Rise of Rurik

Is the new leader Bjorn a good leader? The people of Melalen don't really care.

The defeat of the war and the failure of the grain harvest, the big families with large fields and acres are busy selling wheat, and the people's food has also been looted.

Life is not too difficult to live, but Bjorn is really no better than Karl in terms of tax collection.

Gould reported to Rurik on the purchase of grain: "I can make a small profit, and I will never suffer. Only we, Ross, are the largest grain purchasers, and only we have a large amount of cash. I discussed with them that if the harvest fails this year. , the purchase price is still a silver coin eleven pounds."

This is actually a gamble. If this year is a bumper harvest, according to the agreement, the Russ cannot change the purchase price.

"The weather is too cold this year, and the poor harvest is settled from the time of planting. They made a bet with me. They had a fluke mentality. It turns out that we Ross people predicted the current situation, and we won."

Rurik heard how there was some grain futures in it?

Wait a minute, the fact that the fleet has not returned is mainly due to the fact that all the materials have not arrived.

Rurik asked, "I suspect that some of the leaders who participated have repented. They dawdled and didn't seem to intend to hand over the food?"

"Exactly." Speaking of this incident, Gould was full of anger, and immediately remonstrated, "Since our two large ships are here, it is just right to coerce them. You brought 60 soldiers, and there are more than 100 soldiers on my island. Fifty people. Organize the others and recruit a hundred men who are short of money on the shore. We can easily organize two hundred people to beg for food."

"No, I have no intention of going to war with them. But I can press Bjorn on this matter and support his premise. It is this man who helps us to collect the food."

Because the key to this bet is the Melalen tribe. Even though the clan has undergone great changes, it is still a behemoth in terms of population, making it appear that the other clans have become small settlements.

The dawdling guys are mainly those big families of Melalen, so things are easier to handle.

Gould's proposal left Rick thinking about it, since he planned to use two ships to show off his power. So, why not organize hundreds of people to land in chainmail and cloaks with flags?

Those leftovers from the war on Gotland, a large number of blue-striped robes were placed on Gould Island as the clothing of the local garrison.

There are still quite a few robes in stock.

They began to fully equip the people Rurik brought.

Those Balmerk mercenaries suddenly changed their outfits, and even Noren could not have imagined that the people in his hometown were dressed in complete uniforms, standing together neatly and dignifiedly.

If they were seen by the enemy, the enemy would be trembling with fear, right?

Rurik really organized a hundred soldiers, who were divided into two large ships waiting to land on Birka.

On the appointed day, the battle-hardened veteran Avlora and the new leader Gurdot, the fishermen working on the lake saw Ross's two large boats heading straight for their market.

At first, they gathered curiously, and then they became fearful.

Just because they saw that the decks of the two ships were full of uniformly dressed samurai! They are afraid that they are not going to attack the Melalen tribe and sack Birka!

A powerful army landed, and the people on the shore immediately avoided it, and then lay on the roof and wall, watching the movements of the Rus people nervously.

"We've landed. Your lord next..." Gould laughed again, muttering with laughter, "You see, the Mellarens are almost defenseless. If you want to go to war, you can really tear down Pyor all at once. En's house."

"No. I don't kill people, I just want to show Melalen who is strong. Let's go, let's go around the market."

"Well, I just want you to see what's new with Birka."

Gould retained some things in yesterday's conversation, not that he wanted to cover up, but that he felt that it would be disrespectful to Rurik, the "son of Odin".

Rurik didn't care either, Gould mentioned the tavern yesterday. Getting the ownership of the tavern became one of his goals.

Noren was dressed in full clothes, and Rurik was also full of heroic spirit.

Dressed in blue-striped robes, with their battle axes and swords fastened on their belts, Rurik's mercenaries were all majestic.

The small leather drum that Noren brought back came into use. Someone beat this leather drum, and the sound of the drums as the team marched forward attracted the attention of passers-by.

Most of them held spears nearly three meters high, with blue and white strips tied to their ends. In the cramped lanes of the Birka bazaar, these spears also have a very narrow fighting meaning, they just serve as a guard of honor.

Yevro was honored as the flag-bearer, and while holding the flag high, he followed Rurik closely.

Their ostentation drew a murmur of mixed emotions from the Mellarens.

Some people are whispering that the business of the Rus people is not finished this year, and the Rus people plan to buy some more things...

Anyone with a discerning eye can see that the Rus people are showing off their power. They are afraid that they will not do any trade, they are showing their strength to the big families who killed Carl, and they are deterring Bjorn.

Rurik really had no interest in paying attention to the bottles and jars peddled by the vendors on both sides of the alley, and even the slaves for sale bound by ropes around their necks. He also had no interest.

