A Crusader with System in the Middle Ages

About ten minutes later, Eric accompanied Robert outside the castle.

A dense crowd of people packed the area outside the castle. Besides the stench of sweat and excrement, there was an even heavier smell of blood.

Eric saw people in the crowd holding up bloody limbs. Amid the clamor, he could hear screams of agony, likely from a stampede.

A bloody conflict had erupted. The violence had broken out so suddenly that many of the nobles, likely not expecting these ”troublemakers” to actually dare to fight, had fled into Robert’s castle. The guards had shut the small castle gate behind them.

Even so, the commoners were still thrusting clubs through the bars of the gate, trying to jab the nobles inside.

Strangely, Eric couldn’t see Count Odo, who had just been vowing revenge moments before.

As Eric walked to the gate, several guards moved to block him, but he snatched a long spear from one of their hands.

He then ran upstairs to a balcony directly above the castle entrance. He swung the long spear and slammed it against a metal shield hanging on the adjacent wall.

A piercing, metallic clang rang out. The rioters closest to the gate clutched their ears in pain, and the commotion in the crowd began to subside.

The crowd before the castle then turned their gazes toward Eric.

”On the day of judgment, men will have to give account for every careless word they have spoken, for God is not a God of disorder but of peace! The idle-tongued, the greedy, and those who take up the sword shall suffer the fires of Hell!”

Eric, still in his priest’s attire, raised the cross he wore on his chest.

The crowd grew quiet. Some fell to their knees in fear, but most remained standing.

”Most of you, I believe, came here hoping to achieve your desires through peaceful means. Why, then, do you now betray your own intentions, allowing your emotions to be manipulated by demons and forsaking the peace of God?

”You must know this is blasphemy, a great and sacrilegious act! Does the Bible teach you to murder your own brothers and sisters? Does it tell you to so arrogantly trample the order decreed by God? You came here because you detest violence being met with violence, yet now you resort to violence to make your demands? How utterly despicable!”

At that moment, the guard knights who had received the distress call were rapidly approaching the castle. They quickly assembled, looking ready to strike at any moment.

In a moment like this, even the most stubborn elements could only lower their heads in silence.

”He who lives by the sword will die by the sword. Those who wish to negotiate with the Duke in peace may remain. The fact that you were able to come here should be proof of the Duke’s resolve to hear your problems and petitions.

”I believe all of you here know, to some extent, that Duke Robert is nothing like the old Duke. Tell me, what other lord is so humble and just? Since the Duke has summoned you, he has surely saved a place for you.

”You will have ample time to voice your grievances and demands to him. I now declare the first Normandy Third Estate Meeting to be officially in session. Those with representative status may enter the castle.”

The guards by the gate looked uncertainly back at Robert.

Robert tossed a nearby flag bearing the Normandy Clan’s coat of arms to a guard. The guard nodded, waved the flag, and the crowd gathered before the gate began to fall back. The guard let out a sigh of relief and pulled the gate open.

The original crowd retreated, and a group of noticeably better-dressed individuals began to approach the front, presenting their credentials to the guards for inspection.

Most of these people were members of the city guilds.

At some point, Count Odo suddenly appeared beside Robert and remarked in a low, yet seemingly deliberate, voice, ”A pack of lowlifes. The only language they understand is violence.”

The Third Estate Meeting involved the three estates meeting in separate rooms. This could be explained away by the large numbers and the lack of a single room in the castle large enough to hold everyone, but that was just an excuse to fool the commoners and the nobility.

In truth, this was to ensure the lord always had the most information and held the greatest initiative.

After a wait of about three hours, all the representatives had presumably entered the castle.

Eric first walked into the meeting room for the Third Estate.

They were the main focus of this meeting. The nobility’s source of wealth was primarily the countryside, but the rural situation was currently poor. Only the city dwellers possessed sufficient funds.

Before Eric had even fully entered the meeting room, he heard a clamor of shouts.

”We want the right to our own judiciary! We want the right to our own judiciary!”

”We want our own municipal officials!”

”Remove the checkpoints, reduce the tariffs!”

”...”

Eric had no choice but to slam his hand on the table.

”Silence! Silence!”

The hall fell quiet. They recognized Eric.

”Duke Robert is committed to solving your problems, and he has already shown his sincerity by allowing you to be here. So, you should show your sincerity as well. At the very least, be quiet!

”You can elect a chief representative to answer my questions first. Just like in your guilds, we need a chairman here!”

After a wave of disorderly discussion, a tall, thin man in the front row stood up and waved to the people behind him.

He seemed to have some influence, as a group of people nodded in unison.

Eric recognized him. It was Brewer, the head of the wool merchants’ guild in Caen. He had a business network throughout Normandy.

