Chapter 492 Unfavorable Rumors

Lord Rurik returns in triumph!

Although your Excellency hurried to the longhouse of the priests, they brought back a lot of amazing trophies, as well as some new faces.

In recent days, some unfavorable rumors about Rurik have been spreading. This was a businessman from Mellaren spreading pessimistic remarks, but Otto was unable to find out where the news came from.

They are actually the spiritual followers of the dead old King Olegin. Now they naturally regard Karl as their first disciple. Because the Russians have really beaten the power of the Mälaren Olegin family, these The faction members started to stir up trouble based on these rumors.

Any malicious remarks disappeared instantly when Rurik returned. They saw a large number of bear heads from the far north, and another group of strangers from the Balmok tribe.

The leader, a young man with a bald head and braided beard, shouted in front of all the burly Russians who gathered around him: "I am the son of the leader of Balmok, an ice hero canonized by Odin. I and Your leaders have formed an alliance with blood, so please respect me!"

Biyongni did look ruthless, and Jevluo kept explaining beside him, so the Ross warriors relaxed a little, but for The warriors in a foreign land are always on alert. After all, they are the people who stayed in Fort Ross, and a large number of hunting men are still working in Fort Ellen and Fort Fiscol in the north.

Sir Rurik was in the chief priest's house. Many people immediately thought that he might have already known the news, and hurried back just to see the dying high priest one last time.

In fact, everyone is mentally prepared by now. In the entire Rossburg and in the entire Russian principality, there is no living person who lives longer than the old Vilya. This is a great woman who is in charge of the history of the Ross people and has witnessed the transformation of Rossburg from a small pasture for herding reindeer on the coast to the powerful city it is now.

People walked out of their homes one after another and approached the priest's longhouse.

Otto held the hand of his wife Niya and led the elites of the tribe to stand at the main entrance of the chief priest's house.

As many as three thousand people have gathered here, and more people are still gathering. There are voices of people talking everywhere, and many people are anxious, suspicious, and worried. But they are ordinary people after all. They are afraid of Odin's power and worry that they will be punished by God if they approach the priest's longhouse rashly.

A noble man like Otto was about to push open the door curtain of the "Sacred Realm" when he saw the leather door curtain being opened from the inside.

Rurik took off his hat and his blond hair was spread out. He walked out with his head tilted and a line of tears on his cheeks.

Seeing the crowds of people outside and the earnest and solemn expressions of his parents, Rurik pulled out his sword in front of everyone and pointed the peak at the sky.

"Russians! Vilia's soul has gone to Valhalla! You will always remember it! She is the first heroine of our tribe, and she is not dead! She is a Valkyrie! Named SiPerosvilia is our Valkyrie, the Valkyrie who only protects us Rus. You do not want to be sad, and Verya does not want you to be sad either. Rejoice! Celebrating the birth of a Valkyrie. "

The crowd quickly quieted down. Some people thought for a moment and randomly let out amazing war cries. This is a warrior, the highest praise for the Valkyrie.

Thousands The men roared, including the Russian women.

On the other hand, some young people saw the returning Rurik himself and vented their dissatisfaction and regrets with the help of their roars. The ambition finally came to nothing with Rurik's return.

At this moment, many people covered their tears with roars, even the extremely strong warriors shed tears. p>

Everyone is willing to believe Rurik's announcement. After all, Vilia has predicted his own end. God will definitely promote Vilia, who has devoted his life to serving Odin, as a new one according to his previous promise. Valkyrie.

Continuing to think this way, Vilia's death is not a sad thing. It is just the beginning of her death in the world. When she was born in Valhalla, many of the sacred objects bound to her in the mortal world naturally became ordinary.

Gradually, people who wanted to understand began to cheer

Vilia finished his peaceful and great life. A young girl followed the tribesmen who were expelled by their allies and ran to the bitter cold distance. In this fjord, the persecuted Russians spent three days After ten years of dormancy, they finally regained some strength. They conquered the Slavs in Novgorod and gained the right to collect tribute. It took another twenty years for the Rus tribe to usher in the first strong man from the sky, Otto. Ten years later, a son of God came to the world.

