The war has expanded, and the Rus are declaring war on the entire island of Gotland alone.
This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Gotland is completely strategically isolated as never before. How long will it take for this to happen?
At the end of the day, there was no longer any qualification for hesitation. Rurik looked at everyone's faces and said seriously: "For decades, our war with the Gotlanders has never been interrupted. They attacked our fleet and fishing boats. , killed our people, even killed my uncle, killed my wife Carlotta’s people. In the past few years, our revenge on the Gotlanders has indeed become stronger every year, but!
Let this intermittent revenge end here! I just want to use a full-scale war to completely defeat the Gotlanders, and their surrender will be the end of everything. "
"Oh? You don't want to destroy them all?" Arik stretched his head and shook his head: "You are still too kind."
"This has nothing to do with mercy." Rurik rolled his eyes at his cousin: "The purpose of my war is not just to kill people. I want them to surrender and make them pay us tribute of wool, wheat, salt and dried fish every year. Give us a steady stream of their daughters. They must be tamed into a flock of sheep that can contribute wool to us forever."
"Oh, I understand, it probably means slave?"
"No! Conquer them and put them under the control of our Principality of Rus. In future foreign campaigns, these Gotlanders must also fight for me."
"But you have to defeat them first. These guys who once rebelled against the Alliance, I will..." Arik couldn't help but shake his head.
Rurik had his own reasons: "In a war, our army will naturally kill the brave ones among the enemies, and the remaining guys are just sheep. Don't you believe that docile sheep can also betray?"
"That's true."
Rurik cleared his throat vigorously and finally made the formal decision he had been thinking about for a long time:
First, recruit men from the entire Rus tribe between the ages of fifteen and forty to join the army, recruit a group of warriors from Kovin and Novgorod, and then recruit a group of people who are interested in participating in the war, so that the number of troops can reach 3,000. .
Second, order the blacksmiths to immediately build new weapons, especially a batch of iron armor to strengthen the protection of a small number of extremely elite warriors.
Third, the great businessman Gould was ordered to organize a troop transport fleet and grain transport ships.
Fourth, Tombstone Island and nearby islands will serve as a gathering place for the army. The day for the army's departure was fixed on the first day of August.
Rurik made only four resolutions, but everyone who listened was shocked and deafened.
"Three thousand people! Is this possible?" Otto couldn't help but feel guilty. He believed that Rurik was just aiming at Olegin's army and wanted to organize an army of the same size.
"How is this impossible?"
While he was talking, Rurik saw that even the arrogant Arik became embarrassed when he heard the resolution of the "three thousand troops".
"Three thousand people are not what I just said." Rurik pinched his fingers: "It is normal for us Russians to send out a thousand elite warriors. There are still 500 Slavic warriors on Tombstone Island, and they must participate in the battle. I am the first A group of mercenaries, together with some Russian archery masters and all the Kovin archers, can organize 500 archers without any problem. Some young and old people in the tribe may not be suitable for front-line combat and participate in the war as a It is necessary to replenish troops. I still have those children who have been training for two years, and they should also participate in the war..."
Rurik was talking to himself, and Otto heard that this indeed meant that the Russians had the ability to assemble three thousand warriors.
"Are we really... gathering an army of three thousand people?!" Otto didn't want to listen to Rurik's nonsense. He asked loudly and seriously: "You have to swear to the gods and tell me if you can do it?!"
Everyone's eyes were staring at him. Rurik simply stood up. To show his determination, he suddenly drew his sword and pointed it at the beam of the meeting house: "I can! This is my order, which is equivalent to the Duke's. Order! The Principality of Rus must assemble three thousand troops, and then set off on August 1st. We will take the initiative to fight the main force of the Gotlanders and defeat them, settling this war forever."
There was nothing more to say, and the atmosphere of the decisive battle made the people present excited.
The Principality of Ross can miraculously gather an army of 3,000 people this year?
