Although Rurik was a little surprised, the extremely exquisitely framed holy object in front of him was enough to prove that the old islanders had become the lambs of the Lord.
It is very normal that a lot of kingdoms established by the Saxons and Anglo immigrants were completely Christianized.
What about the various Celtic tribes in Scotland or Ireland? They were also converted to Christianity?
Rurik did not dare to be completely sure. After all, the new islanders, this group of immigrants from Bergen, described the world in the south of the archipelago and the local people as so-called "a group of people covered with tattoos." Is this really the case?
How can these people with tattoos all over their bodies be the Lamb of the Lord?
Rurik didn't have much illusions about the Holy See, and he didn't want to think deeply about theology and philosophy. It was an endless pit of thinking.
I led a group of allies and brothers to distant places just to get rich treasures. If there were a lot of gold and silver hidden in the monasteries that were discovered, considering the very real factors, I had to do something ruthless.
people.
But Roseburg does need to store some important Christian artifacts. In the future, when contacting distant Eastern Rome and other Western European forces, using these holy artifacts as a guide will probably make the contact between the two parties more harmonious. That book is written on sheepskin
The book "Exodus" is regarded as one holy object, and now this cross studded with diamonds is another.
Take a closer look at this silver and diamond-encrusted cross. It should be placed in the most prominent place in the monastery.
Rurik put it in his arms: "It is indeed a treasure. It is obviously mainly made of silver, but you didn't melt it into coins."
The priestess hurriedly explained: "This is a sacred object that the priests fought to protect. We do not believe in their gods, but if the sacred object is destroyed, maybe we..."
"Haha, will you be punished by their gods?"
"Yes. That's true. We're afraid of that."
Rurik really didn't want to say anything, "Then give it to me as a tribute from you. Listen, I also want to know everything you know. Tell me about the islands in the south, and more!"
"What else?" The priestess just let out a sigh of relief when she felt that she had successfully served this dangerous army, but now she became cautious again.
"You...should know that there is an island in the west."
"Ah You……"
"I've heard something." As he spoke, Rurik kept tapping the holy cross in his hand. "I don't believe that the old islanders had such a treasure. You must have snatched it from somewhere else.
Come."
In the eyes of the priestess and other men, the landing army was clearly well prepared. The army had already revealed that they were going to attack the south of Britain along the eastern coastline and send troops in that direction, but this was something the people of the Islands had never experienced before.
However, if it was an expedition along the western coastline, the islanders had sent an expedition with a fierce Danish lord.
The priestess said hurriedly: "Do you know Lord Torgils of Bergen?"
Rurik shook his head, and the other casual family leaders also looked at each other.
Only Biyongni raised his bald head full of patterns: "I have heard of this man. I went to Bergen many years ago and learned about a leader named Togils or Thorgis. He was gathering
Arms prepared to plunder a distant place."
"That's him! His fleet passed our Gem Island, asked for some supplies from us, and forced some people to help him fight." The priest said.
"What happened next?" Rurik probed and asked.
"We have a hundred men fighting for Lord Torgis. Regarding this matter..." The priestess immediately identified an witness to the incident present.
As those who experienced it came forward and gave their own accounts, Rurik knew a lot about the past events of this small world.
Who is that Lord Torgis? In short, he is definitely not the supreme leader of the Bergen area.
This person must be a military aristocrat with considerable power to be able to gather a group of brothers to go out and rob.
Listening to the descriptions of the witnesses, Rurik estimated that the so-called "Torgis Expedition" took place in about 826. The lord gathered twenty longships, plus a hundred people who forced this Shetland Islands fishing port
The three long ships formed, a total of twenty-three ships, headed straight for the Western Island.
These expeditionary Norsemen raided settlements on the westernmost island, especially attacking monasteries.
But when they were at a river beach, happily feasting on the captured women, feasting on the looted bread and bacon, and counting the various gold and silver items they grabbed, the locals' counterattack began.
A large group of warriors smeared with woad juice and painted with black stripes suddenly rushed out and fought with the unsuspecting plundering army.
This must be the "Indigo Raider"! Rurik was completely sure of his judgment and was also sure that the Norwegian expedition many years ago was counterattacked by the Celts in Ireland.
This is indeed the case.
In the end, the Norwegian expedition team paid a terrible price with more than a hundred people killed in battle and defeated the enemy who suddenly attacked.
Based on this incident, Torgis gave the Western Island a clear name - irarland (Wild Island).
irar means "wild" in Old Norse.
