《The Rise of Rurik》


 Chapter 1: Ottos return

    Chapter 1: Otto''s return


    Thirty dragonhead warships sailed in the Gulf of Find during autumn. Each warship, boasting a proud dragonhead and towering sails, was being swept by the autumn northeast winds, heading westward. However, the warships, like overstuffed dragons, had their decks piled high with numerous tributes, their heavy burden slowing their progress considerably. Despite the rowers best efforts, they could not match their speed on the outward journey.


    All the rowers were filled with hope for the future, just like in the spring, the Svear people had once again provided them with abundant tribute. This autumns journey was equally fruitful, and a middle-aged man with a beard a foot long stood on the deck tform, gazing into the distance. That direction was home, and with the sessful tribute collection, his tribe would spend the winter in abundance.


    This man was Otto, the chief of the rower tribe. Despite his long beard, he was only forty-five years old. A long career of sailing and fighting had given him a muscr build and a body covered in scars. He was a warrior of his tribe, always leading his people to victories against neighboring tribes and solidifying their power in central Scandinavia.


    However, their homnd was a barrennd with a cold climate and only brief warmth, allowing only limited crops. Fishing and hunting were crucial for survival, until they began emting other tribes, navigating warships towards the mysterious south.


    Thanks to their ancestors bravery, the tribe had found a route through the Neva River mouth into Svear territory. Otto vividly remembered his grandfather leading a thousand warriors on an expedition, quickly defeating the Svears counterattacks and forcing their submission.


    Since then, every spring and autumn, tribute ships would acquire vast amounts of valuable goods from the Svear. Thinking of this, Otto turned his head with satisfaction, looking at the treasures on the deck wrapped in linen  fine fabrics, furs, pottery filled with honey, fish, precious salt, and flour.


    Moreover, Otto particrly valued a wooden box, even secured with a fine iron chain. This box, along with others, was not something the Svear, skilled in woodworking, could make; it was Roman-made, filled with Roman copper coins. Otto knew that far to the southy a great nation called Rome, and the Svear maintained a trade route with them. Through fur trading, the Svear had amassed many copper coins, which were now valuable for trade with other tribes.


    Now, all the copper coins, including the furs from the tribute, belonged to the tribe. The autumn campaigns wealth was entirely due to the tribes military might. With seven hundred warriors wearing metal helmets and chain mail, armed with axes and spears, and robust in stature, they were formidable. Thergest Svear town, Novgorod, had only five thousand inhabitants.


    The Svear, disunited with various family agendas, had no choice but to submit tributes to avoid disaster. At least for now, they dared not resist fiercely, or rather, they had once resisted and failed, forcing them to bow to the stronger force.


    Brother, will we spend the night ashore or stay at sea tonight? Ottos brother asked.


    Ashore. Well stay one night and continue sailing in the morning, Otto instructed his brother Oggel. As the war drums sounded, the fleet began to turn. Like other tribes, they were skilled rowers, known as the best rowers in theirnguage, Rus. They were the Rus tribe.


    The warriors rowed vigorously, and the ships rushed to the beach. They jumped off and tied the ships to trees and rocks to secure them. Soon, a bonfire was lit, and the aroma of grilled fish filled the air. Only then did Otto remove his helmet, sitting by the fire, eating the herring his brother had grilled for him.


    Brother, tomorrow well pass through thend of the Goths. We might encounter their fishermen or even face their attacks, Oggel warned.


    Dont worry about them. We are many, and no force dares attack us, Otto replied confidently while eating his fish.


    But I have an inexplicable worry.


    Why?


    Were carrying a lot of treasures. They might covet our wealth.


    Otto shook his head: Are you worried about those Goths because of this?


    Theyve raided us before! Oggel reminded.


    Yes, they have. But look at our seven hundred brothers; theyre no match for us.


    Still, I fear losses. Were like slow-moving turtles.


    No matter! Otto reassured, patting his brothers shoulder. Let theme. Well fight at sea and utterly defeat them.


    Oggel, like most in the n, was obedient to the chief. Since Otto became chief of the Rus tribe, they had never faced defeat. Hoping his fears were misced, Oggel ate his fish, set up a tent, andy on the beach in armor until dawn.


    A new journey began! Tribe chief Otto remained confident, backed by two thousand warriors. His small tribe of eight thousand on Scandinaviannd was a force to be reckoned with. Otto was confident about the Goths, knowing many had moved south, leaving only a few on the inds  mere fishermen.


    Should he worry about an attack by armed fishermen? Otto thanked his brothers concern but remained proud. Todays passage through Gond would be smooth. However, since his brother had raised the point, perhaps other warriors also had concerns. A little caution was a good thing.

 Chapter 2: Deviation

    Chapter 2: Deviation


    In the early morning, the sea was covered with thick salt fog, causing fear among the people.


    Otto, maybe its not suitable to set sail now, wait until the fog disperses


    No! Otto denied his brothers suggestion, Are you afraid of this fog in addition to the Goths?


    Faced with his brothers question, Ogier immediately denied it: Im not afraid of those threats, nor the fog. I am very worried about the things beneath the sea.


    Sea monsters? Are you worried they will destroy our fleet?


    They do exist, we must be on guard. Watching his brothers anxious eyes, Otto felt a twinge in his heart. His brother was indeed not wrong. This vast sea area is both abundant and dangerous, and the huge warships could easily be destroyed by monster attacks.


    Besides monsters, the fleet needed to be wary of the fishermen on those inds. Because today, the fleet was about to pass by Gond Ind! Should they continue to linger here? No!


    Because Otto knew, the beach they were currently on could also be discovered by other tribes. They are another group of people, speaking a differentnguage, weak inbat, but numerous in number! Otto thought for a moment, then made a decisive decision:


    Even with the fog, we must set sail! Be careful, we might be attacked by people on shore.


    In fact, what the chief of the Ros tribe, Otto, was worried about was the people of Pris.


    Nowadays, the inhabitants of the eastern part of the Baltic Sea are just like a scattered tribe. Attack them for more wealth? No!


    Otto didnt want to do that, simply because those tribes of Pris were too poor. Besides, his main task now was to bring all the wealth back home. Because, there were not only his tribespeople but also his pregnant wife waiting for him. However, his brother Ogier mentioned the fear within the team, which needed to be reversed.


    Otto put on his steel helmet, and held aloft his long sword Destroyer with a ruby-encrusted hilt, gathering his subordinates around him.


    Brothers! Are you afraid of the fog? Or the sea monsters? Dont be afraid, I will lead you as always, we will leave here quietly, not attracting any attention.


    Ottos long sword Destroyer, a legacy from his grandfather, is also a symbol of the tribal leader.


    Dont worry about anything, we are invincible in battle! We will fight any enemies we encounter! Brothers! If you suddenly find yourself sitting in a chariot, seeing a white-robed fairy driving the horses. Dont worry! Because you are already dead! You will go to Valha and fight alongside the gods!


    As soon as these words were spoken, a cheer erupted from the crowd. Even Ottos brother Ogier felt much less worried. The people revered this long sword, as well as their leader. Seeing that the tension had eased among everyone, Otto did not say more.


    He continued to wave his sword: Brothers, follow me home. Now, let us return to the ship and leave here!


    The people pushed the stranded warship back into the sea, they retracted the sails, and started rowing hard towards the north. At least, they thought it was north Otto, always in armor, stood at the bow of the ship, unafraid of the fog, but he did not expect the fog to bring a special resultthey had deviated from their course.


    Otto could not urately determine his position and course in the sea fog, but he himself was a good navigator. ording to his judgment, the fleet was indeed heading north.


    But the fleet had already deviated significantly, and they were closer to the west. When the fogpletely dissipated, those with good eyesight on the ship saw inds in the distance.


    Leader, whats happening? What are the inds ahead?! one of Ottos subordinates reported anxiously. At this moment, Ottos face was like iron.


    Fight? Fighting is certainly possible, that is the way of life for all tribes in this bay, as necessary as eating and sleeping. And Ogier had already realized everything, he nervously approached his brother: Brother, thats the ind of the Goths. Werent we supposed to head north?


    Instead, we have been heading west. Its already happened, we must turn immediately. We must avoid a battle with them. The dragon-headed warship, low in the water and fast in speed, quickly changed course. This time, they finally found the true north.


    Otto again ordered: Brothers, stay alert, beware of attackers.


    Through the order, ten warships gathered together, those carrying the most treasures were ced in the middle, and Ottos ship, as the gship, was now at the front.


    They maintained this formation and continued to sail, rowing continuously until night fell. The fleet finally found a deserted small ind, like many uninhabited inds in the bay, simr in appearance with only barren rocks.


    People secured the ships with ropes, then, scattered lights flickered on the deste ind. After a day of rowing, even the strongest warriors showed signs of fatigue, but no one privately took the transported goods, even though they included precious honey. Today we almost encountered those people, fortunately, we discovered the deviation in time.


    Otto, still in armor and lying on the rocks, shared his thoughts with his brother, The fog came at the wrong time, but from tomorrow, our voyage will be smooth. Yes! We almost encountered the Goths.I I dont want to fight them.


    If we had encountered them, they might not have attacked us! After all, we are numerous and powerful. Sleep peacefully, my brother. Otto finally patted his brothers helmet, and then fell into a deep sleep.


    That night, everyone rested very peacefully, because they all truly believed that the road ahead would be safe. Even in just two more days of sailing, everyone could return to the tribe, where their eagerly awaiting fathers, brothers, and wives, and all the tribespeople expecting a victorious return, were waiting.


    But will the road ahead really be smooth? This era was not short of people with excellent vision. Otto and his warriors lit many bonfires on the deste ind, exposing themselves. Although the Goths had left the ind inrge numbers hundreds of years ago, their development in the mysterious south was unimaginable to the people of the bay. But indeed, many bay people had gone to the south, and many wonderful messages had reached the bay, even the most remote icynds of the north.


    In fact, Ottos ancestors were pursuing this wonderful legend, but they did not explore the unknown world towards the western exit of the bay like others, but went straight to the east and finally found another group of people living on endlessly mildnd. They were a wealthy but weaklybative group, and now, they had submitted to the Ros tribe.


    The fishermen of Gond Ind noticed the flickering bonfires on the ind in the night, and this important intelligence was immediately sent back to the ind.


    Who were those lighting the bonfires? Allies? Or enemies? The inders almost instantly concludedthey were enemies!


    The Sviya people. The Sviya people, that is, hundreds of yearster, would form one of the most powerful tribes among the many Swedish tribes.

 Chapter 3: Viking Style Battle

    Chapter 3: Viking Style Battle


    Now, the inders of Gond have submitted to the powerful Danes.


    The Danes, they are the masters of the entire bay today, controlling the entire Jund Penins. Their influence is not only prating deep into the European continent but also expanding to the Scandinavian Penins to the north.


    Denmark, this tribal conglomerate, is forming into a nation. At this time, having gained the submission of the Gonders, the enemies of the Danes are also the enemies of the Goths of the ind.


    The most significant threat to the Daneses from the Norwegians and the Svear people on the Scandinavian Penins.


    These two groups are also on the path of forming nations, possessing strong forces and ambitions equal to those of the Danes.


    The morning sea breeze blows across the barren ind, different from yesterday, at least today there is a slight northeast wind, and the fog did not appear.


    But the sentry on high alert, soon after waking up, noticed something unusual on the sea with his excellent vision.


    He ran around his sleeping brothers, shouting rms.


    Enemies! The enemies have appeared!


    Everyone, get ready! Prepare for battle!


    They are a tribe very sensitive to battle. Hearing battle once, Otto, usually unflustered, got up.


    He tidied up his cold-resistant animal skins, looking at the approaching ships, and calmly drew his sword.


    Otto shouted towards the sky: Warriors of Odin, the time for battle hase! Let us defeat these enemies, take their belongings, and present more gifts to our tribe!


    After a roar, everyones fighting spirit was thoroughly ignited.


    Everyone knew the enemy was getting closer, and there was no time to untie the moored ships. As for immediate evacuation? No! That would be cowardly!


    The enemy was already in front of them, only a head-on confrontation would honor the ancestors and be worthy of entering the temple after dying in battle.


    However, Otto was not a reckless man. He realized the ind had many boulders, perfect for cover.


    They had arge number of ships, just lying lonely on the beach. Otto and his seven hundred warriors quickly hid.


    Escape? No! Otto thought of a clever n to ambush the enemy as soon as theynded.


    Indeed, the moment Otto was anticipating was happening step by step.


    Up to ten ships approached the ind, all armed fishermen from Gond, this operation was essentially armed reconnaissance.


    Two hundred men, led by a leader, sessfullynded on the ind. When they saw the numerous dragonhead warships, they were sure of their judgment.


    Indeed, these are the ships of the Svear people, nning to attack us!


    The Danes and their rtives in the north have been in constant conflict, but not really in a state of war.


    After all, looting and trade are part of their way of life, even considered quite normal.


    The small leader ordered all his men to disembark, two hundred men with round shields, axes, and spears cautiously approached the seemingly stranded dragonhead warships.


    Looking secretly, they did not find anything unusual, and the world was eerily quiet.


    But as the bold ones boarded the warships and saw the numerous jars and containers under the canvas, their worries vanished.


    Haha! These are their transport ships! the small leaderughed, discovering honey.


    Leader! ording to the rules, we will all share these goods.


    No, ording to the rules, part goes to them (referring to the Danes), the rest is mine. These are goods that the Svear people robbed or bought from the south, now all ours, the leader said strictly.


    But where are the Svear people? Where did they go?


    Maybe, because we are many and strong, those guarding the cargo ran away? Forget about them, lets untie the ropes now, we have captured all the ships, a great achievement!


    The joy of victory immediately filled thending team.


    The leader asked his men to untie the ropes first, but more people were interested in the cargo.


    The beach became chaotic.


    Meanwhile, Otto and his men hiding, seeing these pirates trying to take their wealth, their eyes filled with blood.


    It took the seven hundred men nearly twenty days to bring all the goods here, were they to be stolen by some pirates from Gond?


    The people of the entire bay, their battles tended more to individual fights, but not purely personalbat.


    Although each warrior of the Ros tribe has good personalbat ability, prolongedbat has forced everyone to follow some tactics. For example, Ottos ambush is a tactic.


    And it was a very sessful tactic.


    Brothers! Annihte these enemies!


    Otto was the first to stand up from his hiding ce, holding his ruby-iid longsword Destroyer, and continued to shout: Warriors of Odin, fight!


    Suddenly, hundreds of people emerged from the hidden crevices between the rocks, not only numerous but also well-equipped.


    More importantly, everyone understood the wealth of thirty warships belonged to the entire tribe, also their own wealth.


    They had amon goal  to defend their wealth.


    Just for this, to eliminate these thieves, could there be mercy?


    A crazy battle ensued on this deste, unnamed ind.


    One side was angry and numerous, the other not too few in number but already lost their fighting spirit.


    The Ros tribe showed their most ferocious side, the hastily formed line of defense of the armed Gond inders was instantly broken.


    Then came the time for individualbat, and for these inders, they should think not of defeating these Svear people but of finding a way to escape.


    What a tragedy! Brothers, lets retreat! This is a trap!


    The leader chose to flee, thanks to their recentnding, the ships were not securely moored, and there was enough time to escape.


    More than fifty people led by the leader boarded their own ships, seeing the enemy about to escape, Otto, who had fallen into a frenzied battle, suddenly reacted, waving his hand towards the direction of the fleeing enemy: Dont let them go! Kill them all!


    Thus, a group of madmen with axes and spears rushed over, the Gond inders leader was horrified.


    In the chaos, he urged his men to push the ship, while ordering the archers to use arrows to repel the Svear peoples attack.


    Arrows fired from individual short bows flew towards the charging Ros tribe warriors, something Otto and his men had not anticipated.

 Chapter 4: The End and the Birth

    Chapter 4: The End and the Birth


    Many of Ottos warriors, caught off-guard in the battle, had not even donned their chainmail, only wearing leather arm and knee guards, helmets, and hastily grabbing round shields and battle axes to join the fight. Ironically, an arrow struck Ottos left arm, a spot only covered by thin clothing.


    The pain did nothing to quell his anger. He furiously pulled the arrow out, indifferent to the bleeding, and continued tomand his troops to attack. His brother was the bravest among them.


    Brother! Are you alright?! Ogier, concerned about his wounded brother, called out loudly.


    Ogier, keep fighting and wipe out those damned archers!


    Understood! I will cut off their fingers that draw the bows!


    Ogier led with great confidence, his warriors behind him in a trance-like state, perhaps unafraid of death, as dying in battle was the only way to Valha. Of course, living a brave life and peacefully passing away surrounded by descendants also led to Valha.


    At this moment, the chieftain of Gond realized the dire situation. The Scandinavians had formidablebat strength, like an elite force, and everything seemed like a trap. He even feared that the Scandinavians would soon go to war with the Danes. What would be of Gond, caught in the middle?


    But these were no longer his concerns. Seeing his men nearly all dead and the few who had risen in rank losing the chance to escape, he realized surrender was not an optionthey would not spare him.


    Thus, he chose to fight to the death, believing that after death, the Valkyries would lead him to Odin in Valha. Yes, even centuriester, those who stayed in Gond, like the Ros tribe to the north, still revered Odin.


    Ogier fought in the shallow waters, striking down numerous foes, bing like a wild beast. In a moment of despair, the chieftain, armed with a short spear, charged at the bravest warrior. Caught off guard, Ogier watched in shock as the spear pierced his body.


    Its you! In rage, Ogier used hisst strength to crush his opponents skull, then fell powerless into the sea.


    A sudden Viking-style battle erupted, ending as quickly as it started. The Ros tribe, with 700 men, overpowered the Gondersnding on the shore. With only ten dead and twenty wounded, it was a decisive victory.


    The warriors celebrated, especially their leader Otto, who, like his namesake derived from Odin, seemed to have gained some power, achieving such a victory with minimal losses. But was this really a victory for Otto?


    His brother, barely alive, was dragged to the shore. Otto, who hadnt cried in ages, now wept bitterly.


    Brother dont be sad for me


    No! Youll be safe.


    Dont be foolish. I already see Brunhilde calling me, I see the chariot, shes beckoning me.


    Ogier, hallucinating in his final moments, was unafraid of death, believing he would join Odin in Valha.


    Brother, I only worry about one thing. My son, please take care of him, teach him.


    Yes, I will.


    As Otto finished speaking, Ogiers clear blue eyes dimmed.


    He has epted the Valkyries call, Otto gentlyid down his brothers body and stood up, addressing his exhausted warriors: We must take our fallen brothers home. We must take all the enemys possessions, especially their weapons and their lost ships. Were returning to our tribe to tell the elders and the young of our battle and sacrifices. Lets go, end this.


    What else could be done but to ept it all?


    This was the Viking way of life, whether for the Gonders, the Scandinavians, or the Ros tribe. Fighting and sacrifice coexisted in the resource-scarce Dark Lands of Scandinavia and itsplex bays. People could only survive this way.


    Otto, immersed in the pain of losing his brother, couldnt show any more sorrow to his men. He quickly bandaged his wound with cloth and continued the voyage. Meanwhile, in a small bay in the central part of the long Scandinavian Penins, the Ros tribes homnd, nearly eight thousand people lived around the bay, mainly the Ros tribe that had persisted for generations, along with thousands who had fled other tribes and chose to coexist with them. Now, they were one.


    People eagerly awaited their leaders return with abundant goods, especially his wife Nia, who felt the stirrings of pregnancy as her husband departed. Perhaps the child would be born soon after his fathers return, and indeed, a healthy baby boy was born.


    This was an exceptionally beautiful and unique baby boy. After brief distress, his bright blue eyes curiously observed everything around him. Nia adored her son, her third child. Tragically, her first child had drowned, and the second had died hunting a pr bear. After her grief, Nia cherished this child immensely, willing to give him all her love. His calm demeanor delighted her.


    But a female elder in the tribe sensed something unusual. In a quiet moment, she revealed her dream to Nia and the child: Dear Nia, perhaps its a prophecy from Odin. Your child is extraordinary, as if not of this world. He will bring us greatness, a bright future, leading us away from this savagend. The elder spoke many ttering words, which Nia initially weed but didnt fully believe. Could Odin have really blessed her child with a prophecy?


    But over time, Nia increasingly noticed her childs uniqueness. Now older and lucky to have a healthy child, she observed his clear eyes, seemingly understanding her words, as if born with wisdom and his own thoughts.


    In their wooden and animal skin tent, Nia was pleasantly surprised to find it easy to care for her child. Though he couldnt speak, different grunts signaled his needs for eating or toileting.


    In just five days, the child grew noticeably, and a tacit understanding formed between Nia and her son. The entire tribe quickly learned of this, and the white-haired elder who first noticed the anomaly became more certain of her initial judgment.


    News spread that Chief Ottos son was blessed by Odin and would be the tribes leader, bringing prosperity to the tribe.


    This child was indeed extraordinary. Now in a tiny body, Liu Li observed the world with blurry eyes, facing an absurd reality: he had time-traveled and be a baby.


    The strange people around him had Nordic faces, speaking anguage both foreign and familiar. The environment was primitive, like ancient times. This was indeed the past! In just a few days, he was certain the woman holding him was his mother, and he was in arge bay vige.


    asionally taken outside by his mother, the cold wind and salty air on his face, Liu Li observed everything with fearful eyes. Nia intentionally showed her miraculous child to as many people as possible, and Liu Li witnessed astonishing scenes.


    At the rudimentary dock were ships with high sails and distinctive dragon heads, the iconic Viking longships. Liu Li saw many warriors with blue eyes and blonde hair, always carrying painted round shields on their backs and short swords, axes, or daggers on their belts.


    They are Vikings, and I am I also a Viking? Liu Li had to ept this absurd fact. He, a man of engineering, might have to be a Viking warrior like these Nordic men.


    Fighting desperately? No! Wouldnt wisdom be the better choice? But now that it was so, he had to survive.


    Survive just survive

 Chapter 5: Rossburg

    Chapter 5: Rossburg


    So, our protagonist Liu Li, now incarnated as an infant, is born in a small bay in the central part of the Scandinavian Penins. This ce is also the settlement of the Ross tribe, simply known as Rossburg by the Ross people.


    But, after all, he is just a baby,pletely dependent on his birth mother for survival.


    After a few days, Liu Li finally understood his situation. Could he instantly ept this reality? Bing a part of these people, dressed like ancient human tribes?


    However, he is just a baby. Now, Liu Li has plenty of time to understand his circumstances. What he didnt know was that his biological father, leading hundreds of warriors and carrying wealth obtained from plundering and fighting, was on his way to Rossburg. At this moment, Niya could clearly sense something unusual about her child.


    For example, the child always looked at her with his charming and lovely deep blue eyes, as if he had an urgent desire to observe and remember everything he saw and heard.


    Child, do you, like your father, have an endless longing for the outside world? Do you want to explore it so much?


    Oh! You are still too young, but when you grow up, you will surely be a great warrior, or even our leader Niya had many blessings to offer her beloved son, hoping that he would not get into trouble before growing a beard.


    But, all boys of the tribe, when they reach a certain age, are educated by veteran warriors to develop fighting skills.


    Like all the tribes of Scandinavia, the Ross tribe isnt naturally strong inbat; they spend considerable time honing theirbat skills.


    Niya, patting her childs back, trying to soothe him to sleep, found that the child kept his eyes wide open, moving his mouth as if he wanted to say something.


    Niya couldnt understand these situations, the only exnation seemed to be the prophecy of the female elder  this child was no ordinary person, he was blessed by Odin, and his life would bring glory to the tribe.


    Niya was excited about this, and as time passed, she became increasingly concerned about another big event  the return of the warriors who went to collect tributes from the Sveig people, which was due in a few days. Like many women of the tribe, she eagerly awaited the return of her husband and son with abundant wealth.


    In these days, the atmosphere in Rossburg grew increasingly lively. People began to talk about how the wonderful goods brought back by the warriors would be distributed among the families and eventually to every tribe member. How much treasure would fall into her own hands?


    Niya was well aware that the world had changed. In the past, every member of the tribe, even the smallest child, had a right to a share of the spoils.


    Now, only adult men who have undergone a rite of passage are entitled to a share. And for growing boys, this rite of passage is to participate in a battle, proving themselves as real men.


    As the wife of the leader, Niya knew well that her small family would benefit greatly from this action.


    Wealth was indeed timely, as it would allow her family tofortably support the little one through his first winter.


    Finally, the warriors fleet was approaching the port of Rossburg! The tribal fishermen, fishing for herring in the Baltic Sea, were the first to spot the approaching fleet. Initially, the fishermen were on high alert.


    After all, in this era, fishermen also doubled as sea rogues, not minding plundering a lonely boat from a non-allied tribe. This time, therge fleet raised wide sails, moving towards the port with the autumn northeastern wind.


    Those with excellent vision immediately recognized that the neers were not enemies, mainly because of a dragon-head warship in the fleet, its sail printed with a unique pattern.


    It was the image of two crossed oars, a great achievement for the Ross tribe. Interestingly, the pattern on the sail was not made by the Ross tribe themselves. The movable oars symbolize the name of the Ross tribe.


    Although the tribe mastered hemp textile technology, theycked cloth dyeing techniques. All symbols of the Ross tribes oar were made by their southern allies, the Sveig people. The Sveig people were arge alliance of tribes, and the Ross tribe was essentially part of them.


    However, due to their northern location, the Ross tribe maintained its autonomy while also hoping to keep peace with their southern brothers, at least to avoid conflicts.


    All printed oar-patterned fabrics were made by southern allies, so some Ross tribes dragon-head warships sewed them on their sails to dere friendly identity to their own people and allies, and to announce their presence to enemies.


    Otto, standing on the deck, deliberately lowered the sail to announce his triumphant return to the tribal elders. He also ordered all rowers to keep rowing, not only to speed up but also to constantly adjust the course.


    Otto soon met with the tribes fishing boats, and after brief negotiations, the fleet moved forward.


    The apanying fishing boats saw apletely different scene from when they departed. Some warships were towing small boats with decorations on their bows that were clearly not of their own tribe or allies. Even the fishermen could guess that Ottos journey was not just about collecting tributes; they had engaged in battle, and it was fruitful!


    Yes, Ottos hundreds of warriors fought on an unnamed desert ind against a group of Gonders.


    The biggest gain was arge amount of weapons. Although iron-making technology had reached Scandinavia, known as thend of darkness, many deste hills were actually iron ore.


    All Viking-rted tribes had the ability to produce charcoal for iron-making, but they preferred to obtain metal from enemies and smelt it into tools at home. They could mine and extract pure iron by burning rocks.


    Especially in the main territories of the Sveig tribes, whererge iron ore veins were hidden. The only thing theycked was the insight to discover the ores!


    Therefore, Otto, following traditional thinking, took away all the enemys battle axes and swords. The death of his brother was a painful event, as was the great sorrow of his brothers son.


    As the childs uncle, Otto knew very well that ording to tribal tradition, he was about to seed his father.


    Home, a cold yet warmnd, the hometown was right ahead, the small bay, the happy Rossburg. Otto looked ahead and saw arge number of boats weing the fleet. Otto, he already heard the cheers of his people!

 Chapter 6: Bestowing the name

    Chapter 6: Bestowing the name


    Dragon-headed warships sailed towards the bay.


    One of Niyas maids, with an exhrating smile, burst into the tent, Niya, its the leader! Hes back with the men!


    Ah! Hes back?!


    At this moment, the overexhausted Liu Li, who had fallen asleep due to poverty, had his infant body suddenly lifted from the cradle.


    Unlike a normal infant startled by such a scare, he did not cry his heart out.


    Instead, he was held in the arms of his birth mother who abruptly left the tent.


    In a few days, Niya hadpletely gotten used to the abnormality of her son, which perhaps was normal for this child.


    She murmured, Dear baby, youre about to meet your father. You dont even have a name yet; your father will give you a beautiful one.


    In the swaddle, Liu Li stared with wide eyes, unaware of what the wrinkled-faced, blonde woman holding him was muttering about, but it sounded like English.


    If they were Vikings, theirnguage would definitely be Norse.


    Liu Li, a man of science, had once been forced to take the English Level Six test. He knew well that one important origin of English came from the Norsenguage of the Scandinavian Penins.


    Now, everything seemed like a dream, and Liu Li, the infant, had no choice but to be brought by his birth mother to the docks.


    At this moment, Liu Li widened his barely world-aware eyes, seeing the world still a bit blurry due to his young age.


    He could at least see clearly that it was a bay, and today, numerous ships were docking.


    People were cheering on the dock, weing the arrival of a massive fleet.


    Niya, holding the child, looked eagerly and soon saw her husband, a handsome man with arge beard.


    In Niyas eyes, Otto was a great being, the bravest warrior, and a leader the entire tribe could trust.


    Niya, holding the child in her left hand and waving her right, called out Ottos name loudly.


    However, her calls were drowned in the cheers of the people.


    Seeing the people of his hometown, Ottos tense nerves finally rxed.


    His expression softened as the ships approached the shallows. He was the first to jump off and, pulling on the ropes, used the ships momentum to run it aground.


    One after another, dragon-headed warshipsden with goods were intentionally run aground, and under Ottosmand, the unloading of goods began immediately.


    The people of Rosfort excitedly inspected the wonderful items the leader brought back, but on one warship, someone uncovered a bup to reveal the bodies of ten fallen warriors.


    The joyous expressions of those who saw this instantly vanished.


    They all knew these dead warriors, members of their tribe, now lying in the ships hold with fatal wounds.


    The discovery of the dead warriors caused a stir at the unloading site.


    Meanwhile, Otto, who had justnded, did not go to the tribal elders council hall but instead found his wife.


    Otto had already seen his wife and the infant in her swaddle.


    His wifes appearance had changed greatly, so the child in the swaddle was indeed his own.


    Otto excitedly stood in front of his wife, ignoring the advice of other tribespeopleing to him, and pulled his wife to a slightly quieter ce.


    Ottos family stood on a small tform made of stones, from where most of the bay was visible, and this was also the ce where the young couple used to meet secretly.


    Once upon a time, the young Otto was very lucky to win the beautiful Niyas heart, and their marriage was blessed by the elders. Otto did not disappoint and won thepetition to choose the tribes leader.


    But for Otto, the greatest misfortune in his forty years of life was the idental death of his two sons.


    In 9th-century Scandinavia, it was extremely difficult for a baby to safely reach adulthood.


    Otto believed his victory in the arena and leading the tribes warriors to victory were blessings from Odin. But he had no healthy heirs, perhaps a price to be paid?


    Now, it seemed things were changing.


    Niya joyfully informed her husband, Dear Otto, this is our third son. Look at his deep blue eyes, so much like yours.


    Ah! This is my son!


    Otto, excited, tremblingly took the child from his wifes hands, lifting him above his head.


    After all, this was his son, and at this moment, Ottopletely forgot the pain of the arrow wound on his left arm, happily lifting his child as if lifting the future of the tribe.


    At this moment, Liu Li stared with wide eyes, seeing the typical Viking helmet-wearing, sweat-smelling, blonde strong man in front of him, his real father in this world?


    Liu Li stared at the mans weather-beaten face without crying or making a fuss, surprising Otto.


    Hey! Niya, is our child always like this? He doesnt cry at all!


    Yes! He is very special. Niya eagerly spoke of the words of the female elder,


    Our Granny Velia, the wisest woman in our tribe. The night I gave birth to this child, Granny Velia had a strange dream. She must have received a revtion from Odin. She told me the son of the Ros chief will be blessed and lead us to prosperity.


    Ah?! Hearing this, Ottos gaze at his child suddenly changed.


    Those round, cute, deep blue eyes were no longer just adorable; they seemed like Odin himself was using the childs eyes to scrutinize him.


    Continuing to hold his child high, Otto hesitated for a while, then muttered to the child, My son, can you really inherit my cause and bring prosperity to the tribe?!


    At this moment, Liu Li knew hecked the ability to speak, his vocal cords too immature. He could only make hmm sounds, not knowing what the man holding him was saying, but it felt like a question.


    Liu Li instinctively made two non-expressive hmms, and this so-called hmm sound shocked Otto and his wife.


    In their eyes, the childs response was clearly affirmative.


    Niyas eyes widened as she looked at Otto, He responded to you.


    I understand now!


    Otto slowly put down the child, looking at his beloved Niya, We must raise him. This child must be the leader of the tribe in the future.


    Niya nodded, The elders already know this. They have acknowledged that this child is extraordinary. Now, theres only one problem, please give him a name!


    The elders havent named him yet? Otto asked in surprise.


    How could they? You are the tribes leader, this is your child, only you can give him a suitable name.


    Otto nodded, pondering for a while, then a name came to mind, Lets call him Rurik.


    Oh? Why Rurik?


    Rurik, meaning once again prosperous. Also, because his brother, Orgeirs son, is named Arik. The names of the two children sound simr. Dear Niya, from now on, you will be Ariks mother as well.


    You Facing her husbands sharp gaze and serious face, Niya suddenly understood the other meaning here.


    Otto, does that mean Orgeir is


    He died in battle, Otto said without changing his expression.


    Oh no! He was your brother.


    But battles always have unavoidable urrences, Otto sighed heavily, trying to cheer up, Hes gone, maybe we shouldnt be too sad. He told everyone in his dying moments that he saw Brunhildes beckoning. He must have been recognized by the Valkyries, and perhaps Orgeir is now a spirit in Valha. Now, at least I have brought Orgeirs body back.


    You We will properly bury him. Bury him in the tribes public cemetery.


    Right! Otto, holding his Rurik, looked affectionately at Niya, Orgeir will be buried with his wealth underground, while his spirit is in Valha. As for Arik, from now on, he is our son.

 Chapter 7: Liu Li got a new name—Rurik

    Chapter 7: Liu Li got a new name¡ªRurik


    Liu Li got a new nameRurik


    Rurik, this name carries Ottos hopes for the child, as its root word is theter vocabry rich.


    Ancient Norse greatly influenced English and German a thousand yearster, and it directly evolved into Swedish and Norwegian.


    Liu Li, after all, understands modern English, so learning the ancestralnguage of English in a short time is not a difficult task.


    However, now, he is still a baby.


    He is too small, even with a decent name, he still needs to be in his birth mothers swaddling clothes. For the next few years, whatever he wishes to do, he is limited by his own weakness and can only be a spectator.


    Liu Li, or rather Rurik. He returned to his mothers arms, and next, its Ottos return to deal with the cargo and the fallen warriors.


    All the deceased were carried off the ship, and their rtives came to im the bodies.


    Here, a naive yet vigorous ten-year-old boy, his gaze nkly fixed on his fathers ashen corpse.


    He just silently watched, as if isted from the tribal members who wereughing and talking loudly due to the arrival of numerous goods.


    This child is Arik, Ottos brother, and Ogiers only son.


    Scandinavia, called the Land of Darkness by the Romans, is a ce where every boy reaching twenty years old is considered a great miracle.


    Not just men, a healthy woman giving birth safely is also a great risk.


    Ariks mother died in childbirth, and ultimately, the boy lost his mother and his unborn brother.


    But he still had his father.


    The Ros tribe is located in the northern part of the Baltic Sea, where its colder, and the harsh living conditions mean the poption is always small, and worse, there are more men than women in the whole tribe!


    If the environment is a test for the men of the tribe, then its an even more severe test for the women.


    Times are changing!


    A mood of departure has begun to emerge in the Ros tribe, with the sharpest idea being that instead of traveling thousands of miles to demand tribute from the Svear people twice a year, its better to just relocate and take over the towns of the Svear people, settling in those warm andfortable areas.


    In fact, the climate inthe Novgorod region is cold, but it is rtively milder than that of Ros Fort.


    At least, thend there can grow wheat.


    Wheat kernels and primary ground flour have a strong appeal to the inhabitants of all of Scandinavia.


    A calloused hand pats a naive shoulder.


    Arik turns his wooden head to see his uncle with a pale face.


    Uncle.


    Arik, Otto says in a deep voice,forting, Your father died in battle, dont be sad for him.


    I


    How could he not be sad, looking at his uncles face, so simr to his fathers, tears flow from the corners of the Viking boys eyes.


    Silly child, you will be a warrior, you should not cry now. Saying this, Otto pats the boys shoulder again, Your father has gone to Valha, led by Brunhild herself. Arik, you must be a warrior, only then can you meet him in Valha.


    Is that true?


    Of course, its true!


    For the entire Ros tribe, their belief in Odin and Valha is unshakable.


    After all, since birth, everyone has been exposed to these concepts, fighting and dying in battle, which are considered as much a part of life as eating and sleeping.


    Arik, from now on I am your father. You know our tradition.


    Arik nods deeply, without saying more.


    In fact, Arik is very clear, bing the adopted son of the chief, he will receive more care, and in future tribal affairs, he will also have more rights.


    But during this time, the news that the chiefs wife had given birth to a child hailed as blessed by Odin was already known to the entire tribe.


    Arik knows very well that this child is his cousin, and now, his blood brother.


    The elders have already confirmed that the child has noble blood. As an elder brother, Arik has already realized that in the future as the child grows, he needs to fulfill his duties as an elder brother.


    Otto continues to hold Ariks shoulder, Do you know what name I gave your brother?


    What?


    Rurik. Hehe, isnt it simr to your name?


    Yes. Is it because of me?


    Not just that, but also because of that oracle. I also learned about the oracle when I returned. My child, your brother will lead our people to glory, and as his brother, you must help him well.


    Arik nods, Like you and my father?


    Yes. Otto smiles and pats Ariks shoulder again, One day, you will fight side by side!


    Soon, all the deceased were buried in the tribes public cemetery.


    Otto ced two Eastern Roman silver coins on Ogiers eyes, then covered them with wood, and finally filled the grave with soil.


    As for Ogiers sword, naturally, it was inherited by his only son, Arik.


    Now, the time is the autumn of 821 AD, and the Svear people of Novgorod have just harvested this years wheat, only to have it partially seized by the Ros tribe who rowed thousands of miles in the name of tribute.


    The climate in the Novgorod region is rtively mild, but the region of Ros Fort is already quite cold.


    Many tribes in Scandinavia do not have the concept of the Anno Domini era, nor even a rigorous method of year counting. Even in terms of writing, only a small number of Scandinavian groups, such as some Norwegian and Danish tribes, began using alphabetic writing.


    But these tribes have very simr legends and myths, passed down orally among the elders.


    How many years the Ros tribe has existed, the elders cannot give a clear number, after all, the tribe has existed for a long time. Therefore, the public cemetery of the tribe also contains many ancestors, corroborating the elders ims.


    After burying all the dead and distributing the wealth, Chief Otto proudly went to the tribes ceremonial house to inform the elders about the events encountered during the voyage.


    ording to the captured battle axes and spears, as well as the special ships, it can be determined that the enemies were fishermen from Gond.


    The Ros tribe does not want to conflict with these people. Otto meant this, and so did all the elders.


    But if theye to attack, a strong counterattack is necessary.


    No one questioned Ottos decision, and the elders even believed that losing only ten men to eliminate two hundred enemies fully demonstrated the fierce fighting strength of the Ros tribe! It also proved that Otto is the best chief.


    Here, the most respected elder is the one known as Grandma Vilia, an over eighty-year-old woman.


    Indeed, Vilia is not only the oldest in the tribe, but her body still seems robust. She is also the priest of the tribe, and people believe that she has established some kind of spiritual connection with Odin. Some even say that perhaps when she dies, she will regain her youth and be another Valkyrie in Valha.


    Vilia, with her aging voice, specifically mentioned the boys matter.


    She asked Otto with an authoritative tone that made him nervous: I have only one crucial question to ask you. My child, have you named that boy?


    Yes! I have named him. Otto proudly dered in front of all the elders: I named him Rurik.


    Its Rurik, Ipletely understand now, Vilia said meaningfully.


    Everyone watched Vilia, her wrinkled old face revealing a reassuring smile.


    Educate your child well, Chief, Vilia said kindly: When Rurik grows up, he will surely be our new chief, everything is arranged by Odin. Now, Chief, you may leave.

 Chapter 8: The first winter

    Chapter 8: The first winter


    After the autumn Sogon voyage, all the acquired wealth was properly distributed.


    Undoubtedly, everyone who participated in this voyage, both the living and the dead, and their families, should have received the best part of the wealth.


    The tribe has always followed this tradition: men who go on expeditions and gain spoils of war, receive more if they participate.


    However, those who did not participate also received a small portion of the wealth.


    Times are changing, as are peoples hearts.


    Especially this time, as those who participated in the Sogon voyage encountered an attack by Gond fishermen along the way, forcing the entire tribe to ponder two things.


    First, the risk of Sogon voyages is potentially enormous.


    Second, those who safely brought back the wealth, should they be entitled to arger share?


    Undoubtedly, the men of the tribe really hoped to participate in the action and gain more wealth. Some even spread the opinion that those who participated in the


    Sogon voyage should divide the wealth ording to their merits, and those who did not participate had no right to a share.


    Indeed, many supported this idea, perhaps just in human selfishness.


    After all, in this Sogon voyage, the tribe deployed a third of its mostbat-capable men, led by the chieftain himself!


    These 700 men were the elite force of the tribe, the backbone, hence their attitude immediately influenced the distribution of wealth this autumn.


    Chief Otto was not apletely selfless man.


    Raised with a warriors education all his life, he relished the adoration of others, was fearless in battle, and passionate about acquiring spoils of war. Of course, he also sought the approval of the gods!


    Especially this time, when holding his dying brother Ogier, who imed to have seen a Valkyrie beckoning, his belief in Valha was reinforced.


    Otto certainly agreed with the warriors views.


    The brave and skilled warriors were proud and had a great desire for wealth.


    But they also had strong self-respect.


    For once, the tribes brothers had to fight to bring back the wealth, and it was unthinkable to ept rewards without contributing.


    After some negotiation, the men of the tribe finally reached a consensus on the distribution of wealth and established clear rules for future distributions. As the tribe had no writtennguage, the rules were established with the elders as witnesses.


    In future Sogon voyages, the acquired wealth would be divided into two parts: half for the participants and their families, and half for the other men of the tribe and their families.


    In any future battles, all participants are entitled to all spoils of war, and in case of death, their share goes to their family, especially their sons.


    Before the first snowfall, the distribution of wealth waspletely finished.


    Up until now, the Ros tribes external actions also came to an end.


    Their presence suddenly vanished in the almost frozen vastness of the Baltic Sea, with Rossburg hidden in the northernmost part of the Gulf of Bothnia, as if disappeared.


    The tribes traditional fishing industry came to a halt, and even hunting in the forests outside their settlements stopped.


    The key reason everyone had to face was the night.


    In the Northern Hemispheres winter, especially in hightitude areas, nights are exceedingly long.


    Rossburgs location is not within the Arctic Circle, but it has almost endless nights in winter, just as it has almost endless days in summer.


    Winter is the most daunting, not knowing that the cold outside can reach minus twenty degrees, but what they do know is that the fish caught in bulk before winter, if left outside the wooden houses, would freeze as hard as stone.


    People build wooden houses with animal fur and hemp cloth for instion, and some poorer families even pile mud outside their houses for warmth.


    Every house has an opening at the top, a vent for the smoke from the indoor bonfire.


    In autumn, they chop and store arge amount of wood for heating in winter.


    At the same time, they always wear thick fur coats.


    In principle, the Ros tribe is the northernmost of all the Scandian tribes, speaking anguage not much different from their southern brothers.


    But their location is too far north.


    Near Rossburg, the nearby sea is not abundant with fish but sufficient to support four or five thousand people through the winter.


    For survival, they are willing to take risks in the dangerous forests.


    Sometimes, Otto leads the men of the tribe into the forest before winter to hunt deer. Upon finding them, a Viking-style hunt unfolds.


    They also often encounter ck and pr bears, and if someone is alone, even with arge Nordic forest axe, its hard to fight back.


    Bear fur is the thickest, and the Ros tribe knows well that a bear skin can be traded with their southern brothers for valuable treasures and can be used to make extremely warm coats and hats for their women.


    After all, those bears endure extreme cold just with their fur,fortably surviving the entire winter!


    As chief, Otto received a substantial share of the wealth.


    He even got honey, a highly prizedmodity, and five sheepskins.


    Perhaps in modern eyes, these dont seem valuable, but in Europe 1200 years ago, they were.


    Ogier died, and his only son Arik inherited all his estate, including the wealth distributed this time.


    Arik was also recognized as Ottos son under the witness of the tribes elders.


    Thus, Arik naturally moved to Ottos house, temporarily taking on the task of helping Niya care for his younger brother.


    The long night enveloped all of Scandinavia, and continuous snowfall plunged the forests around Rossburg into silence. In such low temperatures, few wild animals dared to leave their hiding caves, only a small number of reindeer, with their thick fur, pushed aside the snow with their strong mouths to graze on the grass roots beneath.


    If they could hunt a strong reindeer, its meat would be enough to sustain Ottos family through the winter! Its fur could even be tailored by Niya into enough coats for a family of four to withstand the cold.


    But winter hunting is very dangerous, so the strong Ros tribe preferred to hide in this bay, quietly waiting for the long night to pass.


    They mostly stood outdoors, watching the stars and the bright moon reflecting off the wavy sea surface.


    The sky often shimmered with the Aurora Borealis, believed by the people to be Brynhildrs Parade. Whenever it appeared, all sleeping people were willing to stand in the cold outdoors, wide-eyed, hoping to see the Valkyrie herself.


    Another cold, quiet night.


    Arik, wrapped in a whole bear skin, was awakened by the noise outside.


    Otto and Niya also woke up, including our protagonist Liu Li, or Rurik.


    Arik, go see whats happening, Otto instructed impatiently.


    Yes!


    Arik quickly put on his sheepskin coat and hat, then carefully opened the leather door curtain, only to see thousands of green ribbons freely swaying in the sky.


    Its the Aurora! Arik excitedly returned to the cabin.


    Its them! After Otto got up, he patted Ariks shoulder, Lets go have a good look. You know what that is!


    Its my father!


    Arik firmly believed in the legends, especially after his uncle clearly said that his father was recognized by the gods and taken away by a Valkyrie.


    Thus, Ottos family, regardless of the cold, moved with the entire tribe tonight to witness the magnificent Aurora.


    We cannot guess the ignorance of the Norse Viking tribes 1200 years ago with modern eyes.


    Seeing the Northern Lights, they eagerly needed a beautiful exnation.


    Its the trajectory of the Valkyrie driving her chariot, active only in winter, inspecting people on the ground to find potential lucky ones who could go to Valha in the future.


    Rurik, born just a hundred days ago, curled up in a sheepskin swaddle, held by his birth mother Niya, witnessing the celestial spectacle for the first time.


    Ah! This is the Aurora! This is indeed Scandinavia.


    The scene confirmed Ruriks location, but that was all.


    Rurik could not determine the exact era, and he had many concerns, limited by being just a baby, unable tomunicate with others.


    All Rurik could do now was quietly observe.


    He saw a young boy shouting at the Northern Lights with a crying voice, and


    heard his motherforting the boy with many words.


    Unfortunately, his mind was always in chaos, this body truly was that of a baby, and fatigue always came unexpectedly, with sleep being the most important thing of his day.


    In a short time, Rurik couldnt understand thenguage spoken by others, even the most frequently used words were only guesses.


    Although thenguage was very simr to English, the numerous click sounds were strange.


    The baby is growing, winter will pass, and the situation is changing.


    Until the arrival of spring.

 Chapter 9: Scandinavia in the Cold Winter

    Chapter 9: Scandinavia in the Cold Winter


    In the days waiting for spring, Ruriks life was not merely about nursing and sleeping. In his first winter, he received a gift from his mothera ne strung with amber beads.


    Moreover, this was not an ordinary ne. The ne was made of five pieces of amber, each carved with a symbol. These symbols were actually Rune letters, the script of the local residents of Scandinavia, but they were not just mere letters.


    People believed that it was Odin who, at the cost of one eye, obtained part of the power of the god of wisdom, Rune, and thus created this script. Therefore, it was a script with divine power.


    Unfortunately, in this dark age, only a few people in any tribe mastered this script. In the Ros tribe, only the tribal elders and priests knew how to use it. It can even be said that the elders only took out the tribes treasured Rune-inscribed sacred objects, such as gold-iid wooden boards, during tribal sacrifices, to borrow the divine power of Odin and Rune to fulfill their prayers.


    Of course, the only effect this prayer could achieve was to calm the minds of the tribes people and stabilize their emotions.


    Nia put an amber ne around her sons neck as a blessing to him. Each of the five amber beads had a letter, and together they formed a word. Transcribed in Roman letters, it became SIGEL, which originally means sunlight, and by extension, signifies the victory of light over darkness.


    Runic script was indeed the script of the Scandinavian tribes, but it was not amon script used by the general public. It was mastered by the tribal ruling elite, especially by professional priests, and ordinary people hardly used it in daily life.


    If it were to be used, it would be embroidered on clothes or carved on the wooden beams of ones house, seeking peace and safety.


    In the previous autumn, the chief Otto led his subordinates toplete all preparations for the Sogon voyage, such as pulling the required ships ashore for extensive repairs. They prepared food, fresh water, materials for ship repairs during the journey, and weapons for defense against enemies.


    It can be said that Ottopleted the Sogon voyage very well.


    While the men were preparing for the voyage, the women of the tribe spent two months in the longhouses of Rosburg, storing enough food for each family to survive the entire winter.


    In the matter of storing winter supplies, the women had a significant say and were experts in this area.


    They smoked and roastedrge quantities of fish and meat. They brewed sweet and slightly bitter wine with wheat obtained through trade or plunder, adding honey and dried cranberries. They also made a lot of bread with flour because the environment was dry, arge amount of durable dried bread was produced this way.


    Meanwhile, they also went to tailors to make clothes, hats, and other household items.


    Scandinavia was indeed barren, but this barrenness was only rtive to other regions. It had long formed a tradework around the Baltic Sea, and thiswork was not damaged by the rise and fall of Rome.


    Completely different from the Mediterranean tradework, it enabled the surrounding tribes to develop rapidly.


    The Baltic Sea tradework was formed before the Common Era, and it wasnt until the southern Germanic cousins of the various Viking tribes learned a lot of advanced technology in thete Roman period that the Jund Penins and the Scandinavian Penins entered the Iron Age.


