At a specially set table in one part of the harbor, Nelda and Ashraf were enjoying a meal specially prepared for them.


    Which consists of seal meat prepared with garlic powder and dried rosemary which was bought from Vilhelm among the many things he brought to sell.


    There were also small loaves of soft white bread that were apanied by a wild carrot cream, which was sweet but had a rather delicate vor.


    Ashraf had never eaten such delicious food, while Nelda had not, even when she was the illegitimate daughter of a duke.


    Einar, who was also eating with them, looked curiously at Ashraf before looking at Nelda "Nelda, I would like to ask you how you hired Ashraf as I would like to buy the contract you made with him and his people."


    Nelda, who was enjoying the taste of the bread, used some honey liquor to pass the drink, looked at Einar.


    "I hired them to take care of the ves and take care of one of my four ships, but if you want to buy their contract, I will not refuse.


    But you will have to buy the ship as well for what would be 50 gold. Plus I cannot guarantee that Ashraf wants to be in this ce.


    You''ll have to ask him if he''s willing to stay. "


    Einar then drank some herbal liqueur and looked at Ashraf, to begin speaking in Arabic "Ashraf, I would like to ask you if you are willing to live on our ind.


    I know that the cold can be somewhat annoying but I can promise you that if you ept, Nordic citizenship will be granted to all yourpanions and their families.


    This will also grant you a house in this port and your children will be able to go to school where they will learn and be fed.


    The mission of your men will be quite simple. They will only have to take care of the port. For that work they will have a pay of 5 silver coins each month, for each of the 15 warriors.


    They will have the right to soaps, and any other strategic material produced in the tribe. Of course, if they want more they will have to use their own money. "


    Ashraf, who had finished eating clean his mouth using a napkin, although he had never used one, had seen Arab noblemen do it.


    "My precious host, you are quite generous with the treatment that you are offering me but tell me what is the real reason why you want me to live in this ce."


    Einar showed a sincere smile "In the future, after building my ind, I will help one of my inws to conquer an ind with which I will have a way to reach the Emirate of Córdoba.


    Although I speak Arabic and I know many of the customs, I will need a person or people who can serve as a guide in the beautiful cities of the penins to start a thriving trade.


    That will require talking with the hierarchs of the cities and nobles. I myself am a noble, but ording to the hierarchy of the emirate.


    First, they would be the Arabs and Syrians, then they would be the Berbers,ter they would be the Mdi, almost to the end there would be the Jews and Mozarabic.


    I would be in that ce, so I couldn''t achieve much, but you should be higher in the hierarchy or I''m wrong. "


    Ashraf showed a bit of surprise "My mother was an Arab woman and my father was a Mozarabic so I am a Mdi, although neither of our families nor we follow the path of the prophet and his rules.


    But you are right that I can help you form a sessful trading situation with the emirate, but you will have to have great things if you want to get gold coins. "


    Einar opened his hands "The gold in this ce does not serve me. I want ves and raw materials such as saltpeter or animals such as elephants and camels.


    I am sure that the Berber merchants will be happy to sell Christian ves, thousands of them I will need to build my own empire. "


    Ashraf, seeing the ambition in Einar''s eyes, could only feel a sense of fear and admiration because he had seen those eyes before with the Emir of Córdoba.


    "I am willing to ept your bargain but I would like to ask for a noble title when you aplish your task."


    Einar stroked his mustache "I can do it but you should know that our form of government is different from anything you have seen.


    Although the title of noble will give you status and you will have the right to build your own pce or fortress.


    You will not be able to govern anynd because only the people will be able to govern themselves, following the guidance of the emperor who will be me.


    But I could do something for you and your people. I could give you a small ind where you would be vassals.


    In return, they would only have to pay a number of gold coins and you would have to provide Christian ves.


    The ind isrge enough to support a poption of 80,000 or more.


    But its main function would be to be a bastion against any invasion of the Christian kingdoms. We can also, on our part, conquer the entire northern part of the great ind where youe from. "


    Ashraf, who was quite interested, looked at Einar "Why not conquer herpletely?"


    Einar only sighed "There are not enough people to maintain a gigantic ind and our development nucleus is in this ce.


    You should also know that the Vikings attacked the Christian kingdoms because they already tasted the pleasure of gold and pige. "


    Ashraf just smiled "If that''s the problem you shouldn''t worry, the pagan empire of the Franks is in a bloody civil war.


    It is possible that the Vikings you speak of are more interested in attacking the richnds of the continent than arge ind where the sun hardly rises. "


    Einar felt a great series of emotions because he knew that historically there should not be a civil war in the Frank empire of Emperor Ludovico.


    Somehow this just made him feel like he had to constantly increase his soldiers in order to better protect his people.


    Since he didn''t know what kind of chaos there would be in the future, so he could only wait and see how it all yed out.


    Although despite this, if all the Norse focused their conquests and looting on the continent, Einar was sure that he could initiate a conquest of the entire British ind.


    He might not be able to take some Scottish towns or settlements in the beginning, but the entire southern part would bepletely annexed.


    It could even incite the Cordovan Emirate to put an end to the kingdom of Asturias once and for all, thuspletely dominating the penins.


    With this threat in the south and the threat from the north, the Frank empire would not have the energy to attack its conquerednds, so it could prepare for an eventual invasion.


    Even if he was expelled from Europe, his n is to expand in rich America where the true development of the empire he founded will be.


    "Ashraf, you are right, to conquer the whole ind but I will also give you a southern ind that is smaller but has a better climate.


    Your main reason will be to be able to be a defense zone and the main bastion in case of an attack from the continent.


    They will be the same terms that I mentioned to you, with the only difference that I will give you unlimited building materials to turn that ind into a real floating castle.


    What you do in that ce does not interest me, but you must guarantee the ves and the payment of gold. "


    Ashraf nodded and rising from his chair showed he crouched down to show that he agreed to be a faithful follower of Einar.


    Nelda, who had been listening to the whole talk without understanding a single word, just looked at Ashraf''s action with curiosity.


    <em>''I guess I''ll earn enough gold to recoup my investment.. I can''t wait to go back and tell Anders about this business.''</em>