Chapter 03
The Second Siege of Jerusalem (20)
Above all, the Transitional Armor developed by Michael, as well as the new weapons and tactics, could never remain the exclusive property of the Iron Cross Knights forever.
The Ayyubid Askar and Mamluks had already experienced the strength and limitations of plate armor directly in Gaza and Jerusalem. For now, only the Iron Cross Knights could systematically produce and operate such armor, but as time passed, Islamic blacksmiths would also create similar breastplates and limb protection, and other European lords and knightly orders would certainly begin to equip themselves in the same way.
His current overwhelming advantage would not last forever.
‘That is why I would rather leave this place.’
Michael judged that it would be far better to return to the Holy Roman Empire and become a prince of the Empire than to waste himself repeating endless holy wars in a corner of the Levant.
As it happened, Denmark was threatening the northern part of the Empire over influence in the Baltic Sea and northern imperial territories, while in the east, various nobles of Poland and Silesia were constantly disturbing the Empire’s borders. The pagan tribes and Slavic tribes along the Baltic coast had also not yet been completely brought into the order of the Empire, so there were countless places where a capable commander and a powerful military organization could establish themselves.
Among them, the place Michael was aiming for was the Duchy of Pomerania and the coastal lands to its east.
Just as the Teutonic Order would later conquer Prussia and establish a state of its own, he too could lead the Iron Cross Knights and create a new base along the Baltic coast. If he seized the ports of Pomerania and Prussia, gathered wealth through Baltic trade, and took on the role of a shield for the northern Empire, neither the Emperor nor the other princes would be able to ignore the Iron Cross Knights easily.
Furthermore, if he established a duchy based there and won over the prince-electors and princes of the Empire, then one day it would not be impossible for him to aim for the imperial throne.
If he was going to become a ruler anyway, would it not be far more valuable to aim for the crown of the Roman Emperor than to become the ruler of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, which could be destroyed whenever another great Islamic army came?
He had knowledge of the future.
He had the military power of the Iron Cross Knights.
Above all, he possessed a power beyond human limits.
With all of that in his hands, there was no reason to confine himself to the narrow battlefield of the Levant.
“The problem is what will happen after the Iron Cross Knights leave.”
Friedrich I’s words interrupted Michael’s thoughts.
“Saladin demanded your withdrawal because he fears the Iron Cross Knights. That also means that after you and the Knights leave, the military power of the Kingdom of Jerusalem will become much weaker.”
At the Emperor’s words, Philippe immediately nodded.
“That is all the more reason why we cannot allow King Guy and Queen Sibylla to rule Jerusalem again.”
When those words came from Philippe’s mouth, Richard looked at him with surprise.
When Philippe had first arrived in the Levant, he had supported the faction of Queen Sibylla and the incompetent King Guy. Because of this, Richard had thought that Philippe would oppose Princess Isabella being made queen.
But from Philippe’s point of view, it was only natural.
He had been taken prisoner at Banyas, and during that incident, he had personally witnessed King Guy and Gerard abandon him and the French army on the battlefield, flee into the fortress, and lock the gates.
There was no way he could accept the man who had abandoned him and fled sitting on the throne of Jerusalem again.
“I think the same.”
Richard spoke in a low voice.
“If Guy returns to the throne, Jerusalem will return to the state it was in before Hattin. The nobles will be divided, the knightly orders will fight among themselves to win the king’s favor, and the king will follow whoever speaks the loudest without even being able to judge whose words are right.”
Richard had spent a long time talking with Balian while fighting a defensive battle at Tiberias.
During that time, he had also heard Balian’s thoughts about the future of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, the balance among the nobles, and the kind of rule needed to maintain a truce with the Muslims.
Balian believed that as long as Guy and Sibylla remained on the throne, the nobles of the Kingdom of Jerusalem would never be able to unite.
Moreover, now that the Iron Cross Knights and Michael were going to leave the Levant, a new king and queen capable of maintaining the balance within the kingdom were absolutely necessary.
“How about making Princess Isabella the queen?”
The moment Richard spoke, Friedrich I’s gaze naturally turned toward Michael.
“Hmm…”
The Emperor knew that the relationship between Michael and Isabella was more than that of a simple ruler and subject, or a princess and a knight.
Isabella worried about Michael’s safety whenever he went to the battlefield, and Michael had risked his life more than once to protect Isabella. If Isabella were made queen, she would certainly need a consort to support the legitimacy and diplomacy of the kingdom, and it was obvious that Michael, who had to leave the Levant, could not take that position.
However, Philippe, who did not know the details of their situation, gladly accepted Richard’s proposal.
“Good. I think Princess Isabella is more than suitable.”
Even in terms of legitimacy alone, Isabella was in no way inferior to Sibylla. Politically, Count Raymond III of Tripoli and Balian of Ibelin also supported her. Both men had great influence among the nobles of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, so if Isabella ascended the throne, they would be of considerable help in restoring order to the fallen kingdom.
Friedrich I hesitated for a moment before carefully asking Michael,
“Are you all right with this?”
Michael knew what the Emperor was asking.
He was not simply asking whether Michael could accept Isabella becoming queen.
He was asking whether Michael could endure another man becoming Isabella’s consort and sharing the crown with her.
