Chapter 430： Return

The continued good days warmed the hearts of the people, and the entire Roseburg was even more prosperous. In just three months, the world once covered by ice and snow was lush and lush.

In the extremely high-dimensional Roseburg, the average daily maximum temperature has exceeded 20 degrees in recent times, and many people even feel a bit of heat.

Those are a large number of brawny men who are not very particular about them, with their naked upper bodies covered with golden breast hair and furry arms, standing actively on their fishing boats, pulling their nets to the boat.

Roseburg has entered the warmest time of the year. This year's situation is definitely different from the past. Its intense warmth is felt by everyone, and the large demand for supplies on Tombstone Island also tempts fishermen to transport large amounts of fish.

Therefore, when the small fleet of Aphrola returned, the fleet directly met Rurik’s own fishing boat.

It was a fishing boat with a hull number, and the fishermen had signed contracts with Rurik.

For the time being, the two fleets met at sea, and Lurik on the deck came to ask for a question, and he was more confident about the future battle.

At least their own fishing boats and contracted fishermen will be very active in fishing and transporting goods for their own interests.

What about the other people? Not dare to say that they had made major sacrifices in order to conquer the great war of the Gotland people, Rurik believed that they at least immediately contributed their strength for the sake of interest.

Ahead, a large number of net-off boats are cruising, and there are also a number of boats hanging on the sea, and fishermen are fishing for cod with twine ropes.

The entire Gulf of Bothnia is under the control of the Ross people, and most of the fish resources in this huge bay with a depth of 600 kilometers have actually become exclusive to the Principality of Ross. Only due to the limitations of fishing technology, the Ross people are still "requesters with very limited capabilities", and their influence on the ecological resources of this gulf is very limited.

Just a few days ago, Lurik was worried that the logistical pressure of the Rus army would be a big problem that would be difficult to alleviate if a great war was launched.

The weather was fine at the moment, and he was standing on the bow deck four meters above the waterline, and he could overlook a large number of ships and even the distant horizon.

"There are so many boats? Why don't all the guys of the Ross people come out to work? If I go back, how many people will stay behind for a long time? If they don't come back on the winter solstice, my order..."

Rurik was a little more stressed by accident, but now he needs to go back sooner.

On the night of June 25th, the southwest had become very weak, and the Aphrora, which was still sailing, insisted on sailing.

Just because within 72 hours, the latitude where Roseburg is located has reached the point of the astronomical summer solstice, the pure night time today has been compressed to only one hour.

The Aphrodite sailed almost in the extreme day, but was blown by the warm sea breeze, which made Rurik feel that the world was a bit weird.

The last voyage was calm, as Rurik expected. After this short night, an unknown number of hours passed. In short, the sun was still floating on the western sky, and the Aphrora fleet turned the ship. Head, all into the Roseburg Fjord.

Four large ships with unique spinnakers have entered the port. The sails are also stitched with huge, cross-blue stripes.

It's the leader's ship! The leader fleet triumphed!

A large number of fishing boats have left the port for fishing operations, but there are not many people taking in Roseburg, and most of them still stay at home. Especially women, they work as tailors and are also responsible for chopping wood to boil salt for pickling fish.

Finally home, Otto boarded the bow and looked in the direction of home.

"Hey, that's our house."

"I saw that there are not many boats on the coast, so the owner must have gone fishing." Rurik said casually.

Suddenly, the dense black smoke in an area in Roseburg attracted the attention of the father and son. The two subconsciously thought it was a fire, and they fixed their eyes. Isn't the smoking area the mansion of the blacksmiths? Including the blast furnace for smelting pig iron, it is also in that area.

Rurik patted his face that was blown by the warm sea breeze, and sighed: "The chimney and black smoke represent our strength. Now we need a blacksmith to make it hard."

There is still one month left for the Rus to prepare for the war, unless Rurik personally orders not to deal with the Gotland this year.

Indeed, Rurik asks himself, he can say that he is really rushing to launch a strategic decisive battle now in terms of armament. If we accumulate power in the winter of this year, the Ross Army next year will not only be a large ship of the Aphrora, because there are still two large ships of the same class under construction. The Ross people will have at least three big ships next year, and the Ross army will surely be equipped with more weapons and more armored soldiers.

Look at the "industrial zone" with billowing smoke! In the past, Rurik could only dream, but now he feels that the Ross people have the ability to produce plate armor with higher efficiency.

The clear air allows people on the shore to easily see almost all the details on the surface of the small fjord. Some people in Roseburg have natural long-sightedness. They not only saw the Aphrola clearly, but also the ship. People standing on the bow.

