Rise of Rurik

The embrace of the two leaders after more than ten years, how much friendship and how much hypocrisy is there?

Rurik felt that there was more hypocrisy in it.

After all, if you put aside economic and trade exchanges, the Russ don't need the Melarons, not even the entire alliance.

Otto unceremoniously showed the cautiousness of the Rus people he represented. The so-called secret meeting place was at the edge of the woods. The participants could always be watched by the soldiers of Ross, and they could naturally intervene immediately if something happened.

Even if Olegin was a little dissatisfied, he had to agree.

On this trip, Olegin went there in secret, and apart from his own guards, there were no important personnel, not even those who worked as scribes. The key to the so-called secret meeting and secret covenant is not to leave evidence that can be inspected by a third party. The agreement is best kept at the oral level, and both parties tacitly perform the agreement afterwards.

Olegin sat upright, as did Otto in front of him.

After all, they haven't seen each other for more than ten years, and the atmosphere of this meeting is really tense with a hint of embarrassment.

In the end, Olegin was the first to break the silence: "The messenger I sent told you my needs, plus the agreement I made with your Rurik last year. Those goods, especially weapons, have they all arrived?"

"Is this the only reason you asked me to go to the appointment?"

"Not only that." Origen pretended to make a "subconscious action", and he stroked the crown above his head, an obvious hint.

Otto squinted at him and already understood that the rumors were true: "The goods you asked for have arrived. So what do we need? I want money, a lot of money. I want other things, such as oatmeal and flax. , and even slaves, these are important to me."

After getting an affirmative answer, Origen breathed a sigh of relief. Even the Rus people mentioned by Otto also requested. The current situation is really a bit special. "That's great to be true. I urgently need a batch of weapons now. Since you have fulfilled the contract, I will send someone to get it soon."

"Wait! You didn't answer my question."

"Oh, you said the money to buy weapons? Haha..."

Olegin smiled a little embarrassedly, which was self-evident. Otto and Rurik immediately raised their spirits, their faces extremely solemn.

Although the following statement is a bit rude, it must have been a major event involving enormous wealth. With a stinky face, Otto asked very rudely, "Don't tell me, you're not going to give money?"

"Huh?" Olegin leaned back with a skillful tactic.

"I didn't say that."

"What do you want to say?"

"Ah! About this matter, I actually have more things to tell you." Olegin started as he planned, haha, this move is really uncomfortable.

"Tell me what's the matter! Here, you and I are both businessmen. The key to doing business is to get money in one hand and goods in the other."

"But sometimes things get complicated." With that said, Olegin didn't tell the other party that he wanted to be king. He didn't believe that the old guy Otto glanced at the crown made of gold and didn't know what it meant. "You must know what happened in recent years. You Rus people have attacked our enemies many times, but the enemy's revenge is also very brutal."

As he spoke, he deliberately glanced at Carlotta, whose expression was a little dull, deliberately: "The Danes and Gotland troops attacked Ostara, and it is said that there were also troops of Oslo. They organized A coalition force conducts a large-scale sneak attack when we are unprepared. If I endure this matter, how can I be the leader of the alliance? I have decided, I want a war!"

When Olegin spoke, Carlotta's brows became even tighter, and when the word "war" was uttered, her whole body trembled.

Carlotta was never afraid of war, she even longed for war, any power that could help Ostara take revenge.

The situation became extremely strange, Rurik and Otto watched Carlota suddenly stand up, and hurriedly knelt in front of Olegin, asking with great compliment: "Lord Leader, you...really Willing to avenge us Ostarans?"

"Of course. Child, get up. You are taller and more beautiful than last year, and you will become a good leader. Unfortunately, your clan has lost too much. You can rest assured that I will not be because of your clan. Too few remnants will ignore you. Ostara is still part of the Alliance."

Hearing these words, the girl's eyes were already covered with tears. It was these scenes that really made Rurik feel a strong hatred. It's not obvious! Olegin is digging in the opposite direction, and the child Carlota is not up to par. Has she always been a person who lacks opinions? Or she could actually sacrifice everything for her revenge.

No, Olegin just wanted to use some words to show that he was actually a gifted and loyal person, vowing to sweep away the unfavorable remarks against his family.

"I want to launch a revenge on the same scale to avenge the people of Ostara, and to collect the remains of the dead and hold funerals for them. I also learned some information that the Gotlanders did not leave Ostara. They even occupied the homeland of the migrating Granites and built their Gotland settlements, and it is known that there are many Danes in them.”

At this moment, Otto blamed himself. It was wishful thinking that he had recognized an obedient daughter. Who would have thought that this girl was essentially dependent on the strong. She put aside her irrational behavior that could not see the situation, Otto now completely confirmed the authenticity of those rumors, in this case, other details of the rumors must also be true.