Over the years, Otto knew that the strength of his tribe was rapidly expanding, but he never imagined that it could expand to such strength. With such a military strength, do the Russians still need to fear the Melalen people? The situation has changed now. The five hundred capable warriors who maintained the strength of the Mellaren people were all seen dying on the battlefield in the south. Without this group of standing soldiers, where would Olegin's trump card be for becoming king?
What Rurik issued was the "Duke's Edict", and Otto expressed full support on the spot. Therefore, the terms of the edict were set by Rurik. Legally speaking, this edict was issued by Duke Otto.
In the small meeting room on Tombstone Island, the people present were completely unified in their thoughts. Immediately afterwards, after resting for at most one day, the fleet will immediately set off back to Fort Ross to formally issue this order. Other ships were supposed to rush to Novorosberg and even Novgorod carrying wooden boards engraved with the terms of the order to recruit more soldiers and collect food and fodder.
The meeting in the council room ended quickly. Otto, who had been floating at sea for many days, couldn't wait to take a comfortable bath on the island and have a good sleep.
Anyone who got off the ship had been forced to be vigilant before. Once they landed on the island, they lost their vigilance and became paralyzed. They lay down in the vacant wooden house one after another, lying down in any corner and fell asleep.
Although Rurik was sleepy, he was directly responsible for the order, the planner of the war, and the commander of the war.
The rise and fall of Ross will be fought again. After all, this is a gamble that puts everything on the line!
Rurik exerted 120,000 energy and immediately supervised the carpenters on the island to carve the full text of the edict in rune letters on two pieces of old pine wood.
He would like to use Roman letters to write Norse, but he must consider the audience. Only those children in the tribe have received preliminary education in Rurik's Roman letters, and there are not many children who really study well. On the other hand, many tribesmen are familiar with the rune alphabet. The order should be displayed publicly so that the tribesmen who are already living scattered can see and understand it. The rune alphabet will still need to be used for some time.
It was not until almost evening that the two wooden boards, engraved with text and painted with toner, were completed.
This is the original text of the edict, and the Russians only need to carry out the order in accordance with its terms.
Of course, Rurik also thought of a very simple reality. Promising favors is the most important thing for the tribesmen to do things seriously. Issuing "war bonds" on the duke's credit? This kind of operation is so advanced that it is inappropriate!
But the duke must give a clear promise of material rewards and "swear to the gods" to ensure his credibility.
Therefore, in terms of terms, Rurik made such a vague promise that everyone who contributed to the decisive battle and directly participated in the combat would receive great benefits from him and his family, even if it was the provision of weapons and food. people will also receive post-war rewards.
The terms are marked as follows: Victory in the war will be rewarded based on merit, and participation will be at least fifty pounds of wheat.
Everyone likes wheat, and indeed there is nothing more pragmatic than rewarding wheat. Rurik did not dare to really make a big promise. The so-called "fifty pounds of wheat" was a guarantee. Each Russian would be given so much wheat, and Rurik could afford it.
Rurik stayed on Tombstone Island until the morning of June 25th. The more than two days he spent here were not just for repairs.
He made a big decision!
Were the recruited Slavs really trained to fight as planned?
The refreshing south wind blows in the front sea, and the vegetation of the entire Åland Islands is growing wildly. The sea water has also become warm enough that many locals even go swimming in the sea and venture to the rocks to crack some edible mussels with iron chisels.
On an offshore grassland on the island, Rurik saw a group of Slavic warriors holding spears and even a military drill.
Most of them have unkempt hair, and often tie their foreheads with a piece of cloth to prevent their hair from getting messy.
They were still wearing ordinary gray and khaki linen gowns, with their lower legs exposed, and simple leather shoes.
At the moment, they don't have any defensive measures, not even a small shield, let alone leather armor or high-end chain mail.
Under Medvet's order, these people pointed their spearheads about three meters long forward, and then shouted slogans, and the whole group moved forward relatively neatly.
On this day, Rurik was inspecting this "Slavic Spear Phalanx". According to Arik, those Novgorod guys always rushed up and killed indiscriminately in battles. It would be nice if they were real berserkers, but unfortunately they are terrible in every way.
