When a ray of early morning sunlight rises.

The earth went from cold night to warm morning.

But sometimes darkness can avoid sin, and light can make it difficult to live.

It's past six o'clock in the morning.

A group of Mercians broke into southern Aldeboroughshire, near a village north of Mercia.

There were twenty-four men in the group, two-thirds of them wore soft armor, the rest were beast and iron armor, four were armed with long swords, and the rest were armed with one-handed axes or short spears.

There were also four people in the team carrying crossbows on their backs.

They had yellow and thin skin, had not eaten for days, and scars could be seen everywhere on everyone's body.

The peasants hid in fear, and the soldiers ran amok.

"Listen, according to the covenant of 'King Osbert' with the great Mercian 'King Burgred', now I will expropriate everything on your estate, from dirt to houses, from cattle to manpower.

But don't worry, don't be so much, just prepare five days' food for us to take away. ”

A knight came to the square, called out the housekeeper of the manor, the most prominent in the village, and aimed his sword at his heart.

"My lord! Five days of food for so many people is too much to afford. ”

"Shut up, my patience is limited, get what I want, or your heart will be poked a big mouth."

"My lord, we don't have any food left, look at the surrounding wheat fields, they have all been harvested by the last army from Mercia, and the remaining wheat seedlings are not even your ankle high.

The whole manor, not even the seeds sown in the spring have been left for us, and you can look over there......"

"Enough! I don't want to stuff my ears with nonsense, you know that the Vikings of Kent have received reinforcements five days ago, and it won't be long before the vile and savage 'Ragnar' will come, and without our protection, you will lose your lives. ”

"But the last adult said that Ragnar is already here!"

"What do you know, it was his son 'Yin Val the Boneless' who came before, hundreds of dragon ships entered through the Irish waterway, thanks to our Mercia soldiers blocking the front line, otherwise you would all be slaves like the Kents now!"

The nobles of the island hated the Vikings, but they liked to talk about them, using them to intimidate the people who didn't know anything, and using their fear, they often collected more taxes than they didn't.

Seeing that the plea was useless, the butler took out a piece of parchment with the seal of the nobility on his body.

"This is a warrant left by the previous lord, and he said that if any more nobles from Mercia come to collect supplies, let me show them."

The lead horseman looked at it once, lost in thought, and then withdrew into his sleeve.

Unfortunately, he was illiterate, and he did not understand the family crest of a nobleman, and he only recognized the names of two people, one was himself, and the other was King "Bergred".

"Please!"

"Rob!"

The knight loses patience and kicks the butler away.

They almost got lost last night and ended up at this manor.

At first, I was afraid that the manor would be protected by the lord's private soldiers, but after dawn, I saw that it was an ordinary manor, and I started to think badly.

Now that the former king has died in battle, the Mercia will rule the three southern counties, and before the handover is clear, they will rob at will, and they are not afraid of pursuing it afterwards.

However, the manor of seventy or eighty people could not afford such rounds of robbership.

The housekeeper of the manor slumped in the square, looking dazed.

This knight is equivalent to stripping off another layer of skin from the already skinny villagers.

After searching for a while, almost emptying everything, and seeing that there was no more to replenish, the knight asked someone to bring an old skin.

Then he stepped forward and drew a useless picture, and said to the manor steward, "If anyone comes again, show him this picture, saying that you have been expropriated in advance." ”

Then the knight shouted to the people around him, "Go and join Ser Berry." ”

It was nearly noon when a nobleman arrived with his servants.

The nobleman was dressed in brand new chain mail, and the scabbard of the sword at his waist was full of precious stones.

The servants around him are also dressed in strong suits, if it weren't for the emblem flag behind him, he would be a guard at a glance, but I am afraid that he will also be regarded as a knight.

The nobles had been on the road for a long time, but what they saw was people going to empty manors.

"It's too late again." The nobleman said to his servants.

"Your Excellency, what should I do? The king has put you in charge of Aldeborough, but the other noble knights who fought in the north of the kingdom are now doing evil everywhere. ”

"Bastard...... Go to the nearest Mercian army station!"

The two fast horses galloped, and after noon they had passed through woodlands and swamps, and came to a small fortress.

Last time, it was one of the first strongholds to be recaptured from the Vikings of Kent when the Southern Coalition launched a general attack.

When this moment comes, you can still see the tragedy of that time in the ruined fortress and the surrounding trees that have been engulfed by evil fire.

Several insignia were hung on the fort.

On the left and right of the flag, two white horses, with their front hooves held high, are stepping on a blue mountain shield with a large bear on its head and a crown of flowers on its head.

The white horse symbolizes speed, and the blue mountain shield is a fortress called the "Blue Castle", with a large bear on the top, a symbol of force, and a flower crown on his head is the greatest Mercian king, "King Ofa (reigned 757-796 A.D.)", his favorite white rose.

