When a ray of morning sun rises.
The earth passes from icy darkness to warm morning.
But sometimes darkness can avoid evil, but light can make it difficult for people to survive.
It's a little after six o'clock in the morning.
A group of Mercians broke into the southern part of Aldborough County, near a village north of Mercia.
There are a total of twenty-four people in this group, two-thirds of whom wear soft armor, and the rest wear animal armor and iron armor. Four of them hold long swords, and the rest hold one-handed axes or short spears.
There are four other people in the team carrying crossbows.
They were sallow and thin, had not eaten enough for several days, and scars could be seen everywhere on everyone.
The farmers were so frightened that they hid in their houses while the soldiers marched on unimpeded.
"Listen, according to the covenant between 'King Osbert' and the great Mercian 'King Burgred', now I want to expropriate everything in your manor, from the soil to the houses, from the livestock to the manpower.
But don’t worry, it won’t be so much. Just prepare five days of food for us to take away. "
A knight came to the square, called out the most distinguished manor steward in the village, and pointed his sword at his heart.
"Sir! It's really hard to afford five days' worth of food for so many people."
"Shut up, my patience is limited, prepare what I want, otherwise your heart will be punctured."
"Sir, we don't have any food anymore. Look at the surrounding wheat fields. They have been harvested by the last army from Mercia. The remaining wheat seedlings are not even as high as your ankles.
The entire manor has not even left us any seeds for sowing in the spring, and look over there..."
"Enough! I don't want to fill my ears with nonsense. You know that the Vikings in Kent have received reinforcements five days ago. Soon, the despicable and barbaric Ragnar will come. Without our protection, you Even lives will be lost.”
"But the last adult said that Ragnar has already arrived!"
"What do you know? It was his son Yinvar the Boneless who came before. Hundreds of dragon ships entered from the Irish waterway. Thanks to us Mercian soldiers blocking the front line, otherwise you would all be like the Kents and become slaves of the subjugated country." !”
The nobles on the island all hate the Vikings, but they like to talk about them and use them to intimidate the ignorant people. Using fear, they often collect more taxes than if they were not intimidated.
Seeing that his pleas were in vain, the butler took out a piece of parchment with a noble's seal on his body.
"This is the warrant left by the previous lord. He said that if any noble lords from Mercia come to collect supplies, let me show it to them."
The leading knight looked at it once, lost in thought, and then took it back into his sleeve.
Unfortunately, he is illiterate. He doesn't understand whose noble family's crest this is, and he only recognizes the names of two people, one is himself and the other is King "Burgred".
"Please!"
"Rob!"
The knight lost patience and kicked the butler away.
They almost got lost last night and finally came to this manor.
At first, I was afraid that the manor would be protected by the lord's private soldiers. But after dawn, I saw that it was an ordinary manor, and I had evil thoughts.
Now that the former king is dead in battle, the Mercians will rule the three southern counties. Before the handover is clear, they can plunder at will without fear of being held accountable later.
However, a manor with seventy or eighty people cannot afford such rounds of banditry.
The manor housekeeper slumped in the square, looking dazed.
This knight is like peeling off another layer of skin from the already skinny villagers.
After searching for a while, almost everything was dug out. Seeing that there was no way to add more, the knight asked someone to bring an old piece of skin.
Then he stepped forward and drew a useless picture, and said to the manor steward, "If anyone comes again, show this picture to him and say that you have been expropriated in advance."
Then the knight called to those around him, "Hurry and join Ser Beric."
It was nearly noon when a nobleman arrived with his servants.
This nobleman wore brand new chainmail, and the scabbard of the sword at his waist was full of gems.
The servants around him were also dressed in smart attire. If it weren't for the emblem flag behind him, which made him look like a bodyguard, he might have been mistaken for a knight.
The nobles traveled for a long time, but what they saw was an empty manor.
"It's late again." The noble said to the servant beside him.
"Your Excellency, what should we do? The king asked you to take charge of Aldborough County, but the other noble knights in the north of the kingdom who participated in the war are now doing evil everywhere."
"Bastard...go to the nearest Mercian army station!"
Two fast horses galloped, and after noon they had passed through acres of woodland and swamps, arriving near a small fortress.
Last time, this was one of the strongholds that the Southern Allied Forces captured from the Kent Vikings in the first wave of their general offensive.
At this moment, the tragedy of that time can still be seen from the dilapidated fortress and the surrounding trees that were devoured by evil fire.
Several emblem flags are hung on the fort.
There are two white horses on the left and right of the flag, with their front hooves raised high, riding on a blue mountain shield. There is a big bear on the mountain shield with a flower crown on its head.
The white horse symbolizes speed, the blue mountain shield is a fortress called "Blue Castle", the big bear on top symbolizes force, and the wreath on the head is the greatest Mercian king "King Offa (reigned 757-796 AD)" , his favorite white rose.
During the period of King Aufa, flower crowns were always given to subjects. The families with such flower crown headdresses basically arose at that time.
