Vikings: Lords of the Ice Sea

Chapter 294 The Impact of Rumors

The Second Danish-East Franco War was not caused by hatred, nor by glory or wealth, but by a baseless rumor.

At the Battle of Gnuz, Niels annihilated the French cavalry, and then cooperated with Hafdan to severely damage the main French force. King Louis the German disappeared, and the generally accepted account is that he was killed in battle.

However, at some point, a malicious rumor began to circulate in Europe:

Someone saw a very familiar-looking man in a monastery in Saxony and speculated that he was King Louis, who had been missing for several days, but was being imprisoned by his son to prevent him from interfering with the current situation.

Vig had heard the rumor six months ago but hadn't taken it seriously.

The rumors of the world are endless, and he simply cannot keep up with them all. For example, news of sea monsters and treasures frequently circulates at the docks of Londinium, and some elderly sailors secretly sell fragments of treasure maps, claiming they can find the gold and silver buried by King Ragnar. Other examples include someone finding a girl in Norway who looks remarkably like Princess Enya, and someone discovering that their neighbor's black cat can talk.
Normally, such rumors are meaningless and only become fodder for gossip among ordinary people. Unexpectedly, the monastery caught fire in October, which fueled the suspicions of the East Frankish people.

Because the monastery was located in Saxony, King Louis III the Young King became the prime suspect, and his prestige plummeted.

To divert public attention, Louis III blamed everything on the Vikings' slander and declared war on Uber in the name of revenge.

In December, the Saxon army approached the Daniwilc defenses. The newly appointed Count Schleswig was incompetent and lacked the courage to personally lead the troops, and the defenses were quickly breached.

Subsequently, the Saxon army marched north, and Uber summoned the nobles within his territory, but few responded. Knowing Nils's fate, the people preferred to remain in their own lands and observe the situation.

In late December, the two sides met unexpectedly in the wasteland north of Wael. Three thousand Danish soldiers lined up on the hills, six hundred of whom were armored. Three hundred of these armors belonged to Uber's stockpile, while the other three hundred came from Niels's earlier capture.

On the other hand, Saxony had five thousand men, a thousand sets of iron armor, and a small number of heavy cavalry. When Louis III saw the Danish royal banner hidden behind the snowstorm, his warlike spirit was immediately ignited.

Ignoring the advice of his confidants, he committed all his heavy infantry to the first wave of attack, sending them to charge the Danish shield wall from the gentle slope on the east side. They charged five times in a row, but the Danish lines remained solid and showed a growing momentum as they fought.

At ten o'clock in the morning, Louis III launched the sixth attack. He imitated the ancient kings praised by the bards, wearing magnificent armor and riding a white horse, and began to inspire the fighting spirit of the lower-ranking soldiers.

Before long, more than a dozen arrows struck the white horse, and Louis III himself was hit by two arrows and fell into a coma.

The king was wounded, and the Saxon army fled down the gentle slope. Some Danish soldiers pursued them, only to be met with a charge from the Saxon knights.

Driven by fanaticism, over a hundred knights followed a Danish army several times their size as they charged up the hills. After a chaotic battle, they surprisingly breached the Danish shield wall. Seeing this, the remaining Saxon troops swarmed in, and Uber was killed on the spot.

During Uber's reign, he focused on suppressing the domestic nobility. Apart from Nils, other nobles of high standing and power were also suppressed. As a result, after his death, Denmark lacked a qualified leader. The nobles huddled in their respective territories and were defeated one by one by the overwhelmingly superior Saxon army. It was only a matter of time before the entire country fell.

Half an hour after receiving the news, Vigée convened a meeting of his cabinet members. With too little information, the Prime Minister suggested continuing to observe the situation.

More than ten days later, a Swedish Coke ship arrived in Londinium, bringing the latest developments:
Upon hearing of his brother's death, Hafdan led his army across the Kattegat Strait, entered Aalborg, and declared that he would raise Uber's sons and temporarily assume the Danish monarchy.

Although Hafdan has recently toned down his behavior somewhat, the nobles still remember the numerous troubles caused by the "Sword of North," and consider him to be of the same kind as Ulb: inherently cruel, mediocre in talent, and their only redeeming quality being that of Ragnar's offspring, enjoying immense popularity among the common people. The nobles' reaction to this new ruler is lukewarm; a minority support him, while the majority remain hesitant, with some even secretly contacting young Erik, creating a chaotic situation.

Meanwhile, Louis III regained consciousness and led his army north to eliminate any Danish nobles who disobeyed him.

Without Niels's attacks, the Saxon army's supply lines remained unobstructed.

What's more troublesome is that Louis III has the support of the Church and his brother Charles III the Fat, and he has no shortage of food and weapons. He also has many landless knights who have defected to him, so the number of his army has increased rather than decreased.

After suffering several defeats in a row, Hafdan was forced to ask Eric Jr. for help.

In recent years, the Kingdom of Norway has been steadily developing, able to build its own coke ships, with profitable textile and iron industries, attracting many immigrants from Denmark and Sweden, and its population has grown to 600,000, making it far more powerful than the other Nordic rulers.

However, Eric Jr. refused to send troops, primarily because he was dissatisfied with Hafdan's sole control of the situation in Denmark.

Secondly, he heard that Hafdan had considered plundering him, and he was wary of being betrayed during the joint operation, so he only sent a batch of food as symbolic aid.

Rejected, Hafdan retreated all the way back to Aalborg with his remaining troops, and it is expected that he will flee soon.

In February, the lord of Zealand sent an envoy to request that Vig send troops to clean up the mess.

Vig: "How is it?"

Messenger: "It's terrible. Hafdan has led the sons of Uber back to Gothenburg, and the entire Jutland Peninsula has fallen. Only Funen and Zealand remain under our control."

It is said that Louis III is gathering ships everywhere. If you do not intervene, the Franks will seize Funen and Zealand, and then cross the narrow Øresund Strait to land in Sweden. Hafdan lacks the support of the domestic nobility and will find it difficult to withstand the Frankish offensive. If this continues, the Vikings' stronghold will be completely destroyed.

Vig was not intimidated by the envoy's exaggerated remarks, and carefully considered the impact of this war on himself.

Merchant ships entering the Atlantic Ocean from the Baltic Sea typically pass through the Øresund Strait between Zealand and Sweden.

This waterway was only four kilometers wide at its narrowest point. Once the Franks captured Zealand, they would control the gateway to the entire Baltic Sea. Assuming their ships frequently harassed British merchant vessels, how could Britain continue trading with Eastern and Northern Europe?

Why are there always people interfering with my trade? Preventing me from making money!
Instantly, Vig's murderous intent surged, and he gritted his teeth as he gave the order:

"Tell your master that you must hold out until March. I will personally lead the troops there!"

(End of this chapter)