Rise of Rurik

True, Rurik himself was incapable of finishing leather. Fur is not deeply tanned, and once it rots, it becomes waste.

The Gould family, they have been operating in Roseburg for many years. Thanks to the long-term stable environment provided by the tribe, they have achieved great wealth. Of course, Rurik was convinced that he was a nobleman of Gould, and it was only natural to ask for more wealth from this wealthy businessman.

Due to the trade of various metal tools and weapons within the tribe, Rurik has monopolized it. The blacksmith group and even the newly promoted Kewen blacksmiths are really a community of interests with Rurik.

Rurik would openly sell the chrome steel and ferrochrome tools he brought back, almost all of which were axes. An axe would be exchanged for 20 silver coins or an equivalent amount of silver coins. Rurik decided to price the existing ones. Do not modify.

However, the large amount of leather brought back can be a story.

All pelts, including all polar bear skins, cost Rurik 50 bucks for a bear skin, 2 bucks for a snow rabbit skin, and 5 bucks for a reindeer skin.

This price has greatly exceeded the market price, and the price of the bearskin will not be too high.

Rurik did it intentionally and intentionally forced them to buy it, and he had already figured out a concept of a "leather excise tax for the big merchants" to be thrown when the Goulds desperately refused, to force them to accept the strange name. , a malicious new tax.

In the final analysis, Rurik wanted to make money from the wealthy, in order to relieve the pressure on the financial expenditures of the increasingly gifted people under his rule.

Hearing Rurik's offer, the two obese young men opened their eyes, which were almost squinted into a line because of their obesity, on the spot, revealing their blue pupils.

Among them, the elder brother argued: "My esteemed lord, the price you put forward is really too high. How can there be such a high price in the market? We have lost something in this transaction."

"What? You refuse to trade with me?"

Rurik only frowned slightly, which scared the two of them to withdraw their resistance.

"However, the price is still a bit high."

"What? Want to haggle? Listen, we hunted the most ferocious beasts from the far north, and you should applaud my bravery, and now you tell me the price is too high."

"No! I didn't mean that. My lord." The elder brother pulled his younger brother,

The two knew that there was no way out now. They really couldn't think of a better solution. For the longevity of the family, they covered their hearts and bowed slightly: "Then according to your request. We... we are willing to spend money to buy it."

Helpless is helpless. Not long after Gould immigrated to the Ross tribe, he began to have a little doubt about his actions. Specifically, he felt more complicated in his heart.

Generally speaking, if you are close to the Rus, you should be able to gain long-term stability, and your descendants are also expected to enter the core group of the Rus, which is a political right that they cannot enjoy in their hometown. Just to get it, the family really continued to bleed, as if his family had become Rurik's sheep, but Rurik was indeed not a person who was addicted to pleasure, and the funds he asked for were actually used on ordinary people. Gould was scheming, and he knew it was a way to win people's hearts.

Gould's education for children is to ask them to obey Rurik's demands, even if it is unreasonable.

Especially since Rurik participated in the war and returned home across the frozen sea.

If Gould was good to Rurik at the beginning, it was to maximize commercial benefits. Now he is more afraid of Rurik. He really doesn't know that a child who falls and kills seven or eight hundred enemies (Rurik, as Otto's canonized victorious chief, will naturally get the greatest glory of victory), once he is killed What extreme measures will be taken to provoke oneself.

Gould's children, following their father's orders, bought Rurik's leather goods at a very expensive price within a short time of the fleet's docking. As for the follow-up matters, Rurik didn't care. In short, he returned to his long-awaited home with his own servants, buddies, and soldiers.

That night, the servant of the Gould family came to the door of the chief's house with a heavy suitcase.

They unloaded the box and evacuated, and there were as many as 9,000 silver coins in it!

And Rurik immediately ordered the mercenaries to join him in transporting the silver coins to the room where the "big money box" was stored in the long house of the priest. Rather than building a treasury himself, Rurik felt that it would be more reasonable to arrange for people to act as goalkeepers and guard the sacred priest realm where silver and gold coins were stored.

It was also in the long priest's house that Rurik saw Rumia, who was wearing a plain robe and devoted herself to the one-to-one priest education of the aged Villa.

Just like when her sister saw her long-lost brother, Rumia rushed over excitedly, hugged Rurik, and kept telling her sins that she didn't bury her head to meet her.

It was this hug that finally calmed Rurik's heart.

what! Finally home.

However, why Arik hasn't come back yet. Is the fight still going on? !

Not only did Arik not return, but where is Otto's fleet now, Rurik still lacks the latest news.

The summer solstice sacrifices arrived on schedule.

On this day, the Rus have no nights.

Just when the light was at its darkest and the orange sun settled on the horizon, the Rus completed their sacrifice.

Compared to a year ago, Rumia has grown a lot taller and stronger. She has already shown the graceful figure of a young girl, and when she puts on the priest's plain robe and the antler helmet with the flower crown on her head, the whole person becomes more beautiful and solemn.

