Episode 84
Aachen, the central city located in the northwest of the Holy Roman Empire.
Since Charlemagne made it his base, Aachen has been the heart of the Frankish Kingdom and the Holy Roman Empire.
Since Otto I’s coronation, the emperors of the Holy Roman Empire have traditionally held their coronations at the Aachen Cathedral, establishing a custom for the empire.
As the site of the Roman King’s coronation, Aachen naturally became recognized as the capital of the Holy Roman Empire, and it functioned similarly in practice.
However, the Holy Roman Empire, despite its name, was more akin to a confederation of semi-autonomous states with a strong electoral monarchy. The power and influence of the princes were formidable, and even the emperor could not treat them lightly.
Thanks to Frederick I, known as Barbarossa, who had established a strong imperial authority, the current emperor, Henry VI, could manage state affairs with relative ease.
The emperor of the Holy Roman Empire is elected by the most powerful lords of the realm, known as the prince-electors.
Henry VI, accompanied by these prince-electors, convened the Imperial Diet for the first time in a long while.
Though called a “diet,” this assembly was not an official legislative body at the time. It was more of an informal gathering of the empire’s most influential nobles at the court.
Yet, with the emperor and the prince-electors present, it was hard to dismiss its significance.
The atmosphere inside the imperial palace in Aachen, where the emperor resided, was anything but light, given the gravity of the issues at hand.
“Is everyone here?”
The silence was broken as the door opened with a greeting.
The princes rose from their seats upon seeing the emperor’s face.
“Your Majesty.”
“We are pleased to see you in good health.”
“I’m not even thirty yet; it would be a problem if I weren’t in good health. Please, everyone, relax and take your seats.”
With a light joke, Henry VI eased the tension and took his seat first.
In truth, some of those present were attending such a gathering for the first time.
Before Frederick I, the prince-electors were primarily representatives of the church and the dukes of Bavaria, Saxony, Swabia, and Franconia.
However, when Henry the Lion of the Welf dynasty, who held both the Saxon and Bavarian duchies, was ousted by Frederick I, many things changed.
The Welf territories were divided and distributed among Frederick I’s loyal followers. The House of Wittelsbach, which received the Bavarian lands, was a notable beneficiary.
These newly risen powers, having good relations with Frederick I, naturally strengthened the imperial authority.
“Your Majesty, is the reason for convening this diet related to the King of England?”
Ludwig I, Duke of Franconia, who now led Brandenburg, Flanders, and Bavaria under the Wittelsbach family, spoke on behalf of the prince-electors.
Henry VI nodded slightly and recounted the ultimatum he had recently received from Richard.
“As you heard, they threaten to march south with their army if we don’t hand over our treasures. I would like to hear your thoughts.”
“He’s completely mad, isn’t he?”
Though it was an insult that should not be uttered even against a foreign king, no one frowned at Ludwig I’s words.
In fact, those like Duke Henri I of Reuter, eager to gain the emperor’s favor, quickly agreed with Ludwig.
“It seems Richard is under some delusion. He thinks becoming the King of England makes him the center of the world. Your Majesty should give him a stern warning.”
“I hear Richard has a fiery temper. If I send such a reply, he might immediately lead his army across the border…”
“Then we just need to counterattack. How could those weaklings from such a backwater possibly stand against our empire’s knights?”
Despite the empire’s decentralized nature, the nobles of the Holy Roman Empire took great pride in the Roman name.
In fact, they often saw themselves as the ruling class of Rome, with some even likening themselves to the governors dispatched by the ancient Roman Empire to rule the provinces.
Objectively speaking, the Holy Roman Empire was indeed the most powerful state in Europe at the time.
Thus, the prince-electors could only see the king of a distant land as overreaching his bounds.
Henry VI’s feelings were not much different.
He was, after all, a figure of higher standing than any ordinary king, recognized as the Roman Emperor by none other than the Pope.
It was laughable that someone who had been subservient to the King of France not long ago was now issuing ultimatums.
“Well, the princes have spoken, but we must also hear from the church. What do you think?”
“Though the King of England has overstepped, are we not all blessed by God? The Pope has ordered an investigation, so it might not be too late to act after the results are in.”
“That’s all well and good, but didn’t you say the exact same thing before?”
“This time is different. The prophet has promised to do his utmost to mediate between the two nations…”
“Isn’t that prophet a subject of the King of England?”
Henry VI fundamentally distrusted the church.
