When the banquet was in full swing, Ulf said a topic that disappointed everyone. He actually said that Alfred of Wessex would definitely defeat them, which made many Norse warriors and lords unhappy. They thought it was just a drunken rant.
Ulf seemed to take it calmly when faced with the doubts of the North warriors. The reason why he said these words at this time was that the timing and purpose were just right.
First of all, he helped Guzlen capture the castle in Cornwall and cleared the obstacles on his retreat, which can be said to be an outstanding achievement. Secondly, Guzlen had just been defeated at the hands of Alfred, and he would definitely be wondering why he failed. You must know that a few years ago, the Viking army almost wiped out most of the British kingdom, and the Angsa people Trembling in front of them.
In the end, Ulf knew that as a lord from a remote area of Sweden with little reputation, if he could not leave a significant mark in this war, it would be a wasted trip, so he had to make a splash. .
"Lord Ulf, I hope you can give us a good explanation." Guzlen also put away his gentle smile at this time. He frowned and looked at Ulf with sharp eyes.
Ulf, however, looked calm. He picked up the wine glass on the table and motioned to the sommelier next to him to refill it with amber ale. This indifferent attitude made Guzlen and others unable to help but He frowned.
"Then let me explain it!" Ulf took a sip of wine, moistened his throat, and then put down the glass and said: "The reason why we lost is not that we Northmen are not strong enough, on the contrary. It’s because we are too powerful compared to the Ansa people.”
When Ulf's words fell, all the Northmen in the hall were stunned. What does this mean? It's not because we are weak, but because we are too strong. Isn't it wrong to be strong?
But Ulf pursed his lips and stared at Guzlen. There seemed to be no surprised expression on Guzlen's face, so he sighed lightly.
"We Norse people live in the icy and snowy north. From birth, we have to accept the harsh natural environment. Even if we survive, we have to go through the selection of attacks by wild beasts and marauders. It can be said that a qualified Norse warrior is almost He is one of the most powerful warriors in a hundred." Ulf said slowly.
"We all know this kind of thing. The ice and snow in the north have tempered our bodies and wills, as tough as Thor's hammer forged from iron felt." The royal accompanying warriors proudly held their arms, Said to Ulf.
"That's right, but that's why our tribe is so small." Ulf glanced at the royal warrior with a sharp gaze and said to him calmly.
"What's the use of numbers? Even one wolf is better than thousands of rabbits." The royal warrior said disdainfully.
"But wolves will always die. Every time one dies, there is one less. But if a hundred rabbits die, a thousand will soon multiply. The result is that the seemingly strong wolf will be driven out of the entire world." Grassland." A smile appeared on Ulf's lips, and he said calmly to the royal warriors.
"How is it possible? We can kill more before they appear." The royal warrior curled his lips and said to Ulf.
Guzrun frowned when he listened to Ulf's words. Deep down in his heart, he didn't want to agree with Ulf, but he knew that what Ulf was talking about was that the Norse had been fighting in Britain for many years, plundering and warring. It had made them very tired. On the contrary, relying on the advantage of numbers, the Angsa people seemed to be slowly recovering their strength. This is why he insisted on leading an army to conquer the Kingdom of Wessex. He believed that only by destroying this last stubborn resistance Only then could the Kingdom of Ansa be able to completely conquer Britain.
"Ulf, besides the number of people, is there any other reason?" Guzrun asked Ulf in a deep voice, which was beyond the expectations of others.
"Of course, strong power makes people easily have the idea that they can defeat everything, while weakness makes people involuntarily stick together. We North people are actually in the same predicament. Every North warrior believes in his own power, and every North warrior believes in his own strength. The tribes all think that they are powerful. This idea makes us scattered across the entire Nordic land. If it were not for the will of Nagra to unite us, it would be impossible for so many Norse tribes and warriors to set foot on the land of Britain. On the contrary We fight more with each other than with our enemies," Ulf said to Gutzlen.
When Ulf finished speaking, everyone was silent. Indeed, compared to the united Ansa people, the Norse people are really proud of their strength. When there are no enemies, they prefer to fight with their neighbors. , even within a tribe, internal strife often occurs.
However, Ulf's answer did not satisfy Guzlen, and he snorted softly.
"In addition, there are systems and the power that can be mobilized." Ulf did not care about Guzlen's dissatisfaction. He raised a finger and said to Guzlen.
"I Have a Picture Book of Ghosts and Gods"
"System?" Guzlen frowned, and then he focused on Ulf.
"Yes, Alfred has extended his power from the palace to every land in Wessex by establishing castles and fiefs, where the earls of the borderlands helped him train knights and sergeants, not just They are the former group of levies with pitchforks." Through this battle, Ulf has discovered the changes in the structure of the Wessex army. Of course, their main backbone is still levies, but the knights of the earls from all over And the number of professional sergeants is also increasing.
Even more powerful is the cavalry unit established by Alfred. This highly mobile force on the mainland can just match the speed of the Vikings who rely on longship maneuvers to fight at sea. It can be said that it is entirely designed to deal with the Vikings. Established by talented people.
"We also have the same system. Isn't it strange?" The royal warriors thought that their tribe was no different from the earls in the fiefdom.
"It's different. These fiefdom earls are absolutely obedient to Alfred. They exist as an administrative agency in Wessex and can continuously provide a steady stream of vitality. Will our tribe do this? When our tribe encounters a threat When I arrived, I'm afraid the first thing I thought of was protecting my tribe." Ulf smiled and said to the royal warriors.
His words silenced the royal warriors, because this was the truth. The North lords followed Guzlen to fight just to obtain trophies and slaves for their tribe, so how could they do something that threatened the survival of their tribe? .
