—————————————————————–
Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Simzy
—————————————————————–
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
The king’s command was given!
The lords who had not been able to join in the last ‘Revenge of the Sons of Ragnar’ all smelled the strong scent of silver coins.
How much had the Jarl of Gotland, who had managed to secure a position through his connection to Dróttning Aslaug, gained after that war?
The attention of Helgi Ragnarsson, the current overlord of the North, was in itself money and honor. And what’s more, Konungr Helgi had even established a trade route that yielded enormous profits by bringing the king of the covenant-makers across the Eastern Sea, Rurik, into his sphere of influence.
People had jokingly said that the lords around Aros and Uppsala earned silver coins just by sitting and breathing.
It should have been such good times, such a boom, but the jarls located in the inland forests, except for the coastal areas like Aros, Uppsala, and Gotland, were dumbfounded.
Because these people, who had virtually no connection to Konungr Helgi, had not received any benefits except for buying cheap grain in the winter to avoid starvation.
Of course, the fact that the people who had been living a hard life deep in the forests no longer starved was a great achievement in itself, but the animal called human is one that thinks of two when it gets one.
The command that had all those who had intended to make a good impression through this wedding and get a foot on the trade route where gold was said to flow instead of water finally fell.
What stopped the jarls, who were overjoyed and about to rush back to their own domains, were the real powers among the real powers who had received the Konungr’s instructions, Jarls Eric and Refil.
“Wait, our wise and brave jarls, please have a word with me.”
“?? What is it, Jarl Eric! I am a man who has received the command of the great Konungr Helgi!”
“I have been entrusted with a task by the Konungr in relation to that command, so it will only take a moment.”
“Ah, the Konungr? Ahem- then it cannot be helped!”
Through a series of processes like this, what Helgi had intended was a more systematic expedition.
The thought was that there should no longer be wars like ‘Waaah! It’s war! Gather the kids! Is everyone here! Then let’s go! Woah-!’ and this was especially supported with fervor by Refil, Storolf, and all the 1,000 warriors under his command who had experienced the war of the Eastern Roman Empire with Helgi.
Having roamed around with those who truly did war with shovels in the Eastern Roman Empire, they had come to realize the importance of supply and planning.
Therefore, from the moment war was declared, the great hall of Aros was transformed into a general headquarters, and all those with the capacity to lead a troop were called to this place and had to wrack their brains.
Since they could not take all the jarls who were rushing in more actively than expected, plans were established one by one, such as selecting only the elite of the elite who could be used as immediate combat power and sending them, and training the remaining ones in group tactics before sending them.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
The preparations to support East Anglia, the urgent front line, and Northumbria, where the stalemate was expected to be prolonged, were all finished about seven days after Sigtryggr’s messenger had arrived.
Information from East Anglia and Northumbria, arrived on a daily basis via the sea route.
In the midst of the offensive of the enemies who had prepared during the past winter, although they had lost all of the northwestern marshlands except for Beodericsworth, Helgi finally moved his body, raising the elite troops of Aros and Uppsala to resolve the situation in East Anglia, which was blocking Edmund’s attack with its thick castle walls.
It was now AD 867, the first month of summer, its last day. (May 17th in the Julian calendar)
On a day with a cool morning breeze, the sound of iron armor clashing was loud along with the soft sound of the waves.
[Clank- Clank- Thud! Thud! Thud! Swoosh- Clank Clank-]
Although it was a preparation for departure that could always be seen in a coastal city, its appearance was quite different today.
Because it was the day that the standing army of Aros and Uppsala, which had been forged through countless feedbacks after my first great expedition, was departing all at once.
From the west gate of Aros to the east gate, the sight of the great fleet lined up along the coastline exuded something similar to the sticky killing intent of a pack of wolves before a hunt, rather than joy.
Hunting dogs, all worked up and hungry for blood and prey.
I, who held the leash of these drooling beasts, left Refil, Eric, Storolf, Oleg, and Djur, who were running around busily for the final check, behind and was sharing the last moments before departure with Inga.
“…”
“…”
She and I did not say much. We just held each other tightly, and rested our heads on each other’s chest and the top of the head.
