Vikings: Lords of the Ice Sea

Chapter 116 Glasgow
In mid-July, thousands of Vikings marched to the walls of Glasgow, a settlement located on the north bank of the Clyde River, which Vikings planned to capture within a month.

After spending several days digging trenches and building siege camps, Vig handed over the task of building siege equipment to Yoren, while he himself planned to lead two thousand warriors to clear out the nearby small and medium-sized settlements.

As his departure drew near, Vig received an unexpected guest—an envoy from the Archipelago Alliance, who was also his brother-in-law, Hergi.

Outside the camp gate, Helgi and about twenty followers were waiting. This was the first time they had ever seen an army of this size, and they were deeply shocked.

"So many armored vehicles. I didn't expect the Serpent of the North to be so rich."

"Hey, look at their warhorses! They're much bigger than ordinary horses. Riding them must be a thrill."

Listening to the constant praises from his entourage, Helgi looked embarrassed and simply closed his one eye in a daze until Vig came out to greet him.

"Welcome! We've brought plenty of beer from the rear. You can try this new drink; it tastes much better than the previous ale."

Inviting his brother-in-law and the boisterous youths into the tent, Vig ordered his men to prepare food and wine. During the meal, he carefully observed everyone's expressions and roughly guessed his brother-in-law's purpose.

As expected, the Archipelago Alliance, having learned of the turmoil in the North, planned to take advantage of the situation and make a fortune. However, fearing the name of the Serpent of the North, they sent Helgi to gather information.

Vig thought to himself, "It's because of these people's repeated harassment of the West Coast that the Gaelic nobles became more vigilant and eventually allied with the Picts, greatly increasing the difficulty of this battle. And yet they still have the nerve to ask me for benefits?"

He didn't speak immediately, silently swirling the liquid in his glass. A moment later, Helgi coughed twice and gave an awkward smile.

"Everyone heard that you are conquering the northern border and offered to help. They were worried about misunderstandings, so they sent me to gather information."

Setting down his glass, Vig sighed. "What does the Archipelago Alliance want, or rather, what does Stein want?"

Seeing his brother-in-law's evasive manner, he straightened his expression:
"My goal in this war is to take the North. I don't object to Stein's plan to take advantage of the situation and conquer a few settlements. But he is not qualified to take land. When autumn comes, he must go back to the island. If he dares to invade my territory in the future, the only consequence will be death."

Having gone through countless battles along the way, Vig had long since stopped taking the so-called archipelago alliance seriously.

He had no interest in compromising with this insignificant force that couldn't even muster five hundred warriors. If Stein insisted on causing trouble, he would clean up every island except his brother-in-law's Isle of Skye, killing off a bunch of troublemakers and sending the rest of the prisoners to Stirling to mine.

"Please convey these words to Stein in their entirety, so that he can recognize his own position."

After making those harsh remarks, Vig asked about his sister Britta and nephew Leif's recent situation. Upon learning that they were in good health, he once again invited his brother-in-law's family to move to a different environment.

“The Ayre region south of Glasgow has a port and large tracts of flat, open land, suitable for farming and grazing. What do you think?”

"Uh, let me think about it."

Herji did not give a clear answer, seemingly still unwilling to swallow his pride and work for the other party.

Seeing this, Vig stopped pressuring the matter and sent some jewelry and wine, entrusting Helgi to deliver them to Britta and Leif. For some time afterward, Vig went around attacking small and medium-sized settlements that refused to surrender. He did not make things difficult for commoners and slaves, but instead targeted the lords with heavy blows, confiscating their land and property.

Undoubtedly, this move will destabilize the North and significantly increase the probability of future rebellions, but Vig has no other choice.

After the war, trusted confidants such as Yoren, Baphus, Micham, and Torga had to be ennobled, and many soldiers were promoted to knights. This huge group was bound to seize the ecological niche of the original nobles, and conflict was bound to break out sooner or later. It was better to take this opportunity to resolve it all at once.

As villages fell under his control, he dispatched a shaman and a group of fifth-grade students to register the population and land area, as a basis for future tax collection and land distribution.

"The Central Lowlands are the heart of all Scotland; hmm, perhaps I should establish three counties."

As the war continued, Vig's understanding of the land deepened. Once the situation in the Central Lowlands was largely stabilized, he dispatched a force to Edinburgh to relieve Shrike of his duties, ordering Shrike to lead the mountain infantry to await orders.

After three months of training, the Shrike's troops were reorganized into a mountain infantry battalion, consisting of three companies, each with nine platoons, totaling 140 men. In addition, the battalion headquarters had 20 armored soldiers, 30 longbowmen, and 30 supply troops, for a total of 500 men. Furthermore, they were equipped with over 20 ponies suitable for mountain terrain.

After observing the mountain infantry drills, Vig smiled and pointed to a small dot on the map.
"The enemy in the central lowlands is dwindling; it's time to clear out the southern mountains. This is Lenark, a valley in the south. You lead the team to take it and test the fighting capabilities of the mountain infantry."

Looking at the hastily drawn parchment map, the shrike didn't say much and readily accepted it.

The next morning, five hundred mountain infantrymen set off for the south. After traveling for half a day, the terrain gradually became rugged, and they were surrounded by boundless forests. The mountain wind blew, and countless branches and leaves swayed, like a green ocean layer upon layer.

"Spread out your formation."

Upon hearing the shrike's command, a soldier took out a horn, puffed out his cheeks, and blew it with all his might.

In an instant, the group split into twenty-seven smaller teams, which entered the unfamiliar and dangerous forest one by one.

The air was hot and humid. Sunlight filtered through the intricate branches, casting many dappled patterns of light. Nearby, heather bushes grew, their purplish-red flowers drooping low. Occasionally, a brightly colored grouse would flutter by, attracting everyone's attention.

Every ten minutes or so, the shrike would have the soldiers repeat the bugle call to inquire about the situation of each unit. Following procedure, the three company commanders would respond using flutes, while the squad leaders would use a brass whistle.

As they ventured deeper into the mountains, the sounds of horns, flutes, and whistles echoed each other, startling away nearby birds and animals and conveying an eerie and dangerous atmosphere.

After lunch, the group continued on its way. When they passed a stream, the shrike heard a slightly urgent whistle coming from the east, which meant "under attack, in battle."

A few seconds later, a whistle sounded from the woods to the east. The company commander ordered the attacked squad to hold their ground and the surrounding squads to provide reinforcements.

At the same time, the shrike used its horn to command the rest of the troops to move closer together in preparation for the impending attack.

In the midst of anxious waiting, a messenger arrived at the camp headquarters and reported that the enemy had been repelled, with twenty killed and one of their own men killed and four wounded.

(End of this chapter)