Unlimited Ambition

When I got back, I asked my adoptive father, who was terrified of me, and he immediately shoved a copy of "The Basic Combat Guide to Heaven" into my hand. The handwriting was crooked and messy; it was obvious he had written it himself.

But he's an angel after all. He should have some knowledge. So I'll just accept it for now. When I got back and took a look, well, it really is profound and extensive. That's good then. With my intelligence, I should be able to reach a level comparable to a saint within a year (saints in heaven are called saints, it's all the same thing).

And so, three years passed in the blink of an eye. The situation in the Kingdom of Jerusalem was far better than that in the Chinese Federation when I was born. The ruler was wise and the ministers virtuous. Naturally, there was no need to use me as a hostage. Nor did I need to handle any official documents or approvals.

I'm happy with my leisure time. I practice swordsmanship during the day and light magic at night. When I get bored, I chat and joke around with the bishops. Life is alright.

And so, when I was eight years old, something quite extraordinary happened. A Japanese man came to the palace. Don't ask me how I can distinguish between different Asian races; I can only tell you that I've trained.

The Japanese... creatures I nearly wiped out in the previous world... weren't they supposed to have a cold relationship with all non-Catholic nations? Back in the Age of Exploration, when I went to the East to preach, I got a real cold shoulder. How come a Japanese person is here this time?

The Japanese man seemed to notice my black hair and black eyes, perhaps thinking I was one of his own kind? He then walked towards me.

"Didn't you notice the physical characteristics of a European?" I said to her before she got closer. She was taken aback, seemingly surprised that I had known her purpose so quickly and responded in Japanese.

The person standing next to her, dressed in a Ministry of Foreign Affairs uniform and presumably a translator, introduced her, saying: "This is our Crown Prince, His Highness Wright Baldwin."

Upon hearing this, the Japanese girl bowed to me at a ninety-degree angle: "My name is Kanzaki Kaori, and I greet Your Highness."

I nodded in return, and then asked the translator in Latin, "What's the deal with this Japanese man?"

The translator replied in Latin: "This girl is said to be a saint, a pope of a branch of Japanese Catholicism. She has come here to see the king, but I do not know the specifics."

I nodded, and then looked him over from left to right but couldn't see anything about this guy named Kanzaki Kaori that made him look like a saint.

And you mean Catholicism in Japan? Wasn't that brought over by those bastard pagans from continental Europe?!

Thinking about it that way, the malice in my eyes intensified. I snorted coldly and left.

Twelve-year-old Kanzaki Kaori's mind was a complete mess. She had no idea why the little prince had turned on her—she naturally couldn't understand Latin. A sense of unease crept in.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs translator, equally disliking the Japanese, naturally wouldn't explain anything to her. She simply kept urging her to leave quickly.

The feud between Jerusalem and Japan dates back to the Age of Exploration.

By that time, the Heavenly Kingdom had completely broken ties with the Roman Catholic Church. The Heavenly Kingdom controlled the entire Central Asia-Arabian region, its territory extending as far as the Iranian Plateau. Developing trade with the East was naturally a piece of cake. Its borders were sealed; which European country couldn't pass through?

This led some in Europe to have the outlandish idea of ​​sailing across the oceans to trade. And surprisingly, they actually succeeded. Maritime trade flourished. The colonial plunder of the Americas brought Europe enormous wealth.

This made the Heavenly Kingdom a little envious.

The Kingdom of Jerusalem faced the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea, and had also invested heavily in constructing the Suez Canal. Even in terms of maritime transport, they couldn't compete with us on the European continent. Therefore, King Baldwin X gave the order, and the kingdom's ocean-going fleet made its grand debut. Dozens of armed merchant ships, each two thousand tons, set sail for the East.

As a result, the ocean-going fleet received a warm welcome in India—at that time, it was also possible to reach India by land. Diplomatic relations between the two sides were relatively good. Several Indian princely states converted to Jerusalem as the state religion.