But our couple, who had already had many conversations through body temperature, hand gestures, and eye contact, was calmly accepting the unprecedented situation of war during our honeymoon.
Even though we had passionately craved each other for the past week, I overcame the still-burning thirst and just held her tightly in my arms.
And what awakened me, who had been blankly smelling her pleasant scent, was the touch of Inga’s hands gently pushing my arms away.
She, who lifted her head that had been leaning on me and whispered in a low voice, had slightly reddened eyes, but not a single trace of wavering could be found.
“Helgi, in my dream last night, a great sun rose. The sun that rose from the Eastern Sea flew through the sky and came towards me, but it was so bright and huge that I couldn’t find a place to hide.”
Was she feeling anxious at the sight of her husband leaving right after getting married? Wondering if that might be the case, I pulled her waist even more strongly, and my wife, who did not resist the touch, smiled faintly and nestled even more into my arms.
“But strangely, it wasn’t hot at all. Rather, that sun, as if it were embracing me, slowly came towards me. Until finally, the whole world was filled with that light. A very interesting dream, isn’t it?”
Due to our closely pressed faces, Inga’s breath, whispering near my neck, was sweet.
“Even the sun is protecting you. I can set out with even more peace of mind.”
“Don’t worry about me.”
Inga, who pushed me away once again, this time held my face with both hands and whispered a somewhat familiar phrase. The blessing of the goddess Hel that my mother had always breathed into me.
Because I had never been sincere in my faith, I didn’t know the detailed contents, but it was something like a spell that wished for all the impure things to be cast away and for only good things to be abundant.
To me, a nominal believer, rather than the content, Inga’s heart thinking of me came to me even more greatly and soothed my bitter heart.
“You must come back to my side safely. You must.”
“I will, Inga.”
A very cliché line. And to top it all off, Inga pulled my head and even kissed me.
At this point, a silly thought even occurred to me. Was the sun from Inga’s dream trying to warn me to be careful of such clichés? but I decided to focus more on the soft sensation that I did not seem to tire of.
Before long, we two, who had parted to breathe in air, soon held hands and walked down.
Toward the place where our two mothers, Bjorn, Sigurd, Halfdan, and both Bóthilda and Aethelred were waiting.
Ivarr and Ubba would be moving with me this time as well, but the rest of the family would all remain. Halfdan and Sigurd protested with expressions of disbelief at my decision, but Halfdan had to return to Roskilde and check the situation there, and wasn’t Sigurd in a state where Aethelswith was pregnant?
What if the child was born while he was out at war? Knowing how long this war would last…?
It was unavoidable given the times, but if possible, I did not want to create a situation where my brother would be nagged by his wife for the rest of his life. After all, I wouldn’t be short of hands.
‘And I have a separate task for Sigurd…’
Because he loved art more than anyone else, he had a sharp side to him regarding various myths and legends. I was about to ask my brother to try and create a Nordic version of the mythological Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
It was to create a story by weaving together various interesting myths. And its final chapter was the ‘Ragnarok’ that I had first presented in this world.
In other words, it could be said to be the groundwork for creating the bible of the new religion that people called Helatru.
At the same time, Bjorn and Hrolfr would remain here to rebirth the jarls who would arrive late and their soldiers into Aros-style soldiers, and also to use that military power for more productive work rather than just throwing it into Britain.
It wasn’t something where we could all hold hands and go laughing, saying, ‘I want to go to Britain!’ so it was to start the shipbuilding business along with large-scale civil engineering works.
At this opportunity, create a great fleet that can move a large-scale legion at once! Get rid of the remote areas that are so far away that it’s hard to even get news from them!
I said it boldly, but in fact, it would only be at the level of changing the existing paths into more plausible dirt roads. Of course, since this was also strictly part of the operation, I would treat them without any neglect.
I already have more than enough money, and in a situation where the golden road that stretches across the Eastern Sea to the Eastern Roman Empire is in my grasp, there is nothing that can restrict me anymore.
‘If this is an unavoidable war, I will make back double, no, triple the profit.’
The goal is to make it so that there is absolutely no one who just plays and eats and gets a free ride…!