    Entering the long winter nights, almost all trade andbat activities came to a halt. Even the bravest seafarers needed a warm home with plenty of food. Or rather, they desperately needed a wise and virtuous wife.


    For those brave Viking warriors at sea, once they lost the stable harbor in the rear and left the women of the tribe, it was hard for even the bravest to survive the cold winter until the next spring.


    It was this harsh natural environment that forced the people of the Baltic Sea to always have the intention of migrating south. By the ninth century, this intention of migration became stronger.


    The residents of the Scandinavian Penins and the Jund Penins were actually rtives of the southern Germanic tribes. After the catastrophic defeat at the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest, Rome stopped its strategy of northern expansion. Rome eventually declined, falling under the constant erosion of the Germanic tribes. A significant part of the Scandinavians also participated in that grand migration.


    Four hundred years after the fall of Rome, the Germanic tribes had established variousrge and small states and became more orderly, moving away from barbarism.


    Scandinavia had always been isted. It was never ruled by the Romans, but Rome loved the wealth of the North. Apart from arge amount of animal fur, what else in the icy and snowy North could especially please the Romans in the Mediterranean region?


    Of course, there was! One of them was amber!


    Nia personally gave her few months old son Rurik an amber ne. Each of the five amber beads was as big as an adults thumb, which was really too big for a baby.


    In the Ros tribe, quite a few people had their own nes, often made of shells and amber, or other gemstones.


    In Scandinavia, amber was not a rare thing. If a merchant could transport it to the Mediterranean region, they would make a fortune.


    On ordinary days, the dragonhead warships of the Ros tribe mostly served as trading vessels, and their trading partners were the tribes of the southern Otherweya.


    If life was generally stable, the people of the Scandinavian region engaged in their traditional maritime trade in the Baltic Sea for thousands of years, and the inevitable maritime conflicts did not make them eager to leave.


    But indeed, there was a force in the shadows forcing them to leave this increasingly cold ce.


    That force was the climate.


    Rurik was born in the early ninth century, and the climate of Europe began to turn colder in the seventh century. From then on, all of Europe faced a cold period thatsted for four hundred years.


    However, the people of that great era only instinctively felt that their homnd was too cold.


    The Scandinavian Penins was a world apart. It had arge number of fjords and streams, and there were as many as 50,000 inds in the sea. Those inds were sometimes refuges, sometimes settlements.


    The traditional climate of southern and northern Scandinavia was very different.


    For example, the current settlement of the Ros tribe, Rosburg, was actually located in the Norgay area of northern Scandinavia. This area had many mountains and fjords and small ins between the mountains. Thend here was barren, and the climate was the coldest. If there was any advantage, it was that the ce was easy to defend but hard to attack. A stream ran through the entire Rosburg, providing them with an inexhaustible supply of fresh water.


    Another point was that the Rosburg, backed by the mountains rocks, the tribes craftsmen discovered copper mines. Although the craftsmen were not capable ofrge-scale smelting, they did not have an intense demand for copper. Making bronze rivets to build more ships was entirely manageable.


    After all, the Ros tribe was also part of the Otherweya tribes, but the Norgay area was not originally the domain of the Otherweya people.


    Hundreds of years ago, the ancestors of the Ros tribe forced the Ural people who lived here to migrate northward and upied thisnd to build Rosburg.


    Most Otherweya people settled in the ins of the south, called Sveand, which literally means thend of the Otherweya people.


    Sveand was a in area with a climate rtively suitable for growing wheat and supporting arge number of cattle and sheep.


    Because the poption of the Otherweya tribes was notrge, the natural resources here were sufficient to support the people.


    However, the poption of the Otherweya people was growing, and various tribes began to border each other, andpetition directly began. In thepetition,rger tribes annexed smaller ones, and a movement to integrate all Otherweya tribes was happening. Eventually, they would inevitably form a stateSweden.


    But in this only movement of the Otherweya peoples merger, the Ros tribe was not involved.


    Perhaps, the fate of the Ros tribe was not to blend into Sveand but to create a more miraculous future in another world.


    Whether it was the various tribes of Sveand or the Ros tribe in the northern Norgay area, they now had to face the ever-expanding power of Denmark.


    The ninth-century Nordic region was too cold, even the once thriving wheat in the richest Jund Penins of Denmark was not as good as before.


    With arger poption, the many Danish tribes in the Jund area fought each other due to livelihood pressures and traded more frequently.


    Their expansion to the south was contained by the powerful Frankish state, and their northern expansion attempts led them to upy the Jund area, sessfully bordering the northern Otherweya people, and conflicts immediately urred.


    Even the current Danes and Otherweya people could not imagine that they would fight over the southern part of the Jund area of Scandinavia for hundreds of years.


    The Danes also developed westward, beginning to trade and conflict with the Norwegians facing the North Sea until they crossed the North Sea and entered Britain.


    The Danes of the Jund Penins were the first to record andunched the plundering of Britain in AD 794, thus opening the Viking Age.


    In the year Rurik was born, that plundering had only been 27 years ago, and all the tribes around the Baltic Sea knew that they could cross the sea with swords for trading.


    However, a very interesting thing was that the Ros people had long realized their remoteness and could notpete with those brave Danes. They desperately sought opportunities for development to the west of the sea.


    It was the cold that forced the Ros tribe to do so until they entered argeke and found a wide river. Sailing upstream, they encountered a group of people who spoke a differentnguage, affluent but of averagebat strength. There, it seemed like another world!

 Chapter 10: The Viking Lifestyle of the Rus Tribe

    Chapter 10: The Viking Lifestyle of the Rus Tribe


    When spring returns to Scandinavia, the trade season of the year begins again, and of course, trade oftenes with conflict. Those longships that disappeared in the bays suddenly reappear. The Danes and Norwegians once again explore towards Britain, or head south along the coastline.


    The various tribes of Scandinavia, in addition to the inevitable conflicts with the Danes at sea, began to engage in regr trade with the vic peoples across the sea. The Rus tribe here does the same, trading with their southern rtives and also doing business with the more southerly vs. The only difference is that the Rus tribe has mastered the secret route of a waterway deep ind.


    Its a long voyage;st autumns Sogon voyage encountered an attack by the Gonders, making what was once a safe route now fraught with danger. Nevertheless, as long as the army is arrayed and the battle axes keep banging on shields, the formidable aura can make the locals of Novgorod obediently hand over their treasures.


    In fact, if they were a tribe with strongbat capabilities, the Rus would trade peacefully with them, striving to avoid conflict. But those people are wealthy yet weak, and in thewless 9th-century Baltic region, might makes right! They dont even consider plundering a sin.


    In early May of 822 AD, the spring Sogon voyage isunched again under the leadership of the chieftain Otto, this time the fleet cleverly skirts the coast of the Finn territory, slipping to the mouth of the Neva River, and then the path ahead is clear. The tribute demanded by Otto, the Svegs are as cowardly as ever. At least thats what Otto thinks.


    The obsequiousness of the Svegs delights Otto and his warriors. In a moment of generosity, Otto for the first time gifts each of the few family chiefs a small piece of amber, a token of reward. Could this small piece of amber signify a subtle change in the rtionship between the Rus and the Svegs of Novgorod? Maybe, maybe not. Otto simply out of his own pleasure, gave themonly seen amber in Scandinavia to a few family chiefs. But for the Svegs, this might be the start of a thaw in their rtionship with the Rus after their encounter.


    As early as 754 AD, explorers of the Rus tribe found the mouth of the Neva River to the west. The ce was deste, with thatch under the snow. Bears and deer roamed here, and their fur might be the only value of the ce. But as they found the river leading ind, a warmnd unfolded before them. They went upstream, initially trading with the huge vige of Novgorod, until they realized that the people there were not excellent warriors, and malicious ideas arose.


    In the first few years, the trade between the two tribes was normal, until Ottos grandfathers time, when they began to trade with swords. If they could physically force them to hand over wealth, it was a very profitable business. After all, the Rus tribe didnt want to upy thend of the Svegs; just take enough treasure and then leave in their dragon-headed warships.


    In 822 AD, both Sogon voyages were sessful. The situation remained the same in 823 AD. Otto was pleasantly surprised to find that by symbolically giving some amber, the Svegs would happily bring out many treasures. This waspletely different from the previous normal trade and the profitless plundering. The tribe only needed to symbolically offer something insignificant, and the Svegs would generously bring out treasures.


    Novgorod is a huge settlement, a small city surrounded by many viges. Its dominance is by several families in the city, with the rest of the small viges being vassals of Novgorod. The poption of the entire area has exceeded two hundred thousand, thend there is at least more fertile, and the climate is milder. They can produce more wealth, and actively trade with other Sveg tribes in the south. Every year arge amount of wealth from Novgorod flows into the pockets of the Rus tribe, with a poption of less than eight thousand.


    Now, as long as they dont sh with the Danes, under the leadership of Chief Otto, the wealth of the Rus tribe keeps expanding, right? Otto returns triumphantly with arge amount of treasure, once again bing a hero of the tribe. The whole tribe is full of confidence in surviving another winter.


    Liu Li is already two years old, and he has to ept his unique identity as Rurik. Rurik, Rus. Damn, am I destined to lead these Vikings to Eastern Europe to establish Kievan Rus? Is that possible? Look at these people, they are Vikings! Arent they supposed to plunder Ennd? Damn, they actually named me Rurik.


    Inside the frail body of two-year-old Rurik, there resides a true adult. Over the past two years, he has basically figured out where he is, realizing the fact that he is a Viking. Liu Li knows little about the historical development of Russia and the concept of Vikings, which he imagines as a group of sea madmen with horned helmets, round shields, and battle axes. Vikings, they seem to be a group of pirates who do all kinds of evil. But the realitypletely overturned Liu Lis imagination.


    His tribe, known as Rus, means rowers. He estimates that the tribe has only one city-state, Rusburg, and guesses that the poption of the settlement is notrge. They dont have any horned helmets, but they do have arge number of leather and iron helmets with eye and nose protection. The ssic dragon-headed warships, forest axes, and painted round shields are real. And the most real thing is probably their food.


    Over the past two years, Liu Li was weaned early. He felt that he had to eat meat before he was one year old. In the following days, only asionally could he eat not-so-good-tasting bread. Most of the time, the food he could eat was various meats. Yes, various meats, and those not carefully cooked.


    He saw the tribes fishermen hunting seals in the Baltic Sea, castings for herring, fishing for cod, even shark fishing. Perhaps its thend here thats too barren, peoples food mainly depends on marine fishing, and trade with southerners for cattle and sheep. As one of them, Liu Li also had to eat the same meals as them.


    A sheep, its skin peeled off for clothing, its meatpletely eaten, followed by almost all of its organs, and even its bones could be further utilized. The taste of the food is quite crazy, but the extremely young Liu Li had no choice but to eat these strangely vored meats, even shark meat.


    Historically, Rurik will establish a vic state in Eastern Europe and name it Rus. Moreover, Rurik was invited by the locals to be a prince. Liu Li finds it absurd, but his name does sound undoubtedly Rurik, and Rus is indeed the name of his tribe. He is happy that his biological father, the son of the tribe chief, is a very strong white man, albeit always emitting an annoying smell. But he should be a qualified father, as his birth mother Nia said, the biological father is also a qualified chief.


    The entire tribe respects his biological father, and they are already in awe of him, an infant. The situation is not just because he is the offspring of the chief, but because of a prophecy from the tribal elders  the chiefs son will bring prosperity to the tribe.


    Well, I dont know what kind of life historical Rurik should have. If my destiny is to be a chief in the future, leading them to collectively migrate to the vast ins of Eastern Europe, they can indeed prosper. But by then, their descendants will no longer be Vikings.


    All of Liu Lis thoughts are hidden in his heart.

 Chapter 11: Ottos Change

    Chapter 11: Otto''s Change


    At only two years old, Rurik had basically mastered the tribesnguage. On careful inspection, its really quite interesting how many of their words bear a strong resemnce to English from over a thousand yearster, making learning thenguage not too difficult.


    Liu Li knew his mothers name was Niya and his fathers name was Otto. He also had a cousin named Arik. He actually had arge number of rtives who were core members of the tribe. In fact, most of the tribe members were rted in one way or another.


    Externally, the tribe referred to themselves as Jiangshou, which means Ros, but internally they only used first names. Some special individuals had nicknames, but there were no surnames.


    If I am Rurik, then it must be around the mid-9th century now. Am I currently on the Scandinavian Penins or the Jund Penins of Denmark? Rurik wondered.


    The elder ims I am blessed by Odin and destined to lead the tribe to prosperity. Well, moving the tribe to the heart of Eastern Europe would indeed bring prosperity. At least we wont have to be stuck in the cold fjords, living off fish every day.


    His biological father, Otto, had taken a few hundred men to Novgorod to demand tribute from the locals. His mother, Niya, had been counting the days for his return, which was expected in the next few days.


    Once he epted this identity, looking at his increasingly hopeful mother, Liu Li was indeed eager to meet his returning father Otto and cousin Arik.


    Otto had taken twelve-year-old Arik on this autumn tribute voyage to show him the world. Liu Li, who had grown tired of eating fish every day, wondered what treasures they would bring back. Their return meant he could enjoy a period of eating bread and even honey.


    Another peaceful autumn arrived, with the days getting shorter and the north wind howling through the fjord, creating a solemn atmosphere. The climate seemed to get colder each day, and today it felt particrly unusual.


    In the morning, Niya lit an oilmp in the wooden house and prepared some brined pork and a small piece of dry bread for Rurik.


    Rurik, eat slowly. Ill go outside and see whats happening, she said.


    Okay, Mommy!


    Compared to pickled shark meat, concentrated seawater-brined pork was tastier, even though it was raw. In two years, Rurik hade to understand many things, like how pork and bread were preciousmodities, as was the brine used for the pork.


    Living by the sea, the Ros tribe didntck salt, as they boiled seawater to produce coarse blue salt, a process that consumed a lot of firewood. They traded with southern people, who somehow obtained pure, odorless white salt.


    Rurik slowly nibbled on the bread and tore at the pork, a task seemingly insane for a two-year-old. But he had be fully ustomed to this diet and marveled at the incredible adaptability of people in the Middle Ages.


    After a while, Niya ran excitedly back into the house. Rurik, your father is back! Everyones gone to the dock. Lets go see what treasures hes brought.


    Ah! Is there honey? Rurik blurted out.


    Yes! Everything you want is there. Finish your meal quickly, and well go.


    Rurik quickly ate his meal, which seemed utterly unsuitable for a child. Fortunately, his robust Nordic physique had kept him healthy despite his diet.


    Niya picked up Rurik after he finished eating and, followed by a maid, hurried to the dock. Rurik was dressed in a full set of sheepskin outerwear with a soft linen lining, warm yet not hindering his movement. The biting cold of the outdoor wind made him look up at the slowly rising sun and the still visible moon.


    Looking eastward towards the sea, Rurik squinted his round, blue eyes and saw many sailboats approaching the port of Rosburg against the sunlight. Therge sails, some dyed with blue patterns, and the crossed oars indicated that their chieftain, Otto, was returning triumphantly with his warriors.


    The dragonhead ships rode the wind to the shore, and the Viking warriors jumped onto the gravelly beach. Otto returned with a lot of cargo, and the unloading began immediately. But all he wanted was to see his family first.


    Arik,e with me to find your mother and brother.


    Okay, Dad.


    A muscr man with a sword at his waist led a sword-bearing child away from the bustling crowd towards a meeting point at the dock. Arik had inherited his fathers sword and treasured it. It was a heavy weapon, and he had brought it along on this journey to the Sveg peoples territory with his uncle.


    Following closely behind the robust Otto, Arik was too inexperienced to take anything for granted. Soon, Otto saw Niya holding their child. His rugged, bearded face broke into a smile, as if holding countless gold.


    Quickly, Otto embraced his only surviving son, Rurik, securing his gold. In battle, he was a fierce warrior, leading men known as berserkers. Ottos sword, Destroyer, could cut an enemy in half with a swing. His fighting prowess was unquestionable, but only in front of his wife and child did he show his tender side.


    Otto picked up young Rurik, yfully tickling his face with his beard.


    Dad, dont do that. Its ufortable.


    Really? I thought you were going to cry.


    Why would I cry? Rurik asked in a childish voice.


    This question stumped Otto.


    Ah! Yes, why cry. Otto sighed. Son, you are indeed special, not like other children who cry over a pinch or a fall. But you, Ive never heard you cry.


    Hehe, because I am blessed by Odin! Rurik said cutely.


    Yes, that makes you different, Otto said, pinching his sons cheek and speaking with a tone of instruction. A great warrior cannot cry or fear pain. You must be brave to be a suitable leader.


    I will. But can we really trust the elders words? Am I truly


    You certainly are, Niya interjected. Son, its your destiny.


    Yes, at least everyone believes so. You are my son, and you must be a suitable leader. When youre older, Ill teach you how to be one.

 Chapter 12: Ruriks Ambition

    Chapter 12: Rurik''s Ambition


    Ottos words were filled with profound meaning. How to be a qualified leader? Rurik was full of curiosity.


    The current Rurik, indeed like any child, was curious about everything, and this was evident in his behavior. However, Rurik was different. His body housed a personality named Liu Li. Liu Li was inherently intelligent, but his small and tender body limited his ability to create things to improve the tribes life.


    Even at the age of two, he had already started to devise things, contemting the tools seen and observed from the tribes craftsmen making and repairing ships, to think about what could be made under the tribes existing conditions.


    To Rurik, what the tribe called a dock was hardly a dock at all. All the ships were small, and moving goods was time-consuming andborious, leaving much room for improvement.


    He even felt that everything he saw and heard could be improved! They had wooden longhouses strengthened against the cold butcked the concept of making wooden bedsteads. Every night, they simplyid severalyers of thick animal fur on the ground and wrapped themselves in fur to sleep.


    They stored a lot of food to survive the winter but did not process it finely. Eating was always simple and rough. They had the capability to make many fine daily necessities and already had decent weaving skills, but their requirements for housing remained simple.


    They were inherently clean people, bathing often in summer, but the long, cold winter nights only allowed for washing faces. Tattoos were popr among them. In the warm longhouses during winter days, lit by seal oilmps, Rurik noticed strange characters tattooed on his biological father during his northern journey. He guessed it was the runic script, symbolizing a blessing.


    In Ruriks view, Rosburg, where he lived, was not a good ce to live, even a thousand and two hundred yearster.


    Another quiet and long night, Rurik continued to surprise his family. He knew he was seen as a treasure by his parents, especially by his father Otto, who considered him the hope of the entire tribe. Indeed, this was the case.


    Thus, every night of the winter of 823, Rurik was not in his mothers arms but was forced to cuddle close to his biological father Otto, sleeping alongside his cousin Arik.


    ording to Otto, it was so that the two children could absorb his valiant aura. Rurik couldnt feel any valiant aura, only Ottos body odor, which wasnt very pleasant. Over time, Rurik had gotten used to it.


    On this night, the outside was still extremely cold, and Rosburg was covered in ayer of snow, even with a lot of floating ice on the sea.


    Inside the longhouse, it was warm. Otto, lying on his side, faced a quiet and boring night, naturally having plenty of time to talk to his family. Almost every night, he introduced his glorious battle life to the two children, especially his great journey to Novgorod.


    It was from Otto that Rurik fully understood the word Novgorod  a Russian city with a very ancient history. Otto always said the people there were affluent butckedbat prowess. The men of the Ros tribe could easily make them hand over their treasures with mere presence.


    Finally, Rurik, who had been holding back his words for a long time, couldnt hold back anymore. But Dad, are we going to keep plundering them?


    Hmm? Otto was curious. He couldnt have imagined his son asking such a question.


    Not only Otto, but Arik, who was listening to the story, and Niya, who was sewing leather gloves by themp, also looked surprised. After all, Rurik, just over two years old, asked something clearly beyond his age.


    Otto looked into his sons wide eyes and hesitated for a while: You think we shouldnt plunder them? You should know that they are just a flock of sheep, and we are merely shearing them.


    Hehe, maybe my brother is a very kind person, Arik joked.


    Otto shook his head, We dont need to be kind to them, just like the Danes in the south are not kind to us. You two should understand, if it werent for our strong bodies, sharp swords, and many warriors, we would be the ones being plundered. Its like meeting a bear in the vast forest. If you have an axe, the bear bes your bear skin; if not, you are the prey.


    Rurik didnt agree with this survival of the fittest philosophy, but considering the Ros tribes harsh living conditions in the freezing fjords, their simplistic thinking wasnt surprising.


    But maybe we could trade peacefully with them, Rurik continued.


    My child, Otto stroked his sons forehead, If your great-grandfather heard you say this, he would be very happy. But those people have already submitted to us. We just need to take their rich tributes. Child, you should know, the people there live more prosperously than us and its not as cold as here.


    Since since its not cold there, and we are strong, why dont all of us move there and live together with them?


    Ah? Rurik!


    To be honest, Otto had never thought about moving. He had heard many rumors that some tribes in the south had migrated on a small scale, but the idea of a whole tribe moving was unheard of.


    We are fine here. Rosburg is too cold! The twice-yearly tribute journeys are long, and since those people provide the tribute, wouldnt they give it to us every day if we lived with them?


    Otto stared at his son, who spoke with logical reasoning, astonished that such words came from a child just over two years old. It seemed unbelievable to him.


    But then again, didnt this prove that Rurik was truly extraordinary?!


    Otto fell silent in shock, indeed, his sons words made some sense. But could they really move the entire tribe? Obviously not!


    Otto couldnt stop some small families in the tribe from settling in unknown areas, but the tribes core must stay in the cold fjords of Rosburg, considering other factors.


    He stroked his sons forehead, exining like to a confidant: Child, we cant move.


    Is it because of our ancestors graves here? Or even though its cold, everyone still loves our Rosburg?


    Not just these, but also because of a covenant.


    A covenant? Rurik was shocked, as he had never known about any such agreements involving the Ros tribe. What covenant? I know what a covenant means.


    Its our covenant with the Svegians, our friends to the south. We are a whole, and as our leader, I must adhere to this covenant. We cant move away at will, as doing so would make us eternal enemies. Because we all hate betrayal.


    At this moment, Rurik felt Ottos seriousness, and his young body also broke into a cold sweat, realizing the enormity of the situation.


    Rurik calmed down and said with wide eyes and an unshaken expression, Dad, what if our destiny is to leave?


    The result would be friends turning into enemies. I think that would be the case, Otto replied, feigning calm.


    Ah, if destiny is such, as long as our Ros tribe bes stronger, even if the so-called Svegians unite, even if the more powerful Danese, we dont have to fear them.


    Child, are you serious? Otto continued seriously.


    Yes. I think, when I grow up, I will leave here. I dont want to be the chief of the tribe. I want to be something greater. To be to be a king, the king of the Ros Kingdom.


    Otto gasped, unsure what to say. He fell silent for a while, feeling the extraordinariness of his son and his ambitious goals at just two years old.


    He didnt say anything more in the end. Compared to his sons life ambitions, his great achievements might seem insignificant.


    Otto finally patted Ruriks body, Child, you at least need to grow up. At some point, you will inherit my Destroyer sword. Only when you grow strong enough to wield the sword, will you have the chance to show your extraordinary ambition.


    I understand. Its not too far in the future. Dad, I think I believe in Grandma Vilias prophecy now.


    You can believe her. Now, sleep quietly.

 Chapter 13: Rurik is 7 Years Old

    Chapter 13: Rurik is 7 Years Old


    Rurik finally turned seven years old, reaching this age by the autumn season.


    The year was now 828 A.D., and the Danes intensified their raids on Britain, reaping considerable rewards in the process.


    Meanwhile, the surrounding tribes, especially the numerous Swedes, either vied with the Danes over pastures onnd or intensified trade with the Baltic coasts southern tribes, particrly with the various Lithuanian groups.


    Over the years, the Ross tribe mastered the secrets of navigating the ind waterways of Eastern Europe. Their biannual majestic tribute voyages umted wealth steadily.


    Gradually, the rtionship between the Ross tribe and their Swedish brethren became increasingly nuanced.


    It seemed as if they might be a distinct group of people.


    As time slowly passed, the whole of Europe continued its gradual development.


    Rurik, now seven years old, was not short for his age, but he appeared somewhat thin.


    Boys of any tribe at this age generally looked like this: yful and energetic, yet as thin as monkeys.


    Compared to the robust Otto, Rurik was indeed too slender.


    Nevertheless, Otto felt that the time had finallye, just before this autumns tribute voyage.


    On a sunny morning, Otto, with a serious face, called his son over and said meaningfully, Now, you should try to be a warrior.


    Now? Does that mean Ill be joining in battles?!


    No! Otto patted his sons thin shoulder with satisfaction. Youre still too weak. A single punch from your enemy could be fatal. Child, you must start training now. You need to be strong quickly.


    So, I have to be strong?!


    Yes! Only then can you inherit my position and gain others recognition. Do you know? They respect strength, and Odin favors the brave and the warriors.


    Over the years, Rurik understood one thing, his destiny  to be a berserker.


    The Vikings, particrly the Danes, were primarily farmers and herdsmen, but they were also adept at exploration. Without any strictws to bind them, discovering treasures of other tribes naturally led to assembling warriors for plunder.


    In peaceful times, they were ordinary farmers.


    The climate of the Jund Penins was milder, but in the northern regions of Scandinavia, where Rossburg was located, the cold climate meant little hope for wheat cultivation. Fishing and hunting in the forests became vital means of livelihood.


    The harsh environment forced Viking children to develop skills during their limited childhood.


    Even by tribal customs, a boy was considered an adult at twelve, expected to row in longships and bravely participate in battles.


    Otto felt that the fighting spirit he had instilled in his son over the years was now ready to be put into practice.


    He stroked his sons head and said deeply, I will find you some children of your age to train with. Dont worry if you cant handle a sword. You can practice with a wooden stick for now. Remember, no crying!


    I understand, Rurik nodded deeply, epting the challenge without any sign of refusal.


    Otto nodded with satisfaction and then called his nephew Arik, instructing him fervently, Arik, I want you to train your brother well. Although you are still weak yourself, I have taught you all the fighting techniques. Now, its your turn to teach your brother the basics ofbat.


    I will make you proud, Arik responded.


    Overall, Arik liked his brother very much.


    However, burdened with the title of Odins Blessed, his brother always seemed peculiar. Over the years, Arik felt an unspoken difort in their rtionship.


    It seemed his brothers mind was filled with too many unusual ideas.


    Maybe his brother was naturally introspective? Nevertheless, he must be a true warrior to deserve his inherent title.


    On a pebbly area near the sea, where waves constantlypped against the shore, stood a blond boy in cotton clothes  seven-year-old Rurik.


    Unlike other tribal children, Ruriks blond hair was not simply dangling; he tied it into a small ponytail at the back of his head, thinking it gave a somewhat feminine appearance.


    True, he was dressed in cotton pants, which were essentially linen stuffed with wool and sewn together.


    As the climate cooled, both men and women of the tribe worefortable cotton clothes and donned boots made of deer or bear skin, often topped with fur hats.


    Ruriks clothes, all made by his mother Niya, a skilled seamstress, were no exception.


    Rurik, just a child, held a small round shield in his left hand, firmly strapped to his arm.


    In his right hand, he held a sword-shaped wooden stick. Though not sharp, one could imagine the damage it could cause.


    Rurik became a juvenile swordsman, facing another child of his age.


    Unlike Rurik, who maintained cleanliness, the other child appeared more unkempt, wilder, and more aggressive.


    Rurik knew this child was a ymate found by his father.


    The childs name was Kanuf, the son of a trusted warrior under his fathersmand.


    Though a ymate, Rurik fully understood that what was toe was not merely y. The use of wooden sticks did not imply simple sparring. The onlookers, now numbering over a dozen, added a subtle tension.


    These spectators hoped to see a battle between the two children, to conjecture on their potential as future rowers and warriors.


    Oh? Is that the so-called son of Odin?


    Not Odins son, just the chieftains son.


    But the priests say hes extraordinary. I think he really is.


    Can you tell just by looking? If Rurik is no mere mortal, he should be able to defeat Haraldsons son.


    Lets wait and see


    Rurik heard the onlookers discussions, some doubting him, others filled with anticipation.


    Undoubtedly, his parents watching were full of expectations.


    Now, Ruriks mind was cluttered, especially remembering the recentbat tips his brother Arik had taught him.


    What were these tips? Essentially, they could be summarized as: Lift your weapon and smash it hard on the enemy. If youre strong enough, all problems are solved.


    That was nothing but a brutes tactic! Yet Rurik realized that the Vikings understood tactics, and in real battles, they were more organized than the disorganized Western Europeans of this era. This alone made them easily victorious against disorganized, undisciplined peasants hastily gathered by lords.


    On further thought, Ariks words were not entirely without merit.


    As the saying goes, raw strength can overpower technique. A powerful swing of an axe could be lethal.


    However, Rurik could hardly expect his slender arms to wield such force.


    TL Note: I am changing the name from Rus Tribe to Ross Tribe. Also, sorry for the inconsistency. MTLing is hard. I will try my best to maintain the quality without different names.

 Chapter 14: Subduing and Grabbing

    Chapter 14: Subduing and Grabbing


    "Rurik, do you understand? Use your utmost strength to beat your enemy to the ground." Otto ordered enthusiastically.


    The other child''s father, Harrodsen, also ordered: "Kanuf, don''t be nervous! He is the same!"


    Two strong men encouraged their children, and the crowd became more lively.


    Everyone was booing, just to see how two kids who didn''t know how to fight would act out a fight.


    Rurik deeply understood that what he encountered was by no means a joke. Although the other party was only seven years old, wouldn''t he also be seven years old!


    Of course, this body is indeed only seven years old.


    Inside the thin body was a soul over thirty years old. Thirty years ended in a muck truck that ignored various traffic rules. Later, when Liu Li opened his eyes, he saw a strange scene.


    Seven years have passed since then.


    Even so, Liu Li, or Rurik, he was never a fool in a fight.


    Even the set of boxing skills that was learned during military training with the main purpose of capturing uniforms is finally useful now.


    He couldn''t help bending his leg joints, his left arm with the round shield was in a blocking posture, and the wooden stick in his right hand was naturally attached to the round shield.


    Not surprisingly, this pose is a ssic anti-collision stance.


    It was this gesture that surprised Otto.


    "Arik, is this what you taught him?"


    "No! Dad, I just taught him how to hold a shield, how to hold a sword, and the fighting spirit to keep fighting."


    "Maybe you need to teach him some skills." Otto shrugged and looked at his partner Harrodsen again: "Do you think it''s time to start?"


    "Let''s go, and hopefully my kids will win."


    "I hope so..." Otto shook his head andmanded loudly, "You can start until we think this is the end. Listen, don''t be afraid of bloodshed."


    What? Is this fight going to be bloody? Are the Vikings born to coincide with the Spartans?


    In an instant, Rurik''s pressure surged.


    He also wanted to stabilize his emotions a little bit, but the boy Kanuf, who was on the opposite side, was like a rabid dog, barking and rushing over with a wooden sword.


    "Hehe, this kid''s attack is unruly, just pure attack? It seems that he has not learned the most basic fighting."


    When Kanuf was about to rush over, Rurik squatted down slightly, followed by a hard push, and therge wooden shield directly withstood Kanuf''s momentum and pushed him down abruptly.


    At this moment, Rurik could not have imagined that he was barely seven years old, yet his strength was not small. It is also worthy of the so many fish he eats on weekdays. Under his skinny arms, he seems to have limited but solid muscles.


    With a hard push, Kanuf''s offensive was resolved in one go. The beautiful performance surprised Otto.


    However, Kanuf was not a coward. He stumbled to the gravel ground on the beach, and seemed very embarrassed for a while, then he stood up again and rushed up again with a roar.


    "Ah? Stilling? It seems that I should try to be proactive."


    Rurik had a n, he continued to hold the shield, deliberately let the other party continue to charge, the right time to use the shield to withstand the attack, the mothership directly nked his legs.


    A coup is a coup, and I never thought Kanuf was more daring.


    Kanuf rushed forward, suddenly jumped up, and hit Rurik''s Buckler with a powerful flying kick.


    Rurik''s body was no longer able to handle this force. He was kicked down. Due to the shield tied to his left arm, the rope was obviously not secure, and the shield had simply slipped off.


    Kanuf, who also fell, staggered to his feet and shouted mockingly: "How? Are you also the son of Odin, and I was kicked down directly."


    "You!"


    One of the worst things in life is being ridiculed by little kids, even though Rurik himself is just a kid.


    He felt that he had been severely insulted, and the hateful Kanuf had to be taught a lesson.


    Shield? No no no.


    Rurik got up and patted the dust.


    For Otto, for the first time, he finally saw the maliciousness in his son''s eyes, like a wolf waiting to grow up, trying to swallow up the enemy.


    "Rurik, where''s your shield?! Do you still think that you can defeat me with just a sword? You are too self sufficient." Kanuf continued to sneer after taking advantage of it: "Be careful, I will cut your teeth Knock it out!"


    "Oh? Really? I won''t knock out your teeth, but I''ll make you cry and beg for mercy." Rurik replied.


    "You!! You are talking nonsense!"


    Real children are always ipetent, they don''t even know what pain is.


    Rurik knew a lot, even quite a bit how to subdue another man.


    Kanuf rushed towards the man who lost his shield with an angry grin. He felt that he had a very good chance of winning.


    Is the odds great?


    Seeing the unfortunate child rushing over, the wooden stick he held up clearly wanted to hit his head with a crit.


    Rurik was very smart. He seized the opportunity to squat down and swept his legs with a mantis, tripping Kanuf directly.


    It just tripped him, and Rurik rushed over with a quick stride, first stomping on Kanuf''s back, and then throwing the wooden sword. He hugged the right arm of Kanuf''s lost wooden sword, his legs were stuck in the armpit of his right arm, and relying on two strong legs, he forced Kanuf to lie on the ground, unable to move at all, even breathing very hard. difficulty.


    What Rurik used was a back positioned capture and subdue technique. This performance was truly something that no one onlookers had ever seen before.


    Otto was really refreshing, because no one had ever used such a strange trick in a n wrestling game, but it was clear that it worked.


    "Are you convinced?!" Rurik asked through gritted teeth.


    At this moment, of course, Kanuf twisted his body desperately, like a fly hitting a cobweb eager to escape.


    Kanuf tried to raise his head, but was crushed by Rurik''s right leg. He tried desperately to wriggle to break free, and his mouth even screamed in disapproval.


    "Dissatisfied? You question my identity. It seems that you don''t know what pain is."


    There is a saying that the fingers are connected to the heart, and Rurik didn''t believe it, so he pinned Kanuf''s fingers hard. Can the continuous pain still make him sumb?


    In terms of simple fights, how could the warriors of the Ross tribe, who advocate directness and straightforwardness, ever encounter such a sinister trick?


    Otto watched with great interest. For some reason, Kanuf, who was tightly bound, was not thinking of how to escape, but let out a piercing scream, as if his arm had been cut off.


    Kanuf''s father looked worried, but he refused to give up, after all, his son hadn''t shed blood yet.


    "Surrender!" Rurik ordered.


    Kanuf was already crying, and in order to be strong in front of his father, he closed his eyes tightly and shouted with a vibrato: "Never!"


    "You! You fool! Don''t you want me to stop breaking your fingers?" After that, Rurik made another effort, and the severe pain from his fingers caused Kanuf''s most terrified wailing.


    Kanuf was finally defeated and began to cry, and this cry was equivalent to announcing his surrender to the onlookers.


    "That''s it. Rurik, stop it!" Otto ordered, Rurik rxed his muscles very wisely.


    But at this time, because of the severe pain in his fingers, the soreness of his arms, and even the difficulty in breathing under the pressure, Kanuf, who was crying and face, would not be able to get up for a while.


    In any case, the two children were only seven years old, and during the fight just now, a group of tribal strong men who were watching the show, they only felt that they were seeing a different kind of battle.


    No one cheered, everyone just watched silently, because everyone didn''t see what was going on. As a result, Rurik patted the dust on his body and stood up, while his opponent, Kanuf, was still lying on the ground crying, It was as if Rurik, who was only seven years old, was stunned to not break his arm.


    In the end, it was Kanuf''s father who pulled him up, and after some inspections, there was no serious problem.


    Kanuf has lost all his previous arrogance. He is perfectly unconvinced. Looking at Rurik, who came with a good natured face, he actually showed fear.


    "You... we are just a test, I don''t want to hurt you." Rurik said kindly.


    Kanuf didn''t want to talk, he just wanted to snuggle up beside his father Harrodsen for a sense of security.


    Harrodsen naturally didn''t mean to me Rurik at all. He was very curious: "Rurik, what is the name of the one you just used? How did you make him cry?"


    "Huh?" Rurik scratched his head: "Kanuf is too reckless, he can easily kick him down. Then I subdued him and broke his fingers. Trust my uncle, it was very painful. I think if I were a little older, it would be easy to break another person''s finger. The pain will make the opponent lose all thoughts of fighting back."


    "This matter..." Harrodsen looked at Otto with surprise: "Boss, this is what you taught him? Maybe you should have given these special skills to others earlier."


    "You praised the wrong person." Otto also took a deep breath and looked at his son in amazement: "Rurik, you invented this? This year is obviously your first battle, and it should have been two children. The pstick, never thought..."


    "Shouldn''t we go all out?" Rurik asked calmly: "It''s you who asked us to fight until we bleed. I think it''s still too crazy, just get Katsov Just cry. Yes, I thought of those tricks."


    "You are very good!"


    At this moment, Otto''s heart was like an erupting volcano. He was so excited that he simply picked up his son with his strong hands, let him ride directly on his neck, and shouted to all the people onlookers: "Look at all of you. Here it is! This is the one blessed by Odin! It is Odin who gave him special fighting skills! We Ross will also learn these!"


    For Otto, he knew that his power rested entirely with the support of the tribal masses. If he bes mediocre, the leader will also be inherited by other warriors.


    So does he need continuous Sorgon sess, and various reasonable means to maintain his power.


    Now, as long as the son always enjoys the "Blessing of Odin", everyone''s own support will be deepened.


    Now it seems that the son is really under the protection of Odin.


    My son Rurik probably knew more fighting skills, which must havee from the temple of Valha, and Otto was convinced of this.


    People started chanting slogans such as "Son of Odin" and "Thanks to Valha". Rurik never imagined that he was just showing off a skill of capture and subduing a thousand yearster, but it was falsely passed on as "Valha". Temple Mystery", what could be stranger than that?


    It''s ridiculous, at least it has received a bunch of fans.


    Even the weeping Kanuf suddenly changed his mood.


    Rurik couldn''t forget Kanuf, who was so outspoken just now, he was really a child, and now he mumbled with servile eyes again: "I... I really want to learn this."


    Perhaps, following the strong is one of the nature of children.

 Chapter 15: Organizational Discipline

    Chapter 15: Organizational Discipline


    Rurik, who was only seven years old, had a ymate by his side.


    Kanuf, who was easily subdued by the leader''s son, was held to the gravel beach by the sea and couldn''t move. He was not angry at all for this, but rather wanted to be Rurik''s younger brother.


    After going through the fight, Rurik knew that he had obtained a "subordinate", but at best he was the king of children.


    Rurik, who was young, was falsely rumored to have brought the capture and subdue technique from Valha.


    On the night of the end of the incident, Rurik had no choice but to follow his father Otto''s request and demonstrate to Otto the grasping techniques he knew, using his cousin Arik as a coborator.


    They are some smart people living in the north.


    They are professional farmers and fishermen themselves, but they don''t harvest many materials in peacetime, so robbery has naturally be their means of making a living. A long boat usually has 20 or 30 people on board. During the long term paddling and voyage, everyone has formed a strong friendship, and naturally formed a fighting organizational force.


    They always acted together, and were more organized and disciplined than the rest of their contemporaries.


    They always avoid casualties in battle, especially the smaller Ross n, and the loss of any strong warrior is a pity.If Otto was a treasure, he was amazed at his son''s performance and decided to reproduce it as soon as possible.


    Since having this child, the child''s many surprises have made him even more certain that the "Gods of Valha" not only exist, but they prefer the Ross tribe in the north.


    In an instant, the news about the "Valha Capture Secret Technique" quickly spread throughout the entire tribe. Otto''s appeal in the tribe increased a lot, and Rurik also gained many fans. After all, they simply believed in this.


    Rurik only gained a ymate Kanuf at first, but soon, more children of the same age were willing to find y.


    Of course there are plenty of kids who don''t bother to y with a mere seven-year-old.


    Those older kids have their own "games," and so called games are more violent.


    Among the Ross tribes, holding wooden shields and sticks topete is an important entertainment for children. All children are taught by adults, and the bravest can enter Valha after death. It is in this atmosphere that they are educated, instilled in the warrior culture since they were children.


    Because of this, they are very keen to fight, and it ismon for them to fight each other.


    As expected of the Nordic people who were born with stronger physique, their faces were covered in blood today.


    The tribal children spend almost all their time fighting. To learn cultural knowledge? Most people don''t give a shit at all!


    I am afraid that among the nearly 500 boys in the tribe, only Rurik is the only one who thinks knowledge is very important.


    Just as Otto was about to start his Viking voyage this fall, ten men of the same age had gathered around Rurik.


    These children are the children of Otto''s loyal subordinates, and they feel that it is very wise to give their youngest son to the "Odin Bless", maybe that Rurik can give the children many more advanced things.


    If the oracle is true, Rurik will eventually be the head of the tribe when he grows up, then it will be of great benefit to the future of his family to have his children be Rurik''s subordinates from now on.


    Perhaps at the beginning, Rurik was not used to having a group of fans under hismand in an instant. Since they all admired him very much and were willing to do a lot for him, how to teach them is his current major job.


    It was another cool but sunny morning, and the entire Ross tribe was making crucial preparations for the fall Viking voyage. A dragon headed longship was pushed onto the beach, and the professional craftsmen of the tribe began to tinker with the ships.


    It also takes up space for children to y. Children who are overwhelmed by boredom, their greatest pleasure is fighting.


    Surrounded by ten children, Rurik had to run to the area near the mountains and continue to y fighting games.


    In the autumn, the thatch has turned yellow, and the children in thick leather and cotton coats followed their "leader" Rurik idly.


    On a bare mountain tform with only a few trees, this ce was temporarily chosen by Rurik as a training base.


    The north whistling from the North Pole blows the entire mountain range, and there is naturally a chill in the air.


    Looking at the eager eyes of a group of children, Rurik knew that these guys just wanted to learn some advanced fighting skills.


    "Okay! Just like I asked you to stand in a row! Remember, you must stand neatly."


    With an order, the children stood up as expected and lined up in a horizontal line.


    Suddenly, Kanuf asked with a smile, "Leader, what do you teach us today?"


    "Of course it''s fighting skills. Since you all trust me, you will naturally follow my various orders."


    "Yes! I am your faithful deputy!" The words came out of Kanuf''s mouth, who had a high regard for himself here, precisely because he was obviously the first to follow Rurik.


    Rurik shook the wooden sword and nodded with satisfaction: "Very good, today we are going to train the method of group fighting. Remember, all of us are one, we are all brothers!"


    It may be human instinct for children to get together and y together. Rurik''s sentence "We are all brothers" today moved everyone.


    It is an honor to be called brother to the chief''s son.


    Looking at everyone''s happy expressions, Rurik continued: "In the future, we are indeed brothers. If we meet any enemy, we will fight against it as a whole! That''s why I made you line up. Now! Immediately Get ready to fight!"


    Rurik has given these children a set of postures, that is, bowing slightly, with the wooden shield of his left arm blocking most of his torso, and even only one pair of eyes looking forward through the shield. The wooden sword on the right arm was lightly pressed against the shield, maintaining a stab-like shape at all times. Even children know that their sharp sword thrusts, as long as the thrusts are urate, can be a sess.


    What kind of posture is this? Thousands of years ago, the Romans used this posture to meet the enemy, and then stabbed the enemy with short swords, and faced the barbarians on foot.


    Although it was a very effective tactic, the Germanic tribes that destroyed Rome did not inherit it. The Eastern Rome, which continued, favored heavily armored cavalry.


    For several years, Rurik has been observing everything about the Ross tribe with its big blue eyes. He is a man after all, and he has an instinctive interest in things like fighting.


    Rurik still didn''t know how the Western Europeans in the ninth century participated in the war. From what he understood in his mind, he felt that the lord took a small number of obedience and led a group of peasants in rags to participate in the battle. What they are ying is a group of armed fights thatck organization and discipline.


    The Ross tribe and other Viking tribes are obviously more organized, but of course they are rtively high.


    The warriors of the tribe are all very strong and well-equipped. Obviously, because of the belief in the Valha gods such as Odin and Tor, the so called death in battle is the best way to be a heroic spirit, and they are even more selfless in any fight.


    As soon as the leader gave an order, all the well-equipped warriors rushed up with a cry. They did not know fear, and even longed to die in battle.


    This unique and deformed concept makes them morebative.


    At the end of the day, they prefer to go it alone. Even though Otto knew very well that the tribe could not bear the loss of arge number of warriors, he was willing to reduce casualties by strengthening personal protection to reduce the possibility of injury in battles. But Otto never thought of organizing all the warriors in some way and facing the enemy with strong organizational discipline.


    To truly organize the stragglers into a whole, in the ninth century Europe, where the civilization was extremely dark and the culture was greatly regressed, it had its obvious advantages to restore the ssic tactics of Greece and Rome.


    After all, Rurik found that the Greco Romans and the Rus tribes had amonality in military affairs.


    That is, they are all good at manipting ships to appear suddenly in the sea, and any attacks and fights often ur on the coast and not far from the river.


    So the change starts from himself, from the ten seven-year-old children under hismand, training them into a highly organized tactical group from the source.


    First organize a Roman style centurion! And himself, first served as a centurion.

 Chapter 16: The New Viking Voyage In The Autumn

    Chapter 16: The New Viking Voyage In The Autumn


    At a young age, his son showed the talent to be a leader, and Otto saw it all in his eyes.


    Thinking about the day, and considering that the craftsmen have finished repairing all the It was another fine night, and there was a hint of coolness outside the wooden house. Although the sky is full of bright moon, no one intends to look at this beautiful night.


    Among the small families of the Ross tribe, those selected by Otto are making final preparations for the voyage after dawn tomorrow.


    This is especially true of Otto, who is the leader of the tribe. He is in a high position and has more preparations to do.


    It was night, and he wanted to tell his family about his ns.


    "Ah! I brought some more amber this time. Maybe my grandfather did a good job at that time, using a little more peaceful means, they would provide more treasure."


    Nia, who was packing his bags, said kindly: "What if you prepare more? In the mountains to the west, we can dig more amber. Besides, it is better to do business peacefully than to loot directly. ."


    Otto shook his head: "You are a woman, you are always kind. But..."


    Otto wanted to say something, and then looked at his son Rurik, who suddenly muttered: "Peace trade, why should we trade with them peacefully. They are weak, and they hoard wealth, and we can take it at will. Give them to them. A little amber as a reward is already very gracious. You say that right? Rurik?"


    "Me? Then it''s better to go directly to the ship and get it directly."


    Otto clearly saw his son''s perfunctory intentions, and shook his head with a smile: "Originally, if it wasn''t for your opinion, I wouldn''t even want to give them an amber. Since amber can be used as a reward to get more treasures, it''s okay to use some. ."


    "But isn''t amber very precious here too?" Rurik asked with wide eyes.


    "No! It''s not cherished here, only very scarce there. They can exchange amber and people further south for a lot of treasure, and they''d better do it. As long as they do, we go this time and we can get to the wealth of southerners that they hoarded."


    Originally, Rurik always felt that his biological father was a typical rough man, and he never thought that this simple Nordic man could still think of veryplicated things in his mind.


    As if those Swigs from Novgorod were helping the Rus tribe keep their fortunes.


    Rurik didn''t want to say anything more.


    Otto thought again, and continued to ask: "Rurik, I already know about you leading your brothers to y on the hills to the west. I can see that you are training them."


    Hearing this, Rurik felt as if his whole body had been electrocuted.


    "Yes Dad! As you taught me before, if I can be a leader, I must have some loyal friends by my side. I think I should train them from now on."


    "Really? You''re doing well." Otto raised his head slightly, looking at the rudimentary wooden beams and the hanging fish oilmps. "You remind me a lot of things, and I used to be like that. That Katsov, his father used to be my ymate. It seems that you are inheriting my career step by step."


    "Perhaps more than that." Rurik chuckled.


    "What my brother does is very strange." Arik, who ims to be almost prepared, said: "I have watched them. It is not so much a game as preparation for future fights. They... They are training."


    "Yes! I know too! Arik, you can''t help your brother much in terms of terror." Otto''s eyes widened and he questioned his son very seriously: "Rurik, tell me what you think. Your true thoughts. "


    "I..." Rurik suddenly got a little nervous. After he sat cross-legged, he said obediently, "I am indeed training them. There are only ten people at the moment, and there will be a hundred people in the future. I want to make all the tribes simr to mine. Older children get organized, I train them myself. So ten yearster, I have a hundred highly organized subordinates. If I can be the leader, these people will be my important assistants in the future. "


    "Hey, you''re thinking a long way."


    Otto suppressed his surprise in his heart. On the surface, he kindly stroked his son''s small forehead with his big hand that was full of calluses after holding the sword for too long, and took the opportunity to grab the golden ponytail.


    "You are a wise man. I know that you trained those ten children very well. So can you train a hundred children well?"


    "I can!"


    "Fine, then do it. It''s better that I can see the results of your training when wee home full."


    "I see, Dad. You go tomorrow, and I''ll start tomorrow."


    This night, Otto slept very calmly.


    As the leader of the tribe, ording to the ancient tradition, only those who are widely supported can take the position. After all, the Ross tribe is still in the tribal stage, and although the concept of hereditary system has been sprouted, it has not been widely recognized by people.


    The leader of the tribe is naturally the strong one, and those who can hold the position must have the support of the tribe''s elites and priests and elders. It is also an important capital to benefit the entire n.


    Of course, many Viking tribes choose their leaders in a simr way. The leader needs to have appeal. Of course, in most cases, the leader also needs to be a strong man in battle.