Rurik's eyes widened as he listened to the introduction from his cousin.
"Look, these people at least form a wall with their spearheads. They must be able to prick the enemy with holes in it during a battle."
"Is this an infantry phalanx?" Rurik asked himself.
"What did you say?"
"Their...formation is still very chaotic."
Arik shrugged: "I have tried my best. Rurik, you can't expect that a group of farmers from the east can become elite warriors in a month, even if you think they are moldable."
"That's true."
Any spear phalanx has obvious tactical advantages and equally obvious disadvantages. Rurik clearly saw that its disadvantage lay in its two wings. If it was outflanked by the enemy, the result would be a disaster.
Just as Rurik was fascinated, Arik patted his brother's little head: "We need to test their effectiveness next."
"Um?"
Arik held his fingers in his mouth, and after a whistle, the idle Ross warriors gathered in one place.
Rurik originally thought that those people were tired from training and were taking a break. Unexpectedly, they actually rushed towards the Slavic spear array with roars. At first glance, they seemed to be fighting each other.
Seeing this scene, Rurik's scalp was numb with shock, but the spears held horizontally by the Slavs stood up one after another, and many even began to run away.
The charging Russians suddenly stopped, then pointed at some frightened guys who threw their spears and sat on the ground and laughed.
"You understand!" Aric shook his head helplessly, "It's really difficult for these people to attack the guys on Gotland Island."
The problem suddenly became difficult. The Russian warriors did not even put up a shield wall, but used their momentum to scare the Slavic spear array to pieces.
Arik felt helpless. Otto, who was watching, lamented that his own people were brave, but he really couldn't have any confidence in this group of Slavs from Novgorod.
Rurik gently pinched his hairless chin and thought thoughtfully: "They are still weak. However, being weak also has its advantages."
"Is being weak also a benefit?"
"Yes! I have already thought of a tactic." Rurik looked up at his cousin, "I am about to go back and issue orders. You have to train them with new rules on the island."
"New rules? What do you have in mind?"
Rurik did think of some means to force people to become brave. Although it seemed barbaric at first glance, it was probably the fastest way to turn farmers into warriors.
Medvit, who felt he had made a fool of himself, stood in front of Rurik. His brother-in-law was still a handsome young man, but what he said was embarrassing.
"Medvit, your people are on the battlefield now, and they will only end up being killed by the enemy and becoming slaves. Your people don't know how to fight at all, and they simply lack courage."
Medvit tilted his head in disbelief.
"There is only one way, punishment! For the cowardly guy, beat him on the back with a stick! For those who throw away the weapon and run away, just chop off his head! Now..."
When he said these words, Rurik felt a little ashamed in his heart. He didn't expect that he could say such cruel words.
This is what you say, the key is how you do it.
Rurik straightened his back and approached the panting Slavic warriors, escorted by the mercenaries. Although they had a good impression of Rurik himself, now seeing the boy's stern face, they all felt a little bit ominous.
Rurik stood in front of them, holding his waist with his hands, raising his head and shouting in Old Slavic: "People of Novgorod, you all already know that I want to attack the Gotlanders. You don't know that Gotland also It doesn't matter, as long as you know that they are also Varangians. I want to take you to conquer the powerful, but you behave like dirt!
Let's make a rule now! We will continue the drill, and those who retreat again will kneel down and be beaten! Anyone who dares to throw away his weapon and run away will be beheaded on the spot!
Now continue with the walkthrough! "
Could it be that just a few words of admonishment would be effective? Rurik didn't want to kill him, but unfortunately he had already lost all his illusions about war.
The Ross warriors continued to charge like berserkers. Of course, they only showed a monster-like momentum, and they would not actually hit the spearheads.
However, some Slavic warriors were still frightened by this momentum. The people at the back of the team threw their spearheads and ran away. More than a hundred people infected by fear also ran away. The entire formation quickly collapsed...
"What the hell! Are you forcing me to kill someone! Or are you provoking me? Yevro, take your people and arrest those who run the farthest." Rurik's head turned red with anger.
