Vikings: Lords of the Ice Sea

Chapter 369 Western Mediterranean
July, Londeneume.

Upon receiving a letter from his second son, Vig opened it and read it, discovering that his situation was not bad.

In fact, the intelligence system had gathered information about Livonia in advance. The largest tribe only had two thousand people. If the second son still couldn't handle the enemy with such an advantage, Vig would have nothing to say.

Rubbing his sore eyes, he continued processing the remaining documents.

One of the letters came from Duke Douglas of Bavaria, which detailed the activities of the Kingdom of Moravia (roughly located near what is now Czechoslovakia).

Moravia, with a population of about 600,000, has long been coveted by East Frankish powers.

In order to protect themselves, the local monarch brought in missionaries from the Eastern Roman Empire in 863 AD, declared his conversion to Eastern Orthodoxy, and in exchange for Constantinople's aid and diplomatic support.

Not long ago, Douglas received news that a new Eastern Roman mission had arrived in Moravia, bringing with it more missionaries, artisans, and officers. It seems that Basil is continuing the previous dynasty's strategy of supporting this Central European nation.

With the acquisition of advanced technology from the Eastern Roman Empire, Moravia's strength would inevitably increase rapidly, and Douglas advised the emperor to take targeted preventative measures.

In the event of a surprise attack, Douglas would need at least six battalions of Rangers to support the Duchy's forces. He was confident that he could disrupt the kingdom's order and weaken their war potential.

In the event of a full-scale war of conquest, Douglas would need a field division, six garrison regiments, three thousand cavalry, and at least twenty thousand pounds in military expenses.

In addition, the letter also included a battle plan and corresponding marching routes.

"Interesting. This guy is simple-minded and physically strong, yet he found a young and shrewd wife. I guess this plan was dictated by that woman and written down by Douglas."

At first glance, the battle plan seemed feasible, but Vig was in no hurry to go to war. He wrote back to Bavaria, instructing the Duke to remain on the defensive.

Part of the reason was that the empire was short of funds and manpower, making it unsuitable for large-scale warfare.

On the other hand, the main inhabitants of the Moravian Kingdom were West Slavs who had practiced Slavic polytheism for many years. A sudden change of faith by the king would inevitably lead to a series of upheavals; in this situation, it would be more appropriate to send intelligence agents to disrupt their internal order.

"The fact that they could influence the situation in Moravia from hundreds of kilometers away shows that I underestimated the strength of the Eastern Roman Empire."

Thinking of this, Vig took out a secret report from the right drawer.

At the beginning of this year, an intelligence agent infiltrated Constantinople. This man, codenamed "White Bear," opened a fur trading post in the Viking quarter and was responsible for collecting various public information about the area.

After the trading post was on track, Agent White Bear sent back the first secret report via the Black Sea-Baltic Sea trade route. As a fur trader, he had no access to high-ranking people, and the report was filled with many rumors from the streets that were difficult to verify.

Vig had been reading this secret report repeatedly recently. What was certain was that the Eastern Roman Empire was dealing with a heretical rebellion within its borders; the situation was unclear, and it could continue for a long time, or the rebellion might have already been quelled.

"The report shows that most Greeks are hostile to me, and it is estimated that the Eastern Roman government shares the same view."

Vig had no intention of going to war with the Eastern Roman Empire. His core territory was the island of Britain, while the enemy's core territory was Greece and western Anatolia.

The straight-line distance between the two places is more than 2,400 kilometers. Whether by land or sea, Vig is powerless against Basil, and the same is true for the other side.

"Hopefully he will focus on dealing with the Abbasid Caliphate in the East and not interfere in the situation in Western Europe."

The next official document came from Provence on the northern coast of the Mediterranean. The Duke, frequently attacked by Moorish pirates, requested reinforcements from the Royal Navy. At the cabinet meeting the following day, Vieg ordered the formation of a Western Mediterranean Fleet, and the Minister of the Navy presented the fleet's capabilities.

"The Royal Navy has sixty large warships: eighteen three-masted sailing ships and forty-two two-masted sailing ships, plus some communications ships, transport ships, and offshore patrol vessels."

With the fall of the Franks, the size of the British Channel Fleet can be appropriately reduced. I suggest drawing nine ships from the fleet and three from the Canary Fleet to form the Western Mediterranean Fleet, with its home port at Toulon, more than forty miles east of Marseille.

Although Toulon is not as large as Marseille, its superior natural conditions make it an excellent deep-water port.

The Minister of Naval Affairs' plan received unanimous approval from the Emperor and the Cabinet, and was quickly implemented.

A week later, nine warships crossed the British Channel and sailed south along the coastline.

On July 25, the fleet replenished its freshwater supply in Lisbon and discovered a large number of abandoned siege weapons scattered outside the city, parts of the city walls were damaged, and all five watchtowers in the northeast corner had collapsed.

The local governor claimed that this was the third Visigoth attack on Lisbon, and he predicted that Alfonso would launch another attack next year, at which time the situation would be even more dangerous.

"Really? Good luck."

Colonel Hadawa didn't seem to have much of an opinion about this.

Times had changed. The empire conquered the Franks and rose to become the absolute hegemon of Western Europe. Regardless of the situation on the peninsula, the Moors and Visigoths dared not refuse the Viking ships' requests to dock.

In early August, Hadawat sailed to the Canary Islands, where he publicly read the Emperor's edict, drawing three of the best-preserved warships from the islands and appointing Baron Garros as the second commander of the Western Mediterranean Fleet.

Facing the unfamiliar and dangerous western Mediterranean, the entire fleet was filled with an eager excitement. They replenished their fresh water and food supplies and checked the sails and crossbows on board.

Two days later, the Mediterranean fleet sailed away from the dock. Nearly sixty years old, Hergi stood atop the castle, stroking the battlements, and gazing dejectedly at the vast expanse of sails disappearing into the distance.

Now, his energy has waned, and he is no longer suited to command naval operations. He can only stay in the castle reminiscing about the past, or ride a horse to inspect the sugarcane and vineyards on the island, facing the end of his life alone in the monotony of daily routine.

"This kind of life is really boring."

Ten days later, the fleet reached the Strait of Gibraltar.

The sky was a deep blue, and the sunlight poured down on the sea without reservation. The flagship, the Blue Parrot, cut through the deep blue water, leaving a long, gradually fading white trail.

Suddenly, five blurry dots appeared on the distant horizon; they were Moorish triangular sailing ships.

"Prepare for battle!"

The Blue Parrot issued a signal, and the remaining ships sprang into action. The crew uncovered the tarpaulins covering the ballistae, loaded stone projectiles, and aimed at the approximate location of the enemy ships.

The Moorish ships lingered for a moment, assessing the relative strengths of both sides, but ultimately did not approach, nor did they attempt any provocative actions. They simply watched silently as the fleet sailed eastward and disappeared where the sea met the sky.

(End of this chapter)