    Rurik certainly knew this, and he even gained his first fans through a "kids fight".


    Different from others, he clearly realized that any fight should not be an individual fight alone, if the tribe wants to go a long way, many things have to change.


    The tribe was able to live in the north of the thinking Asians, and could maintain a state of detachment from them for a long time, because the tribe had as many as 2,000 people who could fight.


    As far as fighting is concerned, Liu Li, Rurik, is very aware of Napoleon''s famous words on that ne.


    The so-called three soldiers can''t beat two Mamluks, ten soldiers can be on par with ten Mamluks, and if the strength climbs to one thousand, they can defeat three thousand Mamluks. UU Reading


    Individual strength is limited. Concentrate the strength. One hundred warriors of the Ross tribe maintain a stable formation at all times on the battlefield, and can destroy several times their own foot soldiers!


    The next morning, the golden sun shone all over Roseburg, and the fjord was engulfed in a beautiful, dreamy golden color.


    In addition to the dark green mountains and many ck and bare basalt rocks by the sea, Rurik, who followed his biological mother to watch his father on the voyage, only felt that he was bathed in holiness.


    Just like the background scenes of the Norse myths he understood, the fjords of Roseburg seemed like a sanctuary under today''s rising sun.


    Under the golden light, there are arge number of sailboats on the sea.


    Those warriors who traveled a long way basically put food and fresh water on the ship, and then they finally boarded the ship fully armed.


    A stalwart figure let out an astonishing roar, and he raised his saber tomand everyone, followed by a horn from nowhere.


    The ropes tied to the ships were untied one after another, and the ships entered the vast sea.


    Rurik knew that the sword bearer was his father Otto, and on the Sorgon voyage this autumn, there was the melodious and uplifting sound of the horn, the continuous roar of the people on board, and the violent noise of the huge oars pping neatly. started in.


    Rurik, holding his mother''s hand, watched them gradually leave the fjord.


    They left, and the life of the tribe continued, and people returned to their own lives full of hope.


    "Child, your father and brother have left, are you going to do those things now?" Nia asked.


    "Yes! I promised Dad, I will now let my subordinates organize the children in the tribe and my age."


    "Go for it. Let me see how capable you are."

 Chapter 17: Bald Fisk

    Chapter 17: Bald Fisk


    After Otto left today, Rurik has recruited more than forty children.


    The oldest of these children is only nine years old, and the youngest is only six years old. Although their height and weight are uneven, they are not different. Rurik especially noticed that everyone''s most


    The big thing inmon is that they are quite thin.


    Most of them will probably grow up to be stocky men, and at least for now, they don''t seem to have that potential.


    After all, they were his own age, and Rurik estimated that because he was the son of the leader, he usually ate and drank better. Besides, he was quite thin, and the others would only be worse.


    It was on the mound west of Roseburg again. After a few days, Rurik felt that the mountain wind was even more deste, and the climate was getting colder and colder.


    The sparse woods shed litter from time to time, and few birds linger.


    Rurik, who was wearing a cotton coat and a small leather coat, gathered all the people he had recruited here.


    Except for the first ten people, the rest of the people came here today.


    Some were pulled by friends, and some simply wanted to learn special fighting skills.


    Good! Rurik''s fight with Kanuf many days ago has be famous, and the unique subduing technique has not only be a topic of conversation, but many children are eager to learn.


    Rurik also used his own capital to recruit a total of forty-five people, but unfortunately the number did not meet his psychological expectations.


    Those first ten people will serve as role models, and each can be a squad leader.


    A group of screaming children were gathered, and Rurik held up the wooden sword in public to signal everyone to be quiet.


    "Okay guys! You all look at me!"


    "I am Rurik, son of Otto! The one called Odin''s Blessing. You must have gathered here today out of trust in me. So, from today onwards, I am your brother. "


    "Brothers, we will one day be like those adults, sailing away by boat and fighting the most vicious enemy..."


    Rurik is doing slogan mobilization here, and he hopes to enhance the cohesion of the group through one mouth.


    Unexpectedly, an older child suddenly shouted: "Fight like my father? Well, he''s dead."


    Rurik saw the child at a nce. He was taller than himself. When he talked about the death of his father, he did not show any sadness, only some regrets.


    "Brother, what''s your name?" Rurik asked respectfully.


    Seeing the boy walk out of the crowd, he took off his leather hat, revealing his almost hairless head.


    Of course the man wasn''t bald, he just shaved off his hair with a knife against his scalp to avoid head lice. In fact, quite a few of the Roth n did just that. after all


    They are more willing to cleanse their bodies than other European groups.


    This bald head gave Rurik a lot of sensory stimtion.


    "My name is Fisk, I''m only nine years old, and a lot of people call me bald Fisk. I heard from my mother that the year you were born, my father died at the hands of the Gonders.


    I want revenge, but I am too weak. Rurik, can you understand this? "


    Many Viking tribesmen are happy to call themselves nicknames, or ept nicknames given by others. After all, they don''t have the concept of surnames, and the names they take are very likely to be thunderous.


    Also, add a nickname to increase recognition.


    "I..." Rurik choked for a moment, and after hesitating for a while, he asked, "So you''re here to learn something new."


    Fisk nodded. "Although you are only seven years old, we all believe that you will be our leader in the future. So if you be the leader, our fleet will be attack by those Gond Inders, then what will we do? "


    Is this a child''s question? The problem is too real!


    Rurik kept hisposure,


    After all, he is either the kind of person who advocates barbarism, or he lives in such a deste and dangerous environment. I am afraid that being barbaric is the means to survive. Rurik thought about it for a moment, then pretended to be calm and said, "Of course it''s a counterattack! We must use a strong counterattack so that they can never attack us."


    At this moment, a satisfied smile appeared on Fisk''s face: "Yes. We will destroy them all without mercy. We will attribute the treasures they plundered to us. At that time, we can all be rich. "


    After a few short conversations, Rurik felt really ufortable. Looking at Fisk, who was only nine years old, this person was simply a bandit mentality.


    There is no concept of sin, just to live by any means? Fisk''s mentality is also too primitive.


    Could it be that life must be so cruel, this Fisk, and other children like Fisk, who live for revenge? Just for looting?


    If the children of this group only have this idea, then the group has no future.


    After all, simple bandits will eventually be wiped out by more advanced groups.


    Rurik didn''t think this crazy idea at all, the so-called force should be a means of self-defense, and peaceful development was thest word. Especially in these turbulent times,


    Poption is the most important, and the death of anyone is not a small loss to the tribe.


    What''s more, only from a few years of observation, Rurik found that every time his father thought about the treasures brought back by Swig the Swigg, what kind of treasures could those be called? Possibly the most precious thing is honey and sackcloth. So the residents of Gond are also poor.


    There is absolutely no future for a group of poor bandits to rob another group of poor tribal civilians.


    Rurik deeply remembered this "bald" Fisk and his "great" ideals.


    Rurik settled down and looked at everyone again: "Okay guys, next, I''m going to divide you into five teams, each with nine people. Kanuf!"


    "I''m here!"


    "Let the brothers line up, and you stand in front of me first."


    Therefore, with the exception of Kanuf, nine of the first ten people lined up in a neat horizontal line.


    Rurik then ordered: "Others, you line up behind them, with only five people in each line. Remember, one person is your team leader."


    As soon as the words fell, the crowd quickly became noisy. Many children were at a loss at all. Seeing their indifference, Rurik had no choice but to shake his head.


    Apparently, the verbalmands to them were tooplicated.


    As ast resort, Rurik had to go off the court in person, and even with the help of Kanuf, he grabbed people from the crowd and inserted them into the team one by one.


    After all, they are all children, and they can be described as nk sheets of paper. Rurik felt that it would be a little hard to train them, but they were also more receptive to some new ideas.


    The team was so neatly arranged, including Kanuf finally entered the first team.


    A total of forty-five children stood in front of Rurik. Although their line was not very neat, the overall appearance of the line was really simr.


    ncing a few more times, Rurik got a look of anticipation.


    "That''s right, it''s starting to look like a hundred people."

 Chapter 18: Training And Bad Testing

    Chapter 18: Training And Bad Testing


    The situation made Rurik very satisfied. After all, in the rtively neat team, no one spoke, and no one was running around.


    They all stared at the blue eyes, waiting for their orders.


    Rurik stuck the wooden sword into the soil, then stretched out his right hand: "Brothers, look at my hand! Do you have five fingers?"


    After speaking, he clenched his right hand into a fist: "Now you see, only five fingers together, the fist can break the enemy''s teeth! This is what I ask you, five people form a team. Remember, any future fights The five of you are one, and you must act together."


    If an adult stood here and heard Rurik say this, he would be very surprised, but children, they have never been exposed to any other rhetoric, so let''s just believe it.


    But Rurik still has something to say: "Five people are like five fingers, and they can form a team (Rurik used the Norse word Fiss to describe it, which means fist, that is, a team). If a group is equal What about one finger? Five groups make a bigger fist. So when we get a hundred people together, we have more power. That''s my purpose! I don''t want any future fights to see you all alone Fighting figures, we see that dozens of you will forever form a whole and fight together."


    Rurik felt that his words were clear, but the theory was still too advanced.


    "Bald" Fisk was very willing to talk more. After all, his father followed the leader Otto and died in battle. Standing in front of the leader''s young son, he felt that he should be like a brother again.


    For some reason, Fisk did feel that Rurik''s words had some truth, but it was different from what he usually encountered.


    "Rurik, how much benefit will your decision bring? Doesn''t Odin like the bravest man the most?"


    "Of course...but what is brave?" Rurik''s mind turned very fast. After all, for a few years, his father tried his best to tell himself those Norse myths in his spare time. After all, besides that, Rurik estimated that he was not old Little Otto has no other story to put a child to sleep with.


    Rurik himself had a good understanding of Norse mythology. He said: "Valha needs arge number of the bravest people, and Odin needs thousands of heroic spirits to deal with Ragnarok. When Ragnarokes, a thousand Heroic spirits, like we form a group that is good at fighting, will have more power. Remember, if you fight alone, who will protect your back? Fisk, look at all your directions now, All of your brothers will help you protect you. Everyone, your back is protected by your brothers. Your job is only one, knock down the frontal enemy, don''t worry about the others!"


    This is an age of irrationality, especially the Rus tribes living in the more wild Scandinavia who have not yet wiped out the savageness and strangeness, they believe very much in those myths, and also very much believe in the interpreters of the myths - the elder priests of the tribes .


    The reason why Rurik was trusted by many tribal members came from the "oracle" in the mouth of the priest. What''s more, this kid has something special.


    Now the situation is moreplicated. Rurik''s words are surprising. If you think about it carefully, the priests did not exin that Odin is only a warrior who is good at fighting alone.


    Everyone looked at Fisk, and Fisk no longer questioned andpletely agreed with Rurik''s idea.


    "Now, do you all support me?"


    "I support!" Fisk took the lead.


    Immediately afterwards, the first ten people headed by Kanuf also held wooden swords in support.


    After all, the crowd is full of children. They are children. They almost instinctively agree with the opinions of the older children. They all raised wooden swords to show their support.


    "Very good." Rurik nodded with satisfaction, "In the next days, let''s see it as training! We want to surprise those adults! I also want to start from now on , be a leader that you both trust.


    "In the days that followed, almost the only important thing for many children every day was to go to the hills west of Roseburg to learn the "group tactics" taught by Rurik.


    A total of forty-five children were arranged in a small infantry phnx. They were just lined up in a team. If they advance and retreat together, they would not be able to train in a few days.


    So in the first days, Rurik did not teach them to fight at all, but simply walked in line, so that the forty-five children could walk neatly.


    The reality waspletely beyond Rurik''s imagination.


    In his conception, it is just a queue, and in a day or two at most, a group can walk a long way in a neat pace. Even a very young child can do it.


    As a result, these children of the Ross tribe, it is obvious that they have not understood what discipline is from birth to the present, and they have no concept of this aspect at all.


    Even, including those adults, there is no concept of discipline.


    Discipline! Any army that masters it is not weak inbat. Sopared to fighting, let them understand that discipline is the most important thing from an early age.


    Ten full days!


    After consuming such a long time, Rurik finally achieved his most basic requirements. The so-called only by their own orders, many children can finally line up, followed the chants and walked away. It''s amazing how slowly they learn.


    After all, the children can truly act as a group, obey the orders and move without dispersing the whole team. So far, everything is just the beginning.


    For those kids, ten days of queuing and walking was boring.


    On the morning of the eleventh day, the eldest Fisk, who had been holding back the words for many days, finally questioned Rurik in person: "Are we enough? Should we continue to practice walking? Rurik, I think I''ve walked more roads these days than I''ve walked in my entire life."


    "Are you in a hurry?" Rurik responded without changing his face.


    "Can''t you change something?"


    "Like fighting?"


    "Yes! You train everyone to walk, aren''t you preparing for fighting? Are you still not satisfied?"


    Rurik still had a nk face. He looked at the innocent children, only to see that they were all wide-eyed with anticipation.


    "Maybe time is enough." Rurik nodded, the long queue training came to an end, and the next thing really came.


    He ordered everyone to continue to line up, holding up the wooden swords andmanding: "Everyone, hold your shields after you line up."


    "Seventh, eighth, and ninth teams, you stand out. The others continue to line up."


    After some orders, Rurik nced again and continued to give orders.


    Thirty people from the six squads in the so-calledrge army were formed into a horizontal team of ten people in the front and three people in the depth. Everyone has their shields in front of them, forming a tight human wall, waiting to withstand the impact.


    For the three divided teams, their mission yed the role of the enemy, spreading out to attack. Its purpose is only one, to break down this wall.


    After exining their intentions in public, everyone screamed with excitement.


    The leader of the defensive side is Kanuf, and the leader of the attacking side is Fisk. Rurik especially called these two people to his side, and ordered them again.


    "Did you all understand just now? I repeat, Fisk, your purpose is to break the human wall, but I refuse you three teams to attack together. Kanuf, your task is to ensure the stability of the human wall, and strive to break down the human wall. Fisk pushes out. But you can''t use sticks for your safety."


    Of course, Kanuf trusted Rurik very much, but his arrangement with Kanuf really made Fisk dissatisfied.


    "Why? Rurik, am I still worried about being hurt by their wooden swords?"


    "Safety is the most important thing," Rurik instructed.


    At this moment, Fisk lookedpletely fearless: "I''m afraid of the wooden sword? I will be the man who will attack Gond to avenge my father. Am I still afraid of getting hurt?" Xiao Gui Da, deliberately grimaced at Kanuf: "You just use wooden swords, I am not afraid. But you also be careful, we will also use wooden swords."


    "Hey, am I a coward? I''m not afraid of getting hurt." Kanuf retorted through gritted teeth.


    The two of them didn''t care about safety and danger at all. In other words, the adults of the Ross tribe encouraged the descendants of the tribe to y some dangerous games. After all, in their opinion, the so-called dangerous games were just trials for future real battles.


    Thinking of this, Rurik couldn''t help but regret the deaths of his biological father, Otto''s two previous children. So Rurik originally had two older brothers, who ended up dying in a "dangerous game". So what? They are very relieved, the so-called everything is fate.


    The two returned to their respective teams, and the two groups of children also gathered to discuss.


    After a short time, they were finally ready.


    Rurik saw a group of guys who were eager to try, and on one side was a wall of people standing neatly holding wooden shields, UU reading .uukanshu. On the other side of the are the people who are scattered standing ready to shock.


    "Are you all ready?!" Rurik asked loudly.


    The two groups of people I saw raised their wooden swords one after another, signaling that they could start.


    Standing not far away, Rurik finally settled down and shouted, "Start!"


    As soon as the voice fell, the oldest Fisk was seen. He was like a wolf, leading the charge with an astonishing roar, and the other fourteen children were also fierce.


    They showed a strong momentum, but they couldn''t scare the other thirty people lining up the human wall.


    The fight came suddenly.


    The shield collided violently, and as a result, it was only this collision, and the human wall was smashed by Fisk and others.


    The situation once again exceeded Rurik''s imagination. He wondered how the dense formation of the three-column wall could withstand the attackers with only half of them. But the rusher and the defender, everyone has fallen into one.


    At this point, the impact and defense of the testing nature should have ended here. They had already copsed into a ball, but Rurik''s eyes widened as he watched the group of children fall into a scuffle, with the knocking of wooden sticks and wooden shields everywhere.


    Everything is meaningless. They seem to be simply venting their boredom that they have held for many days, and then turning into pure single-yer fighting, which is the "dangerous game" that these children often do on weekdays.


    Rurik yelled again, and went off to pull people in person. It took a lot of effort to pull away the children who were chaotically fighting.


    Many of the forty-five people actually had blue noses and swollen faces. They didn''t have any resentment, and they all looked at themselves and smiled.


    "What a tragedy!" Rurik held his forehead, unable to bear to look at theseughing guys, and also reflected on whether his hard work for so many days was in vain.

 Chapter 19: More Complex Human Wall Training

    Chapter 19: More Complex Human Wall Training


    As long as there is enough discipline and everyone who makes up the human wall is well-trained, the wall cannot be easily broken away.


    Even if the enemy army uses chariots and the human wall forms a spear formation, it canpletely restrain them.


    Once the discipline is loose and the formation is not solid enough, it will be very difficult to organize again after being overwhelmed.


    Looking at the giggling guys all over the ce, Rurik''s brows jumped up unconsciously.


    "Have you all yed enough?!" Rurik shouted angrily, "Kanuf, what are you doing?! Your wall was easily broken by them. If this is a fight, many of you already dead."


    Kanufughed and muttered: "Fisk is too strong, he overthrew us all by himself. Look, we are just some children, only Fisk is the strongest."


    "He''s right." At this moment, Fisk was extremely proud. "They are too weak. Obviously, I don''t need anyone else. I can break through their wall by myself."


    What else could Rurik say, but he shook his head helplessly: "It''s just because we''re too weak. If we were all adults, I don''t believe that you alone can break through the wall. Even after some training, you will Can''t break through."


    After saying that, Rurik pped his hands vigorously and ordered all the children who were still sitting on the ground to stand up.


    He shouted loudly: "Don''t be in a daze! Fisk said that the human wall you formed is too weak, and he can easily break through it alone, like a harpoon piercing a salmon. You all stand up, if you can believe it. I''ll take my orders fully until the wall is strong enough for him to break through."


    They are all inspirational people who grow up to be excellent warriors, eager to make great contributions in future fights.


    ying is ying, and training from childhood still has to be carried out.


    In itself, it is part of their daily life.


    The main reason why the human wall can be easily overwhelmed is that the children who constitute the human wall are too young.


    They are generally only six years old and seven years old, and they can hold wooden shields and wooden swords for a long time, which is already very good. To be very strong in the future, you will need to practice and eat more meat.


    Simply enhancing physical fitness can indeed block powerful attacks. If you strictly follow certain skills, you will get twice the result with half the effort.


    The so-called skill here is that the human wall really forms a whole.


    Rurik had thought that the basic skills had been taught to them, and the test results were so disgusting that he needed to teach them personally.


    So what are the so-called basic skills?


    It''s fairly simple.


    Since the human wall is threeyers deep, the people in thest row use their shields against the second row, and the people in the second row continue to use their shields against the first person.


    For the rest of the day, Rurik trained them to do it well.


    Does this really work?


    The days in northern Europe in autumn are getting shorter and shorter. The children on the hills use flint to light a bonfire, and they sit around the bonfire in unison.


    They all trusted Rurik a lot, but after a long training session, everyone was very tired.


    Many people still carried kippers in their purses, so they ate the fish around the mes, and talked about the training.


    Kanuf handed the "leader" Rurik a dried fish, and asked by the way, "Is that all right? With two people behind me, Fisk can''t break through?"


    "Hey, you''re going to ask Fisk."


    Kanuf shook his head, and he really went to ask Fisk, and the answer he got was naturally very simple.


    Fisk is the eldest of all children, even if he is only nine years old, bullying a group of younger brothers is naturally no problem, and this is the source of his confidence.


    "Rurik." Fisk leaned over and said confidently.


    "What''s wrong?"


    "Maybe your strategy is effective,but look at them. I think the human wall formed by them still won''t work, no matter what strategy, I can overwhelm it, just me alone is enough! "


    "Then give it a try." Rurik grinned and shook his ponytailed head, "How about we make a bet?"


    "Bet? What?"


    "Just bet on a salted fish. If you can break through the human wall, I will give you a salted fish. If you can''t break through, give me one, and you can see how."


    "Hey, that''s it." After saying that, Fisk stood up, deliberately put on a very strong posture to show his strength, and then stepped aside.


    At this moment, Rurik boasted that after a day''s time, the group of children had been trained almost, and each of them remembered the essentials of anti-collision, and also understood their role in the entire team.


    After eating the dry food at noon until the sun is about to set, everyone spends most of the time walking in a queue with a threeyered human wall.


    At the time of this training, the three groups serving as "Shockers" also participated in the human wall training.


    Rurik didn''t understand a little, but Fisk should understand that the human wall has changed after this intensive training. Could it be that Fisk is still very confident in his physical fitness? At least Rurik believed more in the power of the team.


    However, that was not the case. Kanuf leaned over to Rurik again, and after some words, Rurik could clearly feel the child''s worries.


    "Are you intimidated by Fisk?" Rurik whispered?


    "No...I...I''m not afraid of him. He''s very strong. I''m afraid that in a fight, you won''t be able to defeat him even with grappling. I''m still very worried about our human wall."


    "So you''re still afraid."


    "I don''t. Actually, I still want to ask, when we grow up and fight the enemy, for example, if Fisk wants to avenge the guys in Gond, we will line up and fight?"


    "It doesn''t have to be like this." Rurik shrugged, "Look at us, and I''m only forty-six people. In fact, I still need more people, such as one hundred or five hundred. In this way, we can form a group. Multiple walls. So you look at this"


    Rurik pondered, whether this matter can be exined in a few words, or it is finished with great effort, can Kanuf, who is interested in rifying the situation, understand?


    As a child, it is better to look at the picture directly than to listen to it.


    Rurik grabbed a few sticks at random, and in the light of the bonfire and the setting sun, gave Kanuf a demonstration on the ground.


    The so-called one stick represents thirty people, and he used four sticks to form a square. With a square, he ced four in a row.


    By adjusting the position of the stick, the graphics also changed dramatically.


    Rurik moved the stick while exining, and Kanuf, who stared wide-eyed, was not mentally retarded. He knew that a stick represented a human wall of thirty people, and it was in Rurik''s hands, and many human walls were doing their jobs. position changes. But no matter how it changes, there are two other human walls on both sides of each human wall, even if the back of the human wall is guarded by another human wall.


    Therefore, when hundreds of people gather together, there is no w at all.


    Although Kanuf still doesn''t know how the adults participated in the fight, now Rurik is ying around with it. He is very convinced that if the future fights are like Rurik nned, I am afraid it will be a tragedy for Fisk''s father. will not happen.


    Why?


    There is no w in the entire formation, as long as the shields of the human wall block the enemy together, then there is a unteral sharp sword thrust.


    "Now, I have fully understood." Kanuf''s eyes widened in admiration.


    "My dear brothers, everything starts with the forty-six of us. After you learn, you will teach the other children in the tribe. When I be the leader in the future, we will fight like this. Respond as I show, The enemyes to a thousand people, they can''t break through our human wall, only those who are stabbed to death by us will solve it, and we will not die a single person."


    Kanuf couldn''t help sighing: "Ah! If this is the case, the parade Valkyrie will see all this. We will not die alone to destroy a thousand enemies. When we die of old age, will she be picked up by her because of these achievements?"


    This remark made Rurik a little confused. He calmed down and deliberately agreed with Kanuf''s guess. "Yes, the Valkyries are fair, they need real warriors, not rude ones. As for me, I just want to live my life with glory."


    "You will." Kanuf subconsciously patted Rurik on the shoulder, "You are someone I can trust. You will be the best leader, and I will always follow you."


    When the bonfire is about to burn out, night is about to fall. It is very dangerous to continue to stay outdoors. The Ross tribe is not afraid of wolves. They are worried about wolves that are active at night and attack their children.


    Rurik could feel that in the vast northern and even eastern Europe of this era, the number ofrge wild animals must be several times that of humans.


    After the bonfire was burnt out, everyone went back together, and they all made psychological preparations for each other. Tomorrow, they would form a human wall formation. Even if it was for a salted fish from Rurik, Fisk could not let Fisk drive away the human wall.


    This night, the thing that Kanuf thought about the most was the stick demonstration by Rurik.


    After returning to his wooden house and eating the jerky his mother brought, he personally found some wooden sticks to y with.


    "Kanuf, are you ying a game?" His mother had never seen her son y these strange things.


    "Rurik taught me."


    When Rurik was mentioned, his mother thought of her son''s "defeat" and the strange training of a group of children screaming on the hills during this time.


    The woman came over and asked earnestly, "Have you learned something from Rurik? For example, the means by which he subdued you?"


    Kanuf continued to hook his head and said in a perfunctory manner: "I learned a little bit. He taught me nothing else now. He said that the men of the tribe fought on their own. He was very opposed to this, so he organized us. stand up."


    Speaking of this, Kanuf was excited, and he took a bunch of sticks and copied Rurik''s demonstrations from memory in front of the present.


    Viking women are not cowardly, and women will pick up swords when necessary. After all, men and women of the same tribe must all be rted to each other. Usually, men use sharp swords to resolve external conflicts.


    Kanuf''s mother knew how to fight, and watching her son''s demonstration of using a wooden stick, an unprecedented sense of shock came to her mind.


    In the long time of fighting, the men of the Ross tribe have figured out the basic formation routines, and forming a human wall to attack is also a man''s forte.


    But no one had ever thought of organizing hundreds of people into multiple walls to fight inplex formations.


    She widened her eyes and began to think of a strange scene in her mind.


    His husband followed Otto, the leader, and hundreds of men formed a circle with a human wall, with battle axes or sharp swords hanging from their waists, a wooden shield tied to their left arm, and short spears in both hands. The spearheads of hundreds of short spears stabbed the enemies rushing in from various directions.


    After all, the men of the tribe are also good at using short spears, which are actually harpoons for fishing and one of the sharp weapons in battle.


    Now, Rurik, the son of the leader, organizes children to y with wooden shields and swords, and he will certainly organize children to use wooden sticks as short spears.


    At this moment, Kanuf''s mother deeply felt the wonderful things in Rurik, and she felt that this matter was not as simple as a child''s game at all.


    She settled down, motioned her son to continue ying, and then said, "I want to go out immediately."


    "What are you doing, Mom? It''ste."


    "Don''t worry, I''m going to the priest to exin something. I''ll be back soon."


    Soon, the woman put on a thick deerskin coat and went out, trotting all the way to the priests'' residence, and went straight to the house of the most respected grandmother, Vilia, to tell the story.

 Chapter 20: Verias Divination

    Chapter 20: Veria''s Divination


    Because of the stove, the huge wooden house was baked very warmly.


    A white-haired old man, dressed in thick buckskin leather, sat around the fire, waiting for the kettle to boil. At this moment, the smell of boiled onions and herbs filled the room.


    This old man was Veria, an unbelievably old woman who lived to the age of seventy.


    Beside her, some young women in the tribe are her lower-level priests. They are quietly doing their work. After serving Vilia and drinking herbs, the day''s work is not exined.


    Veria is indeed very old, and she has always ordered the lower-level priests under her to prepare herbs and make medicinal soup for herself to take.


    It seems that both priests and witch doctors have a source. Vilia learned some herbal knowledge from the ancestors of the tribe. Today, she feels that she has contracted the cold. After drinking the herbal soup for a few days, she feels that her condition is getting better day by day.


    But she is still too old, and needs the assistance of others in many aspects of her daily life.


    She has such a long life! Therefore, this person who holds the office of tribal priest is highly respected, and many times, her opinion is on the same level as that of the chief Otto.


    Kanuf''s mother told her everything she knew, and Vilya believed very much that the young Rurik had talents. She never imagined that Rurik, who was only seven years old, was already there. Concentrate on training the children of the tribe.


    "So, do you support him?" Kanuf''s mother asked respectfully.


    "He is the son of the chief, and he is blessed by Odin." Veria sat cross-legged like a rock, squinting, "I understand what you mean. Rurik will be our chief in many years, But the road has not been smooth. He has some unique ideas, are they correct? I need to hear from Odin."


    All Viking tribes have very simr beliefs.


    Most of the tribes believe in Odin, followed by Torr, and some tribes have a small belief in Loki.


    Therefore, the priests of the tribe always hope to get in touch with Valha through a certain method.


    Vi slowly opened his eyes and signaled to a low-level priest to bring the divination pot with the rune inscription and the whole body iid with some gold patterns.


    Then, she slowly stood up with her aging body, and put on thicker clothes with the help of the attendant, especially when she solemnly put on a helmet iid with huge antlers. Even though the antler helmet was heavy, she had to wear it.


    The priests of the Viking tribe of Scandinavia had their own helmets with antlers. And the warm Gaul region, where the druids of the former native Celts, also have their own antler helmets.


    In this respect, it seems to be the embodiment of theirmon ancient memory.


    Then, surrounded by all the priests, Veria slowly walked out of the warm wooden house with the y pot in her arms.


    One of the things that the Ross tribe is very simr to other Viking tribes is that they all have altars that are simr in shape.


    A well-tended t site with more than fifty stones embedded in the ground and pieced together into huge streamlined shapes to imitate a boat.


    This is the altar of the Rus tribe. Simr altars must be found in every human settlement in Scandinavia in this era, and there are even more in Gond.


    There is also a stone tform stacked in the middle of the altar. The tform has existed for more than 100 years, and the granite has been polished very smooth by people.


    Some frozen fish were offered as tributes to Odin, and the lower priests carried arge number of bronze empty oilmps on each stone of the boat-shaped altar. Each empty oilmp is poured with a bit of warmed seal oil, and the wick is set on fire.


    Undoubtedly, the Ross tribe is very superstitious, and there are sacrifices and four oilmps ced on the stone tform.


    After Vijay entered the altar, he slowly knelt down alone, and everyone else knelt down, including Kanuf''s mother who was involved. Tonight''s sacrifice is purely a temporary move by Veria. If it is a normal activity, a considerable number of people in the tribe will participate.


    They all knelt on the ground, so-called paying respect to Odin, whom they believed in.


    Vi muttered a spell to the dancing mes, thus making contact with Valha. At least that''s what Veria''s ancestors did when they were priests, and it''s what her generation and subsequent priests do.


    They were convinced of it.


    After some spells were recited, Vi finally held the key pottery in his arms.


    She continued to usibly speak, shaking the pot with both hands, and finally, with her eyes closed, she took out a stone from the pot.


    She slowly opened her eyes, and in the light of the oilmp, she saw that it was a ruby, and she couldn''t help showing a satisfied smile.


    "Valha has given us a revtion." Vi stood up and looked at Kanuf''s mother enthusiastically: "Rurik''s decision is permitted. So we can''t question his decision, and don''t treat him There is too much emotion and praise for the decision. Because everything is fate." After that, Vi deliberately showed the ruby in his hand.


    The ancient priests of the Rus tribe were in charge of a y pot containing six gems, two each of red, green and blue.


    Red means "Odin''s affirmation", blue means "Odin''s negation", and green means "Odin''s unwillingness to answer".


    All the gems were polished into spheres as much as possible, and because of the frequent use of priests in the past, all the gems were extremely smooth in appearance.


    These six gems have a great weight in the hearts of the tribes. They are considered to have mysterious power, so people only want to believe that only the divination made by priests using these gems can truly reflect Odin''s wishes.


    They simply believe this because they think it is worth believing.


    It seems that the so-called divination is purely the performance of probability, and the situation is not so simple.


    The gemstones have been specially treated. For example, the red gemstones have been deliberately polished with a small groove, and the sapphires representing negation have been polished with two.


    Ordinary people have no chance to touch these divination gems, and this is a secret kept by the priests among each other.


    Of course, Vi has alternatives. Some time has passed, and on certain asions, she will show these gems to the people of the tribe, and what is actually shown are replicas of them without any scratches on the surface.


    So does such "divination" still make sense? Of course there is. As for mortals hoping to obtain Odin''s answers by this means, how could it be so simple. Compared to this, Vi believes in dreams and the revtion from the sky - the Northern Lights.


    Therefore, Vilia used this method. In addition, she had served as the highest priest of the tribe for 30 years, and she was the second person in control of the tribe behind the leaders of all dynasties.


    Even Rurik''s father Otto, who was able to serve as the chief of the tribe for a long time, was supported by the power of Veria.


    Obviously, what the mortals of the tribe don''t know is that the aged Vilia has made up her mind. She loves her Ross tribe and thousands of people, so she must nurture Otto''s son in her lifetime. rick.


    When she felt the time was right, she called Rurik to her side, making him truly the first wise man recognized by the tribe.


    She has always believed that, as a leader, knowledge is more useful than brute force. Obviously, the young Rurik was naturally aware of the value of wisdom. Thirty people formed a fighting group, and thirty people just filled a boat. Four boats can form four human walls, and can form a hollow array.


    Vi recalled his own life, and no one in the tribe had ever imagined such a fight before.


    She had no idea what such a tactic would bring. After all, she listened to Kanuf''s mother''s dictation, which Rurik came up with himself. And Rurik is really training those children ording to his own assumptions. The children roared amazingly on the hill every day, and the visiting lower priest came back and reported: "They are like a stone wall, panning forward very neatly."


    Recalling these reports, as well as the surprise report of Kanuf''s mother, the aged Vi had more emotions.


    She only sighed that her life was not long. It took seventy years for the Ross tribe to have such a promising and ambitious child. If she could not teach him the knowledge of the tribe''s ancestors she had mastered in her lifetime, it would be her eternal regret!

 Chapter 21: Fisks Failure And The Walls Success

    Chapter 21: Fisk''s Failure And The Wall''s Sess


    The aged Veria is highly respected in the tribe, and she has always maintained a friendly rtionship with the leader Otto.


    You know, it is a miracle that men and women in this era can live to the age of fifty, especially women, just giving birth is a hurdle. The big reason why there are more men than women in the Ross tribe is that they died in childbirth. This situation generally urs in the whole of Europe in this time and space, but the environment in northern Europe is worse, and the situation is even worse.


    As the head of the priests, Veria had been full of hope for her children since Rurik was born. A few years have proved that Rurik is far wiser than his father. Now the situation has changed again, Rurik is simply the best child born by the Ross tribe since its existence.


    For seventy years, Vilia has witnessed the entire history of the development of the Ross tribe.


    When she was young, the n had just won the fjord from the Urals and started to establish settlements there. Afterwards, the tribe found a waterway to the east, so that the tribe did not need topete for wealth with the Danes in the south, and no longerpletely needed its own thinking demi-human friends.


    The poption of the tribe has increased, but the development of the tribe has been in trouble.


    In a huge area, this fjord is already overcrowded, leaving the fjord to build a new settlement ind? That''s the craziest move! Without the protection of the mountains near the fjord, the cold winter winds can freeze everyone who leaves the fjord.


    Trapped in Roseburg in this fjord, the tribe can only maintain the status quo. Unless, all the people of the tribe leave here forever by boat, just like the people of a long, long time ago, they have taken their tribe to the south.


    Veria mastered a batch of "books" of the Ross tribe, so she learned about some major events that happened on thisnd.


    She even understood the other thing, that many years ago, the men of Gond had attacked the returning convoy of the tribe, which caused the Ross tribe to be hostile to the Gond.


    Actually? Those people in Gond are almost all Danes.


    There used to be arge number of people on that ind. Hundreds of years ago, under the leadership of a leader, they all sailed to the south. Some sources im that they established their own country and obtained a vast, fertile and warmnd.


    The priests of the Ross tribe are almost all women. After all, under the influence of the warrior culture, the men of the tribe are most loyal to fighting. Only the women have a lot of time to quietly sort out the knowledge left by their ancestors and use the tribe''s rune. Letters, engraving some old stories on wooden boards.


    Therefore, Vilia is a priest, and she is also the wise man of the tribe. There is no second person in the tribe, and she knows more about the history of the tribe than she does.


    The huge longhouse of priests, where arge number of wooden boards with written characters are stored, in a sense, it is also the library of the tribe.


    Of course, a lot of knowledge is monopolized by the priests. In fact, Veria is very willing to let the children of the tribe get the information recorded on the wooden boards. Unfortunately, only a few people are willing toe and see it for so many years.


    When Otto was a child, he was coaxed to look at the nks with a bit of honey by Veria, the lower priest. To Veria''s delight, Otto learned the alphabet of his own family, and he also learned the knowledge on the board.


    So Otto can be the leader, first of all, he is a strong warrior himself, and secondly, he learned knowledge from priests after all, and his interpretation of the myth naturally won the support of people.


    Veria has some ideas, and she will implement it when Otto''s fleet returns.


    Until then, she will remain a spectator, watching what a young Rurik can train a group of children.


    A new morning has arrived, and it is somonce that it feels nothing more than cold to all the tribe.


    In contrast to this cold, after a simple breakfast, young children,


    With his wooden shield and sword, he happily left his wooden house. Why are they so happy? Just because of a gamble about a salted fish.


    A salted fish is not a big deal, but many kids have already staked their honor!


    The stigma that the human wall was broken made everyone very unhappy. For the whole day after that, everyone worked hard to ensure that the human wall would not be broken again.


    The children gradually gathered on the mound to the west of Roseburg. They gathered more and more. Rurik, who arrived early, saw that the people were about the same. After the order was given, the children followed the order very naturally and formed their own groups. neat line.


    As usual, Rurik checked his subordinates with his little hands behind his back. Just because everyone is a child, the whole scene seems a little funny.


    But to let some adults see this scene clearly, I am afraid there is only a sense of surprise.


    Because, throughout the history of the Ross tribe, there is no leader who would require his tribe''s warriors to line up in a neat queue to reach a matrix, and they don''t even have the concept of this!


    There were only forty-five of them, and Rurik saw at a nce that they were all there.


    Still following the old routine, this morning is still the same. The so-called Rurik personally led the team and led everyone around the hill. First, it was a warm-up, and second, it was to exercise the coordination and discipline of the entire team.


    The sun has risen, and the smiling children have finally had the moment they had been waiting for.


    Looking at everyone, Rurik held up his wooden sword and gestured very bluntly: "I know everyone is looking forward to that! Now let''s start! Kanuf! Fisk! You two are out!"


    Both of them approached Rurik with great confidence, showing that they would not fail.


    "Obviously, are you all ready?"


    "Yes! I can still break through the human wall. It''s all about strength, and I''m very confident in myself." Fisk said to himself.


    Kanuf nodded: "Maybe he is very strong, this time, we should be able to resist."


    "Then you all work hard!" Fisk patted Kanuf on the shoulder to encourage him, "I still have confidence in myself."


    Fisk is a very brute force person, Rurik looked at him and estimated that in another twenty or thirty years, this child would grow into a bearded, muscr body, a very stocky body, and wielding a huge bronze sword. Axe man. This person has such potential.


    Kanuf was justifiable to be afraid of him, but Rurik did not think that brute force would be of much use.


    "Hey! Kanuf, look at me!" Rurik ordered.


    "Ok."


    "Yesterday''s training, you and other brothers know that the essentials are those, don''t think too much, just follow the essentials. Tell everyone, if there is a fearful escape, kick them out today."


    Kanuf was still worried about the rampaging Fisk, and it wasn''t until he was in the wall that he regained his confidence.


    Now that Fisk ims that he can break through the human wall, theposition of the human wall has also changed.


    It is alsoposed of threeyers of personnel, with fifteen people in the first two rows and fourteen people in the back row. Every child is like a brick, sticking closely to each other, especially the people in the first row, their backs are supported by wooden shields, they really constitute a wall.


    Kanuf in the human wall shouted loudly with his childish voice, and then led the entire human wall to rhythmically roar, showing a pressing momentum.


    At this moment, a man with a high ie held a shield in his left arm and a wooden sword in his right. He narrowed his eyes and took a serious attitude. Suddenly, the straight person rushed towards the human wall.


    Upon seeing this, Kanuf shouted: "Everyone pay attention! ept the shock!"


    In an instant, Kanuf, who was in the first row, clearly felt the force acting on his back. It was the people in the second row who gently pushed with their shields, and the third row was also pushing the second row.


    Rurik stared at what was happening. All the children bowed slightly and raised their wooden shields, especially in the first row. The shieldspletely covered the entire upper body. After all,pared to their current body, the wooden shield made as a toy was still too big.


    Without more time for them to make more detailed preparations, the shield-wielding "bald" Fisk mmed into the human wall with his shield.


    There was a loud bang of the wooden shield, the entire wall shook violently, and the formation was almost scattered. At the impacted part of the human wall, the children moved backwards subconsciously, but they still held up their shields. After the people in the back two rows suffered the impact, they immediately pushed the wooden shields and tried to push the former back to the front line.


    Fisk failed, he carried the powerful impact of the run-up, his strength waspletely diluted by the human wall, and he was almost pushed down by the rebounding human wall.


    But the matter is not over.


    Rurik, who was observing, had an idea and suddenly shouted: "Wall! The person on the left, the person on the right, move! Surround Fisk!"


    His orders were very simple, and everyone understood them. The human wall quickly began to change, and the rhythm was so fast that Fisk had not yet reacted, and his back path was surrounded.


    Eventually, Fisk was pinned down by a swarm of shields, immobilizing him. He tried hard to escape, but he couldn''t escape the tight circle of forty-four children with wooden shields.


    As Fisk looked gloomy and struggled to separate, Kanuf smiled unkindly: "Haha! Fisk, you are like a fish caught in a fishing now. You lose!"


    After another struggle, Fisk finally realized that he had absolutely no hope of escaping. He couldn''t help but smile bitterly, and threw the wooden sword to the ground to give up.


    "It''s all over!" Rurik gave an order, and the children who had surrounded Fisk three full circles giggled and dispersed.


    The bet had an obvious result, Fisk''s failure also represented an attempt to break through the human wall with brute force, and was finallypletely contained by the highly disciplined human wall. Not only that, but the brute force rushers were surrounded by human walls.


    They are children but not fools, and their daily game is to practice fighting.


    At this moment, all children realize the benefits of human walls and will remember them for a lifetime.


    They know that if everyone is an adult, and the enemy is a masterbatant. Even if the person is very powerful, he will eventually be resisted by dozens of shields, and then killed by the stabs of a dozen sharp swords.

 Chapter 22: Waiting

    Chapter 22: Waiting


    In the days that followed, wall training was the norm, and under Rurik''smand, many children began to do moreplex training.


    But they''re still kids, they''ve got huge potential, and they''re still terribly weak.


    Now Rurik is still a little worried that he is too young, and his only appeal is to recruit the existing group of peers.


    There are also many children over ten years old in the tribe. They disdain to go to the hills, but are used to ying "games" by the sea, venting their strength on the gravel, and they always go back to their homes with a wounded face. .


    That kind of fighting alone is the ancient tradition of the Ross tribe, and the best among them will have a particrly loud name.


    The Ross worship the strong!


    Let''s talk about the strong, what is the strong? From Rurik''s point of view, the bravery of a single man is a must. Those who can tame a group of warriors obediently and train a group of stragglers into a whole are really strong.


    Not only that, a good leader has reason to intervene in the affairs of the entire tribe. The greatest duty of a leader is to ensure the survival of the tribe, followed by the happiness of the tribe.


    Rurik has been in this fjord since he was born, and he has never left Rossburg.


    Through the observation of the Ross tribe, he can estimate the situation of the entire European continent in this era. The cruel reality is in front of him. The tribe is too poor!


    People are poor, and they use simple tools for production and life. Although there are excellent boatmen and cksmiths, the manufacturing process is not outstanding, so the daily necessities made are rtively simple.


    With these simple tools, neither fishing nor nting is easy, especially in the warm season, growing hardy vegetables on barrennd on the hillsides, the harvest is always very poor due to technology, variety and climate.


    The Ross tribe grows some onions and cabbage, as well as some other hardy vegetables, but they don''t know how to fertilize, and they don''t even bother to water. If they can cultivate more intensively, the output must be better.


    Perhaps for them, intensive farming is superfluous.


    They are poor people themselves, never rich and therefore easily satisfied. They are also valiant heroes of the sea. Compared with intensive cultivation and meticulous cultivation to enhance their craftsmanship in order to increasebor output in all aspects, it is better to control a long ship to go south and loot the weak tribes.


    But the problem came again.


    A group of poor people relying on their thick arms to rob another group of poor people. In a certain sense, it means that beggars are robbing buns. This is not a long-term solution at all, and the tribe will not develop.


    Rurik deeply realized that when he took the position of the leader, the entire tribe''s plundering culture needed to be cut off and reced by production to umte wealth!


    The so called production can be through hard work or through peaceful trade.


    Looking at the location of Roseburg, it is impossible to get rich by farming, but it is possible to get rich by trade.


    A wise soul resides in the seven-year-old body. For the Ross tribe, what they need most is knowledge!


    Rurik thought of some strategies, such as organizing people to hunt bears and deer, or ermines and squirrels on arge scale farther north. While the tribe has acquired arge amount of fur, it can also be trafficked to distant people.


    It is entirely possible to make a fortune from trade, but in order to ensure the peace of trade, it must be defended by a well-trained army.


    Therefore, I train a group of children here, not expecting them to be the main force of looting after more than ten years, but should exist as the defender of the tribe and the defender of the trade.


    From the day Otto set sail, Rurik kept track of the time. He found a nk, and every day before going to sleep, he carved a knife into it.


    Thirty days have passed since the departure of the fleet, andpared to the previous Sorgon voyages, this autumn''s voyage is extraordinarily long.


    After all, ording to the precedent, they should return within 30 days after departure, but now the weather is getting colder and colder, and they have not returned. No matter what the reason is, their return will face even greater difficulties.


    The water in the Baltic Sea is too thin. It was the end of thest cial period, and the influx of melted snow water created the huge andplex Baltic Sea. Its formation time is too short, so that the normal salinity of the Antic Ocean has not had time to adjust the salinity here. And because arge number of Scandinavian rivers pour into this nearly closed sea, the sea where Roseburg is located has a milder salinity.


    Therefore, the daily fishing activities of the Ross tribe are rted to the food of the tribe, and as a result, people can always catch arge number of freshwater bass.


    The most caught are some freshwater-tolerant herring species, which can basically meet the tribal subsistence problem.


    Simply eating fish is still too monotonous for humans. The tribe still likes to eat bread, only it is more powerful.


    The people of the tribe still reserve food for the winter as usual. They catch a lot of fish and smoke and roast them for long-term storage.


    They even boil seawater in y pots, even if the local seawater has low salinity, they still do it. Using a lot of dry grass and branches as fuel, and spending a lot of firewood to get a little bit of sea salt, even so, the effort is still worth it.


    The days of waiting slowly turned into torment, everyone wanted to believe that they would be fine, and as time passed, it was inevitable that people would have to worry.


    The pressure of the people began to build up, and many began to seek the help of the priests.


    One cloudy morning, Rurik got up sleepily, he pushed open the animal hide door of the wooden house, and the world he saw was dark.


    "Is it going to snow?"


    A chill came, he subconsciously retracted the tent, and then boldly stuck out his small head. The people of some tribes that he saw, moving their bodies covered in animal skins in the dim world, actually slowed down towards the priest''s spired wooden house. walk.


    "Mom! There are many people outside, what are they doing?!" Rurik turned his head and asked.


    "Have you found it? They want to find a revtion."


    "Is it about when Daddy will be back?"


    Nia smiled slightly, and continued to use a knife to cut the venison that had been marinated for an unknown time: "You are so smart. Don''t look anymore, it''s cold outside. If you''re curious, I''ll take it to you after dinner."


    "Okay."


    For meat, Rurik still prefers fish, especially herring.


    The Ross tribe has a very wild way of eating, that is, after the fish scales are cleaned with a knife, the dirty fish is removed, and finally the fish head is cut off. After the raw fish is washed, it is put directly into the mouth without any cooking.


    This way of eating is too pure, and Rurik has never tried it. However, the grilled herring is really delicious, and the bubbling and fragrant fish oil can flow saliva just thinking about it.


    In addition to fish, wild venison is usually eaten more. It is these venison that have an indescribable monster that tastes good when cooked and marinated.


    Rurik ate a small piece of venison and drank a small bowl of soup with onions boiled by his mother and some unknown wild vegetables. While this meal is filling, it''s packed with protein and extremely low in carbohydrates.


    Perhaps a thousand years from now, this meal will be promoted as a weight loss meal. Now, it''s really apromise of the Ross tribe for nature. If they can, they choose to eat bread every day on the spot, even if it goes bad.

 Chapter 23: When Will They Return?

    Chapter 23: When Will They Return?


    Anxiety spreads in the tribe, and this anxiety is even worse when the crowd gathers together and chats for a while.


    They need to get a favorable answer from the priest, of course, Veria has seen this.


    Due to the changes in the situation, Rurik estimates that today''s training will either be put on hold or postponed. Because those children must be led by their family members who stayed behind, just like themselves, and most of the tribe''s left-behind people will gather at the priest.


    One gloomy morning, Veria, the most prestigious priest of the tribe, wore a helmet with antlers and a deerskin over a thick padded coat.


    Today, she didn''t need anyone''s support, and just held a wooden crutch with a string of amber hanging in front of the crowd.


    There were more than a thousand people gathered in the empty space in front of the priest''s spire, and it was overcrowded for a while. There are still arge number of people gathered here, some people do not know what happened, and everyone is walking towards the priest, maybe there will be a grand sacrifice today?


    Veria put on a serious face. She held the crutches in both hands and held it up high, also signaling everyone to be quiet.


    The chattering crowd gradually quieted down, and the women standing at the front looked at the oldest man in the tribe with a responsible expression.


    Veria put down his cane a little and said in a slightly hoarse voice: "I know what you''re here for. It''s about the fleet!"


    "Exactly!" a woman in animal skins asked very boldly: "The great priest, my husband and my son, have all sailed with the leader, and now thirty-five days have passed! ording to the previous management, They should havee back! This time, will they..."


    Another woman expressed the same feeling: "Will they be attacked by those Gonders on their return flight? We are really worried."


