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The epitome of incompetence. The very definition of unpopularity.
These two sentences are all you need to sum up King John.
He was so unpopular that no English king has dared to use the name John since.
In fact, he even ranked fourth in a modern poll of the worst Britons in history.
The only king to make it into the top ten worst, which says a lot about how poorly he is regarded.
But his terrible reputation isn’t just because of his lack of political and diplomatic skills.
If that were all, he might have been remembered as just another inept ruler.
What truly sank John’s popularity was his stark contrast to his older brother Richard, who was known for his cool and generous nature.
While Richard was capable of showing mercy even to his defeated enemies, John had none of that compassion for the weak or the vanquished.
And then he went and lost all the French territories to Philip II of France, which certainly didn’t help his standing.
It’s clear that the best way to ensure the continued prosperity of the Angevin Empire is to keep John off the throne.
This is one thing I can say with absolute certainty.
If it were just about giving the throne to Richard, we wouldn’t need such drastic measures, but to block John’s path to the throne entirely, a shock like this was necessary.
Reviving a nation is hard, but bringing it down is all too easy.
If John becomes king, the Angevin Empire will plummet faster than a joker dancing down the stairs, and that must be prevented.
Still, John isn’t entirely without his merits.
Though petty and extravagant, he was quite shrewd when it came to his own survival.
In the original history, as soon as the tide turned against him, he abandoned his father and sided with Richard.
Henry II, who had fought tooth and nail to make John king, was betrayed and died without hesitation.
In other words, a person who prioritizes their own safety will easily switch sides if that safety is guaranteed.
Isn’t his current anxious demeanor proof of this theory?
“John! What on earth are you saying? You’re going to switch sides now? Just because of some prophecy? Are you out of your mind?”
Henry II’s eyes were bloodshot with rage.
John, avoiding his father’s hateful gaze, turned to me.
“Prophet, you said it was God’s will that I shouldn’t be king, but that I would live a happy life as a loyal subject, right?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“So, you’re saying that joining my brother is what God wants?”
When his life is on the line, John’s instincts are sharp indeed.
He understands perfectly.
As we had discussed beforehand, Richard stepped forward with a benevolent smile.
“Of course. Aren’t we brothers born of the same mother? I would gladly welcome you.”
“Thank you, brother!”
Having made such a public declaration, it’s unlikely this can be reversed.
John, who had been by Henry II’s side just moments ago, quickly aligned himself with Richard.
“Your Majesty, you intended to pass the throne to John, but it seems he has no interest in it. Insisting on it now would be blasphemy, wouldn’t it?”
“Don’t be ridiculous! There’s no such thing as a prophecy!”
True, there’s no such thing as a prophecy.
In that regard, Henry II and I are on the same page.
But unfortunately, it seems everyone else disagrees.
“Your Majesty, that’s blasphemy. You must retract your words.”
“I have no intention of doing so. Fine, if you both intend to betray me, do as you wish. I’ll give my place to Geoffrey!”
“Your Majesty… the only legitimate heirs are John and me. You know a bastard has no claim to the throne.”
”…Then all the heirs must disappear.”
As Henry II’s crazed eyes turned to Richard, the tension in the room became palpable.
The knights on either side instinctively reached for their weapons, but Richard raised a hand to stop them.
“Your Majesty, this is as far as I can go to let you step down gracefully. I trust you’re not foolish enough to choose the worst option.”
”…The worst? Letting you walk out of here might be the worst for me.”
“If you were planning an ambush, you should have brought William, even if it meant kneeling. If you want to attack me, order your knights to draw their swords. If you wish to see all your men die here.”
If they attack first, it would actually be advantageous for us.
Richard, not bothering to hide his true intentions, surveyed Henry II’s knights.
Faced with Richard’s murderous gaze, the knights bit their lips and took a deep breath.
Like hyenas before a lion, they couldn’t muster the will to fight and soon relaxed their grip on their weapons.
Seeing this, Henry II gestured silently, and his men retreated.
If a fight broke out here, everyone would die.
Even a cornered man retains enough reason to see that simple truth.
“Your Majesty, I understand your intentions, so I’ll take my leave. We may meet on the battlefield next time, but until then, stay well.”
“You will face divine punishment.”
“Regrettably, the will of heaven is with me, so if punishment falls, it won’t be on me.”
I bowed with Richard and left the palace.
I had hoped for a clean abdication, but it seems this father-son relationship can only end in blood.
It won’t even be much of a war, but a fight is now inevitable.
Richard’s face was calm as he effectively declared war.
After leaving the palace, I dismissed the others for a moment to discuss our next steps with Richard.