Rurik wanted to go straight to the tavern to step on the spot, and he very much hoped to become the owner of the tavern this year.

In a trance, he suddenly saw a wooden building under construction.

What's so special about a generally built longhouse?

Do not! It's not ordinary!

It has a wooden spire. Although it is under construction, there is a cross on the spire?

Rurik suddenly froze, causing the entire team to stop.

"Ah! Am I blinded, this is a Christchurch?"

"My lord, do you know it?" Gould was also taken aback.

Rurik pouted and shook his little head, and some of the old mercenaries around him simply laughed.

"Huh? What are you all laughing at? My lord, since you know it..."

"Of course I know it, not only do I know, but I took the Balmer army and killed 3,000 of them in Britain! It's a monastery, and I stole some treasures!"

Hearing this, Gould subconsciously felt that his financier had hatred and looting for this foreign belief?

Rurik thought for a while, and his intuition was very absurd.

"It's strange, who would allow missionaries to build monasteries in Melaronian territory?"

"Of course Bjorn."

"He? Did that guy betray the gods and believe in a new one?"

"That's not true. It's just that the missionary is from Frank. Bjorn lacks support. This guy is in a panic. This year, a missionary suddenly visited. Bjorn and the guy made a certain agreement."

"Really...I have nothing to say. Let's go!"

"Indeed, I'm not interested in those guys either," Gould said casually.

"No! I want to find that missionary and talk to him."

Hearing it, Gould felt even more absurd and terrifying, "Your Excellency, you can't do it here. Bjorn and those families allowed the Franks to build a monastery here, and they paid tribute. You kill them to break the rules. ."

Rurik frowned, "Who said I was going to use force? I'm a little interested in them, but I want to see which missionary dares to come to Northern Europe."

The Russ army rushed directly to the construction site of the monastery, and the hired workers who carried and chopped wood blocks hid one after another.

Most of these workers were baptized and became new Christians with their wives and children, which is really peculiar in the core area of ​​Odin's beliefs. But these people have their own sufferings, and Odin and Freya cannot comfort them. Now, here comes a missionary who claims that "God can save you lambs."

The workers scattered, only a bald middle-aged man in a black robe, holding a small wooden cross, approached Rurik very cautiously.

"My lord, he's coming towards you..." Yevro asked cautiously in a low voice, "I'm about to draw my sword. Women will affect the speed at which I draw the sword. Please let your Noren avoid it."

"No. This man is equivalent to our priest. I know their beliefs. Frankish missionaries can't use force, let alone kill people. Maybe he sees me as noble?"

In fact, as Rurik guessed, the bold bald missionary saw Rurik's extraordinaryness at first sight.

In other words, when this person arrived at Lake Mälaren by boat, he passed by Gould Island, and he saw the moored "giant ship". The "GULDOTTER" spelled in Roman letters in the secular script on the side of the ship shocked and puzzled him. And he saw the flag flying on the wooden fortress of that island, and he felt a sense of intimacy again.

The missionaries learned that these are the Rus people. They are different from the Melalen people. They are the northernmost existence in the entire Sweden region, and they are also the strong ones who have stood out in recent years.

The missionary's trip was to boldly go north, trying to go further north to save new lambs.

Unexpectedly, the Ross people actually came in person.

Looking at their equipment, their mighty momentum is far superior to the armies of the Earl of Hamburg and the Earl of Bremen, and I am afraid that the personal guard of the Frankish king can match it.

Rurik didn't panic at all, and even in the depths of his right hand, he skillfully drew a big cross on his chest and forehead.

It was this dreamy action that made the missionary stunned on the spot, and then his body trembled incoherently.

What's going on? Yevro only felt that his master had used some kind of magic power to make the approacher suffer from tics.

The missionary tried to recover his spirits and walked forward again. He stood tremblingly in front of Rurik, and said the old Saxon.

The man, speaking in a crappy Norse language full of Saxon emphasis (Old German), said respectfully: "You are welcome, Rus. I didn't even know that you were also holy believers."

Rurik smiled, naturally.

"Saints? No, we are descendants of Odin."

"Ah! Young child, what you just did..." The missionary felt that he had been poured cold water, and his high mood instantly dropped.

Rurik immediately changed his words: "I know that you are religious, and I know that you are from Frank. I know you a little bit, and I am also a little interested in your belief."

Hearing the thorn words again, it was as if the missionary in the ice cellar was protected by a mass of warm air, and suddenly flew to a warm place.

He only felt that even if this noble young man was not a believer, since he was interested, he was only one baptism and one confession away from becoming the Lamb of the Lord.

The missionary immediately took the offensive. The so-called mission does not require any special venue. He openly and loudly preached the divine and greatness of the Lord. He also said that if he accepted the faith, the most humble and ordinary person can go to heaven after death.

