Rise of Rurik

A soldier broke into the mansion of Olegin, the leader of Mellaren, with important news, which really disturbed Olegin's work.

Olegin, who had already put on his custom-made golden crown, is now also using a delicate whetstone to carefully polish his steel sword.

This sword was imported from Rosberg, and he bought it with a lot of money, and this sword is indeed an artifact.

Sharpening the sword is a test of patience. He resisted the displeasure in his heart and vowed to sharpen the sword himself so that it could easily cut through the cloth.

"Chief! Something happened! Those fleets..."

"You! Stand back for me!" Olegin, who was holding his breath, drew out the sword and pointed the pinnacle at the soldier, which made the soldier hurriedly kneel.

Olegin calmed down a little, he thought about it, and immediately asked: "Coming from the north?"

"Yes."

"Oh, that's the Rus people. I ordered the Rus people to join the alliance this year, and they went to the appointment. What's all the fuss about?" After speaking, Olegin shook his head and scolded: "You will all go to the battlefield, and I will bring them with you. As you crush the Danes, you can't imagine making a fuss over a trivial matter?"

"But! Big Chief!" The soldier immediately pointed in the direction of the Great Lake: "A big ship, it is unprecedentedly huge. We saw that the big ship sailed to Gould Island."

"Huh?" Olegin, who was originally contemptuous, calmed down, "Is this true?"

"Exactly."

"Go, go to the pier and have a look."

Of course, Olekin, who was in Lake Mälaren, was not deaf or blind. For example, the messenger named Bernadick had returned, and as usual, he had to question this guy about the Rus people in person.

Benadic revealed the news of Ross's man-made ship entirely out of admiration in his heart. He added fuel to the relevant information, and the nature he finally described to Olekin became a unique and huge existence.

"The existence of a big ship can make all the small boats face shame? Make sea monsters ashamed? Make the red dragon of Denmark (the lion Hafgen aboard) ashamed?"

At first Olegin didn't believe it at all, but now he had to be vigilant when he heard the report of the soldiers under his command. After all, the soldiers under his command are not really cowards, and they will not make a fuss about some small things. The soldier was indeed surprised, which means that the Russ really brought some strange things this year?

big ship? It can't really make sea monsters feel afraid.

Olegin rushed into the lake with a group of subordinates,

He squinted at the release line of Gould Island, and saw that there was indeed a huge cloth-like existence on the lake in the distance.

"Sir, that's the big ship!" The soldier pointed.

"Yes, I saw it." Origen clenched his teeth and frowned.

For a moment, he wanted to take a boat to observe it up close, and then he thought about whether it was inconsistent with his noble identity?

Olegin turned around, his current mood was envy, jealousy and hatred. The big ship of the Rus people made the crown on his head no longer shine. Thinking that the two sides still had a major deal to do, he simply scolded and left. .

Docked at Gould Island, the Avrora, her huge size far exceeding the size of ordinary cargo ships, became the focus of attention the moment she arrived at the port. Besides, the wealthy Gould family returned with a large amount of goods, and the local merchants in Melalen had been waiting for a long time, and they had already begun to count their currencies and wait for the opportunity to buy goods.

Now Otto is the master of the island, he sits in the largest building on the island, which has become his palace, and even the noble Rurik and Carlotta must condescend to this greater The presence.

Otto was seated on his legs facing the open door, with Gould and key family members on either side.

"Everything is fine except the house still looks shabby."

Gould thought that Otto would have a high opinion right away, never thought it was just a little emotion? "Big chief, these houses are really rough. It seems that the people I stayed behind didn't do a good job, and they should be punished."

"No need." Otto twisted his waist. "There is no floor in this room, but it makes me a little nostalgic. Since you have some people left behind, call them now. I want to hear the story about Melalen, so I will send someone to inform Ole. gold."

"Yes!"

Gould nodded vigorously, and more than a dozen people rushed over in a matter of seconds.

These people are not Rus people, but their identity is at least the servants of Rus. They were half-kneeling, and Love was following Gould's behest, reporting on Melaron's winter.

Rurik and Otto had the same attitude. They were listening to the news with great interest, but gradually their expressions became solemn.

A not-so-young garrison reported cautiously: "Ordinary people of the Melalen tribe, they did not produce much food last year, and they were raided by Olekin. The only food they had left could not survive the next harvest. They At least enough grain has been saved. Now all the seeds have been sown and even green shoots have grown, but most people have no food left in their homes. If the big chief pays attention to the lake, he will see a lot of sailboats."