    As the number of inquiries gradually increased, the crowd began to make noise again.


    At this moment, someone in the crowd suddenly shouted: "Nia is here! Let her go to the front!"


    Nia was the wife of the chief Otto, so she had a high status in the tribe.


    Holding his son''s hand, Nia and Rurik walked forward, and the people around them made way for them.


    Nia finally stood in the front row, she turned around, stretched out her hands to ask everyone to be quiet, and then questioned Veria again on behalf of everyone.


    "Great priest, we all want to know when the men will return. I think we need a divination."


    Veria nodded: "Let''s do it then!" After that, she made Niae over and whisper a few words in her ear.


    Nia has a certain appeal. She makes the wives and children of the men who have sailed away to stay, and the rest will all leave. All those who remained participated in the divination sacrifice.


    After some simple preparations, nearly a thousand people gathered at the altar of the tribethe sanctuary made of stones stacked in the shape of a boat.


    Even if the sky is already bright, the oilmp is lit again, and the salted fish as a sacrifice is also ced.


    In order to make the tribe believe in the uracy of divination, Vilia hurriedly ordered the onlookers to take out tokens rted to their husbands.


    As a result, the women took off their amber nes one after another, and in the end Veria only got five.


    The most important of these is Nia''s, a priceless ne of amber, sapphire and pearls.


    ording to the tradition of the Ross tribe, parents will make nes for their children, and as the children grow older, there will be more decorations on the nes.


    Not only the Rus tribe, but also the Sithian tribes living in the Sven ins in the south, have such a tradition.


    When boys and girls grow up to the age of marriage, young couples will exchange nes, so for them, nes are precious things.


    Five nes are ced in a wooden te and ced on the altar.


    Veria motioned all the lower priests and all the onlookers to kneel down, and she herself was driving her aging body, kneeling beside the altar.


    She closed her eyes and muttered something in her mouth. On her right hand, is the y pot that reflects Otto''s opinion, and the gems for divination have been ced.


    So, can Otto and his men return safely?


    In fact, for Veria, she is not worried that Otto and his party will encounter trouble, especially if they encounter a sneak attack from a hostile n. After all, it happened before, and it may happen again now.


    Another thing that worried her was that on this voyage, Otto took away many young people in the tribe, so-called taking them to meet the world.


    After all, they are young people, and their bodies are not strong enough. Will this make the Swig people in Novgorod feel that the Ross tribe is no longer strong?


    In any case, Otto must have encountered something, whether it is a good thing or a bad thing, if time continues to drag on, it will inevitably be a bad thing.


    Why?


    Look at this bad weather! Veria has lived a long time, and she estimates that it is about to snow. As long as it snows, the days ahead will be colder and colder.


    The sea will be frozen, and if they have not returned, the result will be disastrous.


    Veria, who was kneeling on the ground, thought of many things, and she had to recite some more prayers to make her mind think more for a while.


    In terms of feelings, Veria is really optimistic about "Odin''s Blessing" Rurik, and this child is also present today. But Rurik was only seven years old, and he showed so many extraordinary talents that he was too young after all.


    If something happened to Otto and his party, the tribe had to re-elect a leader.


    So who can be as good as Otto? Vilia felt that his n was simplycking in intelligence. Among the two thousand warriors of all ages who could participate in the fight, only six or seven hundred were truly elite. Now Otto has taken 300 elites and more than 200 inexperienced young people to participate in the voyage.


    If Otto and his party were lost in the cold of winter, the remaining 1,500 warriors could only choose from thest 300 elites.


    Through the traditionalpetition, it is indeed possible to choose a leader who can convince everyone.


    However, this leader is only good at fighting. Veria especially remembered that when he was young, the tribal leaders at that time were quite wise, otherwise he would not have been able to take this Rosberg from the Urals.


    The dozen or so leaders that followed were all very good at fighting, and as a result, they always died in all kinds of fights.


    Compared to those people, Otto was noticeably smarter. Now, Otto is no longer young and strong, but the Ross tribe under his rule has been living smoothly for more than ten years. Although the rtionship with the "Danish" people in Gond is bad, the tribe and the southern thinking Asians have be brothers. .


    Think about the future of the tribe with the worst idea. Once Otto encounters an ident, the stable tribe will be restless again. The young and strong members of the n will desperatelypete for the position of leader, and those who lose are also rebellious, and are very likely to take their families away. In that case, the stability of the Ross n would be lost.


    I''m afraid there is only one way.


    Veria was d that Otto''s only son Rurik came to the altar, and Rurik was wiser than Otto.


    If he could live another ten years, he would be able to witness Rurik grow from a child to a young warrior of his tribe. And by that time, the seventeen-year-old Rurik was full of wisdom, and the fighting talent he showed early on could be brought into full y.


    After a long prayer, Vilia felt that his knees hurt, while the others, they had already knelt down on their bodies to make themselves feel better.


    Finally, in the anxious waiting, people saw Veria pick up the pot, and the exciting moment finally arrived.


    Finally, a red gem was taken out.


    In fact, everything has already been settled. For the stability of the tribe, Veria must let everyone settle down.


    She took out the ruby in the y pot very naturally. Today, this gem represents "the fleet will return safely as always".


    Veria gestured to the two low-level priests, and they quickly helped Veria, whose legs were weak.


    "Now the results are very clear!"


    Veria was supported, her legs were weak, and she still held the ruby high, "This is Odin''s revtion, Odin told us that the fleet will return safely. We must believe that this is the correct revtion, so we now only need to One thing to do, go and wait quietly! They must be sailing on their way back! I believe that it is likely that the Swigs have paid us more treasures, which dyed the fleet a lot of time. Don''t worry. , we will have a happy winter."

 Chapter 24: The Priests Book

    Chapter 24: The Priest''s Book


    The people of the tribe believed most in the prophecies of the priests, and also in the words of the wise man Veria.


    The anxiety of the onlookers was instantly eliminated, and then the negative emotions of the entire tribe also disappeared.


    The people began to disperse, and only Nia and Rurik were left behind by the priest Veria.


    "Great priest, do you have an importantmand?" Nia has always admired Willia very much in her heart, and she was even a little scared.


    "Your son, Rurik, he is the one blessed by Odin." Veria thought for a while, and had an idea. "Actually, you can leave. Your son will stay with me today."


    "Some instructions?"


    Veria said casually: "Odin gave me more revtion about Rurik, and I want to exin some things to him in person. I thought about it again, maybe you don''t listen to these words."


    At this moment, Rurik was a little confused. He looked at the elderly Grandma Veria, and only felt that the old man had a kind face and was worth getting close to.


    He asked what his mother was doing now.


    Nia stroked her son''s shoulder and looked at Vilia: "Okay, I''ll give him to you." Then he bent down: "The priest wants to talk to you, it''s Valha''s revtion to you, you don''t You can refuse, you know?"


    "Well... I understand." Rurik nodded, thinking in his heart, I am afraid that the simple old grandma has her own words to say, and it is not suitable for outsiders to know.


    Rurik followed Veria cautiously into the priest''s residence, and today was his first time here.


    "Child, don''t be nervous, just follow me." Veria instructed.


    Rurik hummed, his eyes widened and he looked left and right, curiously observing everything he saw.


    Veria leaned on a cane and slowly turned into a small room in the high priest''s house.


    It was a dark room, and when Vilia walked in, an inexplicable sense of fear immediately filled Rurik''s body.


    After all, until now, he still didn''t know what the long-lived Grandma Veria was going to do.


    "Don''t be afraid." Veria asked kindly, and then she lit the oilmp in the room.


    Rurik asked cautiously: "Respected priest, this is..."


    "You can call me grandma, my child." Veria beckoned, and Rurik walked in obediently.


    There are some wooden counters on disy in this room, some nks are ced neatly on it, and there are even the existence of obvious scrolls.


    Thinking about it with his toes, Rurik also knew that it must be some bookshelf.


    Those wooden boards and scrolls must be ancient books treasured by the tribe. Thinking of this, Rurik suddenly became full of curiosity.


    Could it be that the Vikings, known for their barbaric robbers at sea, still had their own books? !


    Veria turned slowly, the exaggerated wrinkles on her face enhanced by the dim oilmp''sforting kindness.


    "Rurik, my boy, do you know where this ce is?"


    "Yes... it''s a mysterious ce. I saw those wooden boards, which must have been carved with words and recorded some stories."


    Hearing this, Willia was really excited.


    For decades, only one child in the entire tribe could tell that they were books.


    Veria tried to suppress her inner excitement, and her squinted eyes suddenly opened at this moment.


    "Rurik, I tell you, these boards are books. What is a book? Write a lot of what happened in the past, engrave it on boards, or write it on sheepskin, and it''s a book."


    At this moment, Rurik understood the word "book" in Old Norse, and the big concept was "bokk".


    After all, the Danish and Norwegians who invaded Britain all speak Old Norse, and many of them have basically simr pronunciations. So arge number of Norse words went directly into Old English, which eventually influenced thenguage of millenniater.


    "But grandma, you brought me here, do you want me to learn what''s in the book? "


    "Of course! Of course it is..." At this moment, Veria couldn''t help expressing her excitement. For the time being, she breathed a sigh of relief and said bluntly, "My child, I have a dream."


    "Your dream? Is it about me? You want me to be the leader?"


    Facing a rare and teachable boy, Veria approached Rurik, an old hand caressing his tender head.


    "My dear, you will indeed be the new leader in many years. I hope you will be a wise leader."


    "Like Russian father Otto?"


    "No!" Vilia shook her head. "He''s just a little smarter than the normal people of the tribe, and you are far superior to your father. You have the potential in this area, and in order to make it a reality, I think you have to make this room a reality. All the knowledge in the room is learned."


    With the old hand still on his forehead, Rurik raised his head slightly and stared at the old grandmother with wide eyes.


    "Grandma, I am willing to learn this knowledge, it is not just to satisfy your hopes. I think that since I am going to be the future leader, I must know more."


    "You!" Rurik''s consciousness waspletely beyond Veria''s imagination.


    She forced herself to calm down and continued: "You do need to know this. Your father knows some of it, and maybe you''ll be happy to know all of it."


    "I will. But what exactly is this knowledge."


    "Sit down first and I''ll tell you slowly."


    For many years now, this "library" that houses all the intellectual heritage of the Ross tribe, Rurik is a rare visitor to it.


    Rurik pretended to be obedient and sat on a pair of animal skins, listening to Veria''s exnation.


    Rurik was not too surprised by the results she told. The nks and scrolls here are mainly the past of the Ross tribe, which is their own history.


    They are the Ross tribe! One day will be a great group, and Rurik is the precursor of this change.


    The torrent of history is in itself, and Rurik is also willing to follow the development of this thread.


    Now he never imagined that the Ross tribe actually recorded its own history. If these wooden scrolls are lost, everything about the Rus tribe will be a mystery before they settle in Novgorod!


    "Now that you understand what the nk recorded, you should remember it, because your father remembered part of it, do you have a reason to remember it all."


    Rurik nodded obediently: "I see."


    "No..." Veria shook his head, "Son, you need to know more. Your father can subdue the crowd and be a leader. Why is he able to subdue the crowd? It''s all because he has a lot of knowledge, and he can exin Austrian Ding''s will."


    Having said this, Veria was very calm and asked solemnly: "Rurik, do you fully believe in the existence of valha and hell?"


    "This..." Rurik was a little puzzled. He didn''t believe in these myths originally. Taking into ount the feelings of the priest Veria, he finally nodded: "I believe it. Just like when I was born, you told the people that I was a Those whom Odin blessed."


    Veriaughed lowly for a while, then said, "That was my n, my child."


    "Ah! So, I''m not?" Rurik deliberately looked surprised.


    "No! Now it seems that my judgment is correct. You are indeed the one blessed by Audi. But there are some things you need to understand. You have seen what happened just now. I took out the ruby and signaled to everyone that they wille back safely. Actually I''m not entirely sure about it. I''m sorry, my boy. I can''t judge your father''s condition."


    Rurik felt very strange that Veria said so. It''s not because she can''t do the correct divination, she must not be able to do such a supernatural thing. She is a long-lived person, revered in this age of ignorance.


    The only thing that surprised Rurik was that Veria himself admitted that the divination was ineffective.


    "So, my father''s situation..." Rurik asked pretending to be surprised.


    "I''m sorry, my boy. We''re all mortals, and Odin doesn''t answer prayers because of a few fish. Odin only sends Valkyries to search for warriors, Valha doesn''t give us for little things. Revtion. It is only on special events that I can receive revtion from Valha, such as your identity, that you are indeed blessed."


    Veria''s words were suffocating, and Rurik could not have imagined that she could exin it in such a way.


    Rurik hurriedly asked, "Then my father and the others..."


    "Don''t worry." Veria stroked Rurik''s head again and reassured: "They must have brought too much wealth, which dyed the return voyage. In my long life, there have been many voyages. It took more than forty days before and after. Those women were too young, but they waited a little longer, thinking that their husbands were gone. In fact, on the contrary, they will bring back great wealth."


    "I hope it''s true," Rurik muttered.


    "This is true, you are worth believing. Child, I know what you are doing during this time, obviously you have a certain appeal, you have more incredible ideas to train those children, This is good."


    "Ah! Are you supportive?"


    "Of course, you can continue to train them, and you have toe to me to learn the knowledge on the nk. You are very young now, and you have a lot of time to study instead of wasting fighting games. If you think you can, we now Let''s start. I''m very willing to teach you. Child, you should be able to understand that my time is running out, and you must be the new wise man of the tribe as soon as possible."


    At this moment, Rurik did not resist in the slightest.


    The priest''s longhouse was very warm, and secondly he himself was full of good spirits about the tribal past.


    Aged Veria gained strength from the boy with the golden ponytail, and she hurriedly brought out a few wooden boards and ced them in front of Rurik.


    Just a nce, Rurik waspletely dumbfounded.


    Why? I saw dense symbols engraved on it, and they were very neatly engraved. Rurik also knew that this was the rune script that the priests were particrly proficient in. The tribe''s own history was recorded in rune script, but Rurik couldn''t understand it at all.


    They are like heavenly books, but the rune script is also a phic script, which determines that the amount of information is limited.


    Even though the number of boards here isrge, the amount of information is not that much.


    Rurik stared at the board and frowned: "Grandma, I don''t understand."


    Veria smiled knowingly: "It''s only temporary, I will teach you the use of letters in the next few days. You are a rare smart child, you are very likely to learn in a few days, at least a month is enough. Dark night In the next winter, you can no longer lead those children to train, and you can''t waste time, juste to me to study, after the new winter, you will be able to understand all the content of the boards and scrolls."

 Chapter 25: Ottos Hidden Concerns and Solutions

    Chapter 25: Otto''s Hidden Concerns and Solutions


    A mighty fleet sailed in the wind and snow, even though the weather was very cold, the person standing on the bow of the gship felt hot in his heart.


    Otto was still wearing chainmail. At fifty years old, he looked rather old fashioned. His grey beard showed his qualifications. The way he stood in the wind and snow was even more admired by the younger generation.


    But people will grow old one day. He doesn''t expect to live as long as the priest of the tribe, Veria, but only wants his aging to be slower.


    Everyone will grow old. For the continuation of the entire tribe, Otto, as the leader, is very pragmatic. He needs to use some method to make the young people of the tribe marry as many as possible.


    The Ross tribe is no different than other southern groups.


    Although the tribe has been intermarrying with friends in the south, the Ross tribe''s location is more remote, and few girls are willing to marry.


    It is precisely because of their remoteness that they cannot gain the hearts and minds of women of allied tribes through powerful means, and it is also difficult for them to gain poption from distant ces through looting to enhance themselves.


    Those Swiggs who looted Novgorod?


    If they were only asked to give up part of their wealth, they would support it even if theyined. Besides, a long, long time ago, the ancestors of the tribe had an agreement with Novgorod. In name, when Novgorod, a huge rural aggregate, was threatened by other tribes, it could find a powerful Russmaniac. Soldier''s help.


    If it is to plunder their female nsmen, it is to unterally tear up the treaty. That is their bottom line, and they will fight to the end with sticks.


    However, the attitude of the leaders of the past generations was that if they did this, Novgorod would turn into a wastnd in an instant, and those Swigs would migrate to a ce where the Rus n could not find it.


    A wise leader would not do such a stupid thing, the Rus tribe needs Novgorod, and the twice-yearly Sorgon voyage brings a lot of valuable goods that are difficult to exchange with southern allies, and losing them would be disastrous.


    The tribe needs long-term development. Otto, who has been the leader for many years, clearly believes that it is pure nonsense to try to do this. Violent conflict will arise.


    To develop, you must use distant allies.


    Otto, strictly speaking, did not have particrly lofty ambitions.


    Otto''s simple hope is that the people of the tribe can live in peace, that they can ensure that they have enough food to survive, enough clothing to keep warm, and that every warrior of the tribe has a wife.


    In fact, everyone knows that Roseburg is really a ghost ce, and the easiest way to live a happy life is to leave here.


    However, family relocation is not permitted at this stage. The betrayal of a single person is difficult to restrain, and the betrayal may only gain loneliness. Large-scale betrayal will be strictly restrained. As the leader, Otto and his cronies will not have such a disaster that seriously dampens the strength of the tribe.


    Because of the Swigs who paid tribute, they bowed their heads to give out their wealth, and werepelled by the sword and the battle-axe. Once the strength of the tribe is weakened, they will no longer submit.


    At least now the tribe still retains its strong strength, and there is room for operations to conductrger-scale transactions with them.


    The return trip from this year''s Sorgon voyage is already early winter, and the snowfall has made the fleet''s public very nervous. What they are even more nervous about is the freezing of the sea.


    The salt content of the Baltic Sea is too low, and thetitude of the region is too high, which makes the water here more prone to freezing. For example, the sea area facing Roseburg Fjord ispletely frozen for at least about a month every year, and winter fishing ispletely stopped at that time. At that time, the ice cutting breathing holes to ambush the Baltic seals became an operational option.


    The Ross tribe loves seals because they are both delicious and their fat is an excellent oil for burningmps.


    So on the way back


    The fleet is on the lookout for possible Gond attackers, and is also searching the sea or shore for movement, catching seals whenever possible. They finally caught ten seals, which was a pleasant surprise for the return flight.


    The returning convoy left the Gulf of Find with a northeasterly wind and had to paddle the entire way as they headed north.


    Ross, which means rower, is a tribe that prides itself on being the best at paddling and is very fast at sea.


    But this time, they were slower northbound for a very simple reason - fewer paddlers per boat.


    How so? Did they lose sailors throughout the operation?


    Do not! Because the returning fleet has increased by 30 people, specifically 30 young women.


    This time, Otto was very sure that he had aplished a feat and found another way for the tribe to develop.


    He was fifty years old, and his only living son was too young. It would be great if he died of old age and Rurik had just grown up, so that the people of the tribe would recognize this "one blessed by Odin" more. Even without a duelpetition, the grown-up Rurik used his natural appeal to make the tribe identify.


    Of course, Rurik was already recognized as a special fighting talent bestowed by Valha. If you really participate in the game, Rurik will be able to beat everyone.


    If you die suddenly, the tribe will choose a strong person to lead the entire tribe through a duelpetition.


    To participate in thepetition, one of the hard criteria is that the participant must be married.


    There is no age distinction in the game. Married men participate. There is only one rule. Use a wooden shield and a wooden sword to fight until the other person gives up or is directly killed.


    As a result, Otto still has a hole card, and that is Arik.


    Under his own careful training, Arik, who is nearly eighteen years old, is already a master of fighting. As he grows older, he will be stronger. Fighting within the tribe is also fighting externally. Arik will eventually be like his father. Be a strong warrior.


    But before that, Arik must settle his marital affairs.


    Not only Arik, there have been few new weddings in the tribe for several years, and many men who have lost their wives for various reasons have difficulty getting new wives. And those women who have lost their husbands have already had new husbands.


    The girls in the n grow up and they will marry the boys in the n. Even so, the fact that there are more males than females in the tribe can no longer be improved through internal adjustment, and the only way is to intermarry with foreigners.


    If they want to intermarry with their allies in the south, the ordinary young men in the tribe have to pay a high price, not to mention that most of the rebellious "paddlers" are unwilling to leave their beloved Rosberg and go to the south to make door-to-door visits. son inw.


    It is true that some young people will go to the south to join other tribes. If the young people of the tribe do this, the bravery of the Ross tribe will notst long.


    Perhaps, at this stage, only the Swigs of Novgorod, through self-sacrifice, can alleviate this serious internal problem of the Rus tribe for a long time.


    This time, Otto deliberately brought many young people from the tribe to act. In fact, they have a great meaning to see the world. Every young man of Arik''s age is very interested.


    As a result, greater happiness awaits them!


    In the end, there were thirty Swig girls who were married to Ross, and they sat in boats, dressed in thick buckskin leather, beside their new husbands. Althoughnguage is a problem, the girls of the Sokros tribe know some Norsenguage through their long-termmunication with Novgorod. The tribe is also some masters who understand the ancient vguage of the Swig people, so there is nomunication barrier between the two ethnic groups.


    Young girls will learn the Norsenguage very quickly, and they know very well that, whether they are willing or not, for Novgorod, for the sake of their parents'' family, they must identify with their husbands and not give birth to their husbands. offspring.


    Through some methods, Otto sessfullypleted a feat of political marriage, which was something that had never happened since the two groupsmunicated!


    The marriage between the Swig girl and the Varyag boy was first approved by the girl''s family, and the wedding waspleted ording to the local etiquette.


    As for the Ross tribe, there is nothing to object to about the marriage of young people. After all, the 30 tribal young people who participated in the operation have returned with beauty this time.


    They were happy, but Otto thought about a yearter.


    When the Sorgon voyagees next autumn, it may be time to bring some of the Swig girls, and their children, to announce the good news to their rtives in their Novgorod home.


    Yes, it must be done! This also proves to them that the Ross tribe can also be very friendly.

 Chapter 26: The Decision Of The White Tree Family

    Chapter 26: The Decision Of The White Tree Family


    Although the Svig have some resistance, there are also smart people who judge the situation.


    The Svig people of Novgorod will not always be fat sheep to be cut. In this city where many big families and several small families gather together, the attitudes of the major families towards the Rus tribe are very different.


    Among them were several families, who knew that even if all the families united, they would not be able to defeat the brave and brave Ross Berserkers.


    Rather than fighting against the Rus, it is better to cooperate.


    In the face of the absolute strong, the weak still have a path of servants to choose from. Of course, this kind of initiative to choose humble behavior makes other big families very resisted. What is the use of resisting? It is not that Novgorod has not resisted, and now facing the Rus people who have been raised more and more powerful by themselves, Nuo Does Fugorod still have the courage to fight?


    Around Novgorod City, arge family manor, more than 2,000 people live here to form a huge settlement.


    Many settlements merged into Novgorod, the most powerful family formed the main body of the city, and other lower-level families were located near the core of the small-scale city.


    There are five big families in Novgorod. Among them is the Be Leka family, which originally means "white tree". The core of their family is a birch forest very close to the main city of Novgorod. Hence the family name of the forest.


    The family does not have a surname, or they have no concept of a surname in this era.


    The source of the family is an ancient n, they themselves have forgotten a lot, only know that the tribe migrated north to this ce, settled in a white forest (actually a birch forest), reimed thend and built a manor to live in together. Therefore, when talking with outsiders, they sometimes im to be from "Baishu Vige", which already has the prototype of forming a surname.


    This is a big family, with two thousand men, women and children, but it is still slightly smaller than the nearly four thousand people of the first family "Pine Needle" Sosnowa Heka family.


    Even so, the Beleka family is the second family of Novgorod.


    Novgorod does not have its own king, and various families migrated here a long time ago. Many of them have forgotten their ancestors, and only know that this ce is called Novgorod, which means "new big city". This settlement.


    The White Tree Beleka family realized that the Rus people who came twice a year, their leader''s attitude towards Novgorod was changing.


    After all, the Russ brought more and more amber, and the family carried out some polishing and processing, and formed a caravan to sell to people in Smolensk, or people further south, can obtain greater wealth.


    Since the leader of the Rus people brought arge bag of amber this time, and asked to adore his wife for the young man of his tribe, after some deliberation, the White Tree Beleka Manor decided to "take the risk".


    It''s not that Amber''s eyes widened when he saw the money, but that they understood some long-term issues.


    Twenty of the thirty girls sitting on the boat are from "White Tree Manor".


    The young people of Baishu Beleka Manor are rtives to each other, and they basically do not marry each other, so the girls of the family marry foreigners, and they understand that this is fate since they were young.


    But to marry those Rus who are good at looting, that is, those Varyags, the girls who are chosen are very worried.


    It was the patriarch Rigus who made up his mind, and the most respected group of people in the manor, after negotiation, decided that this sudden marriage must be done.


    In particr, Ligus, this young elder thinks very long-term. It is impossible for the manor to end the looting of the Rus by physical means. Even if the counterattack by force can be sessful, the retreating Rus will attract other Varyag tribes. Counterattack, victory is the beginning of a greater disaster.


    In order to avoid disaster, further cooperation with the Rus is a reasonable choice


    The young men brought by the leader of the Rus are handsome and promising,


    The girl of such a family is not married to an inferior person. This situation makes Rigus, who is aggrieved in his heart, feel better. As he heard the news and understood the situation, Rigus''s mentality changed rapidly, because Otto, the leader of Ross, made a promise to fully ept them as part of the tribe.


    But for these girls, they are the parties, and many people seem to have been abandoned by the family just because of some gems, and have to be the wives of pirates.


    Along the way, many girls are not happy, especially after the wedding in their hometown, rtives in the hometown have confirmed that they are already Russian wives. After losing the protection of his hometown, after a long journey, he will enter the mysterious realm, be a part of the Ross tribe, and give birth to children for them.


    How could they be willing to leave their hometown if they were not forced to? !


    The long aircraft carrier is tedious and risky, and to make matters worse, the sky is cloudy on the return route, and it will soon begin to snow.


    Simply Otto thoughtfully prepared some furs, so that people returning to the flight could enjoy enough warmth.


    People are really warm, but if they sit still for a long time, a thinyer of snow must fall on people''s bodies.


    Because of the ships of the Viking family, those are ships with a high degree of mobility in this time and space. In order to enhance their mobility, the crew sacrificed a lot.


    There are many types of longboats, UU reading .uukanshu. Different tribes also have their own unique improvements.


    The longboats of the Ross tribe are more slender, and they also make a fuss about the oars, that is, the des are wider, which makes the boat go faster.


    Having to get to their homnd before the water freezes, as the fleet leaves the Gulf of Find, they begin their full northward journey.


    Otto knew that this time the nsmen were really waiting, so he would please them with more wealth.


    The fleet formed a ring formation, with the widest heavy-duty longships at the core, and ordinary longships guarding it.


    With experience, the leaders of each ship gradually estimated that they were very close to their hometown.


    Their estimates are very correct!


    Soon, some fishermen who insisted on going to sea despite the snow, cruising as far as possible from Roseburg, in order to meet the returning fleet earlier and lead them home as guides.


    The fleet sessfully met the fishing boat, and even with the wind and snow, everything went smoothly on the way home.


    In the wind and snow, a mighty fleet finally showed its own unique phantom!


    ording to Viking tradition, not all longships have dragon head statues installed. Because ships are often personal property, and everyone has power, they will decorate the ship to show it.


    There are many strongmen in the Ross tribe''s fleet who have made contributions in previous battles. In terms of wealth distribution, these people reasonably get more. At this time, the individual had more wealth to decorate the ship, such as installing various bow decorations, and printing the family''s "oar" totem on the sail.


    In the gray white world, any abnormal color is very conspicuous, even if it is blue.


    Some people with good eyesight saw the rapidly approaching behemoth. After seeing the blue pattern, the good news quickly spread throughout the tribe.

 Chapter 27: Women from Novgorod

    Chapter 27: Women from Novgorod


    For an instant, Rossburg, which was supposed to have fallen into silence in the wind and snow, became lively, and people were everywhere happily calling for friends.


    The people hiding in the warm homes put on thick clothes for the first time and rushed out of their homes. The boats had not washed the beach yet, and the men, women and children left by the tribe gathered at the pier and all the ces near the sea.


    Even the priest Veria, who predicted the safe return of the fleet, was supported by the lower priests and paced enthusiastically to a better position on the beach.


    Veria, with her old and somewhat blurred eyes, saw a ship quickly approaching the beach covered with broken river pebbles, like seals, quickly entering a smooth road.


    On the whole, due to the decline of Rome, the Franks did not inherit Roman shipbuilding technology. Instead, the Vikings magically inherited some, making their shipbuilding technology far superior to contemporary Europe.


    There are also Viking stunts here. In the second half of the eighth century, their keel invention brought about a great change.


    The long boats of the Ross tribe are all built around a huge oak keel. Arge number of oak boat ribs are installed on the keel, and then the oak boards are nailed to the boat ribs. The gaps are glued with grease mixed with lime. In order to increase the strength, the ribs of the ship are arranged in staggered doubleyer nks, and the middle is deliberately filled with animal skins to enhance water resistance and impact resistance. The nks are also solid oak.


    Oak, the mankind started the era of great voyage, it is the most cost-effective wood, and it is also very easy to obtain for the Russians.


    Relying on the very strong oak keel, the ship that washed up on the tidal t left a deep mark. The ship haspletely left the waters, and the warriors in the dust have jumped off the ship with their own equipment.


    Those onlookers could no longer contain their excitement, they rushed towards the ship that arrived first, and they noticed amazing things one after another!


    There are many warriors who are very young. They have just be strong. This time, under the leadership of the leader, they must have gained some insights.


    Look at these young people. They did not leave after disembarking from the ship. Instead, they carried their shields on their backs and their swords on their waists.


    They stretched out their arms to greet the man in thick leather who came down from the boat awkwardly. With some inadvertent negligence, the mysterious man''s warm leather cap fell off, revealing a golden it and a delicate face.


    It is a woman! It''s a young woman! And there are many young women who need young warriors to personally take off the ship!


    For a time, arge number of people of the tribe saw these scenes, and let the snowkes continue to fall, and the people on the shore were already boiling.


    Because the Ross tribe is a little older, it is very clear that the young boys of the tribe will never rashly be too close to young women. Their current attitude towards mysterious women fully illustrates one thing!


    The distance is not very far, and the priest Veria, standing in a high open position, clearly sees that there are a group of young women from outside. Her heart begins to agitate. Her old body is not trembling enough, and her wrinkled face is also exposed. Smile.


    "Great priest, are you excited?" a lower priest asked.


    "Yes! Otto deserves to be our great leader. My children, we have to get ready tomorrow. In a few days, the tribe will hold a wedding for some young people at our stone boat altar!"


    Boats docked one after another, and the identities of those women were also known to the people of the tribe.


    Many people, they look at these Svig women from Novgorod with strange eyes. For decades, they have been the tribe of these women and have paid tribute to the Rus tribe with a lot of wealth. Finally this year, they actually began to take their own women as special tribute? !


    But they are not servants who are used as envoys, but the wives of young tribesmen.


    When they set foot on the territory of Rossburg, they naturally became the new Ross people, enjoying all the rights of being a member of the tribe.


    For example, when the tribe starts to distribute the spoils, as a wife, you also get a share. If her husband dies, she will legally inherit all of her husband''s property.


    The real situation immediately spread throughout the tribe, and people began to preach the beauty of the Sweig girls, especially the other young boys of the tribe. They were full of curiosity about the girls, and they were also quite remorseful and hopeful about their status quo.


    Young boys started to fantasize almost instinctively. After all, the n is a ce with many boys and girls. If you want to marry a wife, ording to Scandinavian tradition, you must have personal wealth that can be obtained. To make a name in the fighting arena, at least let the tribe recognize that he is a brave and strong man.


    But, really good men are rare.


    For a long time, those tribal men who had difficulty in marrying wives either insisted on waiting, or rowed a long boat to rob women of other tribes, or left forever.


    Lonely ships are difficult to looting, so many men would rather leave Rossburg.


    Otto''s reputation in the tribe is even more noticeable, because his actions bring new hope to the entire tribe. If you just search for some rough amber stones in the thin soil of the mountains, use them as a betrothal gift to Novgorod during the two-year Sorgon voyage, and marry your wife in a very peaceful way, why not do it.


    The Ross tribe is a group of smart people. They are good at seeking advantages and avoiding disadvantages, and aplish their goals peacefully and at low cost. It is really happy for everyone.


    So this winter is no longer normal. In the cold world of ice and snow, in the warm wooden houses, people''s hearts are restless.


    The boys who can grow into warriors long for beautiful wives in their hearts. Their parents see the hope of the smooth continuation of the family''s blood. Those who are highly respected in the tribe, they clearly realize that the tribe will be stronger because of the rapid hope of the people.


    When the day the ship docked, Rurik had been studying in Veria for several days and had a preliminary understanding of the Luen alphabet.


    The training of the group of children cannot be put down, even if it has already started to snow, the training must continue before the snow and ice cover the ground.


    Rurik''sst waiting days were very fulfilling. He was full of hope for the future until his father returned safely with the people who participated in the voyage.


    Therge number of treasures brought back were quickly distributed. As the leader, Otto naturally received a very generous portion.


    Rurik also received a gift from his father-a pot of precious honey.


    But this honey pouring has a bigger effect. Otto rewarded his son with this, and also made a clear order, "I will use him soon, and you are not allowed to eat more until then."


    At the beginning, Rurik didn''t know how useful honey was, and it was used on Frige Day a few dayster.


    But these are not things that surprise him as a "child"! Just because of his cousin Arik, he triumphantly brought back a beautiful girl.


    A girl from Novgorod entered the big wooden house of the leader of the tribe. Sitting on the entire animal skin, Rurik, who was only seven years old, saw the girl''s handsome face with wide eyes.


    After all, Rurik''s effective body is hosting the soul named Liu Li. If you count the seven years in Rossburg, Rurik clearly understands that his mental age is as high as thirty-seven years old.


    He is a child, his eyes widened today, and conscientiously said that this girl really fits her own aesthetics.


    What! After all, the news has quickly worn the entire Rossburg!


    My father went to the priest''s big wooden house for the first time and told the priests and elders about his experience in the past forty days, so that after meeting his father at the dock, it was already night, and he was still dering his duties! .


    My mother heard a lot of news, and Lurik stayed in her house and realized that all the young women returning with the ship were from Novgorod.


    In other words, the woman standing in front of him is the Svig from Novgorod, the purest Guv in this time and space.

 Chapter 28: Peravina

    Chapter 28: Peravina


    Peravina is not very tall. After taking off the bup hat, she instantly showed her huge golden braids and the delicate awl-shaped face with white and slightly freckles.


    She seems to be very worried about her status quo. She keeps her head slightly hooked, and she stands stiffly. The opposite of caution is Arik''s smiling face.


    "Haha! My dear brother, let me introduce to you. This is your new sister, Peravina. She is my new wife, and you and her will be a family in the future." Norse asked his wife: "Peravina, say hello to my brother."


    At this moment, Rurik finally understood that this girl who had never seen him before was obviously much older than him, was actually his own sister-inw!


    In Scandinavia, there are very few terms for generational names among people, including the absence of a clear concept of "sister-inw".


    People of the same generation are usually brothers and sisters, and call each other by their first names. Therefore, Peravina is obviously a woman of the same generation as Rurik, and naturally became his sister.


    The girl still seems very conscientious. She herself is unwilling to marry a Varange as his wife. For the safety of the family estate, she knows the importance of her mission.


    Maybe her husband named Arik is a kind person, but she has realized that she lives in the house of the leader of the Varang, and her husband is the leader''s son.


    I have been in contact with the Varanga for a long time, and many people in the White Tree Manor know some Gnostguage more or less.


    Peravina used herme Nossenguage and used simple vocabry to fight with Rurik, and then she didn''t want to talk more.


    While watching the show, Nia prepared a little snack, and kindly passed it over: "Arik, maybe she is a silent person?"


    "No! I think she is just a little scared. She also needs to learn ournguage." Arikughed.


    Nia nodded, and brought a te of dried salted fish to Peravina: "Eat some, kid. Don''t be nervous, I will be your mother from now on."


    "Mother?" Peravina slowly raised her head.


    The mama title of "mother" seems to be shared by humans, butter generations have theories pointed out that the entire Indo-Europeannguage family and the entire Sino-Tibetannguage family are derived from the ancient Yeniseinguage family tens of thousands of years ago. Some of the core words are It is shared by all ethnic groups.


    The cautious Peravina basically understood Nina''s words, and she also understood that the very old woman in front of her was the leader''s wife.


    It seems that the Varangans live strictly ording to the rules of monogamy? If that is the case, your future is not ufortable.


    Peravina is also very clear about the meaning of "mother" now. More than ten days ago, she was recognized by the people of her hometown as the wife of the Varange ording to the etiquette of her hometown. ording to tradition, she was separated from the group of Baishu Manor. He left his own family and became a member of another family.


    Husband''s mother naturally became his own mother, and he had to live the rest of his life in Varangian style ording to the traditions of the Varangans.


    It seems that everything is an irresistible fate.


    Peravina was forced to ept, she slowly raised her hand, picked up a piece of dried salted fish and put it in her mouth.


    For an instant, the salty happiness filled her whole mouth, she subconsciously dared to stuff the whole dried fish into her mouth, and then chewed desperately. It''s not over yet! A piece of herring was dried, and she hurriedly took another piece.


    It wasn''t until a te of jerky that there was only mediocre left, it seemed to have witnessed the surprised eyes of others, and then stopped. A finger sucking gesture once again inadvertently expressed her liking for dried fish.


    Rurik was surprised to see the process of his sister-inw eating dried fish, everything was incredible.


    "Why does she like to eat those salted fish that I almost get tired of eating?!"


    Driven by curiosity, Rurik got up with many questions, and finally stood by his sister-inw Peravina.


    At this time, he found throughparison that he was not taller than his sister-inw''s chest, and he was really a short man.


    Of course,pared with my brother Arik, the top of my head has just reached my brother''s belly button.


    Rurik asked boldly in Nosse: "My dear sister, you are from Novgorod? What kind of ce is that."


    The mention of the word "Novgorod" undoubtedly aroused Peravina''s memories of the past.


    Subconsciously, she muttered in ancient Cyrillic.


    No one knows what she mumbled, anyway, Liu Rick clearly saw that the blue-purple eyes of the sister-inw were bursting with tears.


    Her eyes are indeed different from those of the Ross tribe.


    Rurik had carefully observed himself on the surface of the water, with blue and white pupils, fair skin, and blond hair. If he were a girl, he must be the kind of natural Barbie doll?


    This Peravina is different. The blue-purple pupils in her eyes fully prove that she ispletely different from the lineage of the Ross tribe.


    In fact, in Europe, the rtive separation of geography has made the three barbarians in the north that the Romans called: Germans, vs, and Baltic peoples. All three are Indo-Europeans, and their body structures have been very slightly different. , Can only be identified by careful observation.


    Strictly speaking, the Vikings and the Germans are the same ethnic group, but the former encroached on Western Rome. Four hundred yearster, the North Germanic tribes staying farther north were forced by the reality of the colder climate throughout Europe. Obtained the title of Viking, and began to go south on arge scale.


    Rurik wanted to chat with her a few more words, but after all he didn''t get a clear response.


    But Rurik knows a little bit of Russian after a thousand years, and Novgorod is an extremely old city in the vic world. Through Peravina''s mumble, he can fully understand the taste of Russian.


    It is really different from Gnoss, my sister-inw''s mumbles are really full of tongue sounds, extremely fast speaking speed, and unique pronunciation under the action of the tip of the tongue and nasal sounds.


    To be honest, she speaks very nicely.


    Failed to chat with Peravina, and Rurik could only ask his brother Arik for more information.


    "Arik, since you are married, will you move out soon?"


    "Yeah! Why? Is it a bit reluctant?"


    "No." Rurik shrugged, "I know our traditions."


    "I will move out soon." Arik subconsciously patted his cousin''s forehead: "Rurik, you are the father''s eldest son, understand? You want to inherit this family, and I want to inherit me Everything about my biological father Ogier. This winter I will move to my own house with my Peravina! Honey, I am married, and it has proved that I have grown up, hehe, maybe I will be a father by this time next year Up."


    Arik thought that his younger brother Rurik didn''t understand, but in fact, Rurik knew all.


    He was in a very good mood and continued: "There are many beautiful girls in Novgorod. Rurik, when you grow up, you can find your wife anywhere."


    "Really? But I am too young now."


    Arik shrugged: "Soon, you will grow up in a few years."


    At this time, Nia interrupted Arik with a smile: "Silly boy, I know you performed the ceremony in Novgorod, but your marriage was not recognized by the tribe."


    Nia''s words reminded Arik. He approached his new wife''s ear and said in Gnostic: "She''s right, you can''t actually call her mother now. And what you look like now, I should get rid of you. You should have your hair loose, and only after passing our wedding ceremony can you tie it up again."


    Peravina didn''t understand it very well, and now she had topletely obey the man''s orders.


    Soon, her blonde hair spread out. In Rurik''s eyes, her sister-inw has actually be more beautiful.


    After hearing the news again, his elder brother Arik, he also understood that his sister-inw was just 18 years old, and Arik was actually the same age.


    Although Peravina is such an age, she seems younger no matter how you look at it, perhaps because Novgorod''s living conditions are not very good, and men and women are not as tall and strong as the people of the Rus tribe? ! It must be so.


    Rurik is not wrong in thinking this way. The staple food of the people of Novgorod is rye and wheat, and there are not many opportunities to eat meat. Although the Ross tribe has few opportunities to eat wheat, they eat a lot of fish and meat from wild beasts they have caught.


    When a person is growing up, the more meat he eats, the stronger he grows up.


    Novgorod, a city where manor and small viges are mixed, has arge poption and their height is low.


    There are not many people in the Ross tribe, and they are full of strong people.


    In the fight between barbarians in ancient Europe, both sides alwayscked tactics. At this time, which side is stronger, often has the ability to fight one against ten! The gathering of hundreds of Ruth Berserkers can indeed overthrow the professional farming organized by the various dealer families in Novgorod.


    After a brief contact, it is of course impossible for Rurik to understand the past of his sister-inw, and even he does not understand the ancient vic meaning of the name "Pvina".


    In this era, the Rus tribe of the Varyags did not ept the Eastern Orthodox Church of East Rome. The same is true of the ancient vic tribes. The names of the poptions of these tribes are varied, which looks liketer generations. The only thing that people can choose from is the book. Of more than four hundred choices.


    Of course, like the vs, some inherent words describing flowers naturally continue, such as "Natasha", "Lilia" and "Katyusha", which have been used for at least two thousand years.


    This "Peravina" is not like this at all, her name is very simple and straightforward.


    The White Tree Manor in Novgorod has a poption of up to two thousand. The interior is also divided into nuclear families and affiliated families. It is based on the concepts of rge n" and "small n", but they do not have a clear concept of surnames.


    "Peravina" actually means "the eldest daughter". She is the eldest daughter of a small family of white tree ancestor clerk. She had reached the age of marriage, and her parents had already started the marriage.


    When the autumn harvest was over, the Varangans came again as scheduled. This time their leader took a lot of amber and asked Novgorod for the marriage of the young Varangans.


    For greater wealth, Peravina''s parents decided to ept the dowry from Varanga.


    She is a pretty girl, and of course Otto personally supervises her Arik''s marriage, and in this way, her family gets a small packet of precious amber.


    With this bag of amber, the family''s identity in the manor has increased dramatically! Doing business with Amber and Smolensk in the south, the family quickly entered into the wealthy life they knew.


    Maybe this marriage was a win-win situation, although Peravina was more resistant at first.


    Now she is finally appointed, especially to eat salted fish!


    Because in Novgorod, it is the "ind area" in the pure sense! They did not have the ability to go along the river into the Arctic Ocean beach to boil the sea to make coarse salt. In fact, they knew little about the far north. The priest imed that it was the residence of the **** of ice and snow, and entering by mistake would bring death.


    As for why the Varangans dared toe from the north, the priests of Novgorod imed that the Varangans had made a deal with the ice body.


    The residents of Novgorod are extremely salt-deficient, UU reading , but people want to eat salt. Eating marine fish and hunting wild animals, such hunters and fishermen do not have the problem of salt shortage. Those ind farmers could not expect to grow rye to get enough salt in thend. They had to buy it from private salt dealers in Eastern Rome at a high price.


    In fact, as early as the prosperity of the Roman Empire, a trade road from the ck Sea and the Aegean Sea north to Northeast Europe has always existed. On this trade road, coarse salt has always been a hard currency. Through this trade route, Eastern Rome obtained quite rich and precious animal skins, such as ferret skins, which became the decorations of noble clothing.


    In Rossburg, even though the seawater is very low in salinity, people still burn a lot of firewood to get the coarse salt in the sea. They are happy to do this, just to marinate more dried meat to survive the winter.


    Peravina has eaten a lot of salt, so if her hair is put down, or she obeys her husband''s orders to do something, what else can she resist?


    Obviously I will not go hungry, and my future life will not be bad if I want to. The most important thing is that there is enough salt here!


    Nia again asked the new couple: "Arik and Peravina, your marriage has not been approved yet. But I think the situation will change soon. On the next Frige Day, you will officially hold it. Wedding. Maybe a lot of people will have a wedding at the same time. It''s on our stone boat altar, and the priest Veria will hold it personally. At that time..."


    Nia thought about it again, and pointed to Arik''s matching sword: "Your sword and your dagger..."


    "Is it a sword donation ceremony? I understand. Mother, don''t worry, I will do everything by then."


    Nia smiled knowingly: "Child, you are still too innocent. Take care of your wife these days. Your wedding day is really approaching, and I will also be a witness by then."

 Chapter 29: Will We Still Be Us In The Future

    Chapter 29: Will We Still Be Us In The Future


    The elders of the tribe praised Otto''s actions, which will bring new development to the tribe.


    The young people of the tribe can''t wait to hope that spring will arrive early, so that the poor young men of the tribe can follow the leader Otto and go to Novgorod to try to find their own mate.


    Thirty v women from Novgorod joined the tribe, which reminded most people of a wonderful future.


    If anyone is worried about the future, there is nothing more than the tribal priests.


    Because the Ross tribe, like other Vikings, their great **** is Odin.


    Those Novgorod people do not believe in Odin, but in other lower gods, such as river gods, mountain gods, swamp gods, and even sea gods.


    In the Eastern European world and Northern Europe where the Frankish Empire and Eastern Roman power were in a vacuum, the local residents believed that all things existed.


    Whether it is the various tribes of the Vikings or the various vic tribes, after all, they live in a more difficult environment, so they are naturally full of awe for everything in the world.


    Therefore, the mountains and rivers are given a mysterious coat, as if they all have their own guardian gods.


    There are different creation gods in the legends of two different ethnic groups, but in this respect, the belief of the Vikings may be even more legendary. Even their three major beliefs in Valha, Odin, Nursery and Loki, are the core of their "battle culture".


    If they no longer believe in Valha, the Viking values that regard death in battle as a virtue will also be disintegrated.


    The men of the Ross tribe all believed in Valha, the environment was such that even if someone had doubts, they could not reveal their doubts.


    So does the most convincing old priest Veria believe all this?


    Of course she believes it! Especially with the achievements of the leader Otto over the years, and the more and more different characteristics that Rurik is now beginning to show, she has be more convinced of Valha.


    But she did have doubts, especially that Odin would not tirelessly interfere with mortal affairs. Even Odin''s messengers, the Valkyries, would only inspect and cruise in Tianyu in winter.


    Veria can''t show any behaviors that question her beliefs. She must maintain the cultivation of a pious person, because thousands of Rus people need this belief that can condense each other.


    Except for the Novgorod women who came from afar.


    Maybe, the times are really going to change!


    In a sense, Priest Veria is the first female leader of the Ross tribe in a realistic sense. If she is not a woman, she is very likely to be the true leader of the tribe.


    She is very smart. Through mastering knowledge, controlling history, and cooperating with the leader, when the leader is away, the tribe still maintains a quiet and peaceful state under her supervision. Unlike some thinking demi-human tribes in the south, the leader of the expedition for many days, the backyard may catch fire.


    But the women of Novgorod married into the tribe. The young people pity the beauty of those women and marveled that they only need to run to the hillside to search and dig a little rough amber stone and bring it to Novgorod. Can easily embrace the beauty.


    Veria can feel the group''s psychological abnormalities after this fall. The power of the group may not be able to change by herself, and it is impossible for Vilia to give any instructions to prohibit intermarriage between the tribe and Novgorod. Once you say something wrong, you will be opposed by the tribe, or even abandoned.


    In the foreseeable future, those Novgorod women will have mixed descendants. As the mothers of their children, they will not only teach the Novgorodnguage to the mixed Russian boys, but also Novgorod. The gods of mountains and waters of Germany and so on.


    In this way, the result of long-term intermarriage is destined to be two ethnic groups, bing me in you and you in me.


    Originally, the Rus tribe separated from the Mindling group 60 years ago and went to the northern mountains to expel the locals from upying it. The rtive istion of the environment has made the rtionship between the Ross tribe and the Mindling group of the South even weaker.


    Gradually, the Rus tribe merged into the Novgorod descent in arge amount. Perhaps a hundred yearster, the thinking demi people in the south will no longer recognize the Rus tribe as their rtives.


    But that will be a long timeter!


    Veria has no way. Her own people don''t understand or want to learn about the history of the tribe. Moreover, she is the only one among the tribes now, who was the witness of the northward migration of the Ross tribe more than sixty years ago.


    Today''s young boys, they yearn for wealth, eager to fight, and even more eager for beautiful and virtuous wives.


    Their thoughts are very simple. They don''t care about whether the Rus tribe continues to develop or not. They only hope to follow the great leader to pursue their own happiness.


    At the meeting where Otto met with the elder priests, Veria told his own worries to Otto, the self-proimed leader.


    What she got was Otto''s outright objection.


    "Let''s not talk about ourselves. I see that there are some Novgorod tribes who have new intentions, and they are eager to cooperate with us for a longer period of time. There is no such thing as a problem for us in the future. We I don''t know our past well, so why worry about the future? Our children always long for a happier life."


    The oilmp of the long house on the steeple of the priest suddenly beats, and the hearts of the people in the house are also being touched.


