Vikings: Lords of the Ice Sea

Chapter 165 Personal Expedition
The commander is the role model for all soldiers.

Since General Nils acted arbitrarily in an emergency and disobeyed orders for his own selfish interests, the Imperial Guard soldiers below could also act arbitrarily in an emergency, instigate a mutiny for their own benefit, and force their general to accept their "loyalty".

The moonlight was dim, the cold wind howled, and the flickering firelight cast uncertain shadows on the faces of the armored soldiers. Since their commander had not yet given a reply, some of them simply drew their swords.

"General, you have bestowed titles upon the Anglo-Saxon militia, raiders, and sailors, but you have refused to appoint us. Do you look down on your brothers?"

To save his life, Nils reluctantly agreed to the Imperial Guard's demands.

After the war, the Imperial Guard still had 1,200 men left, 500 of whom had married and had children. Unable to leave their families and lands back home, they fled the camp with their deputy general Oleg and settled in Skahn, the northernmost part of Denmark.

The situation was completely out of control, and Oleg wrote back home again, finally igniting Ragnar's anger.

"You bastard, do you think I wouldn't dare to kill someone?"

At this moment, Ragnar was acutely aware of his old age and weakness, yet the weaker he was, the more he needed to demonstrate a firm stance to prevent other vassals from following suit. He coughed twice and ordered troops to be assembled in various regions, planning to personally lead an expedition against Northern Europe.

Sora, worried about the king's health, whispered a suggestion: "Why don't we find someone else?"

"Who should we look for? Ivar, Vig, Om, or Prime Minister Pascal?" Ragnar rejected his wife's suggestion. This turmoil involved the whole of Northern Europe, and he could not find a single minister who was absolutely fair and capable.

Ivar, Vig, and Om have a good relationship with Niels, so they must have shown some favoritism, letting that bastard get away with it without really knowing what happened.

Pascal was fair in his dealings, but his command skills were limited, and being Anglo-Saxon himself, he was unable to quell the situation in Northern Europe.

Needless to say, the others, like Leonard and Ulf, whose fiefdoms in Sweden had been ravaged by the Sword of North, would undoubtedly seek revenge against Hafdan. While they might not kill him, they would at least damage his interests and ruin Hafdan's future in Sweden.

"I've been away from Northern Europe for over ten years, it's time to go back and take a trip."

Braving the heavy snow, the messenger delivered the conscription order to Tyneburg.

"Understood. Please go back and inform His Majesty that I will arrive in Landinium on time."

After sending the messenger away to rest, Vig remained silent for a long time.

Based on information provided by the refugees, the situation in Northern Europe is in deep chaos, with four forces—Erik the Younger, Niels, Hafdan, and the Swedish coalition—entangled in a complex web of relationships.

For example, Eric Jr. and Nils.

Initially, the former provided intelligence and inside help, while the latter took action, eliminating Schleswig's Horst, thus establishing a de facto alliance.
On the other hand, Eric the Younger secretly funded the Swedish coalition, which clashed with the Janissaries led by Nils in Sweden, making them enemies to some extent.

In addition, Niels, Oleg, and Hafdan are also entangled in a complex web of relationships, making a showdown between them highly likely.

Vig sighed deeply: "We can't distinguish friend from foe, things are in complete chaos. Only Ragnar can step in personally; no one else is suitable."

The Nordic countries are in chaos, and his life has also been affected. This year, a total of 10,000 immigrants have flooded into the territory, far exceeding its capacity.

To settle these Viking compatriots, Vigg conscripted a large number of laborers to build farmhouses in Tyne, Edinburgh, and Aberdeenshire, and to scavenge grain, cloth, and livestock from all over the place, expending resources worth more than six hundred pounds of silver. This influx of people caused the treasury to run into deficit again this year.

However, if these immigrants are not properly resettled, and some are forced to become raiders, the losses will only be greater. Some lords, unwilling to spend money, are now forced to brave the heavy snow to hunt down bandits within their borders, serving as excellent cautionary tales.

Spring of 854 AD.

Vig led a thousand soldiers to Landineum and, following the directions of the court guards, set up camp ten miles north of the city.

After six years of peace, the three-field system and heavy iron plows were widely adopted in Britain, and the strength of the lords increased. Including the royal army, the total number exceeded 15,000. Bjorn, who was far away in Greenland, also came to join in the fun.

The number of troops exceeded expectations, and logistical supplies were insufficient. In order to set off as soon as possible, Ragnar abandoned the relatively weak 3,000 militiamen and led the remaining 12,000 to Dover. The various units crossed the sea in an orderly manner, and the fleet sailed northeast along the European coastline.

The Franks were terrified by this unprecedentedly large army. Charles the Bald was attacking Brittany (northwestern France) and could not get away for the time being, so he could only order all regions to strengthen their defenses.

Soon after, he received two messages:

First, the Viking fleet left, showing no intention of attacking West Francia.

Second, on a whim, Gunnar also joined the army, but only with his personal guards. He also left a letter explaining his reasons, saying that he only wanted to gather information to prepare for the chaos to come.

Regardless of his inner suspicions, Charlie did not pursue the matter outwardly. "I understand. Gunnar is simply fulfilling his duties as Earl of Cambridge. By the way, the Grand Steward recently reported that the number of peacocks has increased significantly, and he has been asked to send several dozen to the Duke of Normandy's castle."

Confirming that Ragnar's target was not himself, he continued his attack on Brittany, vowing to eliminate these nobles who had surrendered and then rebelled this year.

In mid-April, the fleet landed on the Danish coast and slowly headed toward Schleswig.

Learning from the scouts about various flags, including the Thunder Flag, the Wolf Flag, the Snake Flag, the Brown Bear Flag, the Dragon Flag, and the Camellia Flag, Nils realized that the situation was completely out of control.

The king led the dukes into Denmark, clearly determined to destroy himself.

At this moment, a guard officer suggested seeking help from Norway. Niels, his eyes vacant, replied in a low voice, "How many men does little Eric have? He's nominally the king, but in reality, he's about the same level as the dukes. Don't count on him."

After sitting idly in the longhouse hall all night, Nils came up with a way to survive.

The next morning, he dismissed his guards and rode alone to Ragnar's tent. In front of countless people, this man, who called himself the Lord of Denmark, did not offer any rebuttal, but instead knelt down and embraced Ragnar's knees, weeping bitterly.

"You idiot, what's the use of crying? Do you think that if you caused trouble as a child, crying to me for a while will make everything alright?"

Ragnar's chest heaved as he angrily berated his worthless nephew, "I entrusted the Imperial Guard to you, Eve sailed to you to seek refuge, and this is the result? Was it really necessary for a worthless title?"

At this moment, Nils still did not argue, and continued to cry as his nephew, "Uncle, I was wrong, I am sorry to you, I am sorry to Princess Eve, but there is nothing I can do, I want to be a duke (king) so much, I dream about it all the time."

"Back then, I painstakingly sought to marry Princess Eve, trying every possible method. Unfortunately, my status was too low; I wasn't even a count, and I was treated like a dog. Now, my romantic feelings have faded, but that humiliation lingers in my heart, constantly tormenting me and tempting me to commit this grave crime. Everything is at your disposal; I have no complaints."

(End of this chapter)