Maybe, everything is the news that Olegin deliberately released, to test the direction of the alliance's public opinion.

Otto's face was solemn and his eyes were deep. He coughed abruptly and scolded: "This is a meeting place for men, women should avoid it for the time being."

This remark made Carlotta shudder violently, she hurriedly sat back in her seat, hooked her head and glanced at Otto from time to time. Her eyes were expressing an apology.

Yes, this must be a meeting between two old men. Rurik wanted to insert some words for a long time, so he will continue to wait and see for the time being.

Otto's face softened a little, and he was glad that the girl's conscience hadn't changed. He pretended to be looking forward to war and deliberately said: "From what I know about the Gotlanders, their preference for burying silver coins and precious stones cannot be changed by anyone. We defeat them and it is very likely to make a fortune. "

"No! It's bound to make a fortune."

Olegin was very happy to see the cooperative attitude shown by the Rus. money! Who can not love?

"It's not enough to just help the Ostarans get their revenge. This is a war, not a fight between two people. We must expand the results, we must go south along the coastline, and we must organize a huge team. A fleet of ships, a large army. Haha, I see that you have brought a huge transport ship this time, which is very good, it may not be suitable for combat, but it will definitely be able to carry a large amount of cargo."

To be able to dismiss the Avrora as a mere large transport ship, Otto was cursing in his heart, and there was no clue on his face.

What about Rurik? But now he has a kind of dark feeling in his heart. The Melarens are the competitors of the Rus. The more they ignore the strength of the Rus, the more conducive the Russ are to develop their heads. It would be great if Olegin considered the Rus to be "strong and excellent partners."

While showing off to the Melarens, he tried his best to hide his strength. Although this was very contradictory, Otto still had to act as a coward according to the agreement with his son and according to the planned plan.

"Oh, you mean that big ship? She is indeed a large cargo ship, and she is the only one who can transport all kinds of materials you need to Melalen. I know you will happily buy all our goods, we The Rus will get a vital coin, and you can get the weapons, leather, soap, glass, and even spirits you need."

"Of course, your cabins will be empty. Well, about money, our coalition forces are involved in fierce battles, looting, and when the battle is over, I will give you a lot of spoils. In the end, you will return with a full reward, and you will definitely get more than Imagine the money. You don't even need to land in combat, there won't be any loss of personnel, you just need to wait quietly for me to give you the spoils."

Otto and Rurik had no idea that Olegin's opinion was such. So the question is, if this is the case, do the Rus still send troops to join the coalition?

Otto felt a little insulted, he must guarantee the necessary face of the Rus in the alliance: "Do you want us to get something for nothing? We are warriors, not businessmen, we want face! Since you want it, I will give the weapon leather I'll sell it to you, and you'll give me the money in a few days. We Russ people can just go home after participating in the union, we don't have the right to go to the battlefield anyway, don't we?"

Come on, Otto made the move to get up and leave.

This is an aggressive approach, Olegin immediately stretched out his hand to hold him back, and sternly denied: "I am the leader of the alliance, and of course the commander of the coalition. This time the entire alliance is going to join forces, and I can arrange the work of each tribe. I will arrange for you Rus people to transport some Logistics, such as wheat and jerky. You happen to have a huge ship that can transport a lot of food and fresh water. Isn't this ship the best ship for loot?"

"I don't want to hear that right now. You mean you don't have enough silver right now to buy the leather and weapons we provide?"

When things reached this point, Olekin simply did not hide it. He weakly said: "Unfortunately, my funds are very tight."

"Huh? Could it be that the richest Melalen people are also troubled by funding problems? Do you want to go back on the promise you made with my son?"

"I'm not! I'm not! Don't talk nonsense!" Olegin glanced at Rurik.

Otto wasn't there when the appointment was made last year, and now it's clearly Rurik's time.

"Leader, we still hope to get the money as soon as possible, even if it is the equivalent of goods, such as wheat. You still have a lot of wheat in your barn, even if it is Chen Mai, you can just give me a little more. Originally I also Still have to continue to buy your wheat, we Russ people will buy in large quantities every year in the future, we don’t even need silver coins and copper coins as a medium.”

The remarks were very constructive, and Origen really wished that the Russ had been buying food on a grand scale every year, so that his tribe could continue to obtain high-quality leather and high-quality iron. After all, the iron tools of the Rus are magical, and now it is just out of face, Olegin hides his short sword very well, for fear that the other party will see that the treasures that the leader regards as treasures are also from the hands of the Rus.