Velia finally saw the rise of the tribe in her twilight years, and in her last moments, she fully recognized that this was God's blessing. Relying on the power of the Russians, the power of the Gotlanders was completely destroyed, and the huge ocean became the property of the Russians. A new era has arrived.

Perhaps Vilia has no regrets?

Rurik estimated that Vilia had not yet seen her come of age and get married, and she still left with regrets.

The high priest left at almost eighty years old. , in this era where the final lifespan of Nordic adults is only fifty years, a life span of eighty years is a miracle. Her death represents the complete end of the era of humiliation and dormancy for the Russians. Rurik clearly realizes that he is standing on the same page. This is a watershed in the history of the Russian people. Odin, or destiny, or some great thing, is urging him, the hero, to push the wheel of history forward.

The Russian people have their own funeral habits. It's just that the funerals of soldiers are more grand, while ordinary people either bury them casually or burn them directly. The so-called funeral ceremony is that the priest sings ancient prayers beside the deceased to guide the soul of the deceased to him.The destination it deserves.

But Vilia is not an ordinary person, she is the most noble woman in Roseburg, one of the embodiments of everyone’s faith, and she is still a Valkyrie!

Even if Rurik announces, her body is just the body of the Valkyrie left in the world, and a grand funeral must be carried out.

The funeral was chosen on the third day after she left. The so-called "third day funeral", Rurik decided to establish this as the most critical funeral for the future of the Russian people.

The funeral will be held on the third day, so that there will be sufficient time to prepare all the funeral matters in the two days before.

Rurik finally returned to his home, but he had no intention of telling his parents and friends who stayed behind about his experiences in the north. After all, Saipolava also experienced everything, and it was left to this companion to stay with him. The girl, whom Rick spent four months with, told everyone in her family.

Rurik's thoughts were all devoted to the funeral. As a "person blessed by Odin", he was naturally obliged to direct all funeral work.

Vilia died at a healthy age, and her death did not cause any lasting grief among the Rus.

The tribesmen accepted Rurik's order and everyone devoted themselves to the funeral work, especially the men of the tribe. They began to build a huge wooden platform on the beach. The remains will be reduced to ashes here...

The grand ceremony will be tomorrow, and Rurik boasts that he has made sufficient preparations.

That night, at the home of Duke Ross, a group of the most important figures in the tribe gathered together.

Everyone remained silent for a while, until Otto broke the silence: "Vilia is dead, her soul is already a Valkyrie, and tomorrow, her body left in the mortal world will turn into a Valkyrie." Ashes. This is what she hopes for. "

Most of the people who came here were brothers who were born like this when they were young.

Everyone still kept their mouths shut. Rurik looked left and right, thinking for a while that they had doubts about the funeral.

Rurik cleared his throat: "If you have any opinions, just say it. Haro Zuosen, what about you?"

"Me? My attitude is naturally in support of Vilia Will."

"So you remain silent?"

Haro Zuosen shrugged: "To be honest, I hope she continues to live. Still dead..."

Rurik narrowed his eyes, and he realized that there seemed to be something else hidden in these words. "Go on, tell me what you actually think, I won't blame you."

"Yes." Harold Johnson looked at the old friends on the left and right, and asked first: "Where is Lumia? Where is the new high priest? "Rumia? She is guarding Vilia's body in the chief priest's house. You know, Rumia is." The person chosen by Odin, even if she was a deer herder."

"That's the problem," Harold Johnson said bluntly.The Prefect's House is sacred because it is the residence of Vilia. Her soul went to Valhalla, and the longhouse left behind on earth lost its sanctity. Rurik, be realistic! When Vilia's body was reduced to ashes, the longhouse degenerated into an ordinary building. You...should think about the safety of your huge treasure. "

"What do you mean by this? Could it be that the longhouse of the priests is sacred only because of Vilia, and..." Rurik was startled and suddenly realized: "Ah! You mean there will be thieves..."

