Rise of Rurik

The visiting people saw the mighty power of the "Guard of Honor" of the Rus, and when they entered the wooden fort, they saw more armed men.

Gould is the owner of this island. The shipbuilders know this island. Everyone always sees it from a distance. It is the first time to enter its interior.

Fodgen has visited this place many times. He doesn't know whose attack Gould is worried about. Anyway, the core area is like the defensive mode of the lord's house. A large number of wooden stakes are erected and tied into wooden walls, and a flood of water comes. defense.

But seeing a large number of people with weapons, Fodgen really doesn't know what use a wooden wall is with such armament.

Inside the wooden walls, Gould's Ballroom.

The Rus people greeted distinguished guests and friends with a banquet with rich ingredients.

Although Gould didn't think there was anything noble about those shipbuilders who were busy with sawdust all day, since Rurik was professionally required, he could only laugh and participate in it.

The spirits are blended into ordinary ale, and its rich aroma completely suppresses the meat aroma of roast lamb and beef.

Guests are greeted with beef and mutton, dried fruit, and delicate bread made from fine flour sieved with a fine mesh. The most delicious delicacy is the charming ale.

Of course, looking at Rurik, the so-called sumptuous meal is the same thing. But look at the simple-dressed shipbuilders, presumably in their daily life, there are very few results in such a feast that end up with a hard belly and a mouth full of oil.

Rurik didn't drink a drop of alcohol, and he didn't want his still weak body to be eroded to the point of fainting and delaying the event.

He didn't say anything first. As the son of the leader of Ross, he invited the visitors to eat and drink first, and then talk about important matters when everyone felt comfortable.

It's really been three times of wine and five flavors. Those guys who ate the grilled meat in the glass plate, and with greedy eyes, looked at the beautifully dressed maid who was raised by Gould, and kept going from cows. The roast meat cut from the sheep is put into his empty dinner plate.

They only focused on eating, but they didn't notice that the real honorable people present obviously didn't feel much hunger, they just happily chewed the pieces of meat carefully, or chewed the dried fruit slowly.

A slightly drunk old man with a beard, his red face made his wrinkles more pronounced.

"Lord Rurik, the promises made by you Ruth people seem to be true.

You are feasting us with the most beautiful food..."

"You..." Rurik smiled, maybe the negotiation is now? "Old man, I think you are the most experienced of all shipbuilders?"

"That's natural." The old man coughed twice suddenly and deeply, once making Rurik feel that the old man was suffering from some illness, but he saw that all the other shipbuilders stopped all kinds of savage tearing of fat.

The old man sat upright and swayed slightly; "I am Hortra, a senior shipbuilder. My little friend, maybe you have heard my story, but Master Gould knows me very well."

understand him? Rurik, of course, was completely unaware.

At this moment, Gould explained: "My lord, he has been focusing on shipbuilding for 30 years. When he was able to build a fishing boat by himself, he has never stopped until now."

"Wow!" Rurik happily stood up against the low table in front of him: "You are the person I need. Listen, we Russ need the big ships you made very much, we need cargo ships, and we need bigger ships. !"

Rurik did not want to fully explain his purpose in the first place.

Even when the messenger passed the news, it was revealed at most that the Ross leader intended to ask them to move, and as long as they did so, they would receive a great reward immediately. Of course, this was unrealistic. It was definitely not the case that Rurik took out a sum of real money as a temptation, and the other party would be able to move obediently.

Because, the shipbuilding industry of the Melalen tribe, in today's era, is properly heavy industry. What they have is not a workshop, but a shipbuilding site! It is ridiculous to want to relocate quickly. Rurik, who knows the industry very well, did not expect that they would really take all the factories away.

All Rurik needs is talent, or the best of them. Because the Ross tribe has never lacked shipbuilders, what the tribe lacks is a key talent - an engineer who can build large cargo ships.

If there are engineers sitting in the banquet hall, and they spend a lot of money to take them away, their purpose will basically be satisfied. If they decide to completely relocate their business, will the shipbuilding industry of the Russ complete a new take-off within two years?

