Crusader Kings: Prisoners of War.

Chapter 218 Conditions for Peace

Ivar was aware of Orville's suggestion, but he also knew that it would be difficult for the two sides to reach an agreement on the specific details.

He and his warriors were all very greedy, and the Romans' greed for land was also almost endless. The interests of both sides were in conflict in many areas. However, in order to end the war as soon as possible, Ivar was trying his best to reach a consensus with the other side.

“I need the Romans to give up their interests in Ireland and the north so that we can attack freely. At the same time, it would be best if they provide us with a sum of supplies and gold and silver so that I can give an explanation to my men.

In return, I promise that there will no longer be large-scale Vikings plundering the Roman coastline. Believe in my authority and ability. This is something I can do. If there are any accidents, you don't need to take action. I will solve them myself.

How about this? You don't need to pay anything, just nod and agree, cooperate with me a little, and do me a favor. Other jars (the name of Viking noble leaders) will never give you such generous conditions. This is my limit. "

Compared to the first condition, Ivar did make some concessions. He was going to include the land in northern England into his territory, and now he didn't even ask the Romans to help him deal with the locals, as long as the Romans left them alone. Given the current strength of both sides, this was a sincere request, but it was a pity that Orville still couldn't agree to the other party's condition.

The new image he created for the Romans in Gaul and the British provinces was that of "the defender of fairness and order", and so far he and Tia have been adhering to it quite well.

Tia is different from those previous governors who were just sitting there doing nothing. She is very responsible and she truly believes in the Romans' logical theories from the bottom of her heart.

People all over the world should obey the rule of the empire, but the prerequisite is that the empire must bring them peace, stability and order. The two are complementary, so she really attaches great importance to these issues. During her nearly two years as governor, the locals have given her a very good evaluation.

The common people would surely like a ruler who cares for the people, has high moral standards, and is rigorous and conscientious in his work. The shadow cast by the rule of the previous governors has been somewhat diluted by Tia's unremitting efforts.

As for Britain, Orville brought "Joan of Arc" to his side, and he has been marching into Britain under the banner of "justice for the Celts". This is his popular support to a certain extent. Only with this prerequisite can he play checks and balances in England. If the locals, especially the Celts, no longer think that the Romans are establishing order and justice here, then it will be very difficult for him to rule again.

Therefore, he could not agree to this condition. If it was used by others, it might directly cause a crisis of trust in the Romans among the locals. This was not the core interest of the Romans. Rule relied more on trust and spontaneous obedience. Without these, it would be difficult to move forward in England.

"You know very well that I can never agree to such conditions involving the future of the Celtics. I am not their ruler, and that is not the land of the Roman Empire. I cannot decide the future of the people there at the negotiation table."

Ivar's eyes were slightly sarcastic. "You are a politician of a big country, you should know these things better than me. Do weak people have the power to decide their own life and death? It's nothing more than what the real ruler says, and they have to follow what he says, or let their own fate be decided, that's all. The reason why I can sit here and talk is just because I am more powerful than them, which can make you a little nervous and concerned. If I were a weak person who was powerless, no one would care what I think. But I am the powerful Yar, so many people listen to me."

Orville did not follow the other party's words and continued: "I have another proposal to make. How about this. I can let you keep the territories of you Vikings in various places as they are for the time being, but you can't invade the Celtic territory again. This is my bottom line. I can provide you with the materials and money you requested after you withdraw your troops. The quantity of these things will satisfy you. I will not allow you to overly compress the living space of those Celts, but in return I can give you a pass to enter the Roman Empire.

We lack excellent sailors like you northerners. If you accept our employment as mercenaries or sailors, I believe the nobles in Rome will provide you with unimaginable rewards. If you prefer to work alone, that's fine too. There are unowned lands in the world that are not under the rule of the Romans, and you can capture them at will."

Orvel gestured to his servants, and they brought a huge scroll. Then, together, they slowly unfolded the scroll in front of Ivar.

What appeared before Ivar's eyes was a map he had never seen before. With his almost instinctive familiarity with the geography of the North Sea, he saw the "world" in his eyes on the map at first glance.

It is just a small corner of the map, occupying only one twentieth or even one thirtieth of the entire map.

[The world is so big...]

This was his first thought, and then an unprecedented strong desire to explore rose from the bottom of his heart.

Seeing this, Orville struck while the iron was hot: "The wealth and land you seek can be found in this world. If you keep your eyes on this poor place in the North Sea, your life will pass by like this, but if you set your eyes on other places, it may not be the case.

I admire your courage in the north, for being able to cross the storms and waves of the North Sea. If you can cross such an ocean without any hindrance, then you can cross the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean as well, just to give an example."

He placed his finger at the Alexander position and then slowly slid it to the Indian position.

"If you can take this route, with just one round trip, you can reap thirty times the profit. It's not robbery, but it's better than robbery. The danger of crossing this sea is much less than crossing the huge waves of the North Sea. The experts among you can definitely do it easily. The wealth and profits in the empire are beyond your imagination in this place."

Ivar quickly came to his senses and was not tempted by Orvel's big words: "This place is probably thousands or even tens of thousands of miles away from our homeland. Even if we can provide a chance for a few brave people, what about the rest?"

Orville then said the key point: "I can exempt you from tariffs and help you trade directly with the Roman Empire in Britain and Gaul. The profits from this are enough for you to live."

(End of this chapter)