Rise of Rurik

Families have high hopes for their eldest sons. They are like young eagles that have been in the nest for a long time. Their wings are full and it is time to fly.

The Seventh Flag Troop is a conscripted citizen soldier in terms of status.

Boys and girls with old Russian blood, according to the old rules of Russia, are theoretically obliged to join the army in wartime.

Half of the basic two-year education is spent on physical fitness and combat training. Young children naturally know some combat skills.

Such talents organize a team and then step up their training in the hands of professionals, and a new army will be formed quickly.

Such a new army is not qualified just because their swords are not yet stained with blood.

Bearing the responsibility of not dishonoring the glory of his fathers, he has the desire to establish new achievements. Another reason is very practical. The child's parents need him to earn trophies outside to support the family because they have too many younger brothers and sisters.

The parents would not let their children go on a simple expedition. They had already prepared weapons and protective equipment for their eldest son.

A steel sword, multi-handled axe, leather-covered and patterned buckler, leather-clad helmet, leather-lined tunic, chainmail, and other implements.

Although the king will distribute some weapons and protective equipment, considering the complex situation on the battlefield, parents will take out the equipment that has been prepared and even hand over their own weapons to the eldest son in advance.

The Seventh Flag Troop is being formally armed.

Look at these warriors. The flag team was reorganized, and unexpectedly two centurions in the five-hundred-man team were fully equipped with crossbows.

Each person in the group carries a wooden-armed crossbow adapted from a recurve bow. Compared with the old version, its draw length can be longer and its poundage is higher. It uses a needle-like armor-piercing light arrow, and the tension mode makes it very fast to wind. It doesn't matter if the mechanical parts are damaged. What you get after removing the bow arm is a normal recurve bow, and the shooter can immediately continue fighting in the stance of a rifleman.

The other team is equipped with steel-armed crossbows. Its range is close, and it is extremely lethal when it fires short, heavy arrows within a distance of fifty meters. It can even be thrown. Even if the effect is not good, it is still lethal against the enemy's lightly armored or unarmored soldiers.

The other two teams seemed to be just normal sword and shield players, but that was not the case.

A hundred-man team can be broken down into twelve even-man teams, the so-called combat teams. There are a total of twenty-four teams in these two teams, each team is responsible for a lightweight torsion slingshot, or crossbow.

It is a heavy weapon and has demonstrated its superiority in previous battles. It can fire javelins or cast-iron projectiles with conical heads. The former focuses on long-range damage, while the latter focuses on mid- and short-range damage.

It has been more than ten years since its birth in Rus. The weapon system has been continuously optimized and is now made to be as dexterous as possible.

Some carry the wheels, others manage the cart parts, and others work together to look after the core parts of the slingshot. Once the various parts arrive at their destination, the modular design can be quickly assembled. What you do after that becomes easier. Thanks to the wheel assistance, a single person can move freely by pulling the onboard torsion slingshot.

The Seventh Flag Team was too young, and Rurik was worried about them participating in the battle in front of the formation. What does Ross rely on to conquer the world? One is strong bows and powerful crossbows, the other is large battleships, and the third is cavalry. Ross has long been an outlier in the Viking world, and the tactics he uses are really easy to use.

As the last month of their departure approaches, the Seventh Flag Team intensifies its training. They have become a force completely focused on the power of long-range weapons, but they are also an indispensable force in the army.

Another strength of the Russian army is that it separates different arms in advance and displays multi-arm coordination on the battlefield.

The Blue Fox will recruit a thousand Jotalans from Gothenburg to fight and follow the example of Ross to establish a flag system. Those people could only learn as much as they could, but when it came to fighting, it was already the same as before. The so-called personnel formed a shield wall to hedge against the enemy, relying on teamwork to forcefully break through the enemy's lines and then carry out random killings. Even so, it is already stronger than many tribes, at least better than the Saxons whose weapons have been weakened for a long time.

The real Ross army cannot have too much expectations for those Jotalan allies. The two flag forces on the Ross side must seize the time to contact and cooperate.

No, Rurik Raid invented a drill mode.

The wilderness where troops are trained is always covered with snow, and the snow that touches the knees is constantly collected, and the snow transported from the city is also constantly piled up.

The snow was deliberately made into a large number of snow pillars, which were then covered with rags and old thatch mats to imitate human clothes and hats. The planks were laid out to serve as shields, and the raised poles served as spears.

A large number of dummies were made, and it looked like an army array from a distance.

Look! The First Standard of the Standing Army formed a broad shield wall, and behind it were the crossbowmen who launched the projectile and the torsion slingshots that advanced the battle. Xu Jin's barrage attack was being practiced here. Accompanied by the steady advancement of a large number of sword and shield men, arrows and javelins flew overhead. Before engaging the enemy at hand-to-hand combat, the enemy received a meal of arrows.

But the snowman is a dead creature. The biggest benefit of this exercise is to ensure that the various arms are not separated during the attack.

