Vikings: Lords of the Ice Sea

Chapter 328 Large Order
Novgorod, the Royal Palace.

Rurik was greatly shocked upon learning of Vig's request: "With such a large number of warhorses, plus a number of nomadic mercenaries, how much money can Vig earn each year?"

Pascal Jr. remained calm. "It's a cabinet secret. I cannot disclose it."

From the count's tone and relaxed demeanor, Rurik vaguely saw the shadow of an Eastern Roman envoy—arrogant and disdainful, with a haughty air of looking down on the barbarians of the countryside!
However, given the disparity in strength between the two countries, the other side certainly has enough confidence.

Rurik's territory appeared vast, but the area surrounding Novgorod was filled with forests and swamps, with harsh winters and low crop yields, making it difficult to support a large population.

The land in the middle and lower reaches of the Dnieper River is fertile, but the Rus' tribes only nominally submit to him, paying a token amount of honey and grain each year, which is insufficient to meet the needs of the local garrison. Novgorod even has to pay them extra.

Overall, Rurik's finances depended on entrepot trade between the Black Sea, Eastern Europe, and the Baltic Sea. The Eastern Roman Empire controlled the Black Sea, while Britain controlled the Baltic Sea. If he offended either side, his business would collapse.

Rurik suppressed his anger and put on a kind smile: "Okay, I'll arrange it right away."

The Neva River estuary usually freezes in November, and there are less than four months left. In order to make this huge profit, Rurik organized a large fleet and personally went to Uruberg in the south.

Back when Niels was serving Rurik, he meticulously drew up a sketch of Uruberg.

The fortress was located on the west bank of the river, offering a wide view. Its main structure consisted of wooden walls, moats, towers, and four counterweight catapults. It was normally garrisoned by 500 soldiers and served as Rurik's military stronghold in the middle reaches of the Dnieper River.

Through the merchants' channels, Rurik contacted the Pecheneg tribe on the east coast and proposed to purchase another batch of warhorses.

Five days later, the two sides agreed to negotiate.

The early autumn sun hung high in the sky, and the wide surface of the Dnieper River shimmered dazzlingly in the heat. The air was thick with the fishy smell of the river steaming. On the eastern bank, the boundless grasslands swayed and shimmered in the heat, stretching all the way to the horizon.

Rurik, in a longboat, anchored thirty paces from the eastern shore. On the bank, a dozen or so armored horsemen surrounded a nomadic chieftain, who muttered a few words, which the translator loudly relayed as his question:

Why do you need so many horses?

Rurik: "You're mistaken. I can't afford to keep these warhorses. The real buyer is the King of Britain—the Serpent of the North. We need to deliver them before winter arrives, or it will be too late!"

The Pecheneg chieftain remained uneasy, repeatedly questioning Rurik's true intentions, fearing he wanted to build a cavalry force to wipe out the nomadic tribes in the middle and lower reaches of the river. Rurik's patience wore thin, and he uttered a harsh threat:

"If you don't sell, I'll immediately find other tribes to buy warhorses. There are plenty of horses on the grasslands. Don't waste my time!"

The nomadic people lived a harsh life, constantly struggling on the poverty line. If this deal were struck, no one in their tribe would starve to death in the winters to come. The chief agreed to sell the horses and to allow his people to become mercenaries for Britain.

Initially, the price of hiring nomadic herders was very low, but the Eastern Roman Empire's recruitment of large numbers of barbarian armies caused mercenary prices to skyrocket. In addition to the mercenary's own wages, employers also had to pay the chieftain a referral fee of two pounds of silver per person.

Rurik looked at Pascal, who slowly said, "Money is not a problem. The mercenaries cannot be too old, and they must be able to shoot arrows on horseback."

Rurik explained, “No problem. Nomads are used to life on horseback. As long as they are equipped with light armor and iron weapons, they will definitely be qualified light cavalry.” For the next two weeks, the two sides exchanged goods in small batches every day. Rurik’s oar-powered longboat went to the east bank to transport grain, wine, iron pots and iron ingots, and took away horses and some solemn-faced nomads.

Before setting off, the chief briefly introduced the situation in Britain, explaining that the journey between the two places was long and there was almost no chance of returning home. But these nomads had no choice. Most of them were the second sons in their families, and the flocks of sheep accumulated by their fathers could only support their elder brothers' families. If they were to split into two or more parts, all the brothers would starve to death. It was better to go out and take a chance.

The news spread, and nearby nomadic tribes came uninvited, selling their horses and young men, and soon enough horses were gathered.

"So many horses and over two hundred mercenaries, this is troublesome."

Little Pascal ignored these complaints. “Your Majesty, this is something you should be concerned about. The navy is buying steppe horses at the mouth of the Neva River for two pounds each. The fewer horses lost along the way, the more profit you will make.”

Rurik: "Will there be any horse trade next year?"

Little Pascal, unaware of his king's thoughts, hesitated before replying, "In addition to the rangers' mounts, we also need enough horses to breed in the military horse farms. It is highly likely that we will continue to purchase more next year."

Rurik: "If the Bulgarian war ends, the price of mercenaries will drop, so I suggest you hire more people next year."

The more warhorses and able-bodied men the Pecheneg tribe lost, the less of a threat they posed. Rurik only asked Vig to expand the scale of trade so that these nomads could wreak havoc on others.

In October, Rurik transported the horses and mercenaries to the mouth of the Neva River. The forest was desolate, with birch leaves falling softly, while the fir trees stood tall and dark, with occasional frost flowers condensing among their needles.

The river was filled with all kinds of ships: old-fashioned hullboats, the two-masted sailing ships popular with the British Navy, and the newly built three-masted sailing ships. Everywhere, the white sails were so prominent that they almost obscured the view of the river.

"What a big battle."

Rurik guessed that these ships, carrying at least five thousand soldiers, would give them an overwhelming advantage over the rulers of Northern and Eastern Europe.

Suddenly, a large group of naval officers dressed in black uniforms and wearing tricorn hats rushed to the scene. The fleet admiral in the lead was Earl of Winchester, Jørgen, who handed Rurik the list of supplies for the occasion.

"Your Majesty, this is the grain, wine, iron ingots, and other supplies brought by the fleet. How many steppe horses do you have?"

Rurik: "Nine hundred and thirty horses, two hundred and twenty-eight mercenaries."

Yoren took the mercenary roster, looked through the names and ages of the nomads, and instructed his subordinates to handle the delivery of supplies.

In addition to the payment for this shipment, Britain also paid a deposit in advance to allow Rurik to recruit nomads and purchase 300 steppe horses, which will be transported to the Neva River estuary next April.

"Vigg has always insisted on the principle of 'cash on delivery,' so why is he willing to pay a deposit? What exactly is he planning to do with such an urgent need for horses?"

Rurik's eyes flickered, and he wisely refrained from probing the other party's secrets.

(End of this chapter)