However, Torgis himself was not the first person to name the island of Ireland. In other words, any outsider who conquered the island would be horrified by the wildness of the locals. Even if the local Celts had become the Lord's lambs, they would
When praying to the Holy Cross, druids have also been largely replaced by robed priests. However, the "Lambs" still remember the old traditions of their ancestors, so-called tattoos and smearing blue dye on themselves, covering themselves with blue and black colors.
, thus hiding in the dark forest.
What good things can there be in the island of Ireland?
Most of what Rurik knew about the island was, firstly, the great famine caused by potato disease from 1850 to 1857. Two million Irish immigrated to the New World. Sadly, they became mercenaries on both sides of the Civil War and fought with the same people. Secondly,
, that is, the Irish people carried out a series of struggles in order to get rid of the rule of the British Empire.
However, these are all stories that happened in another world and another era.
Regarding the current era, Rurik prefers to regard the island of Ireland as a barren land.
The incident mentioned by the Shetland islanders opened the eyes of everyone in Rurik. Some family leaders who could not remain calm simply shouted: "Since the people from Bergen did it and got some treasures, we
We should also follow suit.”
As soon as this statement came out, someone immediately objected: "We must be cautious. The Bergen people who were fully prepared were also counterattacked by the locals. More than a hundred of their brothers died, and there must be hundreds more injured. We don't have enough troops."
Less, but our equipment is no stronger than the Bergen people."
"Is this the reason why we are cowardly? How can we be cowards!" The speaker was Osten's eldest son Geiger. This young man who was eager for money stood up, raised his right fist and kept shouting, as if he was representing
Everyone will target Ireland.
Rurik raised his lips and gave Biyoni a wink.
Biyongni suddenly stretched out his hand and grabbed the hot-blooded Geiger to the ground: "Shut up, my little brother, Rurik decided that we will attack there."
Pairs of eyes randomly stared at Rurik's handsome face.
At this moment, Rurik deliberately kept quiet, because this strange silence made people feel more awe.
Even several locals in Shetland looked forward to this beautiful boy giving them an acceptable fate.
Rurik finally spoke: "I! I don't plan to attack that wilderness island. I just want to go south along the eastern coastline. I don't want to go to war with any British tribes. Those people are just a group of poor people. I want to attack
Northumbria, I will attack their coastal cities."
Northumbria, this term is extremely unfamiliar to most people present.
"Rurik, is this a southern country?" Biyony asked cautiously.
"Yes! It must be quite rich there. The temple there (actually a monastery) contains a lot of gold and silver, and the warehouses there are filled with wheat. If we set out soon, when the battle is over, we can seize the new harvest that the locals have just harvested.
Mai. Not only will we make a fortune, but we will also have full stomachs."
Although the brothers do not know the inside story of Northumbria, it is obvious that Lord Rurik has set the most precise goal for his expedition, and he believes that the battle will be won.
However, these words made the Shetland priestess tremble with shock.
"Young warrior, you..."
"I give you permission to call me Rurik."
"Yes! Young Lord Rurik, you Narvik people actually know about Northumbria?"
Such a question really reminded Rurik, and he suddenly thought that these islanders said that they had explored the southern seas and spied on the existence of Northumbria and some local cities.
Rurik actually felt a little guilty about this matter. His understanding of the Seven Kingdoms era in Britain was very limited. He only knew the names of the Seven Kingdoms and a few place names such as London, Lincoln, Stamford Bridge, York, Edinburgh, Oxford, etc.
Wait! Edinburgh?!
Rurik suddenly remembered that this city is the capital of Scotland, and its geographical location is exactly on the dividing line between Scotland and England.
It was already 832 AD, so Edinburgh should have existed.
Rurik boldly approached the priestess and asked sternly: "Have your explorers ever discovered a city named Edinburgh? Perhaps it is a city in Northumbria."
The priestess was taken aback and hurriedly confirmed: "Yes! Our men are exploring. We tried to exchange fish with the locals, and we did do some business. However, those people forced our fishermen to convert to their gods.
We have had no contact with them since then."
Rurik smiled bitterly: "It seems that abandoning Odin's faith is absolutely impossible."
"Of course." A local man said indignantly: "I have heard about the Danes. Their most noble leader believed in the Frankish god, so all the lords united to drive away Odin's traitors.
."
Rurik stretched out his right hand, indicating that there was no need to mention the Danes.
He deliberately asked: "Since you fishermen have arrived in Edinburgh, do you still remember the route?"
