Modgen did not want to stay in his hometown. He simply did not want to immigrate to Britain and work for the Russians to gain personal wealth. This was his purpose.
He knew that he would be reused by the Duke of Ross, and he tried his best to express himself in the crowd during today's gathering. He watched helplessly as old Bryn Goethe, the immortal old man, also pushed his youngest son out. Looking at the formation, he was afraid that It was this son who was to be entrusted with important tasks by Rurik of Rus. He desperately wanted to get Rurik's attention, but fortunately his efforts were not in vain.
It's just that the situation has become too subtle.
Modgen stood at attention, as if he were a stake stuck in the snow.
He is neither tall nor short among many men, so as a man, a short adult man is probably not suitable to be a brave and fierce warrior. Of course, some short madmen are not excluded here, because Rurik hopes to organize a team The body size of the personnel should be as similar as possible to the team, and this strategy can only be used for the time being.
The men took off their leather helmets and stood shoulder to shoulder with the slightly embarrassed Mordgen.
"Hey! Don't stand on your tiptoes."
"You're so short, wait until you grow taller in a few years before you come back!"
It was a rare interesting thing, the onlookers were all blended into a group of booing guys.
Naturally, there are also ruthless people with big muscles and round waists who stand up. For such talents, it is natural that Rurik himself will appoint them.
The personnel selection process took an entire afternoon, and young people who were interested in joining the army were rejected because they were obviously too weak.
Of course, the boy's weakness is only compared to the warriors of various Viking forces.
They still had an advantage over the improvised peasants of Britain and Frank.
Under the setting sun, Rurik boasted that he had accomplished his goal, and the speed at which things were implemented was surprising.
He basically recruited the number of infantrymen that would make up a standard corps.
How many people should a flag team have? Rurik established a standard very early on, that is, ten people are a "group", three "groups" are a "ship", and three "ships" are a "hundred-man team".
Each "centurion" can organize a solid shield wall, and four "centurions" can organize a square array.
It is beneficial for the Nordic region to learn to imitate the infantry formations of old Rome, but Rurik is not a simple imitator.
The combatants of an infantry flag force should be four centurions, three dedicated to fighting, and one dedicated to long-range arrows.
There is also a command center composed of the flag captain and guards of the flag team. As a result, the flag team, which is equivalent to a battalion-level combat unit, is fully staffed.
Rurik counted the number of people, and using the explorer Modgen as a benchmark, he selected four hundred and fifty people.
Although it was less than the full complement of 500 men, its strength satisfied Rurik.
It's just that these people are still complete barbarians after all, and they want to learn Ross's fighting style!
Rurik had a very simple method, just because there were ready-made veterans in front of him.
The men who brought their own weapons believed that if they fought with the Russians, they would be able to make a lot of money. However, the team needed a commander, and everyone was curious. Unexpectedly, Lord Rurik recruited the brothers and even more surprisingly split the team into smaller units.
Is this necessary?
The small market set up by Rurik started selling in-demand daily necessities from Rus in the afternoon, and they were quickly sold out in small quantities.
Buyers used salt as currency to buy something pleasant. Even now, even in the evening, many people were still watching with interest Rurik, Duke of Rus, ordering troops.
A thin boy giving orders? This scene is really interesting.
"You have to fight like the Rus!" Rurik said with all his strength, "So you must form a flag team. I now choose Modgen to be the flag captain of you all!"
Rurik's announcement caused an immediate uproar.
During the election, a strong man stood up and asked with a suspicious face: "Sir, Modgen is good at hiking but not good at logging. He is definitely not a good fighter. Even in our fighting competitions, he always fails."
Some people say this, and followers abound.
Rurik stretched out his right hand to signal them to shut up, and then turned to ask Modgen, who had complicated thoughts: "Will you be willing to give you the opportunity to be the flag captain?"
"I..." Modgen was really hesitant because he himself did not have the charm to convince others.
"Forget it. You'll be useless if I give you a chance!" Rurik thought of old Bryn Goethe's third son again. In terms of spirit, this young man reminded him of his cousin Arik.
