Vikings: Lords of the Ice Sea

Chapter 333 Niels

Two days later, Nils packed his belongings and prepared to sail to Crimea. He had accumulated gold and silver jewelry worth three thousand pounds, enough to support himself for the rest of his life.

"Sir, are you really leaving?"

On the parade ground, the Varangian guards spontaneously gathered to bid farewell to this renowned and legendary figure. Niels's gaze swept over the many faces. He had a lot to say, but he forcibly suppressed his inner excitement and silently led the heavily laden carriage away.

Behind him followed two hundred retired veterans, each carrying a huge package containing personal equipment and savings accumulated over many years of fighting, especially during the Bulgarian War, in which each Varangian guard received at least twenty pounds worth of valuables.

Along the way, the citizens curiously observed the group of barbarians, speculating that they might have been part of the Varangian Guard or were temporarily hired Rus's, but no one recognized the driver's identity.

Passing through the Perama Gate, the bustling Golden Horn Bay stretched out before them. Nils and his party approached the naval warships docked at the pier. After identifying themselves, the captain saluted respectfully: "It is my honor to serve you, General."

Suddenly, a large group of Ross mercenaries surged from not far away, clamoring to see Niels and requesting to settle in Crimea.

Niels looked puzzled: "Why?"

A burly man with a thick beard squeezed to the front. "Thanks to your command, the brothers have made a fortune. However, they have earned far too much money. Once they return to the tribe, they are very likely to be robbed by the chief or others. We have gathered together to discuss this and believe that you are the most trustworthy person."

After hearing about my past experiences, are you still willing to believe me?
Niels suddenly burst out laughing. He hadn't laughed so heartily in over a decade. After a few coughs, he accepted the more than six hundred mercenaries before him.

Niels asked the captain, "How many ships can the navy provide?"

"There are only six ships, capable of carrying three hundred people. Recently, pirates in the Aegean Sea have been rampant, severely disrupting the Empire's trade. His Majesty has sent most of the navy to suppress them. I suggest that these Rus' people hire civilian ships."

Niels took out a key, opened a copper chest, and took out a large bag of Nomisma gold coins (weighing about 4.48g, with a gold content of 95%), and ordered his men to hire ships as soon as possible.

"Remember, money is not an issue."

He had no interest in haggling, nor did he want to waste time in Constantinople; the longer it dragged on, the more likely the emperor would have other ideas.

At nine o'clock in the morning, the harbor officer sounded the horn, and the iron chain at the entrance of the bay sank underwater with a creaking sound from the winch. The captain announced that anchor should be raised and the oarsmen should set sail. The fleet slowly sailed out of Golden Horn Bay.

Niels stood at the stern, gazing at the golden dome of the Hagia Sophia as it receded into the distance, his expression complex.

"After years of hard work, I've earned three thousand pounds in retirement pension and a place to live. This trip wasn't in vain."

He turned and walked to the bow of the ship, gazing at the Bosphorus Strait ahead. Steep cliffs lined both banks, with the occasional country villas and vineyards of the wealthy on the west bank. On the east bank stood numerous monasteries, and one could almost hear the collective chanting of priests.

After a long while, we passed the last cape, and the scenery ahead suddenly opened up, with a vast and boundless gray-blue sea stretching as far as the eye could see. The wind and waves suddenly intensified, and the ship began to rock slightly.

The fleet sailed along the western coast of the Black Sea, occasionally encountering ships laden with slaves, who would be sold to Egypt, North Africa, and Iberia. The strong were concentrated and trained to become the "Sakariba Guard" (barbarian guard), the most trusted force of the Arab rulers, while the rest were relegated to the lowest ranks of slave labor, their lives ending in relentless toil. A week later, the fleet reached the mouth of the Danube River, its banks covered in swamps and forests, with smoke rising from the dense woods. The crew suspected it was a nomadic tribe's camp and took up arms, ready for action.

"It is said that a long time ago, the empire built many fortresses on the south bank of the Danube, which, together with the Danube River fleet, became the first line of defense for the Balkan Peninsula. How did they end up in such a state of disrepair?"

Niels complained for a long time, then realized that he was no longer a high-ranking official of the empire, but just a Nordic barbarian in his forties, and there was no need for him to waste his energy on Basil's cause.

Five days later, the fleet arrived at the Crimean Peninsula, where numerous Greek villages dotted the coast, grapevines grew on terraced hillsides, and monasteries sat atop mountains.

Sailing along the southwest coast, they reached Xeniso, a key trading hub for the empire on the northern shore of the Black Sea. Slaves and goods from the Eastern European steppes converged here, mainly beeswax, furs, grains, and wool, before being transported to Constantinople.

The outermost part of the port is a stone breakwater, with a towering lighthouse standing on the cape, where hundreds of ships of various sizes are moored.

After landing, Nils and the captain found the local military general and showed him the emperor's edict of investiture.

"Sudakso? Half a century ago, the Khazars Khanate plundered Crimea, and many settlements were abandoned. Sudakso was also abandoned, with only a dozen or so villages remaining nearby. My lord, you have distinguished yourself in battle and are fully qualified to choose a fiefdom in Bulgaria. Why did you choose this place?"

Niels: "I'm retired and just want to find a quiet place to spend my later years. I don't care if the area is bustling or not."

The fleet stayed in the area for three days to purchase livestock and various supplies before sailing to Sudakso.

This is an abandoned port town, its stone walls crumbling, overgrown with dense weeds. To the north lie rolling mountains, from which two small rivers flow south, converging to flow into the sea.

"With mountains to the north and the sea to the south, it's a great place to retire."

Niels directed his men to clear the ruins inside the walls and cultivate the wasteland outside the city. As time passed, the residents of the southern peninsula became accustomed to the presence of outsiders, and many farmers married their daughters to these wealthy retired veterans.

At a wedding, Nils caught a glimpse of the daughter of a Greek gentry in the crowd. He vaguely sensed a resemblance to Princess Eve in her and stood frozen in place, wondering if this was a dream he had repeated countless times.

Not long after, the two got married.

From then on, the renowned general settled down completely. He often strolled in the vineyard given to him by his father-in-law, where verdant vines intertwined and stubbornly climbed the trellis, just like those memories deeply buried in his past.

Holding a small pair of copper-handled shears, Nils slowly and attentively trimmed the excess branches. As he felt their vibrant vitality, an irreplaceable sense of peace flowed from his fingertips straight to the depths of his heart.

In the afternoons, Nils often went to the southwest hillside outside the city and leaned against a huge rock to bask in the sun. The mountain breeze and the scent of the sea mingled and tirelessly swept across the cliffs. In the distance, ships looked as tiny as floating weeds, struggling to move in the folds of the sea. Occasionally, a few birds would land beside him, keeping him company in his reverie. In this corner forgotten by the world, he finally found an indescribable peace.

(End of this chapter)