    Veria was silent for a moment.


    She paused for a while and then said, "Otto, you have read those records, they are the records of our tribe. It represents our clear past."


    Otto shook his head: "It only means that we are from the South, and our allies are from the same ancestor. But what about the older ones? We don''t know. Even..."


    Otto calmed down and said very bold words: "Since we came here from the south to build Rossburg, should we stay here? In fact, you and I both understand that it is too cold here and we cannot leave for the time being. But our children, they may leave. Maybe our ancestors were in more southern regions, and so are our allies. Everyone is slowly migrating to where we are now. Since we have migrated, we can continue to migrate in the future.


    There is no question of whether we are Rus or not. We named ourselves after the oars, but we can use something else. The Novgorod people call us and allies as visitors from the Gulf, the Franks call us bluntly, and the Danes as northerners.


    Here, our simple survival is already very difficult, why do we need to entangle some things? "


    Some elders of the tribe, they are just older. In fact, Otto is also very old. He lived to be fifty years old and made a lot of merits as a leader.


    Here, the two most powerful "elders" of the tribe question each other. The others really don''t have the guts to speak, so they have to continue to wait and see.


    Veria thought for a while in silence, her heart was very disturbed.


    Otto''s remarks seem to be saying that the Ross tribe only needs to live. As long as the tribe can live proudly, everything is okay.


    "But our faith! Maybe... the only thing that can prove that we are us is Valha that we believe." Vilia''s eyes were full ofplex emotions, and he looked at Otto directly.


    "Hehe." Otto smiled slightly: "Perhaps, the only thing that can prove us is that we are favored by Valha. No matter where we are, the Valkyrie will pick the best people from our tribe. After his death, he entered Valha as a hero. This will never change, even if our young people and those Novgorod women give birth to new warriors, the Valkyrie will just choose the brave among them and as always this words make Veria love to hear, "If so, it is the best. My dear leader, your son Rurik, you understand what you have done these days. You and I are old, and the future belongs to these children. Rurik will be the new leader when he grows up. I hope that our children will always respect Valha. Only in this way, the Valkyrie will not leave us. Next..."


    Veria paused again: "Those women are from Novgorod, they are people who pay tribute to us, they are not our Ross people! We must hold a wedding for all the new couples on Frig day, and we must In the middle of the night, do this under the light of Aurora. Believe me, only by doing this can those women be noticed by the cruising Valkyrie, and the children they have given may be recognized."


    Otto nodded in satisfaction: "I am worried about this, or you think it is thoughtful, great priest."


    "Yes. Don''t worry about the rest. What you have to do is to inform all the neers of the steps of the ceremony. You know this very well. Regarding the issue of sacrifices, this is a big ceremony. I have prepared five deer. Such worship of Odin will surely see. As for whether Odin brings happiness or disaster, it all depends on one yearter."


    "This...what do you say?" Otto asked in confusion?


    "It''s a simple truth. Those women can give birth to children safely, which shows that Valha recognizes us."


    "Ah! I understand. I hope our actions will be approved by them."


    "There is nothing else." Veria said slowly: "After the wedding, I will personally educate Rurik. He is destined to be our future leader. He must be when we were young. When both are alive, gain all the knowledge we have. I hope you will encourage him even more when you go back!"

 Chapter 30: Ariks New Life

    Chapter 30: Arik''s New Life


    When the weather bes cold enough and the clear night sky, the northern lights tend to shine throughout the night.


    It didn''t take long for the first snow to fall in winter, but after the snow fell, it didn''t melt anymore. In the foreseeable future, there will be more snow waiting for the Ross people in the fjord, and winter has begun.


    This winter is no longer tedious, and everyone is full of hope for the future.


    Now, the people of the tribe are looking forward to the mass wedding on Frigday.


    Before that day arrives, the vast number of neers are already making preparations.


    For Arik, the marriage with Peravina represents a new beginning!


    Since his father''s death in the war, Arik moved to his uncle''s house, but the old wooden house where he lived for many years is still maintained. The wooden house has been used as a warehouse for a long time, and now it will be full of poprity again.


    In a sense, the houses of the various tribes of the Vikings have great simrities. The house is a ce to sleep, it is also a kitchen, and it is also a warehouse for storing messy daily necessities. Every family, especially women, make a lot of smoked fish and bacon, and pickle various foods. All the food is piled up in their parents'' house. Therefore, don''t expect the fresh air in a house.


    They can ept the smell of food, but they can''t stand the smell of feces.


    They are a group of people who love cleanliness more than Western Europeans, so when the "big cities" developed by the active Germanic people such as London and Paris in this time and space, when the residents were still drowning, the Vikings were already growing up. Build a separate toilet next to the house!


    The Ross people, who belong to the same branch of the Viking branch, also follow this hygienic tradition.


    They are better at maintaining hygiene, but they never realize that human and animal manure, and even rotting fish, can nourish crops and make fertilizer.


    Apart from making farmyard manure, the Danes who control the richestnd in Northern Europe do not know how to use fertilizers or water conservancy irrigation techniques.


    But they still built a family toilet. The origin is still their warrior culture.


    A warrior, if he is dirty, sloppy and stinking, he is brave and cannot be selected by the parade Valkyrie in winter.


    Arik quickly took care of his hometown, returned to Roseburg''s first night, and spent the first night of self reliance with his wife.


    Arik lit the fuelmp, then used a lot of buckskin to hit the floor, and waved his hand to his dazed wife: "Come on, we will sleep here tonight."


    Peravina did not resist, she naturally slumped her hands, watching all the actions of her husband"Am I going to sleep on the ground like a beast? Can''t it be like my hometown?" Peravina asked boldly.


    "Sleeping on those boards?" Arik asked strangely.


    "Why not?"


    Arik shrugged, then sat on the deerskin, smiled and patted the furry animal skins hard: "Sit down, like me. You will get used to it! If you don''t like it, after a while, we can be like Just like your hometown, make some boards."


    People from the tribe are ustomed to sleeping on the ground. They have lived like this since ancient times. They didn''t realize until they met the people of Novgorod in a distant ce that some people actually slept on wooden boards.


    Arik''s current mentality has changed drastically. He has left his uncle to stand on his own, and he will need to work hard in the future. Fortunately, there is also a newlywed wife by her side. Faced with such a situation, a wise man will of course follow his wife''s advice and meet his wife''s reasonable requirements.


    ording to the rules of the Ross tribe, there is no possibility of divorce here, and the lightest punishment for marriage betrayal is exile. People simply think that these situations are incredible, so it is also part of the rule that women take care of their husbands'' wealth. But women also have a major obligation, and they must take good care of the family''s wealth, especially the family''s food. The husband is responsible for fishing, hunting, and even running the long boat to rob other tribes. Women must properly process and store the food obtained by all means, so that the whole family will not be hungry.


    It was cold, and my old house was still leaking. In order to be more warm, Arik lit some charcoal fires.


    Charcoal fire may bring about carbon monoxide poisoning, but people nowadays do not have this concept, and very few people in the Rus tribe die mysteriously in their sleep. Because there are really very few longhouses nowadays that can be sealed as much as possible. They are houses made up of piles of wooden stakes, boards and animal skins, and at most some mud straw mats are attached.


    The fighting power of the Russ'' warriors is exploding, but in terms of the quality of the houses, they are not as good as the Novgorods who gave them tributes.


    Even if there is a charcoal fire, the room is still cooler. Peravina wore her own cloth and put on a leather coat made of whole animal skins, which kept her warm enough.


    Tonight''s Peravina has made mental preparations, and she understands her responsibilities after marriage.


    But, everything is calm tonight!


    Maybe the newlywed husband is too tired? Or another reason.


    She can''t feel the cold at all, and because the animal skin is very thick, it feels veryfortable to sleep on the ground. This is an experience she has never had in her hometown of Novgorod.


    The foundation of the city of Novgorod is the small families of various family estates. The small family is also a family living in a very cold wooden house, but in the wooden house there is only a piece of wooden bed, and the whole family sleeps. it''s here.


    The wooden boards are hard, and at most some thatch is added to the top. Some people with assets will buy another linen cloth to use as a mattress.


    But they only have wealthy households like the n chiefs who have the money to use animal skins for mattresses.


    "They are not savages! They are very good at Varanga..."


    For the first time, Peravina has a new understanding of "barbarians".


    The entire Roseburg fell into silence. Even those tribalds who returned with the Svig girls from Novgorod had great urgency to be fathers of children, but the rules of the tribes were very good here. Constraints.


    Because before the wedding ceremony, the female priest Veria, and her female assistants, will check the purity of the bride. If it is verified that the bride''s fiance did something in advance, it will be regarded as shameless and sphemous by all the people, and will even be exiled.


    Arik''s heart is itchy. He knows that what he wants to do will only bepliant after Frieger Day.


    It''s dawn, and what makes Arik incredible is that it was Peravina who asked the question.


    "Arik, why? I thought I was going to be a woman."


    Her expression did not change, but Arik became quite embarrassed.


    Eric held back for a while before asking: "Don''t you want to be a mother so much?"


    "Isn''t this supposed to be?"


    Arik was choked for a while, he really did not expect that he was longing for marriage, but now after finishing the local wedding ceremony in his wife''s natal family, he suddenly felt that marriage brought happiness and a huge test. For the first time, he felt the pressure of being an adult of the tribe.


    I never thought that my wife, who was far from the hometown of Novgorod, had epted her new life for the first time.


    Arik was hesitating, tears burst into his eyes.


    "You... are you crying?"


    Peravina asked, Arik could no longer control his emotions. What made a young strong man cry? Is moved!


    Arik wiped away his tears with his sleeves, first exined to his wife, then stood up: "I''ll cut some bacon and cook it. After we finish eating, we will go to my father''s grave."


    "Is it a sacrificial sweep?"


    "It''s a ritual that must be done." As he said, he pulled his wife up and solemnly ordered: "You and we are already the same. Next, we have to follow the ritual of the Ross people. After I get to my father''s grave, I will Dig a hole, put my saber in it, and cover it with soil. After I finish this, you will dig out the sword yourself."


    "Okay. I...may I ask why?"


    "My father is your father. It symbolizes his blessing to you. At the wedding, you also know that I will give the saber you dug out to your hands, which means that only you give birth His son will inherit this saber from his grandfather."


    Hearing all this, Peravina took a deep breath: "You Varangians, really cherish your sword."


    "Hey." Arik took his wife''s hand, "It''s us! You are already Varanga."

 Chapter 31: Tribal Wedding (1)

    Chapter 31: Tribal Wedding (1)


    The ceremony requires witnesses. After Arik woke up, he ran to his uncle''s house without hesitation and picked up the sleeping Rurik.


    "Oh! What are you doing, brother? It''s just dawn. I have to wait for the sun to rise before going to the hillside."


    Arik shook his head: "I know about you. I will teach you fighting skills in the future. Now I need your help."


    Otto, who was sleeping on the side of the animal skin, was awakened by the noise. He slowly started to see the appearance of his elder nephew in a hurry, and Peravina standing cautiously behind his nephew.


    "Arik? Is it urgent for your brother?"


    "Yes! About that ceremony, I need witnesses."


    Otto understood when Arik mentioned it.


    He got up quickly, grabbed a piece of salted venison from the y pot and stuffed it into his mouth. At the same time, he put on a deerskin coat and wrapped it in a cowhide bag.


    He chewed desperately, then swallowed, and quickly said: "Nia, I''m going to do the burial ceremony, and you should prepare breakfast first. I''lle as soon as I go."


    For breakfast this day, all the newlyweds are doing some ceremonies. They are actually part of the wedding.


    Those small families and their immediate rtives do these things without the presence of a priest to authenticate.


    Only at the official wedding, the tribesmen will gather at the stone boat altar on arge scale.


    Arik is Otto''s nephew. In the burial ceremony of the sword this morning, he took his son Rurik and participated as a witness.


    Otto is the leader after all, and soon his close friends have be Arik''s witnesses.


    A simple and short ritual was suddenly made into a big show.


    Just in front of Ogier''s grave, Arik and his wife Peravina bowed to one knee.


    Next, Arik dug a long pit with a bronze shovel reflecting the golden light. Finally, Peravina used both hands to pound the confined soil, and dig the wide ded iron sword that had been assaulted and polished to be shiny. It came out, and finally returned to Arik.


    Rurik held his father''s big rough hand, just a nce, only to see tears gushing from the corner of the father''s eyes with wide eyes.


    "Dad, you are crying."


    "Ah! Yeah." Otto tried to control his emotions, holding back all the tears. "Rurik, in the year you were born, your uncle died in battle. Remember, those Danes who live in Gond made these. We have enemies with them. Finally, your brother has grown up. He has the right to revenge."


    Rurik''s mood is a bitplicated: "We...we must go for revenge?"


    "It was the Danes who provoked the war against our southern allies, and we are also part of the League of Mren Children..." Otto subconsciously touched his son''s little face, "In the future, our alliance mayunch a counterattack against them. Remember, A good leader must not betray the alliance, but must represent the Ross people to show bravery in the alliance. You must remember that if cowardice is a betrayal, the result of betrayal will be sanctions. Therefore, we must avenge Gond. ."


    Rurik listened silently. At this moment, he knew very well that the tribe was part of the Sweden Mren tribe alliance. My father spoke very seriously, so as the leader, my father will lead his own warriors and allies to form an allied army to fight the Danes?


    This is all inevitable! This is their way of life.


    A ceremony is over, and one more day, tomorrow night, when the clouds are gone, the Aurora of fluorite and the bright moonlight illuminate the sky, witnessed by the Valkyrie, the Ross tribe''srgest collective wedding ceremony in decades get on.


    The appointed day has finally arrived!


    The sun in the winter gradually sank into the horizon, and the stars began to be the protagonists of the sky.


    The time is too early, leaving enough time for the neers and priests.


    "Check many things, take my antler helmet, let''s go."


    Priest Veria left her long house of priests with a cane with a hoarse voice. Behind her were dozens of lower priests.


    Those priests carrying wooden boxes or holding pottery altars, or even some other ritual vessels.


    They wore small antler helmets on their ceremonial heads, and only one of Veria''s most trusted priestess named Bona held thergest antler helmet in her arms.


    Undoubtedly, this Bona is the sessor chosen by Veria.


    The priests took solemn steps, and they soon met a group of people holding torches. The leader was the leader Otto himself.


    "Great priest, look." Otto pointed his hand: "The deer has been brought here. We can do business at any time."


    "Just now! Let''s go to the altar first!"


    "Yes." Otto hooked his head slightly to show respect, then gestured to order his men to lead the deer.


    Veria suddenly asked: "Those young couples should be there as soon as possible. When Aurora shes, the ceremony will begin immediately."


    "I have ordered them to go early."


    Upon hearing this, Veria let out a sigh of satisfaction. She still exhorted one more sentence, "Remember, they must be present. Of course they can hold their own wedding ceremony at other times, but tonight''s ceremony is very important to them. Valha will judge our actions, those Newly married couples who do not participate will be sanctioned by Odin."


    "I fully understand!" Otto nodded deeply, "I will implement this matter seriously."


    I am afraid, this is pure superstition, and it is also their belief.


    Veria is full of awe for Odin and Valha. She imagines that after so many years of pious work, her life will eventually be vigorous, and her reverence for Odin will eventually be recognized, and then the soul will also be recognized after death. Will enter asgard, and finally parade in the night sky as the new Valkyrie, examining his beloved tribe.


    For the young people and the ordinary people of the tribe, this night is really full of joy.


    Only the priests maintained absolute vignce, most afraid that some omissions would desecrate Odin.


    But tonight the Ross tribe plunged into a sea of joy.


    Arge number of bonfires were ignited on the snow covered hard soil road in Rossburg, and the singing and dancing tribes spontaneously lit torches soaked in pine oil.


    They have been deliberately collecting pine oil, first as an adhesive leakproof agent in the crevices of ships, and second, to make torches.


    The sky is full of stars, and the Rossburg Fjord is also full of stars.


    Those newlyweds who are going to participate in the ceremony, under the thick fur coats they wear, are the simplest clothes of the tribe.


    Tonight, Arik put on a in linen tailored dress and a skirt without knees made of linen. His new wife, Peravina, dresses even more simply, that is, a long dress.


    All newlyweds are dressed in a simr fashion. If it is summer, they can cope with this dressing, but in winter, if you no longer put on a thick fur coat, people will quickly get sick.


    It is that, the ceremony requires these, forcing the newlyweds to dress absolutely inly.


    Before the priest came, more than a thousand people, hundreds of torches, and more than 20 bonfires were crowded near the stone boat altar. It illuminates the woods in this area. After all, the mes brought a certain warmth, which made the inly dressed newlyweds feel much better.


    Tonight, Arik did not be a little special because of his identity.


    He and his wife Peravina, and even his immediate family members are waiting anxiously.


    He waited for the priest and uncle, and looked up at the sky, looking forward to the appearance of Aurora.


    Finally, when people started driving a fire dragon through the woods and approaching the stone boat, everyone knew that the priests had arrived.


    The bonfire roasted everything near the altar so that it wasfortable, and it also brought enough light. Today is a big ceremony after all, Otto wore a full set of armor, and its copper skinned wooden shield to strengthen the defense reflected golden light. The same is true for the warriors behind him, as if about to step into the battlefield, the heroic spirit brought onlookers cheers.


    As Veria, wearing an exaggerated antler helmet, entered the altar with a cane, her amazing image brought a huge shock to the ignorant, and the boiling crowd quickly fell silent.


    Veria first looked up at the sky, a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.


    With her rich experience, she concluded that Aurora is about to sh and will remain for a long time tonight.


    She suddenly said to Otto, "Boss, you ask everyone to step back, and then gather all the newlyweds. I want to count first."


    Otto can give orders to his people vigorously with his vigorous and vicissitudes of voice.


    Everyone knows it, no matter how high or low, Nia also took the hand of Rurik, who was monographing "Watching the Big Show" and drinking honey water. As the crowd retreated, they knelt down on one knee afterwards. Everyone is like this.


    Only those newlyweds approached the stone boat altar, waiting for the priest''s personal review.

 Chapter 32: Tribal wedding (2)

    Chapter 32: Tribal wedding (2)


    Priest Veria counted them and made sure that the number was correct.


    She again ordered to her deputy Bona, "You take all the women behind the veil. Remember, the unclean must be screened out, and we cannot be deceive by them."


    Bona, wearing a small antler helmet, will inherit Veria''s work. After Veria''s death, Bona will be the abbot of all major sacrifices.


    She is an excellent sessor trained by Veria and is very loyal to her beliefs.


    Thanks to those simple clothes, Bona quicklypleted the inspection.


    Until now, the girls from Novgorod are still pure, and the ceremony can go on.


    Bona led all the girls out of the curtain and sent them to their husbands.


    She approached Veria and reported cautiously, "They all passed the inspection, they are all pure."


    "Very good. What you said must be the truth, because..." Veria pointed to the sky, "The Valkyrie looks at us."


    The great priest who is revered by the people pointed at the sky, and the people kneeling on one knee raised their heads subconsciously.


    Rurik is also holding up his little head, seeing the sky full of stars and the bright Milky Way.


    In another time and space, due to severe light pollution and haze interference, urban residents have been unable to see the Milky Way, and even the light of the Pris has been submerged by the urban glow.


    The people in this era have a lot of leisure time at night to think about what the sky full of stars represents.


    Romantic and serious people in Fort Rose think that a certain shining spot in the stars is Asgard, and there is a Valha temple inside.


    All the heroic spirits of the warriors are in the sky. Every night, the heroic spirits can watch their tribes and their descendants in the sky.


    Based on this ideal, Arik held the hand of his newlywed wife and looked up at the sky, and couldn''t help crying.


    It has been seven years, and he always believes that his father''s heroic spirit has been watching him until tonight''s wedding.


    Everyone looked up at the sky, and the star studded night gradually began to change.


    In this era, people in Northern Europe eat a lot of fish, so they generally have excellent eyesight. They can see details far away, and they can also see the whole process of Aurora''s emergence.


    Suddenly someone shouted presumptuously, "Look! There is light."


    "It''s Aurora! Brunhilde is here!"


    "Ah! They are just like us, following this ceremony as spectators..."


    The stone boat altar is crowded with people, and the crowd has gathered more than two thousand people. Nearly half of the poption of the Ross tribe has gathered here.


    For decades, the tribe has not gathered thousands of people on the altar like today.


    Even if it was Hanukkah during the extreme night, there has never been a lively day.


    On a clear night in winter, the northern lights appear almost every day, but the aurora is strong or weak.


    Veria is the most experienced person. Based on her life experience, she believes that Aurora is more and more dazzling than when she was younger, just like the development of the Ross tribe, which is getting stronger and stronger.


    Actually, the aurora is indeed bing stronger.


    The climate in Europe is still at the peak of the cold period. It has already begun to change. This process of change will continue for hundreds of years, and the climate will slowly warm up.


    The sr activity has intensified, and the residents of Northern Europe can feel the aurora more dazzling.


    Veria was agitated, and she subconsciously felt that her actions really moved Odin.


    She stretched out her arms andmanded everyone except her to kneel on one knee in the attitude of a pious person, and she herself held a cane iid with amber and gems in both hands and gathered it over her head.


    With her old face facing the emerald aurora, she read the ancient and obscure mantra aloud.


    Just as they were doing the ritual to worship Odin collectively, Otto, the leader in charge of the sacrifice, and his party had already dealt with the five deer.


    For all the Nordic Vikings, their poor living conditions forced them to take advantage of all the prey beasts.


    Deer blood has been collected, and after sprinkling with salt, it will be made into special food. The fishy smell is very challenging, so don''t worry about it.


    Otto and his guys walked into the stone ship altar carrying the deer carcass. Here, the stone ship altar looks like a sanctuary, and most people have no right to enter it. There are also priests who take care of it on weekdays to prevent stray tribal children from entering and desecrating.


    Otto and his buddies are recognized warriors, and they are responsible for bringing in the greatest sacrifice.


    The steaming deer carcasses were ced, as if God was moved, and the mes of the oilmps on each stone of the stone ship altar quivered.


    No one thinks that this is because of a small wind, they all believe that this is the evidence that moved Odin.


    What kind of sacrifice are five deer?


    Rurik, who knelt on one knee for a long time, felt ufortable, but his birth mother Nia forbade him to stand up, so Rurik had to continue to be patient.


    He heard people whispering, and everyone was very happy. The so called Nordic star, Odin recognized the five deer "enjoyed" by the Ross tribe.


    "Ah! It''s ridiculous! Even if they worship a king, the gift of five deer is too shabby!"


    But after another thought, the gift of the five deer should be a great courtesy to them.


    All the sacrifices were in ce, and the Otto group who was carrying the deer retreated to the back of the altar very skillfully, pulled out their saber into the snow, and then knelt on one knee.


    The priest Veria ordered everyone to be serious, and finally, based on her memory, chanted a blessing spell to the northern lights in the sky.


    All she speaks is Gnostic, because she is too old and she just said too much, her voice bes a little hoarse.


    Even so, Rurik basically understood the content.


    This is a hymn to Odin and Valha. It is fair to say that it rhymes, but the content is rather cramped.


    Rurik has Liu Li''s spirit after all. He now has a lot of understanding of the Vikingmunity, and he also knows that it is unfair to give them a purely violent and barbaric evaluation.


    Like the Ross tribe, they have documents that must be written on wooden boards to record old things. Didn''t you think they could still write poetry?


    They are also people with literary ideas!


    "Faust" and "Song of Nibelungen" and other Nordic ancient books are preserved forter generations. I am afraid the true situation is that arge number of ancient books have disappeared due to loss.


    ording to Rurik''s understanding, it should be the tribal priests who have mastered these books. If they no longer believe in Odin in the future, the ancient books will also be annihted in history.


    "The hymns that sung by Priest Veria, I have to ask her to write it out this winter. And the so called library in her priest''s cabin, where the contents can be preserved. It''s best to let the illiterate group of the tribe learn it. As long as it bes a popr thing, it can be better passed on to future generations."


    The whole wedding ceremony is actually the most important part of the solemn prayer of the priests.


    Even the priests are very nervous, whether the tribe and the inws of another group of aliens in the distance have received the oracle inpliance.


    It now appears that the Valkyrie appointed by Odin to cruise has basically confirmed the decision of the tribe.


    The long chanting ended, Veria, who was standing for a long time wearing a huge helmet, was almost exhausted and sat slumped on the ground.


    Veria insisted on continuing to host, she opened her arms again, and ordered the people who were almost muscr on one knee to get up, especially the neers.


    The pure wedding ceremony officially begins.


    Like Arik and Peravina, the two suddenly forgot their fatigue.


    Because of the matter just now, she has already understood very well. The pure Peravina believes that her identity has been recognized by the God of Varangian.


    In fact, the same is true. The Varangian created the Odin Valha belief, and they themselves identify with Odin.


    The people of the Ross tribe have recognized the marriage to Novgorod, and the future sailing of viking will have one more task, which is enough.


    Then, the wedding ceremony officially begins!

 Chapter 33: Tribal Wedding (3)

    Chapter 33: Tribal Wedding (3)


    Almost all the Viking tribes have simr wedding ceremonies. In addition to the Ross tribe, they also have their own characteristics.


    All the thirty couples, before the wedding, they have understood the simple vows that need to be said during the ceremony.


    They were asked by Veria to kneel on the ground holding hands on one knee, take away the warm fur coats, and look at Aurora in the sky with their heads in a rather thin and simple image.


    The north wind blows and supports the forest, and the tall pine trees are rustling.


    The oilmp was also trembling by the wind, and these inly dressed neers felt the biting cold.


    ording to Veria''s exnation, cold is also a test for Odin. A warrior who can enter Valha dares to swim in the winter!


    They held their heads up, and piously told Tianyu''s Valkyrie about their vows.


    Their voices are loud, as if the louder they are, the more they can express their courage.


    Peravina did not understand why the Varangians had toe up with so many weird rituals, like their hometown, offering worship to the gods of the mountains and the fields is basically the job of the priests.


    Only when weing the god of spring and the god of sowing, the people of the manor will wear flower crowns and perform ceremonies praying for good weather at the altar.


    What is it like tonight, Peravina feels that if she wears it like this, if she stays for a while, her whole body will freeze!


    Her hands and feet were already cold.


    All the neers shouted vows, and after the ceremony, the most crucial "sword gift ceremony" officially began.


    Almost all the oaths above are for this moment.


    The Priest Veria with a canemanded: "You all stand up, the Valkyrie has already sent down the oracle, you can proceed to the next item."


    The most senior priest canmunicate with the Valkyrie, and people are convinced of this.


    The neers and all the onlookers all stood up, and all the torches were raised high.


    "Boys! You have passed theing of age ceremony, and it''s the wedding now! Now, kneeling on one knee in front of your newlyweds, and pass the sword you inherited from your ancestors into her hands!"


    Rurik, who had already stood up, couldn''t care about the soreness of his leg, he saw his cousin kneel down again.


    The scene he saw now became quite familiar.


    "It''s really interesting. If it is kneeling and putting a wedding ring on the wife, it is still very interesting. They actually handed the sword to the wife."


    Rurik continued to observe, he knew it very well.


    Standing Peravina saw her husband''s smiling face.


    No one has ever kneeled to herself in her life, only she kneeled to other noble people.


    Am I bing a noble person?


    She didn''t have time to think, she stretched out her hands and took her husband''s heavy sword.


    Veria looked around and saw that all the women were already carrying swords.


    "Now, hold your sword high and show it to the Valkyrie!"


    They obeyed and raised their swords, and Veria instantly pronounced the next oath.


    They repeated what Veria said one by one.


    "Odin, Brunhilde, Valha heroic testimony! I am a woman of the Ross people, the wife of a warrior, I hold the sword of the warrior in my hand, I will give birth to a new warrior, and will personally hand it over in the hands of the next generation."


    It means such a meaning, because they are all Novgorod people, they are good at speaking ancient vic, and they only understand part of the meaning of the entire Norse oath.


    No one expect them to speak the retelling Norse very well. To put it bluntly, their retelling is quite bad.


    Veria''s wrinkled face concealed her difort, but they had already made an oath and showed the sword to God.


    She continued to order: "Now, put the sword on the ground!"


    "Woman! Take off your ne and hang it on your husband''s neck!


    Man! Take off your ne and hang it on your wife''s neck! "


    If there are any local characteristics of the marriage of the Ross tribe, this is for the exchange of nes.


    In many tribes, there is a ceremony where the wife gives the husband a short sword.


    The Ross tribe deleted this item and reced it with a ne to show that "the lover''s token is always on you."


    The female residents of Novgorod have the habit of wearing nes, and they are all naturally beautiful. The Ross tribe likes nes of amber and shells, and the women of Novgorod like turquoise.


    Turquoise, it is not a gem of much value, and the texture is not very hard, but it is more beautiful in color.


    The Priest of Veria kept reading, the so called husband''s gift is the wife''s wealth from now on, and vice versa.


    Peravina was so excited that she has forgotten the cold!


    She knew very well the preciousness of the heavy amber that was polished into smooth balls on her neck.


    To be honest,pared to the betrothal gift of the tribal leader to his biological parents, that is just four pieces of unpolished amber, but on the new ne he obtained, there are actually ten pieces!


    Through this gift, Peravinapletely trusts her husband''s trust and love for herself. Simrly, because of this string of amber, she also feels that her status has been greatly improved.


    In fact, for Arik, he wears his wife''s ne on his neck, and his inner excitement is beyond words.


    Mutual gift ne is to give a token to each other, just for the two parties to remember each other.


    The next step is just as important and the final project drinking a cup of wine.


    Good wine, any people who can make wine need to prepare hard to get this deliciousness, and it has been waiting for a long time.


    It is always a voring agent for various lively asions, and it is suitable for important events such as weddings.


    Quite a few ethnic groups have a tradition of drinking a cup of wine, and the same is true for the Ross people.


    They fermented the wheat they bought into distiller''s grains, and added some dried petals to increase the aroma. In the end, the turbid, raw beer with low alcohol content was poured into a wooden wine ss, and then blended with a little precious honey. The mead loved by the Ross tribe waspleted.


    Arik and Peravina, and even some neers, under the instigation of all the onlookers, they all took out the wine sses. The couple looked at each other and drank the wine.


    So far, there are noplicated projects, only people''s carnivals are left.


    Aurora is still shining in the sky. In Rossburg in the fjord, people have forgotten their sleepiness. Taking advantage of the joy of tonight, each small family did not hesitate to take out their own wine barrels to enjoy a drink.


    Originally, quite a lot of wine is to be used during the period of total darkness, which is the short pure night time that Rossburg will encounter, and enjoy it at that time.


    Because that is Hanukkah of the Ross tribe!


    I am afraid that today''s event is more important to them than Hanukkah. It also needs wine and grilled meat sprinkled with sea salt to enhance joy.


    Ordinary residents are basically ignorant of calendar matters. Only the priest Veria has relevant knowledge. The most important thing is that she understands the jesus calendar, which is implemented by people in the southern part of the Danish controlled area and people in more distant countries. Kind of dating method. In fact, this calendar waster the Gregorian calendar, the world Gregorian calendar.


    That is the birthday of another group of people, their god''s apostle, and this is the beginning of everything. Veria is very knowledgeable about current affairs. The priests know people in the far south, and their calendar can also be applied to the Ross tribe in the far north. Good things are naturally used.


    The Ross tribe before migrating to Rossburg, those ancient priests had encountered Roman ck robed men who worked tirelessly to spread their faith in the north. The Ross tribe still believes in Odin until now. They have not embarrassed the ck-robed people, but obtained certain knowledge from the ck-robed people through trade.


    For example, those ck robed people havee up with a set of dating system, even urate to every day. The priests who knew its significance immediately learned it. From the perspective of the general public of the tribe, the priests simply "got Valha''s knowledge" because they can always urately predict climate changes.


    The most important thing is that the priests predict the time of Hanukkah very urately, and they have never made mistakes for decades!


    Late in the night of today''s wedding, when the moon leaves the middle of the sky, it was already November 7, 828.

 Chapter 34: Peravinas Expectations

    Chapter 34: Peravina''s Expectations


    At present, the calendar transmitted by the Eastern Romans to the Baltic region through the ancient northern trade line is still very urate, so Veria can determine very precisely when the sun will disappear for a long time, and how long it will be before the dawn will pass. back to earth.


    Veria even learned a little astronomical knowledge mastered by Eastern Rome, which made her, an ancient old man, full of curiosity and respect for the unknown southern people.


    And the knowledge gained is really profound. She regrets that the young people of the tribe treat her with disdain, and she is even more distressed that her sessor, Bona, doesn''t have much thirst for knowledge of those "Roman knowledge".


    Perhaps, all his worries will be shattered by the chief''s son Rurik, a rare child with a thirst for knowledge.


    On the night before the dawn, all the nsmen revelled all night, drinking and singing, to wee the new sun and the beginning of the new year.


    The tribal collective wedding was too lively, and quite a few families drank more than half of their wine reserves that night!


    This year''s Hanukkah is destined to be drink starved.


    After aplicated ceremony, the newly married Aric and Peravina put on thick fur coats again. ording to tradition, the groom''s immediate family is to personally escort the newlyweds back to their new home. Usually, it is the biological father of the groom who serves as a witness, proving that the couple did return to the residence and stayed there until the next morning.


    Arik''s home was not far from Otto''s. Otto didn''t want to leave for a long time after he had delivered his nephew. He was pacing outside the house until he heard those voices, and his tense face finallyughed out loud.


    In this way, Arik ispletely grown up in every way. Married from Novgorod and came to Peravina, she became a womanpletely.


    The new day is another cold start. The sun riseste today, and the atmosphere in Rossburg is hot.


    Early in the morning, Otto changed into a loose fur coat, and his closepanions also gathered.


    Rurik rubbed his sleepy eyes, wondering what the people outside were shouting.


    "Dad! Are you going out with those people? Boating?!"


    "No! I''m going to see your brother and your sister."


    "Ah. Then I''ll go take a look too?" Rurik got up smartly.


    "Okay." Otto beckoned his son toe out immediately after having something to eat, and then instructed: "I have to go to other families to see, I want to make sure of something."


    "Is it about something after the wedding?"


    "You''re so smart." Otto rubbed his son''s head with satisfaction, and motioned to his wife Nia: "Don''t go, hurry up and sew your clothes, Arik and his wife need it very much."


    Nia watched her husband hold her son''s little hand and the dozen or so people behind him. She watched it quietly for a while, and then returned to the warm house contentedly, and with the maid who came to help temporarily, seized the time to make new animal skin clothing.


    The newly made clothes are all given to the newly married Arik family. Emotionally, Nia has long regarded Arik as his own son.


    If his former son hadn''t died identally, he would have been Arik''s age.


    Rurik sped his father''s hand, and he didn''t know exactly what his father was going to decide.


    When the group arrived at Arik''s house, there were already a few children watching the excitement at the door.


    Rurik did not hesitate to find a familiar figure.


    "Ah! Kanuf, what are you looking at at my brother''s door?"


    Kanuf hurried over: "Hey, of course I''m waiting for you!"


    "You should wait for me on the hillside. I guess it''s just to see my sister''s beauty?" Rurik said casually, and then saw his father disperse the idle people.


    Otto ordered loudly: "Arik, you and your wife are out, let me make sure!"


    In a while, the confinement animal skin door curtain was pulled open.


    Arik looked high-spirited, and he took his embarrassed wife''s hand and walked out.


    Indeed, Peravina has changed a lot from her previous image. Rurik opened his eyes wide and saw that his sister inw had braided again, and fully understood the symbol of this braid.


    Arik deliberately pushed his wife in front of his uncle,pletely arrogant.


    Otto smiled: "I know it all, you already finished it yesterday."


    "Yes! When the weather turns cold next year, I''ll be my father." Arik didn''t forget to rub Rurik''s face, he naively thought his brother didn''t understand anything. "Rurik, did you know that? Next winter, you will be an uncle too."


    Yes! I understand," Rurik said calmly. "Hopefully, it was a boy. We need more warriors, don''t we?"


    A child said very pragmatic words, and everyone around was amused. I am afraid that Otto at this moment is more emotional about his son. A seven year old child actually fully understands the meaning of the tribe''s men who are good at fighting for the whole tribe.


    Peravina felt the change in the atmosphere at the moment. She lowered her head shyly, looked at her husband''s younger brother, and stroked her stomach: "I really hope to be a boy. If possible, I like more boy."


    "Hey, at least there must be a beautiful girl like you." Arik took the opportunity to coax his wife, and the atmosphere became more joyful.


    The Ross tribe will always need more people, both male and female! Theycked the opportunity to plunder the poption in a barbaric manner from outside, so they began to peacefully demand the marriage of girls from other ethnic groups this year, so as to raise more members of their own ethnic group.


    he girl Peravina haspletely recognized her new identity. Otto is absolutely telling the truth. She wants to be the heroic mother of the tribe.


    At this point, Otto said to Peravina in a deep, fatherly tone: "You are a beautiful girl, and the members of the White Tree Vige you once belonged to are also a group of smart people. You will be a great mother, I sincerely Thank you."


    "Thank you... Thank you, Lord Chief." Peravina seemed very ttered, but the blow felt that her praise was appropriate.


    Otto nodded: "Let''s live in peace. You don''t have to worry about anything, you are not the clerk who will leave your girl forever. In the fall of next year, we will go to your girl routinely. At that time, you and your children will I will visit the members of White Tree Vige and see your parents again."


    Hearing this, Pvina''s dark blue eyes couldn''t help but shed tears.


    She had simply thought that leaving the Varyags would be a farewell to her hometown, but now the leader made a promise with honor, and she still had the opportunity to visit her family!


    She began to look forward to the future, first of all, she needed to prove her great value - to give birth to healthy children, boys and girls.


    For this goal, it seems that I can reasonably live a leisurely life for a long time?


    It seems that the women of the Ross tribe are good at preparing meals and sewing clothes in the warm longhouse, if only so, it is simple.


    In the distant hometown of Novgorod, a girl like Peravina had to go to the barrennd with her family. Cultivated and nted seeds with a simple wooden plow, and always lived a hard life and poor life. Her original family was a very ordinary family in White Tree Vige. They were so poor that they could not afford to buy even bronze tools from the cksmith, and the ironware was the treasure of the vige''s patriarch.


    Any metal utensils are precious, and as a result of marrying the Varyag Rosberg, she had to ept the fact that people here already use metal utensils on arge scale.


    The n''s fjord settlement is always blowing ck smoke, what''s that?


    The husband answered his curiosity, that is, the cksmith was burning ore to smelt copper, and even used a moreplicated method to burn stone to smelt iron. Although smelting metal is hard work, the benefits are veryrge, they are not tired of it, and evenrge-scale logging to make charcoal in order to smelt metal!


    There are even some fates here. The Swedes, the tribal alliance of the current thinking Asians, have particrly high-quality iron ore in their living range. They use these ore to smelt and arm themselves and enrich their lives.


    The people of Roseburg are one of them, so iron is not a luxury in their lives.


    Now Peravina, although no more plowing, her diet willck wheat, but it will be full of fish, and she will bepletely Varyag.


    She is also very smart to realize that her whole person must bepletely dependent on her husband, and this is also a part of the life of the Varyag people, and it is also themon destiny of Varyag women. But no one wants to change that, simply because no one feels there is anything to change.


    Even the n''s cksmith door is toozy to upgrade the smelting and forging technology because everything is enough.


    Because the life of Rosburg, under the leadership of Otto leader for more than ten years, is indeed still getting better and better.

 Chapter 35: New Winter Begins

    Chapter 35: New Winter Begins


    The weather is getting colder and colder, and the daily fishing operations with the Ross tribe in the sea are also forced to suspend fishing due to the cold.


    For them, whose food is mainly fish, when the temperature is still eptable, the fishermen of the tribe dare to sweep the entire Gulf of Bothnia. They were reluctant to go to the waters of the south, because there were not only the fishing grounds of their allies, but also the hostile Danes.


    Even with the participation of some Novgorod women, the inhabitants of Rosburg were only 7,000 to 8,000 people.


    Every year, some people take their wives and children to leave the tribe forever and go to the south to integrate into those allied tribes for a better life. Combined with deaths from all causes and babies born each year, the tribal poption has remained at this level.


    The tribe is still dominated by males and females.


    Because,pared with the southern allies, the Ross tribe did not have to bear the huge fighting pressure of those allies, and only the southern tribespeted with the Danes for the front line of pasture farnd. To put it bluntly, because the probability of conflict is low, fewer able bodied men die in war.


    On the contrary, it is the women of the tribe, whose childbirth is the gate of hell.


    The medical technology of the Ross tribe is extremely bad. There are no pure healers here. Only the priests of the tribe have mastered the skill of brewing herbs. If you encounter a sick person with a serious illness, you can only pray for Odin''s mercy. As a result, "Odin''s Mercy" is extremely rare.


    The locals were also very relieved. ording to Veria''s romantic interpretation, the dead men and women were recruited to Valha.


    Such an exnation slightly soothes people''s grief, because life goes on.


    Based on thesepletely witch doctor like medical techniques, any birthpletely depends on the physical fitness of the expectant mother. It is best to give birth to a baby safely. Dystocia means death!


    The reality is that only if the women of the tribe have no worries and develop medical technology, can the tribe thrive.


    This problem has actually been guing all ancient nations. Because of the more extreme living environment, the problems of the residents of Rossburg are even more extreme.


    After all, the poption of the tribe is still developing slowly, but they simply cannot afford arge poption loss in a battle. After a defeat, the n is bound to fall into disrepair.


    The Ross tribe is so fragile, and the leader Otto sees this clearly.


    Therefore, in the Sven area a hundred kilometers away (this level ofnd distance is already very elite), the tribal alliance of the Thinkians there, due to the increasing military pressure of the Danes, strategically clung to a group.


    They have long criticized their brother tribe, the Rus, in the extreme north, saying that "The Ross are simply fishermen in the Gulf of Bothnia with peace of mind until Ragnarok".


    In their longhouses, the rest of the fishermen sit together and mend theirs woven with hemp ropes.


    In ancient times, the most cost effective fishing material avable to ordinary fishermen was probably only x rope, which is basically the same as thes used in castings around the world.


    Throughout the long winter, fishermen have plenty of time to mend theirs and make spares.


    Weaving is often done by the family''s wives and daughters, who take on the important logistics of the fishing industry.


    The women of the Ross tribe had to learn the craft of weaving x and sewing hides. They know how to weave themselves, and it is easier to weave fishings than to weave cloth.


    Except for long distance activities such as the viking voyage, the men of the tribe spend most of their time fishing and hunting. The Gulf of Bothnia is rich in gifts, and fishing alone is enough to make ends meet.


    But for the excavation ofnd resources, the Ross tribe never gave up.


    The location of Rossburg has arge number of mountain hills and rivers in the mountain streams. The hills are always overgrown with pines and oaks, as well as small moors in some areas.


    Nordic caribou''s life has not been disturbed excessively by humans,


    They still roam all over Scandinavia. They breed throughout the warm season, and into winter they push through the snow and continue to graze on the ground hay. The Ross tribe, who migrated to the Rossberg Fjord, has been killing the caribou near their homnd for decades.


    The tribesmen are good at throwing short spears for hunting and making traps.


    The entire Ross tribe is severelycking in bows and arrows, so only a few people use bows and arrows to hunt.


    Even the entire Viking poption wascking in bows and arrows, because there was no yew for making bows and arrows locally! The tribe only has more than 20 shabby bows, but it is not too much to use various kinds of wood for arrows. The number of bows is very small, and they are all bought at high prices through the tradework and the hands of allies in the south.


    Because the Danes had early contact with the Franks further south, in various trade and conflicts, the yew bows lost by the Franks were immediately in the hands of the Danes.


    Or because of the conflict, the Swedes Tribal Alliance can always get some yew bows that have been turned three-handed, and the defective ones are sold to the Ross tribe in the north, so the Ross people are really bad four-handed goods. , then don''t think about how high quality it is.


    Fortunately, spear throwing is also a way of ying among boys. When they grow up, some elites can be excellent spear throwing hunters.


    In terms of power, short spears are always more ferocious than arrows, but if they hit a reindeer, they can basicallyplete the hunt.


    The men of the Ross tribe decided to go to the far north to hunt a group ofrge beasts before it became colder, and the time course of this action was very short.


    It seems that afterpleting the tribal mass wedding, Otto''s life is to stay in his Rossburg residential area, like a groundhog hiding in a burrow, waiting for the weather to warm up again.


    Of course not!


    The nephew will be a real adult after the wedding, and the nephew''s wife will quickly be pregnant. By now, he no longer has to worry about his nephew''s future, Arik has be a talent.


    What Otto needs to focus on now is his own son Rurik, but the situation has changed now.


    He didn''t know whether to be happy or worried. Recently, Rurik was obviously getting too close to those priests!


    In terms of performance, Rurik was willing to go to Veria to learn some knowledge. Otto was particrly worried that because of these studies, Rurik would not be able to be a real fight under Veria''s "careful teaching". A warrior in the middle, but turned into a rare male priest of the tribe? !


    Completely because of the limitations of the concept, Otto does not want his son to have too much knowledge, because the tribe advocates the power of men, what is the use of so much knowledge? An excellent leader must have excellent fighting ability, and only in this way can he convince the crowd most quickly.


    It is because of this that Otto declined the stay of the still rtively young squire Willia after he had learned some knowledge thirty years ago. He hopes to cultivate a set of excellent fighting skills as soon as possible in order to win thepetition for the leader position and gain everyone''s recognition.


    After all, no matter how many ambitions and ideas he has, he bes a loser in the arena, and all ideals be empty talk.


    Otto certainly understands his son''s lofty ambitions, and the amazing dominance he is now disying. Dozens of children have identified him as the leader. All the children are only seven or eight years old. They are all too weak.


    Otto was a wise man, and now he buried his concerns in his heart, and did not rudely order his son not to study at Veria.

 Chapter 36: Potential Undercurrents

    Chapter 36: Potential Undercurrents


    For his son, Otto thought of many things.


    On the other hand, Nia is particrly supportive of her son''s actions. Every mother hopes that her beloved son will be an excellent person in all aspects. This is a mother''s instinct.


    On a cold and usual winter morning, Rurik had to suspend training on the slopes due to a new round of snowfall.


    The moratorium is a moratorium, and it will continue after the spring. Many children, like Kanuf, are not idle.


    Rurik already knew that Kanuf would follow his father to hunt farther north on skis and sleds. There is no need to worry that the hunted beasts will rot, and the hunted reindeer will be pulled back to the tribe in a frozen state like a stone. Moreover, such prey is purely possessed by hunters, and it will not participate in the distribution of wealth within the tribe at all.


    Times have changed, and a long time ago, much of the wealth of the tribe would still be distributed more reasonably. For example, fifty years ago, when Priest Veria was still young, there were only more than 2,000 residents of Roswburg at that time. It took half a century for the poption to reach its current size because of the multiplication of the poption and the immigration of arge number of small families from southern allies.


    Those who move in are not very reliable. If there is any major change in the Ross tribe, they will return to the south again.


    Once the residents were very close by blood, they were very willing to help each other.


    However, the majority of the ethnic groupcks understanding of their own history, and they do not have a clear surname. The residents generally marry early, and even the life expectancy of the poption reaches 50 years is rtively difficult.


    These factors add up, so that in the past 50 years, Rosberg has grown to the fifth generation since its establishment!


    Many residents are so well aware that they and their friends share amon ancestor that it is not clear when asked for specific information. The era of cohesion of the entire n by kinship and blood is gradually passing, and now the n needs a person with strong prestige to serve as the leader, and at the same time, the self-awareness of each family is bing stronger and stronger.


    In recent years, the rules for loot distribution on the Sorgon Route have also changed dramatically!


    Once upon a time, the chief led people to take the tribute from the servants of Novgorod and brought it back to Rosburg to distribute it equally among all the families.


    Today, only families who send people to participate can get most of the tribute, and those who do not participate can only get a small amount of treasure, which gradually bes a meager welfare. Everyone knows that if this continues, the Sorgon Route will no longer be a "public event" that benefits the entire n.


    The times are constantly changing, and they are rebellious and have noints about it.


    In the winter, the ovend hunting operation will begin, and Kanuf and his father will join the army on the long-distance hunting. They often travel together, and when they encounter a herd of deer, they encircle and annihte them, and when they encounter a herd of wolves, they surround and annihte them.


    Their hunting is like fighting, and they will try their best to hunt any wild animals they encounter.


    If you can hunt ferrets, you can make a lot of money on a piece of fur that goes to the market of the southern allies!


    However, the men hunted in groups that looked after each other for more meat. After all, they have a soft spot for venisonpared to fishy fish.


    The same goes for Otto, who will be involved as a leader.


    ording to tradition, he can take his son Rurik to go, but now that his son wants to go to Villia to study, he has no choice but to give up.


    On this day, Otto prepares the food he needs for hunting at home, so don''t worry too much about it.


    Because of Sorgon''s voyage, the leader made a great contribution. Naturally, the leader''s family shared the most wealth.


    Otto prepared himself some perfectly dried rye bread, some pickled venison jerky, and even a small jar of honey.


    The dry food can be prepared by his wife Haosheng. No, Nia is already using an iron knife to cut the hard jerky into small pieces that are easy to chew.


    Otto has more important things to do,


    There is a saying that you need to be hard enough to strike iron, and a good hunter must have enough powerful weapons! The hilly mountains west of Rossburg, where there are a lot of reddish rocks. The cksmiths of the tribe knew that it was hematite, and after aplicated smelting process, iron tools could be made.


    Because the iron smelting skills of the Rus tribe in this era were very poor, they had to burn pig iron for a longer time before forging ording to their experience. The cksmiths did not have a higher craft to raise the temperature of the furnace, and all the irons they made were brittle and soft.


    They have no concept of the scientific principles, only the experience left by their ancestors.


    The warriors of the tribe therefore used the single-edged axe on arge scale, and of course they also used the double-edged sword, a broad-ded iron sword of shorter length.


    Due to the current forging process, and even the forging process of the Danes, they can only produce such weapons. In fact, it ispletely sufficient in this era.


