The Russian army knew the enemy's strength more accurately. The information he had learned before clearly caused Rurik to seriously overestimate the strength of the opponent, which made him feel no worries after he was already under some pressure.
Originally, allowing the fleet to collectively confront the enemy on the broadside near the coast was to rely on ship-borne weapons to try to consume part of the enemy force, so that the pressure of the subsequent landing battle would be drastically reduced.
Three thousand people gathered at Pine Needle Manor? The manor was the leader of the rebellion, and the other so-called rebels did not send troops to assemble?
Could it be that most of the manors are just waiting to see who wins in the end?
In this way, the strength of the Ross army was not only comparable to that of the enemy, but there was no doubt that victory would go to Ross.
Victory must belong to Rose!
The majority of soldiers simply regarded tomorrow's war as a feast of killing. Many people did not think that they could grab many good things in a purely peasant village.
Lord Rurik issued an order to eradicate the rebels. Is this decision really appropriate? It is clear that a group of prisoners can be captured and taken away as slaves. Many Balmoks in the team have this traditional idea, but they are now New Rus's and have to obey the Duke's orders.
The thing that can give everyone high hopes is to plunder food. The rebels are a huge manor, and they must have a lot of surplus food, as well as some livestock and poultry.
No one expects to plunder gold and silver treasures, seize grain, cattle and sheep to eat with open stomachs, but everyone is full of expectations.
Although he knew more detailed information about the enemy, Rurik was not stupid enough to tell everyone the revised information.
Strategically, it is natural to despise the enemy, but tactically, we must pay attention to it. Even a warrior with only a wooden stick has a chance of causing the heavily armored Russian army to capsize in the ditch.
Rurik was determined to cope with all changes by remaining unchanged, and continued to make his brothers believe that the enemy was an army of ten thousand men, so that they would not suddenly underestimate the enemy.
That night, not many people were anxious about tomorrow's battle.
The weather tonight is not bad. There are obviously many clouds in the night sky, and the stars and moon appear and disappear.
Since there was a big battle tomorrow, many soldiers slept on the spot around the campfire. A large camp appeared outside the White Tree Manor, and the snoring of the army continued one after another.
As for Rurik, he naturally stayed in Svetlana’s old boudoir.
The moonlight shone through the wooden window onto Lana's peaceful face. Like other Slavic girls, the war did not let these women go away.
Rurik rested his arm on his head and just wanted to sleep. Unexpectedly, Lana turned sideways and boldly introduced herself: "Tomorrow, I will also join the battle."
"You? Be a female soldier?" Rurik was not surprised.
"Yes. Just like Carlotta, she is a noble, and I am also a noble. She can lead troops to fight, and I should also participate."
"What can you do?" Rurik said bluntly.
"Maybe archery?"
"Forget it, you're still a kid."
"Huh? As if you are not a child."
Rurik was stunned for a moment. Indeed, even if this body began to grow a golden beard, it was still that of a boy.
"Carlotta taught you archery?"
"Other sisters have taught me. We are all your women. You said I am the most noble. If I were a fool, wouldn't it be an embarrassment to you? Besides, this is a century-old revenge of the White Tree Manor. Just let me join. .”
"Forget it. You and I still have a wedding to go, and it makes sense for you to participate in this decisive battle. I will hand you over to Carlotta. Remember, you must be brave. To be my head wife, you must be like a Valkyrie. I only like you like this."
Svetlana, who was already emotionally moved, suddenly felt an indescribable depression. She cherished the opportunity to be alone with her man in her boudoir tonight. She was ready to do everything a wife could do, but she was The man ordered himself to be a female warrior, even above all else.
She tried to calm down and looked at her index and ring fingers in the moonlight.
"Maybe I can shoot an enemy tomorrow. I don't want to kill anyone, but..."
"You have no choice. This is war. If you don't kill them, they will kill you. Only by eradicating Pine Needle Manor can this lake truly be peaceful." After saying that, Rurik reached out and pressed Lanna's hand. Arm, "Don't look at your fingers. I will give you a crossbow tomorrow, so you don't have to draw the bow and shoot. Oh? Was it the Mediterranean archery method that Fraser taught you? I actually like you when you shoot with a finger ring."
Lana didn't know what to say, so she simply closed her eyes without saying a word...
Rurik brought a group of young warriors this time, and now Svetalana has become one of them.
