There is a group of jet-black people gathered in front. Their gray hats cannot hide their drooping blond hair, and their simple and plain clothes make them look like a plate of Malaren woodcutter.
“It’s very lively there. Yevlo, what are these people doing around the strange stalls?”
Since the owner was interested, Yevlo crowded in without saying a word Entering the crowd, he stood on tiptoe, glanced at it, and hurried back to report: "Sir, someone is selling axes."
"Axes?" Rurik immediately became alert and began to think about something in his mind. thing.
"It's the axe. In my opinion, those onlookers are woodcutter who plan to buy the axe."
The so-called woodcutter is the woodcutter, Rurik is a little happy My judgment is good. Seeing a large group of woodcutters trying to buy an axe, Rurik couldn't help but feel jealous, because these axe-sellers were already in competition with him.
"Jevlo!"
"Yes!"
"Go! Buy me an axe. No matter what price the merchant proposes, Buy me one. I want to see how skilled the Melalen people are as blacksmiths."
Jevro nodded vigorously, walked forward with his five brothers, and said very rudely. A group of hesitant woodcutters pulled aside, and then took out shiny silver coins of good quality with the intention of buying.
After a while, Yevlo bought an ax at a "low price" of just two silver coins and dedicated it to his master.
"Sir, there are only two silver coins. It is really cheap. Maybe it is not a good thing."
Rurik took the ax and saw it for the first time The sight confirmed its inferiority.
Jevro continued: "Sir, I have just learned that those people are selling more than twenty axes, and they are of the same style. Those merchants claim that they are Granites, oh, they are not "Melaren people."
"Glan people?" Rurik felt that this name was familiar and very strange.
Carlotta, when she heard the term, she trembled on the spot, or she was trembling with anger.
"It's them! Those guys who take advantage of others."
"Oops!" Yevluo slapped his head hard, remembering what happened last year.
“You know the Gran people very well?” Rurik asked Carlotta in confusion.
"More than just understanding, we are neighbors. I really don't want to talk about last year. Rurik!" Carlotta looked at Rurik's big eyes under his burqa and said seriously. : "Some of my lost tribesmen were taken away by the Gran people, and they are now living with the Yermalen people."
"So that's it... Maybe we can find them again."
Carlotta shook her head, her eyes filled with sadness and helplessness.
"You gave up on them?" Rurik asked.
"What else can I do? They chose to leave on their own, and they are here nowWhere, how do I know? ”
It seemed that Rurik understood. In fact, he did not know the exact location of the Granites and the Hjelmalen people. Unexpectedly, Jevlo and Carlotta pointed south. Mentioning that the area directly south of the Great Lake was the territory where those people moved, looking at Carlotta's eyes, she no longer wanted to think about it.
The Granites and Yerma. The Lun people are all "brothers" in the same alliance. Oh, theoretically they and the Ross people are allies, but in reality? Rurik feels that if there is a major crisis, everyone will go their separate ways. Only when a huge disaster befalls the Melalen people, can their leader be qualified to call on the entire alliance to unite to overcome the disaster, or in other words, helping the Melalen people get through the disaster first is the highest priority.
In fact, they cannot. Simply calling it inferior, Rurik was keenly aware that the ax was made of pure wrought iron. It was completely black and the surface texture was smooth. Numerous evidences proved that this object had not been quenched, even if it had been quenched. Without quenching and this intense surface treatment, the performance of an ax can be greatly improved, but it is so ordinary that it is boring.
Even so, it still costs two silver coins. >
For Rurik, two silver coins are no longer important, but for ordinary Malaren people, two silver coins are a huge sum of money.
Only in the area around Lake Malaren, it used to be. The traditional Viking life that valued both agriculture and raiding was on the verge of disintegration. A large number of sea warriors were completely transformed into self-sufficient farmers or serfs. Most of them could support themselves in the warmer years and left some. Agricultural surplus is the amount of surplus agricultural products that can be converted into coins. However, Melalen has the largest market in the entire alliance, and ordinary people need to exchange some daily necessities at the market. >The entire tribe has a very exaggerated divide between rich and poor. The leaders and wealthy households with large amounts of land, wealth and even ships own most of the tribe's wealth.
Mild times are precious, but the climate suddenly turns cold. Later, a sudden cold snap or heavy rain can deal a heavy blow to farmers during the harvest season.
