Vikings: Lords of the Ice Sea

Chapter 316 Small Town
On his way to his new post, Frode recalled relevant information:

With the influx of immigrants, the population of County Lundinome grew to 90,000, with 65,000 scattered across the countryside, governed by eight towns. Luton, with its 8,000 inhabitants, was flat and free from the threat of bandits and pirates, and was expected to be an easy job.

The following day at noon, a small settlement appeared ahead of the road, consisting of about 130 houses surrounded by an oak fence to protect against wild animals and sporadic bandit attacks.

Inside the fence, residents along the way curiously observed the red cloaks of the Imperial Guards and the tall, sturdy mounts beneath them.

At this moment, a middle-aged bald man hurriedly emerged from the crowd and knelt on one knee in front of the crown prince. The remaining townspeople, unaware of the young man's identity, also knelt down.

"Who are you?" Frod, on horseback, leaned down slightly and, upon learning that the man was the former mayor Sanchez, asked him to lead the way to the official residence.

"Your Highness, why are you the one to take over this position?"

"This is my father's wish, and I only received the notification two days ago."

Frode dismounted and, holding the reins, followed the former mayor's retreating figure. After only a few steps, his belted robe was splattered with mud. Having experienced marching in Ireland, Frode was used to this kind of soft, muddy dirt road and wasn't particularly surprised.

The two entered a courtyard. Directly opposite was the Viking Longhouse, used for the mayor's daily office and rest. On the left and right sides were rows of wooden houses that could accommodate more than thirty people.

Where did the remaining Imperial Guards live?
Frode temporarily ignored the problem and asked Sanchez to hand over the work. Without hesitation, Sanchez took out more than ten books from a locked wooden box.

First, there are the warehouse ledgers, which record the grain and mill usage fees paid by all the residents of the town.
Frode: "According to protocol, my first task upon taking office is to inventory the stock?"

Sanchez nodded. "Yes. But there's no need for that. I wouldn't dare deceive His Highness the Crown Prince."

Frode scratched his head and decided to follow the rules. The two walked out of the back door of the longhouse, and dozens of meters away stood a tall and spacious stone barn with a steep roof covered with many terracotta tiles.

The barn's arched door was four meters wide and could accommodate a heavily loaded wagon. Frode went inside and saw tall oak pillars and beams supporting the roof, with piles of wheat, oats, and other grains forming small mountains.

Narrow holes were left in the walls on both sides to promote air circulation and prevent the grain from getting moldy. A gray cat was taking a nap in one of the holes.

After spending a considerable amount of time, Frode roughly estimated the inventory of various grains. "Is all the summer agricultural tax here?"

Sanchez turned to a page in the ledger. “The villagers owe nine hundred bushels of wheat and three hundred bushels of oats. This is the information of the tax defaulters. The most hateful one is this Lawrence. He often defaults on his taxes because of his knighthood, and he likes to use inferior grain to make up the difference.”

Seizing the opportunity, Sanchez launched a scathing attack on the old knight. He had received excellent performance reviews during his tenure and was about to be transferred to Londinium, so he didn't care about the other party's retaliation.

Frode interjected, "A knight's fiefdom doesn't require agricultural tax, so he has additional land?"

“Yes, in addition to the 1,000 acres of land granted to him, he has been acquiring real estate in recent years, accumulating 700 acres of farmland and 200 acres of grassland, almost doubling his previous size.”

After they finished, the two returned to the lord's longhouse, where Frode looked through the remaining books, which contained information on the residents and property of various villages.

Currently, Luton comprises 14 settlements, 8,300 people, and 1,200 households. More than half of the families own over 30 acres of farmland, and under the newly enacted law, these families are required to provide one adult male to participate in militia training.

“Organizing training for 600 people, this is going to be troublesome.” Frode was very worried about the expenses for accommodation and food during the training camp, feeling that his father’s policy was too hasty.

The royal fleet now controls the Baltic Sea, the North Sea, and the British Strait; looking across the entire Atlantic, the navy finds no rival. The Minister of the Navy is also preparing to establish a Southern Fleet, based in the Canary Islands, with future plans to enter the western Mediterranean and expand the kingdom's sphere of influence.

The kingdom held absolute maritime supremacy and had no need to worry about foreign invasion. Even if Charles the Bald mobilized an army of 30,000 or even 50,000, he still would not be able to set foot on the British coast.

Frode's mind raced.

"Instead of spending huge amounts of manpower and resources organizing militia training, it would be better to invest all the resources into the navy, storm into the western Mediterranean, seize one of the Balearic Islands, and use it as the base for the Mediterranean Fleet."

Although Frode spent his teenage years at an army school, for some reason, he identified more with naval ideals, especially the pronouncements of a naval instructor published in the newspaper—controlling the seas meant controlling trade. Controlling trade was tantamount to controlling the world.

"Perhaps I should write to my father and persuade him to allocate more resources to the navy."

After a long while, hunger brought Frode back to his senses. The servants had already prepared a table of food and wine. He and Sanchez had lunch and then continued the handover.

In the evening, the two signed the handover documents, signifying that Frode had officially become the mayor of Luton.

The next morning, Frode was awakened from his sleep by a commotion. He went out of the lord's longhouse and saw that the backyard was full of wagons transporting grain. An old knight in chainmail was dozing against the barn. At the prompting of his attendant, the old knight quickly rushed to Frode and bowed.

"Your Highness, this is the tax I owe. Please check it."

Frod walked to the carriage; the sack contained plump, golden wheat grains, free of any grass or twigs. Having inspected it, Frod yawned, unlocked the door, and had the grain stored in the warehouse.

Upon seeing his name crossed out, Knight Lawrence pressed further, "Your Highness, did the former mayor spread rumors about me?"

Frode did not reply, and Lawrence realized the situation was dire, so he quickly recounted his past exploits. He claimed that he became the king's shield guard in 845 AD, fought countless battles, and was finally knighted in 858 AD. He continued to serve the royal family thereafter, and his two sons also served in the army.
The trouble lies here: this man is an old brother who has followed his father for twenty years. It is difficult for Frode to pursue the matter with such a "minor" matter as tax arrears. If the matter escalates, it will easily reduce the royal family's goodwill among the nobility.

"Knight, I have never doubted your loyalty."

The crown prince forced a smile, invited Lawrence into the house for drinks, got him completely drunk, and then had his guards carry him to a carriage to take him back to his own estate.

Watching the carriage disappear into the distance, Frode's new wife complained. "Twenty years of fighting, and he only got knighted. After conquering Ireland, His Majesty made forty barons, and then a second batch. This guy claims to have a rich resume, but he's not as good as those who joined later. He's a complete scoundrel."

Frode glanced at her. "Stop talking. This is beyond my ability to handle. What's the point of saying all this?"

Suddenly, the neighing of horses rang out again outside the courtyard. Frode went to investigate and found several other gentry or farmers who were in arrears with their taxes, and the grain they were paying was of excellent quality. Clearly, although these people were greedy, they wouldn't be foolish enough to offend the Crown Prince.

　Thank you to reader "Nine Suns Walking in the Dark" for the generous donation.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)