"I see, they're fishing."

"Yes. In normal years, there wouldn't be so many boats on the lake. Those were the Mellarens, who had to fish if they didn't want to starve, but the lake's fish would soon become difficult to catch. And... "

"What does that have to do with us?" Otto felt sorry for the fishermen in the alliance, but he didn't really feel sorry for them.

"Are you running out of food? Probably not." Gould asked immediately.

"Thanks to the love of the master and the blessing of the leader, those of us are not hungry and can continue to serve Ross."

Otto laughed slowly: "You man, you are very good at talking. Ordinary people are hungry, and we Russ almost forget to be hungry. Rurik!" Otto turned his head again: "What do you think."

"This... only shows that Olegin is not a good leader."

"That's it?"

Obviously Otto was not satisfied with his words, Rurik immediately added: "In fact, they are hungry, and it has something to do with us. It is we who have to buy a large amount of food that makes Olegin force the food. We did not force it. He, he asked for money, and I happen to have a lot of money."

"So... do you want to take responsibility for their bad situation?"

"Why?" Rurik looked surprised.

Otto let out a slow sigh of relief: "That's good. We really don't need to intervene, and if their people starve to death, it has nothing to do with us. Listen, boy, this is Melalen's territory, and we don't have to do it. Meaningless interference."

Does this seem like a wise saying? Rurik nodded. He actually sympathized with what happened to those people. If it was feasible, the Rus people could also be good people, bringing the extremely poor to places such as New Rose Fort to pioneer. I'm afraid Otto realizes that this is digging.

But why did the garrison explain this in the first place, and was there something else hidden behind it?

No, the guards revealed two shocking rumors with suffocating tension.

"Olegin, that man is no longer satisfied with the leader of the alliance. He has built a crown for himself. He wants to learn from the legendary Franks and become a king."

"King?" Otto interrupted immediately, with a look of contempt. "It's really boring. Does he like to frame himself with some strange titles? Why doesn't he go and call himself Augustus?"

It's so funny that the words came out of Otto's mouth. Rurik thought about it. This old guy has also read the "Black Book" and learned a lot about Rome from Villa's mouth. He knows Means "Augustus".

Rurik immediately patted his thin chest following the atmosphere: "If so, I call myself Augustus. Dad, you know, this name is higher than Wang."

"You? Forget it." Otto's big hand covered his son's Tianling cover: "This is the territory of the Melalen people. Even if we all despise them, we should not oppose them early. Put it away before you are twenty years old. your ambition."

However, when Otto heard that the guy had used the new title, the golden crown, jealousy naturally sprang up, and he asked the guard to continue talking, especially to explain the chilling rumor.

"It's war! Many people say that Olegin needs a war to justify his name for his status."

"Huh?! He still thinks about war? For whom?" Otto was a little disbelieving. "Freshwater fish still want to enter the sea? Do they dare?"

"But, it's all rumored."

"Hey! Do you have any evidence?"

Otto showed his sharp eyes, which was the coercion of a kind of power, the so-called implying that he had killed countless enemies was a real warrior.

The guards were all startled, but they also had some evidence in their hands: "We found that all Melalen men were preparing weapons, making smoked fish, and entering the jungle to hunt. The blacksmiths in Melalen were very busy these days, and they also Some merchants came to the island and asked if the returning fleet had iron weapons ready for sale."

Things got complicated and grim, and Otto took it seriously, almost instinctively.

"Any more in-depth news?"

"Yes. It's the Granites. They sell their bad axes in large quantities at the fairs, and the prices have gone up so much that many men are still vying for it."

When it comes to money, how does Gould sit still? "Their iron? How much?"

"Yes. Ten silver coins for the worst axe."

"Isn't that right!" Rurik simply stood up. "Are they worthy? Last year their axe seemed to only cost two silver coins. Is their waste going to challenge the value of our steel?"

The garrison gritted their teeth, insisting that their statements were absolutely true.

Rurik sat down calmly, and he was muttering in his heart as he crossed his legs.

According to the current information, those rumors are obviously not rumors. The Melarens were actively preparing for war, and Olekin was secretly doing a military mobilization. As for their enemies, the mainstream legend was against the Gotlanders.

But there is also a very radical statement. The leader of the garrison said cautiously: "Big Chief, what I am talking about below is just a legend, it is not reliable."

Otto was a little fed up with this guy's sudden nervousness: "Tell me! Quick!"

"Yes . . . the Danes. Olegin is going to be king and then attack the Danes to make him worthy of his new title."