He then asked Hellafed: "What if you become the flag captain and command the soldiers in your hometown?"
"Okay! Thank you for your respect, sir." He knelt down on one knee and saluted again.
However, even with this handsome boy, the men present still had doubts.
Of course, there is no shortage of supporters. Dozens of people are neighbors of the old Bryn Goethe family, so they naturally support Hellafide, who has a strong experience.
"I don't want to do this, and I don't want to do that. What do you want?" Rurik pretended to be angry and asked, "Do you really need a competition?"
"That's not a bad idea!" The speaker was still Hellafed. Looking at this man's raised head and chest, he really had a solid recommendation for himself.
The sea breeze blew on the young man's face, and the braided hair on his head was blown away.
Perhaps, it is really only a very traditional competition to choose a commander-in-chief?
"Okay!" Rurik drew his sword and pointed it at the group of people, "Follow your rules and fight someone who can be recognized by everyone. Now follow my orders..."
In the end, it is still a competition to choose the best one, but this is very Viking.
What made Rurik happy was that this group of people only had disputes over the selection of flag captains, and it didn't matter at all regarding the arrangements for centurions and lower-ranking officers.
Because the fifty Balmok mercenaries under Rurik's command are all rich and powerful warriors in the eyes of his family. If you follow these brothers, you can also become rich.
A flag corps can have forty-eight "groups",
The "team leaders" are all old mercenaries from Rurik.
This evening, Rurik quickly organized them, and all junior officers were in place.
Speaking of which, as the Duke of Ross, he wanted to recruit them, and what he was most worried about was that they would run away. He unexpectedly gave each of these recruits a silver coin as a greeting gift, and also deliberately made them owe a favor.
The Balmoks have their own rules, and they also value no reward for no merit. Since the Duke of Ross is giving rewards now, the brothers should fight well.
Rurik finally announced: "If you win the battle, you will all get good trophies. You will be great heroes when you return to your hometown! Everyone go home and rest. Let's see who is the strongest warrior tomorrow."
In an era lacking entertainment, watching people fight is important entertainment.
The Russians no longer have competitions to choose their leaders, because no Russian is more noble than Rurik.
The people of Balmok are still the same as before. Since the powerful families have disappeared, the remaining people will naturally choose a "boss" recognized by everyone according to the old tradition.
People from various small bay settlements arrived in large numbers at the Narvik settlement in rowing boats, regardless of the cold water.
The snow on a flat area has been cleared away, and this is the arena for competition.
Under the spotlight, some men who were interested in competing for the Centurion stood up. There were only twenty of them.
People cheered or booed, laughing and talking.
Since it is a competition, it is not uncommon to kill people in competition. Although fighting between the same people is prohibited by tradition, only in the arena, both parties must fight until the opponent is convinced. It is reasonable to be accidentally beaten to death.
They had already gathered together, and Rurik faced them and made a simple request: "You are not allowed to use fatal blows. You are not allowed to use weapons in fighting, just use fists, legs and feet to compete. No hitting on the head, no kicking in the crotch. Either side admits defeat or To be thrown out of the circle is to fail.”
There are quite a few rules. Since Rurik made the rules, everyone will follow them.
They started, and it was Hellafed who stood angrily in the middle of the circle with his upper body exposed, shouting wantonly: "I am strong! Which brother thinks he is stronger, come and beat me!"
As soon as this arrogant statement came out, some cheered and some whined.
Then a strong man stood up, pointed his nose and laughed: "I am the one standing here, you'd better step down."
After a while, the fist fight began.
This is unlimited fighting! Or maybe it's more like boxing in an underground restaurant!
Speaking of which, boxing itself has its origins with the Vikings, and curling rugby also evolved from their violent competition.
Rurik saw it, Hellafed did not lie, this boy came prepared, and his fists were really punchy.
The opponent was also a strong man, but he was forced to the edge of the circle under the continuous punches, and the last kick kicked him out of the circle.
Hellafed's first victory was a turbulent battle. The boy was a little out of breath, shook his shoulders with swollen biceps and shouted: "Who else!"
have! Of course there are men coming forward.
