Ch 24: Burning River

Participating in banquets for many consecutive days, Eric instinctively suspected Ragnar had ulterior motives, stating that he did not want to waste time and would leave early the next morning.

“So urgent?” Ragnar was unconcerned, signaling his subordinates to continue serving drinks.

On the fourth day, Eric struggled to get out of bed, feeling dizzy and nauseous, as if countless knives were stirring around in his head.

“The aftereffects of that wine are really strong. I shouldn’t have drunk so much yesterday.”

He slowly walked to the tent entrance, lifted the curtain, and was immediately blinded by the harsh sunlight, calling for his subordinates to bring him breakfast—no, to be precise, it should be lunch.

After eating, Eric learned that the other nobles and raider leaders were still asleep, and none of them responded to his muster call.

In the East, the commander would beat the drum and raise the flag. If the subordinates did not arrive on time, the offenders would be flogged lightly or beheaded severely. Unfortunately, this is Britain, and Eric and the other nobles and raider leaders did not have a strict master-servant relationship. Strictly speaking, the leaders only followed him to sea to plunder, and their statuses were equal. Even if they ran to Ragnar’s camp, Eric would not find an excuse to pursue them.

“This can’t go on.”

In the afternoon, Eric went to various tents, persuading them one by one not to participate in tonight’s banquet, to set off early tomorrow to return to Northern Europe. He would then hold a banquet in Oslo for half a month, letting these gluttons eat their fill.

The next morning, after packing their bags, over thirteen hundred Viking pirates set off on their return journey. This open plundering of a large kingdom, pillaging the wealthy southern regions for two consecutive months, put the troops in generally good spirits, spontaneously praising Eric’s wisdom and decisiveness.

“Thank you, Eric. May Odin bless you.”

“King Eric, you are the greatest warrior in the entire region of Norway.”

Eric rode his White Horse, his ears filled with the Vikings’ praise. While pleased, he couldn’t help but feel somewhat melancholy.

This respectful mood would not last long. Once they returned to Northern Europe, everyone would divide the wealth and return home, quickly forgetting Eric. Only after they had completely spent their last silver coin would they remember Eric’s name again, begging His Majesty the great King to lead them to sea once more.

“It seems I’m working for these rebellious commoners. If the next plunder does not yield enough, this worship will turn into disappointment and then breed resentment.”

Eric’s fat body swayed slightly with the uneven horse’s back. He felt that going out to plunder was not entirely beneficial. He should focus his energy on Northern Europe, gradually encroaching on the surrounding regions, and eventually becoming the ruler of all of Norway.

Then, he realized a serious problem—his energy was limited, managing the Oslo region was quite difficult, and how could he govern this vast kingdom?

Eric took out his wineskin and drank honey wine in large gulps, inadvertently thinking of the Francia’s feudal system.

“Therefore, even if I unify the Norway region, I should delegate some power to the nobles who have sworn allegiance, then to the local gentlemen and landowners, layer by layer, finally to the lowly commoners and slaves.”

The further he went, the brighter Eric’s eyes became. He seemed to have found a way for his family to rule Norway for a long time.

“It seems I am destined to become the monarch of Norway and even all of Northern Europe. Haha, I will start preparing upon my return, finding an excuse to eliminate Ragnar, the greatest threat, and then slowly deal with the remaining small fry.”

Two days later in the afternoon, the troops were getting closer and closer to the location where the ships were hidden at the Humber Estuary. Everyone was increasingly anxious, hoping to arrive at the river mouth before dark.

Not long after, a large number of birds flew up from the forest in the distance. Eric had a bad premonition and dispatched a dozen agile hunters to scout ahead.

“Everyone, take out your weapons and prepare for combat!”

Soon, several screams confirmed Eric’s guess. Over a thousand Vikings quickly formed a circular shield formation, uneasily eyeing the surrounding forest.

As time passed, the screams from the front did not stop but intensified. Worse yet, a large cloud of thick black smoke rose into the sky!

“The Anglo-Saxons are burning our ships!”

As soon as these words were spoken, the Viking army was thrown into chaos. Losing their ships meant that they could only stay in this unfamiliar and hostile land.

“Get our ships back!” Driven by a few impatient Vikings, the circular formation instantly broke into countless fragments, and small teams spontaneously flooded into the forest, running desperately towards the smoke-filled area.

“Come back, don’t run around.” Eric was distraught. These idiots even carried heavy bags before leaving. Even if they successfully reached the ships’ hiding place, their stamina would be exhausted. How could they fight the Anglo-Saxon soldiers?

“Your Majesty, what should we do now?”

At this time, only over a hundred people remained beside Eric. He had no choice but to order everyone to hide their wealth in the bushes by the roadside and travel light.

Half an hour later, Eric arrived at the shore, enduring the scratches of the branches and leaves along the way. He found burning ships floating everywhere on the river surface, looking like countless swimming firefish from afar. Only a few longships desperately sailed downstream, but the Anglo-Saxon archers were not ready to let them go.

Under the commander’s orders, they launched a large number of rockets soaked in resin, like a meteor shower falling from the night sky. Arrows struck the hulls, flames spreading everywhere. The huge sails burned, and the cables hung helplessly on the river surface, like dying snakes.

“It’s over, it’s completely over.”

Eric sat motionless on his horse, helplessly watching the towering fire columns dye the clouds dark red. In this battle, hundreds of warships at the Humber Estuary were burned to ashes, and the wealth accumulated over two months was also taken by the enemy. A short while ago, he was still fantasizing about his future grand ambitions, but in the blink of an eye, he had suffered a heavy blow, and he showed signs of mental derangement, rambling about the legends of Ragnarök:

“Surtur, the fire giant, has arrived. Under his leadership, countless enemies flooded into Asgard, and the fire and poison mist from Jörmungandr filled the entire universe.”

Amid Eric’s mutterings, the Vikings carrying their bags arrived at the shore one after another, looking at the burning Humber Estuary, helplessly kneeling on the ground.

Taking this opportunity, the Anglo-Saxon army launched an attack. However, it was already late, and most of the Vikings scattered and fled into the forest.

Gazing at their backs, Prince Aella let out a low sigh. He only brought a thousand conscripted militia, and he also had to protect the looted supplies, unable to spare his hands to pursue this enemy.

“Forget it, their ships are destroyed; they will die in Britain sooner or later.”

Imagining the terrible sight of the Vikings, a strange flush appeared on Aella’s face. He gestured towards the North with a large hand, “Retreat, warriors, follow me back to York!”