Chapter 1314: Old Friends in the Camp

Remember [new] in one second! Vadim, who was exiled to Smolensk, became a son-in-law. Under his governance, the most powerful family in the local area became a powerful entity.

After a purge, Vadim replaced him as the sole holder of power.

It was precisely by relying on the wealth of his father-in-law's family that he was able to organize an armored army of a thousand people, and he was able to rely on this army to force leaders and noble families from various places to use their own people to form a coalition army.

However, Vadim was defeated, the thousand-man army collapsed, and he became a sacrifice for the Russian priests...

When a family can no longer protect its wealth, and when the family leads its allies to defeat, then looting and killing are justified.

The nobleman nicknamed Dad is by no means a kind-hearted person. If he were thirty years younger, he would be as fierce and vengeful as Vadim.

But he is old, and reason always takes precedence over impulse.

But this time impulse trumped reason.

The servants and a group of armed peasants, under the leadership of their father, launched a raid on another noble manor.

After Vadim left with his army, his home was already empty inside. He had to ensure that he had a higher chance of winning. After taking away almost all the soldiers, he was left with a few slaves to serve his master.

Once the largest family, all the wealth was used by Vadim to train the army. If the war is won, all the upfront investment will be returned hundreds of times. But he was defeated!

His wife and children now directly faced the responsibility for the defeat. The butcher's knife did not come from the Rus, but was actually from his own race.

Because the military was promised big things.

"You rush in and loot freely, your chance to make a fortune is now! Kill that woman! Kill that boy! Take these heads to Ross and we will all be safe."

Dad lectured his troops like this. As a senior local nobleman, he was old and faced a situation at a loss. It seemed that only by following his arrangements could everyone survive.

Vadim's family became a necessary token of Natou's name, and the entire estate was ransacked amid screams and cries.

Before dawn, the snow was already covered with piles of heads.

It was difficult for the armed villagers to distinguish who was a slave and who was a noble. After a period of random killing, the armed servants beheaded all the dead bodies.

In the end, Dad identified the final target among the crowds of people.

The woman even died with her eyes closed. Only God knows what happened to her before she died.

I saw the old man half-kneeling down, holding his head with both hands, then closing the deceased's eyes and whispering silently: "Your father was stupid in marrying you to Vadim. I tried to persuade your father back then, but that guy just didn't listen. I had predicted it a long time ago. Vadim will lead us into disaster, and now the disaster has arrived. And you...will bring us a way out."

But what is this woman guilty of?

I'm afraid this is the other side of being a noble - when a noble is superior, he will also be regarded as the main target of beating by the stronger ones.

The captain of the guard subconsciously wiped the blood on his face and faced his master: "Sir, the matter has been settled. Is it really appropriate for us to do this...?"

"Are you scared?" The father put down his head, turned his face to the side and gave a cold look, with indescribable murderous intent in his eyes.

"No...I'm not afraid."

"Then just do your own thing and have a little rest. We'll leave tomorrow."

They could no longer turn back, especially by looting the once largest family's mansion and then burning it to the ground, which had already made a statement to all the local nobles in Smolensk City.

Many nobles were waiting and watching, but they didn't expect that the father was really cruel. Everyone is also thinking that if Dad takes action, it means that what he said at the meeting is true.

If you think about it carefully, if you kneel down and surrender to King Rus, you can pay a tribute in exchange for your life. This might not be impossible. If the Russians blame what happened before, let's put all the blame on Vadim.

Many nobles are ready to make a move. They are willing to follow in their father's footsteps and become dogs to Ross in exchange for their lives.

As for other nobles, even if they are faced with another job, they are still at a loss like ants on a hot pot, and they will waste all kinds of opportunities in hesitation.

On the other hand, while it was still dark, catching up with the last rays of the setting sun, the 1st Ross Cavalry returned to the Gniezdovo camp victoriously after completing its mission and having unexpected joy.

What is a big camp? Now even tents have been set up in the riverside area, a large number of wooden poles are inserted into the snow, and countless Ross flags are buzzing.

The Ross coalition brought a large number of flags with them.