Young and old friends such as Fisk, Kanuf, and Terraface were all ordered to participate in the war. First of all, they needed to participate in the new war gilding. Secondly, they were all good archers to make the Ross Arrow Array more powerful.
A group of capable young soldiers are the generals of Rurik's future army. They all need to seize every opportunity to accumulate combat experience when they are young. It was precisely because of their youth that when the other veteran soldiers were fast asleep, these young brats chatted a lot around the campfire. When their eyes were bloodshot, they couldn't bear to lie down and fall asleep.
At dawn, the poultry brought from Calf Manor collectively went "crazy". The crow of poultry drowned out the snoring of the warriors. When the warriors woke up and thought that there was still a bloody battle to be fought today, they suddenly felt refreshed and it was impossible to fall asleep when they got up.
Soon, the early farm women were cooking wheat while it was still early, so that the armies who were eager to go on the battlefield would be well fed and ready to go to the battlefield.
Ligus also risked his life. He knew that Rurik had brought a lot of food, but he still ordered the food stored in his farm and called on every household to donate generously, just to get more from the defeated enemy after the war. of food and other trophies. How could Rurik not understand these thoughts of his?
Ligus was promised that the White Tree Manor would receive a large amount of loot and even higher political power - the right to rule as an agent due to the feat of full support.
Rurik did not say it explicitly, but he had already made a plan in his heart. After the victory, he would appoint Medved, the successor of White Tree Manor, as the interim governor, and also entrust this person to mainly solve the mess after the war.
Medved will not be canonized as an earl. The direct rule promised is the real direct rule. The governor is such an official position. If the monarch does not like it, he can be replaced at any time. Just appointing a local as governor is purely the optimal solution under specific time conditions. In the end, this governor must be a pure Russian.
After breakfast, the assembled soldiers were in high spirits.
The riverside station was filled with warriors dressed in white robes with blue stripes. Their polished iron helmets shone brightly in the golden light of the rising sun.
The huge fleet was anchored by the river, and some sailors were already dressing up and waiting.
The army has been assembled, and the warriors are like a pack of wild bears.
This is indeed the case. Some of Rurik's elite mercenaries have helmets that hold up the entire bear's head. The mandibles and fangs of the wild bear are like sun-shielding hat brims. Their ferocious looks make them invincible. They were madmen who were selected to be berserkers. They were all physically strong, wearing heavy armor made of thick patches, and the weapons they held were two battle axes. This was a group of madmen rushing into battle, and they were undoubtedly the ones who shouted the loudest.
Rurik stood on the Aurora. He took off his hat and put on his iron helmet decorated with gold patterns. He pulled out his short sword and openly displayed his warrior style.
He raised his arms and shouted: "Brothers! Follow me and kill the rebels! Today, Odin orders you to kill! Blood sacrifice to Odin!"
Three thousand warriors responded to the call, tapping their swords on their shields and rhythmically uttering Viking war cries.
This roar shocked the entire White Tree Manor and ordinary people felt the terror of the underworld, and the women were thankful that this group of iron-clad berserkers were not enemies.
Squirrels in the forest hid in tree holes, minks hid in caves, and birds flew away in groups in fright.
This roar even caused a gap in the hostile Pine Needle Manor, and Vadim and the six thousand troops he had painstakingly assembled felt a strange tremor.
earthquake? Maybe something terrible will happen today.
Maybe... it's war!
When a group of priests broke into Vadim's house, they did not hesitate to express their concerns. Because the Russians had not gone far, since the enemy made a sneak attack yesterday, they might attack again today.
One day, an elderly priest explained the result of his divination in horror: "There will be a battle today."
A big war? Of course there will be a big fight!
Even if the Russians don't attack, Vadim will choose a good and auspicious day to launch a full-scale attack. Since the priests are all talking about a crisis, I'm afraid this is the will of the gods.
An army began to gather at Pine Needle Manor, and everyone who could afford a weapon was organized. No one knows when and how the hostile Russian army will appear. The armed men instinctively guard the farm. More than 6,000 people gathered into a "super strong fighting group" and objectively adopted a passive defense.
At the same time, the Ross army had already boarded the ships one after another, and they were heading up the Volkhov River and were about to enter the vast waters of Lake Ilmen.
