A Western fleet suddenly broke into the Denmark Strait, and the fishing boats once again thought of the fear of being attacked by the hateful Ross ships.
The fishing boats are all avoiding it. They are almost all boats of the Robard tribe. The fishermen instinctively feel that their lives are threatened, and even their homes will be destroyed.
They ran for their lives with all their strength. After the fishing boat washed up on the beach, they didn’t even care about the fish, and immediately rushed to the village with harpoons and axes...
The Robard tribe learned the news earlier. , their armies began to gather.
Since the sudden death of the tribal leader, King Hafgen of Denmark, Denmark has immediately fallen into chaos without a leader, and the largest Robard tribe has not elected a new leader who can convince the people for more than two years.
This tribe is nominally unified, but in fact it has begun to fall apart. People have to choose to live with a certain big family, or go to other regions.
The entire Denmark, a unified kingdom that was once united by Hafgen through force and compromise, has now returned to its old state, and its political landscape is even more fragmented.
Horik, the great pirate in the West, doesn’t know all this, but it doesn’t matter.
To get Denmark, you must get the largest Robard tribe, and then control the strait to collect tolls from passing ships. This is the first step to conquer, and then control the largest trading city of Hedeby, and regain the taxation rights that have been lost for more than 20 years. If you do these two steps well, and you have the population, the army, and the financial power, it will be easy to crown the King of Denmark. Of course, it would ultimately require diplomatic approval from Prince Frank Ludwig.
The new King of Denmark has formulated a very thorough road map to seize power, and he is implementing the first step of the plan.
With the raven flag flying and the round-faced Horik looking like a solid warrior at first glance, he looks more like an armed businessman.
The food in Flanders was so good that he ate so many fat sheep that he turned into suet balls.
On the boat, he clearly saw the villages in the distance, and his fighting spirit was ignited.
A flag with blue stripes that resembled a sword and a iris was raised, and Horik was signaling to his men that it was best to prepare for battle.
He did not really intend to plunder the large village of the Robard people, but he concluded that the other party would not accept him as king.
The huge fleet is about to land on the beach. Even if there is no leader, the major families are dispatching troops to defend the enemy outside the village. They will not escape. The warrior soul does not allow them to escape without fighting. Besides, Denmark is so big and everyone has no way to escape.
Men and women took up arms and rumors spread throughout the village.
"It's the abominable Rus!"
"The evil man who killed our king is here, and the Rus will kill us all."
" The enemy must be resisted, or we will all die. Ross is more hateful than the Swedes.”
Today, news about Ross’s separation from Sweden has reached Danish society. They are both old rivals who have been fighting for hundreds of years.However, we don’t know when the disputes between each other started. It is clear that the war cannot stop and can only intensify.
Although Rose is strong, the brothers will never suffer a loss when playing at home. Men, women, and boys will go into battle together, and with sheer force they will be able to overwhelm the landing enemies.
But something strange happened.
Thousands of Robard's elite soldiers who were the first to enter the seaside saw a large number of landing enemies, but the enemies in front of them did not light up their white and blue flags.
Are they indeed Russians?
The soldiers did not dare to test it rashly, not to mention that the sunlight reflected violently on the lander's body, and the other party actually wore armor on a large scale, which was the same as the Russians.
It is precisely because the opponent is wearing a large number of armors that they have to wait until the rear troops arrive before attacking.
Looking at Horik again, the army has landed calmly.
A general asked his master: "My lord, we should launch an attack while the enemy is on a stable footing, and defeat the Robards in one battle to surrender."
Horik came again. He glanced at his opponents in formation and shook his head: "Call me the king now!"
"Yes, His Majesty the King."
"I have my own plan whether to attack. Listen, on the other side They will all be our brothers in the future, and we will not start a war if we can. We wait for them to gather, and I will convince them to surrender.”
I don’t know where Horik got the courage to leave here. It has been almost ten years since this land was established, and the boy he once was has become an old guy who has experienced many battles. Killing people like hemp is how to describe him.
No, the time lasted until the afternoon, and all the people who could hold an ax arrived in the largest settlement area of the Robard people.
They marched slowly under the leadership of each family, and the Horik army, which was slightly depressed, was invigorated.
"Listen, brothers! You are not allowed to attack without my orders. Anyone who disturbs will be hanged!"
Horrick gave this order, and his men were very obedient.
Seeing the landing troops in formation and some blue flags flying in the crowd, the nervous Robards did not hesitate to think that the landing people were the Russians!
The Robards' shield wall began to advance slowly, but they saw that the opponent had been standing still. As the distance approached, its advancement speed became slower and slower.
What was very strange was that the landers seemed unwilling to fight a bloody battle. When the distance was close enough, the Robards finally saw that there seemed to be a blue three-pointed harpoon painted on the flags.
In fact, it is an abstract iris flower, which symbolizes many meanings.
The Robards stopped on all fronts, and the big family took control of the front before the fierce battle began.
"This is my chance to show off."
Horick took off his helmet, with blond hair and a round face. He walked out of the military formation and opened his arms, facing all Robards with his chest. people.
