After ascending the throne, Vig devoted himself to promoting new agricultural techniques and selling iron farm tools at low prices. Year by year, grain production increased, until the warehouses of Londinium were filled to the brim—enough to sustain the demands of war.
Secondly, the royal treasury was flush with funds. Even if the state coffers were emptied, Vig had countless ways to raise war finances. Frankly speaking, he believed no ruler in Europe was better at extracting revenue than himself.
As for weapons and equipment, the arsenals contained more than ten thousand standardized cloth-armors, with blades and arrows piled like mountains. Across the continent, only Charles the Bald could rival him in this regard—and even then, Vig surpassed him in matériel, second only to the immensely wealthy Emperor Michael III, widely regarded as the richest ruler in the Western world.
Food, pay, and equipment were all secured. The only thing troubling him was transportation.
A two-masted sailing ship required seven to twelve days to travel from Londinium to Denmark. A cog was slower still, usually taking two full weeks.
The standing army fought in a style similar to the old Roman legions. Their logistics were standardized—greatly improving combat effectiveness and marching speed—but this also required a constant flow of supplies from the rear, consuming enormous shipping capacity.
Vig took out pen and paper and calculated the forces to be deployed for the expedition:
1st, 2nd, and 3rd Infantry Regiments
Mountain Infantry Battalion
Ranger Battalion
Marine Battalion
1st Guard Battalion
Including support personnel and the field medical unit, the total reached 5,600 troops.
In addition, he planned to raise 4,000 militia, forming four temporary infantry regiments as reserves.
During the expedition, Vig had no intention of summoning feudal knights. The main reason was transport limitations—there simply was not enough capacity to move additional horses.
A 100-ton cog could carry eighty heavy infantry with limited supplies. But if used to transport warhorses, it could carry only ten.
Each horse required a dedicated stall to prevent panic-driven biting or kicking. The floor had to be layered with thick straw to prevent slipping.
Every day, a single warhorse consumed ten kilograms of fodder and twenty-five liters of fresh water—far more than a soldier. Horses also hated the constant motion of ships, becoming sick or frightened easily. Loss rates during long sea voyages were unacceptably high.
Besides cavalry, militia from noble estates were also excluded. They were poorly trained, offered little combat value, consumed precious transport capacity, and after forty days of unpaid service would require wages. The cost-benefit ratio was simply too low.
Having made his decision, Vig convened the royal council and ordered preparations to begin.
Since the campaign relied mainly on standing troops, mobilization was swift. Within a single week, the first wave was ready: two infantry regiments, the marine battalion, and the 1st Guard Battalion.
Meanwhile, requisitioned merchant vessels were still assembling. Vig chose not to delay.
The longer they waited, the fewer Viking forces would remain on the Jutland Peninsula.
February 21 — Dawn
The expedition officially began.
Surrounded by more than twenty attendants, Vig and the Crown Prince boarded the deck of the flagship Black Bass.
This was the kingdom's second three-masted sailing ship, launched the previous June. Its seaworthiness had proven excellent, and it now served as the flagship of the southern fleet.
The Black Bass carried three masts rigged with a combination of square and triangular sails, allowing better performance in crosswinds. With favorable winds, it could reach speeds of ten knots. To prevent barnacles and other parasites from clinging to the hull, the bottom had been sheathed in a thin layer of copper—an expensive addition.
The vessel measured roughly thirty-five meters in length and eight meters in width, requiring a crew of one hundred sailors. To achieve sufficient maneuverability and durability, part of its cargo capacity had been sacrificed, leaving a maximum load of about two hundred tons.
"Set sail!"
At the king's command, the boatswain shouted orders, directing the crew to adjust the rigging. Sailors cast off the mooring lines, raised the gangplank, and hoisted the mainsail. Driven by a westerly wind, the ship began to move.
On the stern deck, a young junior officer waved signal flags, relaying the king's orders. The fleet raised anchor in orderly sequence, forming a single-file column and drifting downstream. By midday, they reached the mouth of the Thames.
There, the Black Bass spread all sails. The hull leaned slightly as it cut into the waves, accelerating to ten knots. A lookout climbed high up the mainmast to watch the surrounding sea.
That afternoon, the fleet arrived at the port of Dover. Count Ulf hosted a banquet at Candlekeep, warmly entertaining the distinguished guests. Now advanced in age, he was no longer suited for campaign life, and there was a quiet sense of being left behind by the march of time.
The next morning, the fleet departed Britain and crossed the Strait of Dover. West Francia possessed only a handful of cogs, their warship designs outdated. They dared not challenge the fleet and retreated into the harbor of Calais.
The expeditionary fleet then proceeded east along the continental coastline. Twelve warships remained behind to monitor the English Channel, focusing on Calais, the fortress of Le Havre, and Cherbourg.
After numerous clashes, a consensus had formed within the British navy: the sterncastle added to cogs made them heavy and sluggish. Their combat effectiveness was inferior even to Moorish lateen-sail vessels. They were unfit to contest control of the Channel and could only perform coastal patrol and guard duties.
Until new warships were developed, Gunnar would be forced to remain confined to Normandy, unable to repeat the large-scale landings of the civil war years.
March 3
The fleet reached a fishing port on Denmark's west coast, a place called Esbjerg, where the banners of Viking nobles still flew.
Upon learning that the Serpent of the North had personally arrived, the local nobles dismissed their hastily assembled militia and allowed the army to land.
After disembarking, Frode looked up at a wooden statue nearly five meters tall and asked in confusion:
"Who is that?"
From the crowd, Little Pascal answered with a dark expression:
"That is King Ragnar's statue. When he died of illness, I was ordered to escort his coffin back to Gothenburg for burial. When our fleet stopped at Esbjerg, that bastard Nils seized the coffin by force, gathered a group of shamans chanting and dancing, and made a gilded chair—claiming Ragnar's spirit had taken residence in it…"
After hearing the story, Frode pondered for a moment.
"Where is that gilded chair now? We should bring it back and display it in a museum."
Pascal snorted.
"Denmark's been in chaos for years. After Nils fled to the Eastern Roman Empire, someone probably scraped off the gold and burned the rest as firewood."
From local residents, Vig learned that Louis the Younger was currently attacking Aalborg in northern Denmark, with forces numbering between five and seven thousand. The assault was fierce. Halfdan had already fled by ship, leaving only a handful of soldiers behind to hold the city.
Vig remained calm.
"No rush. Let them fight a little longer. Even if Aalborg falls, it doesn't matter."
He estimated the timeline. The second wave of troops had already set sail.
Once they arrived, Vig intended to cut off Louis's retreat route—and trap the entire army inside Denmark.
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