Those traders who were waiting for the opportunity seized the opportunity. No, on the second day after Otto arrived, the dock of Gould Island turned into a noisy floating market.
The island is so small that it is impossible for it to form a trading market on the shore. The trade between each other is that the ships meet, and then one hand takes money and the other takes goods.
Those merchants happily bought important commodities from the Rus, especially all kinds of leather, which was always a hard currency in trade. The merchants got a lot of squirrel skins, snow rabbit skins and mink skins, and a lot of silver coins fell into the pockets of the Russians with a clanging sound.
They were really in awe. For the first time in their lives, they stood under a huge sailboat. They could row a small boat close to touch the thick planks of the big ship, but there was no way to board it directly.
Even though the Avora has a standard displacement of only fifty tons, its sides are so high that no one can climb it with bare hands. The transfer of materials and personnel relies on wooden boards extending from the deck, and even rope ladders are thrown down for people to climb.
Such a structure naturally means that after she enters the battlefield, she hardly has to worry about any form of gang-hopping. The fact that the enemy could not climb this floating fortress was her current tactical advantage, which no one but Rurik was aware of.
Otto was awakened by the noise. He came here yesterday and fell asleep after taking a comfortable hot bath. Now he stood on the wooden fence full of energy and saw the lively scene clearly.
"Very good, the money is being recovered quickly..."
So far, Gould's work is satisfactory, and the boat has sailed to the not-so-distant Mälaren Pier.
There are a large number of houses on the lakeside in the north. Standing at a high place, Otto can see the general outline and roughly estimate their huge size. However, the settlement is immersed in the smoke, and he cannot see the details. Even so, Otto could estimate that Melalenburg was indeed much larger than Fort Ross.
"They are big, so they may look bloated and not very strong. No! They have many people, and more people are a guarantee of strength."
In most cases, the greater the advantage, the greater the advantage.
Otto envied Mellaren's population, and he couldn't help but feel fear and awe in his heart.
The messenger had already set off, and Otto just sent a little-known but brave warrior who could be said to be brave enough to fight. This man carried a wooden board with words engraved on it, which was his personal letter.
His plan was that he would not go to the Mellaren Market unless necessary. Only after receiving a formal invitation from the leader of the alliance and being asked to enter the alliance site did he land with Rurik.
What's this called? This is called the card face.
But the development of some things always exceeds each other's expectations.
The Russian envoy successfully delivered Otto's letter to Origen. Who would have thought that the envoy's ship actually missed Origen's envoy.
A thin man wearing a velvet hat and beautiful feathers. This man looks like a businessman, but in fact he carries a letter written by Olegin.
Gould Island is still very lively. Within the wooden walls of the island, in a secluded wooden house, Otto, Rurik, Carlotta and others are sitting quietly on leather cushions. The messenger didn't waste any words and immediately handed over his letter.
Otto glanced at the letter. There was not much in it but it was very important. The leader of the alliance, Olegin, did not use any honorific words. He completely ordered the three important people to arrive at a deserted island in the lake tomorrow morning and discuss some matters in secret.
Things are getting very good.
Otto frowned, as did Rurik. Even Carlotta noticed the conspiracy.
"What's going on? Are we going to have a secret conversation?"
The messenger's face remained calm, and this person's rigorous attitude really made Otto think that this person was a warrior. "Chief Ross, my master has issued this order. According to the covenant, you must attend the meeting."
"Really? Since it is his order, of course I will go. It's just..."
"What are you worried about?"
Otto felt that there was something wrong with this matter, and Rurik suddenly felt like a banquet at Hongmen. No, it can't be that bad.
Otto did not dare to express his worries about the most extreme situation suddenly. He asked: "Where are the other leaders? Can they arrive?"
The messenger shook his head, as if giving a negative answer, but this was not the case. "Chief Ross, this is not my responsibility. I don't know. Even if I know, I don't have the right to answer."