A large number of brisk rowing long boats took the lead, and a thousand of the strongest warriors from the first and third flag teams took the lead into the vast lake.
Following closely behind were the sail destroyers headed by the Aurora, and then the last sail destroyers and armed cargo ships also entered the great lake one after another.
It was still morning, and the huge Ross fleet began to adjust its formation in the lake.
Last year's sea and lake battles made Rurik deeply aware of the serious communication barrier problem in his army. After organizing a large fleet, communication between ships became difficult.
How do each ship clearly understand the flagship's orders?
A simple set of semaphores has become popular among sailors.
It is not surprising that the traditional Nordic runes and Roman letters can be converted into each other, purely because both alphabet systems come from ancient Greece. The semaphore system has been born, and each letter has a corresponding semaphore action.
The sailors responsible for pulling the ropes to hoist the sails and retracting and retracting the anchors turned into communications soldiers. Relying on this communication system, the Ross fleet set up a tactical formation.
The four stockiest cruisers are in front, and the destroyers are in the rear. The traditional rowing longboat is in the middle, and the slower armed cargo ship is in the rear.
The mighty fleet sailed in the vast waters, and the huge triangle sails easily took advantage of various wind directions. The entire fleet headed straight for the slightly hazy Pine Needle Manor on a route close to the lakeside.
First, to those on the shore, a strange dark blue shadow appeared on the lake. It happened that the armed men entrenched in Pine Needle Manor were forced to assemble. Some people began to notice the approaching monster, and one after another people gathered at the lakeside to watch the shadow approaching.
What exactly is that? Some say they are Russians, others say this is ridiculous.
Most people just watched the show. They, a group of farmers who have spent their whole lives farming by the lake, have never been to far away places in their lives. It seems that the whole world exists around Lake Ilmen. As for the Ross bandit, it is never clear. Killed out of the dark place.
They had never seen a big ship, let alone a huge fleet.
Not only them, but even the Danes could not imagine things they had not seen before, such as the fully manned Ross fleet.
Finally, the dark blue shadow became clear. It seemed to be a boat, or maybe not a boat. Many farmers couldn't tell why.
Instead of going to fight, thousands of armed men gathered at the lakeside. They were so busy watching the incredible Western scenery that they even ignored whether this was an imminent danger?
Just like beachgoers who have never seen the horror of a tsunami, they will even point to the strange white line on the approaching sea level and laugh...
However, this group of spectators put the entire armed group in danger.
Rurik stood on the bow deck, and the Avora was ready for battle.
Wooden boxes filled with cast-iron bullets were placed on the deck, and some javelins were held by the warriors themselves. A group of crossbow-wielding warriors were waiting in the cabin, including Svetlana, who volunteered. She also cautiously held a heavy steel-armed crossbow, and held two pointed arrows tightly in her young hands.
"Sir, I saw a group of people gathering at the lakeside!" The voice came from the mast, and it was the sailor with excellent eyesight who saw something.
Rurik squinted his eyes and observed carefully. He couldn't see anything yet, except that there was a large group of strange shadows on the lakeside, and behind the shadows was obviously a large village settlement.
"Is that Pine Needle Manor?" he asked the wooden-faced father.
Otto's deep eyes saw through everything, and he said deeply and forcefully: "Your enemy made a fatal mistake. Did you see those shadows? I dare to conclude that the enemy is already gathering troops."
"They are actually very brave?" Rurik asked in surprise.
"No! They are very reckless. Rurik, this is a good opportunity given to us by God to kill the enemy. Everything is within our plan."
Half of the plan should have been scrapped as soon as the cannon fired. Rurik was not so wishful thinking that he predicted that the enemy would foolishly run to the lakeside and take up positions as soon as possible, becoming a target for artillery fire. But this is the fact, the enemy is standing stupidly waiting to die.
Rurik thought of the Russian troops standing still at Austerlitz and being shelled.
The Russian army is all Slavs, and the guys who knocked on the Pine Needle Manor are the purest Slavs.
The opponents don't know why they are standing still, but they are looking for death.
Rurik immediately ordered: "Flagbearer! Inform all ships to act as planned! Change formation immediately!"
The man who had tied himself to the top of the mast immediately waved two flags, the order was notified very smoothly, and the formation of the Ross fleet was changing.
