who achieved great success in all forms of literature except for the Minnesang [a German lyric poetry tradition].

In particular, he was the one who created the story of the ‘Holy Grail,’ which is still cherished in the future.

He was supposed to have died in 1180, but he’s still alive in 1183! Has history changed a little because of me?

As I silently looked at my mother Eleanor, she said proudly.

“Son! This old artist creates great works, but he is more realistic than anyone else. Isn’t that right?”

“Your Majesty, I am grateful that you see me that way. However, I have simply traveled around, which has given me the ability to see things in more detail.”

“Louis VII, it’s humble of you to have survived that man’s sword dance. Ah, I’ve spoken too long. Sir Chrétien, show John the evidence first.”

At my mother’s words, the old poet took out a list from his cloak and sent it to me.

“Prince John’s intentions are noble, but the world is not so beautiful. This is a list of those in Ireland who have not been identified.”

When I couldn’t hide my surprised expression after reading the list, my mother said.

“Your beloved talent, Peter, you’ve only just realized now.”

At that moment, my mother clapped her hands and said.

“Isn’t that right, Peter?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Oh, Peter, have you finished the investigation as I instructed?”

“Yes, I have.”

Peter looked embarrassed,

and my mother leisurely looked at the bastard Peter and said.

“My beloved youngest son, do you know what you need to do first when the territory has been normalized to some extent?”

“I’m not sure.”

“It’s to thoroughly filter out the bugs that came from elsewhere. Oh, of course, don’t touch the disguised merchants right away. They are useful.”

I couldn’t do that?

I suffered so much in the Mortain territory that I was naturally thorough in my vigilance?

Counterintelligence is essential in the Middle Ages, where intrigue is rampant!

But my mother seemed to read my mind and said with a captivating smile.

“Son, your methods are not enough. You have to be thorough.”

With those words, my mother looked at the old poet and said.

“Well, teacher, shouldn’t we educate poor John together?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Oh, and Peter too.”

“Yes?”

Peter never expected that his mother would care about him, even though he was a bastard.

“Let’s start the advanced class.”

Professor Eleanor, Assistant Professor Chrétien de Troyes.

The lecture began.

I was able to learn my mother’s pseudo-governance and

Chrétien’s Troyes swordsmanship.

Ah, it’s so hard!

“Haa…”

After listening to my mother’s excellent lessons, I had an epiphany.

I feel like I’ve become a top-notch master in the world of martial arts!

Historically, Queen Eleanor was a great heroine who instigated a rebellion and eventually brought down Henry II!

‘Wisdom, knowledge, and swordsmanship have increased.’

My mother was truly amazing.

In fact, the superman on a white horse mentioned by Machiavelli in *The Prince* should have been my mother Eleanor, not Cesare Borgia.

I’ve only heard my mother’s ‘Ho ho ho’ once,

but I could realize.

My mother’s teachings are like the Cheonma Divine Art [a powerful martial arts technique] that often appears in martial arts novels.

And my mother’s machinations

seem to be aimed at making me more capable and expanding the board,

but she’s planning to pick out only the good parts like a cherry picker.

“Peter, you’ve worked hard.”

“You’ve worked hard, Prince.”

Suddenly, Philip II came to mind.

I don’t know English history well, but I know French history well.

I could predict what kind of ‘moves’ Philip II would use.

‘But the medieval French kingdom in the history books is very different from Philip’s France, my destined enemy.’

Of course, reality is different from historical records.

The medieval French history I knew was just like a blind man touching an elephant.

I had experienced the French kingdom firsthand.

I also knew the greatness of Philip II, the wise king of France.

The monarch of the French kingdom is capable, and I am still lacking.

So what should I do?

I can imitate him.

‘I have no choice. Let’s follow my mother’s words.’

I copied Philip II’s early policies from the French history books,

and implemented them on a large scale in the Irish territory,

and preached the competence of the French monarch in front of the people.

No, I would praise Philip II as the true monarch of France in front of the people?

The cool Bishop Lothair

looked at me with an expression that said, ‘What is he doing?’

but I wasn’t ashamed at all at that moment.

This is quite fun!