But the craftsmen, in their professional sense, felt that the Rus mainly came to order large ships. To serve this big customer well, we can make big money.

The old Hotra cheerfully praised himself: "Yes, my family and I are famous in the whole Lake Melaren. You all call me Hotra, my real name is not it. Or I My real name is no longer worth mentioning, only my nickname can represent everything about me."

Of course people with status have nicknames, which is the norm throughout the Nordic world. Rurik has always known himself by the nicknames "Golden Ponytail" and "Son of God". The heroic cousin Arik, who played with two swords on the battlefield, was deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, so he was nicknamed "the man with two swords".

The original meaning of "Hotra" is "hard wood", and the nickname is actually the boat that his customers praised and ordered, and it has good resistance to some reefs.

General-purpose longboats, small fishing boats, and even expensive and stocky cargo ships are extremely hard.

How to build a solid boat? In fact, there are two technical cores. First, choose the right wood; second, the correct processing of the wood. The specific technical secrets, Hortra told his colleagues crazy.

Hortra took it for granted that the wealthy and virtuous Rus people wanted to order a large number of heavy cargo ships, because in the face of the current situation, they must be in urgent need of such ships.

With an old man's deepness, and with the pride of a skilled man, he said to Rurik: "Dear Russ, you must order a lot of cargo ships. Come on, how many do you need?"

"Huh?" Rurik hesitated for a moment, and then casually said a very large number: "I want a lot! I want a hundred ships."

"Huh?!" Hotra's artificial hyperthyroid eyes widened, he couldn't believe his ears.

The other craftsmen were also stunned on the spot.

Even Gould fell silent, and he whispered whether Rurik was serious.

The scene fell into a strange embarrassment, and Rurik still didn't know what his words meant.

"What? You're all looking at me? A hundred transports, what's so strange."

"This... my lord, a hundred ships..." Hortra really didn't know whether to be happy or anxious now.

"Do you have any doubts? I tell you clearly that we Russ need a lot of transport ships. Do you think a hundred ships are enough? No! I want two hundred, three hundred, and one day, I will have a thousand ships. ship!"

Because the other party's clothes were too gorgeous, Hotra hurriedly wiped his sweaty forehead. He sat upright with the help of the entourage of small craftsmen.

Rurik continued; "Say! Can you make it?"

Hortra's mouth trembled: "One hundred ships... that's too many! If you want to get the ships within a year, I am anxious for all the family members and all the small workers. I will build you ten ships at most within a year. ship."

"Huh?! Why so few?!" Rurik was taken aback this time.

"My lord, maybe for the rest of my life, my family won't be able to build you a hundred ships. It's a great undertaking that will take ten years to complete, and, lord, you'll have to pay a fortune for it. "

"You want money? We're not short of money." Rurik's confident smile reassured Hotra.

"That's good. My lord, if you Russ really want me to come up with a hundred ships in a short time, I can't do it. Also, building a new ship now is much more expensive than before. Worry."

If a boat becomes too expensive, Rurik reckons he will have to develop new ways to make money. However, he intends to acquire a large ship, and even establish the top shipbuilding technology in the region that the Ross tribe can control. The initial investment is necessary, and this investment cannot be counted on the merchants at all. It must be personally supervised by the chief family who controls the tribe's finances.

"Well, let's not talk about a hundred cargo ships. I want to buy a ship anyway. Tell me your price."

"Yes. On the current voyage, I want five pounds of silver."

"Huh?!" Rurik froze again, and then a faint smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.

"What? Your lord, do you think it's expensive? Oh my lord, the price of everything is going up recently. Maybe the world has more money. In order to survive, those of us who live by craftsmanship really have to go up. What's the price?"

"No problem." Rurik waved his hand. "Five pounds, I thought it was a huge sum of money. You know what? We Russ can spend five hundred pounds of silver just to buy food. Enough to order a hundred large ships for you."

Rurik's words seriously collided with the three views of all the shipbuilders present.

