Viking: Master of the Icy Sea

Chapter 269: A New Feudal System

Reinforced by Butcherbird's troops, the forces gathered by Bracken exceeded three thousand. He ignored Svein's pleas for mercy, ordering his archers and crossbowmen to unleash a covering barrage that expended a total of twenty thousand feathered arrows.

Following a baptism of arrows that darkened the sky, the rebel army in Rices suffered catastrophic casualties. They failed to hold their ground for even half an hour before their defenses collapsed.

Soon, the captives identified the corpse of "Svein". He looked remarkably ordinary—a middle-aged man wearing old chainmail, his body pierced by over a dozen feathered arrows.

"This is Svein?" Bracken was deeply disappointed. He ordered a rider to carry the severed head back to Athlone and dispatched two hundred conscripted militia further west toward the coastline, over ten miles away.

With that, the first phase of the military operation concluded smoothly.

For the second phase, Wigg led the eight thousand troops who remained in prime condition north. The remaining five thousand soldiers, along with fifteen hundred captives and over two thousand laborers provided by various settlements, stayed behind to construct twenty wooden forts.

The specifications for these wooden forts were largely identical. They featured trenches four meters wide and two meters deep, surrounded by wooden palisades up to five meters high. Inside, they were fully equipped with barracks, warehouses, stables, and water wells. These would serve as military garrisons or fiefdoms for the new lords.

"Maintain a normal construction pace. There is no need to rush."

Wigg instructed Butcherbird, who was left in charge of the rear guard, before leading his army north along the River Shannon. The rebellion in the northwestern mountainous region was the least severe, and they did not encounter a single battle involving more than a hundred men throughout the entire journey.

With order largely stabilized, Wigg left behind three thousand conscripted militia. He ordered them to work alongside laborers provided by the local villages and the captives to build a total of ten wooden forts.Having made all the proper arrangements, Wigg followed the River Shannon back to Athlone. From there, he sailed downstream toward the south, leading a formidable force into the southwestern mountains.

Upon receiving news from the outside world and realizing that Wigg was truly a force to be reckoned with, the locals were utterly terrified. The vast majority of the rebel army disbanded on their own accord, acting as if the rebellion had never even happened. Wigg could not be bothered to pursue them. As usual, he demanded that the local villages provide laborers to assist the army in constructing wooden forts.

Finally, under Wigg's personal command, this rebellion that had disrupted order across Ireland came to a grinding halt. Although a few rebels still lurked in remote corners, their numbers were minuscule, and they would not be able to stir up any trouble for a very long time.

With the war over, the various units began tallying up their military merits. Early one morning, a group of squires visited the Third Infantry Regiment to verify the report submitted by the unit.

Bracken knew this was standard procedure. He handed over the roster and the information on those who had distinguished themselves, allowing the squires to visit the respective companies and investigate for themselves.

Half an hour later, one of the squires arrived at the Second Infantry Company. He asked the soldiers about the relevant details, and before long, the conversation naturally shifted to the company scribe, Bob.

"Bob isn't on the list of merits. Why are you asking about him?"

The squire replied, "He is a student at the Army Academy. This deployment is the equivalent of an internship for him, so he naturally needs a periodic evaluation."

Most of the soldiers did not have a deep impression of Bob. Ingvar, the company commander, offered his assessment: "Bob fulfilled his duties as the company scribe, but he lacked any outstanding performance in other areas."

The squire recorded everyone's feedback line by line before politely bidding them farewell. "Understood. Thank you all for cooperating with the academy's work."

At noon, the report was delivered to Wigg's desk. After reading it carefully, his reaction was tepid. It seemed his eldest son lacked the potential to become a renowned general, but such things could not be forced. He could only accept it.

"Oh well. After years of meticulous education, he is at least far superior to Imon and Pascal Jr."

On August eighteenth, Wigg convened a meeting in Cork, southern Ireland. Since Wigg had conquered this land, he naturally presided over the investiture ceremony. He promoted Utgard to Earl of Limerick, and Douglas, the mercenary commander from the Scottish Highlands, to Earl of Galway.

Upon hearing his own name, Douglas grew visibly ecstatic. He swore to bring over his fellow Gaels from the Highlands to help govern his territory. If the King ever issued a call to arms, he and his family would be the first to respond.

In addition to the two new earls, Wigg also ennobled forty direct barons.

The barons were stationed at the newly constructed wooden forts across the region, overseeing the scattered villages around them. On average, each baron held over a dozen villages within their territory, comprising roughly five thousand residents.

Having been granted titles, the barons would inevitably pour all their efforts into managing their family fiefdoms. Fathers, sons, and brothers would work together, displaying an efficiency and enthusiasm far surpassing that of civilian officials.

This was the greatest advantage of the feudal system. It allowed for the control of newly conquered territories at an incredibly low cost, without requiring Wigg to spend a single coin. In times of peace, the baronies would pay their annual tribute; in times of war, they would provide high-quality cavalry and free conscripted militia.

Even if every member of a baron's family were to die while suppressing bandits, the worst-case scenario was simply granting the title to another household. There was no shortage of people fighting for the opportunity.

Feeling the enthusiastic atmosphere of the ceremony, Imon forced a smile. The earls and barons were direct vassals of the King, answering only to the royal family. They had no subordinate relationship to the Duke of Ireland, effectively making them a wedge driven into Ireland by the Crown.

Unfortunately, he had no room to refuse. The vast majority of the barons were military officers, while the rest were relatives of the great nobles. Examples included Gorm's nephew, Theowulf's illegitimate son, Leonard's third son, and Pascal Jr.'s cousin. This was the collective will of the Kingdom, and Imon was powerless to defy it.

After finishing reading the list of investitures, Wigg turned his gaze toward Imon. "Duke, what do you think?"

"Uh, everyone has worked tirelessly and contributed their fair share. This is what they deserve."

Wigg nodded, accepting Imon's response.

Following this campaign, Ireland now had a total of five earls, enough to effectively keep Imon's ambitions in check.

If Imon ever intended to rebel, he would first have to win over or eliminate these five great nobles and the direct royal barons. Before he could accomplish that, Londinium would have plenty of time to prepare, ensuring they would not be caught off guard.

Over half an hour passed. Wigg finished the investiture ceremony, and as he looked down at the kneeling crowd, he thought to himself:

'With this battle concluded, Ireland is now truly brought under the rule of the Kingdom of Britain. It brings a population of five hundred and fifty thousand and eighty thousand square kilometers of land—equivalent to a quarter of the Kingdom. The Kingdom's total area is roughly three hundred and ten thousand square kilometers, with England at one hundred and thirty thousand, Wales at twenty thousand, Scotland at seventy-eight thousand, and the island of Ireland at eighty-four thousand.'

Then, he looked at Imon once again, offering heartfelt advice:

"I conquered the Northern Marches a few years after Ivar, yet the order there is stable today, and the security is better than in other regions. When you compare it to the situation in Ireland, you should take this to heart.

"Because of this rebellion, the royal family, the cabinet, and the army have all been running themselves ragged. It has drained a massive amount of resources, not to mention forcing us to bear the risk of an invasion from West Francia.

"From now on, I expect you to keep your subordinates in line and avoid stirring up similar trouble. Remember to improve your relations with the locals and keep taxes at a normal level. When handling civil disputes, refer to the Kingdom's Legal Code, and invite respectable local elders to serve on the jury."