Vikings: Lords of the Ice Sea

Chapter 102 The Duke (Part 1)

Upon discovering Vig's sensible nature, Queen Sora smiled for the first time in a long time and responded before Ragnar could: "Of course, a loyal subject like you deserves a huge reward."

On the other side, Asraci also intended to secure a territory for her son Sigurd. Since Vig was willing to withdraw from the competition for Wales, she might as well grant his wish.

"Your Majesty, Vig has rendered outstanding service, and you should indeed reward him handsomely."

The two queens reached an agreement, and the maids and servants in the hall looked at each other, as if this was the first time such a situation had occurred.

When Ragnar heard that Vig was asking for money, he readily agreed and provided four hundred pounds of silver as war funds.

Based on past experience, Ragnar believed that Vig was capable of defeating the Picts; the key lay in how to govern them.

In his mind, the North's terrain was complex, and Vig would find himself in the same predicament as Ivar, preoccupied with dealing with various rebellions and unlikely to be able to help him fight.

Sigh, let these two newly crowned dukes do what they want. Anyway, my focus these days is on handling domestic affairs, and I don't plan to go to war with other countries.

"Keep up the good work, I'll be waiting for your good news."

“Thank you for your generosity.” Vig bowed in thanks.

Last year's Mercia-Wessex War yielded 200 pounds of silver, and the Frankish War in the first half of the year brought him 600 pounds. Adding to this the 400 pounds awarded by Ragnar, his total silver amounted to 1,200 pounds. Furthermore, Tyneburg's comprehensive implementation of the three-field system resulted in a large stockpile of grain, more than enough to conquer the North.

Just as he was pondering how to use this huge sum of money, Hafdan, who was standing to the side of the steps, spoke up:
"Your Grace, I've heard that the list of those who have surrendered includes 'Shrike,' 'Viper,' and 'Breken.' Is that true?"

“Yes,” Vig met his gaze calmly and replied.
"At the gathering in Maratfar, Oleg, in His Majesty's name, pardoned everyone, including the three of them. Later, the three chieftains, fearing that you would become the Duke of Wales and fearing retaliation, requested to move to the North as a group. I was compelled by circumstances to agree."

As the envoy, Oleg knew he couldn't escape responsibility, so he quickly stepped forward to explain:

“After I read out His Majesty’s decree, the Shrike suddenly jumped out and mentioned the candidate for Duke of Wales, worried that you would retaliate against them after becoming Duke. The atmosphere was really tense. Someone suggested that the three of them hide in Tyneburg to avoid trouble, and Vig had no choice but to agree.”

Hafdan: "How could I agree to something like this? My left arm?"

“Stop talking!” Ragnar looked helplessly at his son. “The king cannot take back his words. Going back on his word will only lead to a renewed rebellion in Wales. Vig did the right thing.”

After a series of disastrous performances, Hafdan was no longer fit to be Duke of Wales. As compensation, Ragnar granted him Gothenburg, his ancestral home in Scandinavia, so that he could learn more about Viking traditions and avoid spending his days in the court with Anglo-Saxon ladies-in-waiting, which would only lead to his decadence.

Hafdan looked up in disbelief, "Gothenburg?"

Due to long-term population loss, Gothenburg has been in a state of semi-death, with annual taxes amounting to only about ten pounds of silver, which, after deducting the most basic expenses, is not even enough to maintain its current standard of living.

"Father, you want to exile me after just one defeat?"

"Nordic Europe is where you grew up, where you lived as the lord of Gothenburg. By what right do you call this exile?"

"How much can you earn from that wretched place? It's not even as much as a Flemish wool merchant's annual income. Since you say it's a good place, why not grant it to Uber or Sigurd?"

A fierce conflict erupted between father and son, and Hafdan was severely reprimanded and given a week to go to Northern Europe to take over his fiefdom. "Father, one day you will realize that this was a terrible mistake." Hafdan's eyes swept across the room, and he quickly walked out of the hall, just as he brushed past Ethelwaugh.

"Your Highness, what brings you here?"

"Just call me Hafdan, Your Grace. Be careful once you go inside; there aren't many good people there."

Esselwolf stood frozen for a few seconds before entering the hall and bowing to the throne.

“Your Majesty, last month you sent an envoy ordering me to thoroughly investigate Frankish spies. After a preliminary investigation, two people were arrested, five abandoned their homes and went into exile, and one person attempted to resist and was beheaded on the spot. This is the investigation report and confession.”

A servant stepped forward, took the ledger, and went up the steps to hand it to Ragnar, who could not read Latin and had to ask his wife Sora to read it for him.

During this time, he secretly grumbled to himself:

You traitor! I think you are the biggest Frankish traitor, especially for leaking the trebuchet blueprints and the approximate time of troop deployment. These two things alone are enough to sentence you to hanging.

However, Ragnar could only grumble inwardly. Without substantial evidence, he could not convict Esserwolf, and a forced execution could very well ignite a civil war.

“Viking nobles, Anglo-Saxon nobles, Welsh nobles who have just submitted, and the Irish to the west. By Odin, I wonder how many will stand on my side once civil war breaks out.”

After Esserwolf finished reading the report, Ragnar, having found no fault, threw out a bait as a test:
“I have recently conquered Wales. What do you think should be done with this land? Should we appoint a foreigner to oversee it, or let the Welsh elect their own ruler?”

Eslough: "Wales has a complex terrain and cannot generate much profit, so the focus should be on appeasement. You should personally assume the role of ruler and let them elect seven members to form a parliament to handle various disputes among the nobles. Even if some people are dissatisfied, at least there will be a parliament as a buffer."

parliament.

At first glance, it seemed to make some sense, but Ragnar couldn't figure out if this man was offering advice or secretly planting some hidden dangers. He asked Prime Minister Pascal, who was recovering from a serious illness, and Vig, who was standing in the queue in a daze, but the two stammered and offered no valuable suggestions.

After a long period of contemplation, Ragnar felt a wave of weariness wash over him. "Never mind, I'll think about it later."

He temporarily put his worries aside and brought up Esserwolf's family affairs. He heard that Esserwolf's wife was pregnant, so he asked his maid to bring him a gold armlet.

"May she give birth to a strong and intelligent child."

Esselwyn bowed and said, “Thank you for your kind words. I have a feeling it’s a boy. For some reason, the word ‘Alfred’ keeps coming to mind these days, and it seems like a good name for him.”

"Alfred, Alfred."

Ragnar repeated the Anglo name, which literally meant intelligence and had no other special connotation. Soon, feeling increasingly tired, he announced the end of the audience and dismissed everyone in the hall.

After leaving the palace, Vig went to the treasury to collect four hundred pounds of silver. After signing his name at the end of the goods delivery slip, the clerk told him not to leave in a hurry.

"My lord, 'Bald' Charlie has sent a shipment of silver and a horse. The ship is unloading at the dock. Would you like to go and take a look?"

(End of this chapter)