What is going on? Who is this short, fat man? The commander-in-chief of the army?
"Robards! Your leader comes out!"
Horik called out one after anotherYelling, he heard the array on the opposite side whispering to each other, but the leader was still waiting to meet for negotiations.
He shouted loudly again: "I! Horik Klarsson. The grandson of the great Lord Godfrey! I have returned with the army of the west, and I am the King of Denmark. !”
Horrick was trying his best to convey a message that he was Godfrey’s grandson, and he repeated it desperately, because this name was really shocking to the Robard people!
If there was ever a person who was revered by all the Danes, it was Godfrey, the Grand Leader!
When Charlemagne of the Franks led his troops to invade, Denmark fell into a crisis. The killings of the Franks through the fleeing Saxons only made everyone in Denmark feel in danger.
The fearful Danes united around Godfrey, the strong men built the Schleswig Great Wall defense line, and the coalition forces of various tribes defeated the French army outside the port of Schleswig!
Godfrey established the town of Hezeby at the mouth of the river fjord where Schleswig is located. It was originally a military stronghold and was built to support the Great Wall. He was always on guard against a second invasion by the Franks.
But the war did not intensify, and Frank suspended the attack. When Charlemagne died, Frank's northern expedition to Denmark was completely stopped.
With the power of defeating the Franks, Godfrey turned around and attacked the city of Herrickle, the core of the Pomeranians, and looted it with the cruelty of the Viking wolf. Burned to the ground. The great leader died and was succeeded by his distant relative Harald Clark. However, this man betrayed Odin and believed in the Frankish god. He even made peace with the other party and betrayed the interests of all Denmark. He was the lackey of the Frankish king!
In the event of expelling Harald Clark, the northernmost Robard tribe contributed the most, and young Hafgen claimed to be the leader of the Danish alliance. Finally, through a "competitive game", he got his wish by violent means.
Poor Hafgen grew up and died of violence.
The Robards did not know Horik Klarsson. This kid was just a kid back then. As a distant relative of Harald Clark, he was just a "halberd bearer". When his uncle was expelled, he was forced to evacuate as a bodyguard.
The Robards don’t know these things, but they all admire Lord Godfrey and lament the rapid decline of the family after the death of the heroic leader.
Is this little fat man really Godfrey’s grandson? Maybe it's possible! It makes sense that this large and armored army would be formed by Godfrey's grandson.
Horick deliberately did not mention Harald Clark this time, because he was obviously closer to this person by blood. It's just that Harald's reputation is too bad, and he has no brains to identify with this traitor who is hated by his family.
He is smart and has some eloquence in speech.
He announced in public: "I am Horik! I hate the Franks, and I hate any enemy who brings shame to Denmark. In fact, what I hate most is the Franks. I have fought with them for many years. Soldiers have fought fiercely with the Frankish army for many years. Submit to me, and I will lead you to revenge and victory., and then make a fortune! "
How to get rich?
He also deliberately preached: "Frank is not strong, because we are stronger! There is gold and silver everywhere in Frank, and sheep and cows are running everywhere! The women there are all beautiful and you can easily get them. The land there is warm and fertile, and we can get a lot of wheat..."
Horick's preaching was successful. Standing here, he not only showed no tendency to use force, but also cursed Frank in every word. He preaches ways to make money to poor people, and all his actions seem to be for the sake of the Robard people.
In fact, everyone knows that Frank is wealthy, but there is no quantifiable understanding of the extent of his wealth. p>
Horick did not hide that he was from Frank, and said that he had already established a territory there.
Godfrey’s grandson did this better than him! The grandson got part of the Frankish territory, and the entangled leaders of the big families began to walk out of the formation. In fact, no one wanted to fight. Since the person who came was Godfrey's grandson, an unimagined path appeared.
Looking at Horik's army, the warriors who had been sailing for a long time saw that their leader really convinced the Robards with just one mouth!
Horik did something right, he announced the army. Set up camp on the spot and build a new village without disturbing the lives of the Robard people. He can do this because he has sufficient material foundation. The looted gold and silver jewelry are the best currency, and the new Frank silver coins with excellent quality can be purchased in large quantities. General local consumer goods.
He does not behave like an ordinary pirate, but he is also a big pirate. All because he has lived in Flanders for many years and learned the Frankish governance methods.
Because the people are "lambs"!
Holick has taken off the cross pendant and raised the raven flag. Even so, he still likes the "lamb" described by the priest. Concept.
The people are like sheep, and the lords want to cut wool from the sheep, and they also need tithes from the people. If the sheep starve to death, the lords will become poor, so let the sheep become fat. It is very important to have a fat body and strong hair.
Looking at the Robards, the heads of the big families are thinking that this Horik has a large army, and the Robards will win in a fight. Even if it is a partial victory, then the gains outweigh the losses.
The new strong man, the grandson of Godfrey, has to collect taxes. Hafgen also collected taxes before. It is okay to collect taxes, but the tax rate will drop. Everyone is happy.