The ten maids of Rurik received some technical training on sacrifice immediately after their return. The girls wore flower crowns around the stone boat altar. Rumia, the owner of the largest flower crown, was the high priest who was leaning on crutches as usual. Under the guidance of Villa, presided over this sacrificial event.

As agreed, Rurik half-knelt inside the altar, praying to the gods for the safety of the entire tribe.

In the past, Rurik felt about these sacrificial activities. It may not have supernatural magic, but it can really calm people's hearts.

Now, Rurik realizes that what he needs most is the human heart!

He sincerely prayed that the development strategy of the tribe could be implemented stably, and that there would not be huge unforeseen variables caused by sudden wars and natural disasters.

He especially prayed that his father, cousin, and all the Rus who were wandering outside could return to their homes before winter.

The money from the Goulds relieved Rurik's financial pressure. But what really made him relax was the "bonus gold for the sale of low-carbon steel products", which was actually the corporate tax paid by the blacksmiths.

Plus Rurik sold more than 500 chrome-steel axes without wooden handles, and he made another profit.

Silver coins are just a medium of exchange, but there are really a lot of silver coins circulating in the Ross tribe. All kinds of goods traded within the tribe naturally increase in price, and this strange high price state is of course abnormal.

Rurik wanted to train his subordinates, especially for boys, and he felt that he needed a large number of professional fighters who were completely full-time. To feed this group of people, it is necessary to buy a lot of materials out of their own pockets. Now that the grains have been exhausted, Rurik can only hope that the large-scale fishing by the fishermen will provide a large amount of food and ensure that the daily diet quality of the more than 300 boys and girls maintains a high level.

The world is full of hustle and bustle, and the fishermen go out to sea to fish to live a good life. They spontaneously continue to raise the price of their catches, and test other people's ability to bear the price, and the price has also stabilized at a high level.

The current situation is not unusual for Rurik. He desperately tried to find a way to reasonably collect a large number of silver coins in circulation from the market into his own hands, in order to force prices to drop. But he really has too many people to support! Every day, the money just to buy the catch is more than 100 silver coins, and it will continue to rise!

The fishermen benefited, and more fishermen became diligent.

The supply of fish on the market has increased, but prices have not fallen. The reason is quite simple.

In this era of general scarcity of resources, even the Rus who settled by the sea still lack food in general. Because of the war dividends, many families suddenly have a fortune, and the first consumption method they think of is usually to buy food. This demand has caused a fishing boom for fishermen.

On a macro level, the consumption of fish and meat of the entire tribe continued to increase, and the silver coins in the hands of fishermen also began to enrich.

The wealthy fishermen preferred to go to the blacksmiths controlled by Rurik to buy excellent weapons and tools. Although they paid a lot of money, they obtained excellent steel swords, which gave them confidence to go out to sea. They all felt that the steel sword in their hands would bring them good luck.

Even so, a large number of fishermen still had some spare cash in their pockets, so they began to move south, until they broke into the territory of the Melarens.

In 830 AD, in the most lively July and August of the Melalen market, those mysterious Rus finally ceased to be very mysterious existences.

Some ordinary Ross fishermen came with a lot of silver coins. Many fishermen were dressed in shabby clothes, with a beautiful short sword hanging from the rope around their waists. They did not venture to Lake Mälaren to compete with the locals for their catch.

They were a bunch of consumers who bought whatever they wanted at the fair, even slaves from afar, like the poor Britton woman.

The tribal people's spontaneous actions, Rurik can't say anything when he sees them.

If he really wants to say something, he can only sigh with emotion: "People in the ninth century have little knowledge reserves, and their minds are still very smart."

Every day, new fishing boats are pushed into the sea on the sandy beaches of Roseburg.

Every day, there is a constant ding ding dong dong sound from the airtight wooden shed by the sea, and new ships continue to be built.

It's July and life seems to be back on track.

But every time he stood on the hill where the children were being trained and looked at the hoisted sails in the far fjords, Rurik's mind turned more and more to the ships.

He was constantly reminded of his appointment with his cousin, about the plundering phalanx against the Gotland fishermen.

"Arik, you are coming back!"

Turn around until July 15 of the Julian calendar.

A brisk longship entered the fjord waters, it did not raise its sails, it was a group of unkempt warriors struggling to paddle.

Fishing boats have noticed this tribe's warship, whether its sudden appearance is important news.

Sure enough, they were not only messengers, but also soldiers who ended the looting!

They immediately went to the home of Haruo Zuosen, who was in charge of staying behind, and reported to him with Arik's message that the looted fleet was already on its way to victory.

What a huge positive news! Rurik summoned these messengers and learned about Arik's looting routine.

The messengers mentioned how many hostile fishermen they killed, how many catches and how many tools they took.

Most crucially, they focused on the captured ships.

"Well, it looks like I need to get the money ready to exchange ships with my brother."

What is really lacking, Rurik now realizes that he is not lacking metal tools for the time being, and the need for fishing boats is really urgent. Of course Rurik could place orders for the clan's shipbuilders, but unfortunately, even if he was a noble, the shipbuilders who were more and more willing to pay attention to contracts would accept orders at the current market price.

