Vikings: Lords of the Ice Sea

Chapter 331 Prevention
In early 867 AD, in a valley in central Bulgaria.

As the sun set and ravens circled overhead, a thick stench of blood filled the air. Eight thousand bodies lay scattered among the jagged rocks, the vast majority of them Bulgarian soldiers. Broken spears and flagpoles pierced the leaden sky like thorns.

At the valley entrance, a red military flag suddenly flew up, and the heavily armored Varangian guards parted to the sides like a tide, clearing the central passage. Commander-in-chief Niels rode slowly, his left hand gripping the reins, his right hand holding the "Ice Lake" sword high, his scarlet cloak fluttering in the autumn wind.

"Nils! Nils!"

No one knows who started it, but a roar rose from the bottom of the valley. Infantrymen slammed their weapons against their shields, and nomadic riders let out sharp screams. The shouts of more than eight thousand people crashed against the cliffs, startling the surviving Bulgarian wounded soldiers who huddled in the pile of corpses, trembling.

Once the shouts subsided, Niels issued an order: a small number of men were left to clear the battlefield, capture prisoners, and treat the wounded, while the remaining troops continued their attack, heading straight for Veliko Tarnovo, a major town in central Bulgaria.

Currently, Basil's army has penetrated into the southern region, and Serbs from the Balkans have also been hired, with tens of thousands crossing Bulgaria's northwestern border. Besieged on three sides, Bulgaria's situation is extremely precarious. If Niels captures Veliko Tarnovo, it will be powerless to retaliate.

Two days later, Nils led the vanguard to Gran Telwono, and based on his first impressions alone, he realized that his expectations had been too optimistic.

Before us lay a hill surrounded on three sides by a swiftly flowing river, with only one road leading into the town. The town was built on the hillside, with residential areas distributed in an irregular, terraced pattern along the slope, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack.

A stone fortress stands atop the hill, which, according to records, is a remnant of the Roman Empire.

Niels found a high point and carefully observed the surrounding terrain, discovering that the town's location was too cleverly chosen, practically flawless.

"Oh no, I reckon we'll be stuck in this wretched place for a while." Even with his extensive experience in battle, he still sighed. A direct assault would result in too high a cost, so the only option was to send troops to besiege the area for an extended period.

Excluding the 5,000 soldiers stationed in the rear, his field forces included 4,000 Ross mercenaries, 2,000 nomadic riders, and 2,000 Varangian heavy infantry, totaling 8,000 men.

Niels set up camp outside the city and wrote to Basil, describing the predicament on the eastern front and requesting to bypass Veliko Tarnovo and join forces with the main force as soon as possible.

Three days later, a group of riders arrived at the camp. They congratulated Nils on his glorious victory on behalf of the emperor, and at the same time requested that he besiege the town to prevent the remaining enemy from spreading to other areas and becoming the source of future turmoil.

"There are still 2000 to 3000 people left in the city, which means that 6,000 people need to be deployed to besiege it. With the remaining 2,000 soldiers, it will be difficult for me to play a significant role in the future."

Niels requested reinforcements, but the messenger refused, saying, "There has been unrest on the eastern border. The emperor has cancelled the plan to conscript peasant soldiers. I'm sorry, General, you cannot obtain more troops."

Niels' request to hire Rus' soldiers was again rejected. After a year and a half of war, Basil had deployed 45,000 soldiers and had to pay for all military expenses incurred by Serbia. The Eastern Roman Empire was under immense financial pressure and unable to expand its army.

"My original plan was to advance westward and meet up with the Emperor in western Bulgaria. If we were trapped in Veliko Tarnovo, the war was expected to drag on for a long time."

After patiently listening to Nils's complaints, the envoy maintained his smile and said, "General, the Emperor is trying to find a way to conquer this place."

During his twenty years as a slave, Basil developed an exceptional ability to read people and was extremely adept at understanding their thoughts and feelings. During the war, in addition to commanding operations, he personally wrote letters to the Bulgarian nobles, using coercion, enticement, and divide and conquer to disrupt the enemy's plans from within.

Based on intelligence from various sources, Basil found the weakness of the garrison commander of Veliko Tarnovo and sent a troop of elite cavalry deep into western Bulgaria, successfully capturing the commander's family and using them to coerce him into surrendering.

This action was devoid of any glory, yet its effects were immediate.

Two weeks later, in the dead of night, the garrison commander secretly opened the city gates, surrendering the heavily fortified town and extinguishing the kingdom's last hope.

After capturing towns, Nils led his troops westward, defeating enemy forces along the way. In mid-February, after a year and a half of war, he saw the emperor again.

With this, Bulgaria had lost all its field troops, leaving only a few strategically located castles to resist. The outcome was decided, and Basil had won the war. When the news reached Constantinople, a few astute civil officials began preparing a triumphal procession to curry favor with the emperor.

At the end of February, after a nobleman's surrender ceremony, the emperor held a banquet and publicly praised Nils's achievements.

"General, your bravery and strategy have exceeded everyone's expectations, including mine. According to the original plan, the Eastern Front troops were responsible for harassing and containing the enemy. You did this brilliantly, even defeating the Bulgarian field army with the weaker forces, which greatly accelerated the progress of the war."

The candlelight flickered, filling the entire castle hall with light. The emperor himself poured wine for Nils, and the other generals and eunuchs hurriedly echoed his praises, filling Nils' heart with a sense of intoxication.

The Emperor spoke again: "The position of Domestikos ton Scholon has been vacant for a long time. Are you interested?"

(Domestikos ton Scholon, the highest military rank in the Eastern Roman Empire during this period, can be understood as Grand Marshal, theoretically in charge of all field troops in Constantinople and the surrounding area.)
The cheers in the castle hall subsided, and the crowd displayed a variety of expressions. It was truly beyond their imagination to have a Nordic barbarian in this position.

A gust of cold wind swept into the hall, and instantly, Niels became highly alert. Having experienced too much, his political acumen had sharpened, and he decisively refused the coveted title.

Basil pressed further, "What do you want?"

Niels put down his glass and gave an answer that surprised everyone:
“A peaceful life. Thirty-four years have passed since I joined Ragnar on the first raid. Britain, West Frankish, Denmark, Sweden, Eastern Europe, Constantinople, Bulgaria—my life has spanned most of Europe, filled with endless battles. Now I am tired and just want to find a secluded place to spend my old age in peace.”

He asked for a map, and Basil gave him a wink, at which point two nearby eunuchs unfurled a finely crafted parchment scroll.

Niels's gaze darted around, pointing to the farthest corner of the scroll, to the Crimean Peninsula on the northern shore of the Black Sea.

“Yes, this is it. If you would be willing to grant me a piece of wasteland so that I and my old and frail brothers can live out our old age, it would be perfect.”

(End of this chapter)