Rise of Rurik

At dusk, a large number of clansmen gathered at the place where the edict was erected. When everyone saw the words on it, they immediately had different opinions.

In the crowd, an old guy with half of his beard burned off, after reading the paperwork on the wooden board, hurriedly squeezed out of the crowd and walked back to his home quickly.

He was Kravatsen, and when he returned to his home where he smelted all night to forge more iron farming tools (mainly shovels and axes) and cooking utensils (mainly iron bowls), he immediately called in his blacksmith apprentices.

After a while, Kawei came running up sweaty and shirtless.

"Dad, you came back so soon? The order issued by the leader... We really want to go to all-out war against the Gotlanders."

Clavasson's face was iron-like, and he did not immediately answer Kawi's words, but faced everyone present: "The big leader chose war, and Rurik will do our best to fight. Now I have decided, don't do it anymore. Go forge those farm implements, we'll make weapons now."

"Ah? We..." Kawi hurriedly asked, "What do we make?"

"First..." Klavathon knew that his decision was quite arbitrary, but thinking of the terms on the board, he was sure that the blacksmiths would make a huge contribution to this decisive war, and that kid in Rurik would definitely come to the blacksmith tomorrow. Shop giving orders.

"Let's make arrow clusters first, we're going to make a lot of carbon steel arrow clusters."

"This……"

Clavasson pointed his hand directly at his son, "Kavey, Rurik is our commander in the future war. It seems that we are going to assemble an army of 3,000 people, and I am afraid that you and I will both go on an expedition. Rurik will follow. Ke likes to shoot arrows in war. He told us to step up and make arrow clusters before. Now let's continue! Listen to my order, and all the iron bowls that have been made are smashed."

"Ah? Dad, why?!" Kawei was puzzled for a while.

"Idiot! Put me in a small stove and stir fry, and we'll make carbon steel arrow clusters now."

Kawei was helpless, but he planned to bring a batch of iron bowls to Novgorod this autumn to exchange for local agricultural products. After all, the fact that the locals pay tribute has nothing to do with the blacksmiths. Although the blacksmith also has to pay a tax to the leader, in addition to other income, that is the blacksmith's own.

He raised a huge hammer and repeatedly smashed the cast-iron bowl into pieces the size of a thumb. After being thrown into a small stove, he ordered the apprentice to wear leather gloves and keep stirring with an iron rod.

This is the method of stir-frying steel, and this technology can be said to have been discovered by Kawei himself due to an accidental incident. Although this matter is accidental, it is inevitable. After all, he already knows a lot of knowledge about the "Periodic Table of Elements".

Especially knowing that the difference between iron and steel is the magical carbon content.

The means of mass production of low carbon steel have already appeared, but it may be more suitable for making small objects such as arrow clusters, spoons, or drawing iron wire.

According to Kavey's estimation, there will be quite a few fragments that will remain the same size during the rapid decarburization, and finally the excellent arrow cluster blanks will be tapped and quenched to bond the arrow shafts.

Exhausted, he did not have the energy to continue fighting, and the short dark night was about to end.

In Roseburg, a high latitude, summer mornings are still chilly.

This night, Rurik was held in his arms by his mother. While satisfying the woman's thoughts, he was also lying on the soft leather bed, really sleeping peacefully. The ups and downs of the sea are really a headache to sleep.

The sun had already risen, and the awakened Rurik smelled the aroma of barbecue and touched the hall of his house.

The family sat together, and there was only one boy in Rurik, and the rest of the girls were his future wives and concubines.

Soon, the Britten maids in charge of the barbecue entered the hall with a steaming wooden board and placed a huge roasted deer leg on the table.

Look at this sizzling grilled meat!

Otto's stomach growled so badly, he didn't say a word, even though the barbecue was too hot, he picked up a knife and stabbed it. As the Duke of Ross, he unceremoniously cut off the best meat and tasted it for himself, tearing it with a big mouth, even splashing grease on Rurik's face.

"Dad, you look like a hungry wolf." Rurik protested unhappily, wiping the oil off his face lightly.

Otto was busy chewing the meat, whimpering, and Rurik had no choice but to pick up the knife to cut the meat, but he held the chopsticks quite elegantly and put the cut pieces of meat into his mouth.

Those girls followed suit. Their ability to handle chopsticks was trained by Rurik, which was completely different from Otto's way of eating tigers and wolves. They were more refined.

"It's strange, I thought there was oatmeal for breakfast," Rurik complained a little.

Niya shook his head: "Silly boy, the wheat has been eaten long ago. Now the situation is better than before, we at least still have venison to eat."

"Deer? Really willing?" Rurik suddenly turned his head to look at the smiling Rumia, and asked jokingly, "My high priest, is this really okay? Kill a deer like this?"

