Vikings: Lords of the Ice Sea

Chapter 166 Forgiveness and Punishment

Perhaps it was due to his advanced age, but as he recalled his brother's dying words, Ragnar's heart softened.

He had his servant bring him a riding crop and lashed Nils hard, as if everything had returned to twenty years ago when he used a whip to punish Bjorn and Nils, who were still children.

"From this day forward, you are no longer the Lord of Nottingham, but will retain only the lands in southern Denmark. Do you understand?"

Ignoring the whip marks on his back, Nils was overjoyed and nodded frantically, barely suppressing his excitement, "As you command."

Ragnar tossed the whip back to the guard, panting, "Is there a problem with your two children staying in Rendinium to receive a royal education until they reach adulthood?"

Niels: "It is their blessing to be raised by you and the two queens."

Losing northern Denmark is no big deal, and it doesn't matter if my son stays in Londenium. I can always have a few more children. The important thing is that I'm finally leaving the stifling Nottingham and will have plenty of room to grow in the future.

With sufficient strength, they can attack Pomerania in the southeast, where numerous Slavic tribes of varying sizes are scattered, making it ideal for gradual encroachment.

The crowd watching the interaction between the uncle and nephew had a variety of expressions.

Theowuff tugged at his black wool cloak and muttered a complaint in a low voice:
"More than 10,000 people were busy running around, causing unrest in Britain, the Frankish Kingdom, and Northern Europe, and that's it?"

Ivar replied, "The old man is more responsive to gentle persuasion than force. The older he gets, the less ruthless he becomes. What can you do? Rush over and stab Niels?"

Vig yawned; he had expected this outcome. If Ragnar had executed Niels, the Anglo-Saxon militia, raiders, and sailors who had been granted titles would have been filled with unease, and the hard-won stability of Denmark would have been destabilized once more.

After dealing with his nephew, Ragnar turned his attention to the mutinous Imperial Guard soldiers. He sent men to search for them everywhere, killing those who dared to resist on the spot and sentencing the ringleaders to hanging.

The remaining 530 people were spared, and Ragnar punished them with exile.

After handing over their armor and equipment, the soldiers were forced to the ground and waited for the blacksmith to brand them.

"No, I have participated in many wars and even killed a Frankish knight. Why should this be the outcome?"

The soldier knelt on the ground, struggling desperately, like a river fish lying on a chopping board, watching helplessly as the dark red branding iron drew ever closer.

The moment the branding iron touched his right wrist, the flesh sizzled and hissed, and blue smoke rose up carrying the stench of burning protein. The soldier let out a trapped beast-like whimper.

Not far away, a clerk was writing furiously: "***, soldiers of the First Battalion, First Company, and Third Platoon of the Royal Guard, were discharged from the military on April 23, 854, for participating in a mutiny, and were sentenced to life imprisonment and exile, forbidden from entering Viking territory, otherwise any free man has the right to kill him."

Witnessing the tragic fate of his colleagues, Oleg and the remaining five hundred people were filled with fear and thankful that they had not been involved in the turmoil.

To reward Oleg and others for their loyalty, Ragnar announced that they would be granted titles, with the choice between northern Denmark and Sweden.

In his disappointed gaze, the vast majority of soldiers remained in Denmark, clearly looking down on Hafdan's abilities.

To counterbalance Niels, "White-haired" Oleg was enfeoffed in Wajel in central Denmark. Overjoyed at joining the ranks of the great nobles, Oleg, after the investiture ceremony, raised a crucial question:

"Your Majesty, who rules the northern and central regions of Denmark? Is it Prince Uber, the fourth prince? He is twelve years old this year and will be an adult in three years."

Upon noticing the king's sudden serious expression, Oleg froze. He wished he could tear his own mouth apart. Why had he uttered such foolish words during a perfectly good investiture ceremony? For a long time, Ragnar had not announced the identity of his heir, which had become a perennial topic of conversation among the people.

Although Ivar, as the Duke of Dufilin, had a slightly irritable temper, his personal prestige and military capabilities met the requirements.

Björn was the first Viking to explore the Mediterranean and develop Iceland and Greenland. He was hailed as a legendary explorer, and his prestige met the standard. His military capabilities were somewhat lacking, but still passable.

Having suffered multiple defeats in Wales and Sweden, Hafdan's prestige was severely damaged. According to the odds on the black market, his chances of succeeding to the throne were close to zero, and he was expected to spend the rest of his life holed up in the cold and barren Gothenburg.

Uber and Sigurd are still minors, and their future largely depends on the political maneuvering between the two queens. The odds on the black market fluctuate greatly.

Ignoring Oleg's reckless remarks, Ragnar continued the investiture ceremony. Just then, Hafdan arrived with a group of berserkers in animal skins.

Witnessing this unprecedentedly large army, Hafdan finally regained his confidence and requested to send troops immediately to wipe out the nobles throughout Sweden.

"You came up with this stupid idea all winter?"

Ragnar looked at his son with disappointment, doubting that he had made any progress during this time. "Without nobles, are you expecting your five hundred berserkers to govern the land? Fine, assuming you can pick out twenty people who know how to do accounting, I'll do as you wish and have Ivar, Vig, Om, and others act separately, and I guarantee that they will conquer all settlements within three months."

Hafdan turned around blankly, "Does anyone know how to do the math?"

No one answered.

Clearly, long-term use of hallucinogenic mushrooms impaired the berserker's intelligence, rendering him unable to perform such "complex" mental activities.

"Pfft!"

Ivar was the first to break down, and the remaining nobles joined in the laughter, filling the camp with a joyful atmosphere.

After laughing for half a minute, Vig suddenly understood Hafdan's predicament. When he was exiled to Gothenburg, he was only twenty-one years old, possessing a cold and barren fiefdom with a constantly shrinking population and no valuable minerals to be found, his future looking bleak.

Therefore, Hafdan's method was to collect berserkers, build a powerful force at low cost, and let them plunder the countryside, gradually snowballing their growth until they occupied the entire territory of Sweden, and even possibly attacked Norway and Denmark.

Unfortunately, Hafdan's command abilities were limited, and the army was defeated before it could develop.

Despite his reluctance, Hafdan had no choice but to obey his father's arrangement. He followed the Viking army back to Gothenburg and waited for nobles from all over the country to arrive.

At the banquet, Ragnar warmly received the Swedish nobles, saying, "Gentlemen, my purpose in coming here is not for war, but only to restore peace in the Nordic region."

Hafdan's prestige and administrative abilities were insufficient to govern the vast Swedish region. Ragnar settled for second best, agreeing that as long as the nobles nominally pledged allegiance to him, everything was negotiable.

Lord Lexa of Kalmar spoke first: "The Sword of North is forbidden from plundering."

Ragnar nodded: "If someone raids your territory, do as you please; it is a lord's most basic right."

(End of this chapter)