But what does this do to Rurik?

Rurik immediately interrupted the man's words, he had no intention of refuting with the argument that Valhalla was far superior to heaven, and he did not want any theological speculation at all.

"What's your name? You're from Frank, and what are you doing here at Mellaren? When are you going to leave?"

A simple three philosophical question made the missionary a little confused.

"My name is John Paul St. William Esquier. I accept the invitation of the Bishop of Reims, and the invitation of the former King of Denmark, to spread the holy faith in your domain."

The last name is Eskil?

Rurik was naturally unfamiliar with this name, but he never imagined that the wheel of history was rolling to this point in time, and he could bring the Rus people to influence the course of history, but the general trend of history was unavoidable.

Eskil came, and the Christian transformation of Sweden, especially of Lake Mälaren, began with the permission of the local chief Bjorn.

Rurik vaguely felt that he was on the front line of the changing times. He has an opinion on Odin's beliefs. The so-called bravest warriors can go to the Temple of Valhalla, so what about ordinary people?

He instructed to kill the old priest class of Rus, established new priests and a new priest culture, while worshipping Odin, other major gods also erected statues, and even made the dead Vilia a god, all actions aimed at Take care of all men, women and children of the tribe and stabilize the hearts of the people.

But his actions are all patching up the fragmented mythological beliefs of Northern Europe.

Here comes the emissary from the Pope of Rome in the south, a whole new set of very well-established theological ideas!

Although Rurik didn't know who Eskil was and his possible historical position, he knew very well that the Christian faith was first spread among the lowest groups of people in Roman Empire society.

The poor and helpless people and people living in hardships, they are warmed up by this new faith, and believe that their piety and kindness can be exchanged for the qualification to enter heaven.

Is not it?

Rurik saw that the people who built the houses were the most ordinary Mellarens, and he keenly saw these people who were wary of others, all with a wooden cross pendant on their chest.

Rurik looked at the building again and deliberately said, "Christchurch, when will you be able to finish the construction? How many lambs have you influenced here?"

Hearing the young man's words again, Esquil was trembling with excitement, and couldn't wait to pull him into the room, and then pressed him into the water to be baptized. He even felt that the young man had read a great scripture.

"What? No answer?" Rurik asked again.

"My child, I think...you...you are called by the Lord. You can..."

"No! I will not accept your beliefs, at least not now."

"That's what happens in the future?" Eskill looked a little aggressive.

Rurik, who knew himself to be talkative, immediately changed his tone, "I know your beliefs, and I am also interested in you. There are a group of slaves in my hometown, and I allow them to maintain their beliefs. Even..."

"you……"

"I am the great nobleman of the Duchy of Rus. You! Eskil the missionary, I want to know everything about the Franks. I would like to invite you to the north in my big ship, and I will give you permission to build a monastery for our slaves There is a place of peace of mind to worship. Only when they are at ease can they do my work well for me.”

This is undoubtedly an olive branch from heaven!

While Eskil was ecstatic, he was still using words to rub hard. The so-called interest is to like, and if you like, you can become a believer.

"You are a noble and beautiful young man, you must have received the gift of the Lord, you should become a saint, and you should go to Rome for a pilgrimage..."

"Shut up!" Rurik held his forehead and scolded sharply, "You stay here and continue to build. If you want to go to Ross, boat to my island before October 5th, recognize the flag of our Ross, Don't go to the wrong island. Listen, come to Ross and I'm going to have a good chat with you."

"Oh! Your honorable lord, that is my honor." Esquil bowed in greeting.

Rurik turned and left with his brothers. Gould had just said nothing, and now he finally spoke.

"My lord, maybe your actions are... inappropriate."

"It's nothing. People like him are the Romans in black as Veria said. The sixty-year-old parchment that Ross is in charge of is actually a scripture! We have a long-standing relationship with them."

"So, you invited him?"

"Of course. They hold a belief that appeases the poorest and most humble. The warriors won't believe this, but the farmer will, and so will the mother of the dead child, the woman of the dead husband. I can take advantage of this, so that I It can also do business smoothly with some southern powers, such as the Franks and Eastern Rome."

Rurik had a set of ideas. The so-called theological belief itself is neutral, and the Pope of Rome holds the right to interpret it.

This is similar to the actions of King Henry VIII of England, the German Luther.

Rurik's great idea Gould was powerless to think about.

Gould, a fat old man, is dying. He is full of thoughts that his family can have more wealth, his life can continue, and he can enjoy wealth and glory in his old age.

Of course, the old guy felt that Rurik had this extremely realistic consideration under his high-sounding words, or else he was full and invited that Eskil.

Rurik then said clearly and simply, "He knows Latin, he knows Saxony. I want to learn."