“Olav? Does he deserve to sit on the throne of Nidaros?” A burly warrior slammed his fist on the table, spilling most of the ale from his earthenware bowl.
"His Majesty King Hader died on the battlefield, his body barely cold! What right does a cowardly coward have to inherit the throne!"
These words immediately caused an uproar in Bergen's lord's hall. A Viking warrior angrily said:
“Our king should be a warrior who can lead us to conquer all directions and expand our territory, not a coward who only knows how to run away.”
Eric, sitting in the main seat, sneered. He was wearing a bearskin cloak bestowed upon him by King Hader, which he had received when he accompanied King Hader on his expedition.
Eric was the lord of Bergen, and upon the return of these enraged Viking warriors, he immediately learned of King Hader's death in battle.
Many Viking warriors already harbored resentment towards Olaf, and after only a slight test, many Viking warriors responded to his call and gathered in Bergen.
“You are all right,” Eric said slowly, his voice deep and persuasive.
"Olav possessed formidable strength, yet he couldn't even defeat the weak navy of Holy Egypt, and was even routed and forced to flee."
“What a coward,” Eric said dismissively.
The Viking warriors' lips twitched slightly at these words. They wanted to say that the Holy Egyptian navy was not weak, but the current focus was on dragging Olaf off the throne, and that had nothing to do with this.
So they shut their mouths and listened to Eric continue.
"Which of us brave Viking warriors has not stained our hands with the blood of the enemy? And which of us has not been wounded and bled on the battlefield?"
"Scars are the medals of us Viking warriors, the courage and glory of our Viking warriors who fight to the death."
"But Olaf actually chose to abandon this honor and instead forced you to flee, even claiming that it was a wise move to protect the warriors."
"How could such a coward possibly lead us to avenge the dead King Hader?"
"Chief Eric is right!" a young warrior echoed loudly, unconsciously addressing Eric as "chief" in his speech.
"We should unite all the city-states, overthrow Olaf, and enthrone a true Viking hero!"
"Only true warriors deserve to be the kings respected and loved by the Viking warriors!"
"Support Chief Eric!" someone shouted, immediately triggering a chain reaction in the crowd.
"Chief Eric is the only one worthy to be our king!"
"Charge out of Nidaros and hang Olaf's head on the city gate!"
"The courage of the Viking warriors should not be extinguished, and the glory of the Vikings should not be tarnished!"
Looking at the excited Viking warriors, Eric curled the corner of his mouth into a smile, and then I said:
"Gentlemen, rest assured, after we overthrow that cowardly and incompetent Olaf, I will lead you back to the shores of Holy Egypt and take revenge on Holy Egypt."
"I will lead you to regain the dignity that Olaf failed to preserve in Holy Egypt, and the courage that he lost."
"Plunder! Charge!" Eric shouted, raising his arm.
"Plunder! Charge!" The other Viking warriors shouted in unison, their resounding voices echoing through the palace.
At this moment, a Viking warrior suddenly stepped forward and said hesitantly:
"But the great mage said that Harald told him before he died that if he couldn't return, he should make Olaf the new king. Is that...?"
Eric sneered, "The king is dead. How can you prove whether that old man is talking nonsense or not?"
"Perhaps Olaf had been planning this all along, and even the great mage was bribed by him."
"He can smoothly succeed to the throne as soon as our respected and beloved king dies."
“Oh, God, our poor king, just like that, by Olaf…” Eric said, a few tears falling from his eyes, as if he were grieving for Harald’s fate.
At this moment, several Viking warriors stepped forward: "However, that great mage has long been loyal to the king and would never have any intention of betraying him."
"Yes, Olaf is also one of Harald's warriors, and he has always been loyal to the king."
"We want to overthrow him only because of his cowardice and stupidity, not because of his betrayal."
When Eric saw several Viking warriors jump out to refute him, his eyes suddenly turned cold.
He slowly stood up and stepped down from his seat: "You guys are so protective of Olaf, even going so far as to jump out and speak up for him at a time like this, that makes me wonder about your true thoughts."
"Could it be that you are still loyal to Olaf, or are you simply spies sent by Olaf?"
Having said that, Eric's gaze pierced sharply at the Viking warriors, as if he wanted to see right through them.
The Viking warriors shuddered and said in a panic, "No, Eric, that's not what we meant."
"Olaf and the Archmage are, after all, warriors loyal to the King. Will our rebellion trigger a large-scale civil war, allowing neighboring countries to take advantage of the situation?"
“Rebellion? Civil war?” Eric scoffed, stepping forward and grabbing a Viking warrior’s shoulder. “Remember! We are not rebelling; we are reclaiming the glory that belongs to the Vikings!”
“Those old folks who cling to tradition, perhaps out of fear of change, have altered the king’s last wishes.”
"Olaf's very existence is the greatest blasphemy against the Viking warriors!"
As he spoke, he suddenly drew his battle axe from his waist, the blade striking the long table, sending wood chips flying.
His gaze swept around: "Anyone who dares to stand in our way will suffer the same fate as this table!"
The Viking warriors turned pale with fright and dared not utter another word. As Eric shouted again, a deafening cheer erupted in the palace once more.
The pre-victory celebration lasted for several hours, as if they had already won.
Eric only began to deploy his plans when the scene was a complete mess, with flying sawdust and broken glasses everywhere.
"Olaf, although he is quite strong, is just a reckless brute who doesn't know how to use his brain. As long as we show the people around him how powerful we are, they will naturally leave Olaf and join our side."
"Come on, tell me, how many troops does Olaf have under his command..."
Before he could finish speaking, Eric collapsed to the ground, drunk.
No one answered his question.
The hall was crooked and filled with drunken Viking warriors.
They didn't wake up until the next morning.
A Viking warrior shook Eric awake: "Chief Eric, it's time for us to go to war."
Eric slowly awoke, his eyes gradually clearing: "Yes, let's go into battle!"
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