While the ships of the Balmok expedition were still drifting leisurely on the river, a fishing boat rushed towards Ironburg like crazy. The fishermen were eager to get Rurik's reward promise by reporting the news in advance.
The fishermen were indeed rewarded for reporting this incredibly momentous news.
Rurik had no time to doubt. He trusted his subordinates. Now, after arranging some reception tasks for the mercenaries, he urgently summoned the men of the Ross tribe who were still building houses within the city wall, and even some Kewen men. He ordered all these people to pick up weapons, put on helmets and velvet hats, and those who could afford it put on their chain mail and dressed up as if they were going to war.
Not to mention, after the order was issued, some people really felt that unknown enemies were attacking in large numbers. Thanks to the sturdy wooden walls, there's nothing to be intimidated about. On the contrary, they were particularly looking forward to a battle. They would no longer need to hunt bears and wolves to show their martial prowess, but would show their martial virtue by beheading the enemy.
However, the visitors were only a small group of people, and they seemed to have some sense of adventure. After learning the truth, everyone's excitement had to dim, and everyone became a little angry at missing out on a hearty battle.
Rurik did not mean to harm the visitors. He ordered these people to gather together and stand in line. It did not matter how neatly they stood, but they had to show the mighty power of the Russians.
What? Do you need to make a show of force to scare your visitors? OK! It's simply a dream come true.
The men of Rus, their daily work is always logging and building houses from morning to night. Although the noble Rurik rewarded everyone with a delicious meal very generously, and at the end of May, the boy really paid everyone the agreed silver coins. As a reward (because it covers food and accommodation, this money is pure profit), everyone is extremely loyal to Rurik even if it is just for money.
This kind of life is a bit boring, and because of Rurik's rules, they can't find those Kewen women for entertainment privately, which makes their boring life even less fun.
There is no chance to fight, and now there is a game of "scare visitors" before everyone. Of course, they must meet Lord Rurik's request, show a ferocious face, and let them see what a Russian warrior who has fought bloody battles is.
Rurik formed a formation inside the wooden wall. He also deliberately asked some Kovin archers to stand on the scaffolding behind the wooden wall, holding bows and arrows to act as sentries. In fact, this was to let visitors see clearly that the town was fortified for the first time.
His idea of establishing his authority became a reality, and the ten Balmoks who came to visit were also sea warriors with sharp eyes and alert hearts. They saw a huge city (even if the radius was less than 500 meters, the circumference of the wooden wall was about 1,500 meters, it was a huge city), a large wooden gate, and people holding bows on the walls and towers.
The mercenaries walked arrogantly, and these steps were highly consistent, which was to show visitors what it means to be well-trained.
Just like that, the expedition leader Modgen, whose name comes from the Norse word for "brave", stood outside the thick wooden door, savoring what he just saw, and couldn't help but take a breath.
He was a little afraid of the opening of the wooden door and the opportunity to meet the leader of Ross. He even believed that this city was the mother city of the Ross people, although he was not sure.
The mercenary shouted several times, and his fellow mercenaries waiting at the door pulled the latch and used ropes to open the door.
When the wooden door opens, a large number of thick, well-proportioned, and sharp-edged wood carvings inside the wooden wall come into view.
A lot of metal objects are reflecting sunlight!
Modgen couldn't help but stretch out his right hand to protect his eyes. He squinted and finally saw that what was emitting sunlight was actually the warrior's helmet or even the shield nailed with metal skin!
Suddenly, someone roared, followed immediately by the sound of weapons hitting shields in a very regular manner.
"What...what do you want?! Sir, we just want to do business with you. As promised, you won't hurt us."
Modgen's legs were trembling. He really felt that these Russians who were meeting for the first time were breaking the rules of businessmen.
The mercenaries were laughing in their hearts. At this moment, the mercenaries' evaluation of the so-called Balmoks had become negative, as if that mysterious tribe was not as powerful as the Melalen people, let alone the Ross people. After all, the mercenaries are almost all from the Melalen tribe, and are now under the command of Rurik, a Rusian. They always live in a strong tribe, and they despise the timid.
Are the Balmoks just a group of guys who are keen on trade but lack force?
Oh, if this is really the case, why don't the Russians send troops to conquer, so that as mercenaries, everyone can still get a considerable amount of loot.
"Don't wait! Let's go! Outsiders, what you see is the ceremony of us Russians welcoming guests." The mercenary said deliberately.
"Huh? Your ceremony? It's really..."
