Viking: Master of the Icy Sea

Chapter 306: The Price and Reward of Participating in the War

First, Wigg summarized the entire war.

Wigg did not blame any of the nobles present. Instead, he placed the entirety of the blame squarely on Ubbe, accusing him of betraying Niels for selfish desires and appointing cowardly, incompetent cronies to garrison southern Denmark. This blunder had allowed the Frankish army to drive straight into their territory, plunging the entire Viking world into turmoil.

"After suffering years of hardship, the Danish region is now sparsely populated and its strength has waned. Should the Frankish army invade again, we will all need to step in to help. What are the King of Denmark's thoughts on this matter?"

With Ubbe dead in battle, his throne had been inherited by his eldest son, Snosa.

Currently, the young king and his three younger siblings were living in Gothenburg. By bringing up the young king, Wigg was actually questioning his two elders: Halfdan and Erik Jr.

Feeling the collective gaze of the nobles, the two men remained silent. After a long pause, Wigg spoke again.

He proposed rebuilding the Danevirke defense line, suggesting that all the rulers contribute funds and manpower to jointly form a garrison army specifically responsible for guarding southern Denmark.

"The defense line spans roughly twenty miles, or thirty kilometers. There are three key sections suitable for large-scale troop deployment that require heavy fortification, totaling about three miles in length. We need a minimum of four thousand soldiers stationed there.

"During times of peace, this army can farm and herd livestock on the open lands to the north, solving the grain issue. But the moment the Franks attack, they must buy enough time for reinforcements to arrive."

Upon hearing Wigg's proposal, the lord's longhouse erupted in an uproar.The nobles of Northern Europe had suffered heavy losses in the war without gaining any spoils of war. To learn that they were now expected to invest even more manpower into maintaining a defense line was simply too much to bear.

After several minutes of heated arguing, Wigg presented a compensation plan.

"The war has utterly destroyed the ruling order of the Kingdom of Denmark. Only three noble families, including the one from Esbjerg, survived, leaving the vast majority of territories vacant. How about this: we distribute the land based on military merits from this campaign. The more land you acquire, the more obligations you must bear."

Wigg demanded suzerainty over Zealand Island, intending to make its lord, Farvel, a vassal of Britain. This move would allow him to control the Oresund Strait and guarantee unobstructed trade routes between his homeland and the realms of Northern Europe and Eastern Europe.

He also set his sights on two islands in the Baltic Sea, Bornholm and Gotland, to serve as layover points for British merchant ships.

Since Gotland nominally belonged to Sweden, he "purchased" the island from Halfdan for the price of two Knarr ships and one hundred sets of captured armor.

For over a decade, the various settlements on Gotland had never acknowledged Halfdan's rule anyway. He was more than happy to sell off the worthless rock and let Wigg deal with the unruly locals.

"Just a heads-up, the Goths on that wretched island are incredibly difficult to deal with," Halfdan warned.

"Understood," Wigg replied. "I will handle them."

As for the remaining territories, the nobles lacked the enthusiasm Wigg had anticipated.

Northern Denmark was in ruins, while the central and southern regions had been reduced to wastelands. Settling there would require immense expenditures of manpower and resources, all while bearing the risk of another Frankish invasion. The return on investment was simply too low.

After much hesitation, Halfdan chose Skagen at the northernmost tip. Because Skagen faced Gothenburg across the sea, it would be relatively easy to manage.

Erik Jr. laid claim to Funen Island.

The rest of the nobles picked out their respective territories, installing their second sons or illegitimate children as titular lords. However, none of them intended to invest substantial resources just yet, preferring to observe the situation for a few years first.

For the next two hours, the meeting revolved around sourcing manpower and equipment for the garrison troops.

Wigg agreed to shoulder thirty percent of the military expenses and provide three hundred sets of captured armor.

Erik Jr. took on ten percent of the expenses and supplied three hundred conscripted peasants. Halfdan, lacking sufficient financial resources to cover the funds, simply dispatched four hundred conscripted peasants instead.

At the conclusion of the meeting, Wigg drafted an agreement, and everyone present either signed their names or pressed their thumbprints at the bottom.

In the absence of King Snosa, they assumed the defensive obligations of Denmark while simultaneously partitioning the vast majority of its lands among themselves, leaving the king with nothing but the battered ruins of Aalborg.

"It is finally over," Wigg muttered.

Wigg stepped out of the lord's longhouse and took deep breaths of the fresh outdoor air. He had been cooped up inside for so long that his mind had grown sluggish.

Suddenly, he noticed the envoy of "Louis the Younger" standing a short distance away. He walked over and asked, "Has your king changed his mind?"

"We cannot provide a single warhorse. This is not only His Majesty's personal wish, but Carloman, Charles the Fat, and Gunnar share the exact same stance.

"To put an end to all this as swiftly as possible, His Majesty has increased the total ransom to four thousand five hundred pounds. That is his absolute limit; there will be no better offers after this."

His patience completely exhausted, Wigg agreed to the envoy's terms.

Over the past six months, between the two battles in Denmark and Leif's pursuit of the enemy supply train, he had captured four hundred and thirty warhorses. This was just enough to offset his combat casualties and the losses suffered during sea transport.

With all his business concluded, Wigg boarded his flagship and set sail for Bornholm.

After circling the island, the fleet made landfall at a fishing village on the western coast. Wigg dispatched soldiers in all directions to proclaim his absolute sovereignty over Bornholm.

The central and northern parts of the island were dominated by rolling hills, while the southern shore enjoyed a flatter terrain. The total population numbered a mere eighteen hundred, mostly engaged in farming, herding, and fishing. Utterly terrified of provoking the massive fleet, the locals had no choice but to acknowledge Wigg's rule.

Escorted by the guard battalion, Wigg rode out to inspect his new territory. He found himself captivated by the fine white sandy beaches and abundant sunshine in the south of the island.

"The scenery is beautiful. It would make a perfect vacation spot," Wigg remarked.

Once the inspection concluded, Wigg took his ships further north to Gotland. This island, at 3,145 square kilometers, was significantly larger, equivalent to the size of five Bornholms, which were 588 square kilometers each.

The island boasted a population of six thousand. Legend had it that long ago, a portion of the inhabitants had crossed the sea and migrated to the European mainland, settling along the Danube River basin.

Over centuries of development, the Gothic tribes that migrated to the continent flourished and eventually split into the Visigoths and the Ostrogoths.

In the fifth century, the Visigoths rebelled and sacked Rome, later establishing the Visigothic Kingdom across southern Gaul and the Iberian Peninsula.

By the late fifth century, the Ostrogoths conquered the Italian region and founded the Ostrogothic Kingdom, marking the most glorious era for the Gothic people.

Decades later, the Eastern Roman Emperor dispatched Belisarius and Narses on a military expedition that completely obliterated the Ostrogothic Kingdom.

Over a century after that, civil war erupted within the Visigothic Kingdom. Out of pure selfishness, certain factions actively invited Moorish forces from North Africa to intervene. Ultimately, the Moors usurped control, bringing about the downfall of the Visigothic Kingdom as well.

Listening to Wigg's history lesson, Fridleif looked thoughtful. He followed his father in silence as they strolled along the beach. After a long while, Wigg pointed toward the fishing village of Visby in the north and outlined his plans for the future.

He had decided to assemble a Baltic Sea fleet to be stationed in Visby, Gotland. Securing naval dominance over the Baltic Sea would make it far easier to intervene in the affairs of Northern and Eastern Europe, allowing him to strike hard against any nobles or tribal chieftains who dared to default on their debts.