Vikings: Lords of the Ice Sea

Chapter 326 Transfer Order
After resting overnight at the tavern, Salomon went to the market the next day to gather information. On the way, he vaguely saw a familiar face, as if he had seen it somewhere before.

No, I can't stay here anymore.

Salomon changed his plans at the last minute, leaving Brest overnight and returning to the landing point along the same route. Five days later, at night, a faint light flickered on the sea, and the two rowed a small boat to meet up.

"Password?"

A question arose from the ship's side. Salomon looked up and saw a dozen figures carrying light crossbows, the tips of the bolts reflecting the moonlight.

Salomon replied, "The raven flew five times around the oak tree."

With the correct password, the two successfully boarded the two-masted sailboat and went into the cabin to rest. The ship rocked gently, but they slept soundly, so much so that they missed breakfast the next day.

In the morning, Salomon came to the ship's side. The sun generously shone on the sea, warming the deck and making it slightly hot to the touch. The ship rose and fell steadily in the waves, with the lush and winding coastline of Frank on the left.

Instead of returning directly to Jersey, the brig sailing ship cruised along the Frankish coast, carrying out patrol missions.

A slightly relaxed atmosphere permeated the deck. Five sailors huddled in the shade of the stern deck, patiently repairing a spare triangular sail, their fine needles, threaded with linen, deftly weaving through the thick canvas.

Two fourteen-year-old reserve officers lay on the port side, scanning the receding coastline. Occasionally, they would take out paper and pen to jot down landmarks that could serve as reference points, such as a church perched high on a cliff, a charred fishing village, or a vast vineyard.
Using these reference points, ships can accurately determine their location and adjust their course and speed accordingly.

After an unknown amount of time, the lookout's voice came over: "There are two single-masted fishing boats to the southwest."

Upon hearing the commotion, the first mate took over the helm and instructed the crew to adjust the sails and quickly approach the two Frankish fishing boats.

Realizing there was no way to escape, the fishing boat stopped in place, and someone hung a black triangular flag high on the mast, with two North letters and four numbers written on it.

A two-masted sailing ship approached, its crew holding loaded crossbows, aiming down at the fishermen. Then, a group of Viking sailors approached the fishing boat in small boats.

The fishing boat had six fishermen on board, and the hold was piled high with barrels of herring. There were no contraband items. The officer in charge pulled out a notebook and asked, "You haven't paid taxes this quarter. Pay them now?"

"This is our tax." Captain Frank pulled out two Denier silver coins, the latest inferior coins issued by "Bald" Charles, with about 40% less silver content than during Charlemagne's time.

"not enough!"

Upon hearing the officer's words, Captain Frank, with a mournful face, took out another silver coin. The officer used a tool to cut off one-third of it and handed the remaining coin back to him.

The officer then wrote out a tax payment receipt, including the date, location, his name, and the warship he belonged to. "Remember to keep it safe."

Captain Frank smiled ingratiatingly: "Understood, I know the rules."

The Viking sailors rowed their small boat toward another fishing vessel, which was not flying a black flag. Upon further questioning, the officer learned that the fishing vessel had been completed in May and had not yet been registered with the British Navy.

"Registration fee, and this quarter's taxes." The officer demanded silver coins, then handed the other a black triangular flag with a number printed on it.

Opening the logbook, the officer noted the new fishing boat's dimensions, type, and owner's name after the number, and then proceeded with a long list of instructions. Having finished everything, the Viking rowed back to the brig, while Salomon lay on the gunwale, calmly observing everything.

The Franks completely lost control of the seas, forcing their fishing boats to register with the British Navy and pay quarterly taxes. Occasionally, the fishermen would also sell the Vikings information that was difficult to verify.

The ships continued their patrols up to the northern coastline of Iberia.

On their return journey, as they passed the mouth of the Garonne River, they encountered a Coke ship flying the French flag. The Coke ship was so frightened that it immediately turned around and fled into the river.

The brig abandoned the pursuit and returned to Jersey along the coastline. After landing, Salomon found the Blackfish Inspector in charge of the Brittany branch and submitted his reconnaissance report, which truthfully recorded everything he had seen, without exaggeration or concealment.

Salomon guessed that the intelligence system had at least twenty agents operating in Brittany, and if the information he provided was problematic, the higher-ups would find out quickly.

After the report concluded, Inspector Blackfish announced some good news:

Last year, Salomon submitted a method for using seaweed fertilizer, which, after being promoted on a small scale in coastal areas, yielded excellent results. Agriculture and Education Minister Kemi Wildfire was very satisfied and invited Salomon to take a position in the central government of Rendinium.

“Yes, of course I would. Brittany is now filled with Frankish knights, I simply can’t stand being there for even a day longer.”

Salomon accepted the order and two days later sailed back to Rendynewm, the city he had longed for.

"Haha, I'm finally back."

Feeling the city's hustle and bustle, Salomon walked briskly down the pier. Not far away, a treadmill crane was hoisting bundles of beaver pelts, as well as more valuable fox and bear pelts.

"My old hat had a big hole from being eaten by moths, so it's time to get a new beaver hat."

Björn developed trade in the New World, and more and more furs and animal fats were imported into Britain, exceeding market demand. As a result, fur prices continued to fall, making them affordable for the lower classes.

Salomon also heard that some of the furs were resold to the Moors, who then sold them to the Eastern Roman Empire and Italy. Despite the hostile relationship between the two sides, the flow of goods was not hindered.

Similarly, smuggling also existed between Britain and the Franks, including goods that Frankish nobles desperately needed, such as whale oil candles, furs, and paper.

For example, the hundreds of whale oil candles used in Prince Charles's baptism at the Church of Saint-Denis came from Greenland. The indigenous people hunted whales, extracted the oil, sold it to Bjorn, and then transported it to Britain to be made into whale oil candles, which then entered Paris through a complex sales network.

On the other hand, British nobles also enjoyed white truffles from northern Italy and fine wines from the Frankish. Although the Canary Islands produced a steady supply of wine, the nobles felt that the taste was not authentic enough and far inferior to genuine red wines from Bordeaux and Burgundy.

Leaving the dock area, Salomon headed west along the main road. Since the transfer involved interdepartmental travel, he needed to go to the Administrative Affairs Department to complete the necessary procedures.

Cod Street, near the Royal Palace, is where the headquarters of various administrative departments are located. Salomon wandered around and found the courtyard at No. 2 Cod Street, where a three-story stone main building stood, its exterior gray, seemingly in the uniform style of Cod Street.

(End of this chapter)