The flag is not only a ceremonial object to show the majesty of the army, it has more practical value. As long as you follow the hunting flag, you won't get lost. Even if you accidentally get lost, the special pattern of the flag will be easily discovered by your companions.

No, a row of Ross flags appeared in the riverside area. They were a hundred times more eye-catching than the gray-and-white tents.

But the setting sun dyed the world orange and red, but the blue and white tones of the Ross flag still stood out.

Hagen and his friends felt a strong sense of unreality. He saw a large number of people moving on the ice. Maybe it was because there were too many Russian troops and the Grand Altar settlement could no longer accommodate them. They could only go to the riverside. Set up camp.

Or... the Ross army is already preparing for the attack.

Hagen is looking forward to meeting King Rus soon. There are some rumors that the so-called King Rus who unified the northern ocean is a young man. It is said that this man received the divine help of Odin.

Maybe this is right, otherwise how could the northern seas, which had been in dispute for who knows how long, be unified in just a few years?

Rurik, who had nothing much to do, had been wandering along the Dnieper River, and when he was bored, he was crying.

"Can the prisoners I let go pass the message smoothly? Are the powerful people in Smolensk really willing to surrender? But I will kill them all in the end. Will they really not suspect that this is the Hongmen Banquet? Hey, I will directly Raising troops to attack is not impossible..."

Rurik made two preparations. If the nobles did not come to kowtow, he would lead his troops to help move their heads. Although this group of people will eventually have to move their heads.

As for what to do with the Smolensk region in the future?

This place is a good place. Not only is the entire Dnieper River basin a good place for farming, but it is also the only way to pass through the Amber Road. Smolensk's business has huge development potential.

This place is not suitable for enfeoffment to big nobles. It has the opportunity to develop into a new financial and taxation base for the Kingdom of Rus in a short period of time. A governor should be established here, and personnel appointments must be made by the king.

Who will be the governor? People who are too young are not suitable. People of various ethnic groups are also not suitable. Close relatives may not be suitable either.

Who is suitable?

Rurik thought of a man—his cousin Arik.

The king has a very powerful brother, which is a huge threat to the royal power. Until now, Arik has neither a fief nor a title. His current duties are as the Lord of Mstisk City (almost like the mayor) and the flag captain of the First Banner Corps of the Citizen Soldiers.

My cousin pursues personal honor very much. In a narrow sense, he pursues the honor of being a warrior. He has dispersed a lot of spoils to reward his brothers, and he has not asked for the title of fief yet.

If he doesn’t want it, he can’t help but give it to him.

As for the title, it seems that we can't really give him the title of duke, and giving him the title of earl feels a bit cheap. Couldn't a title be invented for him? Besides, once he has a fiefdom and a title, Arik can no longer stay in the core area of ​​the kingdom, and he has to take care of his own finances and taxes. He could manage the fief well, but Smolensk must not be the possession of the Arik family lineage.

The system of governors and city lords has a great advantage. Those who are appointed can even be local emperors, but the legal basis for their dominance and prosperity comes from the king. The governor could not hand over power to his son based on subjective decisions. Only the king held the power of appointment.

In this way, so far in the Winter War, Rurik intends to establish two governor's offices in the south: the governor of Smolensk and the governor of Orsha.

This matter is still in Rurik's mind for the time being. My brother is at the big altar, so it is best not to discuss it with him for the time being.

As for who should serve as the governor of Orsha, Rurik also thought of a candidate - Telalang, a native of Saaremaa.

Just by the frozen river, Rurik welcomed back the victorious cavalry.

I saw that the team was actually escorting a sled team. Could it be that they also captured some prisoners?

He mounted his horse and took his guards with him, and Rurik led the troops to join his subordinates.

He did not exchange greetings. The first time he saw Fisk, he pointed at the smoke column in the east that no one could avoid: "Is that what you did? Did you set a fire in Smolensk?"

"Yes. Your Majesty, if those guys scold our dogs, I will give them a little punishment."

"A little punishment?" Rurik laughed out loud after hearing this: "Others don't understand you, but I understand you. What about a little punishment? Tell me, how many enemies have been eliminated this time. And these sleds, are you the one who caught them? Prisoners of war?”

