Viking: Master of the Icy Sea

Chapter 344: Prelude to the Decisive Battle

For more than a week afterward, the cavalry of both sides engaged in multiple skirmishes in the wilderness east of Saint-Malo.

Overall, the Frankish scouts possessed superior close-combat capabilities. Their Frankish warhorses were tall and robust with a high carrying capacity, and the scouts were equipped with longswords, maces, and shields.

The Rangers' steppe horses were shorter and had a poorer carrying capacity. They were only equipped with a saber and a bow and arrows. Their light brigandine armor weighed a mere six kilograms, offering less protection than the chainmail of the Frankish army scouts, making them ill-suited for melee combat.

However, the Rangers' advantage lay in their mobility. The steppe horses were resilient against both the cold and the heat, and they could survive on coarse forage. They could endure in the wilderness for two days and a night, or even longer. In contrast, the Frankish warhorses were relatively delicate with a shorter sustained combat duration. Their reconnaissance efficiency was far inferior to that of the steppe Rangers.

In late August, Wig managed to gather general intelligence on this Frankish army: it consisted of fifteen thousand men commanded by William, the Count of Orleans, who was the younger brother of Queen Ermentrude.

At this moment, William's army was stationed thirty kilometers away. They lacked the courage to advance any further and seemed to be waiting for subsequent reinforcements.

"Is that it?"

Wig hesitated no longer. He ordered the sappers to ignite the tunnels beneath the city walls. Soon, five breaches appeared in the eastern wall of Saint-Malo. The Viking soldiers charged into the city, taking half a day to wipe out all resistance.

Upon learning of Saint-Malo's fall, the Count of Orleans retreated eastward along his original route. Wig did not pursue him. Instead, he had his soldiers repair the city defenses and expand the port facilities to welcome the incoming reinforcements.

In September, Wig caught wind that the Frankish field forces assembled exceeded seventy thousand.Charles the Bald, along with the three kings of Middle Francia and the three kings of East Francia, issued a joint declaration calling on all Franks to unite. If any noble managed to slay the North's Serpent, they would be entitled to the title of King of Britain. Rumor had it that this bounty had already received the Church's approval.

Long before the war began, Wig had anticipated such a scenario, so his reaction was indifferent.

"Is this supposed to be a Middle Ages version of an Anti-British Alliance? Very well. Let me tear through this encirclement with my bare hands and sweep away all threats at once."

On September eighth, the final batch of troops arrived in Saint-Malo. After three long months, Wig had finally transported his fifty-thousand-strong army to Francia.

That night, he convened a meeting with his commanders to reiterate their war objectives.

"This war is different from the previous two Viking-West Francia wars. It is not for plunder. My annual income has long since surpassed that of Charles the Bald, so there is no need to rob him. My sole intention is to completely eliminate this archenemy, sparing us from endless entanglements in the future."

As it stood, the main Frankish army was still in Paris. The enemy moved sluggishly. The distance between Paris and Rennes was about four hundred kilometers. At their marching speed, it would take them at least twenty days.

Wig decided to capitalize on this precious time.

He led his main forces to attack the Nantes region south of Rennes, continuing to gather grain and warhorses, forcing the Frankish army to come and face him.

In truth, even if Wig had made no move, Charles the Bald would have seized the initiative to strike. If he dragged it out any longer, he would eventually be eaten out of house and home by this massive army.

On October fifth, as the autumn winds began to rise, the Frankish army entered Le Mans. Three days later, they arrived in Laval, a mere sixty kilometers from Rennes. Wig left a Garrison Regiment behind to defend Nantes while he led the main force back to Rennes to face the enemy from afar.

After a month of grueling marches, the Viking soldiers were severely exhausted. Wig was in no rush for the decisive battle; he planned to drag things out for a while to let his troops recover their combat effectiveness.

