Vikings: Lords of the Ice Sea

Chapter 306 The Cost and Rewards of Participating in War
First, Vig summarized the entire war.

Vig did not blame any of the nobles present, but instead placed the blame on Uber, accusing him of betraying Nils for his own selfish desires and appointing a cowardly and incompetent confidant to garrison southern Denmark, which allowed the French army to advance unimpeded and brought unrest to the entire Viking world.

"Having suffered many years of hardship, Denmark is sparsely populated and weakened. If the French were to invade again, they would need the help of others. What is the King of Denmark's opinion on this?"

Uber died in battle, and his throne was inherited by his eldest son, Snosa.

Currently, the young king and his three younger siblings live in Gothenburg. When Vig mentioned the young king, he was actually asking about his two elders: Hafdan and Eric.

Sensing the gazes of the nobles, the two remained silent. After a long while, Vig spoke again.

He proposed rebuilding the Daniwijk defense line, with the rulers contributing money and manpower to jointly form a garrison army specifically responsible for guarding southern Denmark.

"The defensive line is about twenty miles (thirty kilometers) long, with three sections suitable for large-scale troop deployments that require key defense. The total length is three miles and at least four thousand soldiers are needed to garrison it."

In their spare time, this army cultivated and grazed livestock on the open land to the north to solve their food problem. They needed to buy enough time for reinforcements should the Franks attack.

Upon learning of Vig's plan, the Lord's Longhouse was in an uproar.

The Nordic nobles suffered heavy losses in the war and gained no spoils. They never expected to have to continue to invest manpower to maintain the defense line. They couldn't live like this anymore.

After arguing for a few minutes, Vig came up with a compensation plan.

"The war destroyed the ruling order of the Kingdom of Denmark, leaving only three noble families, including Esbjørn, to survive, with most of their territories remaining vacant. How about this: land be distributed according to merits in this war, with those who acquire more land bearing more obligations."

Vig demanded suzerainty over Zealand, making its lord, Falver, a vassal of Britain, thereby controlling the Øresund Strait and ensuring unimpeded trade routes between the country and Northern and Eastern Europe.

He also set his sights on two Baltic islands, Bornholm and Gotland, as a base for British merchant ships.

Gotland was nominally owned by Sweden, and he "purchased" the island from Hafdan for the price of two kook ships and one hundred sets of captured armor.

For more than a decade, several settlements in Gotland never recognized Hafdan's rule, and the latter gladly sold the desolate land, leaving Vig to deal with these troublemakers.

"Just a heads up, the Goths on this shabby island are tough to deal with."

Vig: "Understood, I'll handle them."

Then there were the remaining territories, but the nobles did not show the enthusiasm Vig had anticipated.

Northern Denmark was devastated, while central and southern Denmark were barren wastelands. Settling there would mean investing enormous manpower and resources, and risking another French invasion – a very low cost-benefit ratio.

After much deliberation, Hafdan set his sights on Skahn, the northernmost town, which faces Gothenburg across the sea and is relatively easy to manage.

Eric Jr. is demanding Funen Island.

The others each chose their own territory, making their second son or illegitimate son the nominal lord, but they did not intend to invest too many resources in it, and would observe for a few years before making a decision.

For the next two hours, the meeting discussed the sources of manpower and equipment for the garrison.

Vig will cover 30% of the military expenditure and provide 300 sets of captured armor.

Eric Jr. covered 10% of the military expenses and provided 300 conscripted peasants. Hafdan, lacking sufficient funds, could not afford the military expenses and could only send 400 conscripted peasants.

At the end of the meeting, Vig drafted an agreement, and everyone signed or pressed their fingerprints at the end of the agreement.

With King Snøssa absent, they assumed the defensive obligations of Denmark, while also dividing up the vast majority of the territory, leaving the king only a dilapidated Aalborg.

"It's finally over."

Vig stepped out of the lord's longhouse and took a deep breath of the fresh air. He had been cooped up in the longhouse for too long, and his mind had become sluggish.

Suddenly, he saw Louis's envoy, the "young man," standing not far away, and went over to ask, "Has your king changed his mind?"

"We are unable to provide any warhorses. This is not only His Majesty's personal wish, but also the same attitude of Carloman, 'Fat' Charlie, and Gunnar."

To end this as quickly as possible, His Majesty raised the total ransom to four thousand five hundred pounds, which was his bottom line; there would be no better price.

Vig's patience ran out, and he granted the messenger's request.

In the past six months, through two battles in Denmark and Leif's pursuit of the enemy's supply train, he captured 430 warhorses, which just made up for the losses in battle and during the sea voyage.

After finishing everything, Vig boarded the flagship and headed to Bornholm Island.

After circling the island, the fleet landed in a fishing village on the west coast, and Vig sent soldiers to various places to assert his rule over Bornholm.

The central and northern parts of the island are mainly hilly, while the southern coast is relatively flat. The total population is only 1,800, mainly engaged in farming, herding, and fishing. The locals dared not offend this large fleet and were forced to acknowledge Vig's rule.

Accompanied by the Imperial Guard, Vig rode around the new territory, captivated by the fine white sand beaches and abundant sunshine on the southern part of the island.

"The scenery is beautiful, making it a suitable resort area."

After the inspection, Vig traveled by boat to Gotland Island in the northern sea. This island (3145 square kilometers) is much larger, equivalent to five Bornholm islands (588 square kilometers).

The island has a population of 6,000. Legend has it that long ago, some of the residents crossed the sea to the European continent and settled in the Danube River basin.

Over hundreds of years, the Gothic tribes that migrated to continental Europe grew and eventually split into the Visigoths and Ostrogoths.

In the fifth century AD, the Visigoths rebelled, sacked Rome, and later established the Visigothic Kingdom in southern Gaul and the Iberian Peninsula.

At the end of the fifth century, the Ostrogoths conquered the Italian region and established the Ostrogothic Kingdom, which was the most glorious era for the Goths.

Decades later, the Eastern Roman emperor dispatched Belisarius and Narcissus on an expedition that completely destroyed the Ostrogothic Kingdom.

More than a hundred years later, the Visigothic Kingdom was plunged into internal strife. Some people, driven by self-interest, actively introduced the Moorish forces from North Africa. In the end, the Moors turned the tables and the Visigothic Kingdom was destroyed.

After listening to Vig's story, Frode seemed thoughtful as he silently followed his father for a walk on the beach. After a long while, Vig pointed north to the fishing village of Visby and began to explain the future plans.

He decided to form a Baltic Fleet, stationed at Visby in Gotland, to control the Baltic Sea and facilitate intervention in the situation in Northern and Eastern Europe, and to crack down on nobles or tribal leaders who defaulted on their debts.

(End of this chapter)