69.
69.
There was no lack of food and living, and aside from the occasional blood donation to mosquitoes and, surprisingly, a handful of Norsemen sniffling because the cold virus existed, there were no other notable diseases in this land, Árós.
Already, countless people from the North had been swarming into this land, and it embraced them without any problem, but since excess of anything was never good, all sorts of inconveniences naturally arose.
The food problem was solved? Then the sewage problem popped up.
Surplus production created an abundance of goods? Then the inventory problem popped up again.
Many people were born and raised, so there was no labor shortage? All those people couldn't just farm or go fishing.
In truth, perhaps times like this made it easier to live in an ancient tribal society. The people of this era accepted reality with thoughts like, 'Huh? There are quite a few people? If I can't find a house, should I live on the outskirts?' 'Huh? I have no land and not much to do? Should I ask the Konungr for some sharecropping?'
It might be a hard thought to accept, but such things were common sense in this age. Because, in an age without human rights, if you screamed "Waaah—!" you could literally have your body and head separated...
Surprisingly, strict laws and strong discipline existed, but it wasn't a world overflowing with consideration.
A world where violence was closer than the law. Even the Roman Empire, which built that brilliant civilization, was no different.
So when about a generation passed, discontent would eventually accumulate. And then, if misfortune struck in the form of natural disasters like earthquakes, droughts, or harsh winters, people would periodically rise up and readjust the balance of power.
That must have been the shape of human life.
Until I arrived.
In truth, the people probably hadn't understood even half of my lectures delivered in the amphitheater that the engineer Leon built in Uppsala.
No matter how much I spoke to them of reason and rationality, most didn't even know what 'reason' was or what 'rationality' meant. Still, if even one among them—one in a thousand, one in ten thousand—felt something, change would begin there.
It was only because I, who was called a demigod, showed the miracle of splitting rocks that things reached this point; if someone else had done it, they might have been sacrificed as a living offering on the spot.
Yes, in the end, the status and power of the speaker mattered in any society.
In that respect, perhaps I was even hoping for resistance. If I could make an example of someone, it would become much easier to reach the utopia I desired.
Unfortunately, such a thing hadn't happened yet, but I could wait indefinitely—for a brave challenger to appear.
This wave of redevelopment fell into the same context.
Because I, who was practically the most popular idol among the Norsemen, was doing it, everyone wanted to follow suit...
The blueprints that the genius engineer Leon first brought to me had many problems.
No matter how advanced Eastern Roman technology was, it couldn't escape the limitations of the era.
First of all, the structure of the house was utterly incomprehensible to my mind, and especially the fact that the toilet was right next to the kitchen was absolutely intolerable.
Of course, Leon couldn't understand my words instead. "Konungr, if we place the toilet outside or far away from the house, won't it become bothersome to dispose of leftover food?"
I had to explain the existence of germs to him again—in a way that if the toilet was nearby, wouldn't that foul energy touch the food?
As I looked at Leon's skeptical gaze, I felt my vision go dark at the thought that even an outstanding scholar was like this, so how would others be? But since it was something I had decided to push through, I resolved to be a bit more brazen and ordered him to proceed as I wished.
Given the nature of people who basically spent winter with their adorable livestock friends, no matter how much they washed their bodies once a week, hygiene could not have been good. Therefore, I separated the barn from the house and moved the toilet outside as well.
Since we didn't yet have the technology to make ceramics, it was difficult to make a pristine white and beautiful ceramic toilet, so in the end, we had to use a more traditional... toilet. And for that, building an outhouse was the best choice.
So the most important thing was to dig underground waterways so that the ground wouldn't collapse.
We dug a huge pit for the waste at a spot slightly apart from where the new hill village would sit, and drew water flowing toward it so that the village's filth could flow down.
Of course, the pit had to be separate from the water source, that is, the groundwater from which the well rose. Otherwise, everyone could drink contaminated well water and fall ill.
On top of that, by adding the traditional method of stuffing in plenty of dried branches and grass, it could control the smell and also be used as compost. It would be nice if we could obtain lime.
Naturally, all of this was Leon's responsibility.
Of course, since I also dragged in Hrolf, who was well-versed in the local area, and given Hrolf's characteristic type of talent—'grumbles but works well'—we soon obtained information about the water sources and waterways around Árós and its eastern region.
Apparently, they got help from older farmers who were knowledgeable in this area.
Of course, without precise surveying equipment, we couldn't be 100% certain, but surprisingly, the farmers' work was exceedingly rigorous, so it was probably about 99% accurate.
The site was next to the broad agricultural zone located between Árós and the northern mountain range, the eastern hill and the land lying largely empty beyond it.
Olaf's gifts (slaves) that had been put to work on the western road construction and the warriors under my command, who had somehow transformed into an engineering corps, soon had to pick up their shovels again.
They dug... and dug again... and when a well came up, they filled in the hole... and dug another path...
Since I firmly paid their food and wages, no unfortunate incidents of deserters or runaways occurred, but it was not something that could go on forever.
As the scale of the city grew ever larger and the number of tenant farmers under me increased, I wondered if I should establish a proper construction company or something. But I decided to leave it alone for now, as it was still premature.
Isn't there a saying? If it's working well, don't fix it for nothing.
People were still happy, and the warriors and slaves working hard looked happy too. So I had no choice but to leave it be.
In a situation where proper capital hadn't even been formed yet, a company was a bridge too far.
'Still, I have to overhaul the military system once more. It's about time to gradually distinguish the branches of service.'
