Vikings: Lords of the Ice Sea

Chapter 94 Iron Chains
Having made up his mind, Vig ordered the interrogation of six thousand prisoners, from whom three hundred were identified as having connections to Rouen.

Before setting off, he confirmed with the translator, "Is that all?"

"Correct."

Vigé said nothing more and ordered his 1,600 soldiers to move supplies and prepare to board the ship. Suddenly, a large group of people appeared on the north bank of the Seine, boarding longboats and rowing towards the south bank.

Before long, he spotted a tall, familiar figure standing at the bow of the ship, surrounded by Ivar and Bjorn.

Ragnar?
Upon learning that their commander was safe and sound, cheers erupted from the south bank, and countless soldiers spontaneously rushed to the shallow water to welcome the enemy.

As the High King of Britain, a living legend renowned throughout the Viking world, Ragnar's prestige in the army far surpassed that of others. Even with the outstanding military achievements of Vig, Ivar, and Gunnar, it seemed that the three of them combined could not replace his position.

After jumping off the longship, Ragnar spent half an hour chatting with many of the warriors, and even managed to recall the names of many people he had met once before.

"Eivor, is your brother feeling any better?"

"Vesek, last time you had a drinking contest in York and were drunk all day long, has your alcohol tolerance improved recently?"

"Harald, your eldest daughter is of marriageable age. Is there a suitable suitor for her? After we capture Paris, I will give her a gold necklace as part of her dowry."

After calming the soldiers down, Ragnar convened a meeting with the high command to explain what had happened two days prior:

"At first I had no intention of hastily attacking Cidade Island, but unexpectedly a bald man wearing a crown walked out of the wall alone, holding a shield in his left hand and a sword in his right, and assumed a dueling stance."

I was quite surprised at the time. Since it was Charlemagne's grandson who proposed the duel, I should indeed give him a chance.

"Alas, I never expected 'Bald' Charles to be so uncivilized, actually using a trebuchet to ambush me, the High King of Britain! He's utterly disgraced his grandfather!"

After being hit by oil canisters multiple times, Ragnar fled in panic to the north bank. He spent two days in swamps and forests before being cornered by pursuers in the bell tower of a stone church.

The assault failed, and the pursuers piled up firewood beneath the clock tower, preparing to set it ablaze. However, what happened next left everyone stunned. Within minutes, dark clouds gathered, and a torrential downpour extinguished the newly lit flames, buying Ragnar and his five guards more time until Ivar and Bjorn's rescue team arrived.

After saying that, Ragnar raised his wine glass. "Haha, it seems Odin has an even greater mission waiting for me to complete."

Upon seeing this, the nobles unanimously raised their wine cups, shouting, "Long live the Supreme King!"

After the meeting, Viger led his troops by boat to Rouen.

Landing on the north bank, he used three hundred prisoners, including the lord's only son, as hostages to draw the attention of the defenders. He then ordered a squad of soldiers to break through the city wall from the weak point in the northwest corner and captured the town in less than two hours.

Upon arriving at the riverbank, the northern end of the iron chain blocking the river was still fixed to the rocks, while the other end of the chain had been damaged a few days earlier, causing most of the chain to sink to the bottom of the river.

“In the Middle Ages, iron production was low, so this iron chain could be sold for a good amount of money.”

Once order was restored in the city, Vig had his men bring in many oxen and horses to drag the iron chains that had sunk to the bottom of the river ashore.

Upon returning to Paris, he used the "land-based boating" technique he had learned in Eastern Europe to tow many ships to the upper reaches of the Seine, establishing camps on both the north and south banks. He then laid a siege cable across the river. This effectively blocked the eastern bank of the Seine, cutting off supply convoys from upstream. The bridgeheads on both banks were also besieged, allowing the Viking army to focus on building siege equipment, planning a general offensive in mid-June.

"Damn Normans, they actually used the iron chains I forged to fight me!"

Behind the battlements, "Bald" Charles gazed upstream at the river, filled with resentment at the sight before him. To devise a strategy to defeat the enemy, he ordered his guards to summon two men—Lamberto and Ella.

The clerk, Lambert, had served as an envoy to Wessex and witnessed the Norman army march all the way to Winchester, so he was familiar with Norman tactics.

Ella, Crown Princess of Northumbria.

Two years ago, he fled from Britain to the European continent, traveling through various Frankish regions, pleading with nobles for financial assistance to restore his kingdom. Unfortunately, few people paid him any attention. After repeated setbacks, Prince Ella's retinue gradually dispersed. Helpless, he could only shamelessly cling to the court of "Bald" Charles, where he was ridiculed by some minor nobles as "Fatty" Ella.

Soon, the two arrived.

Charlie: "What do you think of the heretical army outside the city?"

Since the embezzlement of warhorses was exposed, Lambert had been sidelined. In an effort to salvage his image in the king's eyes, he spoke up before Ella could:
"Your Majesty, according to the information I have gathered, the three most capable nobles in the Ragnar army are Vig, Ivar, and Gunnar."

He pointed to the snake flag, wolf flag, and brown bear flag on both sides of the river, “Vigg is good at sieges, nicknamed the Chosen One, the Serpent of the North, and the Hammer of the City. The towns he has conquered include York, Duffield, Repton, Tamworth, Winchester, uh, and Rouen.”

Stealing a glance at the monarch's expression, Lambert continued:

"Ivar is Ragnar's eldest son. He claims to own all of Ireland. Two days ago, he led his troops to defeat our left flank. He is skilled in using heavy infantry."

As for Gunnar, he had known Ragnar for twenty years and was far more experienced than the others. He wasn't particularly famous until his horsemanship became apparent, which led to his appointment as cavalry commander. He led his troops to break through our lines two days ago; you should remember him.”

"Bald" Charlie's face darkened, but he didn't interrupt Lambert's remarks, letting the greedy and cunning fellow continue.

"In short, with Ragnar and these three together, plus their seven thousand troops, taking Paris should not be a problem. I suggest we negotiate peace as soon as possible."

“Let me think about it,” Charles said. In the past few days, many people had indeed come to the king, asking him to make peace as soon as possible and ransom their families. However, he was worried that the Normans would not keep their word, so he had not yet made up his mind.

Lambeto: "Your Majesty, the situation in Britain is currently turbulent. Ragnar cannot spare troops to be stationed on the European continent for an extended period. The only option is to negotiate peace, otherwise we will not even be able to protect our own homeland."

Makes sense.

Charlie stroked the rough surface of the battlements and accepted his subordinate's viewpoint.

Indeed, West Frankish territory was vast, and nobles in various places were building wooden fortresses. Some even spent huge sums of money to build stone castles. The Vikings found it difficult to conquer these strongholds and could not spare enough troops to garrison them.

His eyes gradually brightened, and his voice returned to normal. "Go out of the city and negotiate with Ragnar. I'm willing to pay to get rid of these poor bastards. But there are two conditions: first, release the prisoners; second, swear to your respective gods that you will not attack each other for five years."

　Thanks to book friend 20191019202329614 for the reward.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)