Vikings: Lords of the Ice Sea

Chapter 186 A desperate move

"Over ten thousand pounds? All I did was for this paltry sum?"

Ragnar, enraged, laughed coldly. Relying on his years of accumulated power, he suppressed the many discontented voices and declared resolutely, "How dare the warriors under Odin retreat! Attack! The entire army marches on Betine and settle scores with 'Bald' Charles once and for all!"

In just a few seconds, Vig guessed the monarch's intention.

The continuous heavy rains were detrimental to both sides. Besides the spread of disease within the armies, the muddy ground significantly reduced the effectiveness of cavalry charges. With both cavalry rendered ineffective, this actually benefited the Vikings.

After breakfast, Ragnar left behind more than 2,000 soldiers in poor condition and led the remaining 17,000 men straight to Bettina.

The scorching sun baked the muddy dirt road, and a damp, sweltering atmosphere hung over the group as the Vikings trudged through the mud. Before they knew it, they had no energy left to complain, silently following in the footsteps of those who had come before them.

To boost morale, Ragnar dismounted and accompanied the soldiers on their journey, occasionally telling crude jokes to amuse them.

"Hey guys, hurry up, don't leave this old man in his fifties behind!"

As time went by, the aging Ragnar grew weaker, so he took off his armor and the long robe embroidered with gold thread, leaving only a linen shirt, and continued walking, leaning on his spear.

In Ragnar's mind, this war was a gamble with everything: the nation's entire treasury, his life's accumulated prestige, and the commanders and veterans who had served him for so many years. What did mere fatigue matter if the enemy could be defeated?
In the afternoon, the exhausted Vikings took a temporary rest. In a nearby barn, a group of French scouts spotted the pagan army and were immediately terrified.

"These Vikings have gone mad, actually launching an attack at this time!"

Normally, these mounted scouts could cover a range of over fifteen kilometers. However, the muddy roads slowed the horses, and after traveling a short distance, the scouts simply found an empty barn to slack off. Why should the noble lords, who were holed up in small towns drinking and making merry, have to toil in the wilderness without even a moment's rest?
The scouts were surprised when the Vikings abandoned all their supplies and charged straight at Bettina, displaying a ferocious willingness to risk their lives.

"Get out!"

Following their captain's retreating figure, the nine scouts urged their mounts to rush out of the barn. The shouts of battle behind them grew closer and closer, but the horses could not pick up any speed.

A scout looked back and saw hundreds of Vikings chasing after him through the mud. They were not wearing armor, their rough linen trousers rolled up to their knees, their bare calves bulging with muscles, like a group of wild boars rampaging through the mud.

Once within range, some archers began hurling arrows, the whistling of the arrows piercing the air and eroding the scouts' reason. As the number of surviving companions dwindled, the remaining five scouts fled in all directions, no longer caring about returning to camp to report.

At 2 p.m., the Viking army was still on its way, crossing a low hill, and the towering roof of the Bettina Church could be faintly seen to the southeast.

Amid the cheers of the soldiers, Ragnar summoned the commanders of each unit. "Ivar is in charge of the left flank. I will attack the enemy's front. Vig is in charge of the right flank. Find 'Bald' Charlie, capture him, or kill him!"

"As ordered!"

Vig returned to the ranks and roughly counted the number of men. More than 700 men were lagging behind, leaving him with only 4,500 men. Moreover, the armored soldiers were severely exhausted and in dire need of rest.

In contrast, the troops of the seven Swedish nobles had a low armor rate and their soldiers had relatively good physical strength, so they were assigned to the first batch.

“Listen carefully, this is the next group of troops.” The town of Bettina is small, and most of the soldiers are stationed outside the town. Vig is in charge of the right flank, which is the enemy forces attacking the south side of the town.

Under his command, 1,200 Swedish light infantrymen maneuvered to the southernmost edge of the battlefield to draw the enemy's attention. The battlefield was now muddy and ineffective, rendering both sides' cavalry completely useless, so there was no need to worry about French cavalry flanking attacks.

Subsequently, Vig led the remaining three thousand men in a horizontal formation and slowly approached the Frankish camp. Two days of bad weather had exhausted the French army, which had not built a fortified wall around the camp. Moreover, the camp layout was chaotic, with soldiers spontaneously moving their tents to higher ground, resulting in some tents being overcrowded on higher ground and others being too sparse in low-lying areas.

"The Vikings are coming! All assemble!"

Because of the scouts' laziness, the 20,000 Franks only reacted when the Viking army was almost upon them. The soldiers rushed out of their tents, carrying their weapons and running around the camp.

Taking advantage of the chaos, the conscripted militiamen on the outskirts of the camp deserted one after another. Some officers, unable to dissuade their subordinates, simply joined the desertion themselves.

To the astonishment of the knights, more than three thousand militiamen fled in disarray. Some knights tried to restrain them, but their horses were stuck in the mud and could only watch helplessly as the deserters disappeared into the woods.

"A bunch of cowards, may the gods punish your souls."

At 3 p.m., the French army barely managed to form a battle formation. They deployed 7,000 men on each side, north and south, with Bettina as the center. "Bald" Charles led 3,000 men (including 2,000 patients) to defend Bettina, relying on the town's walls to resist the enemy's attack.

Accompanied by the urgent tolling of the church bells, the Viking light infantry on the north and south sides formed a shield wall and slowly approached the enemy lines.

The shield wall advanced over a hundred paces despite the arrows, and the two armies began to fight. The Vikings were physically stronger, while the Franks were well-rested and had conserved their strength. The two sides fought for about ten minutes, neither able to gain the upper hand.

At this point, the French knights used the same tactics as before, urging their warhorses to charge the Vikings' flanks. Unfortunately, their advance was greatly slowed down, and they were used as targets by the enemy archers.

Enraged by this unsportsmanlike tactic, the French knights roared, jumped off their horses, threw away their cumbersome three-meter lances, and charged at the enemy with their swords and shields.

In the center, Ragnar gazed at Bettina, protected by its stockade walls, and hesitated between three options:
First, a direct attack on Bettina had a very low success rate, so he gave up on it.

Second, split the troops and send them to reinforce the north and south flanks respectively.

Third, abandon one route and lead the central army to reinforce the other, preemptively crushing one flank of the enemy. This choice is extremely risky; once one's own disadvantageous route is defeated, the enemy is very likely to launch a flanking maneuver and encircle the remaining Viking forces.

To be on the safe side, Ragnar sent messengers to inquire about the opinions of Ivar and Vig.

Ivar's reply was to request reinforcements, vowing to crush the enemy forces on the north flank before sunset.

Vig's reply was that it was both offensive and defensive. If the main force of the central army reinforced the north side, he could form a bayonet phalanx and hold out until sunset without any problem.

In the end, Ragnar left a thousand heavily exhausted armored soldiers to guard the city wall, and led the remaining five thousand men to reinforce the left flank.

(End of this chapter)