Ch 127: Bergen
“Gentlemen, I am Vig, Duke of Tyne appointed by the King of Britain, governing the entire Northern Border. Some time ago, my envoy was murdered on this island. Who is the murderer?”
To save their lives, the residents revealed the name of the local chieftain, claiming that the chieftain had fled to Bergen for refuge two days prior by ship, taking with him twenty people, including his family and slaves.
Vig did not readily believe them, ordering his subordinates to conduct separate interrogations. By combining everyone’s statements, he restored the sequence of events leading to the envoy’s murder.
In fact, the chieftain was not initially angry; instead, he prepared ample meat and wine to feast the envoy.
After the feast, the envoy mentioned the matter of allegiance. The chieftain insisted that he had already paid taxes to the Lord of Bergen and saw no reason to submit to two lords simultaneously.
At this point, the situation had not spiraled out of control, but unfortunately, someone deliberately incited them with words, causing both sides’ moods to become increasingly agitated, ultimately escalating into murder.
“Where is the loudmouth who deliberately stirred things up?”
Vig had people search everywhere and learned that this fellow had intentionally followed the chieftain to escape two days prior, only to be cleaved in the head by the latter with an iron axe, clearly showing how much he hated him.
After staying in Shetland for four days, waiting for clear weather and favorable wind direction, Vig ordered the fleet to sail due east.
In the morning mist, the bow of the carrack cut through the waves, following a shallower draft scout ship, slowly sailing into the depths of the fjord.
Vig leaned against the slippery ship’s side, gazing into the distance. The entire fjord seemed to have been split open by a great axe. Steep cliffs on both sides were covered with dense pine trees. Cooking smoke rose from wooden houses at the foot of the mountains, and two fishermen were drying their fishing nets.
“After seven long years, this is my first time returning to Northern Europe.”
Since going to sea with Ragnar, Vig had spent most of his life in Britain. His memories of Northern Europe gradually faded, and feeling the atmosphere of his homeland again, his heart was filled with mixed emotions.
At this time, Baron Dunbar, who also served as Earl of Edinburgh County, Joren, walked to the bow,
“Sir, have you considered returning to Gothenburg on this trip? After so many years at sea, I suddenly miss the scenery there.”
Instantly, Vig’s mind conjured up the image of the houses where he had lived for more than ten years, and the wheat field with its poor soil.
After much consideration, he shook his head to dispel these memories.
“Improper. We secretly sent troops to Bergen, seriously challenging King Eric’s authority. It is not suitable to stay in Northern Europe for too long. After settling Ohr, we will return immediately!”
As the fleet approached Bergen, a resounding horn echoed across the fjord.
The fishermen at the dock were the first to perceive the danger, stumbling towards their houses. The scene was in chaos. A few residents armed themselves and formed a shield wall on the beach. When they identified the banner of the Serpent of the North, the shield wall scattered in a mere few seconds.
Looking at the dense houses on the shore, Vig sighed:
“What a prosperous settlement! Compared to seven years ago, the population here has at least doubled.”
Since Ragnar captured Britain, a total of more than 100,000 Northern European immigrants have flocked to the West, and trade on the North Sea has become increasingly frequent. Bergen, as an important trade node on the Northern route, has expanded its population to two thousand, becoming the second largest settlement in Norway—second only to Oslo, directly ruled by Eric.
Feeling the prosperity of this place, Vig’s anger rose sharply,
“Since you’re not short of money, why are you still reneging on your debt? Just fifteen pounds of silver, and you’ve dragged it out for four years!”
Under his orders, a shield-bearer blew the horn to signal the attack.
Soon, an infantry company was the first to charge onto the beach, clearing out the scattered enemies near the dock.
A few minutes later, the mountain infantry on the shore had expanded to more than four hundred men. With the officers urging them on, small mandarin duck formations advanced along the streets towards the Lord’s Longhouse.
“This is a private grudge between the Duke of Tyne and the Lord of Bergen. All irrelevant personnel, stand back!”
During the advance, the squad leader waved a spear with a triangular banner, reminding the residents to dodge to the sides of the streets.
After walking dozens of meters, a small group of enemy warriors appeared at the intersection ahead. They formed a shield wall blocking the street, about twenty men.
Toot, toot-toot~
The captain blew a copper whistle, informing the rear that they had encountered the enemy and were about to engage in battle.
“Form a line formation, forward!”
Upon receiving the order, the mandarin duck formations quickly changed from two columns to three ranks.
The first rank consisted of the captain and two shield axe men; all three were equipped with iron armor.
The second rank consisted of four spearmen and two pitchfork men.
The third rank consisted of four longbowmen and support troops who would not participate in the fighting.
The distance shortened to thirty meters. The captain and the shield axe men removed their spears from their backs and aimed them at the shield wall, throwing them without pause, immediately following with a second volley of spears.
A total of six spears flew towards the shield wall. One missed its target; the remaining five struck the shields. The sounds of splintering wood mingled with groans, and three breaches appeared in the shield wall.
Seizing this opportunity, the longbowmen in the rear, at a rate of twelve shots per minute, unleashed a concentrated volley at the breaches, felling several enemies in succession.
“Everyone, with me, charge!”
Perceiving the enemy’s faltering morale, the captain held his spear steady and led the eight warriors of the first and second ranks in an assault. Before they even got close, the dilapidated shield wall instantly crumbled. The survivors scrambled into the nearby alleys, completely abandoning the Lord of Bergen.
As time passed, mandarin duck formations successively arrived at the open space in front of the Lord’s Longhouse. Eighty Bergen warriors gathered here; half of them were equipped with iron armor.
However, to their horror, soldiers continuously poured out from every intersection, seemingly endless. The enemy grew more numerous, and the Bergen warriors’ morale plummeted. Considering the Serpent of the North’s custom of not killing prisoners, after a brief struggle, they agreed to surrender.
Thus, Norway’s second largest settlement changed hands.
Surrounded by a large number of soldiers, Vig entered the Lord’s Longhouse of Bergen and learned that Ohr had already fled with his family.
“Forget it, I doubt we can catch up.”
Gazing at the rolling mountains and the snow-capped peaks in the East, Vig sighed and ordered his subordinates to search the storehouse and count the supplies.
It proved that the Lord of Bergen had considerable wealth. His bedroom contained two locked copper chests; one was filled with high-quality amber, the other contained various silver coins. The warehouse behind the longhouse was piled high with animal furs and numerous goods imported from Britain.
The goods included wheat, ironware, woolen cloth, and beer. Vig took a stroll inside and found that at least one-third originated from within Tyne County.
“Sigh, he doesn’t seem to be short of money, so why did he renege on my debt?”
After spending half a day counting, the five accompanying clerks compiled a list. Vig glanced at it. “One hundred pounds of silver and the forty sets of iron armor from the prisoners of war are mine. The remaining items will be distributed according to the rules. Be careful about the distribution; the ship can’t hold too much.”