Chapter 430: The food crisis
Chapter 430: The food crisis
Ansgar, who was waiting for the news of the messenger, was surprised when he looked through his spyglass as the castle guards came out after the messenger.
They all had their hands up and were walking without armor or weapons just their clothes.
Although he was quite far away, he could tell that most of them were in a sorry state, so he sighed and lowered the spyglass to look at his sergeant.
“Let the food be prepared. These people are in a bad state. This is the first time I have seen something like this.”
When the prisoners arrived at the camp, Ansgar was surprised to see them in a sorry state.
With some curiosity, he approached one of the prisoners who was simply looking at the place where the food was being cooked.
“Can you tell me what happened and why are they in this sorry state?”
The prisoner raised his head and looked at Ansgar. “Weeks ago, the news that you were invading created a real problem, as the nobles and merchants hoarded all the food.
Only the capitals and cities have food because they simply leave the villages completely empty. We were lucky because we were border guards.
We had the right to spoiled wheat to eat, but because there is a great shortage we have only been feeding on wheat with soil because it is the only thing that fills our stomachs.
Although if I’m honest, I prefer wheat with wood shavings a thousand times, at least it has a richer flavor than the earth.
We finished with all the wooden furniture of the Castle and the only thing that remains is necessary wood; the baron left this place a long time ago.
I never thought I would say something like this, but I have to thank you that you were able to arrive because our food has run out and it is possible that we simply had gotten to do something horrible. “
Ansgar looked at the prisoner seriously. “What do you know about the nearby villages have the same problem?”
The border guard only sighed. “The villages simply ceased to exist when they took away the men and young men who could serve in the troops that were formed to defend the cities.
Women, adults and children stayed in this place. For days, we have been watching how groups of people simply cross the border to the lands of the kingdom of Ireland.
But those who stayed should already be dead because the food they had was very little. I was very lucky because since I do not have a wife or children; I am sure that I will not suffer.
However, many of my colleagues are in a completely horrible situation. First, they suffer from hunger and then they think of their families.
I have to say that fate is unfair because our enemies were not you, but the nobles and merchants.
It’s too sad but I’m just a commoner, I can’t do anything at all, I’m not even a free man. “
Ansgar pat his shoulder. “Since you surrendered, you are a free man, the kingdom of Ireland, just like the Nordic kingdom.
They will guarantee that you can live free and without ties of noblemen, they are a real problem.
But for the moment just eat and when you finish, I would like you to help me find people who know this place.
I want you to check the villages for survivors, or we will only find abandoned houses. “
The prisoner sighed “You will only find corpses or abandoned houses, but I will gladly help you after eating.”
Einar who was in a village near the capital looked sadly at the scene in front of him.
This because his soldiers were removing corpses of children, babies and even women that were in the bones.
Their bodies showed that most of them had starved, that created a lot of questions in Einar because he did not know why the hell that had happened.
With some anger, he approached one prisoner who was helping him find the villages. “You know what happened in this place and why there are corpses of people who seem to have not eaten in weeks.”
The prisoner only bowed his head. “When the news that his army had attacked, the nobles, merchants and the church.
They took care of completely taking the food and any valuable resources that people might have.
Also, in most of the villages, men and young men were taken away to fight, while beautiful women were taken as well.
The rest of the people were left to their own devices. Without food or anything of value, many went to the kingdom of Ireland looking for food.
Yet most of the people just waited for death. “
Einar, at that moment, punched the prisoner in the face. “That is for not telling me before. This is valuable information. You damn nobles are stupid. As for the church, I would not be surprised if you rob the poor.”
At that moment, Einar approached his horse and took his notebook along with his pencil.
In just a matter of minutes, he just wrote 2 letters an era to his father-in-law so that he will start preparing ports throughout the kingdom of Ireland.
Also that he prepares a messenger and a Drakkar to take the other letter to Iceland.
What Einar was planning to do was asked his father to send ships full of dried or pickled fish.
All this in order to save as many people as possible, because the value of a place to be conquered is not the land, it is the population.
An Ireland without a population was of no use to Einar as it would delay his conquest considerably.
A soldier with the cards in his hands got on a horse and began his journey to the city of Dublin. Fortunately for the road, it would not be complicated.
Well, with the new territories conquered, it only took him 4 days to reach Dublin, unfortunately his horse died once he reached the city.
When Vilhelm received the letters, he opened the one letter addressed to him and without wasting time he prepared a Drakkar and ordered his slaves and soldiers to prepare ports throughout the territory to be able to receive food.
Just as Einar knew that the population was extremely important because if it ceased to exist, it would take years for the kingdom to recover, although it will destroy the enemies.