The price of a fishing boat continued to climb, the time it took to build the boat, and the number of boats built at the same time could not satisfy Rurik.

In that case, it would be better to wait for Arik to bring back the captured fishing boat.

Rurik looked forward with anticipation, and on the third day after the self-confidence returned, a huge fleet broke into the fjord.

If there is one word to describe this fleet, it is "swaggering".

The fleet was vast, and Arik was like his uncle Otto. He stood on the bow of the fleet's leading ship, holding the upturned bow with one hand and his sword hilt with the other.

He was in high spirits, just like the entire triumphant team he led, all the people who participated in the looting battle that lasted for more than two months, there was no exhaustion from the long battle on their faces, some of them were the joy of victory and the longing for returning home.

Of course, there is also a dream of making a fortune.

"Brothers, we are about to enter the port! Pass my order down, be optimistic about the towed fishing boat, and don't let the rope break!"

"Remember, each fishing boat costs 200 silver coins. Be optimistic about the boat and don't be a sinner to your brothers!"

The warriors are not fools. Their warships are dragging a large number of fishing boats in a series of wooden shells. It seems that as long as a few axes are chopped against the bottom of the boat, they will become a useless pile of wood that continues to sink.

After towing too many ships, Arik spent a lot of time at sea, and now entering the port, the speed of the fleet is still slow.

The only benefit of moving slowly is that this young "warrior hero" can be further respected by the clansmen.

Ruth people, they always have a great respect for the brave in battle.

A large number of Rus gathered at the pier. Some people said that this was the triumph of the great leader, and the well-informed said that this was the righteous man who fought against the Gotlanders.

In short, they are the triumphant fleet, and the returnees need to be cheered by their clansmen.

Rurik and his men seized the best position on the beach. The children formed a neat square, each carrying a wooden shield in one hand and a wooden stick in the other. The stick kept beating on the shield, and the loud noise was Rurik's greeting to his triumphant cousin.

Rurik donned his flamboyant ferret costume, and his doomed "wives and concubines", all too.

At the bow of the boat, Arik watched a large number of people gathered, and his ears were filled with their warm cheers. He was sure that he was a triumphant hero. He was immersed in the excitement of this spirit, and two lines of hot tears flowed from his blue eyes.

"Now, I am also a hero recognized by you!"

Arik, he regrets his bad fate, he loves his younger brother deeply, and as he grows older, he cannot put an end to his envy towards his younger brother in his heart.

The younger brother is a god who was blessed by the great god Odin, and he is just a mortal with flesh and blood.

How high can a mere mortal reach?

Witnessing the cheers of the clansmen, Arik wiped away his tears. He felt that he must continue to receive congratulations from the clansmen after landing in the image of a majestic warrior.

Soon, Arik saw the neatly arranged people, needless to say, this must be an interesting trick by the cute little brother. Although the younger brother's subordinates are still children, he has to admit that these children only need ten years to grow up, and they are the new warriors of the tribe, and even more promising.

He quickly noticed some snow-white human figures. Needless to say, Rurik himself and his wife and concubines were dressed in ferret furs to show off his wealth.

I saw my younger brother, I saw my mother (actually my aunt), my own wife, and even the infant Askard.

"Guys, steer! Go to those lined up children, and we'll wash the beach in front of them!"

The oarsmen roared, and the well-trained ones quickly corrected their course and led the entire fleet straight to Rurik.

"Arik, are you finally going to land?" Rurik quickly saw his cousin, a man standing on the bow holding his sword high.

Arik held up the sword of his late father, Rurik's uncle Ogier during this trip. As the successor of the sword, Aric renovated the sword into a steel sword and gave it a very fierce name." the Avengers". Therefore, Arik has two steel swords. Compared with fighting with a sword and a shield, he feels more and more that he is holding two swords, and he can put on a threatening stance and directly scare the enemy.

Therefore, the warriors who fought with him began to playfully give Arik a nickname: Double Sword.

It seems that this is a domineering nickname, and Arik naturally likes it.

Of course, both swords will eventually have new heirs. Arik wants to have two sons, so that the two brothers can inherit their dual swords! Oh, the eldest son inherits the family business and must inherit his grandfather's "Avenger". As for the newly built steel sword, it is naturally inherited by the younger son who has not yet been born.

Ships washed the beach, and the sturdy keel wood carved deep indentations in the sandy beach flattened by the tide.

Those empty fishing boats that were connected in series also washed the beach one after another due to inertia, and there was a dull roar, the beach trembled, and soon the sand and stone beach was full of boats!

Seeing his cousin, Rurik supported the boat with one hand and jumped down from the bow of the boat with a very unrestrained attitude, stepping on solid ground.

He glanced involuntarily, seeing a large number of empty ships passively stranded, and couldn't help but feel happy.

ferry! Plenty of ready-made boats are here!

Many difficult problems can be solved easily!