Viking: Master of the Icy Sea

Chapter 369: Western Mediterranean

July, Londinium.

Upon receiving a letter from his younger son, Wigg tore it open to read, finding that the boy's situation was quite favorable.

In truth, the intelligence system had gathered information on Livonia well in advance. The largest tribe there boasted a mere two thousand people. If his younger son could not handle the enemy with such an overwhelming advantage, Wigg would be utterly speechless.

Rubbing his sore, tired eyes, he continued to process the remaining official documents.

One of the reports came from Douglas, the Duke of Bavaria. The letter provided a detailed account of the movements within the Kingdom of Moravia (roughly located near modern-day Czechoslovakia).

Moravia had a population of about six hundred thousand and had long been coveted by East Francia.

To preserve themselves, the local monarch invited missionaries from the Eastern Roman Empire in 863 AD, announcing their conversion to Orthodox Christianity in exchange for aid and diplomatic support from Constantinople.

Not long ago, Douglas received news that a new Eastern Roman delegation had arrived in Moravia, bringing with them more missionaries, artisans, and military officers. It appeared that Basil was continuing the strategies of the previous dynasty, providing ongoing support to this Central European nation.

With the acquisition of advanced Eastern Roman technology, Moravia's strength was bound to increase rapidly. Douglas advised the Emperor to take targeted preventative measures.

If it were to be a raid, Douglas requested at least six battalions of Rangers. Working in tandem with the Duchy's forces, he was confident he could disrupt the nation's order and cripple their war potential.If it were to be a war of total conquest, Douglas would need a Field Division, six Garrison Regiments, three thousand cavalry, and military funding of at least twenty thousand pounds.

Furthermore, the letter included a detailed battle plan and corresponding marching routes.

'Interesting. This fellow is all brawn and no brains, yet he managed to find a young and calculating wife. I would wager this plan was dictated by that woman and penned by Douglas himself.'

At first glance, the battle plan was highly feasible, but Wigg was in no rush to start a war. He penned a reply to Bavaria, ordering the Duke to maintain a defensive posture.

Part of the reason lay in the Empire's strained finances and manpower, making it unsuitable for a large-scale war at the moment.

On the other hand, the main inhabitants of the Kingdom of Moravia were Western Slavs, who had believed in Slavic polytheism for many years. The King's rash change of faith would inevitably spark a series of upheavals. Under such circumstances, it was far more appropriate to dispatch intelligence agents to disrupt their internal order.

'To think they can still influence the situation in Moravia from hundreds of kilometers away. It seems I underestimated the strength of the Eastern Roman Empire.'

At that thought, Wigg pulled a secret report from his right-hand drawer.

Earlier this year, an agent from the intelligence system had infiltrated Constantinople. Codenamed Polar Bear, this operative had opened a fur trading post in the Viking settlement to gather various pieces of public information in the area.

Once the trading post was on track, Agent Polar Bear sent back his first secret report via the Black Sea and Baltic Sea trade route. As a mere fur merchant, he had no access to the upper echelons of society, so the report was filled with numerous street rumors of dubious authenticity.

Recently, Wigg had read over this report multiple times. What he could confirm was that the Eastern Roman Empire was dealing with a heretical rebellion within its borders. The battle situation was unclear; it might drag on for a long time, or the rebellion might have already been quelled.

'The report shows that the majority of the Greek populace harbors hostility toward me. I imagine the higher-ups in the Eastern Roman Empire share the same sentiment.'

Wigg had no desire to go to war with the Eastern Roman Empire. His side's core territory was the island of Britain, while the enemy's core territories were Greece and western Anatolia.

The straight-line distance between the two regions exceeded two thousand four hundred kilometers. Whether by land or sea, Wigg could do nothing to Basil, and the feeling was mutual.

'Let us hope he focuses on dealing with the Abbasid Empire in the east and refrains from interfering with the situation in Western Europe.'

The next official document came from Provence on the northern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The Duke was frequently attacked by Moorish pirates and requested reinforcements from the Royal Navy. During the Cabinet meeting the following day, Wigg ordered the formation of the West Mediterranean Fleet, and the Minister of Naval Affairs reported their available assets.

"The Royal Navy possesses sixty large warships: eighteen three-masted sailing ships and forty-two brigantines. The rest consists of communication vessels, transport ships, and coastal patrol boats.

"With the fall of Francia, the scale of the Channel Fleet can be appropriately reduced. I suggest withdrawing nine ships from it, and another three from the Canary Fleet, to form the West Mediterranean Fleet. The home port will be established in Toulon, just over forty miles east of Marseille.

"Although the town size of Toulon cannot compare to Marseille, its natural conditions are superior, making it an excellent deep-water port."

The Minister of Naval Affairs' proposal received unanimous approval from the Emperor and the Cabinet, and it was quickly put into action.

A week later, nine warships crossed the English Channel and sailed southward along the coastline.

On July 25th, the fleet replenished its fresh water supplies in Lisbon. They discovered a massive amount of abandoned siege engines scattered outside the city. Parts of the walls were severely damaged, and the five watchtowers in the northeast corner had completely collapsed.

The local Governor claimed that this was the Visigoths' third attack on Lisbon. He had a premonition that Alfonso would launch another round of assaults next year, and the situation would be far more dangerous then.

"Is that so? I wish you the best of luck."

Colonel Hadvard felt little sympathy toward the matter.

Times had changed. By conquering Francia, the Empire had leaped into absolute hegemony over Western Europe. Regardless of the situation on the Iberian Peninsula, neither the Moors nor the Visigoths dared to refuse docking requests from Viking ships.

In early August, Hadvard sailed to the Canary Islands. He publicly read the Emperor's Royal Edict, requisitioning the three warships in the best condition from the area, and appointed Baron Gallus as the Second-in-Command of the West Mediterranean Fleet.

Facing the unfamiliar and dangerous Western Mediterranean, the entire fleet brimmed with an eager excitement. They restocked their fresh water and food while carefully inspecting the rigging and ballistae on their ships.

Two days passed, and the Mediterranean Fleet departed the docks. Helgi, now nearing sixty, stood at the top of the castle. Stroking the battlements, he gazed dejectedly at the receding shadows of the massive sails.

His energy had long since waned, and he was no longer fit to command naval battles. All he could do was stay in the castle and reminisce about the past, or ride his horse to inspect the island's sugarcane and grape plantations. In this day-after-day monotony, he would face the end of his destiny alone.

'This kind of life is truly meaningless.'

Ten days later, the fleet arrived at the Strait of Gibraltar.

The sky was a brilliant azure, and sunlight poured unreservedly onto the ocean's surface. The flagship, Blue Parrot, plowed through the deep blue waters, leaving behind a long, gradually fading white wake.

Suddenly, five blurry dots appeared on the distant horizon. They were Moorish dhows, recognizable by their lateen sails.

"Prepare for battle!"

The Blue Parrot issued flag signals, and the remaining ships swiftly sprang into action. The crew members threw off the tarpaulins covering the ballistae, loaded the stone projectiles, and took aim at the general direction of the enemy vessels.

The Moorish ships lingered for a moment, clearly assessing the disparity in strength between the two forces. Ultimately, they did not approach, nor did they make the slightest provocative movement. They simply watched in silence as the fleet sailed eastward, disappearing into the horizon where the sea met the sky.