As Hortra was getting old, he felt a pulse of blood hit the top of his head, a dizziness made him cover his head, and then he stumbled and said: "You are really too rich, even richer than our Melalen chief. Those rumors are true. Yes, you really want to buy food."

"Of course! But we are also poor." Rurik smiled and deliberately cheated.

"Ah? I know your rumors, you are the boy who is known as Odin's blessing, Rurik! You and your Ross are so rich, you must have dug gold and silver mines in the north!"

"Gold and silver? Oh, it would be good if we could dig it. We are still poor, because we lack a group of skilled people. You shipbuilders, you build large cargo ships, and I need more than just from you. Ship, now..."

Having said that, Rurik left his position and stood in front of all the shipbuilders: "I invite you to go to Ross, and your family will build ships for me. As long as you decide to emigrate, your safety and wealth will be obtained by our Ross warriors. Protection. You think five pounds of silver for a big boat is enough, I don't think it's enough. I'll add another pound to you."

Here Rurik gave Horttra a new term to be "master", which is strikingly similar in pronunciation to "hordttra", which means pleasing. That's what "specialist masters" meant, and it represented Rurik's respect for them.

"Master Hotra, I hope that your family can rely on Ross, and you will get a new identity of the Ross people. You will build a big ship for me, and I will give you more rewards. From then on, you can accumulate a lot of wealth, you Your children will be treated well, you... You can often eat the food you can taste today, as well as the best wine. And like me, you can also dress your children in the most beautiful and warmest clothes.

Come to my Roseburg and you will get everything you want. As long as you are willing to work for me. "

Rurik opened his arms and sketched out a picture that could be called a perfect life.

Those young shipbuilders had already been captured by roast meat and fine wine, and in fact this was also in Rurik's calculations. Affluent life, and strong military security, the demands of ordinary people are nothing more than these.

Hortra couldn't believe that someone could make such a magical promise. You must know that in Melalen, shipbuilding is more profitable among many non-agricultural jobs. The more large cargo ships are ordered, the more profits will be made. Similarly, the shipbuilder has become the target of exploitation by the leader of Melalen.

Tributes are paid every year, plus the material expenses and labor costs of shipbuilding, the final profit is not much, but it cannot be said that it is small. The more skilled craftsmen, the better their lives are at least much better than that of ordinary farmers.

Hotra looked at Rurik with suspicion: "Can all these promises become reality?"

"You are doubting me? How dare you doubt me?" Rurik deliberately showed a hint of displeasure, "Don't you know my identity? I told me that I am the only son of the leader of Ross, and there is no second person in the entire tribe. I am more noble. Do you think that standing in front of you is just a well-dressed boy? No! I am the leader of Ross! Today, as the leader of Ross, I invite you humble craftsmen. But I don't think you are humble Yes, just follow me and work for me, and you will become noble!"

"Ah? You are actually..."

Hortra simply shook off the support, staggered out of the seat, and knelt down in front of Rurik.

Of course, this excessive behavior has the element of strong alcohol eroding his head, but Hotra is only exaggerating because of confusion. He was willing to believe the Rus people, and everything he saw today made him conclude that the rumors were true. The once mysterious Rus people were not only rich, but also virtuous.

The most important thing is that Olekin, the leader of Melalen, never said how much he would reward the shipbuilder.

Russ people are not ordinary. First, they are rewarded with fat and wine, and then they put forward huge orders that are enough to keep their family busy for ten or even twenty years, and even for generations to come. By now, the Rus seem to have finally made the final promise.

He was supposed to be a stubborn and somewhat family-loving Hotra. He didn't care about the amazed eyes of his family and friends. He desperately raised his head and looked up at the noble and beautiful boy. "Ah! You are like an elf in the forest, wanting to bring wealth to the poor me?!"

"Yeah. Join me. You see, Gould is my friend, he's become extremely wealthy. And there's Verdegan over there, who's been in Roseburg for the winter, and he knows we're real Wealthy and powerful. Master Hotra, why do you think we need a lot of cargo ships?"