The most populous ordinary people, a considerable number of them have experienced many natural disasters and actually lost their land. The tenant farmers who were forced to "work" for the leader had to grow wheat to meet the family's rations, and they also had to pay a large sum of rent to the leader. If they did business to support the family, they also had to pay a tribute.
As a result, they actually did not have much surplus products to sell for silver coins. In fact, in ordinary people's lives, copper coins with extremely low currency values were more commonly used.
Take out two silver coins. Buying a new ax has become a bit of a luxury.
I’m afraid this is fate!
The Melalen tribe and the nearby tribes settled in Yihu. They are already a type of Viking tribe, and they have chosen a lifestyle of settling down and farming., we must also face new problems after agriculturalization. They did not plunder other people's wealth on a large scale, and ordinary people did not sit on a large amount of silver coins because of war dividends.
Completely opposite to the Melalen tribe, even if the Ross tribe is an ordinary family, as long as the men of the family have participated in all the battles, they have made hundreds of silver coins.
The permanent population of Roseburg is much smaller than that of Mellaren, but it still has a huge amount of silver coins.
In fact, as long as Rurik is willing, he can bring a large number of silver coins, copper coins and even gold coins to Malaren, and through large-scale buying, he can plunder the wealth of the Malaren people. It can also give the most powerful Melalen tribe a strong inflation.
Rurik did not subjectively think of severely damaging the long-term price situation of the Melalen people through the transportation of huge amounts of silver. The economy of the leader tribe has become a mess and the Ross tribe has a new opportunity to rise. Rurik is not stupid enough to prompt and like to see the human shield-like leader tribe vomit three liters of blood under the military pressure of the Danes and Gotlanders. .
Subjectively speaking, he really didn’t want to use the knife, but the five hundred pounds of good-quality Roman silver coins from the Roseburg cash box had been placed in the warehouse on Gould Island and were being processed by elite and capable people. Xin's mercenaries kept a close watch on him. This huge sum of money will inevitably be transferred to the Melalen tribe. As for what will happen, it is not Rurik's responsibility to take care of it.
In Rurik's eyes, the iron axes made by the Gran people were just like garbage. A small ax head with a long wooden handle shows poverty throughout, and the use of iron materials is too frugal.
Even the most ordinary Russian people, who have seen and used new iron tools on a large scale, all regard goods made with old craftsmanship as rubbish. Just for this, it can actually be priced at two silver coins.
This was the first time Rurik saw an "iron shop" outside of Roseburg. With what he saw today, he took it for granted that the merchants in the Melalen Market were selling such ironware.
If the Russians’ excellent ironware is sold on a large scale, there is no question of monopolizing the entire market.
There is just one variable that Rurik must consider.
Monopoly! No leader with a normal IQ would sit back and watch a merchant from another tribe monopolize his own market, even if he was a good ally. The leader's methods were either to impose heavy taxes or to expel them directly by force.
Not long after leaving the busy iron shop, the faint aroma of wine in the air immediately attracted the attention of all alcoholics.
"Kolongo, are you coming soon?" Arik felt itchy in his heart. He asked Jevro beside him, talking about how he wanted to drink a glass of ale.
Jevro just smiled and pointed at some men sitting idle on the ground shaking their heads, "Look at these people."
"Them? What's wrong?"
“Haha, drunkard.”
“Hiss, how many glasses of ale do you have to drink to get so drunk?” ArikCover your mouth silently.
Rurik was a little surprised. He saw several people with faces as red as cooked lobsters, looking up at him and his entourage with dull eyes. Finally, they stretched out their right hands for no apparent reason. Smirking, and then another carp was erect, lying on the ground, and soon there were waves of snoring.
This is the quality a drunkard can show. The only thing that makes Rurik happy is that these confused guys don’t look sloppy in their clothes. Their wines are also very good. They only care about being drunk. Don't cause trouble to passers-by.
Cologne, it’s such a noisy place.
It is a large wooden house, with its iconic gabled wooden roof with sharp angles, making it stand out among many buildings. In fact, the whole house is not big, but its sharp roof makes it look very tall.
The closer you get, the richer it becomes.
Smelling the aroma of wine, Rurik saw that all the mercenaries around him were eager to try. When everyone approached the door, Arik rushed in singing.
