Vikings: Lords of the Ice Sea

Chapter 315 Balance of Power
During his inspection tour, Gunnar promoted Oliver to Baron and allowed him to continue raising his illegitimate son, Henry.

In the past two years, the relationship between the Duke and Duchess has plummeted to a freezing point, and they have lost interest in communicating with each other. Gunnar is worried that his wife will eventually turn against Henry, so he thinks it is better to let him take refuge in Iberia. He would rather Henry face the swords of the Moors than return to Normandy and be assassinated.

After the inspection, Gunnar remained in Iberia to assist Alfonso in stabilizing the situation. Following a temporary expansion, Alfonso assembled an army of 15,000 men, who were undergoing intensive training to prepare for any potential Moorish counterattack.

According to the plan before he set off last year, Gunnar should have returned to Normandy by now, but he was simply unable to get away. Military affairs, the administration of the new territory, maintaining relations with the Visigothic nobles, and countless other matters were entangled in his affairs.

Judging from this, he may not be able to return in the fall, but Gunnar has no choice but to work two jobs at the same time, and exhaustion is inevitable.

At the same time, the court in Cordoba was stunned by the war. One bad news after another came, and the Moorish nobles did not know how to deal with it. After much quarreling, some suggested borrowing troops from Morocco and Algeria in North Africa. In addition, Britain was also a good candidate for assistance.

Soon, the trade fleet brought the news back to Britain, and Wigg, based on the various pieces of information gathered by the captains, used a quill pen to draw a thin line across the Iberian Peninsula.

Overall, the situation in Iberia is not one-sided.

The main reason for the Moors' defeat in the first half of the year was that their commanders underestimated the enemy and reacted too slowly. They were overwhelmed by Gunnar's offensive prowess and suffered a series of defeats, resulting in heavy losses for their field troops.

However, Iberia has a complex terrain. South of the Meseta Plateau lies a central mountain range running southwest to northeast. The Moors could hold out for at least half a year by relying on the central mountain range.

Their overall national strength far surpasses that of Asturias in the north. Once they train a new field army, they might be able to switch from defense to offense and drive Alfonso back to the northwestern mountains while the Visigoths are still establishing themselves.

At the impromptu cabinet meeting, Vigé articulated his views:
The Visigoths achieved a resounding victory, but it was insufficient to reverse the balance of power. For the next few years, a stalemate is expected between the North and South, with neither side able to decisively defeat the other. Britain's best option is to remain neutral and not participate in this protracted and drawn-out war.

The Home Secretary stated, "If the Moors use trade as a threat..."

Vig: "I sent the navy out. I spent a lot of money to build the fleet to solve this kind of trouble. If you piss me off, I'll send the fleet to sweep along the coastline of the Iberian Peninsula."

Moreover, we recently found a new trading partner—the Idris dynasty of Morocco. The more profitable the business, the more people are vying to do it.

After concluding this discussion, Vigé presented a plan and announced the implementation of a new mobilization system:
Farmers in the twelve directly administered counties who own more than thirty acres of farmland are obligated to undergo military training for forty days each year, overseen by their respective towns.

During training, gentry with more than 200 acres of farmland were required to provide their own horses and serve as mounted messengers or scout riders.

Retired officers and soldiers under the age of 45 are transferred to the reserve force to serve as instructors for militia training.

When war breaks out, instructors select qualified farmers to form militia regiments to undertake combat missions.

The ministers circulated the plan, shocked by the king's determination.

The Prime Minister recalled the situation in the directly governed territories: 870,000 people, 135,000 households, of which 80,000 were farmers with more than 30 acres of farmland. What exactly did the King intend to do by organizing such a large group for military training? Vigé produced another document, which recorded the large-scale wars that had broken out in Europe over the decades.

"As time goes by, the intensity of the war is constantly escalating. The standing army of several thousand men is not enough to meet the demand, and we need more reserve personnel to deal with the increasingly dangerous situation."

Under the king's insistence, the cabinet was forced to accept, and countless documents were sent to the subordinate counties and towns like snowflakes, ordering local officials to complete the registration work as soon as possible and to be ready by October to organize militia training in each town.

On the other hand, the Viggs temporarily put aside their political affairs and devoted all their energy to preparing for their eldest son's wedding.

After careful consideration, the two chose the most suitable marriage partner—the Earl of Kent, whose youngest daughter was healthy, could read and write Viking, had a limited vocabulary of Latin, had no scandals, and met all the criteria.

Frode readily agreed to his parents' decision. He had met Ulf's youngest daughter and did not dislike her.

In mid-June, the royal family held a wedding at the Temple of Rendineum. To thank the king for his favor, the elderly Earl of Kent paid a dowry of up to £2,400, which greatly impressed the nobles who came to witness the ceremony.

In the crowd, Ulf's old nemesis Leonard muttered to himself:
"This old eel is really lucky. He was transferred from impoverished Liverpool to Kent and made a fortune through trade in Dover. He's even richer than me now."

The celebration lasted ten days and cost a total of £1,800. It was filled with all sorts of extravagant expenses, such as: when the carriages were paraded, servants were specially responsible for throwing silver pennies to the crowds on both sides of the road; a jousting tournament was held in the arena; the four theaters in the city were open for free, with the cost borne by the royal family; and beer and sugarcane wine were served at low prices in the taverns.

In addition, banquets are held daily at the palace, with invitees including nobles, civil officials, military officers, and merchants with knighthoods.

“In just ten days, Aberdeen County’s entire year’s revenue has been depleted. That’s too extravagant.” Vig felt a pang of heartache, but he did not deliberately cut back on spending.

From an outsider's perspective, the more expensive a royal wedding is, the more it demonstrates the power and authority of the royal family. Conversely, if the king is too frugal, it may weaken his influence among the nobility and the general public.

After the wedding, Vig arranged for his eldest son to go to a town in County Rendynewme to govern the area and gain administrative experience.

After graduating from military school, Frode originally thought he would be assigned to a military post and carefully compared the advantages and disadvantages of various units. Unexpectedly, he was assigned to a civilian position.

"Luton Town? What do you need me to do?"

"During the suppression of the Irish rebellion, you experienced the life of the grassroots troops. Now, observing the lives of civilians up close will be of great benefit to your future rule."

After reviewing the town's information, Frode accepted the appointment and left Rendinium with his new wife, a hundred guards, and more than twenty servants to take on his first official job as an adult.

(End of this chapter)