"Huh?" Otto suddenly made a tactical retreat: "Then what else is there to say? You can go back and tell the leader of the alliance and let him hold the meeting openly. Leader Ostara and I will attend the meeting openly, no need to So mysterious.”
"Are you worried that the alliance leader has a secret agreement with other leaders? This is impossible!"
The messenger didn't seem to laugh or be surprised. It seemed that if he was punched now, he could still put on such a serious face. People who lie have a guilty conscience, and Otto doesn't think this person is lying.
"So it really is a secret agreement?"
The messenger immediately looked left and right vigilantly to make sure he was not eavesdropping before he laughed and said: "Yes, my master said that the Russians are his most respected allies. This alliance will deepen our friendship. We will conclude a A deeper alliance, certain things should not be known to other tribes.”
The atmosphere became more tense. Otto stretched out his hand to put away the wooden board and murmured: "Food, weapons and silver coins. You can go back. You can tell your master in advance that we Russians have brought all the weapons. Tomorrow We’ll go to that deserted island, and hopefully he’ll see to it that no idle soul notices it.”
The messenger stood up, neatly knelt down on one knee and raised his head, completely proving that this person was actually a seasoned warrior.
Well, now, before the formal alliance, the Rus people will plot something with the Mellaren people. Is it just deeper official bilateral cooperation? Things must not be that simple.
After Gould pointed out the name of the so-called desert island, both Rurik and Otto knew its name - Leg of Lamb Island.
What a strange and funny name. Of course, it has such a name because there are shepherds on the island. On the contrary, the island is full of white sand and small trees. Its overall shape is like a baked piece. The leg of sheep was nothing more.
Is there anything special about this island?
It was Gould, who knew the hydrology and climate of the place well, who gave him guidance.
It is indeed something special. The so-called special is that it is far away from the main trade channel of the lake. The island is located deep in the west of Lake Mälaren, and it is a half-day boating trip from Mälarenborg.
Lo and behold, in the letter Olegin asked the Russians to keep a low profile, and he himself would also keep a low profile. The letter did not mention any restrictions on carrying guards. The biggest restriction was that ships on both sides were not allowed to display obvious flags.
Going to the meeting?
The messenger left, and at night, several people still gathered together to communicate quietly.
Otto and Rurik immediately agreed, and they undoubtedly regarded this matter as an opportunity.
Rurik reminded his father: "I think that man just can't lose face. He hopes to get glory, but he is old. His son Karl is not a smart man. I always feel that Olegin hopes to get this secret conversation. Our public support.\u001e”
"What are you supporting?" Otto felt that his son had realized something.
"Just to support him and even his son to do something..."
"As what?"
"The new alliance leader, or the king. He hopes that Karl can inherit all the power, even though I think that man lacks the qualifications."
"So you need to find us quietly for support? Why? Oh! I understand..." Otto chuckled, and he deliberately asked Rurik: "So, are you willing to surrender to that fool?"
"Pooh!"
Rurik's answer was decisive, but Otto estimated that his son's temper would definitely not be that simple. He deliberately smiled and said: "We can openly support it. As long as we can get benefits, there is no problem in supporting them as alliance leaders. In my opinion, your kid is not so enthusiastic about the entire alliance. Tell you, do you think so?"
When it came to this person, Rurik had no intention of deceiving his relatives. He raised his head and said: "I am a fish in the sea, not in the lake. We Russians are now the actual leaders of Novgorod, the Kovin people The actual leader of the Svian Union. When we get stronger, it doesn’t matter if we break away. Dad, those wooden documents record it very clearly. It was the ancestors of these people who expelled us seventy years ago, especially Uppsa. The people of La and Mälaren. Now we don’t have to be angry about these things, because we conquered the East, and these guys are still fishing in this lake area seventy years later.”
"Okay, you're good at talking. Let's prepare. If something big happens tomorrow, I authorize you to speak for me. Haha!" Otto rubbed his son's head affectionately, quite a bit; "You act as the leader. The best thing is to render Olegin speechless."