"Ah? Is it the transport of food?"

"Not only that." Rurik raised his arrogant head, "the world thinks that we Rus have disappeared. No! We conquered the north and saw the sea at the end of the world. We conquered the east, and the people there became Our servants. We Rus are more powerful than Melarens, so in order to maintain the construction of our scattered new settlements, we need a lot of cargo ships to transport a lot of material resources. This is a great cause , your family joins us, so that my family will always remember your credit, and your descendants will inherit your credit from generation to generation."

This is definitely not something a young boy can say, this promise is too tempting!

Hotra stood up slowly. He looked at Fodgen, who was sitting quietly and cheerful, and no longer wanted to have any more doubts.

The rest of the boat builders are mostly Hortra's family, nephews and grandchildren.

Seeing that the situation was going very smoothly, Rurik was cruel. He was most afraid of the other party's hesitation, so it would be best to simply cut off their retreat.

Rurik made a serious statement: "Today, right now, before the roast lamb is completely cool, you must make up your mind. They brought their family and their own supplies and returned to Roseburg with us after the harvest season. .Or decide, and lose the favor of us Rus forever. Make your choice, Master."

Undecided?

If he was really hesitant, Hotra would not have knelt down just now. After all, he had a conversation with the senior tailor Fodgen, and only then did he learn about the real Rus people, the magical Rurik, and the kindness of the Rus people. For example, they really saved the survivors of the devastated Ostarans, treating these people with nothing as their own.

Even the beautifully dressed little girl sitting at the table at the banquet today is the new female leader of Ostara.

It was this girl who was the most proud of Verdegen. Because, in fact, it was Verdegen who helped the girl escape.

Hortra made a clear statement: "We're moving! Just this year! Let's go to Ross!"

"Ah! But father." His youngest son asked: "Although we should be able to live a good life in Ross, what about our current jobs?"

"Those half-built ships? Hurry up! Or give it to someone else. We work for the Rus and make a big profit, and we care about that now."

Rurik suddenly understood that the problem was very simple. Some ships were still under construction. In this situation, customers did not want the "factory" to run away in an instant. Even if you run away, at least you have to lose money. Important craftsmen pay attention to their own reputation, and it is not good to lose trust in others.

Rurik intervened directly: "Master, I admire your decisiveness, how much are those ships worth?"

"It's all fishing boats." Hortra shrugged, "It's only three hundred silver coins in total. Only when the boat is delivered will the customer pay the final payment."

"How much deposit did they give?"

"There's a pound of silver."

"That's it?" Rurik motioned to Gould. "Take two pounds of silver and give them to them. Those hapless fishing boats will not be built. No, give them three pounds! We can't treat them badly."

Gould snapped his fingers, and his eldest son Snowleva quickly took out a heavy bag of money and threw it at him.

He took out three pounds of silver so readily. Although there was no scale, Hotra knew that it must be three pounds based on the skills he had acquired in his daily work. The "huge money" easily thrown out by the Rus solved their worries at once.

"Are you satisfied now?" Rurik asked.

"Yes! From now on, we..." Huotra hurriedly indicated that his family, and even the shipbuilders of other families who cooperated in shipbuilding, half-kneeled on the ground, "From now on, we are your servants, my leader. "

Rurik nodded in satisfaction, and then saw Fodgen who kept glancing at the beautifully dressed Carlotta. Maybe this guy also called himself the savior of the girl?

Rurik coughed twice, "Ferdgen, what's your attitude?"

"what!"

"Go? Or stay?!"

Fodgen hurriedly knelt on the ground and complimented: "I am ready, my leader. As long as you give an order, my family and servants will bring all the supplies and follow your fleet. And the mercenaries I raised, I don't need them anymore. I think they can all be your warriors."

"Well, you are very smart. From now on, your workshop is built in my Roseburg, you can make clothes with peace of mind, and I will give you enough money in the first time. You and your family will have a prosperous life in the future. ."