Vikings: Lords of the Ice Sea

Chapter 151 Business Agreements and Nordic Immigration

After some time, the lord, having discarded his armor, was escorted back to Kalmar by five shield guards, where he rallied the people to organize a defense.

Fortunately, the berserkers numbered only thirty, and unable to breach the walls and loot the settlement, they left dejectedly after shouting and cursing outside for a while.

"It's finally over."

Lexar was still shaken and ordered his men to search for the Duke of Tyneburg's envoy.

"Sir, that fellow named Seibert is the fastest runner. He has already escaped onto a ship in the harbor and is ready to flee at any time."

Running faster than a rabbit, does this kind of trash even deserve to be a subordinate of the Serpent of the North?
Lexar, feeling contemptuous, jogged all the way to the port to meet Seibert, forced a smile, and continued discussing the previous trade topics.

"Your Excellency, we are deeply troubled by the Sword of North, and the situation is on the verge of collapse. We request the purchase of a large quantity of iron ingots, as well as various types of weaponry."

Seibert did not respond. After the crushing defeat, he suspected that the lord's control over the Kalmar region would weaken further and that he would be unable to afford the expenditure.

After much deliberation, he decided to try a different approach. Since the other party couldn't provide silver and goods, he could help introduce immigrants to the North.

"Assuming your fleet travels to Tyne for trade, if there is extra space, you may consider taking some immigrants with you. The Duke will pay a corresponding fee based on the number."

After reaching an agreement with Lexal, Seibert traveled north along the coastline to visit the remaining four settlements.

The problem is that regions including Stockholm have been harassed by the Sword of North, and their strength has been greatly reduced, resulting in a decrease in the goods available for trade.

Ultimately, Seibert reached similar immigration agreements with the four nobles, but even so, they were still unable to take in enough goods.

"That's too little. This achievement is merely passing and not enough to increase my standing in the Duke's eyes."

In pursuit of further progress, Seibert ventured eastward into the territory of the Finns.

For a long time, the language spoken by the Finns belongs to the Uralic language family and is closely related to Hungarian. The Vikings in Norway, Sweden, and Denmark spoke Northrend and belonged to the northern branch of the Germanic peoples. The Vikings and the Finns are not the same ethnic group.

Due to differences in language and customs, Hafdan's sword could not penetrate into Finland, and the agricultural production of the various tribes remained unaffected, with enough furs and amber available to exchange for pig iron ingots and beer.

As the ship docked, Seibert introduced himself and discovered that the local tribes were already familiar with the name "Serpent of the North," and that his exploits of annihilating the main French army on the banks of the Seine were legendary.

Out of respect for the Serpent of the North, the chief of the Suomi tribe warmly received the envoy and invited him to enjoy a sauna together.

"What?"

Following the chief into a wooden hut covered with birch bark, before Sebert could react, two servants skillfully removed his clothes.

The interior was blackened by cooking fumes. In the center was a hearth filled with rocks, and a servant occasionally poked at the fire with tongs, tossing in a new piece of firewood. In the corner sat a wooden bucket full of water, its purpose unknown.

At the chief's signal, Seibert sat on a wooden bench. As time passed, the rocks in the hearth glowed red-hot. At this point, the servant carefully closed the door, filled the gaps with moss, and scooped up water from a wooden bucket to splash onto the red-hot stones.

In an instant, the fire went out, the light inside the house dimmed, and countless white wisps of mist rose up, as if it were some kind of eerie and unpredictable illusion.

In the stifling, sweltering fog, the chief whipped his back with a bundle of birch branches, while having the translator relay: "The iron ingots from Tyneburg are of very good quality, and the beer tastes good too; we are willing to buy them."

Refusing the branches offered by the servants, Seibert endured the dizziness brought on by the high temperature and discussed the price of each item with the chief.

Given that the tribe has more than two hundred households, Seibert suggested that they purchase more goods and resell them to inland tribes for profit. The more goods they buy, the cheaper the prices will be.

"Alright, I accept the Serpent of the North's conditions."

Having successfully established a foothold in Finland, Seibert felt he had exceeded his expectations and returned to Tyne in mid-May.

Vig could not meet one condition of the agreement negotiated by his subordinates: "The nobles in Kalmar and other places are purchasing weapons in order to fight against Hafdan. I am not clear about Ragnar's thoughts on this matter, so it is not appropriate to sell weapons directly."

He left his seat and paced back and forth in the main lobby, unwilling to take the risk.

"Civilian supplies are not restricted. Pig iron ingots are sold to Eric the Younger, who then produces his own armaments, which are subsequently resold to Kalmar and Stockholm. If Hafdan complains to Ragnar, there is at least room for maneuver."

So far, Ragnar has not commented on the Sword of North, neither supporting nor opposing it, allowing Hafdan to run rampant in the Swedish region, and a few berserkers to roam around Britain, which has aroused considerable resentment among the Viking nobles.

"Sigh, having a powerful background makes all the difference. No matter how big the trouble gets, there's always someone to back you up. If an ordinary lord were to use these methods, it would inevitably attract a joint attack from various forces, and he would never have made it this far."

After complaining for a while, Vig turned his attention back to his own territory. Chaos was imminent, and he had to deal with all the troubles within his borders as soon as possible, especially the remaining rebels active in the northern Scottish Highlands.

According to later measurements, the total area of ​​Scotland is 78,000 square kilometers, of which the northern highlands occupy 30,000 square kilometers. The terrain is complex and is known for its glacial landforms, lakes, and rugged mountains.

In the late summer of 849, Vig occupied the relatively densely populated central lowlands, and then prioritized dealing with the southern mountainous areas, where the terrain was mainly hilly and valley-based, making the clearing operation relatively easy.

Having subdued the central lowlands and southern mountains, only the vast and complex northern highlands remained. The rebels hid there, occasionally venturing out to launch small-scale raids, only to retreat back into the mountains after a minor setback, much to the annoyance of local officials. The county magistrates repeatedly requested permission to venture deeper into the mountains, but all requests were refused.

To date, Detective Inspector Connor of Stirling County has sent out a total of seven undercover agents, all of whom were freed slaves, three of whom have successfully infiltrated the rebels.

According to information relayed by the undercover agents, the rebels currently number only a thousand, including four hundred family members. They are usually scattered across three valleys, farming and herding, and during the off-season, they go out to harass others, prepared for a long-term standoff.

Five days ago, Vig received the exact location of the canyon. He did not delay for long and hastily conscripted militia from the surrounding area of ​​Tyne Town. Once he had gathered a thousand men, he set off immediately to prevent any changes in the situation.

"A guard of armor, a thousand conscripted militiamen, and two mountain infantry battalions should be enough."

(End of this chapter)