Vikings: Lords of the Ice Sea

Chapter 399 Peace Agreement
On May 25, Basil, accompanied by ten shield-bearing guards and a civil official, arrived at a small river at the border between the two armies, requesting a meeting with the Serpent of the North.

Vig sent men to investigate and confirmed that the other party was indeed Basil himself, who arrived at the riverbank with ten shield-bearing guards and a civil official.

Across the river, which was more than twenty meters wide, Vig greeted him in fluent Latin, “Long time no see, Your Majesty. Thirty years have passed, and it seems we have all found our place.”

Ivar, Vig, Gunnar, and others once traveled to Constantinople. In the hunting grounds outside the city, Vig and Basil had a duel before the emperor. Now, they meet again, both now emperors, a poignant reminder of their past.

Upon closer reflection, they were all from peasant backgrounds.

One of them, through military talent, fought for over thirty years, building a vast empire from scratch. The other, relying on exceptional interpersonal skills and political acumen, navigated various conspiracies and schemes, ultimately emerging victorious and usurping the supreme throne.

All of this has been really difficult.

Vig lowered his head, gazing at his reflection in the river. He could almost see a few gray hairs at his temples. Having come all the way from a remote rural village in Northern Europe, he was no longer young.

The conversation lasted for more than ten minutes, during which Vig offered an additional suggestion:
“Since you are unwilling to hand over the Frankish remnants, at least move them a bit further away, not to Italy or the Balkan border. In return, I will settle those prisoners in Britain so that they will not interfere with your rule.”

Basil agreed, and he had his civil servants travel back and forth across the river in small boats to draft two lengthy peace agreements. After confirming that there were no errors, both sides signed and sealed the agreements at the end, each keeping their own copy.

Thus, the war ended.

The second prince read the document written in Viking and Greek, saying, "It's a real pity that after a year of traveling, I haven't been able to see the sights of Rome."

Vig: "There's no need for that. In the fifth century AD, the Visigoths and Vandals took turns sacking Rome. Coupled with the effects of plague and famine, the city had already declined, with a population of only 40,000, which was less than that of Lentinium."

He believed that Rome represented the past, Constantinople the present, and Lentium the future. With the development of Western, Eastern, and Northern Europe, and the continued exploration of the New World, the scale of trade along the Atlantic would eventually surpass that of the Mediterranean.

In early June, Vigé set off for home, stopping in Genoa en route to meet with Italian merchants who had been captured during the war.

Northern Italy was too far from the empire's core, making governance too costly, so a feudal system was adopted as usual. In addition to the countdoms, he also considered establishing two more free imperial city-states to develop commerce.

A free city-state located on the eastern coast of Italy, Ravenna, was responsible for trade in the eastern Mediterranean.

Cannes, another city located on the French-Italian border, is responsible for trade in the western Mediterranean.

Although Venice had the best geographical conditions, it was not within Vig's considerations.

The reason is simple: the city's stance is unreliable, and Vig has no reason to direct trade resources to a city that is nominally neutral but actually biased towards the Eastern Roman Empire.

He had his guards distribute documents explaining the future business plans.

After the situation stabilized, goods from the New World, Northern Europe, and Britain were transported up the Seine River, traveled a distance by land, and then along the Saône and Rhône Rivers to the Mediterranean coast. Most of the goods were sold in the two free city-states.

Prior to this, the Empire already possessed two free city-states, the first being Visby on the island of Gotland, which served as a trading center in the Baltic Sea.

The second is Bayonne, located on the western side of the Pyrenees Mountains, situated on the Atlantic coast, whose sole function was to trade with the Visigoths and Moors.

The concept of free city-states originated from the free cities of the Holy Roman Empire. These cities were not ruled by any single noble family, but were directly governed by the emperor. They were normally governed by city councils composed of merchants, possessed numerous privileges, and also held seats in the Viking Council of Wise Men.
After hearing the emperor's explanation, the merchants were still skeptical and kept asking about various details, mentioning the Viking Empire's new technologies.

What they cared about most was the new type of sailing ship: with a large carrying capacity, superior wind and wave resistance, and fewer crew members than oared sailing ships with the same carrying capacity, it was an excellent means of transportation.

Vig slowly shook his head. "Gentlemen, don't push your luck. The Mediterranean is relatively calm, and our current galleys are sufficient. You have no need to worry about trade in the Atlantic."