If the Russians no longer value the Svia Tribe Alliance so much, as long as the alliance's resolutions will not harm the Russian economy, conditional support for those things that are available or not will obviously be beneficial to the Russians.
On a new day, when the sky just turned blue, two longships quietly left Gould Island.
The phantom of the Aurora is just a dark shadow in the lake and mountains. She stands in the port more like a symbol of the leader of Ross, proving to the merchants that the mysterious Otto has not left.
Actually? Otto, wearing chain mail and leather armor, sat on the boat with the appearance of an old warrior. He wrapped his whole body in a burlap robe. At first glance, he looked as plain as a fisherman returning from fishing at night.
Rurik and Carlotta were also named. They were wrapped in thick deerskins and resisted the cold lake breeze at dawn.
On this trip, the fat Gould actually worked as the navigator. He sat on the bow of the boat, and relying on his seal-like figure, he did not participate in paddling.
There were nearly fifty people in the two ships. In addition to the important people attending the appointment and the handymen sent by Gould, there were as many as forty armed personnel who had participated in many wars, especially Jevlo, a Finnish man. The mercenary captain is the commander of the guards used on this trip.
Their numbers are small, and there is no doubt that they have extremely strong combat effectiveness.
Thinking of what happened yesterday, Otto and Rurik did not feel that there was any risk in this trip, so the significance of bringing a large number of guards was probably to show the other side that the strength of the Russian people should not be underestimated.
Sheep Leg Island, the name is indeed a bit funny.
There are many islands in Lake Malaren, most of which are small sandbars. The larger islands actually have strange names. There are only a few people living on these islands. For safety reasons, the residents on the lakeside spontaneously formed large and small tribes. The Melalen tribe has the best geographical location and naturally absorbs the largest population. Therefore, except for the main settlements, other areas are essentially no man's land.
"Ahead is Lamb Leg Island." Gould's big, stubby hand reached forward.
Otto squinted his eyes and took a closer look. He noticed that there were indeed some people wandering on the sandy beach of the distant island. Looking more carefully, there were more than ten people there, all carrying a spear or a wooden stick. There are some white cloth strips tied on it like some kind of signal.
As a veteran warrior, Otto was instinctively wary of any sharp objects. He turned around and ordered the people who had been rowing for a long time to cheer up: "Brothers, be prepared! Check your weapons to make sure they are Ability to deal with any emergencies. Speed up and row now!"
At this moment, Olegin led his guard of one hundred people and landed on the island while it was still dark.
He attached great importance to this secret meeting, because the Russian messengers had always conveyed the goodwill of the Russian people, which relieved his nervous heart a lot. Olegin indeed wanted something from the Russians. As you can see, Olegin attached great importance to some honorable things. For example, he braved the cold in the early morning and arrived at the Island of Mutton Legs in the dark. What he pictured was a "Welcome guests as a host."
Finally, the guests are here!
Somewhat embarrassed, Olegin took a swig of Russian strong wine. Not to mention, it is said that this precious glass bottle has the name of the wine printed on it, which makes it much more noble than ordinary ale. After taking a sip, the feeling of malaise is gone.
Olegin was dressed as a warrior, but his gold-inlaid belt, more than ten pieces of amber and sapphire chainmail, and even the golden crown on his head that looked like a ring, fully proved his nobility.
More and more Melalen warriors came out of the woods, which made Otto, who was about to rush to the beach, instinctively vigilant.
Otto understood the importance of being on guard against others. Although he didn't know what was going on, he immediately gave an order to Jevro: "Get off the boat and set up your formation, just like you practiced."
"Dad?" Rurik asked in confusion.
"Rurik, look, Origen brought many armed men. What do they want to do?"
Rurik squinted and saw that those people were mainly dressed in black: "They seem to be Olegin's private soldiers."
"The enemies?"
"Probably not. At least not now."
Otto gritted his teeth and decided not to change the order.
The two ships washed up on the beach, and now the armed men were standing behind Olegin. They stood in a dense formation, but the team seemed a bit scattered. Their battle axes and swords were still hanging on the belts around their waists, and some of the spear-carrying warriors looked even more casual.
