Rise of Rurik

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In fact, from the very beginning, Gould revealed that the leader of the alliance, Olegin, deliberately stipulated that this area was a full-time business area near his mansion because of the needs of management, and even stipulated the location of the tavern he controlled. , and even a venue for slave traders to sell slaves.

Whether it was the sale of slaves, the sale of cheap pottery, or the biggest grain trade every autumn, Olegin stipulated that these trades could almost only be done in fixed markets.

Rurik was right in guessing that Olegin was indeed a greedy man.

The so-called greed is actually forced by practical reasons.

It is necessary to support a "standing army" of up to 500 people, and prepare enough iron weapons to arm 2,000 people in a short period of time, and even include the cost of replacing and maintaining ships. These are basically the "defense expenses" of the Melalen tribe, which is military spending in the real sense.

When the population of a tribal group reaches a certain critical point, an authority equivalent to the king will be created, a group of courtiers who obey the king, and a standing army that only obeys the king will also be born. In order to support the army, the tax system was also born naturally.

Using tough means to confine all the people who come to Melalen to do business in one venue is ultimately to meet the practical needs of convenient collection of tributes.

The times were like this, without papermaking, only a few people understood the rune script, and the script was often engraved on stone and wooden boards in the form of incantations, and only the priests would often use it.

In people's daily life, words almost do not appear. It is for this reason that there are no technocrats called scribes and tax collectors, which forces Olegin, who is the most valuable leader of the alliance, to go out in person to decide how much tribute he can collect. It can be estimated, because it is almost impossible to quantify the tax under such technical conditions.

Tributes are collected every year. Since the detailed work that penetrated Rosberg told him that the Rus people invented the concept of "tax", he was only misunderstood by the behavior of the Rus people, but this was a misunderstanding that made him excited!

No, Olegin is going to take his subordinates to play the tax collector himself. This time, he is not going to ask for tribute, but to collect tax in a similar way.

What exactly is a Melaron-style tax, Olekin has a consciously reasonable statement: "You must pay tribute when you do business on my site. You have made great profits from doing business, and you must give me tax. ." He estimated that the merchants were reluctant to give out another sum of money, but the money had to be collected. In order to fight against those who did not pay the money, the private army that was supported would have to work.

In this way,

Otto led the Sorgon voyage of the Rus, that is, armed to snatch the wealth of the Novgorods to fatten themselves. Olegin is also doing the same thing, except that his scythe for harvesting wheat is harvesting his own people, whether in a realistic or figurative sense.

It may be a very significant day for Olegin today. He has already made a decision, so he put on gorgeous and noble clothes, organized as many as fifty private soldiers, and prepared to collect taxes by force.

In order to make another crucial sum of money before the late harvest season that is doomed to be missed, he is fully prepared.

Just inside the wooden wall surrounded by thick oak, his private army captain asked cautiously again: "Master, are you really sure? If those people don't give money, will they kill one or two?"

"Yes, if you are determined not to give money, you will kill two or three people, so that others can give money obediently."

"But they're not yours..."

"My clan? Not only." Olekin finally looked at his subordinates: "Brothers, think about the money in your own hands. If we don't squeeze those people, how can I give you more money? Now someone is interceding with those guys? Don't you love money anymore?"

There is no such thing as the aura of mysticism like being "loved by the gods" in Olekin. He can't use these means to win over people's hearts. The best means he can control is to support private armies and curry favor with the wealthy households of the Melalen tribe. In order to control the throne of the leader of the alliance, basically his power is maintained by a well-trained private army of more than 500 people. Don't look at the number of troops at hand, his military strength is unmatched.

With Olegin's agitation, those with sympathy have strengthened their beliefs. The so-called if anyone wants to suffer, as long as it is not me, everything will be fine.

The heavy oak door was opened, and a group of sword-wielding warriors in leather armor stepped out first, followed by the leader of the alliance, Olegin, who was dressed in a ferret with gold threads. a wealthy businessman. This is only superficial, under his leather coat, but wearing chain mail!

The rabbit could bite in a hurry. Olegin felt that he needed to be vigilant. He was afraid that the small businessman who had been looted too seriously by him would suddenly turn into a desperado. He really knew the Melaron people very well. It seemed that his clansmen had become farmers and fishermen who were indifferent to the world.

But things are really different today.

Olekin saw that there were actually a large group of children in ragged clothes, almost a few figurines left on their bodies, and they rushed towards him.

