Chapter 37

The Holy See had long been preparing to send a delegation to France.

From their perspective, a war between Christian nations was akin to the fratricide of Cain and Abel in the Bible. Mediating for peace was less a choice than an obligation.

…That was the reason on the surface. There was another, more important reason.

Under the pretext of keeping the Ottomans in check, the Holy See imposed crusade taxes on the various kingdoms. The problem was that the war between France and England made cooperation in collecting those taxes difficult.

Bringing the war to an end was directly tied to the Holy See’s practical interests. Conveniently enough, they also had the worthy cause of mediating for peace to put forward.

Pope Martin V gave the order.

“In accordance with God’s will, I shall send a mediator of peace to quell the flames of conflict. Niccolò Albergati, a papal diplomat will be dispatched to France.”

Niccolò Albergati was a man of exemplary character, respected by all who knew him. His character alone earned him great esteem, and his reputation would endure long enough for him to eventually be beatified.

“I believe Your Holiness’s will to be the will of God. I shall now carry that will forth.”

As an official papal envoy, Albergati had already been dispatched several times to mediate wars.

This mission, however, came earlier than originally planned, and the reason was Archbishop Jacques Gélu.

“In Domrémy, Lorraine, I met young bearers of revelation who fight in the name of God. They were neither consumed by superstition nor gripped by madness. They possessed pure faith, accompanied by miracles of a divine nature, and there was no artifice in their words or actions.

I do not deny that they must be examined. What concerns me, however, is that the rigid thinking of those conducting the inquiry may lead them to a hasty judgment and ultimately to attack them. Our duty is not to reject but to discern. The Church must not become entrenched in its assumptions. We must determine whether they truly are instruments of God and, if so, protect them.”

The Vatican was still dealing with the aftermath of the schism.

Under such circumstances, if an archbishop made a political statement, outsiders might easily mistake it for the Holy See’s official position.

For the time being, the Holy See remained composed and examined the evidence the archbishop had presented.

The result, naturally, was that they withheld judgment.

“…There is no question that it is a remarkable object. Perhaps even a masterpiece that appears only once in a century. Historically, there is no precedent for anyone working metal in this manner. We sought advice from artisans in Florence, but not one of them was able to determine how it was made.

However, we have yet to establish whether its creator holds orthodox beliefs free of heretical elements or whether he is doctrinally sound. It is true that he has earned a considerable reputation at a young age, but as with so many others, there is no telling whether that fame will endure. The phenomena being called miracles likewise require more conclusive evidence.”

The Holy See reached a reasonable conclusion.

There were many issues that needed to be addressed. They assembled a delegation more distinguished than the ones they had sent in the past and dispatched it to France.

“Bear in mind that our foremost priority is mediating peace and securing funds for the Crusade.”

“Yes, Your Holiness.”

***

Maxime was confused. It was not because of the Holy See’s sudden invitation.

“The Holy See is the one that invited us, yet now you’re telling me it’s difficult to even meet with them? Is it acceptable for the head of the delegation to behave like this?”

“Well… the head of the delegation has been fasting for several days. He only comes out briefly for Mass, and even we have had difficulty reaching him.”

“…When he comes to Mass, please tell him that I wish to meet with him.”

“We’ll wait near where the diplomats are staying. As soon as he comes out, we’ll be sure to pass along your message!”

“I appreciate it.”

Maxime intended to politely decline the Holy See’s invitation. They were in the middle of a war. Setting out on a journey that might take months at a time like this would be reckless.

That did not mean he intended to ignore the invitation altogether. He had even prepared a carefully written letter to send to the Pope. In it, he went so far as to promise that, if the opportunity arose in the future, he would travel to the Vatican and create a magnificent large-scale work of art there.

There was plenty to do besides dealing with the Holy See. Most notably, the matter of securing support for the Loire campaign remained.

“My friend, there is no need to worry! Public opinion has completely turned around since we first set out. The members of the council will spare no effort in supporting us!”

Maxime and Jeanne attended a council meeting where the leading figures of the Armagnac faction had gathered.

The nobles welcomed them with religious reverence.

Even the Dauphin, unusually, rose from his seat and gave them an exceptionally warm welcome.

“Everyone is thrilled by the news of the victory at Orléans. It has been a long time since we achieved such a remarkable success. You have my deepest respect for your efforts.”

To those in power, few blessings could compare to victory in war. War always had the power to change the fate of a nation, and after delivering a victory of such value, it was only natural that they would look upon us favorably.

The Dauphin, unsurprisingly, was the most supportive of all.

“We will ensure that they are generously supplied with the military provisions they require. Furthermore, the mercenaries who fought alongside them will be formally incorporated into the royal army.”

Being formally incorporated meant that the mercenaries would also become eligible to receive military supplies.

“I agree. They have earned our support.”

“I will see to it that provisions are supplied for the rank-and-file soldiers. It appears our previous support was insufficient.”

Their initial objective of securing supplies was complete.

“Count Dunois has been deemed insufficiently capable. For this campaign, the Duke of Alençon shall be appointed commander-in-chief.”

The Duke of Alençon broke into a broad smile.

“I will not disappoint you. I shall stake my life on victory!”

“We will also grant the Saintess’s request for reinforcements. Send out the call to arms throughout the realm.”

The king continued to give them his full support.