What Jevlo, who had experienced this situation for a long time, clearly saw was a group of lambs waiting to be slaughtered. They had no fighting spirit at all, and they did not want to fight at all.
On the other hand, among the Russians, Yevlo reacted with extremely high on-the-spot reaction. He did not ask the soldiers to draw the steel sword (it actually only takes a second or two to draw the sword), but lined up two rows of arc-shaped human walls to benefit the bow of the ship. Shields painted with various patterns were pointed at the Mellaren people. Otto, Rurik and other nobles were closely guarded by the warriors.
Look at this well-trained formation, it instantly changed Orikin's previous ideas about the Russians. He never thought that the Russian soldiers were actually well-organized! On the other hand, my own people, with their flabby appearance, are said to be brave warriors.
Olegin gritted his teeth. He felt that he had come earlier and brought more people with him, so he was still overwhelmed by the Russians in terms of momentum.
"Otto! My brother, are you in the crowd?" Olegin suddenly shouted loudly.
At this moment, Otto would never have dreamed that the so-called "great leader" whom he had not seen for ten years would actually come close to him in such a tone? Otto didn't feel any warmth at all. He thought it was ridiculous. Rurik and Carlotta were so shocked by these words that they had goosebumps all over their bodies.
Because in this world, except for his brother Ogier, no one else would affectionately call Otto "brother". Unfortunately, it has been almost ten years since Ogier died.
"Jevro, tell the brothers to put down their shields."
No, Otto gave an order, and all the Ross warriors put their shields on their backs and showed the neat chainmail on their chests to each other. Their movements of closing the shields were also neat, and they once again attacked Olegin.
The Ross warrior stepped aside, and an old guy with blond hair, a tall and strong figure, a huge beard, and extremely deep eyes walked out with proud steps.
He was Otto. Seeing this man, Olegin subconsciously took a step back. After realizing Lu Qie, he hurriedly took a step forward, even though he was still a little nervous.
After all, they hadn’t seen each other for more than ten years, and Origen had almost forgotten what Otto looked like. If you take a closer look at this person, this look even feels like the legendary "God Odin".
you do not say! Next to this old guy is a beautiful boy Rurik who is calm and full of wisdom. At least since Rurik was born, a legend has spread throughout the league. Olegin didn't want to pay attention to those legends at all, but Rurik was really a magical child. Olegin wished that this was his son, thus completely stabilizing the hegemony of the Mellaren people. Unfortunately, things went counterproductive...
"Are you...really Otto?"
"Exactly!" Otto stood like a sculpture.
Olegin, who originally regarded himself as his master, actually put down his body, spread his arms and walked over, smiling even more: "My old friend, my good brother, ten years! We meet again."
He wanted to show etiquette, and Otto shouldn't be rude here either.
The two old men hugged each other and patted each other on the back. Olegin felt Otto's hardness, and Otto felt Olegin's strength on the outside but hard on the inside. People are different. Olegin is indeed a little older than Otto. The difference in age can explain very little. Olegin is naturally weaker than Otto, and this was reflected when the two were young.
Back then, Olegin of Mellaren had used his machinations to become the leader and even the leader of the alliance. Although Otto had wisdom, he actually mainly relied on swords and fists to gain his status.
The hugging ceremony between the two eliminated mutual suspicion to a great extent.
Olegin let go of his hand and looked arrogantly at Rurik and Carlotta, who were also visiting: "It's a good thing that you all went to the meeting. Come on, let the soldiers guard the island. I won't let anything interfere with us. . And we..." Olegin looked at Gould again. He actually didn't want a businessman to visit, so he said very nervously: "I just want to talk to you in secret, and then it will be just me and you. A secret conversation between three people.”
Otto looked left and right again, and he pointed to the edge of the beach and woods: "Right there. Lay out some fur blankets, and we, as leaders, will talk about the matter. Listen, I need to see that my warriors are indeed protecting our Safety."
"That's fine. Whatever you want."