"Damn! Is it an enemy attacker? Escort! Escort!"

God knows how there are a group of children staying near their door, they seem to have come out of a pile of adobe houses, but they are definitely not the children of Melalen, because the residents of the whole tribe are afraid of their power as the leader of the alliance. , as long as the anger exploded, all the children were so frightened that they burst into tears.

The guards were not in a hurry to draw swords and axes, they all stood in front of their masters, very skillfully forming a human wall.

They are very good at this. The so-called if there is a war, when everyone wears heavy armor and cowhide shields, they must also form a human wall to protect the master.

The children were hungry little wolves, and their target was Olekin, who was most beautifully and neatly dressed, running and shouting for food.

The private soldiers who only cared about protecting their masters raised their feet one after another, kicking these skinny children violently.

Being kicked down violently, the children still stood up tenaciously, even if they were crawling, they had to crawl towards Olegin.

They were all emaciated children, and there seemed to be girls among them. Although they were young, the willpower they burst out made Olegin feel a little bit of fear.

The children continued to be kicked down by the private soldiers, and they got up again, shouting hunger, and continuing to stretch out their thin, trembling little hands to Olegin for a rescue.

Their purpose is actually very simple, just to beg for a bite to avoid starvation.

Olegin had never encountered such a thing. How could he listen to the meaning of a group of children who suddenly appeared. Seeing that these "dirty guys are not dead", he became cruel.

"Guard, hit me! Whoever climbs over will hit him until he's dead!"

Beat up a child? Numerous private soldiers consciously humiliated their own reputation, and since their masters were pressing hard, they would not be human beings.

Then a private soldier drew his sword, and the sharp blade lit up. Many children begging for food finally felt scared and began to flee.

Is it possible to avoid being killed by fleeing?

The children who escaped were caught up one after another, and the private soldiers did not kill them with one blow, but obeyed Olekin's latest order, which was to torture this group of "wild dogs standing in front of their own door" with their fists.

The children's wailing came one after another, and some Melalen natives came over quietly looking for the sound. Seeing that it was not their own child who was beaten, they sighed and consciously avoided it.

That is the most powerful leader! No one dared to stop the leader's actions. In fact, everyone saw begging children who were beaten. Some people secretly applauded, hoping that the leader would eliminate these potential thieves.

There were also people who heard the news and really smiled in public. Because what is happening now is exactly what they hoped for.

Yes, if they hadn't been instigated, how could the hungry foreign children flee to the leader's door and squat?

The screams and cries of children were heard not far away, and the tragic sound of the voice instantly aroused Rurik's alertness.

"Yavlo!"

"exist!"

"Are parents beating their own children? Didn't you say that the alliance leader's home is not far ahead? Could it be that the alliance leader educates his children like this?"

Yevluo wanted to laugh when he heard it, but someone from the accompanying mercenary pointed out: "Master, that Olegin's son is thirty years old."

"Maybe educating the grandson?" Rurik shrugged: "Let's go, let's look for the voice and see what happened."

After a while, Rurik and the others had already seen the wooden fence that stood up at Olekin's mansion, and the screams continued one after another.

After passing through a few adobe houses and encountering a few women with dignified faces in a hurry, the chaotic scene is all in front of everyone.

Rurik's scalp tightened and his whole body was shaking.

"What's going on?! Yevro, a group of people with swords and armor, they're... ah?! Beating children?!"

"Oh, it looks like it is." Arik looked at the atrocities of the armored people with indifference, and under the burqa was his contemptuous eyes, he shook his head: "I hope they deal with the Gotland people like this. What kind of bravery. Bah! I think highly of them, the Mellarens are cowards who only dare to beat children, and they dare not use force against the Gotlanders."

Rurik did not comment for the time being, he immediately looked at the surrounding environment.

In front of the tall and thick wooden wall, there is a small square that has been trampled on very solidly. A group of children with almost only figurines on their bodies gathered at the base of the wooden wall. They were surrounded by armored sword-wielding men, trembling and trembling.

More than a dozen other children were being beaten. Looking at the posture, a well-dressed man was obviously the leader. This man was instructing the perpetrator to beat him to death.

The more Rurik looked at it, the more angry he became, and he also noticed that Carlotta, who was following him, had been quietly hiding behind the mercenary.

"No! We can't let them continue to be violent." Rurik instantly felt a sense of justice, and he wanted to move forward after he said that, and then was caught by Yevlo.