"Them?" Fisk looked back briefly and said, "Let me report first. They are Danes living in Smolensk. They have surrendered to us now."

"Is there such a good thing?"

Rurik took a glance, and he did see some people with pure golden hair sitting on the sled. Ordinary Slavs almost did not have this kind of hair color.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Hagen was able to look up at the heroic appearance of the legendary King of Rus. Not to mention that the so-called Rurik was really a tall warrior, and the way he rode even made the horse look a bit small.

Feeling that the opportunity was ripe, Hagen first signaled to his people to be calm, then quickly got off the sleigh and walked towards King Rus under the gaze of many cavalry.

"Chief, we...are Danes from Smolensk. We are willing to submit to Russia."

He speaks the real Norse Zealand dialect, and it feels like Ragnar speaks the same way.

Rurik's attention was deeply attracted, and he nodded slightly: "I am the King of Rus. You speak a true Danish dialect, who are you?"

"I am Hagen. Hagen Eriksson, I am actually from Riga and now live in Smolensk. I heard that the whole of Riga surrendered to the noble King Rus, so we naturally have reasons to surrender."

Rurik nodded: "You are very respectful. But you are too respectful. Obviously you still have something to tell me."

"Ah! The leader is wise."

"You should call me king." Rurik corrected him, "Now take your people and follow me. Go to the high altar! This king recognizes your surrender, and now your people join my army."

"That's great."

A huge boulder weighing on his heart suddenly shattered, and now Hagen could finally breathe happily.

The sleigh team entered the Great Altar of Gniezdovo under the escort of cavalry. The bustling residential area remained the same, but the peaceful residents had become an army, just like the flags seen on the riverside. At this point, the Russian flag on the Great Altar was clearly visible. What's more, the Slavic altar is clearly disguised as a Nordic one.

Hagen did not dare to ask questions such as "Where is Vadim?" He decided not to take the initiative to ask, since it would be good to submit to the strong man and act submissive at the moment.

Suddenly another sled team came. There were men and women, and there were actually quite a few children. What was going on?

At night, the big altar relied on the bonfire to illuminate the world quite brightly. The tents and flags echoed each other in the firelight. The soldiers were busy cooking tonight's delicious meal. After eating wheat porridge, they all got into the tents and fell asleep. .

Only the people taking care of the horses and reindeer were more busy.

Everyone gathered towards the sleigh team with curious eyes, and when they saw the king in person, they stopped walking to pay attention to the ceremony.

Taking this opportunity, Rurik, who was in a good mood, announced decisively and loudly: "Brothers! Welcome our new brothers. Now all the Varangians living in Smolensk have joined us! Our enemies! Smolensk has already Failure! Now welcome our new friends!"

Since Fisk has trust in these people, Rurik has complied with this trust. Moreover, looking at the entire sled team, there are very few people who can fight. This also corresponds to what Stekander, the leader of the Danish community in Riga, said before - not many people are willing to live in Smolensk for a long time.

Word spread quickly.

An old guy left the army camp of the Principality of Ostara. This person was none other than Harold, who had a legendary experience but deliberately concealed his identity, and whose pseudonym was Olaf.

A traveling businessman never expects to have a stable family life, and his traveling lifestyle is basically insulated from his family life.

He actually bought a female slave in the south and had a relationship. The female slave who gave birth to a child was no longer an ordinary slave.

It is also because of this relationship that the orphaned and widowed mother living in the small community of Varangians in Smolensk was recognized by others as one of their own, so the mother and son completely understood the Norse language.

Old Harold's true identity has long been exposed. As for the fact that when he was young, he worked as a mercenary for Vadim's family and helped Vadim successfully escape, these past events were never mentioned. Old Harold was already aging. Since his identity belonged to the Principality of Ostara, even if Vadim was captured, he would not have the opportunity to visit the prisoner outside the cage.

Even if there is a chance, old Harold will never show up.

Except for Vadim, no one else knows this secret.

On the contrary, Princess Carlotta knew that he had a wife and children in Smolensk. The so-called wife did not come from a normal marriage, just because the old guy only had a slave girl and an illegitimate child, and it was impossible to deny it even now.