Michael let out a short breath.
“I am leaving the Holy Land now.”
Those words said everything.
Friedrich I looked at Michael for a moment before slowly nodding.
“Mm… I understand.”
No one brought up the matter again.
“More importantly, what do you plan to do with Tyre and Acre?”
Friedrich I changed the subject.
Tyre and Acre were not joint possessions of the Iron Cross Knights. They were lands personally granted to Michael. Baldwin IV, the former king of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, had personally recognized Michael’s rights and left them recorded in documents. Therefore, even if Michael left the Levant, neither Guy nor Isabella could simply take those lands away.
“I would like to inherit them to my elder brother, Gabriel.”
“Sir Gabriel von Eisenwert?”
“Yes.”
Gabriel, the eldest son of the Eisenwert family, had served as a knight in the Empire and was recognized for his excellent martial skills and administrative abilities.
He did not possess the monstrous strength capable of turning a battlefield upside down like Michael, but he was more than capable of leading the family steadily and managing its territories.
If Tyre and Acre were entrusted to Gabriel, the Eisenwert family could maintain its base in the Levant, while Michael would not completely lose his territories there and could retain indirect influence through his brother. From the Emperor’s perspective, it was also not a bad choice, because if the Eisenwert family remained in the Levant, the Empire would still have a way to exercise influence there.
“That would be good. Although the Empire will be leaving one capable man in the Levant, I cannot call it a loss when I have you.”
The Emperor thought for a moment before making his decision.
“I will unite Tyre and Acre and establish the County of Eisenwert. I will grant Sir Gabriel the title of Count and have him rule the two ports as a vassal of the Empire and a noble of the Kingdom of Jerusalem.”
Originally, it could have been a complicated matter for the Holy Roman Emperor to grant a title over territory belonging to the Kingdom of Jerusalem. However, Jerusalem had now been recaptured by Friedrich I’s army, and the new royal authority was also going to be established through an agreement between the Emperor, Richard, and Philippe.
No one could easily oppose the Emperor’s decision.
The County of Eisenwert.
Thus, a new county centered around Tyre and Acre was born.
“Then I will take my leave.”
Michael stood up, placed his right hand before his heart, and slightly bowed his head.
The Emperor and the two kings accepted his greeting, and Michael quietly left the meeting room.
Even after Michael had completely disappeared from sight, no one spoke for a while.
Friedrich I looked at the closed door and let out a short sigh.
“We are sending a fine knight away from the Holy Land.”
“Isn’t the Empire gaining an even better prince?”
Richard said with a small laugh, and the Emperor also showed a faint smile.
“Perhaps.”
However, there was still the question of who would become Isabella’s consort.
A queen alone would have difficulty stabilizing the Kingdom of Jerusalem immediately after the end of the war.
They needed a man who could control the nobles within the kingdom, conduct diplomacy with foreign rulers, and, if necessary, personally lead an army onto the battlefield.
“I think the Duke of Swabia would be suitable.”
Friedrich I revealed his own choice first.
“Your Majesty’s son?”
Philippe asked, narrowing his eyes.
“Yes. Friedrich has the ability to command an army, and he proved his bravery and leadership sufficiently during the siege of Jerusalem. Above all, the name of the House of Hohenstaufen will guarantee the authority of the newly established Kingdom of Jerusalem.”
There were clear advantages to the Emperor’s proposal.
If Duke Friedrich VI of Swabia married Isabella and became King of Jerusalem, the Kingdom of Jerusalem would effectively receive the powerful support of the Holy Roman Empire.
Even if a thirty-year truce were concluded with the Ayyubid Sultanate, there was no guarantee that another war would not begin after that. If the King of Jerusalem were the Emperor’s son, the Islamic forces would also find it difficult to break the truce carelessly.
However, Richard did not readily agree.
“I acknowledge that Your Majesty’s son is an excellent knight and commander. But if the Kingdom of Jerusalem comes to look like a vassal state of the Empire, will the knights of France and England accept that?”
Friedrich I’s eyebrow moved slightly.
“My son marrying Isabella does not make Jerusalem a vassal state of the Empire.”
“In name, perhaps. But that is not how people will see it.”
Richard briefly looked at Philippe before continuing.
“Then whom would you have as her consort?”
“I recommend Count Henry II of Champagne.”
“Count of Champagne?”
Friedrich I asked quietly.
“Although he is my nephew, he is also a vassal of the King of France.”
At those words, Philippe’s expression changed.
Henry II of Champagne was born to Richard’s sister and the House of the Counts of Champagne, so he was related by blood to the English royal family. However, his fief of Champagne was located within the Kingdom of France.
In other words, if Henry became King of Jerusalem, both Richard and Philippe would be able to exercise a certain degree of influence over him.
That was exactly what Richard was aiming for.
If he tried to push Henry forward on his own, it would be difficult to defeat Friedrich I’s son. But if he emphasized the fact that Henry was a vassal of the King of France and brought Philippe to his side, the situation could change.
“Count Champagne is related to me by blood, but his family and lands are under the authority of the King of France. If he marries Isabella, both England and France will gain a reason to support the stability of Jerusalem.”
Philippe looked at Richard for a moment.