The prophet he had met before had left a good impression and seemed helpful, but that was when they weren’t in conflict with England.
In the current situation, trusting a subject of the English king was akin to entrusting a cat with a fish.
“Your Majesty, however…”
“Ah, I understand what you’re trying to say. We can’t outright ignore the Pope’s investigation. But you know I can’t trust the King of England, right? So we must prepare for an attack.”
The church representatives looked troubled, but the emperor’s words were entirely reasonable.
Moreover, with the other prince-electors united in support of the emperor, the church had little recourse.
Perhaps they should be grateful that the emperor hadn’t immediately declared war on the insolent England.
Of course, there was a reason Henry VI wasn’t rushing into war.
“But Your Majesty, how will you fund and supply the war?”
“We’ll have to use what we gathered for the Sicilian campaign, but that would hinder our efforts to suppress the rebels afterward. If only France would side with us, it would solve our problems, but they remain elusive…”
As the emperor lamented, the Holy Roman Empire had been preparing for a campaign against Sicily.
Thus, if England declared war, they were ready to respond immediately, but it would mean abandoning the Sicilian campaign.
This led to conspiracy theories within the empire, suggesting that Sicily might be orchestrating the conflict.
“If we must go to war, we should thoroughly plunder England. Then we can demand reparations and have them supply additional resources for the Sicilian campaign.”
“A wise decision. I agree it’s the best course of action.”
“Then achieving a decisive victory in the war is crucial.”
Since the war would be between neighboring countries, it was less burdensome than a long-distance campaign.
Upon reflection, the situation wasn’t entirely unfavorable for Henry VI.
If he could concentrate his forces to subdue Richard and then conquer Sicily, the authority of the Holy Roman Emperor would soar, and the Hohenstaufen dynasty’s permanent rule would no longer be a dream.
The world had always revolved around him, and God had always smiled upon him.
Henry VI firmly believed this time would be no different and made his decision.
“Rally the knights. If they cross the line, I will personally show them the wrath of a giant.”
The tension was palpable, growing with each passing day.
Even the common folk, not just the nobles, felt the looming threat of war, casting a shadow over the land.
“So, you’re suggesting we gather the nobles to reassess our stance one last time?”
“Yes.”
Richard, who was already leaning towards war, looked at me with a curious gaze.
“Didn’t Philip II ask for more time, expressing his doubts?”
“Yes, but that’s separate. We must prepare for what needs to be done.”
“That’s true.”
“Though unlikely, the Holy Roman Empire might gather their forces and strike first. It wouldn’t hurt for Your Majesty to be prepared.”
Fortunately, Richard had brought a considerable number of nobles with him.
By summoning the local lords, we could quickly assemble an army ready for war.
Naturally, this included the Viscount of Limoges.
If war broke out, my Auvergne territory, bordering the Holy Roman Empire, and Limoges to the west would serve as the forward base.
“Then, as you suggest, I’ll summon the local lords here. La Marche…”
“Calling the Count of Limoges and the Count of Périgord should cover everyone, right?”
“That sounds perfect. I’ll make sure everything is ready to welcome our esteemed guests.”
“Yes, yes. You’ve been working hard. Once this is all resolved, I’ll make sure you’re properly rewarded, so hang in there a bit longer.”
I gave a small nod and left the room immediately.
Fatima and Jean, who had been preparing everything, discreetly left the estate as soon as I gave the order.
We had already prepared excuses in advance to ensure no one would question Fatima’s whereabouts.
After all, she had accompanied me all the way to distant Jerusalem in the guise of an ordinary woman. She must be utterly exhausted.
So, as the benevolent lord that I am, I arranged for her to take a special leave to rest her weary body.
Not that anyone would take much interest in a mere maid, but neglecting such details could lead to unexpected complications down the line.
As I was racking my brain to ensure nothing had been overlooked, my father entered the room.
“Edward, a letter has arrived from France.”
“Is it from Count Dammartin?”
I had anticipated that Philip II would keep a close watch until this matter was resolved. Was I wrong?
My father handed me the letter, shaking his head slightly at my puzzled expression.
“I didn’t expect this from him. Not a single letter so far. Tsk, tsk. In times like these, we should be sharing information and facing challenges together.”
“It’s not from Count Dammartin? Then who is it from?”
“It seems His Majesty Philip II himself has written to you.”
I was momentarily stunned, my eyes widening at the sight of the French royal seal on the letter.
Why would he send me a letter at a time like this?
What on earth is this man thinking?