Being a Viking Isn’t Fun – Chapter 26

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Shio
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The turning point of this siege was every moment.

For three long days, the Northumbrian army had poured all their efforts into this space where a wicked spell made each hour feel like a day.

No matter how good or evil they were, or which god they believed in, the cold iron weapons showed no consideration for such trivial human circumstances and impartially cut down everyone.

By now, everyone surrounding this wall had become more accustomed to the red of blood spattered everywhere than the green of the fields. As the fluids of others on various parts of their bodies became less and less strange, the enemy’s momentum finally began to wane.

They must have been in a hurry, as they tried to cross the River Ouse, which was overflowing due to melting ice. They made a few hastily constructed rafts and came down, but the result was that they all became fish food, caught by our forces who had been waiting for them.

They probably didn’t expect to succeed, but as Bjorn had predicted, we could see that Aella didn’t have much time left.

“These damned bastards! The setting sun should tell people it’s time to sleep. But these fools don’t seem to understand even such a simple fact!”

On the third night on this wall.

Beyond the wall, where I could now discern his position by the feel of the protruding stones even with my eyes closed, human shadows moved. Like clockwork, as soon as the sun set, flames flickered in the darkness.

The warriors of Aros and Eoforwic who were with me had now adapted to fighting in the dim light. Although they complained and cursed like Storolf beside me now, not one of them was afraid.

“Aella is truly relentless. To push so hard… It seems he really wants to cross this wall even if it means everyone’s death.”

Hrolf, whose white beard and hair seemed to have increased somewhat in these past few days, stood beside me, closely observing the Northumbrian warriors advancing once again.

The same shield wall as yesterday, arrows flying back and forth just the same. Torches and lanterns prepared by both sides to light up the night. The sound of large horn trumpets signaling the start of battle and the great war cries.

It looked no different from the battles of yesterday and the day before, but to the experienced warrior standing next to me, it seemed to look different.

“Their numbers and momentum… They’ve become much slower, Jarl Helgi. They’re losing their will to fight.”

“Yes, I can see it too, Hrolf. To attack such stone walls, they needed much more preparation, but they rushed too much. Aella.”

Moreover, Eoforwic was a city situated on both sides of a large river.

It was no different from two strong castles connected by a bridge, so to lay siege, they should have crossed the river from the start, but Aella had neither the time nor sufficient troops and supplies.

To properly besiege this large city, they would need at least twice the force they had brought.

“Now Aella must be pondering, my Jarl. Having raised such a large army, he needs to gain something, but it looks like he’s about to lose a lot instead.”

“You’re right, Hrolf.”

Yes, absolutely.

‘I should help Aella make a quick decision.’

If you show even a slight opening carelessly, that day will soon become the date engraved on your tombstone, Aella.

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As Helgi and Hrolf had predicted, the Northumbrian camp was filled with a mixture of rage and tension that seemed about to explode.

“With the army we’ve mobilized…! To be unable to cross a single old wall! How shameful is this!?”

[Bang!]

A large, heavily furred fist slammed down hard on the table.

Startled by the sound, everyone straightened up at once, doing their best not to meet the enraged king’s eyes.

“We must push harder! Those unclean and blasphemous barbarians must be shown clearly that the master of this place is not that cursed pig’s son Ragnarsson! But I, Aella!”

For an hour already.

The king of Northumbria, who had been drinking wine procured from Frankish lands while staring at the unyielding wall, had finally lost his reason and was criticizing everything in sight.

Inside the massive tent, with three sides closed off and only the direction facing Eoforwic open, in weather that turned chilly in the evenings even in summer.

Here, where the walls of Eoforwic shone brightly in the moonlight as if it weren’t the dead of night, and the faint cries of those trying to climb and those trying to defend could be heard, only the king’s anger seemed to have a place.

‘He’s wrong. That fortress cannot be taken. Especially not while that demon is there.’

Bamburgh, the old fortress of the Angles once called Bebbanburg in honor of their beautiful queen.

Uhtred, son of a powerful family that had lived in that area for a long time, was impiously thinking of defeat.

But this was only natural.

Right now, apart from the drunkard King Aella, who could guarantee their victory? The other king, Osberht? He was no different from Aella.

At least Aella watched his soldiers die, but Osberht was nowhere to be seen, doing who knows what.

Moreover, the warriors from Strathclyde in the west were already showing signs of desertion.

They never had the capacity to lay siege to that vicious fortress flanked by large rivers on both sides for a long time.

Were the promises of assured victory, that the Lord’s enemies would crumble the moment they beat the drums and crossed the walls, all lies from the bishops and the two kings?

“Wine-! Bring more wine-!”

Recalling the terrifying Norseman who had been cutting down the brave warriors of Northumbria like dry kindling, the clever Uhtred began to seriously consider retreat.

If the king didn’t like it, at least he had to survive.

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In any endeavor, the initial determination was usually the strongest.

However, as the initial resolve inevitably wavered over time, by the fifth night, the fiercely attacking Northumbrians began to go through the motions.

Pretending to set up ladders, pretending to move by waving torches here and there. Pretending to shoot arrows.

This was not aimed at us on the wall, but rather like a play performed for someone watching from behind them.

But who could blame them? When those in command all stayed at a distance beyond arrow range and only sent the warriors forward.

Moreover, even if the Angles fought much more bravely than we had thought, we were Norsemen.

We were not the type to hold back in battle out of shame.

Especially the men of Aros, who fought twice as well as other Norsemen.

