The most difficult period of the long expedition has finally passed. The huge army relaxed and occupied the entire Visby. They were finally able to put aside their worries, tension and rest.
Rurik gave the army a holiday, and after handing over the main captures to the Duke, the soldiers began to freely search for loot.
All the found clay pots, cloth and leather were looted, and most of the soldiers had changed into thick clothes, with many bottles and jars stuffed in their linen pockets.
The best trophies are all in Rurik's hands, and for some of them, he has taken out a small part and rewarded them in public to the most brave in the battle.
A huge amount of loot, almost all the gold, silver and jewelry belonged to Rurik, and most of the leather and ironware also belonged to him.
Rurik didn't want to give them all to the soldiers. This was definitely not his greed. Of course, some soldiers were chewing their tongues. The so-called Duke ate almost all the captures.
But, so what? Who dares question the seed of God?
The most important thing is, without the planning and command of the Duke family, when will the great revenge of everyone in the Ross tribe be avenged?
The wealth will eventually return to the hands of the Russians, but the way the wealth is given back is special.
After that night, Harald gave a total of eight hundred pounds of silver, as well as a sheepskin and washed loose wool. His daughter Aslaqi also officially became a woman and a Rus.
Over the next two days, more than two thousand pounds of silver coins were unearthed, and as many as ten thousand pounds of copper coins were unearthed.
Copper coins are not valuable goods, unless their currency value is relatively high when currency is scarce. Unfortunately, its value is mainly reflected in melting down to make bronze wares.
This was not an era when commodities were plentiful. After some inventory, Rurik basically understood the categories and magnitudes of the items he had seized.
The silver coin amounted to ten thousand pounds, and the copper coin amounted to ten thousand pounds.
Gold coins were always scarce, and now amounted to just over a hundred pounds.
There are three hundred pounds of raw amber and finished products. Ruby only comes in a small package.
The most abundant goods were 10,000 sheepskins and 1,000 cowhide. There were nearly 20,000 live sheep that were not slaughtered, and nearly 1,000 cattle. The most important thing is that Rurik discovered an extremely rare horse!
Unfortunately, it was completely different from what he imagined. Tall horses do not exist. Among the more than a hundred horses captured, their shoulder height only reached the chest of a mature man. This kind of horse is not even as good as a Mongolian horse or a European pony (actually a Gothic horse). The Pomeranians bought it from the Pomeranians after buying it from many hands), but it is a treasure for pulling carts and carrying things.
Dairy products such as cheese are processed into huge clumps, but their gray-white color and smelly smell made Rurik instinctively resist. The seizure scale of cheese is not large. It is a high-energy food, and the taste without added sugar is very exciting. Children like Carlotta have no complaints.
Now a huge problem lies before the army of Rurik and Ross. The army completely defeated the enemy and captured far more supplies than everyone expected. It is simply impossible to transport these money, supplies, livestock and poultry to Rossburg!
There were too many sheep captured, and those that had not yet been slaughtered were six times the strength of the Russian army.
Unfortunately, the Russian army can mobilize only thirty cargo ships. How can they transport sheep in a short time? The temperature is getting colder day by day. Is the army going to abandon these captures? Even if it was a surprise slaughter, the brothers' stomachs were so big that they could only digest part of it before evacuating Gotland.
And this is just one of many problems.
Gotland's oats are fully mature. Wheat is an extremely storable food. Regardless of taste, wheat that has been stored for three years can still be a good meal.
The army rested for two full days, and Rurik issued another order to harvest wheat. Who will do the hard work of harvesting wheat? Naturally, they are the Slavs and Malaren mercenaries in the army.
Essentially they are farmers and have fields in their hometown. They have abundant experience in wheat harvesting, but unfortunately the Russians are extremely lacking in this aspect. As a result, the Russians who immigrated to New Roseburg had to learn farming from the Slavs who migrated there.
The corpses of those killed in the war were still left uncollected by ravens. The people who were busy harvesting wheat had no time to pay attention to the dead. They drove the captured wagons to transport the bundles of wheat to Visby.