The nobles signaled their agreement with the proceedings by raising silver emblems or placing a hand over their chests. None of them stooped to the common practice of applauding.

The Duke of Alençon quietly whispered to Maxime.

“…We got everything we wanted…!”

They had exceeded their goals without Maxime having to employ any particular eloquence. Had war been his only concern, he would have been satisfied with this and left it at that.

“It’s not enough.”

“”… What?””

Maxime employed a negotiating tactic frequently used by a certain American president.

“I request the authority, in His Majesty’s name, to independently issue large-scale calls to arms and command military forces.”

“…Is this bastard insane?”

“Saint, have you lost your mind? I kept praising you, and now I see I was wrong about you!”

The outrageous demand left everyone reeling and sent the council chamber into an uproar. The nobles made no attempt to conceal their outrage.

“I am not asking for the authority to raise troops and issue commands for my own personal gain. Everything I ask is for the sake of France’s victory. Let us take all of northern France and hold His Majesty Charles’s coronation!”

“……”

“Your intentions may be good, but a demand that insane…”

“Are you questioning my convictions? I have even turned down an invitation from His Holiness and forsaken my own comfort to devote myself to this war.”

“No, it’s not that we doubt your true intentions, Saint…”

The council chamber descended further into confusion. Some began arguing that Maxime’s proposal could not simply be dismissed out of hand.

Before anyone realized it, his absurd request had become the main subject of the meeting.

“If I am granted that authority, I can raise troops in territories illegally occupied by the English. That would allow us to expand the French army without the cumbersome process of sending messengers back and forth.”

Maxime steered the discussion toward the idea that granting him recruitment authority would benefit everyone.

“No! We already have enough troops. Granting such excessive authority is out of the question!”

“Even temporarily, we must not set a precedent of delegating royal authority to a commoner!”

As the discussion continued, those opposed to the proposal resisted even more fiercely.

This was not a bad development. It meant Maxime had successfully drawn the entire council into a debate framed on his terms.

“Haah… There certainly is a great deal of opposition.”

Maxime deliberately let out a deep sigh.

“I respect all of you. …At the very least, please allow me to select volunteers from among the troops that are called up and operate them as a specialized unit of my own. It is similar to why I formed the engineering unit. I only asked for full authority because it would make things easier for me to manage.”

Maxime had deliberately begun with an excessive demand, then appeared to make a major concession in response to their objections.

His initial demand had been bait. The compromise he had just proposed was what he had truly wanted all along.

“…When the Saint is going this far to ask for it, can we really refuse him?”

“If that is all he is asking… given the extraordinary circumstances of war, I believe it is entirely reasonable.”

Every noble attending the council agreed to Maxime’s proposal.

The Dauphin did not deliberate for long either. He had been appalled by Maxime’s reckless initial demand, but once he heard the moderate compromise, he visibly relaxed and agreed.

“I grant you the authority to command an additional force of two hundred men.”

Maxime slowly dropped to one knee and expressed his profound respect for the king’s wise decision and generosity.

Just like the Duke of Alençon said, I got everything I wanted.

***

Before the Dauphin’s call to arms was circulated, Maxime went to a senior royal official.

“I’ll write the recruitment notice for my personal unit myself. I already have His Majesty’s permission.”

“Very well.”

The official assigned a royal administrator to assist Maxime. It was a considerate gesture intended to keep Maxime, who came from a commoner background, from running into trouble because of his limited command of formal language.

The administrator was generous with his advice.

“Since this is not a legally binding call to arms, wording that catches people’s attention will be important. For example, we could put ‘Fight Alongside the Saint’ front and center to attract volunteers. We should emphasize what an honorable opportunity this is.”

“Thank you for the advice. But that isn’t what I want to write.”

Maxime wrote a short message on a piece of parchment and handed it to the administrator.

“Please use this exactly as written.”

The administrator tilted his head after reading it.

“…If you write it like this, no one will volunteer.”

“I’ll take full responsibility. I don’t mind if no one volunteers, so please use it exactly as written.”

The notice read as follows.

Perilous journey, low wages, repeated danger to life, safe return uncertain, honor and glory in case of success.

It was an advertisement that, in the future, would drive men wild for a certain explorer. It was sure to appeal to the romantic spirit of the French.

***

The next day,

With most of his scheduled business finished, Maxime met with the administrator again to coordinate the supplies he needed as a blacksmith.

While they were discussing the matter, the attendant Maxime had met earlier came looking for him.

“Saint, the head of the delegation has attended Mass! He happened to run into the Saintess, and they’re speaking right now!”

“Take me there at once!”

Maxime hurried to the Cathédrale Saint-Gatien, where Mass was being held. It was the very cathedral where Jacques Gélu served as archbishop.

The cathedral was filled with diplomats dispatched by the Holy See. They had been nearly impossible to find before, yet now the place was almost excessively crowded with them.

Maxime stepped up beside Jeanne and spoke.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I am Maxime Blanche. I heard that the Holy See wished to see us.”

“I greet you in the name of the Lord. The Lord has fashioned the two of you most beautifully indeed. I am but a humble servant of God.”

The papal diplomat greeted them with almost disconcerting humility. He was so modest that it was difficult to believe he was a high-ranking figure from the Vatican.

“Do you consider yourself holy?”

Albergati, a man respected by the current Pope and destined to earn the respect of a future Pope as well, posed the question as though putting Maxime to the test.