After speaking, Jevro led a group of mercenaries to take action decisively.
Soon, ten captured Slavic "warriors" were kneeling on the ground with frightened faces. Their arms had been tied, and behind them were a group of Russian warriors.
Duke Otto of Ross and General Arik never imagined that Rurik was not lying at all, but that he wanted to immediately implement the order he had just issued.
After all, he is a member of his own race! Medvit hurriedly knelt down on one knee in front of Rurik: "Rurik, do you really want to take action? They are all farmers of White Tree Manor, please forgive their cowardice!"
For a moment, Rurik did relent. He did have the power of life and death now. However, the general's kindness to cowards was encouraging the entire army to become deserters.
Those who were kneeling were wailing and begging for mercy, and Rurik's red head was glaring with anger. He stretched out his right arm and dropped it suddenly. The Ross warrior behind the kneeling man raised his ax and brought it down without hesitation, completing the kill with a clean stroke!
The grass became silent, the Slavic warriors were completely stunned, and Medvit sat on the ground, really speechless.
Rurik, holding a shiny dagger in his hand, approached the frightened Slavs and pointed at the corpse on the ground: "You have all seen it! This is the fate of cowards who fight for us Russians. Remember, if you don't Anyone who dares to run away will be beheaded one by one, and a hundred by those who run away. If you all run away, you don’t deserve to be alive!
If you are brave that is completely different. In future wars, you will also be rewarded for killing enemies. For example, you will not have to pay tribute, and you will even be able to share the spoils of war.
But a coward on the battlefield will be killed after the war, and his wife and children will be made slaves. "
Otto looked stunned. He regained some of his emotions and really admired this boy for being so ruthless and manly.
Killing ten cowards immediately achieved astonishing results. When another drill took place, the Slavic spear array was as stable as a rock. Instead, it was some Russian warriors who "couldn't let go". They were forced to hold up their shields. It really collided with the wall of spears, and the oak shield was poked with a lot of deep marks by the spearheads.
So what kind of military training rules does Rurik have?
This move is not surprising. In the West, since the Dutch Maurice Military Reform, the military's emphasis on military discipline has once again risen to an extremely high level since the end of the Rona era. Even in the Kingdom of Prussia, soldiers were trained so that they were not afraid of death in battle. What they feared most was punishment for making mistakes during training.
Didn't Wu Qi also kill two of Helu's concubines for disobeying military orders? He was so shocked that the remaining concubines and palace maids were quickly trained into a neat lineup.
Rurik knew this knowledge and had personal knowledge of it himself.
Fear and bravery seem to be contradictory. However, when attacking the Korvin mountain fortress, Rurik felt that the incident when he was almost killed by Korvin's arrow made him see clearly in an instant that this is not a game!
The Slavs did not want to be executed for cowardice. Instead, they gathered tightly together, roaring with their mouths open, while the spears pointed unswervingly in the direction in which the Russians were charging.
Even as they screamed, they didn't expect that they had managed to contain the Russians' collision.
At this point, Rurik proudly announced to his father and brother: "Some cowards died, and the remaining people were forced to become brave. Now they are qualified to land on Gotland and fight the enemy."
There are currently a thousand soldiers stationed on Tombstone Island, and soon, the island's military strength is expected to expand dramatically to 3,000!
To maintain such a large army in combat, Rurik knew that he had to consider many matters. Even compared to weapons and equipment, food supply was the most critical.
For this battle, the entire Ross tribe must share the same hatred.
Rurik, who had boarded the Aurora again, couldn't wait to return to his hometown to announce his order for general mobilization of war.
The big ship left Tombstone Island in the early morning southwesterly wind, and there was another cargo ship carrying messengers, edicts, culture and sports, heading east to Fort New Rose.
According to Rurik's plan, he kept sailing and would definitely return to Fort Ross around the evening of June 26th in the Julian calendar. In this way, he could issue orders in front of everyone during the "nightless night" when the entire tribe gathered to worship the summer solstice.