    After all, Europe at this time is a rtively bad era. The Vikings did not realize that their weapons were too backward. They were amazed that a small amount of sharp swords bought from distant Rome actually cut iron like mud. The Rhodes once dared to use only a pile of wooden sticks and stone spears as weapons to challenge the Ruth warriors in chainmail and armed with tomahawks.


    Otto''s sword "Destroyer" is a sword that cuts iron like mud. He still does not know that this sword, which his ancestors spent a lot of money to buy from the Roman merchants who stayed in Novgorod, actually came from a sword. farther east. "Destroyer" is a steel sword with patterns, it cuts iron like mud!


    Only in the battle with the enemy, Otto will use his own sword, such as hunting activities, more opportunities to use the throwable short spear.


    He is making some throwing spears, and the most important thing is to sharpen the sharp edges of the spears. Because of the backwardness of technology, there is no grinding machine here, and Otto has to use the mined whetstone for a long time to keep grinding.


    His wife Nia, perhaps tired of honing her voice, suddenly mumbled, "You really shouldn''t have taken Rurik, he''s just too young. Your decision was wise."


    "Why are you bringing this up? Rurik doesn''t participate in hunting. He went to Veria to study for the first time today. This is what you hoped." stop.


    "Actually...actually I..." Nia thought about a lot of things, and the iron knife in her hand that cut the bacon also paused.


    Nia raised her wrinkled forehead and looked at her husband: "Otto, actually, for my son, I don''t want him to be so keen on fighting."


    "He doesn''t have a choice. He''s a boy, he''ll be a man. He has to fight."


    "But..."


    "I know what you''re thinking!" Otto calmed down, he also thought of many sad past events. "Neus, and Togra, their deaths were an ident. You and I are very sorry."


    The couple mentioned Rurik''s two older brothers who died. It was a great tragedy to lose a child at an old age, until Nia managed to give birth to a healthy child at a very high age.


    In fact, the fact that Nia seeded in giving birth at the age of forty was an upromising miracle on earth.


    Rurik, who was born, did not cry or make trouble at the beginning of his birth, which fully reflected his strong and resolute character.


    At least that''s what Priest Veria exined. The most prestigious priest had never encountered anything like this in his seventy-year life, and naturally had to give some supernatural exnation.


    Nia can''t control that much, no matter whether Rurik is "Odin''s blessing", first of all, he is his only flesh and blood. Nia, who had lost two sons in a row, was almost fifty years old, and she couldn''t stand the new blow at all.


    She hopes that her son will not be exposed to anything dangerous, although she knows how selfish her thoughts are, and it is also against the values of the warrior, and it is also disgusting to her husband.


    She still exined her thoughts to her husband, and she naturally got Otto''s objection.


    "You don''t have to worry about anything. Let Rurik stay at home, or stay in the priest''s longhouse for a lifetime? He looks safe, but what''s the difference between that and a coward. Nia! You have to understand! When our son could speak, he himself told us that he was the man who was going to be the leader. Everything was his destiny! If we dared to stop it, we would be instantly ill and die."


    Otto''s words were threatening, and Nia suddenly asked: "But you still allow him to go to Veria. Why? Why do you support this?"


    "s! That''s his own choice, and we can''t interfere with him too much. My attitude will never change. I don''t want Rurik to get too close to those priests."


    "Are you afraid of being infected by them and forgetting to fight?" Nia asked.


    "I did think so, and there are other factors." Otto calmed down and looked at his wife, "No one knows Veria better than me, she is not an ordinary woman! Now I am really d, Willy Ya has a huge prestige in the tribe, everyone trusts everything she says at the altar, and she still supports me as always. Kevilia is too old! Her life will end soon, after all she is A person."


    Nia could hear the deep meaning of her husband''s words, but she really didn''t understand.


    "What does it mean?"


    "I''m a little worried about that Bona." Otto said solemnly: "A good leader cannot be controlled by that group of priests. I heard of those Franks, their priests are more powerful than the leader! Who is the leader? What? Maybe the priest is!"


    Of course, what Otto said here is not the real situation. In fact, the monarchs and nobles of the Franks have a very high respect for the Holy See, and the power of the Pope is indeed increasing. When the news spread to northern Europe, it was Otto''s remarks that Vikings generally understood.


    "That Bona is not an ambitious person." Nia retorted.


    "I hope so. When Veria dies, Bona will seed. Will she have ambitions by then? Nia, you and I are too old, maybe we won''t be able to see our Rurik. The wedding day. We can''t take Veria''s word for itpletely, I even think that Veria deliberately said that Rurik was blessed by Odin. Did Odin really grant blessings, and how do mortals know?"


    "No! He is blessed." Nia said firmly.


    "Okay, I hope so." Otto continued to pick up the whetstone, "I still don''t want Rurik to get too close to those priests. If Rurik is infected by their words, will he slowly He has be obedient only to the priests. So even if Rurik bes the new leader, will his ambitions still be realized? Because in that case, he has to obey the priests."


    Nia couldn''t help but tensed when she heard the crux of the problem: "If that''s the case, maybe we really should call him back."


    "No need." Otto shook his head: "After this period, he can no longer go to Veria to study."


    "So you only let him study for a few years, like twelve years old?!"


    Twelve years old, in the traditional concept of the Ross tribe and even the allies of the southern thinking Asians, when a boy reaches the age of twelve, he should fulfill the obligations that many men should have. .


    Otto exined: "It all depends on Vilia''s lifespan. At the wedding ceremony a few days ago, I saw that she was too old, and in another year or two, she may no longer be able to wear the antler helmet. Perhaps, before Rurik was twelve years old, Veria was dead. By that time, I don''t think Rurik would have learned much from Bona."


    Having said this, Otto sighed again: "I tell you, my dear Nia. Veria is great, I can prove it, I have learned some knowledge from her, so I know how to be very good. Good governance of our tribe. I have always believed that if Veria were a man, she would have been a leader for a long time. Don''t mourn her status, she is our wise man and is highly respected by all.


    But that Bona! She is not wise, and she knows nothing except the recitation of some incantations by the priests of the festival. "


    Nia nodded: "I basically understand. You hope that Ruric can learn some knowledge from Veria, and you hope that Veria will not live too long."


    "Yes. Rurik has to be trained to be a bravebatant, he has to be strong, he has to have the ability to beat a lot of people, and he has shown that talent and it has to be strengthened. I will pick a warrior I can trust to train him. I love him, and I have to push him to the lead in this way."

 Chapter 37: Engraving Knowledge On Wooden Boards

    Chapter 37: Engraving Knowledge On Wooden Boards


    In the huge high priest''s house, the brazier made the whole house so warm that the people in it could cope with only ordinary linen clothes.


    The number of priests in the tribe is small, and they are all women. In order to take up this job, they also give up the right to be mothers.


    They are all supported by the tribal people, and spend most of the year in the chief priest''s house, except for sacrifices on necessary days.


    Much of the leisure time of many priests consisted of weaving their own garments from linen thread and cooking mmablemp oil from animal fat.


    When Rurik was invited to enter this field, he immediately smelled a tempting aroma.


    Although the entire longhouse is warm, it still has a lot of holes. The air heated by the multiple braziers seeps out from the gaps on the top floor, and the cool air from the outside also prates through the gaps on the lower floors. There is no possibility of carbon monoxide poisoning here, and the indoor temperature will drop rapidly because the brazier charcoal is extinguished.


    The younger priests set up rudimentary hearths over braziers, thick cast iron basins with some seal fat in them.


    When Otto returned, he happened to catch a few plump Baltic seals, and boiling oil was naturally a necessary operation.


    When the bay is frozen, it is also one of the normal tasks of the tribe to drill holes in the ice to capture seals.


    These captured seals, meat and internal organs are used as food, skins for clothing, and seal oil is naturally an excellent fuel.


    The aroma of the fat being roasted made Rurik veryfortable. He was not hungry now. He came to the longhouse today and learned that knowledge was his first priority.


    Rurik came with a big purpose, and the priest Veria, who would serve as his one-to-one teacher, also came with a big purpose.


    But even great achievements have a small beginning.


    It was snowing lightly in the sky, and Rurik knew that his father was going to lead the tribe to the north for collective hunting. ording to the experience over the years, they would be able to return with their prey after more than ten days. Fortunately, I can eat venison all winter long.


    Rurik has his own job, and while he is very young and has a lot of free time, it is best to finish that knowledge in a short time.


    He entered the warm longhouse, and after feeling the warmth, he put the leather jacket aside.


    Veria, leaning on crutches, is as kind as his grandmother.


    "Child, you arrived as scheduled."


    "Yes, great priest." Rurik bowed deliberately, and his words were also very respectful.


    The n did not bow, or even have a clear ceremonial gesture.


    Of course, Veria felt veryfortable. She couldn''t help but stretch out her old and thin right hand and put it on Rurik''s head with golden braids.


    She couldn''t help but praise: "You are really different from those children. Let''s get started! I will be satisfied for the rest of my life by cultivating you into a talent. This is the biggest task of my remaining life."


    "Do you want to start studying now?" Rurik immediately raised his head.


    "Yes! From now on, there is still time in the future. Since you intend to learn, tell me clearly, are you willing to master all the wooden boards in that room?!"


    "Of course." Rurik replied without hesitation.


    "Very good. That''s a lot of knowledge, and hopefully you''ll keep your word."


    Lots of knowledge on the board? Rurik didn''t think so at all!


    The Babylonians recorded knowledge on y tablets, the ancient Egyptians recorded knowledge on straw paper, the Greeks recorded knowledge on sheepskin, and in the very far east, bamboo slips and paper.


    However, in this era, paper should be widely used in Europe along the road.


    Rurik estimated in this way, how could the situation be so ideal?


    The real historical process, from the third century to the thirteenth century, for a thousand years,


    The best carrier for documents and books in Europe is parchment. Until the invasion of Menggu, the papermaking technology from the East spread. In just a few decades, the whole of Europe began to use cheaper paper to write, which objectively contributed to the rapid spread of the Renaissance. Because ordinary people can buy cheap books without spending too much money. They will no longer be dull for a long time because the priests monopolize knowledge. They can have their own perception of the whole world and their own independent thinking through books.


    In the first half of the ninth century, due to the decline of the Tang Dynasty, the order of trade routes from Xi''an to Eastern Rome became worse. Commercial activities were hit by the war, and those desperate merchants were more willing to transport silk, tea, porcin and spices with higher added value. Various types of paper, which were not expensive in the East, were not the mainmodities. Even for thesemodities, the nobility of Eastern Rome flocked to them. After they bought it out, it was difficult for Western Europe and even Northern Europe to get these materials.


    Unless, the various tribes of the Vikings around the Mediterranean Sea, they have greater ambitions to trade with Eastern Rome.


    The time is 828 AD, and so far, no Viking force has really hadmercial contact with Eastern Rome.


    Because now, the "Viking Age" has only just begun.


    Here, the most likely toplete it is the Rus tribe branch of the Swedish Syrian League, if they relocate to Novgorod ording to the historical process, the mixed Varyag-vs, the trade with Eastern Rome The era ofpetition began immediately.


    Rurik basically knew about this historical process, and he also knew very well that he should be the driving force of the history of this process. But these words are too metaphysical and grandiose. Ordinary people may find it unbelievable to say them. Vilia estimates that she will believe it. So what if she believes it, and finally she sighs with emotion "Odin''s blessing".


    It stands to reason that the Rus people can also use sheepskin or cowhide to make a carrier for writing, but they did not do this, probably because this operation is time-consuming andbor-intensive.


    On closer inspection, they don''t seem to have a strong incentive to do so either.


    There are thousands of people in the entire tribe, and only a few people love to learn book knowledge. More people do not advocate anti intellect. On the contrary, everyone understands the importance of knowledge.


    Ordinary people disdain the knowledge recorded in the rune alphabet on the wooden boards, and because they must learn the rune alphabet to understand knowledge, this discourages many people.


    What they know best is actually some symbols marked with numbers in the rune alphabet. After all, trade needs to understand decimal numbers.


    Only a few of them knew how to write their names in the rune alphabet, and everything was basically limited to that.


    They pay more attention to the words and deeds of technology. The shipbuilders teach their sons how to build ships, and the professional cksmiths teach their sons how to choose ores, smelt and forge. Including the women of the family also taught their daughters how to make linen thread, how to weave cloth, and how to process animal hides.


    The living environment is too bad, any young boy or girl must learn the most practical life skills in a short period of time, and learn those obscure theoretical knowledge. An obscure figure written by the priests of the grain".


    Yes, most of them are members of the Ross tribe, unfortunately they don''t even know the written alphabet of their own tribe.


    It is not surprising that the Ron alphabet has always been a nichenguage and is quickly dying out.


    So, the whole tribe essentially doesn''t like books because they don''t yet understand the use of learning something obscure.


    Without the help of the tribe, the historical development of the tribe must also be recorded, and the Villians are afraid that their tribe will forget who they are after a few generations.


    Based on her own memory, she also selected some stic oak boards, baked them very dry, and polished them with a whetstone. Finally, the ancient knowledge was engraved with rune letters.


    But what she has is not simply this knowledge, and even the majority of n members don''t even know that the young Vilia had the honor to meet the man in ck who imed to be from "Warm Beach".


    Those men in ck persuaded Veria to believe in a supreme existence, and Veria bluntly told them that the only supreme being was Odin.


    However, Veria got a treasure, a book of dozens of parchment in a small wooden box. The beautiful cover of the book is full of Eastern Roman style, and the content is written in two sets of scripts - Latin and Greek.


    As for the content of it, they all sing praises to an apostle and what the apostle taught to ordinary people.


    Veria''s knowledge is known as the wise, and her knowledge is still extremely limited.


    She didn''t want to be a follower of that apostle, she just wanted to be a servant of Odin. Veria respected those people in ck from Rome. She simply believed that the book that was sealed in a wooden box for decades was the "oracle book" of the Romans.


    Odin controlled the cold north, and the Roman south was out of Odin''s control.


    Veria kept the book very well, because she felt that when the tribe had the opportunity to have further contact with the Romans in the future, this book would serve as a medium for friendly exchanges. After all, fighting contact was thest resort.


    In addition, she marveled at the fact that Roman texts were preserved on soft parchment. How can animal hides be processed into such writing instruments? She didn''t understand at all, envious but helpless.


    She can only write down the knowledge of the tribe on the oak, because the area is cold and dry, and the oak is strong enough. In terms of preservation time, the text on the oak board is still very clear for decades.

 Chapter 38: Studying The Rune Alphabet Seriously

    Chapter 38: Studying The Rune Alphabet Seriously


    The child has arrived, and now Veria is not in a hurry.


    She turned around slowly and asked, "Rurik, are you hungry?"


    "Not hungry, I just hurry up and see those nks."


    "You''d better eat some more meat. I have other things to tell you about seeing the nk."


    Roasting the meat on twigs over a charcoal fire, Rurik knew that he was eating seal meat. Because there is no time to properly process the seal meat, the meat is full of blood. This kind of meat is really delicious only if it is roasted for a longer time and sprinkled with enough salt.


    He nibbled at the meat while listening to Veria''s instructions.


    "You know what the writing on those boards is, and to understand what''s on the boards, you have to learn the letterspletely."


    "Yes! I will."


    "Of course you will. It''s not that difficult, you have a lot of time to study with me, maybe you can master it in a few days."


    "So I have to learn those letters first, right?"


    "Yes. You eat the meat slowly, and I''ll prepare it. In the next few days, I will teach you how to distinguish each letter well. Remember, those letters mark ournguage. When you can Master the alphabet without even needing my guidance, and you can teach yourself all about nks."


    Veria was afraid that Rurik would be difficult to understand, so she exined it further.


    How could Rurik know nothing about him? Even those rune letters, they certainly don''t have any weird pronunciations.


    Because the Old Norsenguage that he had to learn from birth was actually very easy to learn.


    The consciousness named Liu Li resides in Rurik''s body, this is a guy who has passed the English test. The life on that ne gave him an innate ability to logically analyze, as well as knowledge far beyond themoners of this time and space.


    With a simpleparative analysis, he found that the ancient Norsenguage and the English of a thousand yearster, many words are rted to each other. As if Old Norse were a special dialect of modern English, the pronunciation of all words was both familiar and unfamiliar, not strange after all.


    Rurik had seen some rune letters before, and since there was no rune-Latinparison table at all, for the time being he saw those letters and his scalp tingled.


    Instead, he analyzed a clear point. No matter how strange the symbols of the rune letters are, they must be separated into vowels and consonants, and have strict correspondences. Dozens of letters can be arranged andbined to interpret Old Norse.


    Rurik''s analysis is correct, since the origin of the rune and the Latin alphabet is the same.


    The dawn of civilization first shone in Mesopotamia, and the local residents established a state form early. In order to maintain the operation of a huge state, writing came into being.


    Runeform was originally pictographic, but in pursuit of practicality and convenience, it gradually became a pure phic script. The ancient cuneiform alphabet was improved by the ancient Phoenicians, resulting in the birth of the Phoenician alphabet.


    The neighboring Aegean region studied the Phoenician alphabet and created its own early Greek alphabet. Along the ancient trade routes, the Greeks of the Balkans sold their wares north, and naturally came into contact with the Germans. But when Rome controlled most of Europe, the Germans also began to learn the ancient Roman alphabet.


    Rome declined, and the Franks among the Germanic people upied arge part of Western Europe. They followed the standard ancient Roman alphabet. Finally, the Rune alphabet, which was invented by mixing various channels, was only in use in the Circum-Baltic region and Britain.


    No matter how it evolves, because the Rune alphabet and the ancient Roman alphabet share amon origin of the ancient Greek alphabet, the writing of some letters is naturally strongly rted, and the most important thing is that the logic of the spelling of the letters has not changed for thousands of years.


    After Rurik had eaten the meat, he became more energetic.


    Upon seeing this, Veria immediately ordered: "Nowe to that room with me,


    I''ll be the first to show you a nk. "Rurik nodded, only following behind the faltering priest.


    In the narrowpartment of therge high priest''s house, Veria lit all the candles here.


    Exactly the same as the scene seen for a while, there are still a lot of carefully polished wooden boards.


    Rurik stood quietly at the door, watching Veriaboriously take out one of the many wooden boards.


    I saw that she wiped off the dust on it, and finally took another breath, showing a satisfied smile.


    She turned around to face Rurik and deliberately showed the board: "It''s it, it records all the letters that can write ournguage. Next, you must be able to master all the twenty-four letters."


    The rune alphabet is twenty-four? Rurik shook his body in surprise, thinking that the alphabet would have more letters.


    Because there are as many as thirty-two Russian letters inter generations!


    "Get out with me now, we''re going to study somewhere moremanding. I''ll show you how to pronounce all the letters, and I''ll tell you the meaning behind it."


    After a while Rurik was sitting cross legged on the soft buckskin, with a cast iron pot in front of him, and the charcoal fire inside was slowly burning.


    Veria sat in front of Rurik, holding a nk in his hand, and began to point to each of them.


    How to educate a student, Veria in his own way of teaching lower priests is the same way in teaching Rurik.


    Those young priests are not interested in learning more, at least they can master the use of the rune alphabet very well, because they must be proficient in the ancient spells written in this alphabet to be used normally in sacrifice scenes.


    Rurik was an open-minded student at this time, and he suddenly thought of another ne, the scene where he first learned the English phic system.


    Soon, an extremelyplicated feeling came over him.


    Look at these twenty-four rune letters, arranged in a matrix on this rectangr oak board.


    If you look closely, the structure of some letters is only slightly different from the modern Roman alphabet thousands of yearster.


    Roman letters like F, R, I, T, S, B, and Rune letters are actually simr writing patterns, and at first nce he can estimate how the letter should be pronounced.


    Among the twenty-four rune letters, some seem to be modified Roman letters, some are written upside down, or written in mirror mode.


    But some vowels, they all have strong characteristics.


    The information is engraved on the wood, and the engravers use a small chisel to work. Based on the limitations of the equipment and the skill level of the operator, all the letters are sharp and angr.


    Not surprisingly, its source, cuneiform, is angr. In the ancient Roman alphabet of the Roman era, the huge words made of stones were also angr, and only when they were written on soft parchment with a quill pen did the words begin to be curved.


    Ross tribe, they currently do not have a clear writing tool.


    Of course, ordinary people have no real opportunity to write in their entire lives. In this time and space, writing is an extremely luxurious act!

 Chapter 39: Phoneticization Of The Rune Alphabet

    Chapter 39: Phicization Of The Rune Alphabet


    After a day of study, Rurik easily remembered any Ron alphabet simr to the modern Roman alphabet he knew.


    The rest of the letters couldn''t be learned in a short time, but it didn''t bother him.


    The time is rtivelyte, after all, Veria is an old man, and it is a miracle of life to live to such an age in the current era.


    Veria rejoiced in Rurik''s worthy n''s best hope, and his eagerness to learn moved to tears.


    "Let''s stop here! Rurik, mastering these words can''t be done in a day. You go back and have a good rest, we will continue tomorrow."


    "Alright." Rurik asked weakly: "Grandma Priest, why don''t you let me take the board away. I want to study again when I get home. You know, my father and many people from the tribe. I''ve set off hunting in the afternoon, and I''m bored with no one to tell me stories during the long night. I think it''s best to light up and study in the light."


    "Oh? Is that so?" Veria thought the words of the child were unbelievable. It''s a miracle that the boys of the tribe will actively want to learn the knowledge on the nk!


    She smiled happily, and then instructed her subordinates: "Bona, go get a small jar of grease."


    "Grease?" Rurik asked curiously.


    "It''s for you. If you want to, I will light the oilmp at night and continue to learn by yourself." Saying that, Veria handed the wooden board to Rurik, "When you go back, you can find some sand and pound it with a wooden stick. , practice the writing of letters."


    "Yes, I will. But until then..." Rurik asked weakly. "Give me a knife, so I can make a little mark on the nk."


    "What?" Veria was startled. "Are you going to carve such a nk? My child, I advise you not to be naughty."


    After all, Rurik is still a seven year old child. Although he has the oracle of "Odin''s blessing", Veria knows that the so-called oracle was announced by himself first, but in Veria''s heart, the seemingly calm Rurik. There must be a naughty in his soul. Any little boy, should be naughty?


    She emphasized: "Son, this board is very precious, you must cherish it."


    "Really?" Rurik smiled, "but I saw that you were carefully wiping the dust off it, and the board has been useless for a long time. It must be the same with other boards. It is indeed precious, if no one Use, what is its value? This board is meant to be used. Since I am the only one in the entire tribe who loves learning, please give it to me. As long as I learn the content well, its value will be reflected."


    When Veria thought about it, there was no problem with the child''s logic.


    Perhaps Rurik did have some special ideas, and she specifically asked: "What are you going to carve on the wood with the knife?"


    "It''s some auxiliarybels that let me know how to pronounce each letter."


    "Oh? It''s a smart decision." Veria didn''t think about it for a while, she handed over the knife and watched Rurik hook his head, concentrating on carving something.


    But suddenly an extremely bizarre thought flooded Veria''s aging brain, and she suddenly realized one thing - how exactly should Rurik mark the pronunciation of the letters? !


    This is simply incredible, Veria thought for a while, she couldn''t see what Rurik was carving, after all, it was not carving somethingplicated.


    After all, the child has to invent some symbols and exin the pronunciation of the rune alphabet.


    Veria suppressed the sense of urgency in his heart and said: "Child, be careful that the tip of the knife stabs your hand. You carve slowly, and when you''re done, let me see what you carve. After that, I''ll give it to you. sand the wood again."


    "Good priest grandma."


    After all, Rurik hooked his little head and slowly carved it with an iron dagger.


    In fact, ording to Rurik,


    The most efficient way tobel the pronunciation of another script in a certain way is to use the Roman alphabet. It may be a bit biased to think this way, but it cannot be denied that after the destruction of Rome, her writing system was at least inherited by the barbarian countries, and the Roman script was modified in writing that was beneficial to its own use.


    In ninth century Britain, the Saxon nations were just beginning to face a massive invasion by their northern European rtives, the Danes and the Norwegians. They can never imagine that the final united state of Britain will sail the whole world in a thousand years, so that its ownnguage can be the so-called "worldnguage".


    The ancient Roman alphabet is different from a thousand yearster, and Britain has carried out the most profound transformation of it, changing it into the mostmon alphabetic system in the world.


    It is somon that many countries after a thousand years have their own native alphabets. For the convenience of international use, they stille up with a set of Roman alphabet transliteration methods.


    For example, the text of Bros has two sets of Kirill version and Roman version, both of which arepletelymon.


    Old Norse is also a branch of the Germanguages, so the British Saxon dialect of the ancient Germanguage that constitutes the main body of modern English inter generations has greatmonality with Old Norse.


    Rurik used it to carve the modern English alphabet that corresponds to each rune letter after a thousand years on the oak board, which is the so-called modern Roman alphabet.


    His engraving abilities are limited, at least the engraved text is clearly visible.


    With his engrossed sculpting, he paid no attention to Veria''s intense attention. It''s just because the oilmps in the room are dim, and Veria''s eyesight has deteriorated due to aging. She doesn''t know what kind of marks the child carved.


    Veria''s heart was very much looking forward to it. In order to ensure his serious identity, the excitement in his heart was firmly suppressed at this moment.


    When thest letter was marked, Rurik took a deep breath and blew the tiniest shavings of wood against the board.


    "Grandma Priest, I''m done. In this way, I can read all these signs. I can assure you now, give me some other nks, and I can read the content of those nks through the letter nks in my hand, and get information in it."


    "Oh? Is that so?" Veria was still very urgent after all, she stretched out her right hand, "Quick! Let me see what you have done."


    "OK."


    Rurik didn''t think too much, because he always believed that the various knowledge he acquired in another ne as Liu Li was unique at the end of the world in Rosberg. Even a priest known as a wise man knows less than one percent of his knowledge.


    Rurik was not one to keep a low profile, he was a little smarter. Talking to the people around you that is too advanced is basically impossible for them to understand and resonate, and they will only think that it is the nonsense of children.


    After all, he is only seven years old, how much can a child do?


    Perhaps, only by showing his style in the martial arts fights between children can the majority of the nsmen feel that "this child has a bright future".

 Chapter 40: Do You Know Rome?

    Chapter 40: Do You Know Rome?


    Rurik held the wooden board in both hands and handed it to the kind-hearted Veria.


    What did the kid carve on the board? After all, some weird marks.


    Veria was full of curiosity, and her mind was very peaceful, until she saw the amazing mark on the wooden board with the help of the glow of the oilmp.


    Those were somebels that surprised her!


    The lower right corner of every rune letter I saw was engraved with new letters. right! That''s another alphabet, how could Rurik know this? !


    Veria''s eyes widened, and the aging wrinkles on her face trembled.


    "You...you...what exactly did you engrave?!" She muttered tremblingly, her hands loosened, and the nk fell directly on the animal skin on the ground.


    There was no longer a kind expression on Veria''s face, and her appearance even made Rurik a little scared.


    "Grandma Priest, did I do something wrong?"


    "No! You didn''t." Veria swallowed hard, then picked up the fallen wooden board, and continued to stare at the incredible traces.


    She fell into deep thought, and Rurik had to stare for a while, waiting for the old man to speak again.


    Those lower-level priests who were doing their daily work realized that the atmosphere was not right, and consciously stopped their work. The entire high priest''s house suddenly fell silent, and everyone was waiting for Veria to speak. The only sound in the room was the faint crackling of the burning coals, and the squeak of the seal''s fat being fried in the hot cast iron pan.


    Veria''s mind is doing a strong ideological struggle.


    Finally, she made a decision.


    "Rurik!" Veria sullenly asked the child in front of him with an extremely serious attitude, "Do you know Rome?"


    "You... what did you say?!"


    "Rome. It''s Rome! A mighty city far south."


    In fact, Rurik still couldn''t understand it too well. He seemed to understand that what Veria was referring to was "Eastern Rome", but what about the city.


    After some thought, he finally understood the situation. The "Rome" here really means "Eastern Rome".


    Because all Vikings are still in the tribal stage, theirrgest organization is still the alliance of tribes. They do not have a clear concept of a country, and naturally they do not have a clear word to describe "country".


    At this point, Rurik didn''t know how to answer. He couldn''t think of it at all, did the priests of Vilia still know the distant Rome?


    The Mediterranean Sea and the Baltic Sea, the two are simply two unrted worlds!


    Do not! Wait a minute!


    Suddenly, Rurik thought of his own home, where his father, the leader, had a locked wooden box that contained mostly metal.


    Those are coins, most of which are tributes from Novgorod residents. These minted coins can be exchanged for some goods with other tribes, and its purchasing power is a mystery.


    The local people in Novgorod simply did not have the ability to mint coins, and the currency they used was from Eastern Rome.


    Those coins are printed with the portraits of the characters and thebels of the words.


    Rurik had an idea and reluctantly exined: "I saw some special letters on the coin my father showed me, and my father said that it was the script of distant Rome. So I used it."


    This exnation is not convincing!


    The wily Veria knew the boy was lying just by looking at his face.


    "My child, what you say is not true. Your father Otto did not understand the use of Roman script, and those Romans hardly used the script you marked. It is an older script, and I am not sure about it. Also very limited. But you! You use it. And you"


    Eastern Rome in the ninth century was more Hellenistic, Latin and its scripts had declined,


    The Greeknguage and the Greek alphabet became mainstream. Therefore, the new coins minted by the government are brighter than the old coins that have been in cirction for hundreds of years, and the inscriptions on them have naturally be Greek. Therefore, Rurik should not have known the Roman alphabet, he should have known the Greek alphabet.


    Veria''s eyes widened, she felt like she was carrying a huge burden, and her whole body was overwhelmed by the intensely repressed atmosphere. Her spirit was shaken violently, because Rurik, his ability to understand the Roman alphabet, was a miracle in itself.


    "Rurik, you know the ancient alphabet of the Romans, and you use it very correctly. The letters you carved are still in use by the Franks, and you have carved the same letters that they used.


    Only two of our tribe know this unique set of letters! "


    "Huh?!" Rurik was even more frightened in an instant, how could he think that things could turn out like this.


    "Who? Which two?"


    "You are! And me." Veria stretched out his head and looked at Rurik''s smiling face solemnly, "Now look straight out of the corner of your eye, tell me honestly, who taught you this?"


    "This..." Rurik couldn''t exin it for a while.


    Veria used his imagination and asked tentatively, "Could it be those women from Novgorod? Only their nsmen have a better chance of contacting the Romans."


    Rurik can actually give Veria a very straightforward conclusion: I was born with this knowledge.


    But he can''t guarantee it now. If he said this, what kind of moth would happen. Now the priest of Veria, who is over 100 years old, is too excited. He is afraid that the old man will have a heart attack because of being too excited.


    Hearing Veria say that, Rurik seemed to have grabbed the life-saving straw, and nodded vigorously: "Yes! Yes! With those people, I learned this from my sister Peravina?"


    "You... a lie!" Veria vetoed on the spot, and pouted her shriveled mouth, which had almost lost its teeth, and said regretfully, "Those women from Novgorod are A bunch of stupid people who don''t know any script at all. Including the people of our tribe, only our own rune script, only a few people know! Only a few people in our Roseburg know how to write their names This is what saddens me the most, only you! Rurik, you are the hope of our tribe."


    Rurik was a little happy when he was suddenly praised by Veria.


    Then came a new question: "You can''t learn anything from stupid people, especially these Roman alphabets. Tell me who taught you."


    "This..."


    "Tell me the truth, otherwise!" Veria looked left and right, thinking in his heart that since the child''s father had already led the warriors on thestrge-scale hunting before the extreme cold, who could take good care of Rurik at this time What about this kid?


    Veria ruthlessly said with a threatening tone: "If you can''t give me a satisfactory answer, you can''t leave here."


    Threaten? A real threat.


    Rurik looked troubled, as if he could only tell the truth, but did Veria believe it?


    In the current situation, it seems that I can only prevaricate with the reason of "naturally possessed".


    "Yes! I just know thenguage of the Romans." Rurik murmured deliberately.


    "What did you say?"


    After all, Veria is very old, his vision is a little blurry, and he is also slightly deaf.


    Rurik guessed that this matter should not be made public, he stood up and approached the ear of Veria who was sitting cross-legged, and deliberately muttered: "Priest grandma, these are the knowledge I was born with, except for it I And know a lot more. I have this knowledge in my head from the first sight of the light."

 Chapter 41: The Miracle Man and Verias Treasure

    Chapter 41: The Miracle Man and Veria''s Treasure


    "You...you...you''ve been..." Veria suddenly turned his head and grabbed Rurik''s thin shoulders with both hands. "Could this be the knowledge that Valha gave you?"


    Obviously, Rurik felt that Veria was strongly stimted.


    How to answer? Because he has the name of "Odin''s blessing" on his body, a set of military boxing has really yed its own prestige in children''s fighting games.


    For several years, the priests and their father, Otto, have spared no effort in hyping Rurik as a unique identity.


    The vast majority of nsmen, their independent thinking will have not yet germinated, they are indeed so called ignorant people, and they naturally believe in the rumors of Gods.


    And wasn''t this rumor spread by Priest Veria himself from the beginning?


    Suddenly, Rurik felt a strong ck humor.


    Perhaps, Veria was indeed trying to consolidate his position, further pulling Otto, the increasingly popr leader of the tribe, and deliberately promoting his son.


    Furthermore, children do have a different side.


    There is a saying that the lie that is told too much bes the truth, and even the creator of the lie believes it.


    This is the current state of Veria.


    Rurik immediately answered affirmatively: "This is my destiny! I didn''t know why I knew so much at first, but I knew it very well. Maybe I was an ancient schr, an excellent craftsman. I know Rome, I know it was a great being long ago. Maybe my soul entered Valha, and for some reason, Odin ordered me to return to the world."


    You... are you an apostle?" When he spoke, Veria was already trembling unconsciously.


    Rurik had already clearly felt that his original rhetoric had made Veria convinced. In this way, the problem suddenly became simpler.


    It is because the ancient people, because of their extremely narrow vision andck of knowledge, believed very much in the words of the priests, and the absurd words ofter generations were regarded as truth by people in this time and space.


    The key is that the priest himself is also very devout to his own beliefs.


    "Yes, I should be an apostle. Valha did not clearly exin my mission, they only gave hints, but I have understood my mission. They are people who love our Ross tribe, they like the warriors of our tribe, Valha has reserved many seats for the warriors. I believe that my mission is to lead our people to prosperity, so that Valha can wait for more warriors to win in Ragnarok."


    Is that something a seven years old could say? Obviously not!


    Veria himself would never believe that a childish child''s voice could easily say such righteous and awe-inspiring words.


    He must have received some kind of divine power, he is a miracle man!


    In an instant, Veria thought of a lot of things, and her old eyes couldn''t help but burst into tears.


    "Grandma Priest, are you sad?" Rurik asked kindly.


    "No." Veria wiped her tears and stood up slowly on crutches. "Rurik, my child. You are the man of miracles, our patron, the future leader. You are from Vallh''s lost apostle, now you''re older and fully aware of your mission. You''re bound to be our leader, it''s your destiny. But..."


    Veria trembled and ordered: "Come with me now, child. Maybe, that treasure that has been sealed for decades, only you are its true guardian. Maybe everything is destiny, more than 30 years ago. I have been generously gifted by the Romans in ck and have waited so long for this moment."


    Veria muttered something obscure, which Rurik heard very vaguely. He did understand a little more clearly.


    Veria wants to give her the treasure she has treasured for many years to her inheritance.


    Treasure? Roman''s treasure. For a moment, Rurik was full of curiosity. The sky was going to get dark, so I hurried home to find my mother? Not for now.


    In order to avoid the family''s worries, Rurik, who was following behind Veria, muttered: "I''m a little worried about my mother, I should have gone back immediately."


    "Oh! You don''t have to worry." Veria immediately ordered a lower priest to report the message, and then continued to mutter: "You will return safely, and before that, you must see that treasure. When I leave forever, it will also be owned by you. inherit."


    "I...I will."


    Rurik opened his mouth toe, but he really couldn''t think of any treasure that could make Veria say such serious words.


    Gold? Or silver? Probably not these vulgar things. If you can''t exchange for good things, the greatest value of gold and silver is probably used to decorate the beauty of women, and men like some small tribal families with enough wealth drill holes in their teeth and frantically decorate it with gold.


    The dark room was lit by oilmps, and arge number of wooden boardsy t on the wooden cabs.


    The contents of those wooden carvings are familiar to Rurik. Since he has learned how to use the rune alphabet, he will keep in mind all the knowledge stored in the room.


    Maybe it is.


    Rurik knew that a woodblock could not record as much information as an A4.


    Now he is more interested in the wooden box that Veria personally pulled out.


    "Priest, what is this?"


    "Please call me grandma, my child." Veria wiped the sweat from her forehead, and it was indeed not an easy task to pull out a wooden box from the junk pile.


    "Okay grandma, what''s in here?"


    "ROMA BOK."


    Veria is simply answering the "Book of Romans".


    In Old Norse, "Bok" was used to describe "the carrier of arge number of words".


    Rurik listened to the novelty, what does "Romans" mean?


    He hooked his head off, watching the crouched Veria try to open the rusted lock with the rusted key. After a lot of effort, the lock still won''t open.


    "Oops, I haven''t opened the lock for many years, and it looks like the lock won''t work anymore."


    "Then break it open?" Rurik asked tentatively.


    "Yes. But my boy, if I do, you must give me a promise."


    "Ah? What guarantee."


    "There is a precious book in the box, which records very advanced knowledge, maybe you can understand it and master it. It is very precious, and once opened it will not be well preserved. You must promise me, You will be the protector of the book and will always protect it."


    Rurik didn''t think much about it, and still said bluntly, "I will."


    "Your answer is a bit perfunctory..." Veria turned her old face and said solemnly: "I don''t have the ability to understand all of its contents, but I can be sure that through this book, you can learn a lot about the Romans. . You''re going to be a great leader, we''re going to make a bigger deal with the Romans, and you''ve got to protect the book. Now tell me your answer."


    "Ah, I will protect him the way I want to protect my own family. In the future, I will order my children and grandchildren to continue to protect it."


    Rurik''s seemingly empty words made Veria very happy. After all, her life was short, and almost everyone in the tribe disdained knowledge. Only she spent half her life protecting the gift from the "Roman Missionary".


    She believed that Rurik''s words were the truth of the child, because it was trustworthy.


    Veria found a small hammer and smashed the ck rusted copper lock.


    It''s actually a copper lock! From the bright yellow color of the cross section of the lock, Rurik could draw several conclusions.


    At this moment, Veria''s mood is a little moreplicated.


    She held the lid of the box, her heart beating fast.


    "Hopefully, the book is intact and not rotten."


    "Don''t worry, grandma." Rurik said casually, "The copper turned ck, which means it is very dry here, and any books will not be damaged. If water gets in, the lock will turn green."


    "Huh? Strange exnation."


    Rurik didn''t want to say anything about the ck rust of oxidized copper, he urged: "Quickly open it."


    Veria did not hesitate any longer, the lid was opened, and a well-bound book made of all-over sheepskin was revealed to Rurik.


    "This is the book, my boy, from now on, it''s yours."


    When Veria turned her gaze slightly to Rurik, she saw the child''s astonished eyes.


    Because Rurik could recognize the leather cover of the book, and the words made of Roman letters marked on it, Rurik never dreamed that he would actually recognize it.


    The book was clearly marked "EXODUS", and from just these few letters, he knew very well that this book recorded that Moses led the tribe out of Egypt and returned to Canaan.


    The cover and pages of the book are mainly made of sheepskin, and there are not many words that can be recorded on these materials. This book is only a small part of the whole scriptures, and it is intriguing that only this part has ended up in Scandinavia in the far north.


    Rurik asked suddenly: "Grandma, as you briefly exined, did you really get it from the mysterious man in ck?"


    "Yes. I hope you understand the above knowledge because I can''t understand it."


    "Ah! That''s it..." Rurik muttered silently, "I think I already know it all."


    Rurik pondered with his mind, I am afraid that those men in ck in Veria''s mouth were the so-called missionaries of Eastern Rome, and they wished that all the barbarians in the north would be newmbs.


    Exodus itself is a history book and an ode to Moses and his people who dared to travel long distances for the sake of their devout faith.


    Those men in ck, from the warm andfortable Constantinople, all the way to the cold north, hope that the Vikings who are good at fighting and trading will give up their worship of Odin and be one of them.


    Maybe they themselves are the self-proimed new Moses.


    Obviously, the Ross tribe at that time dismissed it, and the n of the man in ck fell through.


    Those people in ck are probably all turned into dust, only this book is perfectly preserved by the old people.


    Come to think of it, if that''s the case, everything is a legend.


    If everything is fate, the new nation formed by the fusion of the vs and the Rus will eventually be the new Rome in charge of the double eagle g.


    Had this book been preserved for a thousand years, it would have be a relic of great cultural significance! It is also the treasure of the town of Ross.


    Thinking of this level, Rurik casually flipped through it, feeling the softness of the parchment, and came to the conclusion that the text was all handwritten.


    He was thinking in his mind that this book bound with parchment should indeed be properly protected.

 Chapter 42: Special Knowledge On The Plank

    Chapter 42: Special Knowledge On The nk


    Obviously, the "Book of Rome" in Veria''s collection is indeed a rare treasure, but throughout its content is written in ssical Latin, and Rurik is powerless to understand it.


    Unless a Roman priest who was proficient in ancient Latin taught him personally, it would be very impractical to think about it.


    After looking through it, Rurik made a decision.


    "I''m going to find a new wooden box to keep it, maybe it''s the best ce to keep it in a dry room. If it''s in my home, I''m afraid it will be damaged."


    Veria nodded: "Okay, I will find a new lock. I hope you will keep your promise."


    "I will, but I''m little curious. The writing on the book seems to be a kind of animal skin." Rurik said this on purpose. He guessed that it was parchment, but he didn''t understand the Latin or the parchment. Pronounced in Greek.


    "It''s made of sheepskin. It''s better than our oak board. Unfortunately, we don''t have a way to make it." Veria sighed slightly, "If we can also use specially processed sheepskin as a writing material like the Romans did. If you look at the wood in this house, it can actually be turned into several books."


    Rurik deeply felt Veria''s yearning and respect for the far south. Perhaps it was this emotion that made her ept the gift of the man in ck.


    It waste, and Rurik finished his supper in the high priest''s house.


    The so called dinner is a little boiled wheat porridge with salt, and some pickled meat.


    The dinner was nd, and the people of the entire Ross tribe had not seen the real delicacies of the mountains and seas. A little honey on the tip of the tongue could make them feel that Valha was nothing more than that.


    Rurik had to get used to all this, and only when he grew up could he disy his personal ambitions for the tribe.


    No one understands what kind of prosperity he is doing to "Bring prosperity to the tribe".


    Everyone''s concept of happiness is very simple. Every small family of each tribe can live in a warm house, and they will not be hungry and full all year round. There are enoughfortable clothes and daily necessities to have multiple children and the whole family is healthy. There is more wealth on this basis.


    However, in the current era, Scandinavia is macroscopically a barren world.


    The most adventurous mind demihumans, the Swedes, leave their natural homnd.


    Those who stayed, the crazy "Viking Age" that ended, could only continue to live in the still barren Svend region, until the Swedes'' monarchs thought of trading as a nation. Selling their own iron products for a profit made the Swedes a fortune hundreds of yearster. They further strengthened the processing technology of iron products, actively developed ocean trade, and eventually became the first industrial power in Northern Europe.


    These are the glory of the descendants of the Confederation of the Swedes Tribes a thousand yearster.


    Unfortunately, these honors have nothing to do with the Ross tribe.


    Just because they moved their families.


    The resources around Rossburg have been consumed on arge scale, and mad hunters have keptrge beasts from approaching the fjord. For the development of this underground mine, the cksmiths in Rossburg did not have any more ideas.


    Perhaps the tribe''s departure does not require any external stimulus, leaving is fate. Just like nomadic peoples, when a grazing pasture is eaten up by sheep, the migration of the entire tribe is inevitable.


    After Rurik officially came into contact with the wooden boards that recorded the writing, in the days that followed, when he woke up, he would hurry to the long priest''s house. His carved letter version is a "Trantion board" that can be used at any time.


    He was pleasantly surprised that the "Ancient books"piled in the rune alphabet have punctuation, so it is not difficult to read.


    In fact, in just three days, Rurik had read through all the wooden boards in Veria''s collection, which also made him proud to spy on the Ross past.


    They, including myself, is a real Swedes!


    It was another cold morning, and although he didn''t have a clock, Rurik guessed just by feeling that he would wake up at ten o''clock in the morning.


    It was really just a feeling, because he felt that the sun would be at its highest in no time.


    Even though it was noon, the angle of the sun was really bad.


    It was this morning that Rurik told Veria how he felt after three days of study.


    "Grandma, I think my mind is very smart. I read all the nks you have stored, and I have written down everything. I also know everything about our Rus''s past."


    Veria was very surprised for a while, "My child, you mean, you have fully learned that knowledge?"


    "Yes. For example, I know that we moved to Rossburg seventy years ago, and we drove the Finns away. Our homnd was in the South, and it took a hundred and fifty rost to get here."


    In fact, Rurik was also very surprised that the Ross tribe, or the entire Viking group, had clear weights and measures.


    He wasn''t quite sure how far the unit of length word rost, transcribed in Roman letters, was, considering its meaning was "half the distance of a traveler from one resting point to another", its definition was too vague, after all By no means a very short distance unit.


    Rurik estimated that this rost was the basic unit of distancemonly used by the Ross.


    It is indeed very "Basic", because it is the equivalent of the concept of "Kilometer"monly used by the Vikings, and its length unit is converted into metric length a thousand yearster, which is very simr to 1600 meters.


    More than this, Rurik got more weights and measures concepts from those wooden nks of great historical significance. Whoever carved the text on the wooden board, I heard Veria''s exnation, part of it was the masterpiece of her predecessors, and most of it was herself.


    Rurik asked by the way: "Grandma, I now know exactly what money I should pay to exchange hides and cloths with distant merchants. How to determine a distance from our Roseburg to a distant ce. I even Can know how to determine my own height. It seems that you have this information engraved on the board."


    At this moment, Veria was very moved by the young Rurik.


    She said bluntly: "Yes! Those are all carved by me, just to ensure that people in the future will not suffer losses when exchanging animal skins and get lost when sailing. I think all nsmen should know the unit of length best. , so that when they fell trees to make boat keels, they would not fail to estimate the length wrongly, nor cut out ill-fitting clothing.


    Unfortunately, they would rather believe theirmon sense, but they don''t know that the simplest things often need to be clearly settled. to prevent slow changes that go against the original intent. "


    Rurik nodded, he really understood what Veria meant, and he was also quite emotional. He never imagined that an old man who lived in the ninth century, who was over seventy years old, was very aware of the importance of ensuring the standardization of weights and measures. significance.


    Regarding weights and measures, each country and every nation often has its own unique definition, but world trade is converging and internationalizing after all.


    Merchants are always calcting, in order to pursue a fairness between buyers and sellers. Then the conversion of different measurement units often saves some fractions, so there will always be people who will suffer. Perhaps, the influence of Rome can still cover the whole of Europe, the weights and measures of Rome will continue to be used, and the trade situation in ancient Europe will be better.


    Of course not!


    The Frankish Empire had its own set of rules, as did the Visigothic kingdom. In the chaotic British countries, weights and measures can be described as varied.


    The Eastern Rome, which still has a huge influence, is far from the unified Rome of the past in terms of weights and measures.


    Even the Circum Baltic region has its own unique system of weights and measures, which is used by Rosberg, and the inhabitants of Novgorod, the "servants" of the Russians, also have their own system of weights and measures of the vic tribes .


    Therefore, business people must have good enough verbal calction skills, otherwise they will suffer a big loss!


    Based on these factors, Rurik asked tentatively: "Grandma, should you be able to measure my height? You should have a hemp rope that is only one stika (about 98 cm) long?"


    Veria''s eyes lit up, she told Rurik to wait for a while, then stood up from the hide where she was sitting, and soon brought a thick hemp rope dyed with dark red moss over.

 Chapter 43: Stikas Beautiful Coincidence

    Chapter 43: Stika''s Beautiful Coincidence


    Veria is in charge of some "standard unit measuring tools", and she hopes that the "rope ruler" in the hands of the tribes is the exact same length for herself, the so called standard stika.


    In reality, how could it be as simple as she thought, and what Veria has mastered is really that standard? Actual and allied tribes in the South, each tribe''s so called "standard one stika rope ruler" has a small gap. So when trading linen and hides, merchants always add another thumb''s length.


    After all, there are only more or less, and no one will suffer a big loss.


    Veria happily showed: "This rope is a stika length. It measures the length of sackcloth and hides, and naturally it can also measure your height. Now take off your leather boots and keep standing up easily."


    "OK!"


    Rurik stood up quickly, and he had another n in his mind, so he used his own height measured in the local unit of length to estimate the difference between a stika and a standard one meter.


    Maybe the difference isn''t that big.


    Because he saw that Veria didn''t have to stretch his arms at all, and the hemp rope was stretched straight, and it even seemed that it was not much different from the "one meter" in his concept.


    His estimate was correct!


    However, several units of length that have beenmonly used in Scandinavia are actually very simr to the metric units of length millenniater, and even to the original "one meter", which is purely a romantic coincidence.


    Because of another ne, French scientists hope to invent a unit of length that can be used throughout Europe. They calcted the different shadow lengths between Paris and Alexandria at the vernal equinox through an immediate method, and then used the ancient unit of length to measure the distance, and they calcted the arc length from Paris to the pressure mountain on the surface of the earth.


    With the arc length, the false earth is a perfect ball, and it is logical to calcte the circumference of the entire sphere. Therefore, the distance from the North Pole to the equator is considered to be 10,000 kilometers, and the circle of the earth is artificially determined to be 40,000 kilometers.


    Of course, because of the longitude difference between Paris and Alexandria, the "one meter" length obtained from the initial survey data is too small.


    The original scientific determination was in the first half of the neenth century, but Rurik''s current era is in the first half of the ninth century.


    It''s a wonderful coincidence that the two "one meters" are very simr.


    Rurik''s height was measured, and because of the markings on the rope ruler, it was always divided equally, and it was divided into ten parts.