Orekin expressed an imagination and followed Rurik's words: "This year's climate is very warm, even warmer than in previous years. The wheat harvest season has returned to August, and we will have a bumper harvest this year. It's just that I don't have much grain in stock now. Many of the Melarens are actually starving. The grain in my barn will serve as rations for the soldiers on the expedition, and before the rations are eaten, we must attack the Gotlands and the Danes, and we must plunder their wheat and cattle Sheep. It's not just for revenge, it's for us to live."

Rurik reckons that this guy has finally spoken his truth, what revenge, what glory, and the underlying logic is revealed in the brief words - the Melalen tribe has no surplus.

But they have no food surplus, what do the Rus have to lose? Ross actually owns the fishing rights in the entire inner area of ​​the Gulf of Bothnia, and there are tributes from the Novgorods. Even if he is poor enough to eat fish every day, it is just a return to the normal days of the past. It can be said that the Rus people have eliminated the famine, and everyone has begun to study hard to "eat well and eat well".

If Melalen does suffer from famine, what happened to the large number of fishing boats cruising the lake?

Otto asked about this, and received a pessimistic answer from Olekin, saying that the fish in the so-called lake is not as rich as the sea.

"The best fishing grounds were occupied by the Gotlanders. We were the losers of the past and lost there. This time we will take the fishing grounds back."

Otto was really powerless to complain, and he didn't want to reveal that the lost fishing grounds of the Alliance, that is, the sea area from Åland Islands to Gotland Island, had fallen into the shadow of horror last year by Ross's warships and cutting-edge weapons' subordinates. There are of course a lot of ships cruising there, but many of them are Ross.

Otto's attitude towards the Melalen people is really complicated. It must be an alliance. Today's leader Olegin's attitude is actually very low. He actually reveals the dilemma within the promise of the Melalen tribe. He believes that This guy won't show Melalen's weak side to other tribes.

The leader is to win sympathy, as for the reason! Otto actually guessed that this guy will of course give money for glory and reputation, but it is impossible to give money immediately. Strictly speaking, the leader of the alliance was the first to violate last year's agreement.

Rurik kept an eye on the wooden document signed last year, but he always carried it with him, and he had no intention of asking Yevlo to bring it with him in the current situation. Everyone wants face, and Rurik really doesn't want to see the fact that "the leader of the alliance has publicly violated the agreement".

Of course, old conventions can be revised, and business people should be flexible in their behavior. With this in mind, Rurik deliberately pinched his fingers and said with a stroke: "One thousand five hundred weapons, according to the agreement, its price is a battle axe of 30,000 silver coins, and a spearhead of 10,000 silver coins. Wine, soap, etc., if you want to buy it, the price will not change. Oh, the price of soap can be reduced a little. We can provide goods for more than 60,000 silver coins."

60,000 silver coins are a huge sum of money for Olegin's family from any point of view! After all, the Melalen tribe is not his Olekin's private property. Many wealthy families have the strength to compete for the leader of the alliance, but these wily businessmen are just busy making a fortune. They continue to support and support the Olegin family. Glory Olegin, of course he should be responsible for anything that happens. The Olegin family has the power to collect taxes, but it cannot collect taxes on those big accounts, so the Melalen tribe itself is strictly a small "tribal alliance".

The Svia Tribal Alliance is a nesting doll relationship.

Olegin is not the supreme emperor, and he never will be. He made a golden crown for himself, and even imitated the fact that the Franks called themselves "king", and he also had the long-cherished wish to break this pattern of nesting dolls.

However, the title of "King" is just a mere title. If there is no loyal and powerful army guard, this person is self-proclaimed "Augustus", which is just a plaything for a powerful chief.

The war plan has been conceived since last year. Rumors have long spread. Olegin intends to raise troops, so he spends huge sums of money to add armor and weapons to the private soldiers he regards as elite. He also selects a group of qualified soldiers from the tribe. This young man has caused the number of private soldiers to skyrocket to 800. This is the source of his power! It is very expensive to feed this army. He actually has a strong gambling element. If there are not enough spoils of war in the war, he will not be able to maintain an army of this size for long.

Private soldiers increased, so did the warships. What made Olekin very upset was how the Hortra family, who were good at building large ships, moved to Ross? It was a shame to talk about it, and he simply didn't mention it.

Rurik made the account for the leader. If all the goods were bought by Olegin, there would indeed be 60,000 silver coins in the account, but unfortunately the other party could not take out so much money.

So there is a huge actionable element in it. Rurik coaxed and said: "I believe that the leader of the alliance has actually kept his promise. Some things happen in the process of fulfilling the contract, and sometimes it is irresistible. We can talk slowly."

"Yeah! I'm very happy with your words." Origen relaxed slightly.

Rurik showed that sweet smile, and the lake wind blew, making him elegant and refreshing, and the golden thread was even more beautiful. What Olegin saw was a handsome young man, but he didn't know that there was a special "knife" behind this handsomeness that he had never seen before.

