A Crusader with System in the Middle Ages

"Eric, you..."

Robert’s pupils constricted. He looked at Eric and sighed.

"I detest deception, Eric. Never, ever deceive me..."

He waved a hand to the men behind him. A Knight holding the Normandy Double Lion Banner picked up the horn from his Warhorse. As the horn’s deep sound rang out, the Knights mounted their horses. The Attendants behind them also quickened their pace, getting onto packhorses or carts.

The packhorses and carts were laden with the grain harvested from Essex this year.

Although the landing plan had gone awry, Eric had fortunately captured Essex and gained about two hundred Knights. Now, Eric’s party could completely operate as a separate detachment to carry out missions.

So, Eric adjusted the plan once more. Robert’s cousin, Arno Conte Ville, would lead the main force that had landed in Suffolk to carry out raiding missions ahead of them. Meanwhile, Eric and his men would follow the main force’s path, distributing grain relief in the name of Duke of Normandy Robert to the villages that had been plundered.

This would further disrupt Conqueror William’s judgment and win the approval of the English.

...

「Arno’s Side.」

Arno led his army west from Suffolk, brandishing the Double Lion Flag as they swept through the villages along the way, making a beeline for the strategic city of Luton on the road to London.

"The King has given the order! The enemy has invaded! To protect the homeland, scorch the earth!"

"The King has given the order! The enemy has invaded! To protect the homeland, scorch the earth!"

"The King has given the order! The enemy has invaded! To protect the homeland, scorch the earth!"

"..."

The Knights shouted the slogan they had practiced, their voices in perfect unison.

Flames burned houses to ash, villagers cried out helplessly, Knights were loyal and fearless, and the slogan was righteous and awe-inspiring.

"What bullshit enemy nation? These Normans, that high-and-mighty King William, and Normandy across the channel—they are the biggest enemy and enemy nation!"

"Those Normans all deserve to die! They burned our houses and our food! How are we supposed to get through this Winter!"

"Merciful God, I pray You have mercy on England. Don’t let these Normans run rampant any longer."

Some cursed the Normans, some prayed to God, some resented their fate, complaining about the unfairness of the world and fearing for their future.

Of course, there were also some discordant voices. Arno was in a hurry, and he didn’t have a detailed map of the villages. It was impossible for him to search every single village in an area, especially since he was pressed for time and his own troops couldn’t carry that much grain and resources.

The main task Eric had given him was to divert the people’s resentment toward King William and attract King William’s attention. The looting itself was secondary.

As a result, some English villages were spared, and the people from the burned villages began to seek help from the surviving ones.

Some young people in the surviving villages offered different opinions on the matter.

"You short-sighted fools! Do you think it’s easy for the King? The Kingdom is beset by troubles from within and without. It would be a disaster if those Danish came! The Danish are even more vicious than the Normans. Desperate times call for desperate measures. This is a necessary sacrifice."

"The Normans are cruel, but at least they’ll let me live. If those Danish came, I’m afraid I wouldn’t even have my life. Forget the house, forget the grain. You should be thanking King William that you’re still alive."

"Right, right! I heard those Danish are still Heretics, drinking blood and eating raw flesh—eating people alive! It’s terrifying. If having your house and grain burned gives you a chance to live, isn’t that a good thing?"

"You’re just trying to confuse people! Don’t you fucking get cocky! Sooner or later, you’ll end up just like us!"

"Of course! Your village wasn’t burned, so you still have a house to live in! Since they didn’t burn your house and your grain, of course you’re happy! How about I burn your house down?"

"My grandfather served the Danish. They aren’t that terrifying. The Normans are the most evil people. The north wasn’t as miserable back then as it is now."

"Oh-ho, so you’ve shown your true colors! You Danish spy! I’ll take care of you first!"

"You’re calling me a spy? My father bled for King Edward, and my maternal grandfather was wounded for King Edward! What right do you have to say that about me! If you ask me, you’re the Norman spy!"

"Give me a break. What king isn’t like this? Which of the Nobility has ever treated a commoner like a person? Back in the time of Alfred the Great, they did plenty of this same crap! The way I see it, there’s not a single good person among all the nobles and kings."

"Alfred the Great did it to resist the Danish! That was to protect England! It’s completely different from the Danish and the Normans! He was great!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, different, different. Wait until you’re sent to fill the front lines, then you’ll know how different it is."

...

「Eric’s Side.」

"The Kingdom is plagued by treachery! Sycophants are in power! The King is inept! He listens to slander! His actions are perverse!

King William is treacherous and greedy! He defies the will of God, stripping his eldest son of his promised birthright! He carries out a scorched-earth policy and indulges in the burning of homes! He brings disaster to the country and its people! He is outrageously arrogant!

Prince Robert is generous and merciful! He shall wipe away the tears of the hungry! He will see that all have food to eat, clothes to wear, a place to shelter, and bedding to keep warm! He acts on God’s will! He shepherds the lambs of the Lord of Heaven!"

The Knights on Eric’s side also brandished the Normandy Double Lion Banner, but unlike the Double Lion Flag brandished by Arno, this banner had a conspicuous line of text above the two lions: the name ’Robert’ in English.

They rode through the villages, shouting the slogan Eric had composed, and threw grain to the villagers whose homes had been burned and who lacked food.

Many villagers, who had been starving for days, scrambled to grab it, and many were so emotional they burst into tears.

"England is blessed! We will have a merciful Monarch! He is generous and merciful! Minstrels will surely sing of his deeds a thousand times over."

"Would the Normans be so kind? This might just be moldy grain. Maybe it’s even been mixed with poison."

"We already have nothing left. Why would a Prince want to take my life?"

"You ignorant fools, treating those detestable Normans as benefactors. They’re just giving you back what should have been yours in the first place.

It’s like if a villain broke your leg, and then gave you a crutch, and you thanked him for his mercy. It’s absurd and laughable."

"Why be so harsh? Aren’t all kings and nobles like this? I’d rather choose the lesser of two evils. I don’t expect them to be good men, but at least they shouldn’t be *that* bad."

"Exactly. At least this Prince Robert is willing to put on an act for us, but that King William can’t even be bothered to pretend. The difference is already clear, isn’t it?"

"I agree. I ate his grain and survived, so I will pray that God is with this merciful Prince and that he defeats the evil King William."

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