    It is not difficult to make tenths, the rope ruler must be tenthed, because people have ten fingers.


    The reason why humans unanimously love decimal is because people have ten fingers.


    However, on both sides of the East and West and even in the isted American continent, civilized groups have invariably born a worship of mysticism to the decimal system.


    In Europe, because the Vikings were indeed subordinate to the huge Germanic group, quite a few cultural factors were the same.


    Their variousnguages share amon origin, and they uniquelybel the readings of numbers from one to twelve.


    In terms of trade, high-level currencies correspond to twelve low-level currencies.


    Of course, this cultural phenomenon is exactly the same in Eastern Rome.


    Rurik stood up obediently, and Veria, hunched over, tried to measure him with a rope ruler.


    "Not bad, it seems that you have surpassed a stika." Veria shook his head.


    "Grandma, do you think I should be shorter?"


    "No. You will grow taller, and your shortness will only be temporary. For you, I need a new tool."


    After a while, Veria took out a group of elongated rope rulers, which ording to him were specially used for cutting curtain curtains, and the total length of the rope rulers also had three stikas.


    She said something in her mouth: "It is impossible for a mortal to have the height of three stikas,


    Only the giants of Asgard can, but unfortunately no one has seen those giants, not even me, who has lived for seventy years. Ordinary men I know can usually grow to a stika and an ell, and half an ell. I only remember your father''s father''s father, who was close to the height of two stikas, and that was very old. At that time, I was only your age. "


    Regarding the description of numbers, perhaps Europeans have not thought of it since ancient times, numbers can be urately described with very simple sybles.


    In this regard, the oriental nation or because of the characteristics of their ownnguage, it is easy to do this.


    Under Rurik''s body, there has always been an oriental soul hidden. He really understands Veria''s description of the number, which is "1.75stika" when converted into an oriental way of saying.


    Think about it a little, like the Russians a thousand yearster, maybe their superb mathematical level is due to their extremely long number pronunciation, and theplexity of describing a long number, to torture.


    In this respect alone, perhaps the French are far worse off. When describing a long number such as "eighty", they are clearly listing an arithmetic problem in the air to interpret it as "eighty".


    In the end, Veria measured the height of Rurik, who was only seven years old, which was barely 1.2stika.


    She exined the result with aplicated description. Rurik''s mind was very clever. He knew a precise value, but it was not clear whether theparison of stika and "meter" was close.


    "Maybe, a seven-year-old boy should be about 120 centimeters. European children should grow a little earlier than Orientals, and it should not be too early."


    "However, the food in this era is still too scarce, I will definitely not grow too tall, and there are no real burly men in the tribe."


    "If it really doesn''t work, I will treat a stika as the future metric one meter?"


    Rurik did some calctions in his head, but he really could not have imagined that the error of two units of measurement in different time and space was surprisingly small.


    He tentatively thought that he was only about 120 centimeters. In fact, he also realized that with his age and the current living conditions of the tribe, it was quite good to be able to grow to his current height in a healthy manner.


    Putting his own thoughts aside for the time being, Rurik suddenly asked, "Grandma, is it normal for me to be like this?"


    "Your height?"


    "Yes! I''m still worried that I won''t grow strong. I want to be taller and stronger than my father."


    Veria was very happy to hear it, she patted the child''s head: "very ambitious! You must know that when you can show your strong arms and muscles in public, you will gain the respect of many men and the hearts of many girls. You''re not very tall now, but you have potential."


    "Should I eat more for this purpose?"


    "That''s right. Like more meat, my boy." Veria breathed a sigh of relief. "In a few days, the people who went north to hunt will be back. Pray for your father, if he can catch Live with more deer and you can keep eating meat until the frozen bay melts."


    Rurik nodded deeply, reindeer meat was better than seal meat or other fish meat.


    In fact, in terms of meat-eating, this is also something that Rurik felt worthy of consideration.


    The Ross tribe needed a lot of wool, and when the weather was warm, many rowed south with their allies, trading wool for Roman silver coins from Novgorod, or for beast hides, and there was The "invisible hand" regtes the prices of variousmodities.


    The Ross tribe themselves would make yarns from wads of unprocessed wool, and they were woven into sweaters by women. The sweaters obtained by this manual processing are digested internally, and no one will be happy to use sweaters as amodity. Likewise, the purchased x they make themselves into twine and further spun.


    For small scale printing and dyeing of various wool and twine, the tribe has a very traditional and primitive "moss printing and dyeing technique", andrge-scale printing and dyeing is not enough.


    They get a lot of wool but few sheep, and even more rare cattle. Allies in the South raised sheep for wool and cattle for milk.


    The absoluteck of productivity made it impossible for the ancestors of the Swedes to frantically eat these "grazing production machines", unless it was a cold snap, they would eat frozen cattle and sheep.


    The location of Roseburg is further north, which is colder, and because of theck of pastures, the cost-effectiveness of animal husbandry is very poor. Only marine fishing and hunting herds are the most stable ways to obtain meat.


    Rurik understood the deliciousness of mutton and beef, and he cherished both meats during the seven years of his new life. On the contrary, as if reindeer meat were readily avable, as if hunters were further north, where the forests and mossy moors were full of roaming herds of reindeer.

 Chapter 44: The World Is Round

    Chapter 44: The World Is Round


    By now, Rurik felt that he had memorized all the records on the wooden board, and he had a general context about the migration of the Ross tribe.


    But there are still many problems that gue him, such as Roseburg''s precisetitude.


    If he knew this data, Rurik, who was an engineer, felt that he could urately measure the location of Rossberg in the Gulf of Bothnia on the Baltic Sea through his physical knowledge, and even describe the migration distance of the former Ross tribes through wooden boards, and infer their former homnd''s position.


    At present, Rurik has been able to urately know every day of the Julian calendar from Veria, for example, today is November 27th, and he also knows that one day in the future, the sun will not rise.


    Rossburg, every year there are one or two days without night, and there are always one or two days without light.


    Rurik almost instinctively determined that Rossberg was very close to the Arctic Circle. If the precise dimensions were measured, it would be very helpful for the tribe. Because thetitudes of several regions were measured, Rurik felt he could draw a map of the region.


    For any group with a desire for development, urate regional maps can often promote the development of the group.


    Rurik is indeed no ordinary man. He remembers the basic outline of a modern world map in his mind. When drawing a map of Europe, he can''t say whether the details can be reproduced well. At least he can draw the outline rtively urately, as much as possible. Engraving certain details, that is, specific proportions, can only be determined through astronomical and geographical re-mapping.


    In this era, no one has carried out a detailed map of the Circum Baltic Sea.


    And any geographic mapping must be guided by astronomical observations. After all, the stars in the sky are changing at an extremely slow speed that humans can perceive. In the sense of the ancients, the stars are eternal.


    The immobile stars are a good reference, and the Romans, who inherited the scientific knowledge of Greece, have long recognized that the world in which humans live is a huge ball.


    The wise men of Eastern Rome inherited the scientific heritage of ancient Greece. They knew very well how to determine their approximate position by measuring the angle between the stars and the instrument. Unfortunately, this kind of knowledge has not been poprized.


    Western Europe in the ninth century was practically sparsely popted, with a poption of less than 15 million due to poor productivity levels.


    In the barbarian countries established on the ruins of Rome, the vast majority of civilians could not ess the advanced knowledge of the outside world at all. In order to survive, they could only be bound in their own viges, harvesting a small amount of food in a very rough farming mode and handing them over to them. After paying tribute, the nobles lived a life of starvation and fullness.


    Compared with the poor farmers in Western Europe, the life of the Ross tribe is indeed much better, because there is no problem in feeding thousands of people with the gifts of the huge Gulf of Bothnia. What''s more, there are hundreds of thousands of wild reindeer onnd. Of course, their activity area is extended to the north by human interference.


    A new leader is about to ascend his throne.


    Rurik boldly asked Veria for a treasure, "Grandma, I have an idea for a big order. I need your rope ruler for a special measurement."


    "Measurement? What are you going to do?"


    "Well..." Originally, Rurik wanted to exin the truth, but now, maybe it''s right not to say it. He deliberately said vaguely: "I just want to know if the World Tree is real."


    "So, do you believe he''s real?" Veria asked casually, she didn''t show more emotion.


    "Maybe it''s just an old story, our world is not a t ground held up by a tree. My father told me that our world Asgard is like a bird''s nest held up by a tree, and we are the bird''s nest. If that''s the case, why do those in the South, especially the Romans, interpret it differently than ours?"


    Hearing this, Veria couldn''t help but get interested.


    At this age, many of the things she was sure about have now be confused, especially when she was young when she came into contact with people in ck from Rome. The young Veria listened to the elders. She believed in the world tree, the twelve main gods of Asgard, and also believed that humans lived in cold ces.


    Those Romans im to live in the warmnd, and im that an infinitely great being created it all, but that being is not Odin.


    Perhaps, the great god Odin has different names in different groups of people?


    Until the man in ck clearly pointed out that the world is by no means lifted up by a big tree, the world is a huge ball, and the stars in the sky revolve around this ball.


    Although the young Veria did not agree with the words of the man in ck, she did not selectively forget.


    Today, the young Rurik actually raised such a question, which naturally awakened her dusty memory.


    Veria ordered his subordinates to cut a little more bacon, and then sat directly on the hide, cross-legged hoping to hear any special insights from the child in front of him.


    "Sit down now, my boy. I have a question. Do you already know the Romans'' interpretation of the world?"


    "I..."


    Rurik was startled, he really shouldn''t have understood the "Roman interpretation".


    He had a brainstorm and deliberately said: "That Roman book! Thanks to Odin for giving me the ability, I understand part of the content. Those Romans imed that our world is a huge ball."


    "Wait!" Veria''s squinting eyes suddenly widened, and the aging wrinkles seemed to burst because of her emotional excitement.


    Rurik never expected the priest to be so excited.


    "I...I just saw this. I''m very curious. Because the book also says that our world is not only a ball, but also a ball that tilts and spins..."


    Heliocentric theory, this theory can be said to have existed since ancient times, but this theory was too unusual in the ssical Greek era.


    Geocentric theory still prevails because it conforms to the most simple beliefs of the vast majority of people.


    Perhaps after entering the agricultural civilization, people everywhere need to believe in a great existence, because primitive agriculture relies on the sky for food. If the "Great God" is angry, it will lead to a shortage of food, and the end result is that the whole family starves to death.


    People always face the despair of hunger and natural disasters, and at the same time weave hope for a better future.


    People always believe that God has great love for them, and specially created a world for human beings to reproduce, and God also needs the respect of human beings.


    This kind of thinking is almost inevitable, so with this kind of thinking, the earth under your feet is the center of everything, and this kind of thinking is logical.


    Greek philosophers tied geocentric theory to mythology, and Rome further developed this idea. The destroyers of Western Rome and Eastern Rome directly bound the idea of geocentric theory to the legitimacy of their own rule.


    But as early as the ssical Greek period, some schrs from Peloponnesian believed that the sun was the center of everything.


    The two theories are actually summaries made by ancient schrs based on their own observations of astronomy and geography, and they disagree due to different observation angles. They had attacked each other, the heliocentric proponents of the city state era were totally defeated, and Aristotle and Ptolemy were victorious.


    Of course, both theories are wrong, because the concept of "World" eventually bes a huge scale that is iprehensible to humans in light-years, the universe does not have a definite center, and even the earth itself is like sand on a beach, extremely Small.


    But this was unimaginable by people in the ninth century, and even by ordinary Viking farmers and fishermen.


    After all, the two ancient doctrines had a lot of ovep, and in the regions where Rome ruled and still ruled, those who read those ancient texts at least believed that the world was one big sphere.


    Veria felt a strong touch in his heart. In the past 30 years, he found the second person who imed that "the world is a ball", and, isn''t the appearance of this person a miracle?


    Veria tried to suppress the excitement in his heart and said: "A long time ago, the Romans I met also said the same. They gave me some examples to try to prove their words, but unfortunately I can''t understand it. It''s been too long, what the world is like, maybe when I die and be a Valkyrie, I can really see it in the sky, haha."


    Veria said this, with more ridicule in his words, and regret that he was unable to understand the true meaning of the world in his life.


    Rurik took the opportunity to ry: "Haha, then you will see the world is a ball in the sky. Maybe those stories I heard are only part of the truth. Maybe one of our ancestors long ago, he already knew everything, But I am worried that ordinary people like us can''t understand it, so let''s exin it with a set of rhetoric that we can understand. After countless generations of word of mouth, the story has gradually be detached from reality."


    Although the child is young, his speech is very logical, and maybe he will never be able to treat him as a child.


    Veria also got some inspiration from these words, and she had to doubt a lot.


    Priests will deliberately make up some stories to stabilize people''s hearts, but also to maintain their own interests, so that the tribesmen continue to worship their priests. So in the fabricated myth, how many private goods were added by the priests of the past dynasties? No priest will publicly dere that he is making up a lie.


    Veria won''t make the world view copse just because of one or two words, she is a little skeptical at most.


    "Well, maybe our world is a big ball held up by the World Tree. Because we haven''t seen the whole picture of the World Tree."


    "It may also be held up by something we can''t see." Rurik had an idea and said with a deliberate smile, "For example, air? After all, without the nourishment of air, all living beings will die. People, must be Breathe. Maybe the ancestors just wanted to show that our world is nourished by something, like a big tree, by describing a world tree."


    "Excellent exnation!"


    Face to face, Rurik could clearly feel Veria''s excitement, as if his nonsense was just sketching out a new worldview system.


    In this case, Rurik let go of his courage: "Asgard should be in the sky, they must be one of the stars. They have been watching us, and every winter they send the Valkyries to inspect us. They may also Will go to see the Romans, will send messengers named Angel to mix in the crowd and guide the best among them to build their merits."


    No child would say suchplicated words, and now Veria, who is sitting cross-legged, does not look at her in seventy-three, but she is a child today.


    Rurik''s remarks are an attempt to describe that the Viking style Nordic beliefs of the Ross tribe are actually not much different from that of the Romans in principle.


    After all, if the integration of the Rus tribe into the vic world is a historical necessity, then it is also a necessity to have a cross to obtain a double-headed eagle.


    In order to meet this inevitability and reinterpret the tree of the world, UU reading  may be the most correct choice.


    However, everything needs to prove that the earth is a ball.


    To this end, Rurik needed at least a rope ruler, the next step was to use the most primitive spirit level to select the test site, and then it was as simple as measuring the shadow with a pole.


    Through arge number of measurements, it is calcted that the day shadow at noon on the winter solstice is long. Of course, on the winter solstice, Rosberg has already fallen into the pr night.


    After many days of measurement, the possible studios on the winter solstice were finally calcted. This operation finally calcted a basically correct angle between the sun and the precisetitude of Rossburg.


    In fact, as long as thetitude can be calcted, the interpretation of "the world tree holds thend of mankind" may be shaken, and thest result is to make almost the same thing as hunting, fishing, smelting, fighting and boating. The ignorant inhabitants of the Ross tribe know that the world is a ball.


    Because it is never a "Great Leader" who can really bring the so-called prosperity of the Ross tribe, and prosperity requires the joint efforts of all the units that make up the society.


    Rurik, or Liu Li, was what he believed to be prosperity. Inyman''s terms, that is, when ignorant people be smart and knowledgeable, and begin to actively think about the meaning of their existence, that is to say, they will no longer follow others'' opinions, no one or anything will restrain their philosophical thinking, and the creativity of human groups will also wee. Come on a total explosion.


    In ancient society, even a few technological outbreaks will bring a huge leap to this group.


    And the things that can bring the longest leap are often the most basic things. For example, the Vikings in the ninth century generally believed that the world was first and foremost a ball.


    They believed this, and maybe they dared to think about the feasibility of circumnavigating the world.


    Ah, after all, the great geographical discovery is only six hundred yearster.

 Chapter 45: The Quiet Changes In Europe

    Chapter 45: The Quiet Changes In Europe


    Rurik borrowed the rope ruler very smoothly, and he felt that as long as he had this, everything would be easier.


    In fact, purely theoretically, as long as a standard length unit is specified, many things can be measured.


    Because there are many things that are constant, such as pi, such as the inclination of the earth.


    In winter, a child has a lot of time to spend, and Rurik did basically understand the knowledge on the board in a short time.


    His attitude towards therge number of Norse myths and stories mastered by Veria made it clear that he did not care about them.


    It''s not so much a myth as it is a bedtime story of a mother coaxing her child to sleep.


    The era is the ninth century AD, and European society is quietly changing.


    What forces are driving change?


    It''s climate change that is forcing people to work hard to get more food.


    It is the pursuit of wealth thatpels powerful people or groups to desire greater power by various means.


    The strength of the Frankish Empire is slowly declining. Her huge territory is controlled by local lords. Objectively, this huge empire has the possibility of bing multiple tes. And this trend has already happened, Frank''s past had to lead the army to fight the rebellion everywhere.


    The empire was no longer stable, and the Danes went south tond raids with increasing frequency. And in the process, the Danes have begun to learn how to ride horses and train cavalry!


    Prosperous Britain is slowly developing towards unification, and the Danes and Norwegians begin to harass them on arge scale, and the pace of British unification will elerate ordingly.


    The glory of Eastern Rome is also weakening, which has led to the continuous expansion of the emerging Bulgars.


    Central Europe is still the territory ofrge and small vic tribes, and they are still spontaneously and continuously exploring the east.


    Like the Novgorods who paid tribute to the Rus tribe, this "giant vige" was originally a fusion of migrating vic tribes. Of course, they are not the inherent owners of thisnd, but in the seventh century AD, arge number of vic tribes moved eastward, and they continued to drive the indigenous Finns to Find and the more bitter Ural Mountains.


    It can be said that Novgorod itself is already the northern border of the vic tribal cluster.


    Each vic tribe has its own appetion. In the ninth century, they have formed settlements with a poption of more than 100,000 people in different regions. In a sense, they are far from bing a real country, and what theyck is probably the canonization of Eastern Rome. Or the daring can unite all the tribes in the region and be their own king.


    God''s to God, Caesar''s to Caesar.


    But in this era, God''s belongings belong to the church, and Caesar''s belong to the church. Both Eastern and Western, they tried to gain more power until they gained power over Augustus.


    In Western Europe, the foundation of the huge Frankish Empire was unstable, and only amon belief could maintain this "super country", and the power of the Holy See in Rome was naturally growing.


    In Eastern Rome, the Eastern Holy See''s n to seize power was overwhelmed by the emperor''s stormy, iron-fisted means. The long-term "Destroy Icon Movement" was an actionunched by the emperor to confiscate the church''s wealth, but it also objectively defended the secrity of Eastern Rome.


    However, in this long-term movement, the Eastern Holy See was severely hit, and the strength of Eastern Rome itself was also severely damaged.


    The vic popce developing south has crossed the northern defense line of Eastern Rome, and Eastern Rome has also been undergoing a strategic contraction, which gave the vs a greater chance.


    The city of Constantinople was beautiful and rich, and the neighboring Thracian region supplied the heart of the empire with its major wealth. The Romans in the city gradually embarked on the old road of Western Rome like Rome and Ravenna. The Romans indulged in pleasure, and the poption of the city gradually declined.


    It''s a long process,


    Therefore, the Romans living in the Peloponnese or the Aegean Inds were happy to settle in their capitals, because they could gain more wealth and opportunities to advance to the social hierarchy.However, Romanw somewhat restricted aliens from settling in the city. Those vic merchants, Varyag merchants who came asionally, and even Frankish merchants who came from afar, were heavily taxed.


    Emperors and ministers do not seem to have noticed yet, the splendid Eastern Rome is hollowing out. As scattered Romans gradually moved into key Thracian regions and capitals, those abandoned areas were naturally taken over by the vs.


    The vs who went south, they became citizens of Eastern Rome, they began to speak Greek, learned Greco-Roman life, and gradually became Romans.


    So much so that when the Purple Empire came to an end, there were not many real Romans in the sprawling Constantinople, reced by tens of thousands of Eastern Romanized vic descendants, defending their Roman identity.


    Compared with the Frankish Empire in Western Europe, the emperor of Eastern Rome attacked the church, and the imperial power was consolidated.


    However, Western European society increasingly needs the Holy See to mediate the struggles of various kingdoms, and it is also a historical necessity that religious power overrides monarchical power.


    Therefore, the Holy See takes its own scriptures and believes that it is thew of all, and they are especially sure that the world is t.


    This is the attitude of the Western Holy See, and the attitude of the Eastern Holy See is simr.


    However, in Eastern Rome,mercial activities here are very developed, and arge number of ssics from the ancient Greek period have not been lost. All businessmen are doers. They do notpletely believe in the description of the world in the scriptures. They believe in the results of their own exploration. After all, only a map that proves the truth by themselves can lead them to make trade.


    Among the folks of Eastern Rome, there are many people who believe that the world is a ball. Only the Holy See of the East still clings to the theory of scriptures that the world is a ne.


    But not all priests are monolithic. After all, they can see a lot of ancient texts, and they always have their own understanding of science.


    After all, the cosmic model of such priests makes them feel the greatness of the Lord. The so-called human beings live in a huge ball, and all the stars and even the sun revolve around this ball, and there is an alternation of day and night. For this reason, they did not hesitate to praise the greatness of the Lord.


    The progress of the wheel of history cannot be stopped!


    After all, the emperors of Eastern Rome have always worked hard to suppress the Holy See in the East. Of course, the emperor had to ensure his powerful power, which also led to the protection of arge number of secr forces. Therefore, the folk exploration of natural philosophy has not been suspended, but it has not received official encouragement from the empire. .


    Isn''t the world a sphere through observations of astronomy and geography, and the practice of traditional Mediterranean maritime trade?


    With the destruction of Eastern Rome, arge number of unemployed schrs with their well-preserved books flooded into Venice, a former business partner, and the dawn of the Renaissance was born in northern Italy.


    However, until the Renaissance, and even when Portugal discovered the Indian route, and Spain discovered the American continent, the only remaining Western Holy See still believed that the world was the ne created by God!


    But Portugal has falsified part of the scriptures, saying that going south along the African coastline will not fall into the hell at the end of the ocean, but the rich Indian route! For this reason, Portugal has made a fortune, and has rapidly be a powerful country from a barren frontier country.


    In the end, the Holy See recognized that the world is a ball, not only because the Magen fleetpleted the voyage around the world, but also because ording to the treaty a hundred years ago, the two countries of Portugal and Spain, which were mediated and fought by the previous Pope, Portugal owned the wealth of the eastern ocean, and Spain owned the west. The wealth of the sea.


    As a result, the two countries explored in different directions, and finally a war broke out in Borneo. In order to bridge the contradiction between the two countries, the Holy See must not only recognize the reality of the earth, but also draw a clear precision ording to astronomy, and demarcate the sphere of influence of the two teeth.


    But these are already seven hundred yearster.


    In 828 AD, there were only a very small number of people on the entire earth, probably less than 500 people, who believed that the world was a big ball. People in Western Europe and Eastern Rome were very worried about going too far to the end of the world and identally falling into the abyss.


    The Vikings around the Baltic Sea were also generally worried about entering the vast western sea, either being destroyed by earthly pythons or giant sea snails, or leaving the nd of humans" and falling into the endless darkness outside the world tree. .


    All of these are human fears of the unknown world stems from the self-preservation instinct of human beings as life. But human beings are also extremely curious, and it is also their own instinct to explore outward.


    Rurik got the rope ruler, and he started to act immediately.


    The time is approaching December of the Julian calendar. After all, the error of the Julian calendar changes every year, and some of its self-repairing calendar settings cannot be kept urate again after all.


    Fortunately, the era is the ninth century, and the situation is not so bad.


    In Rurik''s mind, he took it for granted that December 22 was the Eastern Arrival. In fact, it doesn''t matter whether it is a day or not, as long as the observation is continued for a month, and the daily change of the shadow of a wooden pole standing outdoors is just a stika, it is possible to outline a function curve.


    After all, the earth revolves around the sun with a definitew, and the change of the sun''s shadow is a special manifestation of the change of the earth''s orbital position.


    What Rurik believed was that the universe could be exined mathematically, and that mathematicalws were the basis of everything.


    On November 28, the weather was rtively sunny.


    All preparations areplete!


    In an open space next to the sacrificial longhouse, he used a traditional spirit level to measure the level of the boat (actually, a grooved wooden board, filled with water, and whether the water would flow out to determine whether the measured object was parallel to the earth) Transformed into a t.


    He also prepared some scraps of wooden boards for repairing ships, which were used as tools for writing and calction. Since there was no real pen, he used a dagger to cut and chisel the wooden board into a simr shape as a writing job.


    All the strange actions Veria saw in her eyes, she just watched quietly, and even offered a lot of help.


    She really didn''t understand what the child was going to do, at least it wasn''t about measuring the shadow of the sun.

 Chapter 46: Ruriks Measurements

    Chapter 46: Rurik''s Measurements


    Use scraps of wood from the repairing boat as a writing board and charcoal as a pen.


    Rurik prepared many wooden boards and arge amount of charcoal, and quickly put into measurement with the participation of other tools.


    Because he already knew a lot of key data information, such as the inclination of the earth and the more precise values of pi, these two data are of great significance to the geographic surveying and mapping of the entire earth.


    The research on pi has essentially detonated a mathematical revolution.


    Because theologians believe in the definition of the world in the ancient school of mathematics, and believe that things created by God must be perfect, pi must also be an urate value.


    Some people are against it, some people are for it, calcting the exact value of pi has be a kind ofpetition.


    But what is the significance of calcting the inclination of the earth and the value of pi?


    In today''s era, people everywhere don''t care about the inclination of the earth, and it doesn''t even matter whether the world is a ne or a sphere. Because as long as they are alive, it is already very difficult, and most of the people who can study natural philosophy are theological schrs who eat the food.


    It is necessary for those theologians to further demonstrate the greatness of the Lord in this way.


    However, pi has at least one important use, which is to calcte the circumference and diameter of a wheel more urately. This allows craftsmen to create wheels with unique perimeters, which can then be attached to mechanisms dating back to the Greco-Roman period to help lords measure the length of his fiefs, or even the distance between two cities.


    But for the Vikings, they didn''t have this urgent need. They didn''t even have a real city. Even the overcrowded Roseburg was arge "shanty" built by a group of wood and animal skins along the bay area".


    During this time, the weather was beautiful, and Rurik was very happy that at noon every day, the sun could normally illuminate the frozen earth here.


    The temperature was quite cold, and in order to get an urate value, Rurik had to go outdoors from time to time to pay attention to the length change of the sun shadow. When the shadow became the longest, he immediately took out a rope ruler to measure it, and put a Data is recorded on wooden boards.


    In fact, he only needs one value, and then ording to today''s date, he can calcte the specific value of thetitude line that the sun shines on the earth today.


    The time gradually approached the December month of the Julian calendar, and Rurik knew very well that even if there were already errors in the calendar of this era, the winter solstice was definitely in this month.


    This can be reflected from the length of the sun shadow. The sun at noon is only slightly above the horizon, and a standard stika-length wooden pole stands, and its shadow grows amazingly. Even so, Rurik struggled to make statistics.


    ording to the simple Pythagorean theorem, he used charcoal as a pen on a wooden board and performed some trigonometric functions to obtain an angle value, a very sharp acute angle.


    The most important thing Rurik needed to know was the direct angle of the sun on the day of the measurement.


    Theoretically, because the sun on the autumnal equinox absolutely shines directly on the equator, and on the winter solstice, the sun absolutely shines directly on the Tropic of Cancer, which is 2326 southtitude, which is a very precise value.


    In this era, December 22 of the Julian calendar is the winter solstice, and it is not credible.


    However, Rurik has measured multiple values one after another!


    He tentatively set the winter solstice as December 22, and the next step is to bring in the form.


    Since for a quarter of a year, the direct sr angle changes only by 2326'' in dimensionality, Rurik calcted a very urate value for the daily change of the direct sr angle. In this way, he calcted that on December 1, the direct angle of the shot had exceeded 17.


    For example, on December 1st, a cold, dry and sunny day, he measured the angle of the sun''s shadow on the pole to calcte the direct angle of the sun today, and finally subtracted two data from 90 to naturally obtain the localtitude data.


    In fact, Rurik has obtained five data in a row,


    The error between each other is not big.


    All the data show that Roseburg''s position is around 63 northtitude, with an error of about 1.


    It seems that Rurik''s experiment at the junior high school level has been sessfullypleted. After all, he has not used more of his knowledge.


    So he was very satisfied with the math results he got with his dark hands after so many days of work? Do not! He is not satisfied.


    Because it is only 63 northtitude, even with a maximum error of 64, Roseburg is not enough to fall into the pr night of even one day.


    Contrary to what he felt, there was a pr night in Roseburg.


    Therefore, your own measurement needs to continue.


    Affected by the existence of the pr night, on the day of the winter solstice, the east will only be slightly red, and the sun seems to being out, but it does not appear. If there were haze in those days, the situation for many days would be no different from the pr night.


    Obviously, in Rossburg, the localtitude cannot be measured by the sr shadow. If you want to obtain an urate result only by measuring, you obviously have to wait until the summer solstice. That is, the so-called day when the shadow of the day bes the shortest, and the summer solstice is this day. To get the data of the summer solstice, you must also measure for a long time and record the data.


    This matter will be a very huge project, do you want to be the first astronomer of the Ross tribe?


    It is undeniable that the measurement of the shadow of the sun to determine the time is also very important to the Rus tribe. After all, they must go to their servant Novgorod at the right time to collect an offering, especially in autumn with a batch of rye. , Wheat has returned in victory.


    In ancient times, for any huge country, the source of the stability of the country was enough food.


    A huge country means a huge poption. Only by growing crops and eating grains can a country maintain a huge poption and remain stable.


    The nting and harvesting of grain is closely rted to the changing seasons. A big country must set its own calendar.


    The only thing that can be used as an effective reference forpiling the calendar is probably only the moon and the sun, and finally the lunar and sr calendars arepiled. There are also Mayans who came up with non-mainstream calendars. In addition to the yin and yang calendars, they also have the Venus calendar.


    The calendar is surveyed, mapped andpiled by the state, and the subsequent revision rights are also in the state, because themon people have almost no knowledge of astronomy.


    When Rome entered the empire, it was especially in need of Egyptian food production. To arge extent, the ever-increasing demand for food also shaped the direction of the empire''s expansion. Rome was happy tond and take possession of Britain, because the fields here were developed very early, and he was really fertile. For the safety of the agricultural area, they simply built a Hadrian''s Stone Wall.


    And those forest areas in Central and Eastern Europe have long been the areas of vic tribes, because these areas reallyck agricultural value, so that the vs can wander for a long time as forest hunters.


    Western Rome fell, and Eastern Rome once inherited the territory of Western Rome. Theysted for a short time and were eventually taken away by the Franks.


    The Frankish kingdom was established on the ruins of Western Rome, and a series of things have beenpletely different from the previous Roman period.


    But the settled barbarians needed to farm thend to support themselves, and they relied heavily on the calendar developed by the Romans, but few people thought that the calendar would gradually be inurate over time.


    A year of the Julian calendar is a little shorter than the revolution period of the earth. After 800 years of umtion, the error of the calendar has actually reached six days!


    Therefore, the winter solstice marked by the Julian calendar at this time ispletely inconsistent with the reality.


    Of course Rurik knew this, but he just didn''t understand what the error in the calendar was like.


    Do you have to measure the exact summer solstice yourself?


    You don''t have to!


    The wise Rurik suddenly thought of something that made his hair tremble, because over the years, Veria has always been able to urately predict which day the sun will not rise, and that day is the tribal tradition of Hanukkah. Tribes will revel in revelry, drink and sing, and watch the first rays of the New Year''s sun shine on the frozen sea of the bay.


    Veria, she knows the winter solstice!


    Does she know the "Heliometry"? Or do you know about other measurements? !


    She also knows the theory that the world is a sphere, maybe she already knows a lot about geography, but hasn''t revealed it to others?


    Could it be that she is still a ssical astronomer in her seventies? !


    The more Rurik thought about it, the more frightened his heart became. He thought about his measurement work in the past few days. Veria was a quiet observer. She had been silently watching her series of work.


    Maybe, when he was busy, Veria understood everything many years ago?

 Chapter 47: The Legend Of The Yellow Faced Men In Black And Their Numbers

    Chapter 47: The Legend Of The Yellow Faced Men In ck And Their Numbers


    Immediately, he stayed in the warm priest''s house, heating up around the charcoal pile, and by the way, Rurik, who was busy calcting with the light on the wooden board, stopped the work in his hand.


    He suddenly looked at Priest Veria, who was dressed in deerskin and sat peacefully cross-legged in a meditative posture, and asked loudly, "Grandma!"


    "Huh? Are you hungry? My child." Veria suddenly opened her eyes.


    "One thing! I want to know which day is the real winter this year!" Rurik suddenly felt that his words were not serious, and then asked: "Our Hanukkah day this year. What day is it on the calendar?"


    "You ask this? Child, have you figured out any results?"


    "Yes! If you can tell me the exact date of Hanukkah, I will quickly calcte what I want, and I won''t have to measure shadows tomorrow."


    "It''s December twenty-eighth, my child."


    Veria quickly recovered herself, she was indeed a quiet observer these days, and she had seen Rurik exhibit a lot of amazing behavior.


    What surprised Veria the most was that she saw that the child was actually using an oriental number system on the wooden board!


    As Veria understood, it was a number invented by people who lived in a hot and barren world in the far east, and it was very different from the Roman number system. It is undeniable that the ancestors of the Rus met other people with special clothing, who were merchants from afar, iming to be from a great country in the far east.


    They imed to have done a lot of trade with the Romans, and they were happy to open up newmercial routes to the icy north.


    Those strange people were real, but they never showed up after they traded some deerskins and sealskins for silver from the Ross tribe long ago.


    But at least they left something behind, and the young Veria was fortunate enough to learn about another number system, and the strange rumors of those entrics.


    What! Veria couldn''t help but think of his youthful years.


    At that time, she was really unique in the tribe. She didn''t have a huge desire for marriage, as if she should be a worshiper of Odin, a follow-up to the future Valkyrie, and she must remain pure forever.


    Veria believed very much in the myths told by her parents, who had long since passed away, and she had be the eldest person in the tribe.


    Veria''s studious spirit made her a wonder person of the tribe. Thanks to her eagerness to learn, she knew the most knowledge and eventually became the head of the priests.


    Seeing the studious Rurik, Veria couldn''t help but think of his youth.


    She could never have imagined that Rurik was showing so much in front of her these days that she couldn''t make a reasonable exnation. She really could only believe that Rurik was clearly showing a miracle.


    Of course, this miracle is not infinitely powerful or invulnerable, but a huge innate knowledge.


    As the head of the priests, Veria was always calm in the chaos. Only when she really witnessed Rurik''s talent, she had lost herposure many times.


    I told Rurik the specific day, and the boy I saw wiped a few boards with a rough cloth and started a new calction. Yes, those "oriental numerals" are used throughout the calction, as well as some other symbols that are iprehensible, and Roman vocabry is vaguely mixed in them.


    Finally, many problems weighed on Willia''s mind, and she finally couldn''t hold back.


    "Rurik, my boy. Do you know the oriental numerals you use now?"


    Suddenly, the piece of charcoal shaved into the shape of a pen in Rurik''s tender right hand fell, and he was startled, and he didn''t know how to answer.


    "Don''t be nervous, there is nothing to be nervous about. You are a child blessed by Odin, and you are full of miracles."


    What else can Rurik say? What he was shocked by was not Veria''s doubts about the "Arabic numerals" he used, but that Veria knew that they were numbers.


    And was named "Oriental Numbers". This fully shows that Veria knows what he is writing! In other words, in the Rus tribe living in Scandinavia, there are people who actually understand this kind of numbers invented by ancient Indians tens of thousands of kilometers away!


    Veria can only describe Rurik''s astonishment as a miracle, and she is also very happy to share her past.


    She came up with a very reasonable exnation, and Rurik, he really can only im that knowledge is innate.


    So, the Vikings of this era have had quite close exchanges with people in Asia? Rurik was full of curiosity.


    I am afraid this is not the case. The two extremely distant ethnic groups didmunicate, and obviously they did not cause arger-scale impact on each other.


    Rurik was very emotional, and he felt as if the Ross tribe had forgotten another way to go. It is said that since the tribe can advance all the way to Novgorod, it is logical to enter the upper reaches of the Volga River,nd directly in the coastal areas of the Caucasus Mountains after entering the ck Sea, and finally contact the desert peoples of Asia.


    Theoretically it is feasible, the reality is in sight, the entire Ross tribe only has a certain conception of the powerful desert peoples by the aged Veria priests.


    For example, Veria specifically imed that it was some ck people with yellow skin, who werepletely different from the ck Romans they had encountered. Those yellow-skinned men in ck always wear huge headscarves and also have huge ck beards, just like the beards that the men of the Ross tribe like to keep.


    They''re just businessmen trying to get some pelts in exchange for some strange and wonderful things said toe from farthernds.


    From the description of these few words, Rurik immediately thought that what Veria was talking about was the food in ck.


    Rurik understood the basic context of historical development very well. In 828 AD, the Great Food in ck was in its prosperous period!


    The strong influence of a country will be multi-faceted, such asmercial trade will be developed. Since the great food in history was happy to trade with Ju Tang via the Silk Road, they would naturally try to go north to trade with the Vikings in the extreme north.


    Since it is a trade, the number system of the habit of eating in ck will naturally have to collide andmunicate with the Roman numeral system.


    Objectively speaking, the number system that was born in India, because the writing logic is easy to clean and the number symbols are simple, it will eventually be a global number system, and I am afraid it has this potential from the beginning.


    Rurik simply wrote all the modern numerals from 0 to 9 in charcoal on wooden boards. He also enumeratesrger numbers, which are clearly expressed in a simple and clear number system in a purely decimal superimposed counting method.


    I have to say that this modern digital system is more advanced than the one inherent to the Vikings. Veria is a discerning person. She not only understands this, but also realizes that it is more advanced than the Roman one.


    "My child, are people in the far east using this number?" Veria asked in surprise.


    "It''s true, at least the yellow-faced and ck-clothed people you encountered are like this."


    Speaking of this level, Rurik has been unable to control his emotions, and he is eager to show all the mathematical foundations he knows in front of his "year-old friend" Veria.


    Rurik even pointed out the use of the symbols of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. For fear that Veria would not be able to hear clearly. He also deliberatelypiled some seemingly naive but very realistic arithmetic problems to prove his set "Modern Mathematical Basic Tools for the 21st Century" Superiority.


    Everything was as Rurik had estimated, and Veria''s heart was shaken violently, and his aged body began to tremble with excitement.


    Because Rurik is using a method well known to the people of the Rus tribe, that is, bringing "new mathematical calction tools" to the case ofmodity trading.


    For example, he painted the shape of a sheep''s head on a wooden board and prefixed it with a number "6", followed by a plus sign, followed by a deer antler with the number "2", when he marked the equal sign , and finally write the number "10". That is, the simple and clear exnation, six sheepskins plus two reindeer skins, equals ten silver coins.


    Rurik cited three examples in a row. Not only did Veria fully understand it, but she also had to further admire the mathematical ability of the child in front of her.


    Because in a sense, the merchants of the Viking tribe were born with a talent for mathematics.


    Rurik has already understood this, and he also understands the veryplicatedmodity price system in the tribe. He also understands that no one has ever interfered with the economic development of the tribe. Everything is the spontaneous trade behavior of many merchants, creating the current rtively stable. Prices - that''s the so-called "invisible hand".


    In the barbaric era, the people of the extreme northern world were full of barbaric habits. They went back to loot the wealth of other hostile tribes, and also marked the price of various things in their possession, even...


    It was not until the Enlightenment was surging, that a small group of talents in Europe were the first to wake up. They got their own insights from the Bible and came to the conclusion that human life is priceless, and actively advocated it. In the end, the whole world finally reached this consensus.

 Chapter 48: True Latitude

    Chapter 48: True Latitude


    Rurik''s house kept a lot of money, and the people of the tribe knew that there must be a big treasure chest full of wealth in the chief''s house.


    No one was trying to take the treasure for himself, maybe someone had a bad idea, and they gave up at the thought of the terrible oue.


    Because the core members of the Ross tribe are the current size of a family after many generations of reproduction. Stealing the belongings of n members is a serious crime, the thief will be executed unceremoniously, and the thief''s property will also be inherited by the victim.


    What''s more, the people who lived near Rurik''s house were the people whom his father trusted most, and they were all closely rted by blood to his father.


    A lot of boring time as a child gave Rurik time to y with a lot of silver and copper coins. He heard the news of his mother with a strong purpose, and basically figured out the price situation within the tribe, and then calcted the prices of those allies. some situations.


    In the Circum-Baltic Sea region, and even in the whole of Western Europe, various currencies minted by Eastern Rome are the most mainstream currencies in cirction.


    But the origins of these currencies are varied, and there are even copper coins minted at the end of Western Rome that are still in cirction. Ultimately, a good businessman must understand the exchange ratio between different currencies through different fineness.


    The people of Scandinavia preferred silver and silver coins minted on arge scale in the 7th century in Eastern Rome, and in general, silver coins were what they could get inrge quantities.


    Those silver coins that are close to the current era are generally of good condition, but the silver content cannot beplimented.


    After all, hundreds of years before the massive influx of South American silver into the world market after the discovery of the New World, there was not much silver in cirction as currency.


    Eastern Rome also had to process a lot of silver and gold coins, especially silver coins, which weighed just over four grams.


    Six silver coins are roughly estimated to be one ounce (the 9th century ounce setting), which is generally epted by Viking merchants, after all, they have not yet developed coinage technology, and even the Frankish Empire is not at the level of this. Very bad.


    Although it was surrounded by powerful enemies, the currency of Eastern Rome circted in the East and the West at the same time, and the distant Baltic Sea was also its cirction area. The Romans never thought of this.


    A very good silver coin can be exchanged for a variety of other currencies in a wide variety of fines, as well as hides from different species.


    An item is needed to measure the value of Eastern Roman "good quality" silver coins. There is a customary exchange ratio between the Ruth tribe and allies in the South, that is, a stika of sheared sheepskin is worth a "Good quality" silver coin.


    Of course, one "good quality" gold coin corresponds to exactly ten "good quality" silver coins. Gold coins are scarce, and they are rarely used in trade.


    Silver coins are only used inrge quantities when important goods are involved. The transactions of the Rus tribe on weekdays can basically be achieved through Roman copper coins.


    The exchange ratio of copper coins and silver coins here is also quite amazing.


    Any number system needs to be used to solve practical mathematical problems. Rurik used arge number of symbolsmonly used in modern mathematics, which naturally attracted Veria''s attention.


    She asked about the meaning of some "Roman words" marked on the wooden board. Rurik didn''t think much about it. He said it was the meaning of angle.


    Old Norse words with simr meanings existed, and Rurik''s brief exnation Veria quickly understood.


    Maybe if I give a good lecture, she will fully understand?


    Rurik entered the state, but he miscalcted the fact that Veria seemed to understand quickly, she was still a person with an extremeck of knowledge.


    What is the existence of the earth''s inclination, the real reason for the cold of Rossburg, the change of the direct angle of the sun, Rurik is like a teacher, teaching to his seventy-year-old students.


    Veria just tried to sit quietly. She seemed to understand the child''s words quickly, but unfortunately she could understand many Norse words.


    Putting them together is iprehensible.


    She at least learned that the child Rurik said a lot of words, and used a knife to quickly cut a piece of charcoal to make gestures. What the child did was trying to convince herself that the original appearance of the world is a spinning circle. the big ball.


    Because of the rotation, there is an alternation of day and night.


    Because it tilts and rotates, there are four seasons of the year.


    A speaker, after giving a presentation, is often delighted that he has done it well. Rurik seemed very unfinished. Since he was born, he has not done any scientific poprization to another person, just because he has not found a soulmate.


    "Grandma, do you understand now? We don''t have to fly into the sky to see the whole world with our own eyes, we just need to take some measurements on the ground and we can describe the whole world."


    Veria shook his head deeply: "My child, I''m too old. I can''t understand what you said. Even if I understand, what''s the point? My life ising to an end soon."


    Her words added to the pathos again.


    To be honest, Rurik really felt sorry for the old Veria. If she hadn''t lived in such a wild age, for example, a thousand yearster, even though she was a woman, Veria would have be a woman in Sweden. schr.


    "Grandma, I really hope you can continue to live, at least...at least until you are a hundred years old."


    "Don''t be silly, boy. I''ve served Odin all my life, and I think I''ve been acknowledged because of you. That''s my destiny, and I''ll be another Valkyrie. Boy, you''re happy. Odin Granted you much knowledge, these must be the truths of Valha, iprehensible to mortals."


    "No! Grandma, all the knowledge I know can be understood by mortals."


    "Oh? You''re an emissary, and will you impart knowledge to our tribe? That''s Valha''s knowledge, after all."


    "I will, I think Odin will also support it." Rurik thought for a while, and made a bold oath: "I have a dream that all the children of the tribe can learn my knowledge. Well, Vaal Hara''s knowledge. Don''t worry. Odin didn''t forbid us to spread knowledge, maybe everything is their n, they need to recruit warriors to learn wisdom in advance."


    The great development of human civilization starts from the emancipation of the mind, the shackled mind suddenly bes active, and human beings also rapidly enter the industrial civilization.


    In just two hundred years since the beginning of industry, human beings have created 97% of the wealth of the 10,000-year history of human civilization, and human beings have even forgotten that the state of semi-starvation is the normal state of life for a long time.


    In the ninth century AD, the number one driving force that drove the Vikings to leave their homnd for barbarism was hunger.


    Veria still felt that Rurik''s words made sense, and she asked: "What if those children are not willing to listen to you?"


    "I will give orders because I am the leader! I will force the children to study! Only the most knowledgeable and good at fighting can be my cronies, and I will entrust them with greater work and give them more wealth. .my grandma, believe me, if learning knowledge can lead to greater wealth, no child will want to continue to be stupid. So, I will also order all girls to learn knowledge, I believe only smart mothers in this case Smarter kids in education."


    Rurik''s words were amazing again, and the possibility he proposed now was something Veria never thought of.


    Regardless of whether it is feasible for boys to receive education, he still feels that education cannot be differentiated between men and women.


    Veria resonates very well, because the priests of the tribe are basically monopolized by women. As a priest, you have to learn a lot, especially to recite those prayers urately.


    Apparently Rurik didn''t mean by any means to make all the tribal girls be priests, but to learn other things, such as making children believe that the world is a ball.


    Veria''s old wrinkled face gradually showed a smile, and then she giggled: "child, I have seen the hope of the tribe, and I have no regrets in my life. Maybe the world is a ball, now continue your calctions! I I need an answer."


    "Ok!"


    In fact, by now, Rurik has basically determined that the location of Rosberg is just at the limit of the Arctic Circle.


    Rurik was a serious man, and he felt that he had to measure data to get an urate result.


    The error of the Julian calendar has been very serious. Fortunately, ording to the daily experience provided by Veria, Rurik is very convinced that the real winter solstice has been postponed to December 28, and it will even be postponed decadester. to the twenty-ninth.


    Through Veria''s exnation, Rurik understood that the priest''s ability to urately predict the correct day of Hanukkah is not something that can be calcted. Everything has to start with the Roman ck man whom Veria met when he was young.


    After all, in the concept of most people in this time and space, the world is eternal, and the sun, moon, and stars are also eternal.


    The makers of the calendar believed this, and they were very annoyed that their own calendar was always wed, preventing it from bing eternal. The priests in Rome determined the precise error of the calendar through astronomical observations, and then 30 years ago, Veria not only knew that The Julian calendar is also aware of errors.


    She never thought that there was still an error in this calendar. Fortunately, the error generated in thirty years was very small, which also made her every prediction extremely sessful!


    Taking the real winter solstice into the calction, Rurik quickly calcted the real direct sunlight angle today, which is indeed quite different from the measurement data just now.


    Using the new data into the form, the conclusion is that the northtitude is a little more than 66, which is nearly 3rger than the previous data.


    The 66 northtitude is very interesting, because that''s what delimits the Arctic Circle. This data is also very consistent with Veria''s experience, only in such a position, and only on the winter solstice, the sun will not rise.


    Rurik showed Veria his answer with another lengthy exnation.


    He wondered if the wisest priest understood his words, at least there was a kind smile on the priest''s wrinkled face.


    She should have understood a lot.

 Chapter 49: Who Is The Master Of Gotaland

    Chapter 49: Who Is The Master Of Gotnd


    The geographical location of Rossburg has reached the deepest part of the Gulf of Bothnia, and the people living here are too far away from Svend, the main activity area of the Swiss people.


    Geographical barriers have had a great impact. They share amon ancestor with each other. Since the Ross tribe decided to move north nearly a hundred years ago, the people of Svendhave gradually forgotten that they have a group of brothers in the far north.


    Only therge scale longboats drawn from the northern seas once or twice a year can prove to the ordinary people of Svend that the north does have its own kin, and they are quite powerful.


    Isn''t the Svend region cold enough? Could it be that in addition to the ice and snow in the north, what else has a huge attraction, forcing some of the same n to insist on going north!


    The answer is yes!


    That''s fur! Lots of animal furs!


    Stockholm, the major city of the future Scandinavia, has already existed in its first prototype in the ninth century AD.


    The waters of Lake ren poured into the Gulf of Bothnia, and some wandering tribes realized that this area had an inherent advantage in developing trade. Because thergekes are good for shipping, and therge number of inds at the mouth of the river, they can easily be converted into ports.


    The inhabitants who settled in this area formed amunity of residents known by other groups as the Mrens.


    But in the ninth century, the powerhouse of the Baltic Sea was Denmark. The mighty Danish fleet took control of Gotnd and upied the grazing hignds south of Svend.


    The thinking tribe alliance, they continue to grow and develop in the Svend in, but with their near primitive productivity, no matter howrge thend area is, it will soon reach a bottleneck.


    There is only one development path in front of the tribal alliance, to expand the living space.


    They resented that the Danes had preemptively seized pastures that could have been theirs for grazing, and arablend for growing wheat.