“Will you raise an army as soon as you return?”
“Of course. We have all the justification we need, so there’s no reason to delay.”
“Yes. And just to be clear, my agreement to receive the County of Auvergne is a secret…”
“Naturally. The Count of Auvergne wouldn’t be pleased.”
Though under the influence of Aquitaine, Auvergne still has its own ruler.
It won’t become a royal domain until the time of Louis XIII of France.
Of course, just because a land has a ruler doesn’t mean it can’t be taken.
Especially during a time of royal transition like now.
“But who would have guessed Auvergne was plotting with the French king to betray the Angevin Empire? We must make it a royal domain to protect our borders.”
“A wise decision.”
The Middle Ages were a constant power struggle between kings and nobles.
If you get caught off guard, you’ll end up like King John with the Magna Carta, but if you seize control, you can expand your domain like Philip II.
Richard strengthens the royal power, and I gain a secure base.
It’s the perfect win-win situation.
Having exchanged our lists of targets, Richard turned with a satisfied smile.
“Then I’ll go discuss the military plans. We won’t leave immediately, so take some time to rest. The garden here is quite lovely.”
I nodded and turned my gaze from Richard’s retreating figure.
As he said, the royal residence, even in the 12th century, showed considerable attention to landscaping.
‘Sometimes it’s nice to leisurely enjoy a garden alone.’
Though I wasn’t truly alone, as a shout would bring everyone running, it was still a refreshing solitude.
Just as I was thinking I should enjoy such idle moments more often, my senses picked up something amiss.
’…I thought I heard a faint rustling sound.’
It could be a wild animal, but the foliage isn’t dense enough for that.
That leaves the trees.
It might seem paranoid, but it’s best to trust my instincts.
Almost simultaneously with my upward glance, a figure leaped from the tree, weapon drawn.
I quickly leaned back to avoid the attack and assessed the would-be assassin.
”…Could it be that His Majesty sent you?”
I doubted anyone would try to assassinate me at this moment, but aside from Henry II, no other suspect came to mind.
Ignoring my bewilderment, the assassin charged with a drawn sword.
In that fleeting moment, a thought crossed my mind.
I’ve lived to see an assassination attempt; what a life.
I expected possible poison attempts, but never a madman brandishing a sword in broad daylight.
If I were unarmed, it might have been dangerous, but I had a sword in hand.
Which meant this attempt posed no real threat to me.
I deflected the assassin’s thrust and kicked him in the stomach with my left foot.
Wham!
As the assassin staggered, I struck his hand with my sword, sending a spray of blood across the beautiful garden.
The reason I didn’t finish him off was simple: if he died, we’d never uncover who sent him.
I pressed my blade against the assassin’s neck, extending my arm slowly. He was bound from head to toe, so the first step was to remove his hood and see who he was.
But to my astonishment, the moment he realized his assassination attempt had failed, he didn’t hesitate. He leaned into my blade and slit his own throat.
A gurgling sound escaped him, and in an instant, a torrent of crimson blood gushed out, soaking my feet.
“What the hell…”
He had infiltrated the palace gardens and attempted to assassinate me with lightning speed, only to take his own life the moment he failed. This wasn’t some amateur; he was a highly trained assassin.
I wanted to interrogate him, find out who had sent him, but he was already dead, drowned in his own blood. The truth, like his life, was lost in the pool of red.
Soldiers, alerted by the commotion, rushed over and gasped at the sight of the lifeless body.
“Who in their right mind would do something like this in the palace?!”
Richard, having heard the news, came storming over, furious and bewildered.
Though no one said it aloud, we all had the same suspect in mind. There was only one person in the world with a reason to want me dead.
‘But even if they’re desperate, this approach seems off…’
As I removed the hood from the corpse, the source of my unease became clear.
“What is this?”
The words slipped out, a testament to my disbelief. I had expected to see the face of a bold assassin, but what I saw defied my expectations.
“An Arab?”
His skin was distinctly different from the Europeans. He wasn’t from the northern Arabian regions, where people could almost pass for white. No, he had the unmistakable features of a southern Arab, with a stronger African lineage.
Even Richard, baffled, asked, “Why are the Muslims suddenly doing this?”
How would I know? First, we needed to determine if this was an organized effort or the act of a lone madman. Given that we’re far from Islamic territories, the latter seemed unlikely.
This meant it wasn’t just one madman targeting me, but a group, and I needed to be even more vigilant about my safety.
I had just thought it would be nice to have some time alone, and then this happened. Is this the power of a jinx? From now on, I should never even think phrases like “Is it over?” or “Did I get them?”