People cheered and his father, Old Bryn Goethe, cheered and rebuked his eldest son for being a coward.
But this is no longer just a fight for the flag captain, it has become a simple internal competition to see who is the strongest.
Although the new rule of losing if you are kicked out of the circle makes losers unwilling, but this is the rule, so they have to admit defeat.
Hellafed was already a little tired. He beat away four people and subdued three people in a row.
He gasped and continued shouting, and his body was soaked with sweat.
Another person stood up. What was very strange was that this person actually backed down again and directly announced that he would not fight.
If Khelaphid suddenly loses, no one would dare to say that the person who defeated him is ruthless.
He is too tired, even if he is defeated, he will still be defeated.
However, Rurik saw this man's endurance. As a warrior who fought with strength, Hellafed did have the strength to defeat ten strong Viking men with his bare hands.
The competition came to a conclusion. Hellafed almost collapsed from exhaustion, but he still defeated fifteen strong men who were stronger than him.
Everyone was convinced of the defeat, and the remaining few people all gave up.
Rurik walked into the circle, surrounded by cheering crowds. The cheers were for Hellafed. Unfortunately, this guy was half-kneeling and gasping for air. He also had a lot of bruises on his body, but they were all fine.
"You are really a warrior." Rurik knelt down sincerely.
"Your Majesty the Duke..."
"Wipe the blood from the corner of your mouth, don't worry, you are the best flag captain. You remind me of my cousin, you are really good."
"Your cousin? No, I'm just your soldier." Khelafed thought the country was famous, but in fact it was not the case.
"I mean, you are as powerful as my cousin. My cousin led fifty brothers to fight five hundred people, and they won. A real warrior is one against ten. Look at yourself, you defeat Fifteen strong men."
Although Rurik was exaggerating here, Hellafed felt more than heartwarming. The Duke of Ross is indeed too young, but his strength lies almost in his incredible wisdom.
Hellafed said sincerely: "Then, I will be braver than my second brother and can be a good warrior for you."
Rurik nodded, "Then, I will teach you more powerful fighting techniques until you have the same fighting power as my old subordinates."
No one questioned Hellafed anymore.
This is ancient times. Lower-level officers do not need much wisdom, as long as they honestly follow the orders of their superiors and fight. In this case, the general must be a brave and ruthless person to convince the crowd.
Yes, the commander is a ruthless man with unparalleled chops. The brothers see that they have such a fierce teammate, and all they can think about is following the "big man" to win.
The flag team was reorganized. Since they were already defined as Russians, Rurik simply gave them a designation.
Ross currently has the First and Second Flag Troops of Warriors, which are purely composed of Ross people.
The people from Lake Malaren who joined the group were Ross's traditional allies. The Malaren Flag Team formed by them has now been defined by Rurik as the "Third Flag Team of the Warriors."
So this team composed of Balmok people is naturally called the "Fourth Flag Team of the Warriors".
There may be braver men, at least today, Hellafed Brynn Goldson has fought invincible across the fjords.
This young talent was simply invited to the chief's mansion by Rurik and had dinner with him.
It was already night, and the longhouse was ablaze with oil lamps.
Before having dinner together, Rurik took advantage of the opportunity after the competition to gather on the spot with the prominent figures who came to watch the competition to make plans for the future of the entire Narvik Fjord and the remaining Balmoks. Made some plans.
"This place will soon become one of the important harbors in the Principality of Ross. I will start the construction of this fjord as soon as next year. I will arrange for some people to come to this fjord, and also encourage your people to move to the remote areas of Ross. Settlement. A fleet will be permanently stationed here and I will build Ross’s Atlantic Fleet…”
He also emphasized again: "Narvik Fjord will always belong to Russia, and we are all Russians from now on."
So as a member of the Principality of Rus, should we collect taxes? According to general principles, the people of Narvik Port should pay taxes in kind. However, the people who are actually our allies have become our own. I am afraid it is too hasty to ask them to pay taxes now.
We are all Vikings, and what brothers value is fairness. Rurik does not collect taxes from the Rus' people of the traditional old Rus' tribe, so he naturally has no need to collect taxes from the Balmoks.
