Building a Viking Empire with Modern Industry

The harbor was filled with the sound of longships crashing against the stone piers. From these ships stepped the most terrifying and capable warlords of the northern territories.

They were men who had built their reputations on blood, iron, and unrelenting warfare.

The first to step onto the stone dock was Harald Hardrada. He was known for his ruthlessness in combat and his ability to break the shield walls of his enemies.

Following closely behind him was Gorm the Old, a veteran commander. Gorm wore a dark fur cloak and carried a long spear.

Next was Halfdan, a younger but fiercely ambitious warlord. He carried two sharp iron swords.

Finally, there was Leif Erikson, a commander renowned for his exceptional navigational skills and his ability to lead ships through dangerous weather.

These were Erik’s strongest and most prominent commanders, and they did not travel alone. With them, they brought 4,000 Viking soldiers.

They finally arrived on the docks, and Erik walked down the path to meet them.

"You received my messages, and you brought the men. Let’s see what Ragnar has in mind this time..." " Erik said, looking at the large army.

"These walls are too high to climb!" Harald said.

Gorm the Old nodded his head. "We are wise to follow his orders rather than face his weapons."

They reached the large building where Ragnar held his court.

Erik led Harald, Gorm, Halfdan, and Leif into the main hall. The room was warm from the large fires burning in the hearths.

Ragnar stood near the wide table, completely prepared for their arrival. He wore his standard iron armor and looked directly at the hardened warlords.

"Welcome to the Iron Kingdom!" Ragnar said loudly.

Beside Ragnar stood Louis the Stammerer. He had developed a new sense of confidence, driven by his own personal goal to reclaim the lands and the honor that his uncle, Louis the Germanic, had stolen from him by force.

"I summoned you because the time for preparation is over, and the time for conquest has arrived!" Ragnar declared, placing his hands flat on the table.

Ragnar finished explaining his military plan to the men in the room. He provided a recounting of the enemy’s strength, detailing how Louis the Germanic controlled the great city of Paris.

Ragnar intended to use his heavy field cannons to break the stone walls, but he needed Erik’s four thousand Viking warriors to storm the breaches, slaughter the defending knights, and secure the city streets.

Erik looked at the map drawn on the parchment resting on the table, and then he looked directly at the Iron King.

"So you mean, with the help of your advanced weapons, my army, and my generals, to invade Paris and France so that the rightful emperor can be restored?" Erik said.

Ragnar simply replied, "Yes."

Hearing this single word of confirmation, a thrilling wave of excitement rushed through the room.

Of course, Erik wanted to fight alongside his generals. He had heard the terrifying rumors of Ragnar’s heavy field cannons. Even the offer to use Ragnar’s modern weapons only made him more eager for the opportunity.

’But what’s the point of doing this?’ Erik thought to himself, staring at the wooden table.

Will he gain land in the fertile southern territories?

Will his kingdom receive permanent access to these miraculous iron weapons?

More importantly, will his kingdom become independent, free from Ragnar’s levies and taxes?

Every winter, Erik was forced to send chests filled with silver coins and large wagons loaded with dried fish to City Titan, simply to maintain his alliance with the Iron Kingdom.

Erik hated paying this tax, he wanted power over his own realm, and he wondered if shedding Viking blood for a French prince would finally buy his freedom from Ragnar’s heavy demands.

Before Ragnar could answer the unspoken questions visible on Erik’s face, Louis the Stammerer stepped forward.

Louis looked directly at Erik, "Did you see all those weapons that were auctioned off a few months ago? I’ll give you hundreds of them, but only if you give me back this throne."

The room fell completely silent as Louis delivered this offer.

By offering the weapons, Louis was aligning his own personal goal of reclaiming France with Erik’s personal goal of gaining supreme military power. Furthermore, Ragnar benefited immensely from this arrangement.

Ragnar would still receive payment for the weapons from the French treasury, his factories in City Titan would remain busy, and he would secure two heavily armed, loyal kingdoms that would serve as a permanent buffer against any distant enemies.

Erik’s eyes widened. "You offer me the power to conquer the north, simply for breaking the gates of Paris..." Erik said, a fierce, savage smile spreading across his face.

He placed his hands on the table and leaned forward. He accepted the reality that he would still pay taxes to Ragnar, because the Iron King controlled the production of the weapons. However, possessing hundreds of hand cannons would allow him to conquer new lands and steal enough silver to pay those taxes ten times over!

The honor, the thrill of the invasion, and the promise of ultimate military power were completely irresistible.

"My generals are ready, and my four thousand men are hungry for war!" Erik declared loudly.

"We will fight for the weapons, and we will fight for the thrill of the slaughter!"

"Paris will fall, and the northern warriors will claim the glory!"

Ragnar smiled, feeling the immense energy.

"Prepare the men, and prepare the ships." Ragnar commanded. "We will bring a storm of iron and fire to Paris, and we will reshape the borders of this world."

The thrilling prospect of the massive war ahead filled the room.

Ragnar knew as a factual reality that if the invasion of Paris was successful, Louis the Stammerer might take half the rule of France for himself. Louis possessed a royal bloodline, and once his uncle was removed from power, the local landowners and soldiers would naturally look to Louis as their rightful leader.

This meant Ragnar would not have total control over the French territory, but he would only share an alliance with a newly established king.

Nevertheless, Ragnar was fully aware of the grave peril of undertaking such a campaign. The danger was entirely about the modern weapons he had provided to the Norwegian army.

Ragnar had authorized the deployment of the primitive field cannons, the iron hand cannons, and the grappling crossbows.

If Erik’s army were surrounded and defeated by the French forces, they might lose the battle. If they lost the battle, all the modern weapons would fall directly into the hands of Louis the Germanic.

If those scholars acquired a captured iron hand cannon, they would take the weapon apart. They would measure the thickness of the iron tube, examine the placement of the ignition hole, and analyze the chemical residue of the black powder left inside the barrel.

Ragnar estimated that after a year, or even six months of focused research and development, the French scholars would figure out how to copy these weapons. Once they copied the designs, Louis the Germanic would equip his own armies with hand cannons and march against the Iron Kingdom, completely erasing the technological advantage that kept Ragnar’s people safe.

After all, naturally, this was a very difficult matter for Ragnar to decide...