Vikings: Lords of the Ice Sea

Chapter 23 Choice
During the banquet, Vig sat quietly at the end of the long table, observing the subtle expressions of the guests.

Over time, he came to understand that Ragnar was not a mediocre person who craved comfort; beneath that friendly and generous face lay an ambition as deep as an abyss.

In the dim candlelight, a bard dressed in green robes plays his harp and reed pipes, singing of the victory celebration after the hero Beowulf defeats the monster Grendel:
King Herosga bestowed the golden collar upon every warrior and lord.
That is the glory of battlefield heroes.

Warriors will surely use these gifts to achieve great deeds.

To leave it to future generations, so that its fame may endure forever!
Amidst the clinking of glasses and the dimming of lights, Vig patiently waited until the banquet ended. Looking at the guests slumped over the tables, he glanced around and noticed Ragnar winking at him.

"As expected, he had ulterior motives."

Following Ragnar out of the tent, Vig looked around, seemingly trying to find the hidden axemen, but to no avail.

"What are you looking for?"

"I've had too much to drink and I'm a little dizzy." Seeing that Ragnar dared not violate tradition by slaughtering the guests, Vig didn't say anything and followed him to a dark and cramped tent.

Soon after, Ivar, Bjorn, Gunnar and other trusted confidants arrived to discuss the subsequent battle plan.

Today, only 2,600 Vikings remain, more than half of whom are about to follow Erik back to Northern Europe. The remaining pirates are unwilling to fight the Northumbrian army to the death, and instead plan to move to another place to plunder the weaker East Anglia and Kent.

"It's all Eric's fault, that cowardly insect. He painstakingly built siege equipment, but as the siege approached, all he could think about was returning to Northern Europe to spend his days with his wives and concubines."

As Ragnar's son, Ivar was born with an adventurous spirit and looked down on nobles who only knew how to drink and make merry. Unfortunately, the tide had turned and it seemed there was no other way.

At this moment, Vig said seemingly casually, "After the Battle of Manchuni, the palace guards under Eroud suffered heavy casualties, and the two thousand peasant soldiers who recently arrived are of poor fighting strength. It's a pity that we are not united. Unless our retreat is cut off, Eric will never participate in the war."

"Hiss, that's right." Ivar suddenly realized, and came up with a brilliant but wicked plan:

"In that case, let's cut off everyone's escape route completely! The camp happens to hold many prisoners; let's leak the fleet's anchorage location and then deliberately let them escape. After this period of looting, the southern region of Northumbria has been severely damaged, and with Ellaud mobilizing militias from various places, there is a shortage of labor in the fields. Tax revenue will decline sharply in the coming years. To make up for the losses, he will never stand by and watch this wealth be transported back to Northern Europe."

After listening, the group exchanged bewildered glances, the flickering candlelight casting uncertain shadows on their faces. Ragnar paced back and forth in the cramped tent, unable to make a decision.

Noticing his boss's hesitation, Vig spoke again:
"During this year's piracy expeditions, I discovered that Eric repeatedly opposed you. Why? Because he fears your reputation. The old man is powerful and always dreams of becoming the king of all Norway. If that day truly comes, Gothenburg will be small and weak. Will you resist or submit?"

Vig looked his superior straight in the eye and spoke his true thoughts, “This is a rare opportunity, and it wasn’t easy to assemble this large army. Let’s take a gamble. This time, we will completely conquer Northumbria, and you will become king. Then, whether we continue south or send troops to conquer Northern Europe, it will be entirely up to you.”

Vig didn't like the life of plundering and killing. Fighting and killing was not a long-term solution. He knew that one day he would be too old to fight anymore, so he had to make some preparations as soon as possible.

Frankly, he would prefer to conquer a piece of land and govern it himself. Ideally, he would find a willing patron to be king, occupy the "rich land" of York, defend against the constant counterattacks from the southern kingdoms, and then slowly cultivate an inconspicuous territory in the north. In terms of martial prowess alone, Vig was inferior to top-tier killers like Ragnar and Ivar, but when it came to the ability to manage territory, he was probably unmatched in all of Northern Europe.

“King of Northumbria,” Ragnar repeated the word, the candlelight illuminating half of his face, his expression shifting between ferocity and serenity.

After a long silence, he exhaled a long breath. "The chances of the plan succeeding are too low. Once Elrod burns the ships and seizes the supplies, we will really have no way out."

Why is this person still hesitating?

Vig was utterly speechless. This wasn't a small business; what was the point of always thinking about a way out? Who would conquer the world without taking risks?
With the atmosphere built up to this point, Bjorn, Nils, Gunnar, and others couldn't help but join in the persuasion.

“Father, you started out as just an ordinary farmer in the mountains. How have you come to where you are today? Have you forgotten the courage you had when you ventured out to sea?”

"Uncle, the prophet foretold that you will one day wear the crown. This is the destiny set for you by the gods. Why refuse it?"

Under pressure from his confidants, Ragnar finally made up his mind to embark on the most dangerous gamble of his life.

Once everything was settled, Vig and Nils left the tent, carrying wine jugs, and headed to the area where the prisoners were held, talking drunkenly as if no one else was around.

"Hiccup, this trip has finally made us rich. Once this batch of goods is transported back to Northern Europe, we won't need to plunder Britain for the next few years."

After Niels finished speaking, Vig shouted his support, "I can't do math, how much did you rob in total?"

Ignoring the prisoners' resentful eyes, Nelson sighed, "There are a total of three thousand pounds of silver, more than a hundred pounds of gold, and mountains of ironware, wool, and grain. It will be difficult for the fleet to transport them all back to Northern Europe in one go."

“Is that so?” Vig noticed the subtle expressions on the faces of several prisoners, who clearly understood his Norse language, so he posed a crucial question:
"The supplies and ships were hidden somewhere in a bend on the north bank of the Humber River estuary. I've forgotten exactly where."

Niels: "The place is easy to find. There's an abandoned monastery at the fork in the road not far away, and a mill to the east."

To ensure that Elrod could deduce the accurate location, Niels repeatedly recited these key reference points, and then he and Vig staggered away, "accidentally" dropping the key to the cage before leaving.

Because the sentry was taken away by Ivar to drink, the prisoners easily opened the iron locks, reached the nearby stockade wall, and found a large enough dog hole. Under the cover of night, they escaped from the Viking camp and disappeared.

The next morning, Ragnar discovered that the thirty prisoners of war he was holding had escaped. Enraged, he whipped the sentry twenty times and then organized a second banquet, once again inviting Eric and others to have fun.

(End of this chapter)