The man who had just spoken stood up immediately. It was obvious that this man realized a major opportunity: "I am Holder Brodisson. I personally went to Edinburgh, Northumbria many years ago, and I experienced that incident.
By."
"Oh?" Rurik raised his eyebrows, "Have you been embarrassed by the locals?"
Mentioning this matter, Huo De obviously had hatred on his face: "I was captured and imprisoned by them, and two brothers became traitors and believed in their gods."
"And you?"
"Of course I lied about my belief. They pressed me into the water and then made me drink a cup of strange grease. I did not betray Odin, I successfully escaped."
What is this? Is this what the so-called "false conversion to regret" refers to? Rurik was trying hard to hold back his laughter, but fortunately he could hold it back.
Obviously, there is already a guide for the expedition! It is this man named Huo De.
Rurik stood up and faced all the islanders sitting cross-legged, giving orders especially to the priestess.
"Since the lords of Bergen have called you for an expedition, our army in North Port (Narvik) will also call you. I! Rurik Ottoson Principoulos (meaning Duke of Ross), order
You, the island of gems, mobilize a hundred men to join my army! You!"
Rurik pointed casually: "Hold Brodisson, you are the commander-in-chief of the Gem Island army."
Looking at the current situation, the islanders feel a pressure called power, as if they are no longer free people and have not become vassals of the supreme leader of their hometown in Bergen, but have become vassals of the people of Beigang. They
He didn't care about Rurik's full name, he was just distressed that he was being used as a tool by another group of strongmen.
It could be seen that they were a little disappointed, and Rurik chuckled: "Don't worry! You also have the right to plunder when we fight for us. If you plunder according to your ability, everything you get is yours. I can swear to God!"
"
They were shocked by Rurik's declaration. After a period of silence, Huo De suppressed the ecstasy in his heart and asked weakly: "Is this true? We also have the right to rob, but we do not take the looted property.
pay?"
"Of course. I need more troops to ensure that the battle ends quickly. Listen, we just want to grab the treasure and leave immediately. We don't have time to waste with the locals. I want to try my best to loot as much as possible this summer, and you
Fishermen of Jewel Island, you know the route to the south better than we do."
"Yes! Many brothers know the route. If we have the support of your army, we will indeed dare to explore south again." Huo De continued.
"You know the route, so allowing you to plunder is the best compliment to you." As he said this, Rurik patted his chest: "My army is not free to eat your fish. Let's unite to organize more
With a large army, we will have more cooperation in the future. Remember, the people of Beigang and the people of distant Russia are your trustworthy friends."
By now, the islanders' fear has faded too much.
The men in the meeting room were eager for the expedition. They volunteered without hesitation and vowed to serve as the vanguard of the army.
A short and peaceful night passed quickly, and a new day dawned, with bright sunshine shining over the entire harbor.
The escaped islanders returned one after another after seeing that everything was peaceful in the harbor. They learned of the major incident just after they returned.
It turns out that the fleet coming from afar is not an enemy, in a sense, it is a friend with a "big appetite" that can be contacted.
More than a thousand islanders gathered at the call of the priestess, and a group of men and even young boys who claimed to be strong came forward. They intended to form the "Shetland Army" and join the "Balmok Army" under Rurik's command.
"Viking Army". The weapons and equipment of the people of this island are worse than the Balmoks. You can't expect the locals to have chainmail. They all wear leather and cloth clothes, wooden shields and hand axes, and short spears are the most commonly used ones.
arms.
The eyes of the islanders reveal their desire for wealth. Look at the huge army in front of them. This is everyone's most reliable backer!
In the past, the islanders knew that they could not snatch anything good from the Britons (Pict tribe) with their own strength. Now, they were bold enough to follow the strongmen to attack Northumbria.
Rurik stood on a high place and gave orders to more than a thousand soldiers who had assembled.
He made an impassioned speech, identified the clearest sign of attack, and deliberately described Edinburgh as a land of "gold, silver, wheat, and women", directly poking at the inner desire of every soldier.
People began to boil, banging their wooden shields constantly, and letting out Viking war cries. In such a heated atmosphere, everyone ignored any risks of the expedition. They felt that the city named Edinburgh was a threat to the army.
The wild deer is easily available in front of you, waiting for the hunter to hunt it!
However, Rurik still felt that these Balmoks and Shetlanders were inferior to the real Ross army in terms of momentum.
No problem, if it were a surprise attack, such an army would be enough to attack and sack Edinburgh.
Rurik ordered the army to rest for two more days and recharge their batteries before setting out for the expedition.