Crusader Kings: Prisoners of War.

Chapter 220 Armed Smuggling
Ivar was not idle after he resigned from the Governor's Mansion. He was really thinking about the gains and losses.

He kept wandering around the local markets, exchanges, urban areas, etc., to see what new things the Romans had brought to the area, and it turned out that what Orville said was at least partially correct.

Exquisite and neat clothes, clean and well-planned cities, wide and solid roads... Ivar had been here before, and these were new changes created after the arrival of the Romans.

To be sure, there was a lot to learn here that was worth the Vikings' time, but Ivar's main concern now was whether or not trading with the Romans was actually profitable.

From this point of view, what Orville said was still true. Ivar discovered many new products in the local area - standard-made ironware, glass, pottery, cheap clothes and food that was much cheaper than in the north. These all confirmed what Orville said.

Orville handed him a few more documents, which said that there was a strong demand for economic exchanges between Gaul and Britain. During the land survey, the British province discovered a lot of minerals, which were all owned by the royal family. Orville was obviously prepared to develop these minerals with all his heart.

The development of these places will certainly drive the demand for trade. In the letter Orville gave him privately, he clearly assured Ivar that as long as the two sides reached an agreement, the Vikings would have a share of the benefits. Ivar was also confident that even without the favoritism of the governor, his men would be able to gain an absolute advantage in the competition. The local fleets were completely unable to compete with them in various aspects. The only competitor that needed to be considered was the Romans' own fleet, but the number of Romans in the local area was too small, so they had to rely on the Vikings for transportation and trade.

Ivar's men can drive more than 300 longships, which is certainly a lot, but now the potential trade between the British province, the Gaul province, the Celts, and the North seems to be able to accommodate these people, and he seems to have found something more profitable.

Because the Roman Empire and the Frankish Kingdom were now in a state of hostility, trade between the two sides was restricted, and the emperor ordered a ban on the export of various things to the Frankish Kingdom. The Frankish Kingdom was of course self-sufficient in basic necessities such as food, clothing, and weapons and equipment, but the nobles of any country had additional needs.

The Romans now have military and cultural hegemony, and the Franks have been following closely behind them. They also tried very hard to imitate the Romans culturally, otherwise they would not call themselves descendants of Troy and France. Most of the Franks probably didn't even know where Troy was or what it was, they just wanted to have what the Romans had.

Ivar traveled in Frankia, and the local nobles also demanded wine from the Mediterranean, glass from Rome, jewelry from the East, silk from even further east, and a variety of handicrafts. After official trade was banned, private smuggling trade was rampant, and the prices of these luxury goods soared in Frankia.

If Ivar could get these things in Britain or Gaul, he could smuggle them into the Frankish Kingdom to make huge profits. After all, he still had the final say over the long ships on the sea, and the Romans still had no control over where he wanted the ships to dock.

As for the security issues that ordinary smugglers might worry about, as long as Ivar's fleet hangs his Black Crow flag, other pirates will try to hide from him. They will be lucky if they are not robbed, as not many people on the sea dare to rob his ship and cargo.

Seeing that the military hostility between the Franks and the Romans was not easing at all, but was getting more and more intense, Ivar thought more and more that armed smuggling was a promising path. The more rigid the relationship between the two sides, the more serious the trade blockade would be. Although the trade blockade in this era was just a matter of course, as long as Ivar could get good and cheap goods from Orwell, a high-ranking official in the Roman Empire, he would definitely make money. Just when he was hesitating and struggling, the new news from the lowlands helped him to firm up his mind.

[Traveler] The fleet led by Rollo raided the Franks' strongholds in the lowlands and burned or towed away all of their ships. The Franks were caught off guard and were unable to organize a decent resistance for a while. Rollo even broke through their defenses and burned their limited food reserves.

After that, the Roman fleet did not leave. Instead, the mobile forces of various provinces gathered there. The seven or eight thousand Franks were blocked on the island. The surrounding Danish troops wanted to rescue them, but in front of the Roman fleet with advantages in numbers and terrain, they had no choice but to retreat.

The Frankish army, cut off from water and food, was desperate and almost mutinied after holding out for two or three days. The helpless commander had no choice but to surrender to the Romans. Transport ships were now taking these captured Franks back to the British province for custody, and formally negotiating with the Danish king, the nominal overlord of these soldiers, in the hope that both sides would cease fighting.

Based on Ivar's understanding of the situation, it is still unrealistic to expect these losses to make the Franks give up harassing Britain, because most of these people are opponents of the current King Charles, and King Charles is sending them here to die. It would be best if they can cause damage, but if they cannot, it means they have eliminated hidden dangers, so it is not a loss in any case.

But no matter what, the Romans have regained the upper hand in this recent series of confrontations, that is for sure. While there is still room to jump ship, it seems that standing on the Roman side is the correct choice.

After making up his mind, Ivar immediately ordered his men: "Get your luggage ready. I'm going to see the Roman governor."
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After Orville learned the news of Rollo's victory, he knew that Ivar should be unable to sit still. Sure enough, just after he talked about these things with Tia at lunch, he came over right after, and it seemed that he didn't even have time to eat lunch.

After the servants hurriedly prepared the meeting place, Tia and Orville met each other again.

This time it was Tia who spoke first: "So, leader of the Vikings, have you made your decision?"

For the first time, Ivar bowed his head to the Romans: "I think this is a fair condition. I accept your proposal on behalf of me and my brothers. From today on, we will not go deep into Celtic lands. But please understand that our actions on the coast will take some time, because we still have affairs to deal with. Most of our families and property are in our homeland. Once we end our hostile relationship with the Roman Empire, they will not benefit us."

(End of this chapter)