Blue mountains, white bears, flower crowns.
The combination of these things is "Berry", the most trusted military noble beside the king.
His haters called him "Berry".
But most of the knights who knew him well liked to call him "Berry the Quick Sword".
"Who are you?" the soldier blocking the front asked.
"Tell your master that the 'King's Envoy' is here." The guard beside the nobleman raised his emblem, which showed a white lion on a red background. The white lion raised its limbs high, and there were ten stars shining around it.
The "White Lion and Ten Stars Flag" is used by only one noble family in the kingdom, which is a branch of the royal family.
The soldiers reported immediately, and soon after, Baron Berry appeared on horseback with his escort.
I am particularly unhappy when meeting acquaintances.
Baron Berry looked at the white lion and ten-star flag and said, "How did you get to this war-torn place? Your Excellency Otto. Didn't His Majesty send you to the south as the liaison minister with Wessex?"
"Sir Berry, I asked your Majesty to come here, and I have only been in this county for four days, and I have heard seven times about the disturbances committed by different nobles. Your Majesty asked you to take over in a friendly manner, not to learn from the Vikings. , spreading evil deeds everywhere.”
After hearing this, Berry felt a little unhappy, but seeing that Otto was the county chief and a member of the distant royal family, he kept smiling.
“It’s so chaotic right now, you know, there’s news everywhere that Viking reinforcements are coming.
Even if King Osbert himself died in battle, he also suffered a lot of losses from the Queen's East Anglia army due to his rash advance. Some of the crimes were committed by East Anglia soldiers who lost their ranks and have nothing to do with us. "
"A true noble will not shirk his responsibilities, Sir Berry. I now order you to accept my command, take me to see Sheriff Frank, and restrain your men. Otherwise, I will faithfully follow all the ministers at the royal court meeting. Talk to Your Majesty about your responsibilities."
"Go, Your Majesty Otto, tell His Majesty whatever you want." Berry was about to leave, but Otto yelled angrily, "You runaway coward!"
Barry turned around, first angry but then smiling, "That's very well said."
“Bang--” he clapped, “forty years ago, King Ecbert of Wessex invaded Mercia. Ten thousand soldiers fought to dominate the future of England.
Your grandfather, who was the Hand of the King and our commander-in-chief at the time, was extremely arbitrary and refused to listen to dissuasion. In the end, he was beaten to the point of discarding his armor and hid in the forest for two days and two nights like a fugitive.
Blue Castle sent 300 people to support the war, but in order to protect your grandfather, only 20 people came back.
But your grandfather passed the responsibility to others. My grandfather was also accused of having half of his fiefdom confiscated due to poor protection.
Next, your grandfather started a fight between the other county chiefs and the king in order to control power.
Civil war broke out and there were powerful enemies outside. Mercia continued to decline.
But when your grandfather died, a state funeral was held, and his bones were buried in Repton, where all previous kings were buried.
Is this fair?
Your father was a county magistrate since he was born, but his strict rule led to rebellion and led the unrest to other magistrates' territories. Finally, he died comfortably on a woman's bed.
What kind of aristocracy is this?
You can freely enter the royal court at the age of five, and go on a pilgrimage to Rome at the age of twelve. Why do you have that?
A true nobleman has the courage to shoulder responsibilities, is not content with pleasure, is good at thinking, and takes the overall situation into consideration.
You three generations have not made any contribution to Mercia, but you have taken advantage of it because of your royal status. If you're a noble, pick up a sword and slay a few Vikings or contain the growing power of Wessex
But because you were afraid of danger to Alfred, you refused to serve as the liaison officer. You may have bribed a few royal nobles, so you persuaded the king to let you go to the three southern counties and directly become the county chief and enjoy the benefits.
"The Sword Comes"
Now that the number of Vikings in the Kent area has increased again, it is certain that Ragnar's main force will arrive soon, even if not all his bastard sons will come.
He alone could recruit more than five thousand Viking warriors.
The Vikings robbed everything in Kent. You only saw our people robbing Northumbria, but do you know how much supplies we supported to the refugees in Kent? Do you know how heavy the supply burden is for the army?
I won’t send anyone to you. Since the servants around you have such luxurious equipment, you can pull a cavalry team from your own manor and directly enter Sheriff Frank’s castle.
With my warrant, you don't need to check anywhere, and you have a smooth journey.
When you get to the castle, use the fluent Latin you learned in Rome to persuade the fat man to kneel down and cry in repentance. "
Otto was dizzy by what Berry said, angry and anxious, and finally left quietly.
The master and the servant walked side by side. After walking for several miles, they took a rest by a stream with water.
Charles went upstream to fetch water, but when he came back, he saw Otto crying and praying in the direction of the rising sun.
When Charles came back, he made too much noise, which disturbed Otto from waking up.
Otto wiped away his tears, turned around, and then faced Charles again after tidying up.