A boy with a golden ponytail, and an old guy with a flowing beard.

The ecstatic people ran across the intricate roads and yelled, "The leader is back!"

The news soon reached the longhouse of the priest. Lumia, who was taking care of the high priest Vilia and drinking the soup, was shaking with her wooden spoon.

Like a cracked earth, Veria half-opened his eyes and muttered slowly: "It seems...your person is really back. You...take him to me."

"Yes! I'm going now."

Excited, Lumia couldn't help shed two lines of tears. She was afraid that the expedition Rurik would encounter any crisis, and now they return safely.

Of course, what moved her even more was that what was happening now was actually within the expectations of the high priest.

It seems that the old lady lying in the leather is a Valhalla, and she will eventually return her soul to Valhalla someday. She still persists stubbornly until now. There must be this mission to be completed in the human world.

In the past, almost all the ships of the Gould family stayed at Lake Mälaren in summer. Times have changed. Now Gould himself has returned to Roseburg ahead of schedule. The once-a-year runaway trade, as the Russ have effectively controlled the entire Gulf of Bothnia, ships that were feared of being attacked by pirates now dare to sail alone.

Trade routes are not only normal, but trade has also become frequent. Gould left the general trading business to his sons, especially his eldest son Snoreva. He only needs to deal with some important matters, so he needs to stay in Roseburg for a long time.

Lumia was wearing a gray-white burqa, and behind her were four lower priestesses with the burqa. They hurried to the pier of Gould's house, and soon saw the Aphrodite docked steadily, as well as Rurik who was chatting and laughing with the big businessmen, and the leader Otto who still frightened her.

Lu Mia gently put down her hood, revealing her unique black hair and braids held by a silver hairpin behind her head.

She hurriedly approached her man, and interjected urgently: "Ruriek, the high priest. She is looking for you."

"It's Veria! Is she okay?" For a moment, Rurik was numb with shock. He suddenly thought of the bleak appearance of the high priest who was about to die, looking at Lumia's current emotions. , Apparently the high priest's condition is pretty good.

Lumia nodded: "The high priest can speak and eat, but the great **** didn't take her away."

Rurik had already talked to Gould about the war, and Gould, who was so shocked by the seriousness of the matter, was stunned with a serious and iron face, and his plump body couldn't help but tremble.

"Just follow my decision. This is the power that the Duke has given me. You can just follow my orders. Do you remember?"

Gould nodded vigorously: "Go to Mellaren to recruit some mercenaries who are not afraid of death. Go buy a batch of dried salted fish or other food. I will organize a fleet today."

Rurik nodded, and then followed Rumia without saying a word, leaving everyone else alone.

Otto shrugged, his big hand still pinching Carlotta's neck: "Now let's go back."

"But, Duke, we..."

"Stupid boy, this is Roseburg, here you have to call my father."

"Yes! Dad..." In a moment, Carlotta felt uncomfortable. Although the war was going to continue, she just wanted to go home, see her sister, and her adoptive mother, and take a good rest.

Lumia took Rurik's wrist, and the two trot all the way, forcing the priestess who was entourage to also have to run with her gown.

Lumia is still a deer breeder who is good at running, even though she has essentially served as the high priest of Rose.

She was forgiven for life by Odin. With this blessing, the tribe would have prejudices and doubts about the black-haired deer breeders. For her, this questioning is simply a great rebellion against God.

Now, Lumia has not been dazzled by the power she has, and all of her stable life today comes from Rurik.

The high priest rehearsed the war launched by the entire alliance, and the curtain will surely come to an end on a very large scale, and the Rus will also gain tremendous gains from this war.

What is the so-called huge gain? Does it mean the poor prisoners who were transported back some time ago?

Lumia wanted to know the "chance" that Veria knew, but she didn't dare to ask in detail.

Soon Rurik returned to the long house of the priest and sat next to Grandma Veria.

A hand shaped like a withered bone rose, Rurik grabbed it without hesitation, and then pressed it against his face.

Veria's shriveled face showed a faint smile, "God said, I can't leave until the important things are done."

"Grandma, you..."

"That was a rehearsal. The rehearsal has become a reality. You... are back."

"Yes! I'm back, I want to participate in this year's summer solstice sacrifice, this is what I must do."

Veria actually laughed subconsciously, and slowly said: "You... definitely not because of this. You want to plan a big event, but I don't know what it is, but the oracle told me that you planned the right thing. Rose..."

"How?"

"It's a good thing."

At this moment, Lurik would rather be very superstitious. This is called the frequent occurrence of good omens before the war. It is a great thing for the soldiers who are going to expedition and the entire Ross tribe!