‘I can’t just stand by and watch that happen. At the very least, I’ll make them dig some dirt…!’
Feeling the warmth of this soft hand in my left hand, I resolved myself firmly.
And on that day, in Aros, with the loud sound of a horn that echoed to the northern mountain range, 50 dragonships set out to sea all at once.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
867 AD. The second month of summer.
Beodericsworth, East Anglia, Isle of Britain.
[Clang! Thud! Thump! Whoosh- Whoosh- Thwack Thwack!]
“Hold them back! Do not let the enemies climb the castle walls!”
“Throw everything you have, you men of Beodericsworth!”
“There will be a great reward for the one who is the first to climb that castle wall!”
“Long live Cyning Edmund! Long live our God!”
Yaaaaaaah-!
A place where the madness of the battlefield raged even though it was broad daylight.
Edmund’s eyes, looking at the place that had been his castle and his home just a year ago, were heavily sunken.
‘Why, why do you hold on so tenaciously, Sigtryggr, you foolish man…! Blinded by ambition, do you forsake your own people and even God…!’
In Edmund’s thought, he himself was the rightful king of East Anglia, so all those under him had a duty to follow him according to the law that the Lord had set.
But why on earth were they resisting so tenaciously? Could they truly not see his banner?
In fact, from the perspective of the people below, it was a wish that was rather difficult to grant. Especially for a lord like Sigtryggr, who was skilled at finding opportunities and whose ambition was not small, it was a matter of course.
The sight of Edmund, who kept looking for God and bowing his head to the king of Mercia, and only bowing his head to the king of Wessex, must not have been satisfactory at all.
If it were simply a matter of face, it would be one thing, but as the territory, people, and even the scarce silver coins and grain were continuously being drained under the pretext of tribute, in a way, a rebellion like this was a matter of time.
However, such trivial things were, to Edmund, all the matters of insignificant humans.
To this devout Catholic, who believed he was acting as the agent of heaven’s will, only the will of the Lord was important. Edmund could by no means let the barbarians from across the sea occupy this land that his ancestors had given him.
Of course, the fact that Edmund’s great ancestors had pushed out the natives of this land in a very similar way to the Northmen now was an irony.
He was, after all, the sword of God, the tool of God.
Edmund’s voice, pushing for the promised victory, overflowed with conviction and power.
“Hunta, I do not see the form of Sigtryggr.”
“My Cyning, that coward will not even show his shadow on the castle walls.”
“Yes, that one was always like a fox. And yet, how can those people fight without backing down like that…? Have they all forgotten that I am their rightful Cyning?”
Was it a lament, or an admiration?
Seeing his king, who sent out a sigh mixed with letters of unknown meaning, flames shot up in the eyes of the warrior, Hunta, who had endured the past winter, going through all sorts of hardships in the marshland.
“What would those ignorant fools know? The moment you break the castle walls and retake the city, they will all kneel, so please wait just a little longer…! Cyning!”
“… Of course, I know well, what would they know? But it is a shame, and a shame again.”
The reason the people of Beodericsworth were resisting so tenaciously was, more than anything else, because the army that had come from Mercia was plundering East Anglia indiscriminately, but the two men, the lord and his retainer, burning with a sense of revenge and a religious sense of mission, just blamed the warriors and citizens inside the castle.
Although they were holding on with all their might, when it felt as if the height of the castle walls was gradually lowering in the face of the fierce offensive of the well-prepared Edmund-Burgred allied forces.
In Edmund’s ear, where a sense of pity and an anticipation for the coming success coexisted in a corner of his heart, the urgent sound of horse hooves was heard.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Edmund’s expression, who had heard the news from the panting messenger, hardened on the spot.
“The dragonships of the Northmen have landed on the Angle coast again…? They’ve already come?”
Indeed, it was a speed like lightning.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Hello, readers. I would like to issue a quick correction and apology regarding a naming error in the previous chapters.
I have been incorrectly using the name Aethelred for Sigurd’s wife. Her correct name is Aethelswith.
My sincere apologies for any confusion this may have caused. From this chapter forward, her name will be correctly written as Aethelswith. Thank you for your understanding and for continuing to read the story.
