Episode 116

Philip II never underestimated Richard.

From their earliest discussions on strategy and tactics, it was clear that Richard possessed a depth of understanding far beyond his own.

Philip II prided himself on his excellence in many areas, but he was wise enough to know he wasn’t the best in all of them.

He understood that everyone has their own unique strengths, and there were plenty of people more talented than him in certain fields.

In the realm of warfare, Richard was truly a natural.

When Richard announced his participation in the campaign, Philip realized that dragging out the conflict all day, as planned, would be impossible.

Though the Bulgarians had defeated the Byzantines a few times, the truth was that the Byzantine army was not particularly formidable.

Seeing it firsthand confirmed his suspicions.

“Ah, these guys really are hopeless,” he thought.

Even to an untrained eye, the Byzantine military system was disorganized, and their control over the armed forces seemed weak.

It was as if they had the framework in place, but lacked the substance to support it.

A classic example of a once-great nation in decline.

Though improvements were being made over time, there were still too many shortcomings.

If things were this bad now, how much worse must they have been in the past?

Philip had no intention of underestimating the Bulgarian army, but it was undeniable that the forces they defeated were hardly worthy of being called an army.

Faced with a tactical genius like Richard, the disparity in skill would be glaringly obvious.

If it came to a real battle, Richard would undoubtedly have the upper hand.

Thus, Philip II had given the Duke of Burgundy a heads-up.

“If you can stall for time, do so. If not, pretend to assist Richard and inflate your achievements.”

Since they were already involved in the war, they might as well extract hefty reparations to fuel France’s future development.

They could extort money from the Byzantines, demand additional reparations from the Bulgarians, and even squeeze something out of the Khwarazmians. That way, they could justify the Crusade’s deployment to this distant land.

The depleted Bulgarians would eventually be absorbed by the Byzantines, but until then, they would be bled dry.

”…It should have gone that way…”

Philip II clicked his tongue, glaring at Richard, who had shattered his perfect plan.

“Care to explain yourself? How did it come to this?”

“Haha… Well, it just sort of happened. But nothing’s certain yet, is it? The Duke of Burgundy said he’d double-check, so let’s wait and see.”

“It’ll probably just confirm the worst… But the Duke is taking his time. I hope nothing’s happened…”

“Could the previous report have been wrong?”

“Well, I doubt it. More likely, something else has gone wrong…”

Just as he was about to voice his suspicion, the very face he least wanted to see entered the tent alongside the Duke of Burgundy.

“Greetings to both Your Majesties. The Duke of Burgundy was kind enough to guide me here. Congratulations on your great victory.”

“Hahaha! The Crusade’s victory is not ours alone. It’s a triumph we all share. But what brings you here?”

“I’ve heard the Khwarazmian army has started crossing the border. While securing the rear is important, expending too much strength against Bulgaria isn’t wise, so I came to mediate…”

Marshall glanced at Richard and gave a wry smile.

“But I hear the matter’s already been settled.”

“I regret not witnessing Richard’s lion-like prowess myself. According to the Duke of Burgundy, he was more than human.”

“Yes, even our own soldiers were left speechless. I never imagined a person could fight like that. The enemy knights, despite their rigorous training, fell like mere decorations…”

“Haha. I just seized the opportunity and pushed hard. No need to exaggerate…”

“Indeed. But your relentless onslaught has now created a significant problem.”

Had it been a simple victory, they would be celebrating with toasts.

Sensing the chill in Philip II’s voice, Marshall asked, “What issue has arisen from Richard’s battlefield heroics?”

“Perhaps our lion-hearted king should explain, as he was there.”

Richard chuckled awkwardly, scratching his head.

“Well… it seems the enemy king might have died during the battle.”

”…Are you saying the Bulgarian Tsar died in combat?”

”…Possibly.”

“But isn’t it not uncommon for a king to meet an unfortunate end while leading his troops?”

History is replete with kings who died from accidents like falling from a horse or being struck by an arrow.

Arrows don’t have eyes; they can’t tell if they’re hitting a king or a common soldier.

They simply fly along their trajectory and hit their mark.

If that were all, there wouldn’t be such a fuss.

Marshall, seeing Philip II’s sigh, seemed to grasp the gravity of the situation and stared at Richard in disbelief.

“Surely… you didn’t personally kill Tsar Kaloyan, did you?”

“Uh… to be honest, I’m not sure. I was in such a frenzy, cutting down anyone in fancy armor…”

“But the Tsar would have been in the safest part of the enemy ranks. Only someone confident in their strength, like Your Majesty, would have charged in.”