Rurik continued to hold Veria's hand and stared into her eyes solemnly and seriously: "Yes, it seems that Odin has already met the result of this war. I have already decided, and I want to dedicate the entire tribe Power, to defeat the Gotland completely and accomplish what the leaders of the past have wanted to do but could not do!"

Upon hearing such a plan, Vella suddenly let out a sigh of relief.

"Grandma, are you surprised?"

"Me? Hey... I finally understand what that oracle is. It's you... Go ahead and do what you want."

Then, she asked Lumia to stretch her head: "Listen, child, obey all your man's orders. For this summer sacrifice, you must publicly announce Rurik's decision."

Lumia nodded vigorously, but her heart was worried about the future again.

Is it necessary to launch a decisive war against a powerful hostile force?

At this moment, Rurik was holding Villa’s hand. He felt that this old lady had insight into everything. Even if she was not an unknown prophet, she had the skills of Zhuge in this world. If she were a man, she might have held the throne of the leader of the Ross tribe. .

In fact, the result is similar. This old lady has been the leader of the Ross tribe for more than ten years.

Rurik solemnly said: "Grandma, you don't have to worry at all. I have drawn up a detailed battle plan. I will make very sufficient preparations. I will also select fighters from the tribes that serve us. This war is about For the future of our Ross people, I will fight with the strength of the entire tribe to win. Please, you must stay here to protect me, and I will triumphantly."

"Then...it depends on God's will." Veria squeezed out a smile, "Now I am still alive because of God's grace. Ah, the future depends on you, Rurik."

The warm scene happened to be seen by Otto who rushed over. He didn't say a word, he just watched with his eyes and listened with his ears. Undoubtedly, he heard something incredible and couldn't help shaking.

Otto trembled because of inner ecstasy, not only because the high priest seemed to be weak, but also some years away, but mainly because of the obscure oracle that the high priest had learned-victory lies in Rose.

The victory belongs to Rose, but it is not sitting and waiting for the victory to fall from the sky.

This year’s summer solstice ceremonies will be very grand. Lurik intends to announce the war mobilization in public. However, some people in the tribe must have smelled the signs of a larger war. They must know in advance, even if they know it, they will be able to do so. ready.

The blacksmith Clavasson and the apprentices have been working hard in the past days.

The blast furnace never stops, molten iron flows out regularly, and ore and charcoal are poured into it overnight.

In order to serve this furnace, Ruriek had given the blacksmith apprentice and his large group of small subordinates the task as early as when he left Roseburg.

Even children, they carry shovel, chisel, and wheelbarrow to dig in the nearby mountainous area. They are crowded with large numbers of people, and the mining efficiency is sufficient to supply the blast furnace steadily.

A consortium for the production of carbon pottery iron has been formed in Roseburg. The charcoal wengs supply raw materials, the potters supply molds, and the blacksmith alliance mines and completes the smelting. The ironware produced finally benefits the participants in the entire process, but also for them. The leader accumulates wealth.

After all, the production efficiency of pig iron smelted products almost depends on the supply speed of raw materials and fuels.

Selling pig iron products, especially farm tools, in exchange for other things, such as precious grains, has long been an appointment with the blacksmiths.

The only blast furnace continued to smelt and cast daily necessities, but Kravasson did not let go of the work of making steel swords with orders. The blacksmiths are the busiest group of people in the whole tribe. They are more industrious than fishermenespecially now that most of the day is in the daytime, they are entering the most hard-working period of the year.

Their struggle is also accumulating wealth at an extremely alarming rate, and it is also the accumulation of their own political capital in the Duchy of Ross (those who returned early explained the great thing about the tribe’s upgrade to the duchy). Klavasen is getting older, here In the matter, his mind is extremely clear.

The returning Rurik remembered the sacrifice two days later. He didn't need any drafts to give a speech on the occasion of the sacrifice. He dragged the boat back home, and after being hugged hard by his mother, he couldn't wait to lie down in the bed and slept.

Prior to this, the planks of the "Duke's Edict" had been placed on the beach of the tribe. Under Otto's instruction, warriors rushed everywhere, announcing that Ross would declare war on Gotland.

Under the brief night of the night, everyone's heart is boiling, and war often means getting a huge amount of spoils, but...

Are the tribes really going to declare war on the entire island of Gotland and launch an all-out attack?

While people are feeling the courage of the leader, some people suspect that the leader has acted too hastily. Anyone with a discerning eye can see that the strength of the tribe is increasing every month. Since the battle is really brief, why start now?