The wheat harvest activity continues for three more days! In the past three days, more than 3,000 Russian troops and captured women and children had eaten 1,500 sheep with great luxury.
The wheat harvesters cleared flat land in Visby, made a batch of large flails with wooden sticks and hemp rope, and began to beat the bundles of Danish wheat ears frantically to remove the husks.
These Slavs put in a lot of work, and in return they ate mutton every meal, and finally had a meal of porridge cooked with new wheat.
It’s almost September in the Julian calendar, and the rainy season is about to arrive. In the past, there has been only a small amount of rainy weather in Gotland, and it comes and goes quickly. But in September, once a long rainy weather comes, it will be a heavy blow to the army far away.
The evacuation of the Rus began as early as the conquest of Visby.
By carrying all the captured gold and silver ashore, Gould was indeed just showing off his merits to the Duke and Rurik.
On the fourth day after the conquest, all seven thousand pounds of silver coins were shipped to the Aurora, and almost all of the sheepskins and cowhide were also loaded on the ship.
A group of young soldiers under Rurik's command, these 200 people, together with some really old people, became the first batch of evacuees.
The fleet was already fully loaded. Fortunately, there was no threatening force on the sea. This fleet of armed cargo ships headed straight for Fort Ross.
They sailed against the wind and came back with a strong tailwind all night long. Gould had a heavy responsibility on his shoulders, and he had no power to let up.
The transport fleet's round trip would take ten days at the earliest, during which the Russians could only wait.
Time has quietly entered September, and the climate is becoming increasingly unfavorable to the Russians. We are not afraid of the cold, but we are worried that rainfall will make the whole world cold and damp.
People are still desperately eating mutton, and they have become extremely luxurious in a rare way. Lamb liver and mutton tripe, which were once regarded as food, were directly discarded. People were obsessed with eating mutton, resulting in a large amount of food becoming fish feed.
By eating meat in this way, the army eats it with open stomachs, and ten thousand sheep can be eaten in no time.
The areas currently controlled by the Russians are generally too cold. Although the Novorosberg and Novgorod areas are suitable for raising sheep, they need to reserve fodder for large sheep and cattle herds to survive the winter, and they also need to mobilize strong manpower and material resources.
Do the Russians have so much manpower? Basically there is none. All of Ross's power is concentrated in Visby, and the rest are old and weak.
After all, cattle, sheep, and poultry were captured from the enemy and were not wealth cultivated by one's own hands. Naturally, one would not feel bad about squandering it.
There are also benefits to eating a lot of meat. Thin people will quickly become stronger and accumulate some fat. And the key is sheepskin and wool, which are the most important treasures.
With so many furs captured, the Ross tribe will be busy all winter.
With this war of conquest, the Rus' power should be rooted in Gotland. However, considering the reality, this area is too close to the Danish power and too far from Rossburg. Winter is approaching, and the mist of human breath is clearly visible. It is obviously a bad idea to send people to stay in Visby.
All Ross ships in the port of Slittomo were transferred to Visby, where the army also captured nearly a thousand ships.
Among them, the cargo ships have been organized into the fleet heading north to transport goods immediately. Most of the remaining ships are small fishing boats with very few people, and there are only a hundred large long ships.
A large amount of cargo still needs to be transshipped, and the Slavic mercenaries, who must be packed into cargo ships, must return to their hometown of Novgorod in September.
"Damn it. I'm not afraid of war or destruction at all. Now I'm trying to bring back as many people and seizures as possible, but it's so troublesome!" Rurik was blaming himself for not being fully prepared and causing a mess.
After some planning, and then looking at the long ships waiting for the sky to cover the coast, and the long-awaited empty transport fleet arriving at the port, it was the final moment for the army to evacuate.
It seemed that all the Ross army had to do was sit down and eat new wheat porridge and gnaw on mutton wantonly every day, and unexpected things happened suddenly.
Some Russians took up their old trade and rowed into the sea off Visby in an attempt to hunt whales.
