A year later, with the arrival of a large number of Viking immigrants, York had finally regained its original prosperity, but the sanitary conditions had deteriorated greatly, with foul odors and overflowing sewers, which made Wig shake his head.
Outside the palace, he met a fat young man, wrapped in a light blue cloak, holding the hand of a beautiful woman in his right hand.
King Eric's son Eric the Younger and his daughter Eva? Why had the brother and sister come to Northumbria?
Wig approached, full of doubt, and learned that they had come to buy weapons. It seemed that King Eric was about to start a large-scale war to clear the entire Norwegian region of rebels.
He chatted with them for a few words, and Nils suddenly ran up, breathing heavily, and presented Eva with a chain of beautiful gold necklaces.
Vig wasn't interested in this boring courtship, so he said goodbye and left. Eva's cold voice came from behind him:
"My father is a king, my mother is a queen, my brother will be king one day, and my aunt Sora is married to Ragnar. My entire family is worthy of wearing a crown, why should I stoop to marry a commoner? Nils, you are a good man, I don't mind having a good time with you, but marriage is a very serious matter..."
As Vig entered the hall, he suddenly saw Bjorn's back, who was presenting his adventure acquisitions.
Two years ago, Bjorn's request for a title was rejected by seven nobles, and then he angrily left with two longboats. Looking at the excited expression on this guy's face, it looks like he has achieved a lot.
"Father, I have been on the Mediterranean for almost two years, and I have a gift for you."
Bjorn whistled at the door, and the dark yellow slave handed over a long sword with a cross-shaped guard.
Ragnar left the throne, drew the long sword, and swung it through the air a few times. It was light and fast, and felt much better than an ordinary iron sword.
Looking at the magnificent sword and the bright sapphire inlaid on the hilt, he was dazzled, as if he were destined to wield this weapon, and muttered under his breath, "Royalty, call it 'royalty.'"
Sheathing the sword, Ragnar returned to his seat and turned his gaze to the sword on Bjorn's belt, "Is this also a precious weapon that you have received?"
"Yes, there are two, one for you and one for me." Bjorn pulled the sword from his belt. It was single-bladed, slightly curved, with thin and continuous patterns in a strong Arabian style.
"Raging Waves" was the new name given to the sword after Bjorn killed its original owner.
...
It was Vig's turn. He handed over the list of supplies to Goodwin. Thanks to the rich harvest at the Battle of Dyfelin, this year's tribute amounted to thirty pounds of silver.
"I heard the details of the Battle of Dyfelin. You have done well, Vig."
Ragnar personally poured him a glass of wine. "York, Dyfelin, it seems no city can stop you. Compared to the Chosen One and the Serpent of the North, I think the title of "Battering Ram" is more fitting for your role in the battle. "
Thank you for the compliment, Your Majesty." Vig bowed and, as usual, took his place at the end of the right-hand queue.
It was Ulf's turn. This year he had had to work hard to eliminate the sheep thieves. Unfortunately, the Welsh territory was densely forested, and the spoils were scarce. He could only take a boat to Cornwall, further south, to rob a few, which was barely enough to get the job done.
The situation with the other nobles was similar to last year, and only Ivar did not show up.
At noon, a tall and strong Viking warrior entered the hall and came to pay his respects on Ivar's behalf.
"I am very sorry, Your Majesty, Ivar was in a fierce fight with two Irish nobles and was unable to escape."
Vig was not at all surprised. Ivar had always disdained wasting words in the eyes of the weak, let alone patiently compromising. If he had been busy with the affairs of Tyneburg, the survival rate of these nobles and village chieftains would not have exceeded one third!
"Blindly pursuing hegemony and not knowing how to appease, Ivar is believed to have become trapped in a long and drawn-out war. He will be busy for the next few years."
...
Banquet.
Thanks to his experience in the Mediterranean, Bjorn became the center of everyone's attention. In addition to two Damascus steel swords, he also received five barrels of cinnamon and pepper from the East, worth over 100 pounds of silver, in addition to ivory, jewels, and twelve Berber captives.
Faced with such great wealth, the nobles were extremely envious and said that they would set sail for the Mediterranean next year.
"Calm down, friends, the journey is long, and without the right navigation technology, acting rashly is tantamount to suicide!"
The more people were eager, the brighter the smile on his face, bragging that he had mastered the navigation technology of the Arabs, and also obtained a secret treasure from the Tang Dynasty that could point the way in the vast sea.
Looking at their disappointed expressions, Bjorn felt very happy. Two years ago, the reason for his setting out to sea was simply anger, but after this period of adventure, it was as if he was born for this exciting career as a seafarer.
Local customs and manners of different places, beauties of different skin colors, exciting battles from time to time, and trophies obtained after battle...
Odin, thank you for letting me experience all of this.
Bjorn walked to the edge of the long table, hugging Vig's shoulders: "Chosen One, what are you thinking about?"
Vig put down his half-eaten pork knuckle and asked quietly: "The secret treasure of the Tang Dynasty you just mentioned, is it an item that always points south no matter how the situation changes?"
"How do you know!"
The secret in his heart was revealed, Bjorn's voice suddenly rose, and the smile on his face disappeared: "Are you really the chosen one of the Aesir?"
Vig did not answer and silently sipped his wine from his glass.
Leaving the subject behind, Björn mentioned a rumor that had been bothering him for a long time:
"In recent years, Norwegian fishermen have been going out to sea to fish. Some were blown west by storms. They survived by chance and claimed to have discovered the location of Jotunheim. It was cold and barren. A stinking whale carcass had washed up on the shore, and the mountains in the interior had erupted in a rain of fire. Do you think this rumor is true?"
Cold, barren and volcanic eruptions, isn't that Iceland? There's nothing worth exploring in this ruined place.
Wait, a volcano? Volcanic ash!
Vig suddenly remembered that Roman concrete needed volcanic ash as a raw material. As the area became more and more prosperous, sooner or later it would have to build stone walls and stone castles. If Bjorn discovered the location of Iceland, he could also profit from it.
Vig scratched his head: "I have information about that. In exchange, you must describe your adventures in the Mediterranean in detail, without mixing in strange and ridiculous rumors." "
Well, I really can't do anything with you." Bjorn sighed and told the story of this adventure from the beginning.