The Garm Brotherhood. The Hounds of Hel.

By now, those who had once been treated as mere novices with generous support from a wealthy lord were building their skills and reputation as the elite of the elite.

And in the eyes of the warriors looking at me, Helgi Ragnarsson, the leader and founder of the Garm Brotherhood, now regarded as something not quite human even by the people of Eoforwic, there was only one emotion:

Absolute faith.

“Those who are afraid, those who cannot fight, need not step forward. I cannot guarantee your lives.”

“…”

In front of the heavy gates of Eoforwic. The gates that had already withstood several attacks from the enemy’s battering rams now had all the thick logs that had been diagonally placed for reinforcement removed, with only a single bar left in place.

“Is there no one? Then, everyone must follow closely behind me.”

Under the torches hung on the inside of the wall, Helgi looked at the faces of the warriors standing with him, ready to participate in the night raid. All of them were men prepared for death, seeking glory over life.

Their faith strengthened his resolve.

“Even if at some point your body stops moving as you will, do not panic. The Valkyries will soon open the gates of heaven and approach your souls.”

Laughter erupted here and there at this terrible metaphor. Some of the visible Eoforwic warriors seemed to understand his words too. Tradition and culture did not disappear easily…

“Let us advance bravely, brothers. Glory awaits us.”

[Thud!]

[Thud! Thud-thud! Thud!]

As Helgi struck his shield with the sword in his hand, the warriors who would accompany him responded in unison with one heart.

“Open the gates.”

“Open the gates!”

A terrible killing intent quietly flowed out.

The torches all flickered and danced with the momentum of the warriors who had been boiling with rage after clashing swords with the enemy for days and nights.

As the bar of the gate opened at his signal, and the gate that seemed like it would never open finally began to show a gap, he made eye contact with each of the brothers looking at him with firm expressions, and without hesitation, dashed out into the darkness.

‘Move like the wind…! Strike like fire…!’

Helgi’s wildly beating heart continuously pumped blood throughout his body, and all his senses showed him a new world.

If he couldn’t see with his eyes, he used his ears, his sense of smell, and other indescribable senses.

Instinctively detecting where the enemy’s momentum was weakest, he threw his hand axe forcefully, not even giving time for the soldier who spotted him running out of the gate to shout.

[Whizz-! Whirl-whirl-whirl Thud!]

“Guh-”

“Huh?”

[Slice!]

Before the soldier hit by the axe could fully fall, Helgi passed by the warrior next to him, precisely cutting his throat.

To maintain the momentum of his warriors who were following and driving back the enemy, he pushed forward even more, cutting through the enemy lines.

“Forward-! Children of Hel! Forward!”

If someone had seen this scene from the sky, it would have looked like the snout of a wild boar piercing through the enemy lines.

In the blink of an eye, having already broken through ten shields, numbers had long lost meaning in the face of his breakthrough.

No matter how bright the torches were, they only illuminated their immediate surroundings. In this midnight where they had to rely on moonlight for the dark areas, being hit by such a charge left no option but to flee.

If not that, then to die under his sword.

“Stop them! I said stop them!”

“Run away! Save your lives!”

Those who shouted to stop him gave him the opportunity to go in that direction and stop them personally.

[Clang! Slice!]

Even in the dark night, only the blades glimmered faintly under the moonlight and starlight, the sound of iron clashing against iron ringing out loudly, and the grayish shadows of the swords and spears wielded by the warriors intertwined here and there, confusing people’s minds.

The Northumbrian warriors, who had been trying to distinguish whether this was reality or illusion with dreamlike expressions, finally watched blankly as Helgi’s breakthrough shattered their lines and then crashed into the lines beyond. Only when it came to their turn did they begin to turn their backs and flee.

“Now’s the time! Attack! Attack!”

“Hurry! We must support Helgi’s rear!”

Once they were out of the gate, everything depended on Helgi.

Bjorn had decided when to sally forth from the walls to strike the enemy, but after that, it was entirely up to the vanguard leader. The enemy’s defense was much poorer than Helgi had expected, and his breakthrough was beyond what they could handle.

As he continued his unstoppable advance, he could faintly hear on the wind the sound of Bjorn and Ivarr leading their forces out from behind to quickly respond.

‘What an absurd sense this is.’

A sense that could obtain only the necessary information. At this rate, he truly was a person born only for battle.

‘In that case, I’ll strike at the enemy’s head.’

Strike the leader first when attacking the enemy.

“Ael-la!”

Beyond the backs of the fleeing Angles, Helgi saw a reaction to his loud shout.

Over there, at a distance that felt like he could reach in one step if he wanted, stood a massive tent.

For a moment, it might have been an illusion, but he felt as if Aella’s eyes and his met across that great distance.

‘There you are.’

As he suppressed the urge to bare his teeth and howl like a beast, gripping his sword and shield so tightly they might break, he heard Hrolf’s voice in his ear.

“Jarl Helgi! We must wait! They’ve already turned their backs! We must push the enemy back together with the main force!”

Hrolf’s voice, shouting somewhat incoherently in his urgency, was quite hoarse, but Helgi could hear him clearly.

‘Wait just a little longer, Aella. I will come for you soon.’

Helgi turned his back on the fleeing Aella and cut down the brave Northumbrian warriors who stood against them to the very end.

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Seriously Aella, you summoned the grim reaper, and now you run? What did you expect? To survive? Pfft.

Anyways, nothing new y’all, if you find any errors ping Oihs in the Arcane Translations discord.

Thanks for reading!