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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Simzy
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Do you know what the problem with Britain was?
It was that this land was ridiculously humid. In fact, compared to the summer I experienced in the Korean peninsula in my past life, it’s an angel, but still, I hate humidity.
Shall I call it the only drawback of this blessed body? Thanks to all my senses becoming superhuman, all sorts of unpleasant sensations also came to me much more vividly.
‘Sticky.’
Hoo-.
The sigh I let out as soon as I got off the ship.
I had the illusion that that breath was pushing the waves of the air.
A land with a lot of moisture and covered in fog. The coast of East Anglia, full of marshes and wetlands, was presenting me with a different taste than when I had left last time.
Perhaps the forces of Edmund and Mercia had not yet pushed into this coast? The docks of Sutton Hoo, which Sigtryggr had established, were bustling with people who had come out to greet us, and from the top of the tall lighthouse, despite it being early morning, the foggy sea was being illuminated.
“Konungr Helgi! This Sutton Hoo is yours!”
In fact, it was not much different from my own homeland, but towards me, who was adapting to the land and wind of Britain like astronauts adapting to gravity, warriors equipped with the familiar armor of the Northmen rushed over.
Their number was three. The number set as the minimum unit for action. In other words, those who had rushed over as a fireteam gathered their ragged breaths and gave me a military salute.
[Thud!]
The warriors, who pressed their right fists to their left chests without any mercy, to the point where I was concerned that the rivets holding their armor chains might fall off.
Every move of mine, the idol of all Northmen, was naturally widely known by the merchants, lords, and the warriors under my command who had been granted rest. The trend of the Northmen this season seemed to be this military salute.
After returning from Rome with me, my warriors would give me a military salute at every turn, and it seemed that had looked cool.
It didn’t seem bad, so I was leaving it be. Would this raise their discipline even a little?
“Greetings, warriors. Are you the warriors of Jarl Sigtryggr?”
“That is not so, my Konungr! We are under Jarl Guthrum. Both Jarls are currently defending Beodericsworth!”
“Both of them are there? It seems Edmund is putting on a lot of pressure.”
“Yes, that is so. They have been pushing relentlessly, but now that the Konungr has come, those bastards are finished!”
Hiss- Hiss-
Perhaps because they had participated in the last battle, looking closely, the armor and helmets of all three warriors were not in good condition. And yet, their fighting spirit had not died out, and rather, their morale was greatly boosted by my appearance.
A corner of my heart felt a little more reassured.
“Good. Then for now, shall we go and lift the siege of Beodericsworth, Refil.”
“Yes! Konungr.”
Refil and Storolf, who had boarded the flagship with me, stood by my side as usual, waiting for my command.
“The veteran warriors will have to move with me first. You will finish the disembarking here, and as soon as the ranks of the new recruits are organized, you must head straight to Beodericsworth. We do not know how the battle will turn out, so you must be sure to operate many scouts.”
“It will be done as you have commanded.”
“Good. I’ll trust you. Storolf! We’re leaving. Lead the column.”
“Yes! I understand!”
[Thud!]
Storolf’s body, which grew stronger and stronger with age, was no match for mine, but it was too much to be considered an ordinary person. The sound of him giving a powerful military salute was like the sound of the hammer of the blacksmith, Reginn.
Reginn, Reginn, come to think of it, I had this sword.
[Shhhling-]
A huge greatsword. Especially a sword of this absurd size was not something you put in a scabbard and carry on your back. If you have a horse, you hang it on the saddle, and if you don’t, you carry it slung over your shoulder.
The sword that had slid down smoothly from my shoulder along the chains of my armor made me feel its exquisite center of gravity.
Lighter than a similar-sized piece of iron, and twice as heavy as existing weapons. A weight that was perfect for me to hold and swing.
The center of gravity was somewhat evenly spread toward the blade, so it felt like more force was applied when swinging than its actual weight, but that also meant I could deliver a more fatal attack.
A weight that could be immediately used as a blunt weapon if the sharp edge was just dulled a bit. Since it was made by pouring in a solid piece of meteoric iron that could fully withstand my strength, it was a treasure in itself.
‘I didn’t think I would be using it this quickly.’
Seeing the messengers who had gone silent as a mouse in front of the huge sword I had suddenly drawn, I quickly lowered the tip of the sword to the ground with a start.
[Thud!]
“Would you take a look at this…? How is my sword?”
“It is large and beautiful, Konungr Helgi!”
“I have never seen such a sword in my life…!”
“It is a famous sword that perfectly suits the majesty of the Konungr!”
Even though I hadn’t held the sword to their necks, fear was even evident on the faces of the warriors who were desperately flattering me.