There was no bellman in the tavern, and the interior was dark. There are some scratched and strangely shaped tables here, as well as a large group of hairy, red-faced men who exude a strong odor of sweat, body odor, and even strong alcohol. They are enthusiastically holding up oak wine glasses and taking large sips of wine, and the wooden glasses are clinking. The dull sounds came one after another, and at the same time, the group of guys muttered and discussed some things with their inflexible tongues.
Look at these guys, Rurik's idea of asking for some information suddenly disappeared. He really couldn't expect the drunk guy to tell a thing about the Melalen people.
However, a group of people wearing burqas walked into a tavern and quickly attracted the attention of many drunkards.
"Ah! Why do I feel like a western cowboy entering a tavern and meeting a desert bandit?"
Rurik looked at the drunk man's eyes. He was completely acting instinctively. Fortunately, my strong cousin always inserted his right hand into his burqa and grasped the hilt of the sword, which gave him a sense of security.
The dozen or so people who came here were all dressed up in the same uniform. Even though there were hundreds of travelers who came here because of the reputation, there were never such neatly dressed and well-built people.
The bartender, or the person who runs the tavern, is a man with a thin face and a beard tied into twin tails. He subconsciously feels that the visitor is not here to beg for a drink.
This skinny guy showed off a professional smile, nodded and bowed hard towards the strongest Arik: "Dear traveler, no matter where you come from, when you come to my shop, you will be able to Enjoy the most beautiful wine."
Arik was a bit reserved at first. He looked at various people from the corner of his eyes, but the sword he held in his hand could be drawn out instantly and entered into combat mode. The same was true for everyone else.
Seeing this, Arik became much less wary.
"Are you a wine seller? Come on, bring out your best wine!"
"The best wine? Craft ale?"
< p>"Ale? What's that?! Is there anything better?"The bartender was stunned: "Sir, are you sure?! It seems that you are also a young warrior. I believe in your strength. , I really can’t believe your financial resources.”
Feeling offended, Arik gently lifted his burqa and deliberately patted the bulging money bag at his waist.
The bartender was shocked: "Ah! I didn't expect you to be a wandering wealthy businessman! Oh no! Guests coming from afar, you must be from the west of the mountain. You are really rich."
Ali Ke was a little carried away by the burst of flattery. Rurik, who remained silent, estimated that he and his party were regarded as Norwegians by the liquor seller.
If this is the case, it is really good. Walking around the market as a "Norwegian" may avoid a lot of trouble.
Rurik simply stood up from behind his cousin and said "boldly": "Give us the best wine, don't worry about our wealth." Rurik thought about it again and lied: " Our brothers have come all the way to taste your best wine!"
"You! A child?"
"Hurry up, let's get it! Just wine!"
"Okay, since you insist..."
The bartender turned around and left. At this moment, Aric suddenly understood his brother's behavior and couldn't help but admire him.
Bar counter? It doesn't exist. There is only a place where a large number of oak barrels are piled up in a dark room. There is a hole in the lower end of each barrel, which is usually closed with a cork.
The tavern also has an inner hall. The bartender claimed to have unique wine, so he ordered the boy to go to the back hall to get it.
After a while, a half-grown man walked out cautiously holding a small box in his hand.
The bartender opened the box carefully and saw a transparent bottle inside.
Seeing it, no matter it was Rurik or Arik, or even the mercenaries, or the veteran warriors who were carefully selected by Arik, everyone thought it was some kind of fine wine, but they never expected that this so-called fine wine was actually their own. product.
Look at the glass bottle with the words "RUSVODKA" in Chinese characters on it.
In an instant, the strong interest that Arick raised almost dissipated, and finally left Rick. He didn’t think that the small body he currently had could withstand the erosion of a large amount of alcohol. The only thing he didn’t drink now was The reason is that I don’t want to get offline early due to alcohol poisoning.
The bartender looked proud: "This is the best wine, made by us at Mälaren. Look at this bottle made of crystal, and the wine in it. You must think it is water. , In fact, it is the most beautiful wine, it can even ignite fire.”
This argument is not only boring, but Arik is even very angry. It is obviously made by the Russians, and the maker is standing next to him. 's younger brother.
Out of the corner of his eye, Arik saw that his brother did not look angry at all, and then asked; "How much does this bottle of wine cost?!"