As a result, a huge fleet came from the south against the wind.
Could it be an enemy? Did the Danes get the news and come to claim their lives?
The fishing boats tried to evacuate and informed the army of the important news that the enemy was attacking.
Of course, the attacking fleet was indeed eager for a battle, and the longship leading it revealed its identity.
The battle still broke out, and the fleet quickly took control of the Ross fishing boat. Seeing that the opponent actually withdrew for a while without resisting, a young man wearing a gold crown shouted in confusion.
This man was holding a steel sword with a gold-plated hilt inlaid with gems, and pointed at the captured enemies who showed no fear: "You Gotlanders? Do you want to surrender on your own initiative?"
One person made a straightforward statement: "I recognize your coat of arms, and I also recognize your face. It's Karl, the eldest son of King Olegin."
"What? My name has spread to Gotland." Karl nodded, "Seeing that you are sensible, I will spare you. Now kneel down and become my slave."
"No! You are mistaken." After one person finished speaking, the others laughed.
"What are you laughing at?"
"Karl, you are actually wearing your father's crown? King Olegin has passed the throne to you. We are not Gotlanders, we are Rus."
Then, someone opened the seized sheepskin coat and revealed the blue and white Russian uniform underneath.
Why doesn’t Karl know about the totem heraldry of the Russians? He exclaimed about the wonders of the world and learned even more shocking news.
"Is the news reliable? Are you liars? Did you conquer Gotland? Visby?"
The great victory of revenge is the pride of every Russian warrior. "Then bring the army to Visby, and our Lord Duke will welcome King Olegin."
What makes Karl quite angry is that these Ross fishermen actually don't give themselves any face. He doesn't care so much now, because Karl, he just experienced a bad defeat.
The coalition of Swedish tribes has ended the expedition to Silver Castle. They have gone all the way north, passed the Kalmar Strait, and are now heading towards Lake Mälaren with all their strength.
There was no joy after victory on their faces. Every warrior was out of breath from the long rowing. As they entered the sea where the Gotlanders were active, everyone began to be on tenterhooks again.
Unexpectedly, Gotland changed hands? The Rus defeated the entire island of Gotland? At least Visby was captured?
Karl couldn't think so much. His allies, every soldier, were in urgent need of a resting place and critical supplies! Presumably the Russians will fulfill their alliance obligations and provide everyone with food and fresh water.
The news that the Rus occupied Visby was like a gift from Odin.
After the news spread, no one worried about whether there was fraud. The Swedish fleet adjusted its direction and headed straight for Visby.
Of course, in the eyes of the Russians, this looked like a counterattack by the enemy's Danish reinforcements.
The relaxed Russians were tense again, and the elite soldiers quickly gathered.
Bows, crossbows, and torsion slingshots were aimed at the approaching fleet. The soldiers lined up, the first row forming a blue and white human wall, while the long hair of the Slavic banners formed a dangerous moving forest.
"It seems that God has brought me a new opportunity for meritorious service." Otto clenched the hilt of his sword and asked his sullen son, "Are you sure of winning?"
"Of course, our arrows are unrivaled in the world, and our warriors are full of strength after eating mutton for so many days."
"Then let them land and annihilate them on the beach?"
"right!"
Otto patted his son's little head vigorously, but the situation became increasingly weird.
"No!" he suddenly shouted, "These are the people of Malaren! Their coat of arms! And the people of Hälmälän! The people of Uppsala, and Unclas... stop it!"
At the most critical moment, Otto ordered his son Rurik not to issue a shooting order. Carl on the ship did not expect that he was almost pierced by thousands of arrows!
The Malaren flagship was the first to run aground on the beach, and Karl jumped down with mixed emotions.
He straightened his golden crown hard and tried to show himself to be heroic. Unfortunately, the soldiers behind him, looking at their images and the Russian soldiers close at hand, were born one and the other.
There were a large number of coalition soldiers with shaggy hair, many damaged mail and leather armors, and many had large and small holes in their clothes.