Horik discussed with the families and asked for the tithe tax on the property. To be honest, the tax rate is much lower than that of Hafgen.
The once quarreling big families have transformed, and they all respect Horik as the new leader of Robard!
Now Horik is calling himself the King of Denmark!
He is very special! The generous man gave the title of earl to all the ten big families of the Robard people, and even created a seal with a sword on the shoulder with great interest.Grand ceremony.
Horik entered Denmark at the end of February in the early Frankish spring. Although the inner Baltic Sea was still frozen, by the end of March, Horik was already the real leader of Robard.
His elite force swelled to 5,000 men, and this army was feared by all tribes.
The warm wind of spring has not yet blown to the whole of Denmark, and the farming of various tribes has not yet begun. "King of Denmark" Horik has sent messengers on foot in Jutland to deliver the news, ordering the leaders of the peninsula tribes to come to Xingxing. Meeting in the coastal city of Godfreyhagen.
Since he claims to be the grandson of Godfrey, the greatest leader of the alliance, it makes perfect sense to build a new city in his grandfather’s name! He also wants to imitate his predecessors and build a new city himself.
Great political changes have taken place in the Danish world, and Horik seems to have appeared out of nowhere, and has a deep connection with Frank.
The most male of the peninsula, the Danes here live their own peaceful life.
The young Ragnar already had three sons and was a rapidly rising pirate leader. He and his tribal brothers had already robbed many merchant ships from Frank Hamburg, and then rushed to the smooth coast on the other side of the peninsula to rob the Pomeranians in Stralsund.
When the news came from the Norwegians, the Narvik Norwegians in the far north had taken a piece of fertile land in Britain and lived a good life.
However, Ragna doesn’t want to leave his tribe yet, and he doesn’t want to lead his tribe to abandon his hometown, at least not yet. As for taking a group of brothers to Britain to grab some gold and silver slaves and then retreating, it's time to think about it.
Unbelievable news came from the north, and the tribal people felt fear.
He asked his father: "Is that Horik the real grandson of Godfrey? If this man is a lackey of the Franks, I don't want to admit him."
His father, Sigurd, boasted that his life was about to end, and the tribesmen recognized Ragnar as the most intelligent successor. Sigurd had essentially abdicated, and now stands behind the scenes to guide his son.
"The key is not his identity. He holds a large army, and even if many tribes unite, they cannot defeat him. This makes his identity unquestionable. Even if we win, we will have to pay an incredible amount of effort." The price of turning over."
"So, do I have to go to the meeting in person?"
"You have to go, you have to surrender to him, of course, if he is. If you are really a Frank lackey, just wait for the opportunity to assassinate him! Listen, our tribe is closest to the Great Wall. Compared with the Swedes and the Russians, Frank will always be our biggest threat. Remember the tribesmen we have killed, you can catch him. At any time, we must attack Frank to take revenge!”
You must avenge yourself! Ragnar firmly believes in his father's teachings. Attacking Frank for revenge must continue, and robbery and making a fortune are equally important.
Ragnar made the same choice as most of the lords. The sea near the peninsula was completely frozen, and a large number of ships arrived along the coastline to the new northern city of Godfrehagen.
Not only the lords from all Denmark attended the meeting, but also the leaders and big businessmen from Oslo, Malmö and Silver Castle across the Denmark Strait came by boat.
There were more than a hundred nobles from all walks of life. They saw Horik's army, hundreds of flying raven flags, and the statue of Odin standing in the New Town Square.
When he first arrived, Horik purchased one hundred and eleven slaves from the locals. He gave him a lot of money, and the slave owners were happy to sell them.
But the end of slaves is death!
Sacrifice to Odin is very particular. According to Danish etiquette, the most pious sacrifice is to sacrifice one hundred and eleven heads to the god.
Under the gaze of various lords, heads rolled down the altar and turned into a pool of blood. This sacrifice was even more ruthless than Hafgen!
Hafgen chopped off ninety-nine heads in Hedeby. The sacrifice must have been insufficiently pious, causing him to suddenly die in battle.
No one said that Horik was a waste of labor. Everyone lamented that this man was our clansman and a new hero who could lead everyone to become stronger!
Because the Danish lackeys will not do that. The Franks believed in a god who did not want the sacrifice of slave blood.
Hadeby is a free city. Businessmen organized a business guild and elected a businessman to be the de facto mayor. Their actions prove that everyone does not need a lord, they can live a good life by practicing security, and business will become more and more prosperous. So when Horik's envoy arrived at Hedeby, he was embarrassed to find that he had no idea who had given the order.
The messenger dropped the message and withdrew, and no one from Hedeby, who was asked to help himself, went to the north!
However, by May, most of the lords in Denmark supported Horik as king, and the news reached Hedebe.
Hazeby seemed to be outside the world. Horik was angry. He established himself as king after the blood sacrifice. He still needed some means to become a king in essence. Some dissenters needed to be attacked. No, Horik was busy expanding his territory and influence during these days. As for controlling Hedebe, there was no rush.
As a result, a piece of news also spread in Hedebe - the new king Horik would re-collect commercial taxes.