"A pound of silver coins!"After that, the bartender guessed that the other party couldn't afford it, so he hurriedly put the bottle back into the wooden box and covered it with all his strength. Then he yelled wildly: "Hey, those guys in the back who only deserve to drink ale, don't watch, you buy it. Sorry. If the wine bottle is broken, you and your family will be slaves for the rest of your lives to compensate for the loss of Lord Olegin. "
Olegin! It's this guy again!
Rurik straightened up with a sudden move. He suddenly asked a question that had nothing to do with wine: "We heard It is said that the leader of the Malaren people is called Olegin. Is it possible that these wines and the entire Cologne are his wealth? ”
“Of course! The bartender raised his head arrogantly and patted his chest: "That is my master, and he is also the most noble and richest leader of our Siliya Alliance." ”
This person used a series of beautiful words to describe Olegin, which was disgusting. Rurik was a little envious that Olegin, whom he had never met, had a loyal dog.
The bartender’s words really stimulated Arik.
Arik didn’t believe in evil. He took off his money bag and shook the silver coins hard to make a crisp sound: “You look down on us? This is a pound of fine silver coins. Can’t I buy your wine? "
The bartender who was about to ask the waiter to bring the wine back to the chamber immediately became a pug.
"Oh! Wealthy guests, of course you can buy it. ”
“Pay one hand and deliver the goods! "
"Okay! What a happy hero, we made a deal! ”
In an instant, the whole tavern was in a commotion. Many drunk guys were banging on the table or flapping their oak cups crazily to vent their excitement. The drunken people were full of alcohol. He roared like a warrior about to fight in the battlefield.
Aric quickly completed the deal that cost him a lot of money. He got the wine and opened it very skillfully in front of the bartender. Cork, then turned around, faced all the red-faced guys, and took a swig of the spicy distilled liquor into his stomach. Arik shouted, "I'm so happy," and threw the bottle to him. Yevluo.
Yevluo didn’t have any taboos at all, so he took a sip and handed it to the mercenaries.
When the bottle was passed to the last person, Only the last few drops of nectar were left, but the last person was still a mighty Ross warrior, who had killed the hostile Gotlanders on the sea a few months ago entirely because of the lack of strong alcohol and the bartender's attitude. Due to everyone's misjudgment of identity and prejudice against financial resources, the warrior was so angry that he raised the bottle and smashed it down. The bottle fell on the hard ground and broke into pieces on the spot.
This situation was completely unexpected. The bartender's anticipation also made the drunkards onlookers even more crazy.
The bartender turned pale: "Ah! You just... smashed such a precious crystal? ”
Aric didn’t take it seriously: “What’s the big deal about a piece of crystal?” Oh, your wine is very good, the price is a bit expensive, maybe next time I comeWe'll need to bring more... several hundred pounds of silver coins with us. "
"How many...hundreds of pounds? ! "The bartender was so shocked that he couldn't speak.
Since this group of people not only bought spirits readily, but also smashed the bottles in a completely wasteful manner, it can be seen that this group of Norwegians are really wealthy. Hundreds of pounds of silver coins, how many slaves had to be sold to get so much money?
For a moment, the bartender thought about some rumors he had heard, about the Norwegians plundering the Britons on that island in the west. At the same time, he was also robbing the local people of their gold and silver.
He looked at this group of people wearing burqas. Even the two small children were obviously calm people.
Perhaps they are the sons of a leader of a large Norwegian tribe?
Just when the bartender wanted to ask something in detail, Arik felt that he was already too arrogant. After all, we were not Norwegians, so we had to explain ourselves in the end. Is it the nature of the Russian people?
It doesn’t have to be like this.
Arik waved his hand and said deliberately: “The best wine? It is indeed a good wine. Presumably, your oak barrels are filled with ordinary ale. They are only things for the lower class to taste. Noble people like us disdain to taste them. Gone! ”
After saying that, Arik turned around first, followed closely by Rurik, who tried hard to hold back his laughter. He really couldn’t imagine how his naive cousin, who only knew how to fight and slash, could be an actor. Self-cultivation?
A group of people walked out of the tavern. The bartender looked at the broken bottle and heard the shouts of the drinkers. The more he thought about it, the more he felt that something was very strange, and he immediately hurriedly He called the boy to his side: "Hurry! Go and tell Lord Olegin to look out for a dozen Norwegian travelers in burqas, they are very wealthy. ”