Chương 62: 062

After a few weeks we were already in Kattegat.

Lagertha was asleep next to me, and I wondered about my further moves. The next big raids made no sense ... Kattegat has to grow. We'll split the loot tomorrow, and I'll discuss a few things with my hrid.

(Adalgis / Charlemagne POV)

- Your Majesty, we have received information that Walcheren, Antwerp, Ghent, Hamburg and several surrounding villages have been destroyed. Two abbeys were destroyed in Ghent and all the monks were killed, the church was destroyed in Antwerp, a priest was crucified and the cemetery was dug up, in Hamburg, only the cemetery was left alone.

- Chamberlain Adalgis, what about the inhabitants of these settlements? We know who did it? Are there any witnesses?

- Residents either killed or disappeared. There are no witnesses to these events, these attacks are reminiscent of the saxon attacks of last year, but the attacks on Walcheren, Antwerp, Ghent and Hamburg took place at the same time. So more than one group of people has to do them.

- Chamberlain Adalgis, please notify Constable Geilo, Count Palatine Worad, Count Theodoric immediately that I am calling them to my place. I intend to entrust them with command of the army they will lead against the Saxons of Thuringia.

- Your Majesty, but we are not sure that the saxons are responsible for these attacks.

- I know, but the King, the state ... cannot be weak. Someone must be punished quickly for these crimes ... People must believe the King will protect them or avenge their death.

- I'll do it right now, but if I'm allowed to make a suggestion, if we're going to reassure people ... maybe we need to do some public executions. The news of a won war will not be as good as seeing with your own eyes how those responsible for these crimes die.

(End POV)

There were 81 pounds of gold, 102 pounds of silver and 267 pounds of various metals (tin, lead, copper), 342 pounds of iron and 557 slaves for distribution.

Of course there were other materials, fabrics, raw materials, wines, honey, leather, weapons and tools, but I gave up my part in them.

First, I dealt with the division of slaves. I sent children up to three years old to the slave village, but there were only 29 of them.

Then I interviewed the rest of the slaves, wanted to find out if there were any useful people among them. There have not been many, but even a few are always a good start ... there were blacksmiths, carpenters, cheesemakers, brewers, a few weavers, builders and shipbuilders among them. The rest didn't really matter. My share was 176 slaves.

All the iron, tin, copper and lead I took for myself ... of course I explained to my people that they would be rewarded for it later, my share in gold is 27 pounds and 34 pounds of silver.

Most of the people went to celebrate their comeback from the raid or went to sell what they didn't need, I called a council at my house.

- The loot was big, we were lucky ... but for some time I won't be organizing raids. If someone wants, he can rent a ship from me for a third of the loot.

It surprised my people, why give up if we're doing so well, but no one stopped and they let me continue.

- We have to increase our population, enlarge our land and build more farms. Kattegat must become a large commercial city known all over Scandinavia.

- Ulf, but how are you going to do that? It won't happen overnight.

- Erik, first we will clear the area of smaller settlements and force them to join the Kattegat. We have a lot of slaves to help us build ...

The conversation lasted several hours, I explained to them the idea of rotating sowing fields, making compost, creating an apiary, building workshops that would produce only for export, and that part of my fleet would be turned into a merchant fleet and would sail along the entire Scandinavian coast. I also intended to build a large temple near Kattegat so that the city would gain even greater importance.

Of course they liked my vision of the future and development very much, but they were also aware that it would require a lot of work. I was going to draw designs and assign each of my hrid their own task for which they would be responsible.

I was going to spend time on technological development myself, there will be no big leap forward, but the introduction of horseshoes, crossbows, better plows and other agricultural tools... but the first task was to clear the area of other settlements, hiding outlaws and subjugate them ... that's what my people did, and I supervised the construction of livestock buildings, roads and toilets ... maybe it's not the best job for Jarl, but I wanted to be sure that everything was implemented the way I wanted.

Unfortunately, we have to wait for the construction of the wall until we get limestone.

A few days later... I was in the hammock, my Yrsa was on my chest and asleep ... it was one of the few moments of relaxation I had, but unfortunately it too was interrupted. Siggy informed me that Erik is back with the people and has something important to tell me and I told her to bring him.

- Erik, what's so important that you had to notify me immediately?

- Ulf, in a time when we were looking for sediments and hiding outlaws, we came across copper ore. We checked the area and there are more of it, although we don't know how many.

It interested me a lot, I gave my daughter Siggy. I got up from the hammock.

- Erik, where is this place?

- On one of the islands in the north.

I have never been interested in natural resources in the past and my knowledge was negligible ... but I know that somewhere in this region there was a copper mine from which the Statue of Liberty was made ... or fragments of it ... as it was called ... I think Visnes.