Modgen was very speechless. Neither he nor his men dared to step into the wooden wall rashly, for fear that the warriors inside would be like hungry wolves, waiting for him to enter and be eaten alive by them.
The mercenary couldn't stand it any longer, so he pushed him roughly and even cursed, forcing the Balmok explorer to enter the wooden wall under extreme tension.
They walked on a boardwalk leading to the most noble and largest wooden house, receiving the "attention ceremony" from all the armed soldiers around them. If putting on ferocious faces and attacking postures could be considered a kind of etiquette.
The largest wooden building is somewhat unique, and all the buildings within the wooden walls have their own characteristics.
Mordgen could see that the builders must be building from a unified master plan, and that the most honest building would stand out from the crowd.
It's still the same pattern. As a noble person, Rurik naturally has to have a noble official residence.
Novgorod-style architecture is not only about solid wooden floors, solid wooden walls with mortise and tenon structures, and huge gabled roofs to keep out the rain. According to his own preferences, Rurik must install a fireplace and a towering chimney in all wooden buildings.
The fireplace system is just a pile of granite of limited use brought from the mine, and clay is the most binding material to make it more stable.
From the perspective of the explorers, all the wooden buildings also had a chimney. They had never seen such a building before. While they were amazed, they were also worried about the next meeting.
At this moment, Rurik was sitting in the lobby of the official residence.
Remember those polar bears that were hunted? For more than a month, polar bears and brown bears have been hunted by hunters equipped with crossbows using an incredibly simple method.
Bear skins, which were once extremely expensive, became relatively cheap. They were all owned by Rurik and became decorations in his official residence.
Those bear heads were not thrown away. After all, bear heads are a symbol of courage as a warrior in everyone's mind.
The bear's brain was extracted, most of the muscle tissue was removed, and the remaining parts were dried and briefly preserved with salt and Glauber's salt. The bear's head has shrunk and become lighter, but its gaping mouth and terrifying fangs are still terrifying.
As many as twenty bear heads were hung on the wooden wall of the main hall. Sitting under the bear heads was Rurik himself and the strongest men he selected from mercenaries and Russian warriors.
They sat on the left and right sides of Rurik, all wearing chainmail and sitting cross-legged. The steel swords he owned were unsheathed and placed on their shoulders to show that they could fight as long as their master gave the order.
Rurik felt that he was going too far. Would this scare those visitors?
At least Niya felt that her son's behavior was too focused on cards, but she did not object. She felt that her son just liked to talk about cards, and this card was much braver than her husband.
The heavy wooden door of the big wooden house was opened, and a chilling air spurted out.
The room was deliberately dark, but when the door was opened, all the oil lamps in the room and the flames jumped uncontrollably, which further aggravated the tense atmosphere.
The first thing Modgen saw was the reflection of the warrior's chainmail indoors, as well as a large number of bear heads with bloody mouths hanging on the wooden walls. He was too busy being frightened and did not immediately find the real venerable.
The mercenary continued to push: "Let's go, my master is waiting for you."
After all, this trip is for trade, and it is essentially a matter of luck. Modgen didn't understand whether his unexpected encounter with the legendary Russians was a blessing or a curse for him.
Maybe that's a good thing after all.
He comforted himself so much that he stepped his almost worn boots onto the solid wooden floor.
The moment he stepped onto the floor, he saw a man wearing a ferret hat and a pure white mink coat. Looks like a little girl?
No! That's not a girl, that's a boy! This boy is unusual. He is surrounded by a group of warriors. Coupled with the luxury all over his body, he is the master of the so-called Ross warriors? !
Seeing the outsider, Rurik just raised his head and glanced slightly. He was a little nervous. Seeing that the person who came was actually a man in rags, a feeling of contempt and contempt naturally emerged.
Rurik tried a color, and the warriors on the left and right gave orders neatly in Norse: "Kneel down!"
The powerful aura was like the pressure of a nearby boulder. Modgen immediately knelt down on one knee, as did his followers.
Modgen, who was kneeling, quickly raised his head, but the noble child didn't look at him at all. The atmosphere was like this, and the whole room fell into a strange calm. This feeling of tranquility was like countless steel needles, pricking everyone. Degen felt uncomfortable all over, and the strong anxiety caused sweat to break out on his and his entourage's foreheads.
Rurik did this deliberately, because he knew that as a noble person who exerts coercion, as long as he raises his arrogant head and does not speak, he can make others feel great pressure.
He deliberately ignored the newcomers, and then said slowly: "Who are you? Why do you want to enter my territory."
