Vikings: Lords of the Ice Sea

Chapter 149 Trade Disputes
After many twists and turns, the chaotic and bloody tournament came to a conclusion. The champion in the mounted combat was Oleg, the deputy general of the Imperial Guard, known as "White Hair," while the champion in the foot combat came from the common people and was a young man from Northern Europe named Sweig.

After the awards ceremony ended, Vig yawned as he left the stands, nearly being knocked down by two Berbers on the way.

Before he could react, two more Rosss squeezed onto the stands. The Imperial Guards responsible for defense did not stop them, and Vig suspected that the commander must have secretly accepted bribes.

"If I'm not mistaken, they should be the representatives elected by the business community."

According to rumors circulating in recent days, the Ross merchants of Rendinium have temporarily formed a local chamber of commerce, electing elders and judges. The elders are responsible for coordinating relations with the local upper class, while the judges resolve internal disputes.

Similarly, Berber merchants united to form similar chambers of commerce, demanding more favorable terms from the rulers.

Other Nordic and Flemish merchants are doing well in business and have no immediate plans to band together for mutual support.

In the stands, Rus' and Berber people pestered Ragnar, desperately pleading their grievances, while their bribed ministers spoke on their behalf. Even Queen Aslaci was won over, urging Ragnar to forgive the Rus' merchants' actions.

Since Asraci helped the Rus', Queen Sora, standing on the Berbers' side, advised the king to severely punish the Rus' who had provoked them and to enforce the law.

In the end, Ragnar had not offended either side. The royal family desperately needed money, and he had no reason to expel these foreign merchants.

He imposed a symbolic fine on the merchants involved, and then, in a show of leniency, leased out land near the docks at a high price, allowing the two chambers of commerce to establish trading posts and extend their stay in Rendinium.

Looking at the merchants' faces, a mixture of surprise and delight, Ragnar thought to himself:

"Instead of bribing cabinet ministers and the Queen, it would be better to just give me the money directly, avoiding the exploitation of intermediaries and saving trouble."

Upon returning to Tyneburg, the weather grew increasingly cold, and Vig began to tally the accounts from 851.

The finances performed well this year, with annual revenue rising to £1,800, mainly driven by agricultural taxes from the four northern counties.

With the rebellion activity slowing down and the sport of football gaining popularity, local resentment towards the Duke of Tyneburg has slightly decreased, and agricultural taxes have doubled from last year to four hundred pounds.

“Not bad, at least it’s over three hundred pounds in Tyne County.”

Given that the four counties have a population of 160,000, which is about five times the number of farmers in Tyne County, and the potential for agricultural tax growth is huge, Wigler ordered the county governors not to slacken their efforts, to continue to suppress the rebels, and to improve the security situation in their jurisdictions.

Regarding expenditures, Viggo announced at the annual meeting that the figure was £1,600, but £300 of that was inflated.

The diverted funds were used to secretly produce cloth armor for unforeseen circumstances.

In terms of population, the permanent residents of Tyne County have expanded to 37,000, the total number of villagers is 33,000, and the total number of residents of Tyne Town is 4,000.

"After two and a half years, the order in the Scottish Lowlands has been largely stabilized. Compared to Ivar, which is mired in war, my progress has been much faster."

Having finished his various chores, Vig spent the entire winter leisurely. Until March 852, when he received bad news from Norway:
Port officials in Bergen announced an increase in tax rates, an order that came directly from King Eric.

"Is it because they're short of money, or are they deliberately targeting me?"

Not long after, a merchant from Northern Europe requested an audience and asked the Duke to dismiss all other attendants.

After the servants and guards in the main hall dispersed, the merchant revealed his identity: he was an envoy of Prince Eric.

"My lord, I have been entrusted by His Highness the Prince to explain the recent events to you." Having gained some benefits from the Shetland Islands dispute, King Eric lost face. Thinking it over, being bullied by a junior still left him feeling somewhat resentful.

The king was furious, and the consequences were severe.

Eric decided to punish the disrespectful country farmer and, incidentally, increase revenue, so he ordered the port of Bergen to raise the tax rate.

As the acting lord of Bergen, young Eric dared not disobey his father's wishes.

He outwardly obeyed orders, but secretly sent messengers to Tyneburg, suggesting that Vig's cargo ships go to a remote fishing village not far south of Bergen, where he would be responsible for the sales (smuggling).

Assuming a large quantity of cargo, Eric could also act as a go-between, arranging for cargo ships to travel to settlements on the east coast of Sweden, such as Kalmar and Stockholm.
"A son taking money from his father's pocket? Interesting."

Vig leaned forward slightly, his alertness at its peak. "Why would he help me?"

The envoy smiled and replied, "Friendship."

"What else is needed besides friendship?"

The messenger's gaze swept across the hall once more. "The master only needs your friendship. Since his brother Heath has grown up, the master's right to the throne has been shaken. Furthermore, the king's brother Horst has risen in Denmark and is also qualified to contend for the throne."

The road ahead is uncertain, and my master desperately needs a reliable ally. Looking across the entire known world, the promise of the Serpent of the North is the most dependable. Before I departed, he swore an oath to the gods that, upon ascending to the throne, you would be his closest brother on earth.”

Vig almost lost his composure. "Brother? I come from a farming background and have no blood relation to him whatsoever."

"No, blood ties are unreliable; only bonds formed by shared interests are the strongest."

After carefully considering the messenger's words, Vig agreed to make a secret pact with Eric Jr., promising to provide support if necessary.

To be on the safe side, he sent Seibert Stormwind to Northern Europe to gather information.

Before his departure, Vig gave this most outstanding first-year graduate, who was also the secretary to the Sheriff of Edinburgh:

"Your job focuses on conducting on-site investigations in places like Kalmar and negotiating with Swedish nobles. Remember, everything must be cash on delivery; I will never extend credit. That's my bottom line."

Clearly, the memory of Lord Ole's overdue payment still tormented Vig, and he was willing to make concessions on the price as long as nothing went wrong.

"clear."

Seibert nodded emphatically and boarded the brand-new Kirk ship "Albatross," which was specifically responsible for transporting goods to Northern Europe.

After ten days at sea, the Albatross reached the waters near Bergen. Guided by the messenger, the captain steered the Kirk south along the coastline for a distance before turning into a secluded fjord.

At the end of the fjord stood an abandoned fishing village. Sensing the arrival of the Kirk ship, a group of ragged slaves left their houses and, urged by their overseers, prepared to move the cargo.

Upon learning that the transaction price was the same as last year, the captain breathed a sigh of relief and turned to face Seibert. "Sir, I'll take you here. As for the rest of the journey?"

Seibert exhaled a cold breath, “Little Eric will arrange a guide to travel with me by boat to Kalmar, you don’t need to worry about it.”

(End of this chapter)