He joined in the fun with the mentality of giving it a try, and quickly found his two-year-lost female slave and his son in the camp temporarily assigned to them by the king.

All Varyags from Smolensk knew old Harold, after all, the man had lived in the community for a long time.

People don’t know much about Stekander, the boss of the Danish community in the Gulf of Riga. Everyone knows about the old Harold who was still living around him a few years ago. There are many rumors that he is dead. Now his appearance makes many people feel more magical. .

But what a great happiness for a certain woman.

Relying on the wealth left by her master, the slave girl Katie can still live a relatively decent life with her son. She originally thought that life would go on like this, and it would be helpless if her master died on the trade line, but it was clear that his master just disappeared, maybe he was traveling far away.

She originally had no name, but was named "Cat" and nicknamed Katie by her owner.

As for the son she bore for her master, his name was Olaf. This is also the reason why Harold Sr. deliberately changed his name to Olaf.

In the camp, old Harold asked everyone he met, and in a very short time he found his woman amidst the smiles of the old guys.

The moment she saw her master, the slave girl Katie knelt down directly with the slightly confused boy. She didn't mind the dirt on the ground and moved to hug old Harold's legs. The boy Olaf also threw himself directly on his father's legs. On the body.

"You... don't think I'm dead." He put his big hand on his woman's head, "Don't cry, I'm back now. A lot of things happened, I will tell you slowly."

Old Harold has lost the courage he once had. His age is here. He once thought he would die on the adventure, be killed in a war, or have a good ending, but now he just wants to be in Ostara. The principality enjoys his old age in peace.

He originally thought that this war would kill his women and children. If this was the case, it can only be said that everyone has his own destiny.

He once paid a large price for Kati's beauty. Kati was not a Slavic woman from the Smolensk area. She came from Kherson further south and was bought secretly from a Roman merchant.

Such human trade was explicitly prohibited in the Eastern Roman Empire, but it was extremely difficult to put an end to it, and the ban remained on paper.

Katie has long forgotten her parents, or those are unspeakable existences. She curried favor with Harold, who was in his prime at the time, and after several miscarriages she finally gave birth to her son Olaf, for which her status rose a lot. But she is still a slave, and her son is still an illegitimate child. What she lacks is a formal wedding.

Everything is like divine help, everything is fate.

Old Harold Ha did not hesitate to take the mother and son back to the camp of the Principality of Ostara, and the identities of mother and son were immediately recognized by Carlotta.

The story of separation and reunion moved Carlotta. As for whether Katie is still a slave?

That's it for now.

The slave Katie knelt in the snow, and standing in front of her was another woman - Carlotta, the Duchess of Ostara.

The steel sword was placed directly on Katie's head: "Now, abolish your slave status. You are now Harold's wife! You are young now, and as a female warrior, you will fight for me in the future."

This is not over yet. Old Harold has provided himself with a series of important information in recent years, which is greatly beneficial to the southern expansion of the Principality of Ostara. Old Harold may not be too old, but his endless adventures have caused him to age prematurely. If you can't reward him, reward his son.

The truth came out, Olaf turned out to be the old guy's only son, so it became logical to reward Olaf.

As a result, Olaf, who was only ten years old, no longer had to look at other people's faces to act. He completely shed his identity as a "son of a slave" and transformed into a Duke's attendant, or a "sergeant". When he grows up, he will be a lower-level nobleman loyal to the Duke. He also had the right and obligation to sleep next to the Duke's battalion commander and fulfill his obligation of allegiance at all times.

But this night, Katie, who had been recognized by the great nobles, still subconsciously showed humility when facing old Harold. She served her master as always, and she made Harold feel as if he suddenly looked twenty years younger.

Now, the son has become a Duke's attendant, and in the future he will be a hereditary noble. Being a woman is equivalent to being upgraded to a noble.

Happiness must be a gift from the gods, and you will die without regrets...

Katie lay next to Harold like a cat, letting the old guy play with her curly hair.

"From now on, don't kneel down when you see me. You are not a slave now, you are my wife."

"Yes. Master."

"Stupid." Harold pinched her with a smile: "You can call her by her first name now."

"I...I don't dare."

"Don't wait, just tell me."

"Yes, Harold..."