However, taxation is not simply about taking out physical objects or gold and silver coins. Their labor creates value, and as the Duke of Ross, the Duke defines how much value labor has. Then a part of the value of their labor is taken out, and this part is tax, but they don't know it.
Of course, taxes are not used for the enjoyment of the ducal family. At this stage, Rurik knows exactly where his wealth is invested. Large-scale infrastructure construction is beneficial to the future. As for now, most of the wealth he earns through various means every year is used in infrastructure construction and armaments.
The military armaments are expanding. This matter is to improve Ross's military strength, and then expand externally with strong strength to seize war dividends and bridge the internal conflicts in the principality. Until the internal construction reaches a critical value, active external expansion can be achieved. Somewhat restrained.
These are all common sense, and Rurik has no intention of chatting too much with his generals for the time being. Fortunately, all soldiers simply know that in recent years, Ross has been invincible. Fighting is the fastest way for an ordinary fisherman to make a fortune. Although it is risky, it is really worth taking the risk.
This concept fully applies to the Balmoks, but the bravest group of people seem to have immigrated to Britain. Are most of the remaining guys cowards?
Rurik's understanding was naturally negative, otherwise he would not value this Hellafide.
The two men were alone facing each other, with some snacks placed on a low, makeshift wooden table.
Hellafed was quite weak. He smelled the aroma of cooked wheat on the table and didn't care too much. He grabbed a wooden spoon and ate it.
Rurik watched helplessly as the man finished the bowl of boiled wheat.
"Wheat! It's delicious! Sir, thank you for the reward."
"Hey, your flattery is unnecessary. You can call me Rurik."
"Then...brother Rurik." Hellafed patted his chest and said confidently, regardless of the bruises: "The war is all about me. The brothers are all looking forward to following a hero to victory. Oh, I also heard Say you have Odin’s blessing and you are the son of God.”
Rurik nodded: "Indeed, Odin rewarded me with something, but Odin did not explain the purpose of it all. Maybe God wants me to build a great cause and turn Russia into a big country. Maybe God also asks me to Be kind to all people.”
"Yes, God exists, and I, a mortal, cannot fathom God's intentions." Hellafed pretended to sigh.
The two chatted like this, and taking this opportunity, Rurik learned more about Balmok's customs and customs. He deliberately got close to people like Hellafed. At least he must maintain his nobility and relax his mind. Such a decision to become brothers became very necessary.
Calling each other brothers is a language that everyone can understand.
Although the bruises on his body were very painful, with the praise and hospitality from Duke Ross himself, Hellafield only felt happy inside. As the third eldest child in the family, he was destined to carve out a share of the family business on his own, but now that he was the leader of an army, he no longer had the arrogance to train hard on his own.
However, a soul question suddenly made Hellafide hesitate.
"Have you ever killed an enemy?"
Rurik's eyes were extremely sharp, which meant so many things.
"I..." Hellafed hesitated, "I have killed deer and wolves. I even challenged a bear to prove myself. In the end, I killed the bear with a spear."
"But you have never killed anyone." Rurik continued to ask.
"Yes...that's it."
"I'm different." Rurik said coldly, "The army under my command killed at least 30,000 people! Some leaders even said that I was a ruthless butcher. That may be true, but we must do this. On the battlefield, it is life and death. battle. You will soon have a chance to kill the enemy, but you must remember that this is my advice."
Hellafed nodded at the end to indicate that he was all ears.
"Attention." Rurik said solemnly: "Real warriors only kill enemies who refuse to surrender. We must be more ferocious than bears on the battlefield, but once the enemy surrenders, we cannot add more killings. We cannot make things impossible. , we must give the enemy a chance. Maybe those who are enemies now will become comrades in the future. Regarding the conquest of the Karelia people, when the station is established, your people must strictly obey my orders. If you take the lead in disobeying orders or This is an indiscriminate killing and you will not be entitled to any spoils.”
Hellafed wanted to say that he would absolutely comply, but why did it feel like a stone was weighing on his heart. He didn't make any bold words, he just raised his head and said: "I will do this and will never disobey orders."
