Chapter 486: Ross Balmerk Alliance Treaty

In the past year, Elrond has changed a lot. Not only has a new batch of attached wooden houses appeared around the wooden fence, but the population has also developed greatly.

The resident population here has exceeded 1,000, of which there are as many as 200 infants under the age of two.

People have grown accustomed to the alarming infant mortality rate, and they chalk it up to a miracle that, with improved hygiene, especially the use of soap and a variety of cleaning habits, few children have died in the past year.

In the gray squirrel tribe after the war, the surviving men had a lot of women. Those tribal women are also borrowed seeds. They already have new children and hope for life.

Sometimes Rurik is also worried. After all, the Russ are conquerors, and the Russ army killed many of them, so they are willing to live like this?

Now Rurik gradually understands that the Rus people and their three views are somewhat different. The extreme reality of this group of Cowen people, the tribe is attached to the Rus people, the population and strength are booming at an unprecedented speed.

For example, some Viking warriors attach great importance to honor and regard revenge as their lifelong goal. These Kowen people don't care at all.

Seporava obeyed her father's request to do everything a woman could to please her man. It's a pity that she is still a child, and it will take some years to qualify as a mother. And it was not easy to stand out among the many women in Rurik.

Her father, Mechasta, wished that his daughter would immediately conceive Rurik's child. Although it was impossible now, he also hoped that his daughter would stick to Rurik like a dodder wrapped around a tree.

On the first night in Elronborg, Rurik, who had been in the sauna, felt soft. He slept on his back, and Cypolava was like a cat, sticking to him all night.

On the first night, everyone got a good rest, even some of the men were excited to have a good night.

Some of the captured Gotland women were finally reunited with the Ross fishermen who settled in Fort Elrond. They had to have a meal of "skin and flesh", and the next morning they took up clay bowls to eat wheat, and when they were full, they left what happened last night. on the side.

Those Ross hunters who are motivated to hunt bears desperately, they had no idea about those women for a while, but they couldn't stand the uninvited Yingying Yanyan.

The three views of the Kowens are indeed different from those of the Rus and other Viking tribes, and there is still a group of women who have not found a new man, or are eager to have another one, and they appear.

Perhaps it is an instinct in the DNA at this moment, and they know the disaster of inbreeding.

The new strong hunter was targeted by them, and the relationship happened like this...

When Rurik saw with his own eyes that the young Russ hunters were surrounded by the Kovin women in the wooden castle, eager to lead people to the house, he had only one realistic concern, "These women are a pack of wolves, and the warriors If you lose your body, you can't make it up by eating a few bear galls."

The palace belonging to the duke was well cleaned, and Rurik stayed here, and he was also a Balmer who came from afar for official business affairs.

The sun rose, and brothers Biyonny and Frokie came excitedly to the mansion of Chief Ross.

The bear head on the wooden wall showed Rose's strength, and the bright red charcoal in the fireplace made the whole room very warm.

Rurik had still not installed glass windows in the house, and the large number of oil lamps in the room also illuminated the house brightly.

Rurik sat cross-legged on a bearskin, his Cypolava still snuggling like a kitten.

Mechasta, Kawi, Yevlo, and others sat on the left and right, and Biyonny, Floki, and Mordgen sat facing them.

Everyone is like sitting in a circle. The so-called meeting pragmatism is really a chatty exchange, and there is no clear distinction between respect and inferiority.

"Biyonni, you came from that harbor in the west, and this journey has been risky..."

Rurik was a little reserved and polite, and Biyonni shook his head, "It's not a big risk. My father selected ten warriors to escort me, and I don't need these so-called escorts myself. We set off. Although there are dangers along the way, everyone passed safely. Our ship finally drifted here, but you all went to war. If the people here told us that the leader of Ross would come back, we would sell the salt. leave."

Rurik listened carefully, "I didn't expect you to be here long ago. It seems that you have been living in Elrond for some time."

"Yes, it has been more than two months now. I live with you Rus people, and the leather merchants and scholars we used to do business with, and I live with you."

"Oh?" Rurik stuck his head out, "I didn't know about it! If you had come earlier, you could have participated in the crusade against our Rus. Did you know that? In the war, our army killed 10,000 enemies."

Killing 10,000 enemies is a god of war! Biyonni couldn't immediately believe this record beyond his knowledge, but the Russ were indeed a powerful and unique force.

Biyongni was stunned at first, and then forced to calm down with an embarrassing smile. He congratulated: "You are really powerful, you have achieved a huge victory."

"Yeah." Rurik straightened his back, and he felt that his eloquent muscle show had shocked the "Prince" of Balmerk. Living in this age of the world is where the strong prey on the weak, and Rurik has no intention of attacking the port of Narvik at the moment, but taking it is a long-term goal. It would be a good idea to use peaceful alliance means to let the Russ get an ice-free port facing the ocean.

