Vikings: Lords of the Ice Sea

Chapter 279 Reinforcements
At 1 p.m., the Viking mercenaries routed the lord's guard with two volleys of javelins, and the remaining rebels fled north to the stone fortress. At the cost of four hundred dead and wounded, Nils finally captured the place.

After a hard-fought victory, the mercenaries spontaneously looted the lord's house, cellar, and warehouse as payment for their lives. Basil and Nils were powerless to stop them, so they climbed to the top of the watchtower and silently watched everything unfold before them.

"Even with a third of their men dead or wounded, they still retain their fighting ability; these barbarians are indeed fierce and brave."

Basil looked down at the corpses piled up below the city walls and marveled at the morale of this barbarian guard, which was similar to that of the ancient Roman legions recorded in history books.

As a commander, Niels was inevitably depressed, finally realizing the price of the high reward.

The revelry lasted for more than half an hour when suddenly a large group of figures emerged from the mountain road on the north side—Bulgarian cavalry!
"Quickly, prepare the defense!" Niels rushed down the watchtower at top speed, circled the inside of the fortress, and forced the exhausted mercenaries to climb the north wall.

At that moment, Basil, atop the watchtower, roared and pointed to a small black dot on the western ridgeline, “Commander, enemy light infantry are crossing the ridge, intending to circle around to the south and cut off our retreat.”

"Understood." Niels drew out two hundred-man squads and ordered them to move the ladders and battering rams from the south side into the wall, drive the horses from the rear in as well, and then send riders back south to report the news.

After finishing everything, Nils returned to the north wall and looked at the army that had spread out in the distance, about four thousand men, plus a large number of light infantry crossing the ridge, bringing the total to more than five thousand.

"Can we hold on?" the finance officer asked in a low voice.

Basil noticed his hesitation and quickly replied, "This stone fortress is in a crucial location and cannot be lost. Moreover, when we set off this morning, the peasant soldiers stationed nearby also began their journey, although they are moving more slowly and are expected to arrive this afternoon."

Recalling the group of a thousand undisciplined and slow-moving peasant soldiers, Nils gave a very poor assessment: "These peasants are weak in combat. Even if they arrive, they will be blocked by the enemy's encirclement forces outside the city, and we will have to go out of the city to meet them."

Basil: "No, that's not all. There are more reinforcements coming. Just hold on until noon tomorrow."

As he spoke, his tone grew increasingly slow; it would be difficult for this group of exhausted mercenaries to hold out until reinforcements arrived.

At this moment, the three reached a consensus: this stone fortress could not be defended.

As the person in charge of this operation, Basil hesitated. If he retreated to save his life, the emperor might not punish him, but it would be difficult for him to win the opportunity to lead troops independently again.

His left hand stroked the cold, rough battlements, then touched his own face, which felt equally rough.

There's no time left! I was born in 812 and am over fifty years old. Am I supposed to stay in the position of a favored courtier until I die?

As dusk settled and the biting wind howled, Basil closed his eyes tightly and remained silent for a long time before suddenly opening them, startling Titus into taking two steps back.

"Open the city gates, and I will negotiate with the commander on the other side. Assuming I am killed or imprisoned, I hope you will continue to hold your ground and live up to His Majesty's generous reward!"

Ignoring everyone's objections, Basil tidied his appearance slightly, selected a tall and magnificent white horse, and went alone to meet the surging crowd outside the city.

Titus watched the departing figure, thinking, "He's gone mad, he's really gone mad."

Niels remained silent. In Basil, he vaguely saw the shadow of himself and Vig and others back then. Once they encountered an opportunity that could change their fate, they would bet everything on it.

However, once the gamble is lost, there's no turning back. Surprisingly, as if blessed by the gods, Basil, after a brief conversation with the Bulgarian general, managed to persuade him to withdraw his troops!
As the retreat horn sounded, the Bulgarian troops outside the north gate slowly withdrew. The light infantry on the distant ridge watched the retreating banners and, though they did not understand what was happening, they also retreated.

Amidst many incredulous glances, Basil returned unharmed, brushed the fine snowflakes off his coat, and looked calm, as if he had just attended a party at a friend's house.

Titus went up to him and asked, "How did you do that?"

Basil: "Based on the other person's character flaws and predicament, I used a little language skill to scare him away."

Titus quickly pressed further, "How did you learn this information in less than ten minutes?"

Basil: "Two years ago, I went to Bulgaria with a mission. During my stay, I gathered some general information about the kingdom's high-ranking officials. I never thought it would come in handy today. Haha, now I can finally report back."

For the next period of time, the guards were busy reinforcing the city's defenses, while the three high-ranking officers stayed in the watchtower and ate their meals. Suddenly, a centurion presented them with a Damascus steel sword, which was said to have been found deep in the cellar.

Niels did not take the sword, but gestured to his subordinates to hand the spoils to Basil, who took them, drew the longsword, and examined it carefully.

“Indeed, this flame-shaped pattern is quite rare, a rare treasure, similar in quality to several longswords in the Holy Treasury’s collection.”

He then sheathed his sword and tossed it to Nils, saying, "This sword is of no use to me; it is more suitable for you to keep."

Give me?

A hint of surprise flashed in Nils's eyes. As a Viking warrior, how could he not be tempted by such a weapon? His fingers brushed over the cool, beautiful blade, recalling several other Damascus steel swords he had seen before.

Dragon's Breath, Dawn, Royal Authority, Raging Waves, Heartbreak.
After a long while, Basil's voice interrupted his reverie, "What name do you plan to give it?"

name?

Looking back, Nils realized that the most memorable moment of his life was not the afternoon he first met Princess Eve, nor the occasion when he was made Earl of Nottingham, but the shores of Lake Gnutz.

“Let’s call it ‘Ice Lake’.”

That afternoon, a group of scattered peasant soldiers arrived. With their help, and with the Viking warriors gradually regaining their strength, Basil was confident that he could hold the stone fortress even if the Bulgarian army returned.

The following day, more reinforcements arrived, and the situation was settled. Basil handed over the defenses to Varangi's guard and returned to Constantinople to report back.

The greatest credit for this operation undoubtedly belongs to Basil, who decisively persuaded the two emperors to send troops, coordinated relations with various parties during the march, temporarily gathered enough horses and supplies, and also persuaded Bulgaria to withdraw its troops, thus avoiding a major war between the two countries.

On the return journey, Titus served his favorite courtier with great deference, "My lord, for the merits you have rendered this time, besides the title of 'Sword-bearing bodyguard,' His Majesty will surely reward you with another official position. What do you think it will be?"

Basil replied in a serious tone, "Everything I have done is for the Emperor, and I will accept whatever reward he bestows upon me."

(End of this chapter)