Vikings: Lords of the Ice Sea

Chapter 253 The Price of Greed

After a week of work, Nils had the carpenters in his army make battering rams, more ladders, and shield wagons. Drawing on the tactics of the Imperial Guard, they captured Antwerp in one fell swoop.

When the war ended, Nils took stock of his belongings and found that his earlier fears had come true.

After months of conflict, Antwerp's trade was severely affected, its population shrank to less than two thousand, and its wealth was far less than before, falling short of the raiders' expectations.

After discussions with Hafdan, the raiding fleet headed for Ghent, only to find that the locals had already fortified the city in March. The raiders besieged the city for several days before the Count of Flanders' cavalry arrived and lifted the siege.

Estimating his share of the profits, Hafdan expected to receive a fortune worth fifty pounds of silver. But he looked down on that small sum and complained at the top of his lungs, his shouts scaring away the waterbirds from the reeds on both banks.

"Damn it, we finally managed to launch a raid, and all we made was this little bit of money? No way, this time we have to rob someone to our heart's content."

“Isn’t this too risky?” Niels instinctively objected, but he couldn’t defy the collective will of the raiders, even his own troops were clamoring to continue raiding.

Afterward, Hafdan sent ten cumbersome cogs to transport the captured supplies and prisoners to the nearest Britain, while the main force remained off the coast of Flanders.

Soon, the raiding fleet followed a local merchant upstream along the Weser River, where lush oak and birch forests stretched along the banks, resembling a green sea formed by the convergence of forests.

After a full day's journey, the fleet arrived at its first major outpost—Bremen, a key town in the Saxony region, characterized by its wooden fortifications and earthen ramparts.

During the voyage, the fleet encountered no battles, and there were no warning beacons along the coast. Taking advantage of the enemy's lax defenses, Nils selected an elite squad and had them disguise themselves as merchant ships to sail ahead, with the main fleet following behind.

After a brief but bloody battle, they were fortunate enough to capture the town and take the lord's wife and daughter prisoner.

“Excellent, this time the profits far exceed those of Antwerp.” Hafdan ordered his men to bring out the wine from the cellar and slaughter livestock in a grand celebration.

After a night of commotion, they continued their advance along the Weser River, conquering more than twenty settlements of varying sizes along the way. They made a fortune, and a steady stream of spoils were transported to the mouth of the Weser, some of which were shipped back to Northern Europe, while others were sold to Britain.

In mid-August, the raiding fleet arrived at a royal estate called Kassel, where thousands of soldiers, including three hundred cavalry, hastily gathered.

Niels advised Hafdan and the other leaders, "It's time to retreat. The poorly organized light infantry cannot withstand a cavalry charge. If you insist on looting, I'm sorry I can't participate."

Over the past month, the two leaders each received eight hundred pounds worth of valuables, and the rest of the group also made substantial gains, like a pack of wolves who had eaten their fill and were now ready to return to their den to digest their food.

That night, despite Nils's advice, Hafdan led his berserkers in a final attack, breaching and burning the manor before escaping before dawn.

Ultimately, the raiding fleet left the Weser River unimpeded, divided the spoils, and disbanded. Niels, instead of rushing back to Schleswig, went to Londinium to sell some of the spoils.

Vig remained uninvolved in the antics of Hafdan and Niels, merely ordering the fleet to monitor the southern straits to prevent these madmen from taking advantage of him.

Overall, this large-scale raid weakened Flanders' strength, greatly benefiting him. Upon learning of Nils's visit, Vig warmly received him at the palace.

During the meal, he raised a profound question:

“Niels, you are a rare and intelligent Nordic nobleman. Why did you plunder East Francia? Their northern border is adjacent to Denmark. Once war breaks out, your territory is located in southern Denmark and will be the first to be affected.”

Niels's face was bitter. "My original plan was to plunder Flanders, but unfortunately, I couldn't get anything. Afterwards, someone suggested following the guides deeper into the Weser River to plunder, and this was agreed upon by the vast majority of people. I was powerless to stop the desires of the entire army." Speaking of this topic, Niels felt a vague unease. He changed his original strategy, abandoning the purchase of woolen fabrics and spirits, which were suitable for resale and profit. Instead, he used all his funds to purchase military equipment, buying two hundred sets of old armor and tens of thousands of arrows.

In September, Niels returned to Schleswig and heard devastating news—a large number of troops and supplies were being amassed in Hamburg.

Hamburg, located seventy miles south of Schleswig, was a frontier outpost of the East Frankish Kingdom and had about two hundred inhabitants.

"Oh no, this is clearly aimed at me."

He was greatly alarmed and sent men south to gather information, where they discovered the royal banner of "the German" Louis and the banners of the Duke of Saxony and others.

Because northern Germany is covered with forests and swamps, and the enemy was clearing roads and building bridges, Niels had some time to react.

With war inevitable, Niels summoned his vassals and ordered them to take up residence in Dannevirke, in southern Denmark.

This is a section of earthen fence, approximately 30 kilometers long, located on the border between Denmark and Germany. It was built over centuries by various lords. During Niels' reign, it suffered neglect and parts collapsed.

"Don't waste time. Gather all the militia and have them repair the earthen walls. Once the Franks break in, nobles and commoners alike will suffer."

Meanwhile, Nils also wrote to Uber, Hafdan, and Eric the Younger, asking them to help him out of consideration for their shared Viking heritage.

Aalborg, northern Denmark.

Uber was executing a nobleman in front of a crowd.

"Lord, you have committed an unforgivable crime of treason. I, the King of Denmark, hereby strip you and your family of their lands and sentence you to hanging. Do you have any last words?"

"You are not my king!"

Uber gave a signal, and the soldiers beside him put a black hood over the nobleman's head and a noose around his neck. The next moment, the soldiers moved the wooden stake under the nobleman's feet, and the nobleman struggled frantically, kicking his legs back and forth in mid-air.

Soon, the nobleman's struggles lessened until they finally came to a standstill. Uber's gaze swept over the audience, and he said in a threatening tone, "This is what happens to traitors!"

For a period at the beginning of his reign, Uber's rule was relatively gentle, even weak. The turning point came with the assassination attempt, when Aslaci bribed a Royal Guard officer to cut off half of his left hand, leaving a permanent scar on his face.

During his recovery, Uber deeply reflected on this experience, his temperament changed drastically, and his ruling style slid to another extreme. To date, he has executed eleven nobles, stripped them of their lands and distributed them to members of his guard, and re-established a new ruling order.

Only the dead never betray.

Uber took a deep breath, and suddenly a servant handed him a letter sealed with sealing wax.

"Your Majesty, there is news from southern Denmark."

(End of this chapter)