He had just learned that the "Prince" of Balmerk had been living in Elrond for two months, and he was afraid that what was hidden by his smile was his ambition to conquer.

Everyone is a warrior, and they are not given for nothing. Elronborg is the only chromite mine in Europe, a darling that must be controlled by the Rus, who need to flex their muscles to ward off any potential covets. If deterrence by force is not enough, then it has to be defended by force.

Based on this idea, Rurik did not mind telling Biyonni about the expedition of the Rus. He did not mention some details, but he emphasized four points in particular: Ross's warships are invincible in the world, Ross's soldiers are covered in iron armor, Ross's bows and arrows are powerful, and Ross can quickly assemble an army of 10,000.

With this description, Biyonny's awkward smile quickly disappeared, and he began to feel that Rurik, the young Rus leader, was threatening the entire Balmerk tribe.

"I'm really sorry, it seems that I scared you." Rurik saw the other party's face sullen, and hurriedly explained, "We are friends, and I would like to be Floki's brother, so that I am also your brother. Biyonni , I support you as the leader of Balmerk, and we can make a covenant today."

"Okay." Biyonni felt a stone in his heart, and he let out a sigh of relief, "We form an alliance, but... do we also mean to form an alliance with other Svealan tribes?"

"It has nothing to do with them. This is just a covenant between our two tribes. Our two tribes do not invade each other and trade with each other."

Rurik's words are very realistic, especially "non-aggression", which is the most needed promise of Biyonni, and with it, future trade can be peaceful and stable.

Rurik remembered one more thing, "I heard Mordegen say that your southern Norwegians covet your harbour?"

"Yes. Those are the people who live in Bergen and Oslo. The people there are deliberately asking us to join the Tribal League. They want us to be inferior, which is absolutely impossible. We have our own opinions!"

Rurik shrugged, "How similar it is to us! The leader of Svealan is the king, and he canonized me as a duke, and asks us to be vassals."

"And what about your attitude?"

"Of course it is verbal approval. We Rus people continue to live our lives, and they cannot control us. If it is not for trade, I will not be able to verbally approve. But even though it is verbal approval, we should also fulfill the contract and participate in the war when there is a war, okay. We have plundered the spoils. So our alliance should do the same. If the people of Bergen attack you, please send a messenger immediately, and I will organize an expeditionary force to reinforce it immediately. Similarly, if Ross is invaded, please send troops to support you. Except Also, let's not interfere with each other."

An alliance means a military alliance, Biyonni agrees. "My brother Rurik, it looks like we need a ceremony right now, and the gods would like to see our alliance."

"certainly."

Biyonni has a lot of reputation in his hometown, and his younger brother Floki has a "raven coat of arms" on his forehead, which also strengthens the legitimacy of the family's rule. Climbing the snowy mountains to find the Rus people and forming an alliance is a meritorious move, that is, he is somewhat contradictory now.

The Rus people are probably stronger than their own tribes. With today's contact, will they have the same possessiveness towards the Balmerk tribe as the people in Bergen?

Rurik to swear an alliance, alright! Just use some new chains to make the covenant stronger.

Biyonni suddenly smiled and said: "I also have a younger sister who is about to come of age. She is a very beautiful girl with a moving voice. Our priest named her Noren, and the man in her destiny was a surprising man. Warriors of the world. Maybe you are... the one in the prophecy."

Hearing that, Rurik suddenly sat upright. He wanted to exclaim, "Why is it a magical prophecy again? Why is it me again?"

Rurik looked at the current situation and completely guessed Biyonni's intentions. Any prophecy was a dispensable pretense. Apparently, they felt that "worshiping the leader" was not enough, and the best way to secure the covenant was marriage.

I already have a lot of women, so why not have another Norwegian wife?

"Okay, I'm willing to accept that Noren. We'll have an alliance ceremony right away, and before that, I'd really like to know how much merchandise you're smuggling in."

When Rurik mentioned this, Mechasta looked itchy all over.

"You're wrong?" Rurik asked, turning his head.

"My lord!" Mechasta smiled. "It's salt! A lot of salt! All good salt! Up to four hundred pounds of salt!"

Four hundred pounds of table salt? Rurik couldn't sit still at all, he jumped up directly, "Beyonni, did you really... bring so much?"

"Of course, salt is our specialty there."

"It's great, I never imagined that your salt-making skills are so strong."

Four hundred pounds of salt, with a total weight of nearly one hundred and sixty kilograms, was distributed among ten travelers, and the weight of each person was not extreme.

People in northern Europe sweat less and have a lot of fish in their diets, so they don't need much salt.