During the period of King Ofa, flower crowns were always given to his subordinates, and the families with this kind of flower crown headdress basically arose at that time.

Blue Mountains, White Bears, Corolla.

Combined, these things are the most trusted military nobles around the king, "Berry".

Those who hated him called him "Berry the Poisonous Tongue".

But most of the knights who knew each other liked to call him "Berry of the Swift Sword".

"Who are you?" The soldier standing in front of him asked.

"Tell your master that the King's Envoy is here." The nobleman's attendant held up a flag, and on it was a white lion on a red background, the white lion held high on all fours, and ten stars shining beside him.

The "White Lion Ten Star Banner", which is used by only one noble family in the kingdom, belongs to the royal branch.

The soldiers immediately announced, and soon after, Baron Berry appeared on horseback with his escort.

When acquaintances meet, they are very unhappy.

Baron Berry looked at the White Lion Ten Star Banner and said, "How did you get to this war-torn place?" Lord Otto. Didn't Your Majesty send you to the South as a liaison minister with Wessex?"

"Sir Berry, I have asked your Majesty to come here, and I have only been in this county for four days, and I have heard seven times about the disturbing acts committed by different nobles, and Your Majesty has asked you to take over in a friendly manner, not to let you learn from the Vikings and spread evil deeds everywhere."

After listening to this, Berry was a little unhappy, but seeing that Otto was the county magistrate and a distant royal family, he kept smiling.

"It's a mess right now, you know, the news that Viking reinforcements are going to show up, it's all over the place.

King Osbert himself was killed in battle, and because of his rash advance, even the army of the Queen of East Anglia suffered a lot of losses, and some of the criminals were committed by the East Anglian soldiers who lost their ranks, and they have nothing to do with us. ”

"True nobles will not shirk their responsibilities, Sir Berry, I now order you to take my command, and take me to the Frankshire Governor, and restrain your men, or I will faithfully speak to all the Governors and Your Majesty at the Council of the Crown about your duty."

"Go, Lord Otto, whatever you say to your majesty." Berry was about to leave, but Otto yelled, "You runaway coward!"

Berry turned around and laughed angrily, "That's a great point. ”

"Smack--" he applauded, "Forty years ago, King Exebert of Wessex invaded Mercia. Ten thousand soldiers fought to dominate the future of all of England.

Your grandfather, then the Hand of the King and our commander, was so arbitrary that he did not listen to dissuasion, and was beaten and discarded his armor, and ran like a fugitive to the forest for two days and two nights.

The Blue Castle sent three hundred men to support the war, and only twenty came back to protect your grandfather.

But your grandfather passed the blame on to others, and my grandfather was asked to confiscate half of his fief for poor protection.

Next, your grandfather provoked infighting between the other county governors and the king in order to control power.

The civil war broke out, there was a strong enemy outside, and Mercia went into decline.

But when your grandfather died, he held a state funeral and buried his bones in 'Repton', where the previous kings were buried.

Is this fair?

Your father was born as a county magistrate, but because of his strict rule, he caused a rebellion, and also led the turmoil to other county magistrates' territories, and finally died comfortably in a woman's bed.

What kind of aristocrat is this?

You are free to enter the royal court at the age of five, and you go on a pilgrimage to Rome at the age of twelve.

A true aristocrat who has the courage to take responsibility, is not satisfied with pleasure, is good at thinking, and takes the overall situation into account.

For three generations, you have not contributed anything to Mercia, but because of your royal status, you have taken advantage of it. If you're a nobleman, pick up a sword, kill a few Vikings, or keep Wessex's growing power at bay

But because you were afraid of the danger Alfred, you refused to be the liaison officer, and perhaps bribed a few royal nobles, so the king told you to go to the three southern counties, directly become the county magistrate, and sit back and enjoy the success.

"The Sword Comes"

Now that the Vikings in Kent have increased again, it is already certain that Ragnar's main force will arrive later, even if his bastard sons don't all come.

He alone was able to recruit more than 5,000 Viking warriors.

The Vikings robbed everything in Kent, and you only saw our men rob Northumbria, but do you know how much supplies we support to the displaced people in Kent, and do you know how heavy the supply burden of the army is?

I will not send it to you alone, since your servants have such luxurious equipment, you can pull out a cavalry team from your own estate and go directly to the castle of the Frankshire Governor,

You have my warrant, you don't need to check anywhere, and the road is smooth.

When you arrive at the castle, use the fluent German you learned in Rome to convince the fat man to fall to his knees and weep in repentance. ”

Otto was dizzy by Berry's words, angry and anxious, and finally left in secret.

After walking for a few miles, the master and servant took a short rest by a stream with a water source.

Char went upstream to fetch water, but when he returned, he saw Otto weeping and praying in the direction of the rising sun.

Char's return was so noisy that it disturbed Otto to wake up.

Otto wiped away his tears, turned away, and re-faced Char when he was ready

The master and servant were speechless, and sat quietly.

