novelraw Chapter 129: King And Vassal
Chapter 129: King And Vassal
Ch 129: King And Vassal
After estimating the income of the King and the Duke, Vig diverted his attention to the Earls.
Recalling the past, Leonard controlled Mancunium, his strength far surpassing other Lords. Times changed, as Ragnar’s territory expanded, and Leonard eventually fell out of the top tier.
In contrast, his old neighbor Ulf was doing quite well.
Due to his merit in killing Burgred, the Crown Prince of Mercia, Ulf was granted the Southeast border of Britain—Kent.
Kent was closest to the Continent; merchant ships usually chose to dock there, making it suitable for entrepôt trade. By reselling warhorses, wine, wool, and pickled fish, Ulf earned a fortune.
Vig estimated that this fellow’s annual income had long surpassed Leonard’s, making him the wealthiest among the Earls, possibly even surpassing Ivar.
Finishing the calculations, Vig kneaded his sore wrists, “In the next few years, with the promotion of the three-field system and heavy iron plows, the income of Lords everywhere will gradually increase. It seems I need to hurry up and make money, so as not to be left behind.”
While Vig and his wife were calculating accounts, Ohr, the Lord of Bergen, had already arrived at the Oslo dock.
Four years ago, Ohr allied with the nobles of Norway’s west coast against King Eric, eventually reaching a peace treaty, nominally submitting to Eric without the need for an audience or responding to conscription. Now, his territory had been pillaged, his years of savings were gone, even the furniture in the Lord’s Longhouse had been emptied by rebellious commoners; he was truly desperate and had no choice but to shamelessly seek justice from his Feudal Lord.
Along the dirty and chaotic streets, under the guidance of the locals, Ohr reached an open space in the north of the town.
After several years, the original Lord’s Longhouse had disappeared, replaced by a stone-built castle.
The castle had a stone wall, about the height of three adults; a moat had been dug outside the wall, with running water introduced as a protective moat. Tall arrow towers were situated at intervals.
“The old man actually built stone structures; where did he get so much money?”
Ohr secretly muttered to himself, then identified himself to the soldier guarding the drawbridge and requested an audience with His Majesty the King.
Passing through the drawbridge and city gate, Ohr found that only the main part of the castle was completed, with remaining construction still underway. It would take at least another year to complete.
Entering the Main Hall, Ohr ignored the surprise of the crowd, respectfully walked to the front of the throne, then knelt on one knee, lifted King Eric’s fat, rough left hand, and kissed the signet ring heavily.
What’s going on?
Eric was startled by the man’s appearance, instinctively withdrawing his left hand, suspecting that this person intended to assassinate him.
He winked at the guards on his left and right sides, signaling them to be vigilant, then tentatively said, “Sir, do you have something to see me about?”
In the next few minutes, Ohr presented his carefully prepared argument, claiming that Vig had unjustly pillaged Bergen and requested the King to uphold justice for him.
Pfft!
Learning that this Lord, who often clashed with him, had been robbed, Eric felt very relieved, almost unable to contain himself.
Good, good, good, you have your day too! You dared to gather an allied army and fight me to the death; it’s karma. The Gods have finally done a rare act of justice.
To prevent himself from laughing out loud, Eric drank two large cups of honey wine consecutively, then sat upright.
“Vig has always been audacious. Seven years ago, when Ragnar and I attacked Northumbria, outside York, he actually stood in front of me to protect a group of Anglo-Saxon prisoners of war. Now, promoted to Duke, it’s not surprising that he would do such a thing. Sir, do not worry. I will write to Ragnar to discuss this matter and will certainly bring you justice.”
Eric would not be stupid enough to attack Vig. He is fifty-three years old this year and has long since accepted reality. His command ability is mediocre, capable only of dealing with some unsophisticated country nobles. If the situation were reversed, he would absolutely not be able to annihilate the main force of the French army outside Paris in one battle.
“Vig, Ivar, Gunnar.”
Eric silently repeated these three names, complaining about why the Gods favored Ragnar so much, allowing him to gather these top commanders under his command.
“In comparison, my subordinates are a bunch of waste. Forget about the above three, even Bjorn, Nielson, and Orm don’t meet the standard.”
Seeing that the Monarch was inattentive, Ohr wanted to continue persuading him when suddenly, young Eric, standing beside him, spoke:
“Sir, regarding Vig’s actions in Bergen, I have a question. According to you, he gave grain to the commoners. Gave, not sold?”
Ohr: “He gave it away for free.”
Knowing that Vig hadn’t charged any cost, young Eric guessed the truth: “He is willing to distribute grain, not seizing territory or pillaging the commoners, intending to send a signal to the outside world that he is only targeting you. Ha, it seems you’ve offended the Serpent of the North badly.”
His son’s words brought King Eric back to his senses. He summoned a clerk and dictated the letter’s contents:
“To King Ragnar of Britain, early May, your vassal attacked Bergen.”
Although his territory was attacked, Eric’s words did not contain hostility, as if he were discussing a trivial matter with an old friend.
Afterwards, he also had the envoy take four fine white bear skins, one each for Ragnar, his sister Sola, and his nephew Sigurd and niece Enya.
Sensing the King’s intention to downplay the matter, Ohr couldn’t help but loudly question: “Your Majesty, I think you can take a stronger stance.”
Instantly, Eric’s roar echoed through the hall, “Are you teaching me how to do my job!”
With his words, the guards around the hall stepped towards Ohr, their right hands on their sword hilts, prepared to kill him on the spot.
Coldly sweeping over Ohr’s whole body, Eric raised his right hand, signaling the guards to return to their positions, “Vig doesn’t understand the rules. I will dispatch an envoy to warn him. If he doesn’t listen, then I will conscript an army and attack him. Sir, you have traveled a long way and are not suitable for excessive fatigue. Rest for now.”
That’s it?
You don’t even dare to say a harsh word to Ragnar. Do you really have the courage to invade Britain?
Ohr’s eyes suddenly turned cold. He was completely disappointed with the old fat man on the throne, bowed, and left the hall.
After he left, Eric dispatched two envoys, one carrying gifts to Londinium and the other to Tyne, demanding that Vig respond to the attack on Bergen.
Ten days later, Eric’s envoy entered the Main Hall of Tyne, relaying the King’s warning verbatim.
Hearing this weak threat, Vig remained unmoved. If Eric led an army across the sea to attack, he had the absolute grasp to defeat him.
“I have already sent a detailed report of the matter to Londinium, and there are two witnesses from Shetland and Bergen respectively. With both witness testimony and physical evidence, I believe King Ragnar will make a suitable judgment. If you are interested, you can take a copy of the report back to Oslo.”