"Presumptuous! Otto growled in a deep voice: "Hello Zuosen, are you suspecting that someone in the tribe is a thief?" There have been people like this before, and our approach is to expel them. Perhaps the punishment for a thief who tries to rob our big cash box is to behead the entire family. "

Haro Zuosen reminded him with good intentions. He did not think about Otto's anger and hurriedly explained: "At least Rurik must build a better building. In any case, Vilia's death means that the longhouse has become mundane! Otto, your family has changed everything. Your son Rurik will definitely inherit the position of Duke, and Rurik's descendants will inherit the status for thousands of generations. Some time ago, there were rumors in the tribe that Rurik died in a snowstorm, and the ambitious people in the tribe were ready to take action. You know, there are still people who believe that the most correct way to inherit the dukedom is through dueling. ”

“That’s ridiculous! I'm not dead yet! "Otto slapped his thigh for a moment, and hurriedly held his aching head.

Hallo Zossen actually said the matter so straightforwardly, and such words suddenly woke up the proud Rurik.

Rurik stretched his head and stared into Harozolson's eyes, and asked cautiously: "Is there a potential traitor among us? "

"Of course not! "Hallo Zuosen hurriedly distanced himself from the relationship, and everyone else claimed to be innocent.

"Since you all support me, who is the careerist? Oh, you can just say his name. ”

But how could Harold Zossen say it out loud!

Otto looked at Harold Zosen with an embarrassed look suspiciously, and there was a name that he could almost recall!

He thought sincerely that if he really died in the snowstorm, Rurik would be willing to let Arik have a high status. He noticed that among the young people of the Ross tribe, Arik. He is somewhat courageous and brutal on the battlefield, and he has many flaws, but at least he has great prestige.

"As expected...is it Arik? ! Otto said angrily.

“Is it really Arik? I came back victorious, will he still rebel against me? If I confront him directly, will anything happen? "Rurik thought for a while and ended this association.

Otto coughed twice, causingEveryone, please note: "Don't speculate. Rurik has returned with a large amount of prey. We now have an alliance with the Balmoks. Rurik is the great hero. Anyone who dares to oppose him is an enemy of God. Making enemies of allies."

With this said, both Otto and Rurik realized that there was something fishy about it.

Originally, this gathering was for Otto to convene old friends to listen to everyone’s opinions about the funeral. As a young man, Aric himself was not present. The things Harold Zosen involved really made Otto unable to do anything, even if it was his nephew. If Arik dared to oppose Rurik, Otto would not be stingy with his big-eared melon seeds.

Otto stood up suddenly, grabbed Rurik and was about to leave.

"Hey! Dad, what are you doing?"

"Let's go! I'll take you and that ambitious guy to argue. Everyone else, go back!"

Hello Zuosen stretched out his hand to stop him, but in the end he didn’t stop him. A group of elderly guys followed Otto and saw Otto and his son heading straight to Arik's house.

"Old man, you stabbed Lou Zi." Someone stabbed Harold Johnson with ill intentions.

"Yes. Aric is busy getting his new wife pregnant, so he can't care about fighting for power. Really, maybe that Gotland woman is not good at all..."

Hallo Zosen was also very upset. He stamped his feet vigorously: "I just want to remind him that those people The boys thought that their chance had come when Rurik disappeared. They didn't think that they were just mortals and they really believed those rumors. I didn't say it was Arik. How could Otto, the old guy, be worried? My nephew? By the way, where do you think those rumors come from?"

Everyone looked at each other, and another person muttered: "Maybe it was said by some Merlaren businessmen. You all know, those guys always He likes to talk nonsense..."

When Otto and his son broke into Arik's house angrily, the father and son violently kicked open the wooden door and saw something extremely strange.

I saw Arik panting and "taking care" of his new wife Aslaqi, while Peravina, who was holding the child, was still giving guidance. Obviously, the relationship between the two women is harmonious, but Arik's actions suddenly made Otto realize something extremely embarrassing. It has been almost half a year since the so-called war ended, and Aslaki's belly has still not moved until now! Could it be that this woman only has beauty... can't she?

"Uncle! You!" Aric shivered in desperation, while Asraqi hurriedly picked up a piece of linen and curled up into a ball in extreme nervousness.

"I want to talk to you something, you..." Otto coughed twice: "Get dressed and see me!"

In fact, after seeing this scene, Otto His anger dissipated a lot. In his personal opinion, a person who indulges in beauty is not very willing to pursue power. But that Carl was an accident.