When they arrived in China—during the Ming Dynasty—the ocean-going fleet was turned away. They were only accepted as tribute, not as equal trade.

The commander of the ocean-going fleet thought to himself, "Why should I?! In terms of territory, you're not necessarily bigger than us. In terms of culture, you're not necessarily more developed than us. Me, a dignified commander of an ocean-going navy—you expect me to perform the three kneelings and nine kowtows to you?! Holy crap, I usually only kneel on one knee when I pray to God. You want me to kneel on both knees?! I'm not doing this!"

In the end, it was the veteran captains who had been sailing for years who found a way to secretly sell the goods they had brought to middlemen in southern China, and also bought porcelain, silk, tea and other items, barely managing to avoid losing their capital.

But this whole ordeal chilled the hearts of the Jerusalemites, who were no longer willing to offer their warm welcome to those who were cold to them. From then on, the nation's trade caravans would only go as far as India and Southeast Asia, never venturing to the Ming Dynasty again.

However, the fleet later heard that further north there was an island nation called Japan, which was rich in gold and had a backward level of technology. They found everything Western novel and were willing to spend a lot of money to buy it.

So the ocean-going fleet, with the idea of ​​"giving it a try," headed towards Japan.

Japan, a small island nation, had occasionally traded with European merchants before, but those merchants only sailed ordinary merchant ships, the largest being no more than two-masted, single-deck vessels. The Jerusalem fleet, however, consisted entirely of three-deck armed sailing ships. They looked like monsters at first glance.

Thus, the Japanese, initially terrified, nearly collapsed from fright at the sight of the ocean-going fleet. They finally managed to explain: "We're here to conduct trade, not to wipe out your entire family." But then, another problem arose.

At that time, the most uncultured man in Japan was named Oda Nobunaga. Although Japan boasted about itself, he was essentially still a bumpkin. Upon seeing such a large ship, the bumpkin Nobunaga exclaimed, "I want to buy those big cannons on board!"

When the translator relayed this to the fleet, the fleet replied, "The cannons on board are for our own use; we will not sell them." A priest who had accompanied the ship also told the uneducated Nobunaga, "Our Kingdom of Jerusalem has always cherished peace. These cannons are only for defense against pirates. We cannot sell them to you and cause you further bloodshed."

As a result, the bumpkin Nobunaga said, "You're lying to me. Other merchants are willing to sell me large cannons, why won't you sell to me?"

The missionary became agitated and said, "We are not like those European countries that are using the guise of mutton to sell dog meat and carry out colonial strategies. We are here to preach and conduct trade." Then the missionary said, "Why don't you convert to our God? Otherwise, given how many people you've killed, you won't even be alive to go to hell after death. You'll suffer retribution in a couple of years."

However, the bumpkin Nobunaga didn't believe it and thought the fleet had lied to him. He felt wronged, and the missionary even cursed him to be punished—so, in the middle of the night, he sent men to the fleet to kill and rob them.

The bumpkin Nobunaga, of course, failed. Instead, he was bombarded by the fleet's cannons, almost destroying the entire town of Sakai. Just like that, a deep-seated grudge was formed.

Jerusalem viewed Japan as a barbaric nation, while Japan, in turn, saw Jerusalem as a representative of imperialism. They believed that any future merchants from the kingdom would be stabbed and robbed without a word. Jerusalem, naturally, felt Japan was beyond redemption.

The ocean-going fleet encountered two unpleasant incidents on its very first voyage. After that, it was repurposed as a dedicated fleet. Baldwin X felt the Far East was not a friendly region, and decided to stop missionary work there and continue developing Africa instead. Although there were many cannibals there, they were quite naive and easily deceived.

Chapter Four: The Prince's Knife

Thus, Jerusalem and Japan had no further connection. It wasn't until modern times, when the United States forced open Japan's doors, that the Meiji Restoration began after the fall of the Tokugawa shogunate—and only then did they remember Jerusalem again.

