Vikings: Lords of the Ice Sea

Chapter 319 Another Choice

On July 20th, the intelligence chief, Gwen, met with the king and brought important news.

After Michael III killed the co-ruling emperor Bardas, he appointed his court favorite Basil to inherit the title.

Niels remained the commander of the Varangian Guard and was also given an honorary title that was quite difficult to pronounce.

"A sword-wielding bodyguard? It seems Nils is doing quite well. Rurik's expulsion of him back then was actually a case of doing good for someone with bad intentions."

At this moment, in Constantinople, Nils is facing a crucial choice.

He looked up at the drifting white clouds, the eunuch's questioning echoing in his ears.

“My lord, do not hesitate any longer. Basil has always regarded you as his closest brother. He has promised that he will not treat you unfairly after the matter is accomplished.”

Give me a little more time to think.

Niels was in a state of turmoil. He had barely managed to weather the storm of the previous year, but now another coup had occurred. Moreover, he had no way to avoid it and had been invited by Basil to join his camp in launching a conspiracy against Emperor Michael III.

With Odin above, the Roman coups were far too frequent.

Initially, Michael III used Baldas to eliminate the power of the Queen Mother and the powerful minister Dioctestos.

Last year, Michael III used Basil to eliminate Bardas's power.

Just one year later, Michael III and Basil became suspicious of each other, and Constantinople faced another bloody and brutal internal struggle.

"Okay, I agree."

Niels had no other choice; if he refused the invitation, he probably wouldn't be able to leave the palace.

"Congratulations on choosing to stand on the side of the victors." The eunuch led Nils out of the palace and towards the Varangian Guard's camp.

As the sun set, most of the soldiers were eating and showering when they heard the order to assemble in an emergency. They rushed to the parade ground to gather.

"Gentlemen, I have received a decree that the remnants of Baldas are plotting a rebellion. The Emperor (Michael III) has ordered us to arrest the following individuals; those who dare to resist will be executed without mercy."

Upon hearing this, the junior officers and soldiers were overjoyed. Last year, they had made a fortune eliminating Baldas's followers. Unexpectedly, Baldas's remnants remained in the city; it was their turn to make money again.

However, the treasurer Titus and the two senior centurions had subtle expressions. The people to be arrested were all Michael III's confidants, and the emperor could not possibly issue such an order.

The only possibility is that the edict was forged by the co-ruling emperor, Basil.

Just as Titus was about to say something, he suddenly caught a glimpse of the cold look in the eunuch's eyes and stood silently in place.

Time passed, and two thousand soldiers awaited the order to attack on the parade ground. The summer night was sweltering and windless, and their linen shirts were soaked with sweat. From time to time, a shrill scream echoed from the surrounding area.

Around 8 p.m., another eunuch brought Basil's latest instructions—to act immediately.

Niels wiped the sweat from his brow and led his troops out of the camp, marching along the street to Theodosius Square. Nearby residents sensed the danger and quickly closed their doors and windows and blew out their lights.

Coincidentally, another group appeared on the west side of the square. The two sides faced each other in the dim moonlight. After waiting for half a minute, a shout came from the other side: "Are you rebels?"

Niels quickly replied, "No, the Varangian Guard has always been loyal to the Emperor. Whom are you loyal to?" "The same, we are loyal to the Emperor."

Taking into account the sentiments of the lower-ranking soldiers, the commanders on both sides claimed to be loyal to the emperor and were ordered to suppress the rebels.

After a few more minutes of stalemate, two figures emerged from the opposite side. Seeing this, Nils and the imperial messenger Batitas stepped forward to meet them. In the shadow of the marble columns in the square, the two sides probed each other repeatedly, confirming that they were both on Basil's side.

"Our mission is to control Theodosius Square, Constantine Square, and the Hagia Sophia. What is your mission?"

Niels: "Clearing out the mansions of 'Bardas' henchmen."

"You guys are really lucky to have been assigned such a good job."

"Don't worry, Basil won't treat you unfairly," Niels patiently echoed, then returned to his ranks. The next moment, the troops on the west side of the square parted to allow the Varangi Guard to pass.

"As per the previous plan, teams of one, two, three, and four hundred men will proceed."

Niels divided the two thousand soldiers into three groups, each heading to their respective destinations. He himself led eight hundred soldiers who were close to him, continuing westward along the main road.

Soon, they encountered another group of unidentified armed men. The eunuch who delivered the order climbed onto a nearby carriage, and after recognizing the leader, he screamed, "Kill him!"

Upon receiving the order, the front-line Varangian warriors instinctively swung their giant axes and cleaved into the enemy ranks. The enemy's chainmail and lamellar armor could not withstand the blows of the giant axes and collapsed in less than five minutes.

The surviving enemies fled into the deep alleys, and the Varangian Guard did not pursue them. They leaned against the blood-stained walls, panting heavily, and bandaged their wounds with linen.

The eunuch Battitas, suppressing his urge to vomit, carefully examined the leader's corpse, removed a ruby ​​ring from his right hand, and explained it to Nils.

"This is a token, not a spoil of war that I am deliberately trying to take from you."

Niels paid no heed to this trivial matter. After a brief rest, he led his troops to the first mansion. The mansion's gate was too sturdy to be breached by his two-handed axe, so Niels had to go around to the back door and have his soldiers scale the wall into the backyard to eliminate any resistance in this luxurious mansion.

After catching his breath, Batistas urged, "Don't waste time, the battle is not over yet, the enemy could counterattack at any moment!"

“Understood,” Niels said, assigning a hundred men to care for the wounded, guard the prisoners and treasure, before heading to the next location.

After a busy night, as dawn broke in the east, Constantinople welcomed a new day amidst fear.

With his exceptional ability to plot, Basil eliminated Michael III's power in just one night and took control of the city the world coveted.

At noon, he summoned the city's dignitaries to the Hagia Sophia Cathedral. In the presence of the crowd, he and his wife Eudoxus received the Patriarch's blessing and announced the abolition of Michael III's throne.

The moment Basil donned the crown, the crowd whispered among themselves, discussing the new emperor's past and feeling that his humble origins severely lacked legitimacy.

As is well known, Basil was born into a peasant family in the Macedonian mountains. As a child, he was abducted to Bulgaria, but at the age of twenty-four, he escaped back to the Eastern Roman Empire and became a groom for a nobleman. Later, he gained the favor of a noblewoman and eventually caught the eye of Michael III, becoming a close advisor to the emperor.

On the edge of the church, Nils reflected on the life of his new master and was deeply moved.

"After fifty-three long years, he rose from a mountain farmer to become the supreme ruler of the Eastern Roman Empire. Did he truly receive divine favor?"

(End of this chapter)