"Um... Although I'm a little reluctant, but after all, it's the leader... No, it's the Duke's triumph, and this meal should be a bit richer."

It sounded reasonable, Rurik nodded, and then Venison asked the most crucial thing: "I remember right, there is no night between tomorrow and the day after. When the sun stands still at sea level, it is ours. Great sacrifice. How are you preparing for the sacrifice?"

Rurik, who returned yesterday, fell asleep quickly, and Rumia was called by Otto to explain a major event, so she now fully knows the major event of the Ross tribe's total war on Gotland Island. No one is joking about this. Rumia knows very little about the Gotland people, but she already fully understands that this battle is not a continuation of the previous alliance's southward war, but a throw of the Rus people's comprehensive revenge.

Thinking that the outcome of this battle is either victory or destruction, she stammered: "Yes... there are plans to have five deer as sacrifices."

"That's it? Too few!" Rurik pointed to the deer leg. "More sacrifices to the gods. Ten deer! You pick ten from the herd."

"Huh?! So many."

"You can't bear it again? High priest! Listen to my orders!"

"Yes." Lumia nodded helplessly, she really didn't want to spend too much money.

Rurik looked at the table again: "Lumia, raise your head. This sacrifice is of great significance, you must do it well."

"Yes! I will."

"When you have eaten enough, you can continue to discuss with the priests. As for me, I have some important matters."

This morning's meal was not enjoyable at all, and he even bluntly stated that he didn't want to be tired with his mother anymore, but devoted himself to combat preparations.

Even if the real general mobilization has not been officially announced, the sign has been hung up, and some important members of the tribe have begun to act. He knows that he must race against time, especially to go off the field to handle the production and maintenance of equipment.

To put it bluntly, considering the way of life of the Rus people, of course, the troops and horses will go ahead without food and grass. Since the army will go on an expedition, it will also control a large area of ​​​​the sea. , Not to mention eating to support the stomach, it is absolutely no problem to eat fish to eat. Because the herring caught by the Ross fleet in an off-net fishing more than ten days ago did meet the food needs of 300 people that day.

The most important thing for the Rus people is to solve the problem of weapons and equipment.

Perhaps the number of weapons the Rus possessed was sufficient for a full-scale war, but Rurik really saw a major weakness in his tribe—the inability to bear the loss of too many warriors.

The agreed expedition date was in August, and now there is still a whole month before August! Even if the final assembly time of all parties is counted, let's count it as ten days, then the preparation time based on the Rus's ordnance is a full three weeks.

Three weeks may not seem like a long time, but it is not short.

As long as a group of people is mobilized to help, Ross Blacksmith will surely create miracles.

Rurik, who had eaten, called out a dozen mercenary entourages and hurried to the Kravasen's house.

Otto was not idle that day. He estimated that the billboard that stood up had already aroused the blood of the clansmen. As the chief leader, the Duke of Ross, he had to shoulder the conscription. With his cronies, he began to call on the remaining men to take up arms on the complex roads of the tribe. But more strong men are still at sea holding the line and fighting the hooked cod.

Blacksmiths gather here, the smoke and dust here will never disperse, and the air is also filled with a faint smell of burnt.

Rurik's visit was completely expected by the Klavassen family. To Rurik's surprise, he remembered that Kawi took his wife and children to Novgorod to visit his mother-in-law. Now...

Already sweating profusely, this sturdy young man was making some gadgets on the blacksmith's bench, holding a poker in one hand and a small hammer in the other.

After a while, Rurik saw clearly, "Ah! You are actually making arrow clusters?!"

"I've done a lot." Arik wiped the sweat from his face with his arm, and pointed the hammer to the small iron fist under his feet.

"It's all arrow clusters, so many?!"

Clavasson smiled and leaned in to agree: "I already know the news, and finally... I'm going to have a fight with the Gotlanders."

"What do you think? That's my decision."

"Okay! That's great!" In fact, Kravason felt a little anxious about his decision, and he had no right to question the current situation, so he continued to echo: "It's no regrets in my life to watch those guys lose all battles in my lifetime."

"Okay, I remember you said something similar when your grandson was born. Huh? What about Kamne?" Rurik looked around and asked, "Where's Lilia?"

"Lilia is still in Novgorod, and I let her take the baby and come back in the fall. You know, I'm a blacksmith, and our family has some influence in Novgorod now. Lilia is a good woman who is helping my family expand."

"Oh, so where the hell is Kamne? I see, why are you a little deserted here now, where are the large group of apprentices?"

"They all went to the mountains to mine." Cravason said with relish, stroking his beard: "The blast furnace can't be stopped. I asked some old guys to help take care of the furnace. But about mining, Kamne is really a kid. Smart, he has been able to find mines on his own, and those apprentices are only young, their physical strength and stamina are very good, and they don't look tired when they come back with the ore."