The sailing cruisers and destroyers gradually formed a single column formation, between the hostile Pine Needle Manor on the east coast of the lake, and the single column of the Ross fleet entering the Great Lake from the north all faced the enemy on the port side.
Among the sail cruisers with the largest deck area, all twenty-five Russian bull trebuchets were moved to the overtime area.
Many shooters boarded the deck one after another, and the decks of each ship suddenly became crowded with armed people.
All long-range weapons were charged, and Rurik, who was on the flagship, announced when to anchor and turned the ship into a firepower fortress on the lake.
I saw Rurik stretching out his thumb to estimate the distance, while the entire single column fleet rushed towards Pine Needle Manor on a tilted course. The large crowd on the shore was clearly visible, and the weapons they carried reflected the light in the sun.
When it was only about 150 meters away, the Avora dropped anchor and furled its sails!
The flagship was like this, and other ships followed suit.
At the same time, Vadim, who had already entered the crowd at the lakeside, suddenly saw a huge fleet coming into view. He couldn't believe what he saw, but what floated on the tall spruce-like mast was the temperament of the Russians! All the ships are flying the same flag!
"They are the Russians! Prepare for war! Fight with them!"
Vadim's shouts were all broken. One after another, some people realized that a war was imminent, but who could have imagined that the Ross army actually arrived at the manor in this way?
Very suddenly, there was a buzzing sound like wild bees dancing in the air. The Slavic warriors of Pine Needle Manor raised their heads. They saw a bunch of flying black lines in front of them, as well as a bunch of bird-like shadows.
What are these strange black shadows? No! They're coming right here!
Even as some began to panic, the killings came.
The buzzing sound comes from the spindle's javelin, which is fired by a torsion slingshot. The more dark shadows are the conical cast-iron bullets shot by slingshots and the pebbles thrown by trebuchets.
The projectiles and javelins came down with strong kinetic energy, and the victims were either hit with their heads blown off, or the javelins were deeply pierced into the ground, or even shot through two people.
Death came so quickly, and my companions died so inexplicably. The crowd began to panic. Those warriors with short spears and axes just panicked, and a large number of arrows fell from the sky!
At such a distance, the improved wooden arm crossbow could hit the crowd at the lakeside with light arrows that lacked penetrating power. This time, the number of archers gathered by Rurik exceeded 500 people. Because the crossbow was charged in advance and the arrows were inserted, the soldiers of the shooting flag team had just completed the first round of torque slingshot firing, and immediately picked up the crossbow and launched the projectile.
First, there were critical hits from more than seventy heavy weapons, and then there was a rain of arrows composed of more than five hundred arrows.
Not to mention the Slavs on Lake Ilmen, not even the Frankish army who had fought the Danes many times, had never seen this kind of fighting style.
Another army in this time and space that intentionally adopts this combat mode is the Tang Army. The Eastern soul in Rurik's heart drove him to use long-range weapons extensively without hesitation.
No, the sudden and tragic casualties caused by this single blow caused the morale of the armed men in Pine Needle Manor to collapse. This was a collapse that Vadim himself could not recover from at all!
The second round of torque slingshot fire came soon. Although it became a free fire and the shooting density was seriously reduced, it still further accelerated the collapse of the armed forces on the shore.
"Eh? Is this going to collapse? It's really ridiculous." Rurik's prediction could predict that the enemy would be a fool who would collapse at the first touch.
Most of the soldiers were quite surprised, but they still tried their best to charge the crossbow and twist the lever to charge the torsion slingshot.
Otto still urged his son with a calm face: "It's time for the landing troops to attack and imitate the enemy to escape."
"Right."
Rurik hurried to the starboard side of the flagship, raised his dagger and shouted at the thousand men on standby: "It's your turn to land!"
Arik completely understood when he saw his brother shaking the dagger wildly. This was the signal agreed upon by the two brothers.
Thirty longships acted collectively, and the warriors rowed hard and got out of the gaps between the warships. They quickly completed the final sprint of more than 100 meters in the posture of a landing craft.
Oak keels gnawed deeply at the shore of the muddy lake. The 1st and 3rd Ross Banner Corps, wearing leather helmets and identically dressed, began their most deadly attack, and their enemy, the so-called 6,000 Vadim led The Slavic army was unable to organize a decent defense.
The grieving and angry Vadim, who had been bundled into the fleeing army by his cronies, fled towards the farm...
