Vikings: Lords of the Ice Sea

Chapter 103 The Duke (Part Two)

After the Battle of West Frankish ended, Charles the Bald did not pay the indemnity in a lump sum, but instead sent it in installments at intervals. These assets were inventoried in Lentinium and eventually distributed to the various noble families.

At the southern dock of the city, many Frankish ships were unloading supplies. A group of listless warhorses followed their grooms to the stables. After the rough seas, they were in very poor condition, and a total of fifteen had died of illness.

"Wait, besides the horses that died of disease, these five warhorses don't seem to last much longer either, so they don't count."

The Viking official pointed to the last five horses in the herd and indicated that they should be removed from the list.

"Why should we?" The Frankish envoy was unwilling to be at a disadvantage. "Many of the prisoners of war you returned were sick. Shouldn't they also be removed from the list?"

Ignoring their argument, Vig turned his attention to the construction site in the middle of the river.

As early as 50 AD, the Romans built a bridge across the Thames, connecting Rendignum on the north bank with the marshland on the south bank.

Today, the bridge is long gone, leaving only a few lonely piers standing on the river.

As the High King, Ragnar decided to rebuild the bridge to improve his popularity among the people and incidentally collect some "trivial" tolls.

Currently, the project is in the initial pile driving stage.

Workers weave "sunken rafts" out of willow branches, fill them with stones, and sink them into the riverbed to serve as the foundation for bridge piers.

Then, they used heavy wooden mallets to drive oak piles vertically into the riverbed, each pile being soaked in tar to maximize its lifespan. Finally, the workers drained the water between the piles, filled the space with mortar and stones, and built stone bridge piers.

"With a river that is nearly 300 meters wide, how many bridge piers will be needed? The construction difficulty is too great."

Vig asked the stonemasons in charge of the construction, but no one could give a specific timeframe or cost.

"My lord, this is our first time participating in such a large-scale project. We can only learn things gradually. His Majesty has not set a specific construction period, and the maximum cost is 1,500 pounds of silver."

How many?

1,500 pounds of silver!

Vig was utterly speechless. He had originally planned to build a similar stone bridge over the Tyne River, but now it seemed that the plan was completely off.

"The river near Tyne is over 100 meters wide. If we were to build a stone bridge of similar size, it would cost over 500 pounds of silver and require a large-scale conscription. Forget it, such a wasteful spectacle is not for me. I'd rather just cross the river by boat."

Putting aside this unrealistic fantasy, Vig asked the Viking official near the pier and learned that this was the penultimate ransom from the Franks.

A few days earlier, Gunnar personally went to the other side of the Channel to hand over the prisoners of war, planning to return to Rendynewm with the last ransom.

"Really? I hope everything goes well for him."

Meanwhile, Gunnar arrived in Dover by ship. To ensure that Charles the Bald kept his promise, he insisted on holding one hundred captured knights until the very last moment before handing them over to the Franks.

Braving the damp, cold sea breeze, Gunnar walked ashore and headed towards Lambert, who was not far away. The two had exchanged words several times, but Gunnar was too lazy to say any of the usual pleasantries. He tossed a roster to Lambert and pointed to the fleet behind him. “Five people have unfortunately died of illness. The remaining ninety-five are on board.”

Seeing this, Lambert handed over a list and gestured for his men to bring out a huge box. "This is the final ransom."

After confirming that everything was accounted for, Gunnar stretched and said, "Finally, it's over."

While their subordinates were busy with their inventory, Lambert took Gunnar to a nearby fisherman's hut, intending to introduce him to a potential marriage.

"My lord, I heard that your wife died of illness earlier this year, leaving no children. Fortunately, my emperor has a niece who has just come of age; she is quite beautiful and has a good temperament. As for dowry, His Majesty is willing to grant you the northern coastal region. What do you say?"

For decades, Norman raiders have frequently harassed the Frankish coast, and more recently, some have even established themselves in the Channel Islands as outposts for raiding.

(The Channel Islands, with a total area of ​​194 square kilometers, are located only a dozen nautical miles from the northern coast of France.)

Now, all seven Anglo-Saxon states have submitted to Ragnar, and the Vikings dare not provoke this legendary figure, flocking to the lands of West Francia.

A wave of piracy was imminent, and "Bald" Charles convened his cabinet to discuss the matter. Lambert, who had been promoted to Foreign Minister, opposed using violence to deal with the pirates and suggested that a Norman chieftain be granted a noble title and given control of the northern coastal region.

After hearing the explanation, Gunnar tossed his blond hair in frustration. "Why me of all people? Cambridge has a bunch of problems to deal with. I don't have time to get entangled with you."

"Because His Majesty respects heroes the most, he often tells us that, looking at the Normans today, Ragnar is the supreme leader, and below him there are only three worthy of praise."

Vig is a master of intrigue and cunning; he is a treacherous and unpredictable viper.

Ivar is brave and ruthless, skilled at commanding heavy infantry, and is a bloodthirsty and ferocious ice wolf.

However, when it comes to truly honorable heroes, only you, Gunnar, remain. You are exceptionally brave and have a resolute appearance. The Norman knights you have trained are unparalleled in their charging skills, like brown bears roaming the wilderness, truly the king of beasts.

As for the others, King Eric of Norway was nothing more than a muddle-headed old pig curled up in his sty; Nils and Om were of limited talent, at best competent hounds; and the rest—Young Eric, Leonard, Ulf, Halfdan, and "White-Haired" Oleg—were utterly insignificant.

Compared to self-praise from one's own side, praise from the enemy is especially precious.

After hearing Lambert's account, Gunnar grinned from ear to ear and patted the other man's shoulder wildly.

"Haha, well said! You Frankish dwarves have good taste. If you and Charlie are captured by me in the next war, you'll definitely get plenty of good food and drink."

Enduring the brute force of the blond giant, Lambert suddenly changed the subject, touching on his greatest regret.

"It's a pity that your talent has been buried for many years, and you were only granted the title of Earl in this small place of Cambridge last year. His Majesty often feels it's unfair for you. Why are younger men like Vig and Ivar able to be knighted before you?"

Even more ridiculous is that Hafdan is all talk and no action; simply because he is Ragnar's son, he was appointed commander of the campaign against Wales. If the war had gone well, he probably would have been granted the title of Duke of Wales by now.

Undoubtedly, these words struck a nerve with Gunnar, who proceeded to smash the tables and chairs in the room. After a long while, he asked with a half-smile:
"Your king wants me to betray Ragnar?"

(End of this chapter)