Vikings: Lords of the Ice Sea

Chapter 235 Iberia
After carefully considering Seibert's suggestion, Vig approached the Minister of the Navy, Hergé, to inquire about the feasibility of the plan.

"Heading to Iberia?"

Hergi looked at the various maps on the table, including maps drawn by Bjorn, Vig, and monks from the monastery, and even ancient parchment scrolls from the Roman period.

After observing for a long time, he solemnly replied, "Having spent a great deal of money to build this navy, it's time to go out and test its capabilities. I will personally lead this mission, if the locals refuse to cooperate."

Vig interrupted his brother-in-law, "We are no longer the Viking pirates we once were. Stable trade brings far more benefits than plundering. If a port refuses to trade, we can simply find another one. Don't act impulsively."

Currently, the Royal Navy has eleven warships and two supply ships (Kirk ships), divided into the Northern Fleet and the Southern Fleet.

The Northern Fleet's home port is Edinburgh. It patrols the northern waters, defends against threats from the kingdoms of Norway and Sweden, and is responsible for suppressing pirates on a regular basis.

The Southern Fleet's home port is Rendeneum, and its main patrol area is the waters between Britain and West Frankish Channel (English Channel/La Manche Channel).

The plan includes the commissioning of nine more warships, most of which will be incorporated into the Southern Fleet to strengthen the defense of the strait and fully counter the threat from the Franks.

Based on their usual training conditions, Hergi selected three of the best-condition two-masted sailing ships. In addition to various supplies, he also stuffed the hold with wool, amber, and furs, which he would sell to the Iberians in the south as a bonus for the exploration fleet.

In mid-August, the exploration fleet slowly sailed away from Rendynewm and then followed the coastline to Cornwall in the southwestern part of Britain.

After waiting for two days at a port called Plymouth, and taking advantage of the favorable sea conditions, the exploration fleet headed straight south to the Brittany peninsula across the Channel.

"Stand on high alert. From this moment on, we will be sailing in the coastal waters of enemy territory. During night watch, sailors are strictly prohibited from dozing off. Those who disobey will be severely punished!"

According to legend, Brittany was under strict French surveillance, with numerous wooden fortresses built throughout the country. To prevent the Vikings from inciting the local population to rebel again, an unspecified fleet was stationed at the coastal ports.

With the mission at heart, Hergi did not provoke the enemy and quickly bypassed the Brittany peninsula, sailing south along the coastline.

For the remainder of the voyage, the fleet encountered neither the Frankish navy nor storms; a gentle northerly wind blew the sails, propelling the fleet forward at a slow pace.

"Wind direction unchanged, speed three knots."

Every morning, the routine briefing from the officer on night watch and the unappetizing breakfast arrived on time. The seawater lazily rippled on both sides of the ship, the sky was cloudless, and the monotony was enough to make one drowsy.

Occasionally, a few dolphins would leap out of the water without warning, their silvery backs tracing smooth arcs in the sunlight. At first, the sailors would excitedly rush to the ship's side, pointing and gesturing, but the dolphins would only swim silently for a moment before diving back into the sea and disappearing without a trace.

"These days are so boring. Boss, take us a trip ashore. We can do anything we want."

The sailors, some leaning, some reclining, idly whiled away the time on deck. Some slowly counted the knots in the mooring lines, starting over when they got confused. Others boasted about the voluptuous waitresses they'd slept with in the harbor tavern, drawing jeers from those around them. Still others recounted various strange and ancient tales, but none of them seemed to capture the interest of their listeners.

A little over a week later, the fleet arrived at the northern coast of the Iberian Peninsula and sailed westward along the coastline, into the territory of the Kingdom of Asturias.

Referring to the nautical chart, the exploration fleet arrived at a port on the northern coast—Gijon. The place was desolate and dilapidated, with only a few rows of fishermen's wooden houses and the ruins of a Roman-era lighthouse on the shore.

"Boss, is this Asturias's largest port? Could we have come to the wrong place?"

Hergier squinted his single eye, observing the lighthouse missing its top and the stone fortress standing on the distant hillside. "Yes, this is it."

The exploration fleet anchored, and the flagship, the Grey Parrot II, lowered a longboat and gently rowed towards the shore. At that moment, a group of militiamen dressed in coarse linen clothing hurriedly gathered at the dock. They were equipped with wooden spears or a kind of simple, archaic short sword. Their equipment was rudimentary, but their morale was high.

With the help of a translator, Hergi introduced himself and requested to engage in trade with the local community.

"Get out of here! Outsiders aren't welcome here!"

A middle-aged nobleman in iron armor shouted and drove away the group of outsiders.

Upon returning to the flagship, Helgi didn't react much. He explained to the sailors:

More than a hundred years ago, the Moors (a general term used in Western Europe to refer to desert peoples such as Arabs and Berbers) almost conquered the entire Iberian Peninsula. A small number of Visigoths fled to the northern mountains to continue their resistance and established Asturias.

In short, this is a barren but warlike mountain kingdom. There's no need to clash with them; even if we won, we wouldn't gain anything.

The fleet continued onward, rounding the northwestern edge of Iberia, before turning back south.

The journey remained monotonous, with only the dull thud of sails billowing and the endless roar of the waves on the sea. The sailors spoke less and less to each other, and they were too lazy to even exchange glances.

Occasionally, someone would impatiently pat the deck, startling a few seabirds perched on the mast. They would flutter up, circle a few times, and then land back in their original spot, as if even the seabirds were tired of this monotonous life.

Finally, on a hot and boring afternoon, a shout came from the lookout at the top of the mast:

"Port! I see Lisbon!"

The languid bodies on the deck instantly sprang to life, and the sailors stumbled and lunged toward the port side.

In the distance, amidst rising steam and swirling sea mist, a stone fortress stands atop a hill, with white houses cascading down the mountainside like steps to the dock. The city walls along the coast meander and twist, while large flocks of white seagulls circle in the sky.

"Signal with flags to summon the two captains for a meeting!"

Out of caution, Hergier ordered the other two warships to anchor in the open sea while he maneuvered his flagship to explore the port.

"So many ships."

Hundreds of dhows, a type of boat unique to Arabia, are moored at the mouth of the Tagus River.

These sailboats are between 10 and 20 meters in length, with a slender shape, a sharp conical bow, a square stern, and a slightly higher stern deck.

Compared to the British two-masted sailing ships, the triangular sailing ships had shorter masts, smaller hulls, and a carrying capacity similar to that of ordinary coks (one hundred tons). Their advantage lay in their unique triangular sail, which provided excellent upwind performance and far greater maneuverability than the coks popular in the North Sea.

Hergier turned around and looked at the flagship he was on:

The foremast and mainmast are fitted with square sails, and a fore and aft sail is added to the rear of the mainmast, which effectively improves maneuverability against the wind, but it is still not as good as the headwind performance of a triangular sailboat.

"If a naval battle breaks out, these triangular sailing ships will pose a considerable threat. Our warships can at most fight one against three, and we won't be able to handle any more than that."

(End of this chapter)