The master and servant were speechless, just sitting quietly.
After a while, Otto asked him, "You have been with me for twelve years, longer than my father has been with me. Do you think Berry is right? Am I useless?"
"No, you are the most kind and pious lord I have ever seen."
"But these two things seem to be becoming more and more useless."
Then Otto talked to himself, and seemed to be talking to Charles.
“The first generation of our Perry family is the third son of the late king Penda (who reigned from 626 to 655 AD). This was the beginning of the hegemony of Mercia, which had not yet embraced Christianity.
Although it is powerful, many conflicts arise between the nobles and the people due to religious issues.
It was my ancestor who persuaded his successor, King Hill, to complete the Christianization of the country, so my family motto is 'In the name of the Lord, God heals me'.
Do you know what the ten stars next to the white lion mean?
My ancestors followed King Peng Da to expand their territory and won all ten battles, so they have ten stars.
During the period of King Offa, my great-grandfather went to Frank as an envoy for the king. At that time, he brought back a letter from Charlemagne, which said that he paid tribute to the supreme ruler of Britain, my brother Offa!
On the gold coin is the image of King Arcana.
The Welsh were held back by the Great Wall of Offa which he built.
The other six countries send people to Mercia every year to celebrate his birthday..."
Otto shed tears again, but he couldn't stop talking.
"I have often dreamed of King Penda and King Offa since I was a child. They told me that the past kings were crying to restore the glory of Mercia!
My father also believed what I said, so he changed my name to Otto.
Ten years ago, on my twelfth birthday, I spent a huge fortune on renting three boats to cross the Mediterranean to Rome.
He lived near St. Peter's Basilica for a year, received the teachings of the Pope, and bought back a large number of scriptures and books.
But this only resulted in a more barren territory and a nickname of 'fanatic'.
I want to revitalize my family, but the tasks assigned to me by the king have been messed up time and time again.
Berry was right, I was afraid of Alfred, so I ran away.
I dreamed of accomplishing everything, but could accomplish nothing.
Berry is one year younger than me, but he is a genius with swords. At the age of thirteen, he was rewarded with land for suppressing rebellion.
So far, I have not added an acre of land. Instead, I have turned the territory left by my father into a town with only a few hundred people left.
He is called Sheriff (Earl), but he is not even as good as a great knight. "
Having said this, Otto looked at Charles, "I taught you to ride a horse and hold a sword, but I won't be able to defeat you after half a year. Following me will bury your talent. You are the son of a knight and should have inherited your father's territory long ago. , but I lost all your territory...I have decided, you kneel down, Char."
After Charles knelt down, Otto put the knight's sword on his head, shouted the name of God and the king, and then gave half of his territory to Charles.
Charles's whole body was trembling with joy. He was just an illegitimate son and had been weak since he was a child. His first master was a short-lived brother who was one year older than Otto. He was always using dirty words around him.
Wipe the owner's butt after defecation, and act as an outlet for the owner when he is in a bad mood.
But Otto never humiliated Charles. When he went to Rome, he told Charles, "I heard that receiving the Pope's blessing and drinking holy water can heal the body. I will take you there."
Following Otto, Charles learned to ride a horse, hold a sword, and write etiquette.
In Char's heart, Otto is an irreplaceable lord.
“Your Excellency, when I was in Rome that year, the Holy Father blessed me and said that an upright and brave person does not indulge in desires, eats only when he is hungry, drinks only when he is thirsty, helps when he encounters injustice, and helps those around him. You should be generous, take the initiative to face troubles, and always be grateful.
After Char finished speaking, he knelt on his knees and offered his most solemn blessings to Otto, "Please don't be discouraged. Let me help you now. I will help you realize your dream."
He knocked his head heavily on the ground.
"Defend your name and dedicate my life."
Charles will protect these eight words with his life.
...
When King Ella's letter reached Manchester County.
In less than half a day, Manchester County Sheriff "Katana" made a decision and sent someone to see Ella.
But just one day later, a letter from Princess Haian also arrived.
After reading the content, he decided to go see Ella in person.
After leaving the affairs of the county to his trusted court officials and his eldest son, he took only ten people to Dan City.
But halfway through, he encountered his own guards arresting several Viking men and women, preparing to send them to the nearest town for execution.
Katana felt that one of the Viking women looked familiar, so he asked someone to bring her over.
Then... Katana's eyes changed several times and he cursed, "Fuck, it's you!"
Two years ago, Catana's wife died in childbirth after giving birth to her fifth child.
Katana was preparing to remarry a noble girl, and Sally, who was nearly fifteen years old at the time, was also one of the candidates.
However, Earl's price was too high, and in the end Katana weighed in and married a widow who could bring him wealth.
For women, appearance comes last, and profit is the real thing.
Catana's second sentence was, "Who turned you into this?"
"The devil flying in the sky." Sally's flame of revenge began to ignite.
"Devil? No matter how flying it is, I can shoot it down."