When it comes to real exercises, it is better to organize a real army to engage in brutal "competition".

The third flag team, the Slavic flag team, was mainly composed of White Tree Manor personnel. Those who had finished hunting and waited for the ice to melt were suddenly assembled. There were also veterans of the Mstisk First Banner Corps, and even cavalry dismounted as infantry.

No, one side is the army left behind, and the other side is the army that is eager to go out.

"Competition" does not use bows and arrows, only round shields and wooden weapons. Wooden swords and wooden axes can be struck against a person's body at any time. The force of the blow may break bones alive. All participants wore normal armor. Under the command of the solemn sound of horn horns, more than 2,000 people lined up in two shield walls and collided with each other on the snow. They agreed that no one should make a fatal blow and victory would be achieved by overwhelming the opponent's line. .

Are you really not going to kill me? The anxious people completely forgot that the other party was a member of their own race. Most of the people were ruthless people who fought in the mountains of corpses and sea of ​​blood. Even if they had wooden sticks in their hands, they had to keep poking and pounding them. Everyone also shouted slogans and kept pushing them with round shields.

The noise was so loud that people from the entire city of Novgorod and even nearby villages came to watch these barbaric late-winter dramas.

There were dense crowds of people standing on the city wall, and some people piled boxes on their sleds just to get a better and more realistic view.

The young soldiers of the Seventh Flag were mixed with the standing army. They became part of the shield wall and were supported by the old guys. The soldiers gritted their teeth and faced off against their fellow soldiers on the opposite side.

A distinguished old man put on his gold-plated battle armor, sat on a sled, and wore a sturdy polar bear skin. The sled is even decorated with bear heads, just to prove the old man's bravery.

Otto will go to the capital. He will see off the expeditionary force in person and see the launch of the "Sea Monarch".

Now, with a gold-plated helmet on his head and the "Destroyer" sword in his arms, he is accompanied by his family to watch the barbaric "Great Melee" in a high-profile manner.

At this moment, the shouts of killing were loud, and tens of thousands of onlookers stood far away, some were excited, some were worried, or some were crazy, and all the sounds turned into the roar of the earth.

"Rurik, if you do this... you might die." Otto's old face raised slightly and looked at his serious-looking son.

"There is indeed a risk. But I... would rather they be beaten black and blue here than be suddenly killed by Frank soldiers. Father, we have very powerful old warriors, and the new recruits can only make rapid progress by following them."

"We've never done this before!"

"It's here now. I think it's not too late."

"What?"

"Those who were injured or even died accidentally in the chaos. They were either too reckless or too cowardly. In my opinion, the front lines of both teams are heavily armored and have organized shield walls, so it is difficult to get injured. .”

"Okay. You always make sense." Otto closed his mouth and continued to admire.

Rurik could hear that his old father was a little displeased. He looked at his daughter's paper again, especially at the troubled face of his mother Niya. It seemed that his barbaric training behavior was too cruel. It was indeed fierce. The war in the exercise had begun and he could no longer stop.

The standing army was fierce and led the Seventh Flag Team to attack all the way.

However, they saw that the mixed force on the opposite side seemed to be retreating steadily due to lack of physical strength. Unexpectedly, it was a trick or following the trend. It was a fact that they were retreating in the middle. They actually launched an outflank from both wings.

"Idiot! Guard our flanks quickly!" However, Grund's cry was drowned out by the shouts of killing.

Ascard, who was involved in a frontline battle for the first time, was infected by the strong stimulation. He could ignore the pain of the wooden stick hitting his armor, and almost ignored his fatigue. He just gritted his teeth and continued to attack, unable to carry out Grund's orders at all.

The experienced veterans successfully completed the outflank, the shield wall pressed directly over, and the pincer-shaped pocket array was being built...

At this situation, Old Otto recalled many bloody battles in the past. He cleared his throat: "It's enough. Our recruits have been defeated, thanks to the wooden sticks used. You issued a restraining order again, otherwise..."

"Otherwise they will be killed one after another with swords in their backs." Rurik said with a sullen face.

"Yes. Maybe your trick is indeed effective. Now we can end this farce. Call their commanders over and we can question them."

The sound of horns and drums tried their best to overwhelm their fighting. The people trapped in the encirclement still rushed out of the encirclement from the front. They heard the signal sound and slowly stopped the "fighting".

It wasn't until his frantic heart calmed down that his muscles and bones began to ache.

Who's winning? Hard to say. Seems like just a tie.

The young people were surprised by the ferocity and ruthlessness of the veterans, and the veterans also appreciated the young people's brute strength.

Poor Askard was not injured on the surface, but his helmet was knocked off and his head was buzzing. When he took off his helmet and touched his head, he found that there was still a swelling.

"Did we win or lose?" He pouted and asked Grund, whose head was soaked with sweat and his hair was smoking crazily.

"Of course you win. You did a great job, kid."

"Hey, young man." Askard touched his head, which was still smoking, "The helmet didn't protect my head well either."

