Vikings: Lords of the Ice Sea

Chapter 178 Fortune and Misfortune Are Unpredictable
In late July, the residential buildings in the West of Lundnes were completed, and Viggo personally took charge of the sales, introducing this clean, tidy, and well-planned new town to the residents.

"Look, these are the drainage ditches on both sides of the street, collecting rainwater and sewage before they flow into the Thames, preventing the streets from becoming muddy. The houses are spaced appropriately, so in the event of a fire, it won't spread throughout the entire city."

In contrast to the dirty and cramped old town, some well-off citizens instantly fell in love with the new environment. Ordinary houses and shops were sold out, and even high-end houses under construction were reserved.

Unlike the wooden houses of ordinary people, high-end mansions are built with brick and stone, with a stone wall two people high on the outside. In addition to the two-story main house, there are small gardens, stables, wells, warehouses, kitchens, servants' quarters and other facilities.

There are fifty such residences, targeting wealthy nobles in the kingdom, priced at thirty-five pounds. Although not yet completed, twenty have already been sold.

During the cabinet meeting, Goodwin noticed that the Prime Minister was in a good mood and asked how much money he had made this time.

Vig didn't hide it from everyone, "After deducting expenses, I made two thousand pounds. Selling the remaining upscale mansions will bring in another thousand pounds. I can finally catch my breath for the next few months."

With the financial pressure eased slightly, everyone cheered, and the entire cabinet was filled with a joyful atmosphere. Viggo enjoyed the praise from his colleagues with a clear conscience, and later reported the good news to the King.

However, he soon regretted it.

Starting in August, expenses in all areas suddenly increased, and everyone was clamoring for money, especially the chief steward, Parfais, who would visit the prime minister's residence every few days, each time with a different reason.

"What? The animals at the Wang Family Manor have been stolen?"

Unable to bear it any longer, Vig rode his horse to the royal estate on the northern outskirts of Rendynew. In addition to various common flowers, there was a fountain in the center of the courtyard, with a bronze statue of a goddess standing in the middle of the pool. Water gurgled from her vase, and several lively little fish swam in the pool, which was truly pleasing to the eye.

It's all that damned eunuch's fault for bringing the extravagant lifestyle of Constantinople to Britain!

Vig cursed inwardly, then led Utgard and the rest of the knights into the backyard, grabbed a servant, and demanded, "The animals have been stolen, why?"

The servants directed the Prime Minister to a collapsed section of the courtyard wall. "The stonemasons were lazy during construction, and the foundation of the wall was unstable. It collapsed after several days of rain."

Immediately afterwards, servants and the prime minister entered the empty animal stables, "and perhaps some kind of wolf rushed in and devoured the swans and peacocks that were being kept there."

ate up?
Vig barely suppressed the urge to draw his sword and kill. "I've lived for thirty years, and this is the first time I've ever seen a wolf devour a bird, eating all the feathers along with it, especially peacock feathers—not a single one was left. Is this some kind of miracle?"

At this moment, Paffees, who was poor at riding, rushed over and begged the Prime Minister to calm down.

"I'm not angry, I just suspect someone stole animals and then blamed it on some kind of strange wolf that can digest feathers. Master Steward, could you send someone to search the servants' rooms for any relevant clues?"

“Of course.” Since things had escalated, Paffes didn’t dare to stop them, watching as the knights searched the room and summoned all the servants for questioning.

Upon learning that two servants had gone missing, Vig sent Utgard back to the city to summon the Royal Guard to search the vicinity. After half a day of searching, they found fifty swans and peacocks in wooden cages, but instead of the missing servants.

They were hastily abandoned in the wild by thieves, and due to fright and lack of care, a quarter of the birds are on the verge of death.

Following this turmoil, Parfaits chose to take a sick leave, but the palace's expenses did not decrease. Viggo reviewed the recent account books and was utterly shocked. The two queens seemed to be competing with each other; whatever jewelry one possessed, the other had to have as well, and even surpass it. Furthermore, the children's food, clothing, and daily necessities also became an area of ​​competition among the queens.

"Arabian horses, armor, lances. Prince Ube's life is truly luxurious."

Vig held a quill pen in his right hand as he approved the enormous bill of forty pounds, then instructed the maid at his desk to collect the money from the treasury.

“Wait, Your Excellency, there’s another expense.” The maid handed over another note, also in Queen Sora’s elegant handwriting. “A sword worth fifty pounds! Are you kidding me?”

In Northern Europe, an iron sword was worth half a pound of silver. Britain had a relatively advanced ironworking technique, so ordinary iron swords were even cheaper, selling for between 80 and 100 silver pence.

Vig put down his quill and looked up at the Queen's personal maid, only to hear the latter utter a single word—Damascus steel sword.

"No, Damascus steel swords are valuable, but not this expensive. Back in Constantinople, Ivar earned over ten pounds of silver by completing a few commissions for a local gang leader, which he then used to acquire that Damascus steel sword, 'Heartbreaker.' Fifty pounds is too high. Who was the seller? Why didn't they negotiate the price?"

"Bargaining? This is a gift prepared for the prince, how can we bargain for it?" Perhaps spoiled by nature, the personal maid curled her lip and said something she would regret for the rest of her life.

"Prime Minister, the prince is of noble status. How can ordinary weapons be worthy of him? Please sign quickly. If this is delayed any longer, and someone else buys that steel sword, what will you use to explain yourself if the prince makes a scene? What about the Dragon Breath Sword at your waist?"

Upon hearing this, Secretary Rocky, who was standing nearby, immediately rushed to the desk to prevent the Prime Minister from drawing his sword and killing the arrogant maid.

"me"

After a few seconds of stunned silence, the personal maid realized she had misspoke and ran out of the Prime Minister's residence in a panic, trying to seek refuge with Queen Sora.

As she was about to pass through the palace gates, her panic intensified.

"Will the Queen protect me or abandon me? Gods above, Erin begs for your guidance."

Trapped in a predicament, the maid's mind became surprisingly sharp. Three months earlier, she had been promoted to personal maid and enjoyed the flattery of servants, guards, and even some nobles. However, all of this stemmed from the Queen's trust.

Sitting in the shade of a tree, Erin patiently recalled the various details of the Queen.

Without a doubt, Sora valued power and his son Uber most, followed by the king, and then relatives like Horst and Eric. Gradually, Erin realized a sad fact—her status seemed to be inferior to that furry pet dog.

“If the Queen protects me, it will inevitably damage her relationship with the Prime Minister, affecting her power and Uber’s future. The wisest choice is to abandon me. Foolish Erin, you’re really finished now.”

Losing hope, Erin turned and left the palace, running all the way to the dock, where a Coke ship was about to set sail for Normandy.

"Never mind, there's only one outcome for those who stay: to be dealt with personally by the Queen, just like my ex and my ex-ex-ex. I can't stand this godforsaken place anymore, I'd better escape first."

After the maid left, Vig and Rocky stared at each other in the office. After a long while, Vig sighed and pulled out a blank sheet of paper to write an official document.

"Your Excellency, do you intend to submit a written report to the Queen?"

“There’s no need for that. When you report to the King, just explain this to him.” The Prime Minister’s secretary regularly reports to the King, a fact that Vig had known since he took office.

At this moment, what he is writing has nothing to do with the queen or the maids; it is a resignation letter.

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(End of this chapter)