A Crusader with System in the Middle Ages

As for Arno, he had already made a request to Robert, refusing any noble title. He was only interested in the civic administrative position of Mayor of London City. Robert granted his request and would pay him a special annuity of fifty pounds a year as a salary.

Arno was Count Odo’s only child and stood to inherit everything from him, and Odo already possessed more than enough.

Although he had long held the power of the first noble in the Kingdom beneath the King, his resources and material wealth now truly lived up to that status.

However, neither of the two men was present, so Odo’s wife, Lady Isabella, accepted the title on his behalf. Though she was nearly forty, the years did not seem to have burdened her. Instead, they had bestowed upon her a unique and approachable charisma.

The Countess was a Saxon noble from Kent.

The previous king, Edward the Confessor, had grown up in Normandy. He preferred the Normans to the Saxons, and so when he traveled to England to claim the throne, he brought a large retinue of Normans with him. For most of his reign, the Normans held immense power in the court and government of England, and King Edward had long encouraged marriages between Normans and Saxons.

The Countess’s marriage to Odo was a product of this period.

The Countess hated the Normans, just as all Saxons did, so she had always refused to learn Norman French or attend any Norman events. This had even led to Odo learning English himself for her sake.

Today was a special occasion. She could disregard Odo, but she had to think of Arno. However, not understanding French, she was completely lost. She stubbornly performed the Saxon oath of fealty, and even recited the final vow in English.

Robert aptly responded to her in English. This simple gesture caused many of the Saxons, who had only intended to come for the free food and drink, to look upon this new King far more favorably. At the very least, even some of the hardliners began to believe that this new King was different from the tyrannical King William.

This put Prince Edgar greatly at ease. Ever since he had learned of the investiture ceremony, he had been agonizing over whether to recite his oath in English or French.

This caused him immense internal conflict, because he had, for a very brief time, been the King of England. Granted, no one had paid him much mind at first, seeing him only as a puppet. Even many of the rebel armies who claimed to support his kingship had not taken him seriously.

But he was, after all, the nominal leader of the Saxons, and he really did not want to lose face over the matter of language—even though he had precious little face left to lose.

He had considered discussing the language issue with Robert, but not knowing the King’s temperament, he had agonized for days and never dared to approach him. Eric stood beside Edgar. As the Prince of Wessex limped onto the stage to receive his title, hobbling on his lame leg, he was still muttering, "God bless you, Lady Isabella. God bless you, Lady Isabella."

The Earl of Hereford had improved significantly overnight after Eric made him drink two bottles of Calendula Potion. He felt he could endure going up on stage himself, but Emma was very excited and insisted she could accept on his behalf. Before the Old Count could even catch his breath, Emma was already on the stage.

As for the Count’s heir, Richard, he was not present. After Belem received his title, the two of them had already run off.

Next to receive a title was Ralph, the Earl of Norfolk. This earldom had been established to defend against Danish incursions. The Danish came and went like the wind, treating England as if it were their own home. This put the Earl under immense pressure, because William, to add to that pressure, had granted him estates located mostly in the coastal regions.

As a result, Ralph hardly dared leave the Norfolk region. He had only offered Robert his verbal support and sent three hundred pounds for the war effort. However, after London fell, he had arrived in the city at the first opportunity to attend Robert’s first coronation and declare his allegiance.

The investiture ceremony lasted until noon. Until evening, Robert provided food for all the outsiders who had poured into London City, just as he had promised. They waited for bread, with most people taking two or three portions. Some cunning individuals even ran back and forth four or five times.

However, Robert accommodated them all, ensuring everyone got bread until the very last person was served.

Everyone was exhausted, including most of the nobility who had received their titles. In the King’s procession, even the Barons were required to personally carry their family banners, flanking the royal standard as a sign of submission.

On the third day, news arrived from the north. In a letter, Odo stated that he had reached an agreement with all the pro-King nobles in Chester City to hold a peace conference at Beeston Castle, near Chester City.

Eric had planned to travel to his fief for a time to inspect his properties. He figured he would let Robert and William—father and son—settle matters between themselves.

But Robert disagreed and insisted that Eric accompany him. Eric could hardly refuse; defying the will of a new king would have been a foolish act.

On the night of the sixth day, they arrived at Beeston Castle. It was a timber-and-stone structure, as castles built purely of stone were still rare in England.

On the seventh day, the weather soured and it began to rain. The rain turned the grounds to mud. The castle was not sturdy, and it even leaked in some places. Servants scurrying back and forth tracked muddy water and slush throughout the keep, some of it mixed with horse manure.

The eighth day was the appointed day. The rain had stopped, but the sky remained overcast—then again, when was it ever not like this in England? A dull thunder still rumbled within the clouds.

Robert had been standing outside the castle since the crack of dawn, remaining there from morning until afternoon. He refused all offers of food.

Eric stood by his side but did not disturb him. Odo was there as well, of course, and he too was uncharacteristically silent.

As evening approached, they saw silhouettes in the distance.

Thunder continued to echo along the river valley.

The rain quickly soaked the old King’s Knights. William was moved from his horse onto a covered litter.

He looked small and insignificant—less a Monarch and more a mascot. Earl Hugh of Chester and Lord Beaumont of Leicester rode at his side, hiding their anguish as his incessant babbling rose through the rain.

The poor old King. He was feverish from his injuries, and his mind was clouded. He seemed lost in another world.

"Oh, God, O Messiahs, this pain is unbearable...

It’s crawling all over me... I feel it in my feet and legs...

Now it is everywhere, clawing at my heart...

I tell you, I have no body, no mind, no...

Are we there yet? I want to lie down for a while... Where is he?

My son, Rufus, have you seen him...?

My son, Rufus... Is he with us today?

Ah, heavens, I’m suffocating... inside..."

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