Well, it would be scary to see a person swinging something like this with one arm from up close. Whether it was a veteran warrior who had fought a hundred battles or a mere pup.
“Thank you. I wish to express my gratitude for your efforts. Leon?”
“Speak, O great one.”
“… I told you not to call me that. Could you give these men something to eat and drink?”
“Of course, O mighty one.”
Leon had, at some point, started to attach ‘O something one’ to the end of his sentences. In his own way, it seemed to be a sign of respect for me, but if heard incorrectly, it sounded like sarcasm, so it was a strange feeling.
Anyway, there was no end to the adventurous spirit of that Roman scholar. Leon, who had entrusted the architectural and mining projects of Aros and Uppsala to high-ranking Muslim slaves, had stubbornly followed me.
It was true that I had told him to diligently record various things, but I was concerned that he might think he was some kind of historian. He had brought a bunch of empty books that looked heavier than my sword.
‘Ivarr will go to Dublin and move with Olaf.’
In this war, only three of Ragnar’s sons would move. Ivarr, I, and Ubba.
The empty spots of the three absent brothers would be filled by renowned warlords. Their names were Olaf of Dublin, Thorgnýr of Orkney, and Hastein of Nantes.
‘Ivarr and Olaf’s target is the Ravine Kingdom, Thorgnýr of Orkney’s is the Kingdom of the Scots. Ubba will press from both sides in Northumbria.’
If they had the resolve to dare to attack me, they should also be prepared for their own bases to be attacked, should they not? After tying up all the enemies in the north, I would face off against Edmund of East Anglia, Burgred of Mercia, and Aethelred of Wessex, who would be behind them.
‘Wessex will not be able to act rashly. Mercia will also not be able to use its full strength.’
If the plan went as intended, Salomon of Breizh would inform his kinsmen who had taken control of the western part of the Isle of Britain that a great opportunity was coming, and if Hastein even joined in, not only Wessex but also the western part of Mercia would become noisy.
“Konungr! The preparations are complete!”
From a distance, Storolf was vigorously waving a banner with a raven and Hel’s face drawn on a white background, and about 1,000 warriors who had instantly formed a departure column were waiting for my command.
“Good! We’re leaving!”
Refil and Leon would remain here to lead the 1,000 warriors, who were relatively full of new recruits, and support me from behind.
I gave the departure signal without hesitation, and soon, the powerful sound of horns echoed from here and there.
[Bwoooooo- woooooo-]
There are many qualities of a soldier, and there are many qualities of an army, but since ancient times, one quality has always been considered important, and that is a swift march.
[Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!]
In prehistoric times, ancient humans, before the Common Era, the Celts who fought against the natives, and then the Romans, and the Angles and Saxons, each had trodden this land. The army of the Northmen crossed it with a stern momentum.
[Clip-clop clip-clop-]
From the center of the column, mounted on the back of my beloved black horse, which I had named Camembert and had brought along on this expedition as well, I silently watched the march of my army from a higher position.
When I had first set foot on this land with Ivarr, the dreary memory of heading toward Beodericsworth in the state of a complete beggar after sleeping in the rain overlapped with the gallant appearance of now, and an even somewhat wistful feeling arose.
‘Compared to then, it’s really like heaven. Many things have changed. This world, me, and my army.’
A situation where there were more and more commanders and leaders who were more interested in supply and planning, rather than just thinking about battle.
Especially the troops moving with me now, the elite of the elites who had gone with me all the way to the Eastern Roman Empire were all assigned, and it had reached the point where it could be said that it was on a different level from the concept of a Warband of the old ancestors who only relied on strength and mobility.
As the planner who had pushed for all those things, the emotion I felt was beyond imagination.
“Konungr Helgi, a report from the scouts. We will arrive at Beodericsworth in half a day, and they say they have encountered the enemy’s scouts. Edmund must have noticed the Konungr’s approach by now.”
Since I had left Regil behind, Storolf, who had taken on the role of my adjutant, was having a very busy time.
As 1,000 troops were moving, he had to check that the front and rear columns did not waver, and he also had to pay attention to the operation of the scouts, which I had particularly emphasized.
Still, as befitting a warrior who boasted an extraordinary sense when it came to battle, Storolf, who seemed to be fumbling for the first few times, soon began to operate the troops to a satisfactory degree.
He had to build up his abilities one by one like this. That way, my own room for maneuver would become wider.
Anyway, if I thought about what Storolf had just reported, the gist of it was that we would soon face the enemy.
If the situation had been a little more leisurely, I don’t know, but since we were in a situation where we had to lift the siege of Beodericsworth, I decided to take the risk.