The stalemate persisted for five days until Wig received two pieces of news: a supply convoy heading from Saint-Malo to Rennes had been ambushed, and a large number of cavalry had appeared outside Nantes.

There were currently three ports suitable for docking large fleets:

Saint-Malo in the north, Brest to the west, and Nantes in the south. The Frankish army was attacking from both the north and the south simultaneously, seemingly intending to cut off the Vikings' supply lines. At this moment, Wig felt as if he were enveloped in a dense fog. He dispatched large numbers of Rangers and Mountain Infantry Battalions to deduce the movements of the main Frankish army based on the intelligence reported by the various units.

Two days later, he deduced that the main Frankish army was positioned in the northeast. They would likely assault Saint-Malo and then continue westward to sever the connection between Rennes and Brest.

There was also another possibility: the enemy intended to lure him out of the city and launch an immediate ambush, replicating the tactics the Frankish army had once used to launch a surprise attack on Ragnar during the Battle of Auxerre.

"Hah, to think Charles the Bald would employ such a complex maneuver. Having experienced numerous wars, it seems he is quite confident in his command ability," Wig chuckled.

Excluding the garrison forces stationed across various regions, Wig had forty-three thousand men at his disposal, including two thousand eight hundred heavy cavalry and over a thousand Rangers.

He paced back and forth around the map table in the center of the hall. After a long while, he laid out the following deployment:

"Pass down the order: Shrike is to lead his troops north to Lot Village, twenty miles away. Allocate an additional eight hundred heavy cavalry to him. If they encounter small pockets of enemies, they are to annihilate them on the spot—do not let anyone escape. Once the battle is over, have his two Mountain Infantry Battalions stationed in the forests near Saint-Malo to intercept and slaughter the enemy's reconnaissance units.

The 5th Garrison Regiment will defend Bull Bridge in the north. Should they suffer an enemy attack, they only need to hold their ground for half a day before retreating.

Utgard's 13th and 14th Infantry Regiments are to remain at the Pass Baronial Estate. If the troops at Bull Bridge are routed, have the nearby Rangers provide cover for their retreat. The infantry must stay in the rear and are strictly forbidden from acting rashly.

"

Wig planned to deploy an ambush in the north. Once the enemy crossed the Bull River to the west, he would dispatch Utgard to retake Bull Bridge, effectively closing the door to beat the dog.

Upon receiving their orders, the various units marched out of the city in an orderly fashion, swiftly heading to their designated locations. Wig remained in the hall of the Duke's Residence, staring blankly at the map table.

The following day, there was not much activity in the north. Instead, news arrived from the southern front—the Frankish army had intensified their assault on Nantes, attempting to retake the town.

Nantes bordered the Loire River and boasted a newly constructed set of stone city walls. In the recent battle, the Vikings had utilized tunneling tactics to blast three breaches into those walls.

After capturing Nantes, the Vikings had hastily erected wooden palisades in the breaches. Unfortunately, the defensive efficacy was far inferior to what it had once been.

The local garrison force consisted of the 2nd Garrison Regiment, totaling one thousand soldiers under the command of Leonard. Wig had previously instructed him that if the enemy breached the city, there was no need to fight to the death; Leonard was to lead his troops to the docks and escape by ship.

At dawn on the third day, a soundly sleeping Wig was shaken awake. His first reaction was a bleary thought: 'Has Nantes fallen? So quickly?'

Leif's tone was frantic. "It has nothing to do with Nantes. It is the northern front! The scouts of the 5th Garrison Regiment have detected several thousand Frankish soldiers approaching. They are requesting further instructions."

The 5th Garrison Regiment comprised eight hundred men. If they defended Bull Bridge to the bitter end, they could at least hold out until nearby reinforcements arrived. However, Wig had no intention of doing so.

"Have a messenger notify Ricard to hold the line until noon before retreating. When the time comes, Utgard's Ranger Battalion will be responsible for covering their withdrawal, preventing them from being hunted down by the Frankish cavalry."