Vikings: Lords of the Ice Sea

Chapter 207 The Shadow of War
In late October, Vigé ended his feigned illness; with the royal authority waning, there was no need to continue the charade.

Upon returning to Tyneburg, countless matters came rushing at him, leaving the Duke, who had been absent from work for more than half a year, exhausted.

First, there was a technological breakthrough. Tyneburg Shipyard improved upon the shortcomings of the Grey Parrot, building a two-masted sailing ship capable of ocean voyages, requiring forty crew members to operate, and costing a total of seventy pounds of silver.

The Grey Parrot II is approximately 30 meters long, 7 meters wide, and has a draft of 3 meters, and can carry nearly 200 tons of cargo.

With a tailwind, her speed is 10 knots. When facing a headwind or crosswind, she relies on zigzagging to catch the wind, and her speed drops to 5 knots.

Last month, the Grey Parrot II, fully loaded with wool and beer, headed to Bergen, Norway, for the sale of its cargo. The one-way trip took seven days, including four days of sailing with the wind, two days of sailing with the crosswind, and one day of stopping in Shetland to avoid a rainstorm.

During the voyage, the crew rotated in four shifts to ensure that someone monitored the voyage day and night. Along the way, the ropes wore out, the canvas tore and needed repair, and water needed to be pumped out of the hold (seepage is unavoidable on wooden boats). Forty crew members were a standard configuration.

Upon learning of the superior performance of the Grey Parrot II, Eric Jr. sent someone to purchase it. Vig casually quoted a high price of 160 pounds per ship, but after haggling with the messenger for a few minutes, he finally sold three sailing ships to him for 140 pounds per ship.

Having received the deposit, Vig poured a glass of wine for the sucker. "Wow, I didn't expect your king to be so rich? A silver mine has been discovered within his borders?"

"No, after Ragnar's funeral, my king reached a trade agreement with Rurik in the east."

According to the envoy, Eric the Younger shifted his focus to domestic affairs and trade, conscripting commoners to repair irrigation systems and drain swamps, and encouraging domestic nobles to engage in trade rather than plunder, a stark contrast to Hafdan, Nils, and others.

Recalling Eric's chubby face and past achievements, Vigé rated his military ability as "mediocre" and deemed him unsuitable for military campaigns, otherwise he could easily be killed if he wasn't careful.

In this light, his decision to "abandon martial arts for business" seems quite reasonable. Vig's eyes flickered, and he told the maid to take the messenger away to rest.

Among the rulers of Northern Europe, Eric the Younger was the most powerful. He was a direct descendant of the Norwegian royal family. Although his military capabilities were somewhat lacking, his advantages in areas such as population and economy could make up for this deficiency, and preserving his father's legacy was not a problem.

Niels is relatively capable in combat, but his strength is weak and he lacks legitimacy, so he can't cause any trouble for the time being.

Hafdan, as Ragnar's son, held a high degree of legitimacy among the Vikings. However, his misdeeds angered the Swedish nobles. Although he had restrained himself somewhat in the past two years, he still could not gain the allegiance of Kalmar, Stockholm and other places.

Oleg occupies Wajle in central Denmark, which has little potential for development. Moreover, the lord himself is embroiled in the turmoil of Lundium and has no time to manage his territory, so he poses no threat.

Uber was nominally the Duke of Denmark, but due to his young age and lack of a reliable base, he posed even less of a threat than Oleg. If it weren't for his status as a son of Ragnar, which made his lords somewhat wary, a rebellion would have already broken out.

Looking back at all these people, Viggo rated Eric the highest threat level. This man had plotted to usurp the throne, imprisoned his second sister and third brother, was cunning, and possessed the strength to attack Tyne County.

"People always change. Who knows, one day this fat guy might suddenly change his mind and 'abandon business for martial arts' again. We must be more vigilant."

Vig summoned Gwen, the head of the intelligence agency, and instructed him to send additional agents to Oslo. "Remember, they don't need to infiltrate the palace. Have the agents set up a small tavern near the port and regularly report on the prices of various goods in the Oslo market. Assuming Eric is preparing for war, the prices of iron ingots, grain, and other commodities will inevitably skyrocket. Once you notice such a phenomenon, have him relay the news back as quickly as possible." "Yes, sir."

As the year drew to a close, Viggo reviewed the accounts for 857, finding that total revenue had increased to £3,700 and, after deducting all expenses, the fiscal surplus exceeded £1,000.

Including this year's surplus, the treasury has accumulated a total of 2,500 pounds of silver and 70,000 bushels of grain, enough to launch a large-scale war.

In terms of population, the number of immigrants this year exceeded 5,000. Including natural population growth within the country, the total population exceeds 300,000, of which the Viking population reaches 70,000, mainly distributed in County Tyne and the newly established County Aberdeen.

The inventory was complete, and everything met Vig's expectations. He closed the ledger and unfolded a meticulously drawn map of Western Europe, marked with mountains, rivers, shipping routes, large settlements, and the territories of various powers.

"Nearly a year has passed since the late king's death, and Asura's rule is teetering on the brink of collapse. I wonder which noble family started this?"

West Francia, Normandy, Caen Castle.

Since Ragnar's death, Gunnar had been closely following news from Britain. Upon hearing the recent rumors about Rendynewum, he slapped his thigh and exclaimed, "Damn it, how could I have forgotten about this?"

He left the castle and searched for a woman named Erin in the nearby villages. After wandering around for a while, a tanner at the village entrance whispered a reminder: "Your Grace, Lady Vivian suspects Erin of having an intimate relationship with you and drove her away yesterday."

"what?"

Gunnar was both shocked and furious, and immediately sent people to find the maid. She was originally Queen Sola's personal maid, but she angered the then Prime Minister Vigé and fled to Normandy in a panic.

Because of her knowledge of many court secrets, Erin was granted protection by Gunnar and lived a quiet life in a village east of the castle. The two did indeed sleep together, but Gunnar believed he had been very discreet and couldn't understand how Vivian had found out.

"Never mind all that for now, we'll settle accounts with that crazy woman when we have time."

Soon, the Duke dispatched dozens of soldiers to search for Erin's whereabouts, definitively confirming the rumors between the two. However, Gunnar didn't care about any of that. The moment he saw Erin, he quickly pulled her to the shade of a tree, asking, "What kind of image do you have of Princess Enya?"

Princess? A flicker of disappointment crossed Erin's eyes. She had initially thought Gunnar's anxiety stemmed from their relationship, but it turned out he didn't care about her plight at all, only thinking about that damned intelligence. Realizing the truth, despair gradually crept into her heart.

After pausing for half a minute, Erin feigned composure and said, "I remember Princess Enya was born in 848, when you were still the Earl of Cambridge. Don't you recall?"

Gunnar: "Back then, I was entangled in a bunch of trivial matters. Why would I care about a baby girl? Tell me, how is Enya's health now?"

"Asraci's energy is devoted to scheming and taking care of Sigurd, leaving her no time to discipline Enya. Her Highness spends her days playing with young servants like Alfred, and her physical condition is quite good. As for her personality, she is somewhat afraid of strangers and occasionally likes to daydream."

(End of this chapter)