"What do you think is the key to warfare?"
"Brave and skilled generals, and well-trained, fearless Norman Knights," Robert blurted out matter-of-factly.
"That's part of it, but only one part. Timing, terrain, and manpower. Timing is about whether the moment you launch the war is favorable. Terrain is whether the battlefield gives you an advantage. Manpower is what you just mentioned, but it's much more than that.
Take your father's Battle of Hastings, for example. Haral, the King of Norway, landed at York and attacked Harold, and your father happened to land right after that. Once Harold defeated Haral, he had no time to rest and was forced to march through the night. Thus, your father was able to face a tired enemy with a rested army and utterly crush him." Eric gestured, tracing Harold's route for Robert.
"How do you know all this so clearly? I was too young to be at Hastings. My uncles said they were held back by a storm, which made them late, but it turned into a blessing in disguise. That old bastard really does have good luck."
"That's what timing is. If we have enough sources of information, we can control the timing and minimize our own casualties. The Earl of Kent should be able to provide information on this front."
Eric had no comeback for the way Robert kept calling his father "that old bastard."
'Looks like in King of the Crusaders, the favorability debuff from revoking an heir's succession rights has been reduced.'
"Right, we have to find a time when he isn't in London. Then we'll take London City in one go." Robert pointed to London's location.
"No, he must be in London. And it would be best if all your brothers are there too."
"What?"
Robert couldn't wrap his head around it. 'If we want to minimize casualties, shouldn't we strike when the old bastard isn't there?'
"London is a fortress city."
"So you do know that. Then why were you being so reckless just now!" Eric couldn't help but retort.
"What other choice did I have? Rush in first and figure it out later."
"Cut the head off the snake. The only reason your father took England so easily was because Harold died, leaving the Anglo-Saxons leaderless. Of course, it would be best if we could catch him while he's out hunting."
"But what if we can't catch him? That old bastard is very cunning. He doesn't trust anyone now."
"That's why we have to do it while he's in London. Besiege London. We need everyone to know you've captured London City, then hire some gossips to spread the news that William and the others are dead. Few people will doubt it, and besides, the English would love for him to be dead," Eric said with a slight laugh.
"But the old guard all know what he looks like. What if he raises..."
"Then he becomes the pretender. A look-alike puppet propped up by scheming nobles. You will issue a decree: those who lay down their arms and swear fealty to the new king shall be pardoned, their lands and titles preserved.
The rebel army will be cut in half, and the rest will scatter to the winds."
"Excellent! I'll leave for Normandy right now, gather my army, and kill that..."
With that, Robert got ready to go to his room and pack.
"Hey, hey, hey, what's your hurry! We're not done yet."
Eric grabbed Robert.
"I think we have enough of a plan."
"No, it's far from enough!"
Eric practically pulled him back into his seat.
'What a brute.'
'How could a hothead like this possibly win a rebellion? Robert as the core leader? Could he lead? No, he doesn't have the ability.'
"To launch a landing operation against England, it's best to go through Calais Port. First, you must get the support of the Count of Flanders. Have him find a way to recall the Flemish Spear Soldiers he hired out to your father, and get him to provide you with a large enough fleet.
After landing in Kent, follow the Thames River upstream. The army must travel with the fleet to be resupplied at any time. The army will besiege by land, the fleet will blockade by sea, and we'll starve London into submission. If reinforcements arrive, we can occupy favorable terrain to ambush them while they try to relieve the siege."
Historically, the Count of Flanders was on Robert's side.
In the struggle for the title of Count of Flanders the year before last, the candidate William supported was defeated. The current Count of Flanders despised William.
However, because of Matilda, the two had not had a formal falling out.
With just a little push from Robert, the Count of Flanders would gladly support him, just to spite Conqueror William.
"I know that. I've already informed my uncle. It's not just him; even King Philip of France will support my rebellion. No, not a rebellion, a just war."
"Also, don't try to conscript the militia in Normandy. That would cause too much of a stir. You need more professional infantry: javelin throwers, crossbowmen, and skilled archers. If King Philip of France is willing, have him help you contact Navarre. The crossbowmen from Navarre are the best."
"What good are soft, useless infantry? They're not worth a single..."
"Most of the veteran knights in Normandy would rather be loyal to William than to you. Even if you recruit a certain number of knights, their quality won't match your father's men. Or are you planning to go head-to-head with your father? Besides, who knows how many of them will turn coat on the battlefield."
'Eric never expected any integrity from the Normans. They were the most shameless and unscrupulous people in all of Europe.'
Robert shrugged, threw up his hands, and ultimately said nothing.
He knew what the Normans were like, too.
"Have you prepared a pretext for the rebellion?"
"Do I need a pretext? Isn't taking back my birthright perfectly justified?"
Robert looked utterly confused.
Eric was speechless.
"Regardless, he is your father. A son rebelling against his father is always a difficult thing to justify. You need a more righteous cause."
"For example?"
"A campaign to cleanse the throne."
"What?"
"The narrative is that your father was incited by treacherous advisors to revoke your inheritance. You aren't raising an army against your father; you're raising it to eliminate those traitors."
"Excellent! I'll go back to Normandy now, assemble the army, march on London, and kill..."
Robert slammed the table, shouted, "Excellent," and was about to run upstairs to pack his bags.
"Can you just let me finish!"
Eric grabbed the back of Robert's collar and yanked him back.
"What else is there! Can't you just say it all at once?"
"Something this big, and you're not planning to inform the Holy See?"
"The Holy See? Who gives a damn about the Holy... *cough cough* I mean, the Holy See. I hear the new Pope is like a lion with its hackles raised. Henry of Germany is in a tough spot because of him. He's claiming he gets to appoint all the bishops, which is completely ridiculous."
"Isn't that perfect? He should be very interested in excommunicating your father. He might even give you a Banner of God."
"That's also a good idea, but I feel like his price will be very high. I don't have that much money to donate right now." As he spoke, Robert even turned his pockets inside out to show they were empty.
"You just said what this new Pope wants. Now think about what promise your father broke."
"Are you talking about the Archbishop of Canterbury?"
Robert recalled the major disagreement with the previous Pope a few years ago over the appointment of the Archbishop of Canterbury.
"But this..."
The position of Archbishop of Canterbury was a huge prize. The entire revenue of the English Church passed through their hands. If he let the Pope make the appointment... Robert was a bit reluctant.
"Until our great work is done, why not let the Holy See have the glory?"
"Alright. But that old bastard's betrayal of the Pope is already common knowledge. Would the Holy See even trust me?"
"You yourself said that Henry of Germany is in a mess because of the Holy See. Henry will definitely not take this lying down and will certainly look for a chance to retaliate. It's just that right now he's tied down by the rebellion of the Saxons and has no time to march south.
I imagine the Holy See is also troubled by this matter at the moment. After all, the armies of the Papal States are no match for the Emperor of the Romans."
"You mean... aid the Pope?"
"Play the part of Defender of the Faith for Catholicism. The last man to have such an honor was Charlemagne, two hundred years ago. Once that's done, who in all of Europe would dare question your legitimacy as the King of England?"