On March 2, a large fleet—ten two-masted warships and twenty cogs—arrived in northern Denmark.
Seeing the black dragon banner flying from the masts, the local noble in charge of the port was both surprised and relieved. He imdiately sent word upriver to Aalborg.
"What massive ships…" he muttered, staring up at the largest vessel.
He estimated its capacity at three tis that of a standard cog—around 300 tons.
Soon, a smaller two-masted ship docked.
A young naval officer stepped ashore, dressed in a black double-breasted uniform, wearing a tricorn leather hat. On his collar were three stripes and a trefoil insignia embroidered in white silk.
Casting a faintly disdainful glance at the low, shabby buildings nearby, he spoke in a commanding tone:
"Have your n prepare imdiately. Don't delay unloading the grain."
"During our stay, port security will be handled by the marine battalion. Any objections?"
"Understood," the noble replied quickly.
He dared not offend them.
The power gap between the two kingdoms was now painfully clear.
If war broke out, this fleet alone could land two thousand armored troops and take Aalborg with ease.
The Marines Arrive
Within half an hour, the fleet fully docked.
The first to disembark was a fully manned marine battalion.
In all but na, it was identical to a mountain infantry battalion:
sa equipntsa tacticssa organization
Its purpose: small-scale coastal warfare.
"Move it! First company—secure the port. Second and third—build docks and barracks!"
Deputy commander Ingvar blew a sharp whistle, urging the soldiers on.
After the war, he had applied for a transfer from the army.
Within just two days, his request was approved.
He spent half a year studying at the academy, then was assigned to the newly ford naval marine corps.
Among his peers, he had earned a nickna:
"Lucky Ingvar."
Ubbe's Concerns
That afternoon, Ubbe arrived on horseback.
He saw soldiers cutting timber, building piers and camps, even hiring locals—as if they owned the place.
"This won't do…"
He frowned.
"After this, I need to build large catapults at the port. Bergen and Oslo already have them—I'll borrow engineers from Erik."
Having made up his mind, he t with Fleet Admiral Joren.
Joren gave a polite, if perfunctory, bow.
"Your Majesty, per our agreent, your kingdom must fully cooperate in recruiting migrants."
"No problem," Ubbe replied with a warm smile.
Surviving the famine mattered most.
Everything else could wait.
The Recruitnt Plan
With royal approval, Joren organized the operation:
main fleet anchored at Aalborg's estuary
marine battalion 700 sailors marched south
recruit migrants along the way
"Rember," Joren instructed,
"Guard against bandits—but also against disease."
check upstream water sources
ensure wells are uncontaminated
no one drinks raw water
"Violators will be punished."
"Understood!"
The mission was led by Leif, the battalion commander.
Though young, he was highly experienced:
the Second Viking–West Frankish War
the British civil war
the Irish campaign
A Broken Holand
On March 5, Leif's force marched south with 100 supply wagons, loaded with barley and oats.
These cheap grains could be sold locally at high prices to acquire:
draft animals
additional wagons
Ingvar, once a Danish farr himself, looked around with mixed emotions.
"Has my holand really fallen this far…"
Along the road:
unburied corpses picked clean by ravens
fields overgrown with weeds
They passed a fishing village:
three longships dragged ashore, stained dark red
n unloading barrels
won smoking fish on wooden racks
The air was thick with the sll of fish and smoke.
"Relax," Ingvar called out.
"We're the navy of the Kingdom of Britannia—here to recruit migrants."
Seeing the black banner and the soldiers' uniform armor, the villagers relaxed slightly.
Vig was wealthy—his army had no need to loot them.
Migration Offer
Ingvar explained:
"This year we aim to recruit at least 30,000 people."
"Early arrivals will receive good, flat farmland."
"Later arrivals must clear land themselves—cut brush, drain swamps."
The villagers discussed among themselves.
Only about 10% agreed.
Ingvar noticed the barrels they were unloading.
These people had likely looted grain elsewhere, reducing their urgency to leave.
Migration was voluntary.
He didn't push further.
He sent a squad to escort ten households north, then continued onward.
Aarhus
On March 11, the convoy reached the outskirts of Aarhus.
The area had suffered repeated French sieges and forced requisitions.
The land was desolate—almost like a ghost region.
Wolves road in packs, bold enough to attack lone scouts.
At the gates, Leif explained their purpose.
The local earl sighed in relief.
"By Odin, you're finally here."
"Give 20,000 bushels of grain, and I'll cooperate fully."
"Too much," Leif replied.
After bargaining, they settled at 12,000 bushels.
Soon, three cogs loaded with grain docked.
The earl was overjoyed and assigned twenty shield warriors as guides.
"Outside Aarhus, do whatever you want," he said.
"But beware—bandits are everywhere."
"If you suffer losses, don't bla ."
"You didn't try to suppress them?" Leif asked.
The earl sighed.
"The largest band has 500 n."
"I lack grain—can't raise levies."
"Even if I crush them, more starving peasants will beco bandits."
Mass Migration
The next day, Leif moved west.
Under guidance, they recruited heavily:
most villages: 20% or more
so villages: entire population left
Soon, they gathered over 3,000 migrants.
The fleet moved to Aarhus to transport them.
At the docks, Ingvar maintained order while chatting with an older captain.
"Finally heading back," the captain said, sipping from a tin flask of rum.
"Why?" Ingvar asked.
The Reality of Naval Life
The captain explained:
Sailors preferred southern routes, especially to Lisbon.
Each voyage allowed them to:
sell personal goods
buy spices
resell them at ho
A single trip could earn:
wages
voyage bonuses
trade profits
Total: around 40 silver pence
—equal to the value of a cow and a pig.
This was an unofficial but tolerated perk.
"That much?" Ingvar gasped.
He suddenly felt even luckier to have joined the navy.
The old captain shrugged.
"The navy isn't like the army."
"Every long voyage ans losses—"
diseasestormsn swept into the sea
"If they cut our benefits…"
"How many do you think would keep doing this?"
—------------------------------
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