"It's good that you realize this. If we really break out a war with the Franks, we will be killed by tomahawks and swords. Maybe you will have your skull smashed by a big ax and die directly. Let's learn from you."

"oh."

Askard did learn a lot. He had to report the situation to his uncle and grandfather, and at the same time, the nobles involved in the chaos also had to report.

He was holding an evil fire in his heart. The guys he had just gotten together with were either relatives or friends, but when he looked at them, they had other meanings.

Everyone stood in front of old King Otto's sleigh with different expressions. The same thing was that they were all trying their best to exude mist, as if they had just emerged from the sauna.

Who won? Otto gave an "evenly matched" reply.

"Now, the Supreme King declares it a tie." Rurik repeated it again, opening his arms: "Then, all of you can enjoy the stewed venison feast that I promised the winner."

Old Otto coughed twice more: "Tell me how you feel." He glanced at Ascard in particular, and when he saw his grandnephew's pouting little mouth, he knew what the boy was thinking.

He first asked Governor Medved.

"It was really a fierce battle. I felt like I was facing a formidable enemy. If there was a real battle, I'm afraid my people would die on a large scale."

Medved's words were full of flattery. Although most of his people were Slavs, many of them were now Vikings. After the fighting patterns began to converge, their brave and fierce appearance became more and more similar to that of real old Russian warriors.

Arik and Fisk also participated in the "fight". Considering that the people fighting were either nephews or brothers, the two tried to maintain a humble attitude. Especially Arik, he knew that his son was angry, but he didn't dare to pour cold water on the boy's head with radical words.

"What about you? Asgard." Otto waited until the end to ask.

"Grandpa. I..." The boy raised his head, looked at Otto, and then at Rurik.

"How is it?" Rurik had just finished asking, and when he took a closer look, he noticed the bulge on his nephew's head. "You are hurt?"

"This is not fair! We are too young and our bodies are not strong enough. This kind of fighting is very detrimental to me."

"Fair? How can war be fair?" Otto was a little surprised. He didn't expect his grandnephew to say such a thing. "Haha, tell me, what is fair?"

"Well...it should be a completely equal battle. They are all old warriors, we are new, they are strong, and we are still weak. So it is unfair."

Askard's words left everyone present speechless.

"Nonsense." Arik scolded him bluntly.

"Hey! This kid is just innocent." Otto motioned for Arik to shut up, and then waved his hand to let his grandnephew come to him.

The pouting Askard had no choice but to do as he was told, thinking that his grandfather could comfort him. Unexpectedly, a big hand suddenly stretched out and jammed the boy's neck directly. Askard subconsciously grabbed the big hand with both hands and tried to break free. He coughed so much that he instinctively moved his feet.

Otto was unmoved when his grandnephew's legs kicked him. He even signaled to the surprised people not to get close, and then he grabbed Asgard's neck with both hands. But the boy clenched his teeth and resisted resolutely. Finally, he relied on strength to break away from his grandfather's restraints. He patted his red face again and asked with confusion: "Grandpa, what are you doing?"

"So, is our duel fair?" Otto panted and asked again, which showed that he was very tired just now.

"I...I don't know."

"How can we talk about fairness? I'm old! If I were young, how would you break free? Your neck would be broken. But you are young and can break free from my hand quickly. You know..." Otto grabbed the wooden stick next to him. , indicating that everyone would not support him, he stood up angrily on his own strength. Now the polar bear's clothes fell off, revealing his heavy gold-plated armor.

"You know, I was the number one warrior in Ross when I was young? Do you know Ross's old competition? In order to compete for power, participants bet their lives! Anyone can participate, young or old. Is this kind of competition fair? "

"I……"

Otto intended to give his grandnephew a good lesson because he always felt guilty for his brother who died early. If that unfortunate yaw had not happened, there would not have been a sneak attack by the Gotlanders, and his brother Ogier would not have died. Thinking of this, he had high hopes for his grandnephew Askard.

"Child, you still need to learn. Are you really suitable for going to the battlefield? Will you tell those fierce Franks that a fair fight is needed? Don't make excuses for defeat! You have obviously participated in a real war, why didn't you learn Do you understand? Remember, you use your brain when fighting. Victory is the most important thing. In order to win, we have to use more to defeat less, that is, to launch sneak attacks. Forget the experience you learned from fighting among children, you are now a war chief!"

"Yes." The pinch just now woke up the boy.

Thinking about it carefully, it would be ridiculous for him to make excuses for his disadvantage in the battle. He didn't want to quibble anymore, he still didn't want to admit that he was disadvantaged in the battle, and of course he had nothing to admit. Abandon the sophistry of defeat, and what remains is the refusal to admit fault and defeat.

The boy simply raised his chest and said wildly: "I will become stronger, and I will make great achievements in Frank to show you!"

"That's right. Bring more of the gold and silver you captured when you come back. I'll see if you keep your word."

Otto used another provocation, but Asgard beat his chest again and said that he meant what he said...