-French Kingdom, Paris-

Philip II’s ‘humiliation of the young king,’ when he was disciplined by Henry II,

was slowly being forgotten.

First of all, Philip II was really good at politics.

Starting with the development of the capital Paris,

he paved two dirty swamp roads near the palace on the Île de la Cité [an island in the Seine River and the historical heart of Paris].

He created a kind of special economic zone centered on the Île de la Cité.

To the right of the Île de la Cité, he formed the commercial center of Paris,

and to the left, he formed the Latin Quarter [the university district of Paris], where Paris university students gathered.

Around it, he rebuilt the walls to prevent enemy attacks,

and built the Louvre Tower on the west wall.

The royal income, which was 128,000 livres [an old French currency], increased to 203,000 livres in just a few years.

Of course, the seed money that made that money was no different from taking it from the Jews.

Well, what’s the problem with taking advantage of the evil people who sold Jesus Christ?

Anyway, Philip II, who had seized so much money, also paid attention to security.

He created his own bodyguard with the royal guard consisting of 60 knights,

and began to organize a standing army at a huge cost.

The people of the French kingdom had already realized how much good governance the Capetian monarch Philip II had done for that purpose.

As a result, he took a breather,

but the world did not leave the monarch of the French kingdom alone.

“Ha, is that what the chief secretary said true?”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

“John, what on earth are you thinking?”

Philip II had a headache.

There were rumors that Prince John, who should have been quietly living in Ireland,

was suddenly praising Philip II, himself.

No, it was more than just a rumor, it was a ‘fact’ recognized by diplomats.

[We must emulate the virtuous Philip II. There is no one who cares for the people as much as he does.]

[Philip II is the only heroic king who can stand up to my great brothers.]

[Philip II is the ‘lord’ among lords? Wrong. He is the greatest monarch of the Frankish lineage!]

John did not just emulate King Philip in words.

He followed all the policies that Philip II had carefully created.

Meanwhile,

a letter arrived from the Papal States and the Holy Roman Empire.

Philip II frowned as he read the letter, but then raised the corners of his mouth.

-1184 Rome, in front of the Vatican-

Rome, the Italian city that once symbolized the Roman Empire.

Today, warriors of the past gathered here

to uphold the will of Christ and confront the heinous heretics.

‘I will defeat the heretics before I get any older. That is the noble mission left to me.’

A man who was somehow burning with passion.

The Holy Roman Emperor,

Frederick Barbarossa!

‘I need to weaken my sons’ power with this opportunity. Except for John, those wicked guys are only thinking about harming their father.’

A father full of anguish who was trying to slowly weaken his sons’ power by participating in the Crusades.

Henry II, the Great King of England!

‘Crazy guys, we don’t even have time to develop our French kingdom! But I have no choice.’

A man who reluctantly attended the Crusades to gain the qualifications of a Christian monarch.

The young monarch of France, Philip II!

Powerful nobles such as the Duke of Austria, the Count of Brandenburg, the Duke of Burgundy, and the Count of Champagne.

And even the prince of the Kingdom of Hungary, who could not tolerate the threat of heretics.

And.

‘Father, I know what you’re up to, but I’ll follow you as is. I have many people to keep in check too.’

A man who raised the corners of his mouth as he stared at Henry II.

The Young King Henry!

‘Since the diplomatic line of the Eastern Roman Empire has changed, this expedition will be easier than before.’

A man who was thinking about the essence of this expedition, unlike his brother, the Young King Henry.

The Duke of Normandy, Richard!

‘I will gain the maximum benefit from this expedition and inflict the maximum loss on my brothers. John, who didn’t come here, is a variable, but he is not a threat compared to my brothers.’

A man who had meticulously prepared various schemes from the moment he heard the expedition plan.

The Duke of Brittany, Geoffrey!

In addition to these key players,

nobles and knights had various thoughts.

With all the personnel gathered, the awaited time came.

Pope Pius II, the head of the Western Church, who stood on the podium, said in a loud voice.

“Deus Vult [God Wills It]!”

And the crowd shouted.

“Jerusalem belongs to Christ!”

“Let us protect our holy land from the infidels!”

“Never again war!”

It was the moment the Third Crusade was declared.