The Empire enforces a Patent Law, which grants patents for two-masted and three-masted sailing ships to the Royal Family. No other power, except Britain itself, may imitate them without permission; any such ships discovered will be sunk immediately.

Similarly, new spinning machines, new dyeing processes, papermaking, printing, new iron smelting furnaces, and new glassmaking processes are also within the scope of patent protection. In the future, I may grant some patents to a certain city-state. However, if some people deliberately break the rules, don't blame me for being ruthless.

Vig ruled a vast and complex empire. He had to prioritize his core region—the eighteen counties of Britain, which possessed the most technologically advanced and profitable industries, such as textiles, iron smelting, and shipbuilding.

Secondly, there are the noble territories of Britain and the twenty counties on the south coast of the Channel. As long as this base is stabilized, no matter how chaotic other regions become, they will not be able to cause any major upheaval.

After the war ended, the expeditionary force gradually left northern Italy, but the Mediterranean fleet continued to expand, with the number of gunboats increasing to eight.

Yoren lit his pipe, puffing out smoke as he muttered a complaint under his breath. "Too late. If we had come six months earlier, we could have gone to the sea between southern Italy and Greece and harassed Basil's supply routes."

Suddenly, he asked Brigadier General Hadawa beside him, "After this battle, at least 8 to 10 counts will be enfeoffed. You should be among them. Do you have any fiefs you want?"

Hadawa gazed at the boundless blue sea, "I haven't decided yet, as long as it's by the sea, that's fine."

Yoren scratched his head. "Nice? Genoa? Or perhaps the eastern coast of northern Italy? If there's a fiefdom you want, go find His Majesty right away."

Having followed Vig for nearly thirty years, Yoren was familiar with the lord's thinking. For a long time to come, the empire was very likely to focus on domestic affairs. The upcoming fiefdoms were a final feast; if missed, such a good opportunity might never come again in this lifetime.

In mid-July, Vig returned to his loyal city of Londinium. After the ship docked, the Crown Prince and the Cabinet, as was customary, held a grand triumphal procession for him.

The golden carriage traveled along the main road, and after a while, a bustling construction site loomed ahead, almost completely blocking the street. Pedestrians and vehicles alike seemed to be flowing water encountering a reef, slowly navigating around it.

Vig asked in a puzzled tone, "What is this?"

The Prime Minister explained: "Your achievements surpass those of all the monarchs of our time. Nobles and merchants have decided to jointly fund the construction of a magnificent triumphal arch to commemorate all of this. Rest assured, not a single penny of the treasury has been spent."

Really? Vig was in a good mood, not having to spend his own money. He looked around the construction site with great interest and asked the project director for the blueprints.

The Arc de Triomphe was designed in a tripartite pattern, with a large central arch and smaller arches on either side. It is approximately 20 meters high and 25 meters wide.

Currently, the construction team is busy excavating the foundation. From a courtyard on the right side of the road, the clanging sound of chisels can be heard as craftsmen carve marble reliefs, which will later be placed on the building surface.

The project director explained that the construction of this spectacle is expected to take two years, and the best craftsmen in Britain have been recruited, with the civil engineering department of the University of London also assisting.

Vig: "Historical records show that Roman emperors and generals returned victorious, leading prisoners and spoils through triumphal arches. Why were their constructions so fast?"

Project Director: "Well, the Roman stone triumphal arch also takes a long time to build. When the general returned victorious, a temporary wooden arch was used. We're ready too, not far to the north."

After observing for a moment, Vig returned the drawings to the director and continued the grand but tedious ceremony.

Soon, a magnificent wooden archway appeared ahead, adorned with symbolic trophies, statues, and gilded wreaths. This held no interest for Viggo; he was now only interested in returning to his office recliner to sleep.

The triumphant march concluded when the emperor's carriage returned to the palace. The expeditionary force returned to their camp in the eastern suburbs, where the Ministry of War assessed their merits and pay, and then they were discharged in batches.

"After a busy year, things have finally calmed down."

Havel left the chores to his men and led a black horse laden with spoils through the east gate of Lundinium.

He was the fourth son of Harry, a wealthy merchant. His family was very rich, and their mansion was located in the most expensive West End, just three blocks away from the royal palace.

In the east of the city, the streets were filled with the lingering smell of alcohol, and many restaurants, theaters, and public bathhouses were offering half-price discounts to attract victorious soldiers, immersing the entire city in a rare atmosphere of jubilation.

