A commander sets the example for all soldiers.
Since Niels had already "acted out of necessity"—defying royal orders for his own benefit—the Royal Guards naturally felt they too could "act out of necessity," mutiny for their own gain, and force their commander to accept their "loyalty."
The moon was dim, the wind howled, and the wavering firelight cast shifting shadows across armored faces.
When Niels still failed to respond, someone simply drew his sword.
"General!
You ennobled the Anglo-Saxon militia, the raiders, and the sailors—yet refused us?
Do you look down on your own brothers?"
Facing death, Niels—grim-faced—was forced to agree to the Guards' demand.
Of the original Royal Guard, twelve hundred survived.
Five hundred of them had wives, children, farms, and obligations back in England.
These men dragged Oleg with them and abandoned the camp, settling at Skagen, the northernmost tip of Denmark.
At this point the situation completely collapsed.
Oleg wrote another letter to London, finally igniting Ragnar's fury.
"Bastards—do they think I don't dare kill people?!"
For the first time, Ragnar fully felt his age and weakness.
But the weaker he became, the more he had to show strength—to prevent other vassals from following this example.
He coughed twice, then ordered troops to gather across the realm.
He would personally lead an expedition to the North.
Sola, worried for his health, whispered:
"Couldn't you send someone else?"
"Who?
Ivar?
Vig?
Orm?
Or Chancellor Pascal?"
Ragnar rejected the idea outright.
This chaos involved all of Scandinavia—he could name no one who was both capable and impartial.
Ivar, Vig, and Orm all had good relations with Niels—they would inevitably show favoritism and let the fool muddle through unpunished.
Pascal was fair, but his command ability was mediocre, and he was an Anglo-Saxon—unfit to quell turmoil in the North.
As for the other nobles—Lennard, Ulf, and the rest—Sweden's lands had been ravaged by Halfdan's berserkers.
They would definitely seize the chance to retaliate.
Even if they did not kill Halfdan, they would destroy his influence and ruin his future.
"No… I've stayed away from the North too long.
It is time to return."
The Summons Reaches Tyne Town
A messenger braved heavy snow to deliver the king's order.
"I understand.
Tell His Majesty I will arrive in London on time."
After sending the messenger away, Vig fell silent.
Refugees' reports painted a picture of utter chaos—Eric Jr., Niels, Halfdan, and the Swedish coalition all tangled into a single knot.
Eric Jr. and Niels, for example:
At first, Eric provided intelligence and a mole; Niels acted, eliminating Horst of Schleswig.
They were essentially allies.
Yet Eric also secretly funded the Swedish coalition—directly fighting Niels's Royal Guards in Sweden.
Enemies, in a sense.
Then there were Niels, Oleg, and Halfdan—three men whose relationships were unstable enough that civil war could erupt at any moment.
Vig exhaled deeply.
"No clear allies… no clear enemies… chaos.
Only Ragnar himself can settle this—no one else."
The Refugee Burden
The North's turmoil affected Vig as well.
More than ten thousand immigrants flooded into his territory this year—far beyond capacity.
To resettle them, he drafted massive labor crews to build farmhouses across Tyne, Edinburgh, and Aberdeen; he scraped together grain, cloth, and livestock—spending more than six hundred pounds of silver.
The treasury fell into deficit again.
But if he didn't settle these Vikings, some would inevitably turn to banditry—causing far greater losses.
Already, other lords who were unwilling to spend money were hunting bandits in blizzards—serving as perfect counterexamples.
Spring, 854
Vig led a thousand men to London, encamping ten miles north with the other nobles.
After six years of peace—rotational farming and the heavy plough had spread across Britain—every lord had grown stronger.
With the royal army included, more than fifteen thousand troops assembled.
Even Björn rushed back from Greenland.
But such numbers strained logistics.
To move quickly, Ragnar dismissed three thousand weaker militia, and led the remaining twelve thousand to Dover.
They crossed the Channel in phases, hugging the Continental coast as they advanced northeast.
Frankish scouts were terrified.
King Charles the Bald was busy fighting revolting Breton lords and could not intervene; he simply ordered his regions to prepare defenses.
Soon he received two messages:
The Viking fleet had departed—showing no intention of attacking Francia.
Gunnar had joined Ragnar's army with only his personal guard, explaining in a letter that he wished to "observe" for future contingencies.
Charles—though suspicious—pretended not to mind.
"Very well. He is fulfilling the duty of a Cambridge earl."
Then, turning to a steward:
"The palace reports a large increase in peacocks.
Send several dozen to the Duke of Normandy."
Reassured that Ragnar's army wasn't aimed at him, Charles returned to crushing Brittany.
The King Lands in Denmark
By mid-April, Ragnar's army landed on Denmark's coast and marched toward Schleswig.
The scouts reported many banners:
the Thunder Banner, Wolf Banner, Serpent Banner, Bear Banner, Dragon Banner, Camellia Banner…
Niels instantly knew the situation was beyond saving.
The king had come—with all the dukes.
Ragnar clearly meant to hammer him to death.
A Royal Guard officer suggested seeking help from Norway.
Niels stared vacantly.
"Eric?
How many men can he muster?
He may hold the title of king, but he's barely stronger than a duke.
Forget him."
Niels sat in the great hall of Schleswig the entire night.
By dawn, he had devised a desperate gamble—his only chance at survival.
He dismissed his guards, mounted a horse alone, and rode straight to Ragnar's command tent.
Before the assembled host, the so-called "Lord of Denmark" fell to his knees and clutched Ragnar's legs, sobbing uncontrollably.
"You wretch—what use is crying?!
Do you think this is like when you were a child—cause trouble, cry a bit, and everything is forgiven?!"
Ragnar's chest heaved as he roared:
"I entrusted you with the Royal Guard!
And Eve sailed to you seeking safety!
THIS—this is what you give me in return?!
All for some worthless title—was it worth it?!"
Even now, Niels offered no rebuttal—only tears.
He wept with the sincerity of a nephew:
"Uncle, I was wrong.
I wronged you.
I wronged Princess Eve.
But I couldn't help it…
I wanted to be a duke—a king—so badly I dreamed of it every night.
Once, I begged to marry Eve.
I tried everything, but I was a nobody—less than a dog to those nobles.
Now that I've risen, my feelings have dulled…
But the humiliation never left.
It tortured me, whispered to me, drove me to this crime.
Your punishment is just.
I accept everything—without complaint."
—------------------------------
Pat reon Advance Chapters: patreon.com/YonkoSlayer