“Well, I did push all the way to the rear…”

If the Tsar had died in an accident, it would be one thing, but for a king to personally slay another king changes everything.

The unwritten rule, a sort of gentleman’s agreement, was that kings did not kill kings.

This was respected not only in Europe but also by the Islamic world. Even during the height of the Crusades, Saladin spared the King of Jerusalem.

There are countless reasons for this.

But the bottom line is that it was a line not to be crossed in warfare, and killing a king would invite accusations of barbarism.

And now, one of the key figures of the Crusade, the King of England, had crossed that line.

With his own hands.

Marshall turned to the Duke of Burgundy beside him.

“Why didn’t you mention this when we met earlier?”

“I thought it would be less troublesome to report everything to His Majesty at once.”

“So, Richard really did…”

Marshall’s expression shifted from surprise to shock.

With everyone’s eyes on him, Richard shook his head in protest.

“No, no, we can’t be sure I killed him. Are we even certain the body is the Bulgarian Tsar? We should consider the possibility of a decoy, right?”

“That’s true. Duke of Burgundy, what have you found?”

“Yes. We’ve gathered people who knew Kaloyan’s face and conducted cross-verification. The body identified as Kaloyan is indeed the Bulgarian Tsar.”

“Tsk, this is a problem.”

The Byzantines had asked for help against Bulgaria, but they certainly hadn’t meant for the Tsar to be killed in battle.

One might argue that winning the battle should suffice, but this could backfire on the Byzantines.

“If the Bulgarians learn of this, they’ll undoubtedly harbor immense resentment towards the Byzantines. This is troublesome.”

“Our prophet here immediately grasps the gravity of the situation. As you said, if this leaks, the Byzantine annexation of Bulgaria will face massive resistance.”

The ideal scenario would have been to crush the Bulgarian army and then peacefully accept their surrender, recognizing the privileges of Bulgarian citizens and nobles.

But now, from the Bulgarian perspective, the Byzantines had not only brought in foreign forces to crush them but had also brutally slain their king on the battlefield.

Even if the king had been unpopular, this would not sit well.

Moreover, Kaloyan was a Tsar with considerable support in Bulgaria.

The Byzantines, aiming to reintegrate Bulgaria into the Roman Empire, had been struck by a bolt from the blue.

Of course, Richard hadn’t killed the Tsar intentionally.

In the heat of battle, who could distinguish friend from foe while swinging a sword?

A knight focused on the fight can barely tell if the person before them is an enemy or an ally.

Perhaps the Tsar had acted in a way that warranted his demise.

But that’s only from this side’s perspective.

Philip II, without even trying, found his mind racing with plans to exploit this situation.

“If the Bulgarians decide to continue fighting, this will be a perfect pretext.”

“If you were in their position, how would you act, Your Majesty Philip II?”

“If it were me? If I were a powerful noble on the other side, I’d start spreading rumors right away. I’d say something like, ‘Our great Tsar Kaloyan bravely faced the battle, but fell victim to the enemy’s treachery. The enemy leader, Richard, attacked the Tsar with a surprise strike while pretending to negotiate peace. Otherwise, how could the Tsar have fallen without even a chance to retreat?’

Wouldn’t that kind of propaganda do the trick?”

Everyone was taken aback by Philip II’s suggestion, but they couldn’t deny it made sense.

Richard, who had suddenly become a ‘King Slayer’ despite his heroic efforts in battle, felt the weight of exhaustion darken his eyes.

“Why don’t we just march on the capital before the rumors spread and take it over?”

“If we do that, we risk sparking rebellions all over Bulgaria. And if the Byzantines use this as an excuse to cut their support, we won’t have a leg to stand on.”

“Hmm… then what should we do?”

Philip II, observing the situation, discreetly watched Marshal’s reaction.

No doubt about it. While Marshal seemed troubled, he didn’t look like someone who thought the situation was truly dire.

It was clear to Philip that this was a divine sign to take action.

If he just stood by, not only would he miss out on any potential gains, but he might also end up being blamed later.

‘In that case, perhaps it’s best if I…’

Having made up his mind in an instant, Philip II broke the silence, his voice deliberately grave as he joined the conversation.

“The die is already cast, so why don’t we take the initiative and spread our own version of events?”

In most conflicts, the side that strikes first usually wins. And when it came to propaganda and fabrication, Philip II was in his element.