"He actually..." Otto only felt a chill behind his back, "If this is true... not right! Why? Is he going to start a full-scale war?"

Rurik's face was dignified, and he felt that his feet were extremely cold, as if they were soaked in ice cubes. Because the war in the Baltic Sea never ended, the Rus people can be described as veterans of the opposite side when it comes to provoking wars. Unexpectedly, Otto was so nervous, and Rurik had to think that if the war became a "coalition crusade" of the entire alliance, a full-scale war would really break out.

But this war is not what the Rus hoped for at the current time node.

war! The Rus sometimes need it, most of the time they don't. But war is not an existence that can be easily controlled by the Rus.

Otto raised his head and recalled seeing the messenger before. The messenger didn't reveal any war information. The only thing that person disclosed was going to the meeting and the promise that the Rus people should fulfill.

and many more! promise!

Otto's eyes widened, as if he was about to burst out of the bird's nest: "We shipped more than a thousand axes and spearheads, and that Olegin is the seller! How the hell is that stupid?! That guy is preparing for war. !"

Otto's words woke the dreamer, and Rurik really didn't expect this. It is normal for a large tribe to have enough weapons to equip a thousand people, and they will need more weapons. Is it possible that Origen has bought it, and the next step is to start a war?

That man won't be so anxious about [My Love Novel]! still……

Rurik quickly pulled his father's hand: "Dad, I suspect that guy, his alliance is mainly to announce this, a war against the Danes."

"Probably!"

"However, this war is not what we want. We discussed it last year. This year, the Rus will not take the initiative to attack. We must build with peace of mind. If we can, we can avoid this untimely war because we Rus. It's not too strong. I'm not worried about anything, next year I dare say we only need three big ships, or more big ships. Then our sea power will no longer be afraid of any enemy."

The son talked a lot, and Otto actually understood it. "Unfortunately, if that man chooses war, we must fulfill our alliance obligations. Unless, we..." Otto said harshly: "Unless we withdraw from the alliance. We can't do that."

"That won't work! I still have to do business with them. If I really quit the business, I can't do it. Maybe they will attack us."

"Yeah, if you really want to fight, you and I are unwilling, and you must send troops to participate in the war. Even... I will lead my troops to participate in the war according to tradition."

Otto's words were not sonorous and forceful, but the helplessness and regret in them were truly heard by Rurik.

"Dad, our elites were all taken by cousins ​​to Novgorod and Novgorod. In our hometown, many people are busy with production. Can we have elite soldiers to fight?"

"Even so, we must go to war when the order is given. Rurik, do you... have any ideas?"

"Me? What can I do?" Rurik shrugged, "I'm not afraid of war, but it comes at an untimely time. We can't organize elites, and I don't want any Russ, even Ruth's servants, to be injured in battle. "

"How is it possible that you won't be injured in battle?" Otto said with a wry smile.

"Why is it impossible?"

"Then what do you say?"

Rurik was hit by a trick, he stood up, stood directly in front of Otto, put on a arrogant gesture and said: "All the mercenaries under my command dare to fight, they are not authorized by you to have the identity of Rus. Now? They are the new Ruth warriors, and taking them on expedition is fulfilling the duty of the alliance. I can send as many as fifty people, and I can also summon some Corvins from Elrond. Even a group of children under my command should also be Experience what fighting is like."

Otto nodded: "Then I'll gather some more soldiers, for example, from Tombstone Island, we can get a team of three hundred people, I think that's enough. Listen, Rurik, I don't want to give Otto. Legin shows the fact that we are strong. So this team doesn't have to be much."

"Hey, I'm afraid they won't believe it. Dad, the big ship stands in the port, and the Avlora is the proof of strength. Does anyone believe in the weakness of a giant, but I really don't want any loss, I don't even Hope our soldiers are on the front lines."

"Oh? How do you want to do it? It's too hard to do in my opinion."

"Using a crossbow, a bow, and a throwing spear, we just don't come into direct contact with the enemy, and kill the enemy with long-range weapons. Even if the world calls us cowards. Haha, the corpse shot by the crossbow will not open his mouth to curse."

It is true that Otto's decision made Otto feel that this was Nov's behavior, but considering that in the event of a war, none of them would be elites who would participate in the war. ? It doesn't matter!

No, those rumors spread to the people who just landed on the island, and the rumors all came true.

The focus of Otto and Rurik's discussion was entirely on how to deal with a possible war against Denmark, as if the legend of Origen's reign was irrelevant.