The further west you go, the quieter it gets, and occasionally groups of detectives and military police walk by on the streets. At one intersection, Havelun was stopped by two military police in black. He didn't get angry, but obediently took out his identification from his pocket and told them his identity and purpose.

After confirming the cavalry colonel's identity, the military police saluted respectfully, "Sir, there are too many drunk and disorderly soldiers. The brothers are just conducting a routine check."

“I understand,” Havel put away his documents, led the black horse and continued walking, and then encountered two more checks.

More than ten minutes later, Havelun stood in front of the gate of his mansion. The fragrance of flowers wafted from behind the high wall, instantly calming his mood.

The next moment, the gatekeeper warmly greeted the young master, and Havel handed him the reins before walking straight into the courtyard.

The style of this high-class British mansion is modeled after Rome. In the center of the courtyard is a marble fountain inlaid with colorful mosaics, the water gurgling and making a clear, pleasant sound. The columns of the surrounding arcades are climbed by lush vines, and the flowerbeds are planted with large areas of irises, lavender, and Damask roses imported from the East.

"Such vibrant flowers, they must be expensive," Havelun muttered to himself. Just then, Harry jogged over and circled the young boy.

"You're not injured. It seems the money I donated to the temple worked. Come inside, I have something to tell you."

Back in the study on the second floor, Harry took out a bottle of his prized wine, and the father and son each poured a glass. Once seated, Harry couldn't wait to gather information.

"In your last letter, you claimed to have made great contributions in the final battle. What exactly happened?"

Havel finished his drink, but it wasn't satisfying enough. He got up, took a bottle of whiskey from the cabinet, bit off the cork, and briefly recalled what had happened.

At that time, many cavalrymen were attracted by the banner of Labran, which represented the Eastern Roman Emperor, but Havelun sensed something was wrong.

He let the conspicuous target go and gathered some members of the 4th Ranger Battalion to pursue them southward until that afternoon, when they caught up with more than two thousand Greek remnants.

Havel had his men gather scattered allies from the vicinity, successfully forcing the enemy to surrender, capturing two Eastern Roman generals, as well as more than two hundred high-value targets (nobles, civil officials, high-ranking priests, and court eunuchs), and also finding a large number of royal ceremonial items.

In the evening, he arranged for his men to send the prisoners back to the main camp, and then continued the pursuit. Before he knew it, he had captured the Duke of Naples in some roadside bushes.
"The operation continued into the second day, and based on the value of the prisoners, the 4th Ranger Battalion surpassed all the infantry regiments, mountain infantry battalions, and ranger battalions. His Majesty praised me to my face and temporarily promoted me to cavalry colonel."

Harry asked expectantly, "So, you have a chance to get a higher title this time?"

Before the campaign, Havelun was a baron, with his fief located in a remote part of Flanders. The annual income from the land was negligible, barely enough to cover their daily expenses. The key was the title, proving that Harry's family belonged to the nobility.

"Given His Majesty's attitude, I suspect he might be promoted to Earl."

Harry was enraged by his youngest son's attitude and slammed his fist on the table. "How can you say 'maybe' about something this important? There's a world of difference between a baron and an earl. In recent years, more than twenty barons and knights have been stripped of their titles, all for various petty matters."

In reality, the high-ranking nobles also had similar problems, but the emperor didn't pursue them too much. The privileges enjoyed by the high-ranking nobles far exceeded those of the lower-ranking nobles; as long as they weren't involved in rebellion, their other offenses were hardly considered a problem.

Harry owns a 30% stake in the Wool Merchant Guild, as well as various other businesses in different locations. For this project, he is willing to give up some of his shares in exchange for funds to make connections.

Havelun was shocked. "It can't be that bad, can it?"

Harry said firmly, "Being able to join the ranks of the great nobility is worth it. Don't be idle these days; meet up with your colleagues or former classmates. Don't be lazy; our family's wealth for the next few hundred years depends on this."

After an unknown amount of time, Havelun wearily walked out of the room. Outside were his three elder brothers, along with their wives, concubines, and children, and the atmosphere was slightly awkward.

Harry has always adhered to the principle of diversified investment. His four sons each have their own careers: the eldest son works at the headquarters of the Chamber of Commerce in Landineum, the second son does business in the Baltic Sea, the third son is a civil servant, and the fourth son is a soldier.

Surprisingly, the fourth son is the one who is doing the best. As the most dangerous ranger on the battlefield, he survived two major battles and is now on the verge of becoming a high nobleman. It is estimated that most of his family fortune will go to him.

(End of this chapter)