The first ones to come down were naturally the soldiers of the Mellaren Army. They lost their former arrogance and a dejected atmosphere enveloped everyone.
Soldiers from other tribes also disembarked, but unfortunately their situation was even worse.
"It's really strange. Am I dazzled? Why didn't I see that old guy Olegin?" Otto kept pinching his beard and suddenly realized a terrifying possibility.
Otto directly struggled to pick up his son Rurik, so that his head could see beyond the helmets of all the soldiers and see clearly the image of the "huge" army that had landed.
"Now you see Carl clearly, the guy with the crown. That's what you see?"
"He...he actually became the king?!" Rurik saw it clearly now, and he rubbed his eyes vigorously to make sure he saw it right.
"I think so." Otto speculated disdainfully: "Maybe he killed Olegin and is really a great villain."
"Perhaps Origen died in battle. Look at the warriors behind him, it looks like they all lost the battle. Didn't they go to plunder the legendary Silver Castle? They must have failed."
"Let's go and take a look at these poor people." Otto put Rurik down, squeezed through the wall of people, and appeared with his son.
Seeing the leader of Ross and the young Rurik again, Karl couldn't help but be startled, then steeled himself and walked over.
He approached Otto and asked respectfully: "It seems that the Duke of Ross has occupied this town. Visby is occupied by you, which means that this place is already the territory of our Kingdom of Sweden."
Otto didn't have time to listen to all this. He was very curious about how this arrogant boy had become gentle now? What exactly did they experience in the southern world?
"Karl, you are actually wearing your father's crown? Where is Olegin? Let him come! You are not qualified to talk to me."
Karl suddenly became angry, but looking at the current situation, he was not stupid enough to unleash his anger on the strong man.
This is the Nordic world, and whoever has the bigger fist is the king. In Visby, Gotland, the Russian army is obviously the king. Even Karl can't believe what he sees is real. Is this the real strength of the Russian people? !
Karl struggled to maintain his arrogance. He raised his head with a beard and pointed at his crown with his right hand: "Now, I am the king."
"Really? Where is Olegin? Where is your father?"
"He died in the battle, and we..." Karl suddenly had an idea and said deliberately: "Our coalition forces fought a decisive battle with the entire Danish army in the south. We almost won, but the other side killed a hero and we were defeated. But you left early. , look at this Russian army! It is indeed powerful! Unfortunately, if you appear on the battlefield in the south, victory will belong to Sweden. By then, won’t the little Gotland be defeated?"
At this moment, Rurik gritted his teeth. He heard Karl's excuse for failure, "So, you put the responsibility for your failure on us?"
"You?" Karl looked down and shook his head: "You are still a child, you have no role to speak here."
"Then don't say it." Rurik was not to be outdone, "I only have two questions now. First, what do you want to do when you land in Visby? Second, the debt owed by your father, since you inherited the throne , you must claim it.”
debt! This is a major event that Karl must not avoid. He pretended to be a coward in front of a boy, and when the boy raised the issue of debt, he had no choice but to slap him.
Karl's attitude softened again, and he opened his arms to face Otto: "Look at us! We need help, we are allies, I... just want to eat something in Visby. I believe that the powerful Ross people will give him some food and fresh water for my allies. As for the debt, I will repay it for my father when I return to Mälaren."
Otto and Rurik estimated the failure of the coalition forces and looked at the tired appearance of the soldiers, so they tentatively believed Karl's words. The most realistic thing to say is that these soldiers are almost all farmers working on Lake Malaren and fishermen in the lake. They are really starving to death from exhaustion. Who can provide the Russians with wheat that they can buy? Even if it is selfishness, we still have to give these people something to eat.
The father and son had a unified attitude, so they invited Karl and all the tribal leaders participating in the war to gather at the Visby people's council. The other warriors landed one after another. Everyone will get some cattle and sheep. As for how to slaughter them, it all depends on them. their own abilities.
In this way, a tired "army" with only 1,200 troops completed the landing.