Rurik pretended to be generous: "We Rus have an obligation to fight our enemy. Over the years, our alliance has united to fight back against the enemy, and we Rus should provide manpower and material resources. I can immediately provide you with all the weapons, it The price is forty thousand silver coins, and you can get it even if you have no money now. But..."

Olegin's eyes trembled rapidly, and things took a huge turn for the better. As someone with a strong need, he couldn't wait: "I will try to meet your requirements, I want weapons."

"We Rus can serve as the logistics force of the coalition. As you said, we need to share the spoils, and the spoils cannot be less than the value of forty thousand silver coins. Oh, it is better that it is forty thousand silver coins. Besides that , you have to give us additional benefits, we are not your transport team after all."

"Huh? I can allow you to also participate in the looting after the battle. How much you loot is your own business."

"That's not the case." Rurik extended his right hand to veto, "We Rus are not carrion-eating vultures, and we are not mad at Gotland. They killed my uncle, and I want to eat it raw. We Victory, of course, but the Rus are taking a huge risk. What if you loot less? What will you pay back?"

"It's wheat."

"Okay! Wheat." Rurik waited for Olegin to say these words himself: "Since this year is a bumper harvest, the price of wheat in the market must rise to no less than a silver coin to buy fifteen pounds. We will follow the Fifteen pounds count. Forty thousand silver coins, for sixty thousand pounds of wheat."

Olegin pinched his chin, he was a little hesitant, and in a trance he always felt that he would suffer a great loss in the future.

Rurik didn't finish his sentence: "I have to charge extra money, which is called interest. You pay for the risks we Russ take."

"Ah! This..."

Rurik's face was stern, he was no longer cute, Olegin realized a kind of coercion: "interest, how much?"

Of course Olegin understood the concept of "interest". This abstract concept can be described as a natural occurrence, mainly reflected in the collection of land rent. Olegin actually understood it very well.

Loan sharks! In today's era, there are no restrictions on interest rates. For the future of his Ross tribe, Rurik wants to be a "wicked person" this time.

"I want 100% interest, you can get all the weapons soon, and when the harvest season arrives, you have to return me 1.2 million pounds of grain. Or after the battle, you will return us 80,000 silver coins to the Rus. ."

Olegin almost gnawed his few teeth, but the boy in front of him was still handsome, but what he said was really vicious. Such a crazy interest rate this kid can speak! But! Weapons are just needed! The axe and spearhead made of "hard iron" can turn ordinary iron into waste. That leader doesn't want his subordinates to be equipped with such magical weapons.

But he also didn't think about it. The Rus people have come up with so many high-quality weapons in a short period of time. What is the military strength of the Rus people?

Olegin gritted his teeth and asked, "In that case, can your crossbow..."

"No." Rurik refused directly, without any thought.

"Isn't it enough to buy one ten thousand pounds of wheat?"

To be honest, Rurik is a little moved now, but this is still a matter of principle at this stage, and it cannot be broken. "No! It just doesn't work. Leader, have you thought about it? I don't believe it..."

Suddenly, Rurik was in a hurry. He changed his honorary term and called Origen the king.

"Respected king, my respected king, great king." Rurik deliberately emphasized that the word "king" was more noble than "allied leader", and he said it three times, which really made Olegin very excited.

"You... I haven't said this yet, you have already..." The excited Olekin's old face was shaking.

"Yes. Those legends I believe are true, that's why you wear the crown. If you become king, my father and I will support you, as long as you can meet the requirements of our Rus." These plans have long been in Rurik. Discuss with Otto, "We Russ, and Ostarans, will support you at the official alliance meeting, even if we kneel to you, we will set an example for other tribes. We did this, you To be honored, you must also give us real benefits. For example, give us 80,000 silver coins and the equivalent of wheat."

Otto took advantage of the situation and also expressed his position: "From the moment I saw your crown, I was your move. As long as you meet our needs, I will take the initiative to salute you as a warrior."

It can be said that Olegin, who was in a dilemma just now, with sweat on his forehead, now has no reason to refuse the promise of Otto and his son.

What Origen needs most now is the support of the Rus people. He knows that the strength of this tribe should not be underestimated, but he does not want the Rus people to really stand out in future wars. Only? Melalen's Olekin family can make a big splash. The Ross people are actually the best as a logistics team. How happy would it be if they could use a lot of money to appease them?

Because of Olegin, all he needs is power! What is needed is some powerful tribes in the alliance to make a clear example, a move to kneel on one knee, that is not a million pounds of wheat to buy!

Origen stood up and made a solemn statement: "I completely agree. You support me as king, and I will give you huge benefits. We will always be brothers and comrades in arms..."