Vikings: Lords of the Ice Sea

Chapter 277 Stranger

After the audience ceremony concluded, Nils, led by a eunuch, walked out of the palace, where the civil official Titus had been waiting for some time.

"Congratulations, sir. I look forward to your guidance in the future." Titus was also appointed as the new treasurer of the guard.

The treasurer is responsible for distributing military pay and supplying military provisions, as well as confiscating the portion of spoils of war that belong to the Empire. In certain special and necessary circumstances, the treasurer can also take over command of the guards.

The eunuch's mission was over. Afterwards, Titus led Nils to the guard camp, explaining the relevant matters to him along the way.

In short, the Varangian Guard was not part of the regular military system, but rather the emperor's personal guard, responsible for protecting the palace, defending against foreign enemies, and suppressing rebellions.

As outsiders, barbarian mercenaries lacked a base of support and were naturally rejected by local powers. Their only support was the imperial power. Lacking a basis for rebellion, they were favored by the emperor and received salaries far higher than those of Greek soldiers.

In other words, an ordinary mercenary's annual salary was as high as two pounds of silver, provided they paid for their own weapons. Nils's annual salary was as high as three hundred pounds, equivalent to 80% of his total income during his time as a lord.

Moreover, this does not include the emperor's rewards; accumulated, Nils' annual income exceeded that of the vast majority of officials.

"This is far too much."

Only now did he truly understand the wealth of the Eastern Roman Empire; no wonder they regarded all the inhabitants of Eastern, Northern, and Western Europe as rural barbarians.

Of course, prices in Constantinople were also high; a Mirarison silver coin (2.27g) could only buy seventeen liters of wheat.

Using his poor arithmetic skills, Niels made a comparison and found that the same weight of silver could be exchanged for two to three times the amount of grain in Britain compared to Constantinople.

The prices of other goods are equally high, and if the mercenaries spend lavishly, they could easily squander their hard-earned money.

Suddenly, the carriage stopped by the roadside. Niels didn't understand what was happening. Titus lifted the curtain and glanced out, then lowered his voice and said, "The caravan ahead is 'Caesar' Baldas's. All bystanders, please step aside."

Looking at his new boss, who was full of doubt, Titus briefly described the political landscape of the Eastern Roman Empire.

Michael III, as the supreme ruler, rarely handled state affairs, instead delegating them to his elder, Baldas, who was given the title of "Caesar," meaning co-emperor (vice-emperor).

Niels' tone changed slightly, "Two emperors?"

"What's so special about that? When Diocletian was in power, he created the Tetrarchy: the Eastern Roman Empire had a Augustus (emperor) and a Caesar (vice-emperor), and the Western Roman Empire did the same."

Titus suppressed his disdain and continued to explain the situation to the fussy barbarian.

Six years earlier, with the support of Michael III, Baldas launched a coup, overthrowing the regency of the Queen Mother Theodora and placing her under house arrest in a monastery.

Subsequently, Bardas deposed the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople and recommended his ally Ptius to succeed him. However, Ptius lacked the necessary qualifications, and this appointment faced opposition from various quarters, including the Roman Catholic Church.

Regardless of outside opinions, Baldas gradually gained control of the empire's administration, finances, and church affairs. As time passed, his power continued to grow, even penetrating the most sensitive area of ​​military power.
After listening to the financial officer's introduction, Niels subtly sensed the man's political leanings. However, being a newcomer, he dared not easily express any opinions and could only pretend to be ignorant to get through this period of time.

Soon, the carriage arrived at the guard barracks in the south of the city. The Varangian Guard, as the de facto royal guard, was stationed very close to the palace, in the heart of Constantinople. Its area was limited, and its overall layout was very compact.

Entering the barracks from the north gate, you are greeted by a relatively open, hard-surfaced courtyard, about 200 paces long and 100 paces wide, used for various daily training exercises.

To the left of the courtyard were a canteen, a small chapel, a storeroom, and a public bath, typical of the Eastern Roman Empire.

To the right of the courtyard were rows of long barracks. A decimal and his nine soldiers were assigned to a communal room, while centurions, deputy centurions, flag bearers (in charge of the centurion's flag and internal finances), and buglers had their own small cubicles.

Following the direction pointed out by the treasurer, Niels saw several independent courtyards in the southeast, provided for the high-ranking officers of the guard to live in. The area was not large, perhaps to prevent the barbarian commanders from indulging in pleasure and neglecting their fighting ability.

To the south of the courtyard were the armory and stables. Although the Varangian Guard was mainly composed of heavy infantry, officers and messengers needed horses, and they needed to pull supply wagons by horse-drawn horses when marching.

Meanwhile, a small door opened on the south side of the courtyard. Niels stepped out of the courtyard and found himself facing the vast blue Sea of ​​Marmara, with merchant ships floating on the surface. His mood brightened considerably.

"Phew, this is a good location. I'm suddenly starting to like it here."

Back in the courtyard, the treasurer Titus was reading the emperor's edict aloud. Niels observed the assembled guards, which consisted of twelve hundred-man squads, plus grooms, servants, and other miscellaneous personnel, totaling 1,300 men.

Soldiers were generally equipped with chainmail and lamellar armor. Some tall and strong soldiers had two layers of armor: an outer layer of lamellar armor and an inner layer of chainmail, which was enough to protect them from most thrusts and slashes. Just by standing there, they exuded an indescribable sense of intimidation.

In terms of weaponry, the soldiers were not accustomed to the Romfaya swords issued by the Empire and mainly used two-handed axes or had Nordic one-handed swords custom-made by blacksmiths. In light of this behavior, the Varangian Guard was also known as the Axe-wielding Guard.

"My name is Nils. You must have heard of me and my deeds."

With years of experience leading troops and the five hundred reinforcements accompanying him, Nils easily took control of the army. That evening, he summoned the treasurer, Titus, and three senior centurions to inquire about the disastrous defeat suffered by the guards earlier.

The process was simple: during the Anatolian campaign, the guard was positioned on the far left flank of the front line. Midway through, they encountered a heavy cavalry charge, which threw their formation into disarray. Subsequently, the guard was surrounded and attacked by infantry several times their size, and was repeatedly shot at by javelin throwers, suffering heavy casualties until friendly forces arrived to reinforce them.

"Javelins can indeed pierce armor, so why don't we use them?"

The guards were generally tall and strong, well-suited for javelin throwing, and Nils felt it necessary to add some long-range striking methods, a view that was refuted by a senior centurion:

Most weapons had to be purchased by the soldiers themselves. Throwing spears were consumables that needed to be repaired or even replaced after each battle, and the soldiers simply didn't have the money.

"That's it?" Niels looked at Titus beside him. "Suppose I pay for it myself, could I hire a blacksmith to make javelins?"

"Of course, but your salary won't be paid until the end of the month."

Niels said nonchalantly, "Then we'll borrow money. Since you said the commander of the guard has a prestigious position, surely you can borrow this much money?"

(End of this chapter)