Combining the horses I had painstakingly brought from Northumbria, the ones Árpád of the Magyars left behind, and the horses that would soon be sent by Michael of Rome, I already had about three or four hundred foreign horses in my hands.
Of course, due to transportation problems, only two hundred were in Árós at the moment. But together with the existing native North breed, it was a level that couldn't be ignored.
It was shocking that there wasn't a single cavalry instructor, but what was encouraging was that the riding proficiency of the warriors patrolling the western, southern, and eastern roads was rising at a bizarrely fast pace.
For now, though they were few, I had to bind those cavalrymen into a single unit as my escort.
The next urgent matter was archers. The composite bows used by those nomads were already in use in the Eastern Roman Empire, but when I had a chance to examine them, they were tools difficult to use in the rainy and humid North.
We could use them if we had to... but the days when they wouldn't perform at full power would outnumber the days they would, so their strategic value dropped significantly unless we were waging war on a set date.
Instead, since Scandinavia had plenty of good timber, making wooden bows wasn't particularly difficult. As is always the case, wherever there are drawbacks, there are also advantages.
Fortunately, thanks to the increase in animal numbers over the past ten years, all the renowned hunters had long since flocked to the vicinity of Árós, so recruiting skilled archers and archery instructors wasn't particularly hard.
So, though it felt a bit rushed, the new recruits were all practicing drawing and releasing bowstrings.
I didn't force it on the existing warriors, whose bodies were already ingrained with the heavy infantry combat style. Because while most now followed Hel, there were still many warriors who served Odin, Thor, and Tyr and dreamed of Valhalla.
Yes, this was about the limit for the present. No matter how much I split rocks and proclaimed the death of gods, for now, the old faith remained faintly, centered around Hel.
I had already instructed the priests to now switch their roles and, as I had stated, to take on the role of conveying to the people the knowledge gained as the books brought from Rome were translated.
But no one knew how much noise would arise in that process.
There truly wasn't a single easy thing.
While political, military, social, and religious changes were happening simultaneously, beyond the people earnestly digging the earth at this very moment, deep in the inner courtyard of my newly rising newlywed house(?), where the cornerstone was freshly laid.
Together with Inga, I was enjoying a moment of leisure amid the busyness.
"Inga, I'm thinking of building an animal pen in that space over there. Do you think the reindeer will thrive?"
"Hmm— they're fellows who surprisingly dislike feeling stuffy... as long as we take them out often, there shouldn't be any problem."
Her thoughtful expression at my question was so pretty that I kept throwing out this and that question for no reason.
What size would be appropriate for the kitchen? The sauna should probably be a bit apart, right? Should we raise the house to multiple stories? Or keep it single story? How big should the reception room be? I had seen the splendor of a bathtub in Rome; should we make one of those too?
In truth, most household chores would be done by the servants under me, but as I said, the point of these questions wasn't the content, but watching her reactions.
Since my marriage to her had effectively been settled by the elders of both families, Inga, whose feelings aligned with my sly dream of independence, earnestly answered my questions again.
She also knew that, with the cornerstone already raised, we were essentially repeating words we'd exchanged about the house's design. But she seemed content to stay by my side and chatter about various topics together.
I wanted to stay attached to her all day, but my position didn't permit that. It had only been three days since I had been pulled away from all work by my mother's stern command.
No matter how much I tossed tasks to my subordinates while the entire city and its people were rapidly changing under my orders, there were ultimately things that the person in charge had to do.
Even so, Inga never complained. She was just a slender body that quietly came into my arms whenever I sought her.
Of course, she was about the same height as most warriors, but compared to me, she was a very small and precious life form.
However, because she liked to wear baggy clothes, it wasn't usually apparent, but when her figure—nearly rivaling a gourd bottle—was revealed through the fabric or touched my body, I had to quickly recite the national anthem in my head.
From verse one to verse four. Sometimes, with a repeat sign, one more time.
The problem was that Inga seemed to take a little enjoyment in this reaction of mine.
Even now, as she subtly nestled into my arms, I was barely suppressing my mind from derailing due to some soft, fuzzy sensation.
And in the midst of that, her sweet scent was of no help at all.
But with superhuman mental strength, I was overcoming all these temptations, and I hadn't forgotten the reason I sought Inga today.
Amazingly, we were still a pathetic couple who hadn't even kissed yet. But since we were about to be married... shouldn't I at least do something?
I reached out my own pale hand and gently took hers, which was drawing in the air a wooden fence where two extremely adorable but particularly curt reindeer toward me would reside.
"...?"
Her two eyes, shining even brighter as they caught the sun head-on.
Steadying my newly trembling heart with two deep breaths, I carefully pulled out the ring I had prepared from within my clothes.
One of the treasures I had brought back from the Eastern Roman Empire. A silver ring that a skilled jeweler had crafted with heart and soul. At its center, a crimson gem flaunted its antique elegance as it sat in place.
"Inge Eretsdottir. I swear before Goddess Hel and the names of my father and mother, I will love and care for you all my life. Will you spend the rest of your life with me?"
As I slightly bent one knee, my head was near her neck.
When that trembling moment passed, and all the warriors building the house nearby stopped and held their breath.
Inga, who had been quietly looking down at me with shining eyes, nodded with a bright smile.
"I don't need oaths before other names, Helgi Ragnarsson. For me, your oath alone is enough."
Drawn by that gentle voice, I slipped the ring onto her pale finger, and she lowered her head and kissed the corner of my mouth.
A soft sound and a soft sensation.
At the same time, a soft fragrance spreading from my nose into my brain violently made my mind cozy.
Amid the intense shock and the surrounding cheers, she and I remained there like that for a long while, frozen.