The tense atmosphere has somewhat eased.
Modgen hurriedly adjusted his trembling mouth and stammered: "We...I am a Balmok. We came to the east to find those people to do some business and buy some of their leather."
"Balmoks?! Why didn't I know? Why do you speak our language?"
"This..." Modgen didn't know how to answer for a moment.
Rurik continued to ask: "Okay. Balmok people, tell me your hometown. We speak the same language after all, maybe we can communicate."
The atmosphere was greatly relaxed. Although Modgen felt that it was ridiculous for him to negotiate with a child, the chilling aura always surrounded him, and he did not dare to act rashly.
He did not dare to ask about the Russians rashly, so under pressure, he had to introduce his hometown.
He pointed to the direction due west: "Honorable man, we come from the west. There is a big mountain covered with snow all year round that stretches to the end of the world. Our home is on the other side of the mountain, which is a fjord. We...our powerful tribe is in the fjord."
Rurik's eyes lit up and he couldn't help but sit upright, leaning his chest forward.
"You...are actually Norwegians?"
"Norway?" Hearing this word, Modgen's eyes trembled fiercely: "Sir, we are not Norwegians."
"But you claim that your tribe is in the fjord to the west of the mountain."
"But we are not Norwegians. We are Balmoks."
"this……"
Rurik's mind was a little confused. He was confused. According to his understanding of Northern Europe, the western foothills of the central mountains of Scandinavia were all Norwegian territory.
"We are indeed not Norwegians." Modgen explained hurriedly. "They are in the south of us. They are an alliance. We are not in an alliance with them. We are free people. We have been gifted by the gods and have The bay that never freezes.”
There is a very crucial element in this sentence!
"What did you say? A bay that never freezes?!"
Rurik's calm state of mind suddenly collapsed, and the change in his mood really shocked Modgen.
"Sir! It's absolutely true. We Balmoks are powerful. We are special people chosen by the gods, so our bay will not freeze."
At this time, the protecting mercenary showed his sword; "Bah! Are you the chosen ones? How ridiculous. Only our Rus people and our master are the ones chosen by Odin."
Due to this situation, Modgen really couldn't say anything, so he chose to keep his mouth shut.
Rurik raised his right hand to signal his subordinates to shut up, and continued: "An ice-free bay? I'm very interested. Well, I think I already know who you are."
"You... know about us?"
Rurik nodded, his confident expression suggesting that he fully understood.
For example, the term "Valkyrie" is actually a description of "the process of God selecting human heroes to become heroes" in mythological stories passed down orally. The focus of this term lies in the concept of "selection". This concept exists in the name of the Balmok tribe.
"Maybe you should have another name," Rurik said.
"what name."
"Narvik."
"Huh? What does this name mean? Oh yes, our tribe is in the north, and we are a bay in the north." Obviously, Modgen was not satisfied with the name given to his tribe by the Ross people. Still too casual.
"What? You're not satisfied?"
"No, how can I be dissatisfied? Modgen glanced at the warriors on the left and right, and muttered several times in succession.
"Okay then. You are Balmoks and Narviks. You claim to be the ones chosen by God, but I want to tell you that I am the one chosen by God."
Regarding such boasting, Mordgen believed that it was the arrogance of a child. However, due to the current situation, he could only continue to kneel down and agree with Rurik's claim.
Rurik, on the other hand, now fully understood who the visitor was.
The visitors are the indigenous residents of Narvik Port, or they are the standard Vikings of the Norwegian faction. The Port of Narvik was a very famous ice-free port in northern Europe for modern Norway in later generations. It had a very important strategic value for trade in the entire North Sea region. Rurik did understand this.
But the value of Narvik Port is not just that. It is a deep and ice-free port. Affected by the warm Atlantic current, the port here has waves all year round, making herring resources extremely rich. The bay also has huge iron ore resources. It is precisely because of the iron ore that the residents of Narvik Port are able to smelt iron on a large scale, giving them a tactical advantage on the road to expansion.
Only Rurik now understands that the concept of Norway does exist today. Some Norwegian merchants always traffic locals captured from Britain and sell them in the market in Mälaren. Those slave traders all call themselves Norwegians.
This Norway is not that Norway. Today, the residents of Narvik Port still exist quite freely. They have not joined any tribal alliance because the location is remote enough that they are self-contained. Although the general trend of history is that their freedom may soon end.
Because the current historical trend in Scandinavia is heading towards unification. As for its subsequent split into three countries, that is a story for later.
