Cardia Invasion (1)
With all preparations complete, we set sail right away. I was a bit worried about taking so many warriors on this raid and leaving the tribe short-handed, but Father told me not to fret since the shamans were there as guests. And so, our eight longships began slicing through the waves.
As the biting sea wind sharpened everyone's senses,
"Drengr! Empire ships ahead!!"
"Looks like three of them."
"Tch, their defenses have tightened up after all."
With our fleet-sized formation, we stuck out like a sore thumb. Had the Empire ships spotted us because of that? They immediately started turning to flee.
"If we let those bastards escape, reinforcements will show up later and make things a pain! Battle stations, everyone!!"
"Lord Ulfrik, your horn."
"Weapons up!"
BWOOOOOOOOO!!! At the blast of my horn, every longship snapped into combat readiness. Powered by the Vikings' furious rowing, our ships surged forward at incredible speed, closing in on the Empire vessels in moments.
"Ship slayer prep!!!"
"""Rawr!"""
A different horn blared across the sea this time. The assistant instructors took position at the prow of each ship just like me, timing their strikes with the ship's momentum—
KABOOOOOM!!!
"Ship slayer success!!!"
"Send in the second longship!"
We and the instructors became human siege engines, taking turns with four longships to pulverize their hulls. Meanwhile, the kanpeu ships and the rest circled the Empire vessels, raining arrows and whittling down the enemy.
The Empire ships put up a fierce fight, of course. They dumped cargo overboard to lighten up and flee, or unleashed arrows and magic from what must've been spell scrolls in a desperate counter-barrage.
But these were Vikings pumped full of marine spirit.
"Hahaha! That tickles!!!"
"Come on! Glory in battle!!!"
"Honor awaits us!"
That level of arrow fire? We shrugged it off with sheer grit!!!
In the end, relentless ship slayer hits snapped the keels of two out of three ships, stripping their mobility. We left those crippled hulks for later capture and turned to the last one still fleeing. Time to test a new tactic!
I ordered the longships to pull in close to the final ship. This was our chance!!
"Bounce!!!"
"""Rawr!"""
What I call the Viking Trampoline. One warrior holds a shield steady as a platform below, while another uses it to leap sky-high. The shield-bearer thrusts upward hard—
THWOOONG!!
"Who can stop us with jumps tens of times stronger?!?!"
"Heave-hooooo!!!"
"Yaaaaah!!"
Did they never expect our vanguard to board so fast? The Empire sailors panicked, their morale crumbling instantly. The rest of our boys hopped aboard just as easily, and ship-to-ship melee erupted.
CRUNCH!!SLASH!!!
"Gaaaaah!"
"B-bloodthirsty heathens!!!"
"Hahaha! They're no match!"
"Pathetic Empire weaklings, as expected!"
No elite knights assigned to these Empire navy ships, naturally. The outcome was a foregone conclusion.
"Drengr! Ship's interior secured!"
"Casualties?"
"Zero again!"
"Then grab anything that looks pricey and let's go!"
The other two immobilized ships had their masts shattered too—we'd wrapped things up nicely there. Now, time to erase traces of the battle.
"Execute ship slayer!!!"
BWOOOOOOOOO!!!
And with that, every sign of combat sank into the silent depths.
Ulfrik and the Vikings swiftly cleared the sea route first. Soon after, we reached Empire soil and steered up the river toward our target: Cardia city.
"Up this river, and we can invade the city!"
"But Drengr, the kanpeu ships won't fit."
"Should we just tell those knife-ears to guard the rear?"
"No, they've earned their share after all this. Besides, numbers matter this time."
Following my orders, the Vikings hid the elf ships along the coast and distributed the rookies among the longships. With everything set, we rowed upstream.
Our massive fleet was impossible to miss, and Empire civilians who spotted us fled in terror. But then, something unexpected happened.
Black smoke rose from distant hills.
"Tch, signal beacons."
"Even a toothless beast is still a beast."
"Guess some runners were Empire scouts."
The city's defenses were systematic, as expected. Those beacons might summon reinforcements from nearby cities or nobles.
"But what if we breach the city first!!"
"Drengr, look!!"
"The city!!!"
At last, the city flowing with milk and honey came into view. But the beacons had the place in chaos—bells clanging wildly.
"They'll be fully defended soon. Dock now!!"
"""Yes sir!"""
Any closer, and siege weapons or magic could wreck our longships. To avoid that, we opted to charge on foot. For a big raid like this, terror was key.
"Burn it all!!"
"Loose fire arrows!!!"
"Geunbbae!!!"
Flames engulfed the outskirts. It worked—the city garrison, larger than us, slammed the gates shut instead of intercepting.
"Hahaha! Idiots!!"
"Drengr! Just as we planned!"
"Now their walls aren't a shield—they're a prison trapping them inside!! Charge!!"
The board was set. I led the way as every Viking raised shields and ran. Arrows rained like a storm, proving their numbers, but what had we trained for last time?
"Individual combat drill!!!"
"""Rawr!"""
These Vikings had trained dodging unpredictable projectiles and breaching traps from all sides. Predictable arrows from above? No threat at all—especially with sturdy shields besides.
Our overwhelming mobility closed the gap fast.
"Wh-what the hell are those?!?!"
"Insane!!"
"Too fast—can't hit them!!"
"Just shoot!"
The guard captain ordered volleys from bows and siege engines, mages chanting spells. Those massive, obvious projectiles couldn't touch our high-speed rush.
Yet the Vikings didn't dodge—they charged straight into the blasts.
Was this madness? Then—
"I hit berserkr too!!!"
"Ancestors!!!"
"Witness our glorious fight!!"
Vikings shrugged off direct magic hits unscathed. One warrior took a siege bolt full-on, his mangled body regenerating in seconds.
"G-gods preserve us!!!"
"Monsters!!!"
"Aaaargh!"
As these heathen monsters swarmed the walls, defenders drowned in terror. No ladders in sight, so if they held the climb—
"Bounce!!!"
"""Rawr!"""
Defying the captain's last hope, Vikings launched skyward. They crashed down amid the panicked guards, slaughter ensuing. The captain's eyes shook with dread.
But he had one job left. He blew hard on a whistle-like magic tool from his pocket.
SKREEEEEEEEEE!!!
The warning of breached walls echoed through the city.
We seized the walls faster than expected, with lighter casualties too.
"Casualties or wounded?"
"No deaths, but quite a few injuries this time."
"Tch, just dodge next time…."
The Vikings got too hyped. One lunatic even tanked a siege weapon bare-handed and nearly died. Ancestral overprotection and grit kept them alive, barely.
"Eh, it was honorable enough. You're forgiven."
"Hahaha! That's our Drengr!"
"What a big heart!"
"So, what's next?"
"That guy we just killed blew something, and the city's reacting fast."
I'd planned a blitz to overrun them before they could think. But that city-wide whistle triggered barricades popping up everywhere.
"…Pushing in means getting bogged down."
"Rescue forces from the beacons will sandwich us."
"Probably magic traps too."
We could raze the whole place like this, but greater glories awaited. No way I'd waste lives here.
Luckily, I had a plan.
"Straight to that upper-class district ahead!! Move—now!"
BOOM!!!
"Over the roofs!!"
Streets blocked? Roofs it is! Empire buildings were packed tight—easy flat ground for our physiques. Unlike the wall scrubs, the real knights and city's wealth were in the upper district.
"Heads on pikes—geunbbae!!!"
""""Yes sir!""""
With roaring cheers, we soared across the rooftops.