    They also hated that Gond was upied by the Danes even more, because the loss of this ind meant that the Danes basically locked the possibility of Swiss going south.


    Although the Danes could not guarantee not to miss any of the longships in the northern bay, if they encountered it, fighting was inevitable.


    ording to the cultural traditions of the Thinking sub tribal alliance, young men need to leave their families and carve out their own homes near their own tribes.


    When a grown man marries a wife, he will not hesitate to start a big family. In order to feed theirrge poption, the limitednd is obviously not enough. Only by manipting the long ship and looting under the leadership of the leader can the family survive the winter without starving to death.


    Over the centuries, Svend''s resources have be less and less.


    To make matters worse, they are also faced with the serious development problems of increasingly tight local resources, and they also think of ways to solve the problem through looting. Just too much.


    Since the Danes started their raids on Britain, their hunger problem has been basically solved because they have obtained arge supply of food from the "Ind of Plenty".


    Since all the people involved in the raids were young men hungry for wealth, they forcibly abducted the British Anglo women based on instinct.


    Danes and Angles, they are also close rtives of each other.


    More food, more exotic women entered Danish society, and Jund''s poption expanded rapidly.


    In ancient times, the poption was the best productive force, and even a child was an indispensable productive force for the family.


    More and more Danes need more and morend for farming and grazing.


    The main force of the Danes firmly controls the only outlet of the Baltic Sea to the Antic Ocean. The narrowest point of the Copenhagen is only five kilometers, which also makes it easy for the Danes to log in to Scandinavia on the other side and enter Gotnd Heights.


    The Danes and the Swiss met, and a conflict ensued because ofpetition for pastures for grazing.


    A hundred years is long enough that two ethnic groups with exactly the samenguage have evolved into two tribal groups full of conflicts.


    The Danes were indeed more advanced than the Swiss, because they had to have all sorts of rtions with the Frankish kingdom, with the chain of small kingdoms in Britain, and even with apletely different branch of Wend people.


    Many cultural concepts from the hintend of the European continent have entered Jund, making some tribal leaders no longer willing to be a leader.


    They learned that the huge and iprehensible Frankish kingdom was only a tiny existence at first. Because of the bravery and resourcefulness of the leader, the Franks annexed small tribes and eventually became giants.


    The Danes in this era had already felt the strength of the Franks, because the Wend people who bordered their area of activity had already surrendered to the Frankish kingdom.


    Those Wend people are the vic ethnic group living in the eastern part of Germany, and they are one of the ancestors of the Poles. Because they were conquered by the Frankish kingdom, they gave up their traditional vic beliefs, and all converted to the Holy See and epted Frankish rule.


    How to be as powerful as the Franks?


    First, let your tribe be the leader of the alliance, and then make your tribe have unshakable strength, and finally the leader bes the real king.


    Even though the Franks were powerful, the Danes never gave up their attempts to expand south. But because of the Franks'' strong counterattack, the Danes'' offensive was finally contained.


    Many tribal leaders with ideas for the future realized that the Franks could only be oupeted by a united n.


    The south is warmer and thend there is easier to cultivate. And the bestnd is in Britain, where the natives are also very powerful.


    In order to obtain greater benefits, his own strength is still not enough at this stage, so he can only implement the strategy of sneak attack and looting. Indeed, no farmers are willing to settle down and develop farms in the lootednd.


    The only exception is in the Gotnd area.


    Two tribal alliances fight over the ownership of the vast Gotnd region.


    They are all Vikings! They are good at resolving conflicts through battle! And the peasants and herdsmen who entered thend to pioneer, their hungry stomachs are forcing their brains to attack another group of people who will loot their homes.


    Even if the other party speaks the exact samenguage as himself, as long as he is not his tribe or allies, he is a mortal enemy.


    The battle began as early as the early eighth century AD, and the strength of both sides of the battle has grown for nearly a hundred years.


    It is clear that the Danes have grown most significantly in this regard, not only in poption, but also in their warfare skills. They began to learn the gallop of horses from the Franks, and the unique technique of using bows and arrows from the Britons.


    Today''s Danes are still junior students, and they have just used these two important magic weapons that influenced ancient warfare, but their descendants will surely restore the Viking spirit of their ancestors on horseback.


    In the vast Gotnd, small-scale conflicts between farmers belonging to different tribal alliances urred frequently, andnd and sea wars of hundreds of people also urred from time to time.


    Or because of the cultural tradition shared by the Vikings, someone in the family died in battle, and his brothers and sons were obliged to avenge him.


    This has almost entered an endless loop, and it has also led to smallscale wars that will inevitably lead to decisive battles at the strategic level.


    Who is the master of Gotnd? !

 Chapter 50: Hafgen The Axe Bearing Lion, The New Chief of the Danes

    Chapter 50: Hafgen The Axe Bearing Lion, The New Chief of the Danes


    For the Swiss, they need southern pastures for production.


    For the Danes, they not only need pastures, but also intend to unite with the Swiss Alliance, at least to recruit some of the joined tribes under their own alliance. Of course, this kind of behavior is not easy, because the behavior of "betrayal" cannot be tolerated by both parties.


    The Dane''s poaching has exacerbated the conflict between the two sides.


    Since rtively "peaceful" means could not achieve the will of the Danish Alliance, finally in the spring meeting of the Danish Tribal Alliance in 828 AD, as many as twelve tribes attended the meeting, and they all elected the most powerful Robard tribe. The leader Hafgen became the leader of the alliance.


    The Robard tribe, the so called Robard, means "red ship" in Old Norse.


    Because the main body of the Robard tribe is very close to the Denmark Strait, they have a very advantageous geographical location, and theirmercial activities are rtively developed. Naturally, their tribal strength cannot be said.


    The n traded vast quantities of madder, which they used to dye sackcloth and to decorate their battle ships.


    There is a huge long boat with as many as a hundred people rowing. It is carved with an exaggerated and ferocious bow decoration, that is, a dragon head, and it is smeared with madder fuel as if the dragon has opened its bloody mouth. It is believed that with the appearance of this ornament, many enemies will be frightened and flee.


    It is called the "Red Dragon", and it is also a symbol of the wealth and power of the tribal leader. In a sense, it is the "crown".


    Hafgen is a madman with ideas, he beheaded all the challengers in the duel of the n, and the whole n worships his majesty.


    At the meeting of the tribal alliance, some people questioned his strength.


    And Hafgen did not hesitate to propose the ancient tradition of the alliance, the duel.


    They rejected it because of fear of death?


    Do not! To refuse is to be a coward, and a coward will be expelled from the tribe.


    Basically, the skeptics named by Hafgen have no right to refuse.


    In the so called duel, the leaders of the two alliances each sent a warrior to participate, and even the leader himself went into battle.


    The two warriors will face off to the death and end with the loser''s death. The death of a warrior represents the failure of the leader to which he belongs, as well as the failure of the tribe to which he belongs.


    The old chief does not go into battle foolishly himself, he sends the bravest men of the tribe.


    And the brave also serve it very much, because winning the victory, its personal prestige will soar, and it is very possible to be a new leader by this qualification.


    Hafgen wouldn''t be out of the loop and remotely control a Warrior to fight for him.


    He is a confident person, and his personal strength is also obvious to all.


    Hafgen was so muscr that it was rumored that he could eat a roastmb in one meal. He always wields a not sharp logging axe, not to mention that the axe is not sharp. With brute force, he easily felled a tree with a thick bowl.


    With such brute force, it is not a problem to cut down a big tree, so it is not a problem to cut down an enemy.


    Thanks to this brute force, he won the support of many tribes without much resourcefulness. Because of the small families that make up the tribe, after seeing Hafgen''s ferocity, they voluntarily and happily submit to his g, thus gaining a sense of security.


    Even if some tribes are suspicious of Hafgen, the loss of arge number of families under hismand is real.


    Because Hafgen is indeed the kind of legendary warrior!


    In any life and death duel, he goes into battle in person. While holding a battle axe, he wears only a simple linen vest on his upper body.


    He just deliberately showed his strong arms and golden hair on them.


    He is also a man with a perfect beard. Because of his outstanding martial arts, he naturally has many wives and concubines, so his beard is also braided into unique braids by his own women.


    By some brute force, one after another tribe in Jund is willing to identify with such a leader.


    If this person is just a reckless man, he will not make much noise in his own field.


    But this guy is very ambitious!


    The Hafgens gave him the nickname "Golden Retriever", but he himself preferred the nickname "Lion" given to him by the Franks.


    First of all, Hafgen had never seen an African lion. Through the Frankish merchant who bravely crossed the border, he knew his nickname and also learned the source of the nickname.


    In the far south, in the extreme heat of the world, a ferocious beast reigns there. This beast is characterized by an astonishing beard, terrifying fangs and ws that can easily kill people.


    After all, these Frankish merchants are only doing business, and they don''t care who their master is "the sessor of Augustus" or the new leader of the Danes, the "Golden Lion", as long as they can do business on theirnd, they can be less Paying taxes is not a problem.


    The Danish tribes in Jund could grow stronger and more distant from their Scandinavian rtives, on the one hand these Frankish merchants.


    In the ninth century, they were Frankish merchants. Hundreds of yearster, they were German merchants.


    They even established a free city in Hamburg, on the border between Shinra and the Kingdom of Denmark, and forged amercial alliance with the oppressed Saxons.


    No matter how the times change, a businessman is a businessman. And in the new era, because of the new science and technology, the merchants of the Hanseatic League have discovered an amazing way of making money, and this way of making money has also been followed by the industrial countries a thousand yearster - importing rough processed products. finishing.


    Even as early as the ninth century, Frankish merchants knew that the North produced a great deal of iron.


    What attracted these Frankish merchants to venture into Viking territory were local specialties: animal skins, pig iron and copper.


    Merchants also secretly sent horses, linen, and arge number of Western European handicrafts in.


    This trade route has existed in peacetime and will continue to exist for a long time.


    With the introduction of the steel making method from India to Shinra, the Hanseatic League merchants immediately began to import pig iron from the north or directly ship iron ore on arge scale, processed it into steel in their workshops, and sold them to Denmark and Sweden. One by one, the price skyrocketed sixfold.


    Finally, the king of Sweden had a hard time, and he recruited cksmiths from the German region to serve him.


    That''s all hundreds of yearster.


    In the ninth century, even the Franks had poor iron smelting.


    Of course, the iron smelting process in the Roman era hardly developed, which also led to the sessors of many Germanic tribes such as the Franks. Even if they formed a feudal country, theycked the ability to forge fine iron.


    In contrast, the Danes and Swiss, who are as backward in craftsmanship, are probably the blessings of the so called Odin!


    The iron ore they discovered was a particrly high-quality ore vein, and the quality of the iron ore was really good.


    A battle axe cast from these iron ore doesn''t have to be sharp enough to smash most Viking swords.


    After all, the cksmith who has to forge it with poor iron smelting skills has too high carbon content, which makes the iron sword poor flexibility, and the de is easy to break and bend in a fight.


    Especially when ites to flexibility, don''t think about trying to block, cutting too hard can lead to breakage.


    Its only advantage is that it can be made into a piece of iron wire and then woven into a chain mail.


    The poor iron smelting technology of the ninth century was popr throughout Europe, but the swordsmen were smart. Whether it''s the Franks or the Vikings, they always use iron swords to thrust tactics, in a sense, they are like holding an elongated spear in their hands. Not to mention, the killing caused by this thrusting tactic is even more terrifying.


    But for the vast majority of Vikings who are good at one-on-onebat, they always carry an axe. It is a tool for cutting trees, a tool for repairing ships, and the most ferocious weapon for fighting.


    With an axe in hand, Hafgen was not afraid of his mail-d foes.


    All the ns, including Hafgen''s own Robard "Red Ship" n, also have a number of master weavers.


    The chainmail can resist the attack of bows and arrows to arge extent, and can basically resist the thrusts of sharp swords and spearheads, so that it cannot prate into the flesh, only causing a bruise, and after all, life is saved.


    However, chain mail cannot resist the powerful attack of blunt weapons. In the face of tomahawks whose main purpose is logging, chain mail is of little significance.


    I am afraid that throughout the Middle Ages, the attack of blunt weapons was inexplicable. Even if it is a te warrior dressed as a can, the enemy uses an axe and a chisel into battle, as easily as a can opener to press open a can.


    Armed with a battle axe, he bes the leader of the Danish tribal alliance, and Jund wees a fierce man.


    What is the ambition of "Golden Lion" Hafgen?


    It''s simple!


    Inheriting the footsteps of the predecessors, continue to attack Britain to obtain the gold stored in the monastery there, take the cattle and sheep there, and even take the people there as ves.


    He was more than happy to show his force to outsiders.


    Those Swiss are their own n, but they are not only unwilling to submit to the Danishmand, but also unwilling to hand over the other half of the pasture. Isn''t this behavior an affront to yourself? The alliance of the Swiss is absurd, they must disintegrate, and all the tribes must submit to their own!


    However, there is no rush to solve the problem of the Swiss Alliance, because not only the Swiss, but also arge number of Norwegians on the "road to the extreme north" in western Scandinavia, and they are also to be included.


    Hafgen''s biggest dream is to integrate all the tribes that speak the Norsenguage in his lifetime.


    The battle axe will strike all of Britain, which will be the territory of himself and his heirs.


    The battle axe will also hit the Frankish kingdom. Since the leader of a tribe can obtain the title of "Augustus", why can''t I, Hafgen?


    Although Hafgen does not know what the meaning of "Augustus" is, in short, ording to the Frankish merchant''s description, the so called "Augustus" is the only ce that governs all ces where footsteps can be stepped on and all ships can sail. The leader, the greatest leader.


    Hafgen is approaching forty years old, and he is still brave and confident about the future.


    However, on the road to realizing their ambitions, there are many thorny problems to be solved first.


    At present, his first job is to eliminate those who question and oppose the Robard tribe in the tribal alliance, and use the most determined means to eliminate them to consolidate his rule.


    Afterpleting this major event, go to conquer the Wende who also surrendered to the Franks and began to encroach on the Danes'' territory with Frank''s support.


    After dealing with the rabble on the southern frontier, the strategic move to unify all the Norse speaking tribes must begin!

 Chapter 51: Ottos North Hunting

    Chapter 51: Otto''s North Hunting


    The backward productive forces and production rtions make people in the Svend region need a lot ofnd resources to sustain their lives.


    Almost all of their ancestors came from Jund. They were the first ancient Germans whonded in Scandinavia. Once theynded, they immediately shed with the Sami, the masters of the in.


    The campaign to expel the Sami continued, even when the Swiss confederation took over the whole of Svend.


    Europe''s ancient indigenous Sami people, their living space is constantly beingpressed, and their groups have to be moved to the Arctic Circle.


    Gradually, the Sami people seemed to disappear from this world, leaving only many ruins in Svend to prove to the conquerors that they once lived here.


    Svend''s living space is getting narrower and narrower, and a tribe named "Oar" decides to go north.


    There is no documentation describing the exact reason for their northward journey, and ultimately they traveled hundreds of kilometers north along the coastline of the Gulf of Bothnia until they settled on the edge of the Arctic Circle.


    Perhaps it is because of the great temptation of animal fur that they continue to expand further to the extreme north.


    Every summer, there are always arge number of longboats rowing from the north, bringing arge number of northern furs to most of the tribes of the Swiss Federation.


    The Ross n can always have a nice payoff in this summer deal.


    So Otto and his men have to go on an expedition after winter, eager to hunt some reindeer.


    All those involved are mentally prepared.


    They can endure severe cold, know how to survive in snow, and have the means to resist a possible blizzard.


    Hunting a reindeer is enough for a family to eat until the spring, so the requirements of hunters are not very high, as long as one is hunted.


    They carried axes and daggers, as well as short spears for hunting.


    Hunting has a set of basic principles, that is, do not kill small beasts, only hunt thergest and strongest deer. Who is the strongest? The antlers are thergest.


    Once sessful, the hunter begins to skin and cut the meat on the spot.


    Otto led the group, dragging arge number of sleds, and two hundred people formed a huge hunting group, fully armed and stepping on snowboards, advancing rtively quickly in the vast snow-coverednd.


    Winter hunting is hard to do without skis wrapped around your feet.


    They began their journey along the frozen coast for three days, and the crucial moment finally came when the coastline began to stretch eastward.


    In a forest, tents were erected one by one.


    Reindeer hides are a wonderful material to keep out the cold. Four skins are stitched together and then built from branches, and a wonderful tent is built.


    It waste at night, and more than a hundred tents appeared in the snow, and more than 20 bonfires were also lit.


    Otto held the grilled fish in his hands and listened to the outlook of his subordinates.


    Harrodsen hugged his son Kanuf and truly exined his excitement: "If we continue to go north, maybe we will go to the end of the world. I really don''t know, the deer that used to be easy to find are now all running away. Going further north?"


    "Haha, because they are afraid of us."


    "Maybe. Look at our tents, and our clothes. They used to belong to running deer. I''m a little worried that if we always operate on arge scale, we''ll wipe out all the deer one day."


    "You overestimate our strength, my brother." Otto shook his head. "The world is big. Besides, if we go further north, we might meet those people."


    "Deer breeder?"


    Deer breeders refer to the so-called Sami people. However, the pronunciation of the word in Norse is simr to "Lapp", which means "deer".


    "Yes! It''s a deer breeder." Speaking of this,


    Otto''s eyes were full of desire for wealth.


    Otto''s reminder also made Harrodsen excited, "Ah, those deer keepers. They always keep a lot of reindeer, and if we get them, this trip will really be a huge sess."


    "Of course! But it''s hard for us to meet them. Unless..."


    "Unless what?"


    "My brother, maybe we can..." Otto turned his head nervously and looked at Harrodsen with sincere eyes, "We will start heading northeast tomorrow, and as long as we go far enough, we will meet the deer. People. When the timees we will attack! Their wealth is ours."


    "Like what our ancestors did? If we were fighting those people, I think we''d be victorious."


    "Yes, they are still a group of guys who use stones! First of all we have to go northeast, there may be arge herd of deer, and we can also meet deer breeders."


    "Maybe there will be bears and wolves."


    "That''s right! We haven''t gone far northeast so far, and it''s full of unknowns. How about it? My brother? Maybe I should call everyone together now, I''m confident in future adventures."


    More than 500 people participated in this winter hunting trip north.


    Is winter a good season for hunting? All hunters have to endure the extreme cold of the Arctic, only those reindeer with thick fur don''t care about the cold, still gnawing on the snow-covered grass.


    Furs attract hunters and they are worth the risk.


    There were actually only 200 people who followed the leader Otto, and the other 300 people were not really part of the Ross tribe.


    Today, the poption of Rosburg at the "end of the ice and snow" has basically stabilized at 7,000 to 8,000 people, of which less than half of the real Rus.


    More than half of the poptiones from other tribes belonging to the Swiss tribe alliance, they are guests in Roseburg, and they y a very important role.


    For example, some residents from the Mlen tribe lived in Roseburg for a long time to purchase the furs of the Rose tribe, and then rowed longboats to transport the goods to their own tribe''s port in the warm summer. These people have long returned to their n only in the summer and spent the rest of the time in Roseburg, as if they were no different from the Rus.


    Not at all.


    Because all foreign members do not enjoy the material dividends of the Ross tribe, they do not have any actual power, so they do not undertake various obligations.


    But they can be hired, even as mercenaries. Only when they became mercenaries did they have a share in the distribution of the spoils.


    The Ross tribe is also willing to intermarry with these outsiders. After all, everyone essentially belongs to the same tribal alliance and speaks the exact samenguage. It''s just that different family bloodlines separate each other.


    Married women can enjoy the dividends of the Ross tribe because of their husbands.


    The woman who married off the tribe, or the man who decided to leave the tribe, lost all rights and obligations.


    The Ross tribe and the outsiders have had a very good rtionship for a long time. They seem to be brothers to each other. After all, the leader Otto and other elders of the tribe know that if the tribe encounters a major crisis, the outsiders are unreliable. of.


    Since they are all businessmen, the crisis in the n means their safety can no longer be guaranteed, and they will be evacuated quickly.


    This is very realistic, it is human nature, and there is no need to do more sales. The insightful people of the Ross tribe understand this truth.


    Including this northbound hunting is evident!


    Those outsiders, they are allies and businessmen, they are also brave warriors and good hunters.


    Whether it is himself or an outsider, Rosberg can maintain a huge poption in the extreme north, the biggest factor is the temptation of fur.


    A smart person calctes a little economic ount, buying a whole deerskin needs a "good quality" silver coin, and the purchasing power of silver coins is really high in the Baltic market.


    Instead of buying it and exchanging it for the price difference, isn''t it a good choice to go hunting yourself?


    Three hundred foreigners headed north. They were fully prepared, intending to sweep across arge area and swept away all kinds of beasts they encountered.


    Because the fur of Norwegian forest cats, ferrets, arctic foxes, gray wolves, and even ice bears is preciouspared to the giant deer hides that can be spread.


    The most exciting of these are the furs of forest cats and ferrets.


    ording to the prices of their counterparts in the region, one silver coin can only buy a forest cat pelt, and three silver coins can buy a ferret skin.


    In fact, it is precisely because of therge-scale hunting by the settlers of Roseburg for half a century that wild animals within a radius of 50 kilometers have suffered a catastrophic blow!


    After all, human beings are the most ferocious predators. They don''t need huge strength and fangs. They use their own wisdom to create a lot of traps and make a batch of throwing spears. No matter how big or ferocious the animals are, they will be a bunch of barbecued meat.


    The foreigners did not follow the leader of the Ross tribe and went in different directions.


    In fact, foreigners are more willing to head northwest, into the central mountains, set traps in the pine forest to catch ferrets, and have a chance to catch deer cruising into the forest.


    They also did intend to separate from Otto and his party, otherwise they would be suspected of fighting for the prey of the Ross tribe. If Otto was med, they might be expelled.


    Otto was very happy that the foreigners did not participate in the actions of his department, and he really did not want to be interfered by the foreigners when he personally led the warriors to encircle and suppress the deer that he discovered. After all, when distributing prey, it is easy to say how to distribute the prey within the tribe, and it will basically not hurt the peace no matter what.

 Chapter 52: We Are Heading For The Unknown Northeast

    Chapter 52: We Are Heading For The Unknown Northeast


    Under the glow of the Northern Lights, Otto urgently summoned his followers, who gathered around thergest bonfire for a special meeting.


    Otto was as high-spirited as ever, and his image by the mes was also brilliant.


    "Brothers, our people need more wealth. Now I have an idea, we will not go straight to the north, we will run to the northeast. There is an area that we have not set foot in, there must be more deer there. . I decided to go there, are you willing to follow?!"


    The problem is so straightforward that everyone has to think about the leader''s suggestion.


    As expected, someone raised doubts.


    A young man cried out, "What if we are in danger?"


    "Oh? Are you afraid of bears?"


    "No! I''m afraid of blizzards! I''ve never been there, I don''t know what hills or streams are there, everything there is unknown. Great chief, the days ahead are getting shorter and shorter, and once we are in Lost in snow and ice and the result will be a disaster."


    This question represented the worry of many people, and the crowd suddenly became noisy.


    Someone else echoed loudly: "Yes! If it''s summer, we can explore the end of the world in the north. It''s too cold now, and the days are very short every day. We shouldn''t take risks like this."


    "Forget it! You are afraid of being frozen to death! Are you a coward? Your wife is waiting for you to carry a deer back."


    "But it''s still too dangerous to run to the northeast."


    The quarrel in the crowd has already urred. If this quarrel is condoned, the problem cannot be solved immediately.


    There is actually only one road in front of Otto now, because he himself is determined to explore the northeast direction.


    The vastnd is full of unknowns, and the troops will rely on the light of Aurora in the sky to move forward.


    Because it is full of unknowns and full of opportunities.


    This year''s Otto has experienced a lot of good things, and this year''s Ross n has clearly started a huge change. He believes that this is a change of great historical significance for the future of the tribe, not only because the tribe''s eptance of foreign women as wives is generally epted by everyone, but also because of his son''s continuous disy of amazing intelligence.


    Otto only hated that he was old. If he reallyy in his own home and died, his life would be full of regrets.


    All the way to the north, he thought of many things, thinking of how when he was young, he would go to the north to hunt arge number of wild beasts every winter.


    The Ross tribe really had no experience of traveling long distances to the northeast, which was uncharted territory for the tribe.


    Otto stomped his feet, and with his thick and hoarse voice, he scolded, and the noisy crowd suddenly quieted down.


    The crowd has been divided into two factions. One faction intends to explore the northeast direction. As for the danger, it is life and death. The other faction is looking for stability, they just want to pull back a gigantic prey to make a beautiful barbecue for a wonderful Hanukkah, thus offsetting therge amount of food and wine consumed by the carnival after the mass wedding. .


    "Be quiet! Brothers! Listen to me now! I hope the team will move northeast from tomorrow. I''m not afraid of any danger, because!"


    Otto deliberately pulled out his jewel-encrusted sword and pointed it at the aurora: "I heard some of you worrying about your safety, is this what a real warrior should say? Look up at the sky, it''s the Valkyrie parade , the Valkyrie is watching us! Those who are afraid of danger, please worry about your future. The Valkyrie is disappointed by your cowardice, and now you have only one way to prove your bravery, and that is to follow me!"


    In the ninth century AD, Europa''s wisdom was not open minded .Otto''s rhetoric based on the belief in mythology has fully silenced those cowards/ But the so-called cowardice is suitable for cleaning up.


    Those who have the guts to participate are brave people, and each of them has their own family. Hunting north in winter is not "prove your bravery to the Valkyries", they are very realistic hope of getting fur and a lot of meat, Just for a better life in the future.


    A good leader must use his wisdom and power to make his followers reverence for something, and at the same time, he must also fully stimte their desire for wealth and happiness.


    Otto sinctly believed that everyone in the crowd believed that they would get a lot of wealth if they followed him, and that his position was the most stable, and even some unreasonable demands to them could be tolerated.


    Now, it''s time to show them a nice picture.


    "Brothers, don''t be afraid! Now you have to think about what might be in the northeast! There are probably a lot of deer there, and we can even meet those deer keepers."


    When ites to "deer keepers", the nerves of many older people in the team are stirred up.


    Although the Ross tribe has made a home in the far north, the older people really know that they are not theplete masters of this area.


    There are also many Finn tribes in the east of Rossburg, and the rtionship between Ross and those Finn is very delicate.


    Sometimes, some people will organize spontaneously, cross the bay with axes and spears, andnd on the opposite coast to find the Finn tribe for trade. In fact, it is not so much a trade, it is better to say that these Ross people are just watching people eat dishes.


    The Finn tribes encountered, they are stronger than themselves, so they do business honestly, and use silver or copper coins to buy their fur and some linen fabrics.


    If you encounter someone who is obviously weak, then you don''t need to do business, just grab the battle axe and loot, and then leave quickly.


    Therefore, the Ross tribe and those Finn tribes have never established any stable trade rtions, and even the outbreak of conflict is the mostmon way of getting along. Among them, the Ross tribe, which is a Viking, is always the initiator of the attack. There is no guilt in doing so.


    The "deer keepers" that Otto referred to were another group of people, the elders of the tribe still hearing some ancient memories from their parents.


    For example, there are legends iming that Roseburg was once the home of deer breeders, who tried a futile resistance, abandoned their deer herd and ran away, disappearing into the vast snowstorm in the north middle.


    No one knows where those people went, maybe to the northern end of the world? !


    After all, the world view of themoners of the Ross tribe is based on those ancient legends. The so-called human world is a piece ofnd on a disk held up by the world tree. The farther north, the colder it bes.


    Otto did not hesitate to describe the "big pie" that made these bearded followers irresistible.


    "We haven''t met deer breeders for a long time, maybe they havee to the end of the world and fell into the abyss outside the world tree. But I asked us my priest Vilia before I set off. Vilia told me that those Deer breeders hide at the end of the world because they believe we can''t get that far.


    But don''t expect to meet deer breeders and the indescribably huge herd they keep. As long as we encounter them, those deer are ours! Together with those who keep deer, they can be our ves.


    Don''t worry if we don''te across it. We didn''t go to the northeast, where the woods must be full of ferrets, forest cats, and deer. We can even spot the white bear''s hole.


    You don''t have to worry about your identity. The priest clearly told me that if we dare to go to the northeast, we must return to our home with arge number of treasures before Hanukkah.


    Brothers, think of thepliments your wives and children have given you, and the great quest you will make.


    Do you have any objections now?


    Everyone''s eyes trembled involuntarily. Everyone remained calm in the excitement, and when one of them finally couldn''t hold back his excitement and roared, the crowd also boiled.


    No more disputes, Otto looked at everyone with satisfaction, full of hope for the future.

 Chapter 53: The Hunter On The Snow Field

    Chapter 53: The Hunter On The Snow Field


    Pure Nordic snow, the world turned white. Arge number of ck woods were covered with snow, and in the gaps in the woods, a team of dragging sleds marched forward.


    The skis helped Otto and his party to have a fast speed. Even if they entered the so called unknown territory, they were still pursuing the fastest speed possible.


    The team is advancing, and the members are also observing the changes in the surrounding scenery with wide eyes, trying their best to find and record special reference objects along the way, so as to avoid possible getting lost when returning.


    They speeded up during the brief day, and kept going even after dark.


    Everyone dragged multiple sleds, one for carrying luggage, and the other for carrying prey. The long term paddling life in the warm period has made these strong men more powerful, and they also have enough dry food, so they have a strong endurance in the snow.


    Those reindeer are the elves of the snowfields, they are the most sturdy animals, but they are not human opponents.


    Every time the team advanced for a while, someone started to build snow blocks in the snowfield, so that one snow tower was long ago.


    After all, there are too few unique things in this area. Use snow to build some markers, and then set up some wooden poles with sackcloth as guides.


    For two full days, they had actually traveled a great distance on the snowfield.


    In the ninth century AD, all of Europe was desperately short of roads.


    In addition, the farming level of Western European farmers is really bad, and long-distance travel is bound to consume precious food. The peasants are reluctant to travel too far. Even if they have to travel far, they face the weedy wilderness with limited dry food, and they must carry a club to drive wild animals in their hands.


    They can walk up to ten miles a day in the wilderness, basically that''s the limit, or they''ll burn out and die.


    Even the infantry of the Frankish Kingdom''s army usually marched this distance every day. Moreover, after marching and then fighting, it often takes a day of rest in the middle.


    The Vikings who began to frequently harass the Frankish kingdom were indeed strong only in their mobility.


    Not only were they good at rowing, but the Viking tribes were also excellent at walking.


    When snow covered the earth and the invention of skiing advanced the Vikings, they had better speed on the snow.


    Otto didn''t know how far he could go in a day. The so-called when everyone in the team was shouting tired, he ordered the camp to rest.


    The Ross people are also professional hunters. Their physical fitness is very good, and the dry food they carry is very sufficient. On the contrary, the assistance of the skis enables them to have a faster speed than pure dry roads.


    They were actually moving at a speed of 30 kilometers a day, so Otto and his party walked northeast for two days, and actually moved up to 60 kilometers.


    When night falls again, Aurora shines in the sky.


    After the team walked some distance, they settled down in a grove.


    Some pine trees are cut down and smashed into small pieces, and the wet wood cannot live immediately.


    Fortunately, the Ross people have their own set of methods. They bring their own special mmable dry wood, and then use bow drills to make fire. As long as one person''s bonfire is lit, the camp will soon be lit up.


    It can be seen that everyone has basically set up the tent and started to eat dry food around the bonfire.


    Taking advantage of the opportunity, Otto gave an order: "Juste here. We will camp here, and this will be the camp for a period of time in the future. We will take this ce as the center, brothers, we are free to explore. After ten days, whatever How much harvest we leave together."


    Everyone agrees with the leader''s order, and now there is only one question that needs to be solved urgently - who wille to see the house.


    Otto pped his hands again to attract everyone''s attention: "We have to choose some people to stay. ording to our tradition, those who stay in the camp will bepensated a little bit."


    Everything is done as usual. Now, who of you would like to stay? Because we are in an unknown field, since we have already arrived, it is the most correct to explore deeply.


    But because it is an unknown area, the potential threats are also unpredictable. Hunters act in groups to fully protect each other, and they also need arge camp as a backer in the wilderness.


    After some discussion, the team of 200 people finally had 20 seniors selected to stay behind. Also ordered to stay, there are nearly 20 children.


    Too old or too young, hunting in the wilderness for a long time is indeed a huge test for them, especially those children, don''t expect them to have any chance of winning against white bears or wolves.


    Besides, hunting is really a technical job.


    Otto gave everyone ten days of hunting time, which included the time toy traps.


    Even capturingrge reindeer or small ferrets, they are very vignt animals, and the sess rate of direct hunting by throwing spears is not very high. In terms of what is the most efficient, it is the setting of traps. Among them, setting ropes is the most efficient. practical.


    At this point, four full days after leaving Roseburg, the hunting operation officially began.


    All the hunters dispersed in an instant. They stepped into the snowfields and forests with their essential supplies. They began toy traps, and some people simply took the initiative to attack.


    The Ross tribe only has twenty single bows, and they are all imported from their allies in the south. After all, the Ross tribe does not have bow making experience at this stage.


    However, the bows kept by the tribe are all devoted to hunting, and they follow their masters and be the power to kill and wound small animals.


    A single bow to shoot a reindeer in the distance?


    Just don''t expect it to be okay. Because they were all low-pound oak bows, the bowstrings were also twisted from hemp rope, and the shafts of the arrows used were barely straight.


    Even bows of poor quality can still be great weapons in the hands of a good hunter.


    So on the first day of hunting, someone had already shot a ferret, and they stripped the fur directly in the wilderness, and the meat of the ferret was not thrown away. Under the extreme cold, the ferret meat immediately turned into a lump of ice, and it seemed that the only way to deal with it was to barbecue.


    The ferret is the most prized fur in the Arctic, and its pure white, extremely soft and silky undercoat is a natural luxury. In particr, the wealthy Eastern Roman aristocrats yearned for nothing more than wearing silk and satin originating from the East in summer and a pure white mink velvet coat in winter.


    One ferret is equal to three full-grown reindeer hides.


    Otto and his 20 cronies simply formed a small hunting group. They were actually childhood ymates, a back-to-back friendship cultivated in the usual wrestling fights. And this kind of friendship makes them naturally have a strong sense of teamwork.


    Together, they are a powerful hunter group. On the battlefield, they are naturally more organized and disciplined than therge number of armed peasants temporarily recruited by the Franks.


    Among them, Otto was older than all of them. When he was a child, he was the king of children, and now he is a respected leader.


    Aside from these statuses, Otto himself is also an excellent hunter.


    After two consecutive days of hunting, 20 people caught only three ferrets, and found an arctic fox cave, where they caught all the big and small beasts.


    Although they are willing to let go of small beasts, they are mainly aimed atrge reindeer. For the arctic fox with pure white fluffy down, it is really invaluable, and it is naturally found under the temptation of huge wealth.


    In close harmony with nature? None of the Viking tribes thought about it. First of all, they want to make their lives better, and they have no concept of protecting the environment, even if the people of Roseburg have swept awayrge beasts within a radius of 50 kilometers from their homes.


    Large scale beasts that can be hunted have be scarce, and the solution is to wait for the deer to migrate from the rabbits, or to go to the unknown ces in the far northeast as this winter.


    Although Otto was a noble leader, his subordinates were willing to dedicate a portion of their prey to him.


    It is almost a human instinct to be diligent in important tasks to benefit yourself or your family in the future.


    Otto shook his head and refused. He did note up with any "Great" reasons to prove his selflessness. His exnation was really full of mystery.


    "It''s better to stay and give to those left behind. I have a huge hunch that we don''t care about other people for the time being. As long as the twenty of us continue to move northeast, we will meet those people."


    The so called "Those people" are undoubtedly the Sami people who keep deers.


    Otto always had a feeling that since he had gone far northeast, it was almost fate to encounter those people.

 Chapter 54: The Lost Sami People

    Chapter 54: The Lost Sami People


    The Ross tribe still calls it a deer breeder, because once it is discovered, it means that arge herd of deer can be obtained.


    Otto''s exnation instantly awakened everyone''s memories, thinking of Otto''s prophecy of Priest Veria, those who participate in the hunting action will surely benefit greatly.


    The yearning for wealth drives everyone''s unconditional obedience to the leader. In this way, Otto trekked northeast again for two full days with excitement and trepidation.


    Their efforts were worth it. When Otto and others clearly saw arge number of animal footprints appearing on the soft snow, everyone had already made a clear judgment.


    Experienced hunters found arge number of reindeer footprints, and experience told them that it must be a reindeer.


    The snow has been turned over on arge scale, and the meadows covered by snow have also been gnawed, which further proves the existence of the deer herd.


    Herd of deer, a lot of walking meat, a hundred reindeer enough for the tribe to eat until spring!


    At present, only deer herds have been discovered, but no traces of those animals have been clearly seen, but everyone has made a very optimistic judgment through the traces, that is, the size of the deer herds is quiterge.


    But there are still people who are very serious who have discovered other strange footprints through careful observation.


    To be precise, it is a human footprint, and the owner of the footprint is definitely not their own.


    This is really great news. In the past few days, Otto''s group''s main job has been to travel. As the leader, he himself has still achieved nothing.


    Of course, if you think about moving forward in the northeast direction, you may find the baby, but it has been too long.


    Otto has made two surprising discoveries, and he ordered his subordinates to gather on the snowy field.


    "Arge herd of deer, we should kill them all, all the deer skins are ours. As for the venison... We fought back to the camp to tell everyone that all the venison was taken. We also found people The footprints of the deer breeders, we can...hehe, take their wealth for our own."


    Thinking of these things, who wouldn''t be happy?


    Sounds like a good idea, everyone is happy, they are not fully sure of their abilities.


    After all, hunting a group of wild reindeer, those animals are very mobile, and their thick fur is not something that can be killed with a short spear.


    But for those deer breeders, it should be easy to defeat them, and everyone has full self-confidence.


    Otto''s mind was very calm about this matter, and he looked at his twenty subordinates.


    Everyone was standing in the snow with the north wind whistling. Although they were all wearing thick skin and huge deerskin or fox fur hats on their heads, Otto couldn''t help but think of finding a deer breeder and taking the initiative to attack. very worried.


    Because in such an extremely cold area and far from Roseburg, if you are injured in battle, you may not necessarily die on the spot, but if you are seriously injured, the result is a death.


    The situation began to be subtle, and the simple hunting action instantly became militarized.


    So, are there deer keepers, the so-called Sami people, in thend where Otto is?


    Of course the answer is yes!


    Otto and his twenty current subordinates, who were chasing the reindeer, had gone too far northeast and had already broken into the Sami territory.


    Specifically, the westernmost edge of the Sami area.


    Otto was unaware of this situation, and neither were the Sami, who focused on winter grazing, of the approaching danger.


    For decades, the Ross tribe, who had driven out the Sami with harsh means, did not encounter new Sami.


    Decades are a long time. Gradually, the previous war was gradually forgotten by the two ethnic groups, as if they had never contacted each other.


    Compared with the Swiss tribal alliance, the Sami structure is undoubtedly more backward and more fragile.


    The Sami people are the oldest indigenous people in Europe, and they are also a part of the split from the Finns.


    In the past 200 years, the Finnish tribes that had spread throughout Eastern Europe were driven by the vic tribes that moved eastward, causing some Finns to go straight to the Ural Mountains, and some to retreat to the north near the Arctic Circle.


    The situation of the Sami is even worse. They have been driven away by the Viking tribes whonded in the Sven area. Finally, the Ross tribe gave a heavy blow, which made the Sami havepletely left the Gulf of Bothnia. .


    The Sami retreated to the Arctic Circle, into the so-called Land and Murmansk.


    To live in the Arctic, any energy they can harvest is invaluable. Don''t think about developing agriculture in extremely cold regions. The Sami people depend heavily on their reindeer for their livelihood. By trading with some Finns living in Karelia in the south, they traded reindeer pelts, dried meat and wood products in exchange for some x and metals.


    However, trade is also extremely minimal, and they basically live a life of indifference and do not want anyone to disturb their hard and cold days.


    Perhaps the Sami people are naturally peace-loving, but peace neveres from the charity of others.


    The Sami people also knew how to cultivate agriculture. They failed in the battle. They escaped all the way to the Arctic Ocean. Is this a safe ce?


    Do not! Because of those Vikings with a great thirst for wealth, they are approaching!


    In general, all Sami ns have to guard against arctic wolves attacking their hard-earned deer. They have to be prepared to take precautions. They also have to send people to watch wolves with wide-eyed eyes while grazing. group.


    They always pay special attention to the wolves that are extremely threatening to humans and animals, but because they have not been in contact with the Ross tribe for a long time, many young Sami can only learn some ancient legends from the mouths of their parents.


    Or because the descriptions of ancient horror memories are mixed with too many personal emotions, the "Varyags" that young people know gradually take on the image of wolves, as if they are a group of monsters with huge fangs.


    Older people are indeed afraid of the "Varyags", especially pointing out that there is a group of "Varyags" who im to be master paddlers who can steer longboats out of nowhere.


    Young people don''t understand all of this. They inherit the less rich heritage of their ancestors, that is, a herd of reindeer. ording to the ancient living habits, they routinely graze twice a year on arge scale. .


    The thick fur of the reindeer can easily resist the erosion of the cold, and by nibbling on the grass under the snow, each reindeer can grow rapidly in winter.


    The annual winter grazing bes especially important because when the climate starts to warm, all the reindeer will moult. The hair left by the Sami will not be wasted. They can be mixed with the exchanged linen and woven into a special linen, which is then printed and dyed with moss of various colors.


    Therefore, the clothes of the Sami are much more gorgeous than the civilians of the Ross tribe.


    However, no amount of gorgeous clothes could hide the fact that they were weak in force.


    There is norge organization of the Sami people at all, they nomadic in the wilderness as ns with a poption of only a few dozen people.


    The leader of any n must be an older woman, because they are still in the matriarchal n stage, which makes them naturally only exist as a small settlement, and the number of the most fighting men in the settlement is not dominant.


    Because of the Ross tribe, when the tribe is threatened, they can organize two thousand warriors armed with swords and prisoners of war.


    In medieval Europe, 2,000 warriors were already the limit of troops that many feudal counts could organize.


    But the number of Sami men was of no avail. They beat wolves with stone spears or antler spears, but were powerless against the Viking battle axes.


    Although the Sami made single bows, they also made bowstrings and arrow clusters. As a result, the pound of the bow was too low, and the arrows were not polished antlers or stones.


    Such an arrow can''t even shoot through reindeer''s fur at a long distance, but it''s quite enough to shoot arctic foxes and ferrets with it.


    They are such an ancient group with a sparse poption,ck of organization, and a seriousck of metals still in the Paleolithic age.


    Under the strong oppression of foreigners, and because of their ownpromise, they escaped the disaster and retreated to the extreme northern region on the edge of the world, but after all, they could not change the fate of being conquered.


    Because the leader of the Ross tribe has made up his mind, now, Otto''s greed can''t be healed at all.

 Chapter 55: Deep Dive

    Chapter 55: Deep Dive


    There has been no contact for decades, and Otto''s description of the deer breeder is limited to the priest Veria.


    He really didn''t know that those deer breeders who were sitting on a lot of wealth were actually a group of guys who made good use of stone spears and bone arrows.


    Otto is entirely out of some encounters with the Danes, thinking that those deer breeders must be brave and good at fighting.


    Otherwise, how can they survive in this icy world?


    Otto saw not only the potential for great wealth, but also the risk of looting that wealth.


    If the deer breeder encountered is strong, he would not dare to attack easily.


    He called everyone to exin the situation, and the twenty people acted immediately.


    In an instant, everyone''s goal was no longer to find snow sculptures and foxes, nor to hunt lone reindeer.


    Now, the power of the tribe must be gathered, the deer herds of the deer farmers must be found, and then they must be wiped out.


    The warriors of the Ross tribe have turned into hungry wolves, hungry for meat,rge chunks of meat led by the alpha wolf.


    Otto''s 20 people immediately broke down into pieces, and they acted separately, as if casting a big to catch potentially big fish.


    They started out as scouts, and fifteen people participated in thisrge-scale "map scan".


    They started with a sheltered camp, and then they built a searchwork with a width of more than ten kilometers.


    They used the footprints of the deer as a reference, thinking of a high probability of moving in the right direction.


    There is no doubt that Otto is a part of this search team. As the leader, he must bear a huge responsibility for the collective hunting.


    Ordinary hunters don''t need to think too much, because their leader Otto is a very good hunter, and individuals just need to follow him.


    Because whether hunting or fighting, following the leader for so many years, the tribe has not failed.


    Of course, there is a price to follow, and ording to tradition, most of the gains go to the leader. Followers get a small part. In fact, ording to past experience, it will be a "Drinking soup", and each individual receives a lot of goods.


    Only two people stayed at the advancing camp, and the other three immediately rushed to the big camp, just to gather the scattered people to carry out an inevitablerge-scale hunt.


    Regarding this matter, everyone knows that the leader is gambling.


    The situation has changed dramatically, don''t expect toplete the hunt in ten days, it will be possible for everyone to gain a lot.


    If you want great wealth, you must take great risks, but Otto bears a huge psychological pressure. If the search is fruitless, or the prey runs away, although he will not lose his leadership position, his personal prestige must be great. fall.


    "The herd! Odin, if you love me, let me find them."


    Otto had to firm up his beliefs, and he also believed that his subordinates would obey orders honestly.


    The fastest time for the messenger to return to the big camp is around dark the next day. When arge number of people arrive at the so-called advanced camp with weapons and chainmail, it will be three dayster.


    If the prey cannot be found in these three days, everything will be for naught.


    Snow is obviously not a good ce to fight, even for those deer, the risk must be taken.


    Thanks to the still strong body given by the long-term training, Otto can endure the extreme cold and exhaustion that ordinary people can''t bear, and most of his subordinates are like this.


    They proceeded along the trail, and the overall direction again turned to due north.


    The weather on this day was quite clear, and the stars in the night sky echoed the ever-present Aurora. The light shines on the snow field, and the whole world appears very bright. So even in the pr night, as long as there are no dark clouds, there will be no pure darkness, and even hunters are very adaptable to this low-light world.


    Compared with humans, those reindeer are more adapted to life under the extreme night, they are still in the gaps between the trees,


    Use your thick mouth to poke the snow away and nibble on the grass roots below. Around them, some Sami herders constantly monitor their deer and every move around them, and the deer are attacked by arctic wolves.


    Those herdsmen were people on foot, they wore thick deerskin coats, and always held wooden poles in their hands, the ends of which were hard and sharp spear points made of antlers.


    Such a shape is like a soldier of the Stone Age. They never imagined that thousands of kilometers away in the south, the heavy cavalry of the Eastern Rome was fully armored.


    After walking the whole day, Otto and his party walked a long way under Aurora''s glow.


    The search line is about ten kilometers long, and every unit that constitutes it has wide-eyed eyes.


    Humans are not a race with good night vision, but fortunately, it is always enough under normal circumstances.


    Ordinary people of the Ross tribe have no chance or n to touch any books at all, especially the men of the tribe. Apart from resting in the longhouse, they prefer to stay outdoors on weekdays. Everyone''s eyesight is excellent, and even if the light is bad at night, they can still detect abnormal changes in the woods in the distance.


    They were especially alert to strange bright spots on the snowfields.


    "As expected, there are wolves!"


    Otto saw some green bright spots in the distance, which he knew very well were the fluorescent reflections of the wolf''s eyes. Thinking of the possibility of fighting wolves, he could not help grasping his saber.


    The people who went forward noticed the existence of the wolf, and everyone maintained basic vignce. After all, everyone put on their own chain armor under the leather jacket, with a sword or an axe in their waists, and their backs were still on their backs. with a round shield.


    The only thing that everyone doesn''t wear is a metal helmet that takes both into ount, that thing is too cold!


    Maybe the wolves are smart. They watched in twos and threes from a distance, and did not disturb the progress of the strange people. They seemed to have sensed the danger.


    The wolf has left after all. It stands to reason that if you can hunt wolves, the wolf skin is also a good protection against the cold, and the wolf head can be used as a symbol of personal strength.


    After all, Otto''s prey is not a wolf.


    When everyone was tired, people began to gather together and dig holes in the snow. Use the various materials carried by the dragged sled to build a small nest to keep out the cold.


    Everyone was convinced that they were moving in the right direction, because the footprints of the deer had not disappeared.


    Because there is a hilly area in front of you, a lot of footprints extend in that direction, and there are trees everywhere in that area.


    If it is clear that there are deer keepers, they will definitely put their homes in the woods.


    After all, the wind and snow in this area are like knives, and everyone needs a barrier against the wind and snow.


    In Rossburg, the settlement is located in a fjord, nked by hills thatrgely offset the erosion of the northerly wind.


    If the deer breeders were not fools, they would settle down in the woods.


    Otto had a hunch, he felt that he would soon encounter those deer breeders, to be precise, it should be a distant witness.


    In the middle of the night, he gathered all the fifteen people around him. First, he encouraged everyone about the hardships they had been traveling for a few days, and then drew a big pie in time.


    Because Otto didn''t know if he could run into those deer breeders in the next two days, and he didn''t know where the people who reported the news went.


    The group first gathered in a small forest, and Otto ordered everyone not to make a fire, but to eat cold dry meat.


    Such a harsh order will inevitably lead to doubts, but his words make the doubters feel warm.


    "I have a strong hunch that tomorrow we will find the deer breeders. So we have to rest well, and we will continue to dormant when it is dawn. When night falls again, we will continue to act."


    There are still doubts. At this time, we are exhausted, and everyone is willing to bury the doubts in their hearts.


    It has to be said that this exploration of the northeast direction is fruitful!


    In this unknownnd, people did encounter some wolves, and the presence of ferocious predators speaks volumes - this is by no means a barren ce in appearance.


    As long as they silently mount the furry ferrets hanging on their corsets, hunters with such harvests can''t wait to peel off the fur of the arctic wolves that only expose their green eyes and wait until spring. Sell for a good price.


    This exploration is of great value. After you go back, you can tell the nsmen that there are still arge number of wild beasts in the northeast ind that need to be caught. They are the wealth of walking.


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