Rurik marveled at the staggering figure of 400 pounds of salt, but unexpectedly they could make salt on a larger scale than Jonny claimed.

"I like your salt, what are you going to trade with us? Just leather?"

"Absolutely not, Ross has a lot of novelties, I like it very much..." Biyonni's eyes were fixed on the glass now holding the hot chrysanthemum tea, "such as your crystal cup. And your army, The shading black crystal that the warrior puts in front of his eyes."

"Is that so? I have more good things, and each item is marked with a price. For example, this crystal cup, its price is not much, just half a pound of silver coins."

"Ah! So cheap?"

"And those sunshade glasses for twenty silver coins."

Knowing the preciousness of gold and silver better than Jonny, he knows that crystal utensils are only enjoyed by very few people. His knowledge was refreshed, because Rurik claimed that the Russ received the wisdom of Asgard taught by Odin, and could make crystals from mortal things, so the price was no longer measured by the same weight of gold.

Biyonny couldn't hide his desire for all kinds of rarities, and Rurik followed suit, "Now we need to determine one thing, how much silver is your salt worth."

Biyonny quoted his price as a pound of salt for a freshly peeled polar bear skin, or five new reindeer skins.

Rurik shook his head, "This price is erratic, why don't you listen to my opinion?"

"Speaking."

"Salt is indispensable, but it consumes very little salt every time you eat. If you boil sea water and make salt, you would have to pay a lot. I will give you ten silver coins for a pound of salt, what do you think."

"Huh?" Biyonny's eyes widened.

"What? Do you think I gave less?"

"No! Enough."

Biyonni smiled naively, and Rurik knew at a glance that this man boasted that he was getting a lot of money. Here Rurik has no intention of continuing to lower the price. First, the salt of the Balmerks is really good quality and there is almost no bitter magnesium chloride. Second, they do not have to use the extremely brackish water of the Gulf of Bothnia to make salt. To allow them to claim their own benefits will worry about losing Ross allies.

At the beginning, Biyonni exchanged salt for some bear skins, and he was still complacent. He never thought that Rurik, the leader of Rus, would make a big profit as soon as he arrived.

"Let's do it in the future!" Rurik emphasized again. "In the future we will import your salt every year. This year we bought 400 pounds. I hope next year you will bring 500 pounds or a thousand pounds of salt. I Promise with honor, I will buy good quality silver coins. This time, I promise that you will get a lot of silver coins to return home when the ice melts."

Biyonny wanted to laugh at the thought of a hundred pounds of silver coming in every year from now on. In this way, if you import leather, weapons, and other things from the Rus, the life of the Balmers will be better.

Biyongni did not explain that in order to make so much salt, they cut down trees on the rocky hills of the wide-area fjords to boil the sea to make salt. Although the sea water in the ocean is saltier, their salt production costs are still not low. .

With more income, the Balmers themselves will become stronger, and they will have more capital to explore the sea. After all, the fjords of the Balmerc tribe are too crowded at today's productivity levels.

On the open-air altar inside Elronborg, the snow was completely swept away, and the priests of the Kewen people placed bronze sacrificial instruments and glasses at Rurik's behest.

Rurik brought a few bottles of Ross's own vodka, and the glass bottles were indeed engraved with the word vodka.

It was already evening, and almost all the people who lived in Elrond had observed this special ceremony.

Rurik was ruthless and stabbed his finger with the dagger, and the blood dripped into the spirits in the three glasses.

Although it's a strange ritual, both Biyonni and Floki know the enormous symbolism involved. The two stabbed their fingers, and blood dripped into the cup.

Rurik knelt down on one knee, holding a glass to face the sunset, as did the other two.

"The great Odin, we are here to form an alliance. From now on, we Rus and Balmers are brothers. I, Rurik, promise not to aggression and mutual benefit. If the brothers are in trouble, I will support them." liquor.

Biyonni also said similar things, and he finally made a solemn wish, "May our two tribes be brothers from generation to generation!"

Of course, this is not a Taoyuan three-way alliance. At night, Rurik insisted on engraving the terms of the alliance on the wooden board as the express text of the treaty.

Not one treaty here, but as many as three.

Treaty of Ross Balmerk Alliance

Ross Balmerk Peace and Trade Treaty

Ross Balmerk Nonaggression Pact

Perhaps the last treaty was superfluous, which Rurik insisted on signing. Biyonni didn't understand that Rurik was already his younger brother, and everyone was allied with blood in front of the god (the sun), so there was no reason to be stubborn in non-aggression.

Rurik was determined to do so, and he did not have any explanation.

He finally invited, "Let's go bear hunting together tomorrow! Let you see how good our Ross hunters are. Let me see what you Balmers are capable of."