After a while, Otto asked him, "You have been with me for twelve years, longer than my father has ever been with me, do you think Berry is right, am I useless?"

"No, you're the most merciful and pious lord I've ever met."

"But these two things seem to be getting more and more useless."

Then Otto muttered to himself, as if to Char.

"The first generation of our Perry family, the third son of the late king King Penda (reigned 626-655 A.D.), was the beginning of Mercia's hegemony, before Mercia was Christian.

Although powerful, the nobles and the lords had various conflicts due to religious issues.

It was my ancestors who persuaded my successor, King Hill, to complete the Christianization of the kingdom, which is why my family motto is 'God heals me in the name of the Lord.'"

Do you know what the ten stars around the white lion mean?

My ancestors followed King Pengda to expand the territory to the outside world, and won all ten battles, so he only had ten stars.

When it was time for the Alpha king, my great-grandfather was also an envoy to the Franks for the king, and he brought back Charlemagne's letters, which read "Respect to the supreme ruler of Britain, my brother Offa!

On the gold coin is the head of King Offa.

The Welsh were blocked by the Great Wall of Ofa, which he built.

Every year, the other six nations send people to Mercia to celebrate his birthday......"

Otto's tears remained, but he couldn't stop.

"Since I was a child, I have often dreamed of King Penda and King Ofa, who told me that the kings of the past were weeping to restore the glory of Mercia!

My father believed me and changed my name to Otto.

Ten years ago, on my twelfth birthday, I spent a fortune and rented three boats to cross the Mediterranean to the city of Rome.

He lived near St. Peter's Basilica for a year, received the teachings of the Holy See, and returned with a large number of books and books.

But all this has only been exchanged for a more barren territory, and a nickname of 'Zealot'.

I wanted to revitalize the family, but the task given to me by the king was messed up again and again.

Berry was right, I was scared of Alfred, so I ran away.

I dreamed of doing everything, but I couldn't do anything.

Berry was a year younger than me, but he was a genius with a sword, and at the age of thirteen he was given a land reward for suppressing a rebellion.

So far, I have not increased a single acre of land, but I have turned the territory left by my father into a town with only a few hundred people left.

is called the county magistrate (earl), but he is not even as good as a great knight. ”

Speaking of this, Otto looked at Char, "I taught you to ride a horse and hold a sword, but after half a year, I won't be able to beat you." Follow me to bury your talent, you are the son of a knight, you should have inherited your father's territory, but I lost all your territory...... I've decided, you get on your knees, Char. ”

When Char knelt down, Otto put the knight's sword on his head, shouted the name of God and the King, and gave half of his realm to Char.

Char's whole body trembled with joy, he was only an illegitimate child, frail since childhood, and his first master was the short-lived brother of the great Otto, a year old, who was doing dirty words around him.

Help the owner wipe his buttocks after excretion, and act as a gas outlet when the owner is in a bad mood.

But Otto never humiliated Char, and when he went to Rome, he told Char, "I heard that receiving the blessing of the Holy See and drinking holy water can heal your body, and I will take you there." ”

Following Otto, Char learned to ride a horse and hold a sword, and to write etiquette.

In Char's mind, Otto is an irreplaceable lord.

"Your Excellency, in that year in Rome, His Holiness blessed me with the blessing that a man of integrity and courage does not indulge in desires, eats only when he is hungry, drinks when he is thirsty, helps when he encounters unrighteousness, is kind to his friends, and takes the initiative to face trouble when he encounters it, always with gratitude.

After Char finished speaking, he knelt on his knees and offered his most solemn blessing to Otto, "Please don't be discouraged, now it's up to me to help you, and I'll help you fulfill your dreams." ”

Head banged on the ground.

"Defend your name and dedicate my life."

These eight words, Char will protect with his life.

......

When King Ella's letter reached Manchestershire.

In less than half a day, the Lord Mayor of Manchester "Katana" made a decision to send someone to meet Ella.

But just a day later, a letter from Princess Hai'an also came.

After reading the content, he decided to go and meet Ella in person.

After handing over the affairs of the county to his trusted courtiers and eldest son, he took only ten men to Danseong.

But halfway through the walk, he ran into his own guards on the road, arrested several Viking men and women, and prepared to send them to the nearest town for execution.

Katana sensed that one of the Viking women was familiar, and had her brought over.

Subsequently...... Katana's eyes changed a few times and he scolded, ", it's you!"

Two years ago, Katana's wife died in childbirth after giving birth to her fifth child.

Katana was ready to remarry a noble girl, and Sari, who was nearly fifteen years old at the time, was also one of the candidates.

However, Earl's asking price was too high, and in the end, Katana weighed it and married a widow who could bring him wealth.

Women, looks come last, and interests are real.

Katana's second sentence was, "Who made you like this?"

"The demon that flies in the sky." The flame of Sari's revenge began to ignite.

"Demons? No matter how much I can fly, I can shoot down. ”