"Alright, it looks like I'm worried about unnecessary things."

Rurik looked at the current situation again, and bluntly said that Kawei had suspended the work at hand.

Clavasson had brought three leather cushions and laid them on the gravel floor of the blacksmith's shop, knowing that Rurik's coming this time would be a big deal, just as he had done before.

Sure enough, Rurik's mouth was startling.

"It seems that you guys understand my idea very well. The sign I asked to stand has some effect. You are making arrow clusters, and it seems that they are the best carbon steel arrow clusters. It's great! Kawei, you are my respect. man!"

"It's my honor to serve you."

Kawei's flattery Rurik was very happy, since they were so cooperative, his next plan was easy to implement, although it was a real challenge for them.

Taking this opportunity, Rurik briefly explained his experience of fighting in the south over the past twenty days. Of course, there are so many thrilling details in it that Kawhi and Kravason have a lot of energy to ask why.

Rurik didn't have time to spend his time preaching the achievements of the Rus army.

He emphasized one point in particular: "In this war, the enemy suffered huge losses, but the elites of the Melalen Army suffered a lot, and all allies suffered a lot. Only us, not even a single wounded person. Why is this? Because We've been shooting with bows and arrows, and when the enemy rushes in, we've killed them all. So it's great that we're using bows, crossbows, and torsion slingshots on a massive scale!"

Kawei raised his head high, and his sitting body was shaking with excitement: "You mean to encourage me to try my best to make arrow clusters before our war comes?"

"Yes! The best steel-arm crossbow and general oak crossbow, you father and son are master craftsmen, you are indeed the best blacksmiths in Ross, and you will surely train a large number of small blacksmiths. Of course, you must make a large number of arrow clusters. , We have to fight against a very strong enemy, and naturally we have to prepare a large number of quenched carbon steel arrow clusters. You are only responsible for making arrow clusters, arrow shafts and bonding tail feathers, and I will send someone to take charge."

"Let your girls? Oh no, the children of the Valkyrie Legion." Clavasson laughed.

"Of course, the arrows they use to make the final assembly have proven to be useful in actual combat."

"That's a good thing." Originally, Cravatson felt that those girls were really unreliable, and since their master Rurik trusted them, he always kept his mouth shut.

Unexpectedly, Rurik was surprised again.

"This time I plan to assemble an army of 3,000 people, but I think about it carefully, our tribe doesn't talk about babies, there are not 3,000 men who can stand up and walk. I must gather enough 3,000 people for this battle, this is the The promise I made to everyone is also... a promise to God. So my Valkyrie army, those girls, they have to go to the battlefield." In fact, Rurik just didn't want to break his word, he deliberately showed that he kept his word. , Anyway, it is planning to have an army of 3,000 people, including cats and dogs, and even a group of "cheerleaders", even if they have 3,000 people, they have not broken their promises.

Besides, a large number of people can also scare the enemy sensory, right?

"Ah? You...really..."

"Klaverson, you want to say this is ridiculous?"

"I..." Clavasson denied it, but his eyes made it very clear.

Rurik shrugged: "If they don't go to the battlefield, what's the point of me training them? I never expect those children to go into battle and kill the enemy, and they won't be able to become female fighters in close combat in the future. They shoot with crossbows. Well, that's what my Valkyrie Legion does."

This is Rurik's decision, and Kravasen is very self-aware, he immediately changed the subject: "Then, in the previous battle, you launched a lot of people to make arrows, plus the inventory made in advance, the total amount is 20,000. ? They must have been worn out a lot in the war, my lord, you need us to rush to work less."

"You asked about the idea." Rurik thought for a while, considering that he only had three weeks to produce at full capacity before the battle, he really couldn't expect the terrifying efficiency of the blacksmith's own power. "Let's do it like this, make a thousand arrow clusters of hardened carbon steel, they are used for steel arm crossbows, and I use them to shoot the enemy's elite. I also need a lot of ordinary crossbows, traditional wooden bows. The arrows and arrow clusters are made of molten molten iron. You know the time of my planned expedition, and you still have three weeks to complete 10,000 pieces!"

"Ah?! So much?" Kawi lost his temper for a while and asked, "Rurik, do you think we can do it?"

"This is an order." Rurik's face was sullen, as if he would not take a step back.

"This……"

"Kawei, you have no right to hesitate. Remember, this is a bet on our Ross tribe. For this victory, we must make weapons with all our might. Even if you don't sleep or hire labor, you must work hard to make weapons. Make these 10,000 clusters of arrows. Even bronze clusters of arrows are fine. I only need weapons now, and…”

"Ah? What else?!"

At this time, Rurik's eyes were aimed at the somewhat embarrassed Kravatsen...