When the Japanese inquired, they were astonished to find that Jerusalem's territory was almost the size of continental Europe combined. Moreover, it operated under an absolute monarchy with a theocratic system. Perfect for Japan! So, they shamelessly came to Jerusalem.

Despite their negative impression of Japan, Jerusalem warmly welcomed the Japanese delegation. Consequently, upon the Japanese representatives' return, theories such as the unbroken imperial line and the divine right of kings were reinstated. This led Japan down an unstoppable path of military expansion.

What's particularly infuriating is that they even pinned this blame on Jerusalem, claiming that Japan became fascist because it learned from Jerusalem.

Holy crap.

Since Baldwin IX, Jerusalem has not launched any unusual wars of external expansion. You dare say fascism comes from us?! How are we fascist?!

Jerusalem is a heavenly kingdom on earth! The king is a magnificent angel under God's throne! Who knows which monkeys gave birth to your Japanese emperor?! Trying to emulate us?!

And so, the animosity between the two countries continued into the new millennium. Jerusalem truly wanted nothing more to do with this country. But Japan could not ignore Jerusalem.

The vast majority of the world's oil resources are concentrated in the Arab region, specifically within the Kingdom of Jerusalem. Meanwhile, Jerusalem, inheriting the legacy of Byzantium, maintains a strong influence over Russia. Furthermore, Kazakhstan in Central Asia and Nigeria in Africa are both Christian states allied with Jerusalem.

In this way, Jerusalem virtually monopolizes the world's oil resources. It has unquestionable pricing power over oil—the vast majority of countries in the world that want to buy oil have to go through Jerusalem.

The same goes for Japan.

The people of Jerusalem have learned their lesson. You want to buy oil? Fine, but both crude and refined oil prices are 10% higher than normal. The quality is half as good. That's it.

What?! On what grounds?! Just because you've written textbooks claiming Jerusalem is the birthplace of fascism. Isn't that reason enough?

However, I have always been skeptical of Jerusalem's later peaceful diplomatic strategy. Given its considerable strength, why didn't it expand its territory? Look at those in power—numbers four, five, six, seven, and eight—they did a much better job.

The entire Kingdom of Jerusalem controls the Balkan Peninsula, the Crimean Peninsula, and the region south of the Caucasus to the north. It borders Africa, the Sahara Desert, and the Arabian Peninsula to the south. To the west lies the Mediterranean Sea, and to the east, it reaches the Iranian Plateau, bordering the five Central Asian countries and India.

Such a vast territory, enough to conquer the world! But look at you, Number Nine, Number Ten, Number Eleven, Number Twelve. In four hundred years, the kingdom's territory hasn't increased an inch. Tell me, after you're gone, will you have the face to face Jehovah?

However, in eight years, my adoptive father will pass away. At that time, I will be in charge of all of Jerusalem. The new Crusade will not be an Eastern Expedition, but a campaign across the east, west, south, and north. I will personally ignite the flames of the Third World War.

Feeling quite pleased with himself, he returned to his palace. Opening the door, he found himself in a silver-gray room made of alloy steel—his training room and bedroom. He sat cross-legged in the center of the room, closed his eyes, and began his morning practice, continuing to cultivate his power of light.

At that moment, the door to the room suddenly opened.

I frowned, without even opening my eyes: "Who is it? Didn't I tell you not to disturb me at this time! Get out of here now!"

Unexpectedly, that rude fellow seemed not to understand what I was saying. Instead of closing the door and leaving, he walked towards me.

As a result, my mood changed from dissatisfaction to anger.

"You absolutely have to be fired." That's what I thought to myself as I opened my eyes and glared at the person who had entered.

"Kaori Kanzaki?" I was slightly surprised. I gave a soft hum. So it was this Japanese person. No wonder she couldn't understand Latin.

"Kaori Kanzaki greets Your Highness Light Baldwin." Kaori Kanzaki knelt before me, prostrating herself on the ground.

"Forget it, you're not from Jerusalem. What's the point of your kowtow?" Gu snorted and said in Japanese.