AhRick got dressed. He had something to say. Otto was the first to criticize: "Your brother has come back. Don't think about getting his status anymore. Boy, remember. I am the Duke of the Principality of Ross. I will give you Treat me as my son. What I give you is yours, not yours. You can’t take it away!”

“I…” Aric felt confused. Seeing the tense scene, Peravina hurriedly supported Aslaqi and held the child in her arms to avoid it for the time being.

"Do you have any statement?" Otto continued to ask.

"Me? What can I say? I don't know anything at all?"

Otto sat directly on the bed and looked at Arik with an interrogating eye: "I I heard some rumors that you want to restore the tradition of fighting to gain leadership status. Because your brother disappeared for a while, you thought you had a chance. "Ah?" Arik said bluntly. He looked at Rurik: "Brother, do you think I am a villain? You are the son of God. If I dare to overstep my bounds, I will be struck to death by Odin's thunder."

"Then... in the end... What's going on?" Rurik narrowed his eyes, "Why do I hear these rumors at this time?"

Arik didn't want to hide it: "There are indeed some rumors in the tribe, those young people. The guys are just thinking. They have no support."

"Is that all? I just want to hear your true attitude. I know you're sincere. ."

Aric didn't have any evil intentions. He spoke frankly: "Even if something happens to you, I will stand up. Even if there is a real duel to determine the leader, there will be no one in the tribe. Better at fighting than me. I will inherit your strategy completely. You and I are from the same family, and I will not betray the family.”

This is Arik’s true words, and Rurik needs to hear it. To be honest, why do you feel so unhappy?

Although it is a war between brothers and father and son, the emperor will always be wary of the prince usurping the throne, even if the prince has no intention of doing so.

The sudden situation made Rurik resentful and hateful of those rumors, but he asked himself, he ran to the Arctic Ocean and stayed there for four months without any news! Mother Niya was worried about her own safety, and half of her hair turned gray in depression.

Under such circumstances, it is reasonable for some people to have unreasonable thoughts.

The Ross tribe only has some geopolitical power. If they become complacent and start internal strife, they will collapse in an instant.

"Let this matter end here!" Rurik shouted loudly: "I will find a suitable opportunity to let all potential trespassers see that I am back, and I will let them Give up."

Arik is not a bad person, Rurik is sure of this. As long as he was alive, Arik was the best general. If something unexpected happened to him without leaving any heirs, as a cousin, he would be more suitable to inherit the position of Duke by relying on blood ties.

Those who covet power are not an "individual", but a group of young warriors in the tribe. They were unruly, showed their own style in foreign wars, and also developed undue ambitions.

"Damn it, the cubs I personally trained are the most reliable! It's a pity that you cubs will have to grow up for at least ten more years before you can become my warriors!" Based on this matter, Rurik's current attitude towards the tribe The young soldiers suddenly lost a lot of trust. When a tribe is promoted to a principality, the mentality of the people obviously cannot be changed instantly. They are desperately trying to expand their direct power. Rurik can only think of this method.

He felt the mental and physical fatigue of being a king, and had to think about the long term.

Even if Arik swears loyalty again, or he will always be loyal, his existence itself is a threat to himself. Arik may not want to rebel in his whole life, but it does not necessarily mean that his supporters have no wrong intentions. Not to mention other careerists.

Rurik thought of the technique of checks and balances and needed to promote some talents from among his cronies. As for cousin Arik, he should not be proud because of his blood status in the future. Instead, he should always maintain a kind of fear considering the existence of other generals. It does not matter whether he is voluntary or passive, but must show a kind of humility.

As a king, I am afraid there must be a fierce and dark side in my heart.

"You people are not grateful for the post-war dividends I gave you, and you still covet my power. It is only in my benefit that you all die. But you can't die now, you are eating me You cannot die until the children of the wheat and meat you provide grow into warriors..." Based on this idea, Rurik had to make some adjustments to the final funeral at noon tomorrow.

He needs to use Vilia's funeral to show his courage to all the people.

Then demolish the old longhouse of the priests, which has lost its sanctity in public opinion with the death of Vilia.