“Increase the number of scouts and continue to move. If there is an enemy ambush, we will immediately switch to battle.”
“Yes, Konungr!”
I didn’t know if they would have the leisure to hide an ambush, but even if they did, it wouldn’t be a big problem. After all, in this place full of hills, an ambush would just be on the other side of a hill, and without a systematic cavalry, the fact that we had to fight with swords and axes remained unchanged.
And so, our army, which was making a bit more of a fuss, moved, deploying scouts in all directions like a swarm of angry bees, and finally, as a result of getting on the road to Beodericsworth and picking up more speed, we were soon able to face a group of people who had preemptively occupied the low hills on both sides and were blocking the road.
‘Edmund, no, are they Mercian soldiers?’
Their armor and attire were as if I were looking at the warriors of Aella, whom I had fought last time.
Through vigorous reconnaissance, I had confirmed that there were no enemy ambushes other than the defensive line in front, so all that was left was to fight.
Even though they should have been tired from moving without rest since boarding the ship in the land of the Franks at dawn, the morale of the warriors was high.
But there would be no need to overdo it. For now, shall we smash those troops first? The ground they are sitting on is very tempting.
“Advance to firing range.”
“Yes! Konungr! Advance to firing range! Forward!”
[Bwoom- bwoom- bwoooom-]
“Forward!”
[Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!]
A great wave of humans moving like a single body according to the command that had spread from the center of the instantly formed column.
Those who were guarding the path seemed to have lost their minds at our unstoppable advance, but the fact that they reacted like this even though the scouts had surely encountered each other means.
‘Either the forces of Edmund and Mercia are not communicating well, or we have moved much faster than they thought.’
Whichever it was, I knew that now was the time to attack, so I did not hesitate.
“Halt in position.”
“Haaalt-!”
[Bwoom- bwoom-!]
[Thud! Th-thud!]
“Front rank, phalanx. Rear rank, prepare to fire.”
“Front rank, raise your shields! Nock your arrows!”
“Prepare for battle! Prepare for battle!”
[Bwoooooooo-!!]
[Thud! Shhhk- creeak-]
Battle machines that executed the ceaseless commands without a single error.
I, who had been impressed by the insane numbers and advanced technology of the Eastern Roman Empire, had added one more strength to my army to catch up with them.
And that was discipline.
To the Northmen, who were born with a strong sense of adventure and enjoyed fighting the enemy without fear, the strong discipline was surprisingly a perfect fit.
My warriors, who had had their first taste of a ‘professional soldier’ who was fed, housed, and even paid, had been transformed into something that surpassed the limits of the era according to my vision and Hrolf’s design.
“Ready archers, fire.”
“Release the string!”
“Fiiire-!”
“Fire!”
[Thwip! Thwip thwip thwip! Thwip thwip! Thwip!]
The arrows, released all at once according to the command of the veteran soldiers, that is, the lieutenants, standing in the middle of each column, embroidered the sky, and soon fell on the enemy’s ranks with a fierce sound.
[Whoooosh-! Whoosh-! … Whoooosh-! Thud! Thwack thwack! Thwack! Ting!]
“Ugh!”
“Aack! My knee!”
“Gack! …”
If you shoot about 500, maybe five will fall. In fact, it was difficult for an arrow attack to inflict significant damage on the enemy’s ranks, which were covered in layers of shields, but perhaps because the tension of the bows, whose bodies I had made larger according to my knowledge, was greater than I had thought, the screams of the enemy were heard from here and there.
“Archers, do not spare your arrows. Infantry, advance with me.”
“Yes! Konungr! Beat the drums! Advance!”
“Yes! Jarl Storolf! Beat the drums! Sound the signal for advance!”
[Dum! Du-dum! Dum! Du-dum! Dum! Du-dum!]
I had also tweaked the various signal systems of the army, and for the first time, they were following well. In fact, the soldiers at the very end were probably just moving by looking around and taking their cues, but the level of the lieutenants had definitely improved.
[Shhhling-]
I got off the horse I was riding and drew the greatsword that had been hanging on the saddle.
A coolness lingered on the blade that had received the sunlight, and I lightly slung the greatsword over my right shoulder, and with my left hand, I even put on the shield that had been hanging on my back with a strap, and walked forward vigorously.
“Warriors of the North-! Forward-!”
[Thud!]
[Dum! Du-dum! Dum! Du-dum!]
Following my powerful lion’s roar, the warriors who had stamped their feet all at once followed behind me and slowly advanced, and the enemy’s ranks, which could not come to their senses after three more volleys of fire in a short time, soon approached me.
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