"I have just accepted His Majesty Baldwin XII's commission to renounce my Japanese citizenship, leave the Amakusa Cross Church, and join the Royal Knights of Jerusalem; my current role is Your Highness's personal bodyguard," Kanzaki Kaori said calmly.

"Amakusa-style Cross Religion?" I repeated the term softly.

"That's all in the past," Kanzaki said, but a closer look revealed that she was somewhat dejected.

“I don’t need it. You can leave now. Go wherever you want. I will explain to my father.” I waved my hand, preparing to send her away.

However, the girl with the ponytail didn't leave as I had instructed. She just quietly watched me.

"Is my Japanese pronunciation not standard?" I asked.

Kanzaki shook her head.

“Then you can go.” I repeated.

Kanzaki shook her head again and said, "May I ask, what exactly is it about me that Your Highness is dissatisfied with?"

First, you're Japanese; second, you're a woman; third, you're a heretic; fourth, I simply dislike you. Those three reasons should be enough—unfortunately, I'm over a thousand years old and have become much more reserved. I don't usually insult people like this for no reason.

"I don't need guards. I'm capable enough to ensure my own safety," I replied finally.

"Is that so?" Kanzaki Kaori stood up. She tossed her hair. "Please give me a chance to prove my strength."

"You mean you want to fight me?" I couldn't help but laugh.

"Just a mere saint...who do you think you are?!"

After I finished speaking, I quickly drew my sword. The tip of the sword, which was accompanied by a strong gale, gradually grew larger in Kanzaki's eyes. Then, with a "clang," Kanzaki Kaori drew her own sword and barely blocked my attack.

The second move followed immediately: Gale Swift Sword - Modified, fleeting beauty fades in an instant!

Kanzaki's sword was instantly deflected, and then Yitian held it to her neck.

"As I've said, I have the ability to protect myself." I retrieved the Heaven-Slaying Sword and returned to my seat. I spoke calmly.

"I refuse to accept this! You stole—"

The next moment, I drew my sword again, and this time Kanzaki couldn't even react.

“If I were the enemy, you would have died twice already,” I told her.

Having been defeated twice by the same person, even though she still had her ultimate move unused, Kanzaki's confidence was severely shattered. The thought of her failure meant that her plan to join the Royal Knights of Jerusalem to protect Amakusa-shiki had also failed. "I'm sorry, everyone, I have let you down, I have failed the name of Pope Amakusa-shiki." *Sobbing*

Seeing Kanzaki crying like a child, I suddenly realized that the girl in front of me was only twelve years old. It seemed I had been bullying her a bit.

Thinking of this, I decided to give her another chance: "However, I am still lacking a personal maid. If you are interested, you may want to consider it."

Kanzaki quickly wiped away her tears and nodded hastily, "I'm willing to be your personal maid."

I nodded and said, "Remember, from now on you must call me Your Highness."

"Yes, Your Highness." Kanzaki knelt down properly again, prostrating herself in reverence.

Chapter Five: Expansion Methods of Marriage Alliances

And so, a woman whom I found utterly displeasing—yet for some reason—remained in Jerusalem. Kanzaki Kaori joined the National Papacy of Jerusalem and the Royal Knights. She received a weekly stipend of three thousand florins, yet worked as a maid. She nearly made the other maids in the palace green with envy.

Spending every day effortlessly circling around His Highness the Crown Prince—this is a dream come true, even if you paid someone to do it. And yet that Japanese woman gets a salary of three thousand florins?! This is outrageous! May the Virgin Mary strike this shameless woman dead with lightning!

As a result, Kanzaki, who was ostracized within the palace and faced daily disdain from the maids, felt immense pressure. Yet, she dared not ask me for a different job, fearing she would lose this hard-won (in every way) position.

"Although she is a lowly maid, she is also my lowly maid, so I don't want to see you all make things difficult for her." After learning about this situation, I subtly sowed discord among the other maids.