"What? You stop me?"

"My lord, the man in the ferret suit is... Olegin."

"Ah? That guy?!" Rurik suddenly raised his head, clenching his teeth that had begun to loosen. "Then I'll stop him even more!"

Rurik suddenly broke free from Yevro's hand. His small figure in a burqa walked in front, feeling that his master was facing a huge risk, Yevro shook his neck and ordered the other mercenaries to rush to follow.

The sturdy Arik even clenched the hilt of the sword in his burqa with his right hand. He observed the perpetrators and had already planned in his mind what technique to use to cut their throats as soon as possible.

More than a dozen people wearing burqas emerged from the gaps in the adobe house.

In fact, Olegin has long noticed that there are such a group of people watching secretly, and he thinks that the young man from the winery just came to report the important event. He can be sure that the Norwegians who dare to spend a lot of money on wine and perform arrogantly are these people. .

wrong! Could it be that a group of wild children made themselves uncomfortable, which is the way of the Norwegians?

For a moment, Olegin felt that the child who was beaten was actually a slave child kidnapped by the Norwegians from nowhere. They asked the child to find trouble for themselves, and they were still causing trouble in the tavern. What ulterior motives must these guys have?

Those private soldiers who had not yet started to beat others also drew their swords one after another. After all, the comers were dressed in completely uniform, and the pace was steady. There was this murderous aura invisibly. A gust of north wind came, and the chilling feeling made the private soldiers secretly fear.

"Stop it all!" Olekin gave an order, the perpetrators folded their fists, and the children who were beaten were already paralyzed as if they were dead.

Those children with bruises all over their bodies and bleeding from the corners of their mouths were wriggling with difficulty, like their last struggle before dying.

Rurik could not help but stop, and he was soon guarded by his men.

Arik lowered his head lightly and scolded in a low voice, "You are such a reckless fool, you are just a child, do you want to be beaten to death by them?"

"I……"

"Now stand behind me, if they dare to use force, I will cut their heads." Arik ordered through baring his teeth.

Arik is young and vigorous and has a wealth of experience in slashing people, and Rurik is really glad that he has his protection now.

After a while, the door of the wooden wall was opened, and more than 30 armored men with short spears and swords came out, and they guarded the leader.

The scene was quiet for a while, and for a short time, both sides were looking at each other.

Olegin felt that he had enough manpower. He pushed the wall of his own private soldiers and questioned with his long sword: "It's you! The Norwegians! The people in the tavern told me about you, you are so bold."

Arik now fully represents his younger brother, not to mention that the tavern's riotous operation is entirely his own idea. Being able to be directly pointed at by the legendary alliance leader's sword, Arik didn't feel the slightest bit of fear, nor did he feel any excitement, all he had was anger.

If you are threatened, the best way to break the threat is to cut the threat.

Are you supposed to be Norwegian? Then it will be counted.

Threatened by someone with a sword, Arik's next move could be called a conditioned reflex.

He lifted his hood abruptly, revealing his blond hair and a thick beard that looked solid and dependable. He shook his burqa violently, accompanied by a strong metallic hum, and under his eyes, flashed his bright white sword.

And this is just his first sword.

Arik's left hand also reached into his waist and pulled out another bright white long sword with a more ornate pattern on the hilt.

Seeing a strong young man holding two swords high, the private soldiers were shocked by this aura, and they didn't know what to do for a while. Everyone has heard of the legend of heroes, that is, some heroes on the battlefield can defeat a hundred with one, and anyone who rushes close will be easily killed.

This guy with two swords is so weird! Everyone is thinking, if the master orders to charge with a sword, should he be the first charge?

The mercenaries present, and even some of the elite Ross warriors, were looting and beheading hundreds of enemies in the waters south of Lake Melalen two months ago. The heroic Arik drew his sword, how about himself? ! Pooh! No matter what the leader of the alliance, Olegin, he is an idiot!

"Brothers, draw your swords! Prepare to fight." Yevro gave an order, and the others drew out their bright white steel swords, and squatted halfway, forming a curved human wall, with the sword pointed straight ahead. .

Steel swords, they are so dazzling in the sun.

The people wearing the burqa are clearly not a rabble, Olekin's view, they are obviously a well-trained army!

For the convenience of reading next time, you can click "Favorites" below to record the reading record of this time (Chapter 333 A Confusion and a Confrontation), and you can see it when you open the bookshelf next time!

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