”You may speak,” Eric said, gesturing for him to begin.

”Yes, respected lord. I am Brewer. We are grateful for the Duke’s benevolent gesture, and we are willing to show him our highest respect. Our demands are actually quite simple. We need the right to our own judiciary, a reasonable tax system...

”Until these wishes are met, we will not readily agree to anything. These are issues we urgently need resolved.” He bowed politely to Eric.

”Before we discuss your needs, perhaps we should discuss your recent actions. Inciting a riot in front of the castle... I think you owe the Duke an explanation. According to the laws of Normandy, anyone who kills in the presence of their lord shall be hanged.”

”No! The nobles started it! Those arrogant nobles don’t see us as brothers at all!” someone in the crowd dared to shout.

”Exactly! Those nobles are parasites who do nothing but collect taxes! They constantly start wars over their own petty affairs.”

”On a single shipment of wool, we make only 40 shillings in total. They sit there and do nothing, and they make 30 shillings, while we work ourselves to death for a measly 10! What kind of damn world is this?! And those bootlicking municipal officials still extort me for bribes, then take the money and do nothing!”

”My younger brother got thrown in jail by that lawman just for being short on one tariff payment! They even demand a bribe just to deliver him a meal!”

”...”

”The Duke will, of course, uphold justice, and I am willing to help you. But you must understand that right now, the Duke desperately needs the nobility to help him reclaim what is rightfully his. He needs to rely on them. You have no army, and neither does the Duke. So I ask you, how do you propose to defeat the nobility, who are an army unto themselves?

”Perhaps you don’t fully grasp the nobility’s hatred for you. Your violent outburst just now has enraged even the most miserly among them. They are now willing to give up their fortunes to support the Duke, on one condition: that he suppresses you—the finest talents of Normandy, meaning all of you esteemed gentlemen here.

”Perhaps I can let your representative, Brewer, witness the negotiations between the nobility and Duke Robert. I trust you will provide a more rational response afterward.”

With that, Eric waved Brewer over.

”This...”

Brewer looked hesitantly at his colleagues behind him. After receiving firm nods of approval from a few of them, he walked out of the hall.

He followed Eric down a corridor and into a room, but it was empty. Then, Eric abruptly slammed the door shut.

This startled Brewer.

”What are you doing?”

”Nothing. Just having a nice chat with Mr. Brewer. The wool business hasn’t been good recently, has it?”

”Ah, indeed. Most of our wool comes from England, but King William imposed heavy taxes on wool exports for the war. We were hoping that if the Duke became King of England, he would abolish the wool tariffs. But now... well, everything has come to nothing.

”We can only import wool from Iberia or Southern France now, and then we ship it to Flanders and other regions. But this route isn’t as safe or convenient as the one through Champagne, so the profits are smaller.”

”Duke Robert is not like the old Duke. He is much more willing to listen to others; otherwise, this meeting would never have happened. I can promise you that when Robert ascends to the English throne, he will exempt Caen from the wool tax. This will be exclusively for Caen. All you need to do is...”

”This is conspiracy! It’s betrayal! This goes against the spirit of the agreement!” Brewer stumbled back a few steps.

”No, Mr. Brewer, this is a gift between friends. It’s perfectly normal for friends to exchange gifts. I’m very fond of your Caen City. You can also see that Duke Robert is by no means a heartless man. He is willing to treat kindly anyone who helps him, and he is willing to listen.

”Truthfully, he has many ways to raise funds. He could send knights into the cities or the countryside, let blood be spilled... isn’t that what the nobility loves to do?

”But what has he done instead? He convened an unprecedented meeting. You, Mr. Brewer, can stand here and state your opinions as your right, and I will not harm you. We are communicating as equals.

”I doubt you could find such a remarkable sight on any piece of Frankish land. Isn’t this proof enough that the Duke is a man worthy of your allegiance? Even the most benevolent lord could do no more.”

Eric extended his hand to Brewer.

”But...” Brewer looked at Eric’s hand, still hesitating.

”Once Duke Robert ascends to the throne, he will prioritize Caen’s right to an independent judiciary, and even the free appointment of its municipal officials. It might even become a truly free city. You could also obtain the monopoly on the wool trade in Caen City.”

Eric looked at him with a gentle expression.

”But the Duke’s cause... it might not succeed. You know, Prince William, like the old Duke, is unwilling to listen to anyone. He’s just like any other noble. A meeting like this would be absolutely...”

”Then what do I need to do...?” Brewer said, gritting his teeth. He finally took Eric’s hand.

”Tell those colleagues of yours that Duke Robert’s negotiations with the nobility and the priests are going splendidly. That the nobles and priests are willing to provide ample Silver Coins to fund the war effort.”