Felix and Olaf III's great battle finally ended in an extraordinarily peculiar way: it concluded only after both commanders fell in the field. Barnett's counterstrike ultimately vanquished Count Felix. When Barnett ordered his soldiers to shout loudly, "Count Felix is dead," Felix managed to hold on for nearly another half hour—only to have his head cleaved off by the enraged Viking warriors. By tradition, they impaled his severed head on a broken spear shaft retrieved from the ground.
The next day, Olaf III's death was officially confirmed. Thus, some have dubbed this engagement "the battle with no victor."
Of course, that label is misleading. Look closely: Norway's two strongest ducal candidates not only failed to claim the title, they lost their lives. Their followers—virtually the entire nobility—suffered crippling losses and saw their power shattered.
The common folk fared no better. Nearly ten thousand peasants perished—prime laborers whose loss will devastate families across the realm. Even those who fled faced starvation and freezing, and some may yet die along the way. Survivors who did make it home lost vital time in the fields—a hardship in itself.
From noble hall to peasant hut, Norway resounds with wails of grief. Had this war installed a new Duke of Norway, the unification might have been hailed as a blessing; at least future infighting could be averted. But since no duke emerged, the fighting will resume. More blood will be spilled. Once this sinks in, nobles and commoners alike feel thoroughly cheated.
Yet some still rejoice, some paddle against the tide, and some align themselves against the populace.
That man is Barnett—lord of the rising city of Biade, its self‑styled Count, and newly appointed Chancellor of Norway by Olaf III.
He looted vast spoils of war, enslaved many serfs, and with both Olaf III and Felix dead, seized the opportunity to self‑crown as Count.
But a question arises: if Olaf III is dead, how could he have appointed Barnett as Chancellor? Did he dispatch the order from heaven via angelic messengers?
Barnett—ever brazen—explained that he had written a letter to his erstwhile liege, Olaf III, promising to betray Felix at the crucial moment. In return, Olaf III allegedly vowed that if Barnett secured the final victory, he would appoint him Chancellor of Norway and Count of Biade, granting him half of Felix's southern fief—Oslo included—as a hereditary domain.
Of course, it was all a lie.
But with both principals dead, Barnett's word goes unchallenged. Belief matters little; the notion that some fellow named Barnett is Norway's Chancellor has been firmly planted.
At that moment, the system granted Barnett a new attribute—displayed on his holographic screen:
Barefaced Lies: All this scoundrel's promises are akin to squid ink. Army Morale +1; People's Support +5%; Shamelessness +1; Cruelty +1.Qualified Commander → Excellent Commander: Command +2; Shameless +1; Cruel +1; Night Battle Leadership +1…
Faith: In the Middle Ages, belief is paramount; the faithless are branded heretics. Yet Barnett will never truly worship any deity—he must at least feign piety.Faith stats: Devout +1; Church Building +1; Doctrine Propagation +2 (Total: 4).
Administration: A ruler need not master the battlefield or out‑pious the clergy—that falls to generals and priests. Commanders must master their officers. A high Administration score boosts security, morale, and taxes, while curbing corruption and promoting growth.– Time‑traveler's Anachronistic Knowledge +2– Establish Bureaucracy over Hereditary Rule +2– Statecraft & Grand Construction Experience +1– Agriculture First Philosophy +1(Total Administration: 6)System Note: Each controlled city requires a Tax Collector, Protector of the People, Mayor, Judge, and Auditor to effectively curb corruption and foster urban development.
Prestige: Monarchs need prestige to ensure loyalty; low prestige invites bribery or rebellion.– Natural‑born Ruler +1– Famous Military Victory +1– Countly Title & Fief +2– Faction Leader (Better to head a small faction than tail a large one) +2(Total Prestige: 6)
Shamelessness: Its use remains unclear.– Shameless Commander +1; Barefaced Lies +1; Betrayer +1 (Total: 3)
Other Attributes: Cowardice −1; Improved Provisions +20%; People's Support +30%…
Barnett noted his People's Support was extremely high, and the system declared him Norway's most prestigious figure.
In other words, the legendary Norwegian throne draws ever closer.
Should he dispatch clergy to Rome for pilgrimage and bribe the pope? Barnett considered—only to see his priests competing with his Vikings in a contest of gluttony. He shook his head in exasperation; sending such scoundrels would surely ruin the mission.
Barnett's army had camped for days on Bergen's outskirts, for the remaining Bergen nobles refused to open their gates. His claim—to act as Olaf III's appointed Chancellor over the late king's lands—threatened their interests and made conflict inevitable.
He could not yet seize the city. Though Bergen's walls were low and its moat shallow, the city harbored substantial stockpiles of arms and chainmail. The faction of Bergen had effectively won the previous war; some two thousand professional soldiers and over five thousand levied peasants garrisoned the walls. Barnett's remaining two thousand men could not take the city without special siege engines.
His field forces had already lost a thousand men to open‑field combat; a siege would cost even more—Barnett was no fool.
Yet he surmised his domain's research institute must have completed their bolt‑throwers and catapults. Still, they needed to build siege workshops and recruit engineers—a process demanding time.
About a month, he reckoned.
After this reflection, Barnett sprang to his feet, hoisted his wooden mug of malt wine, and shouted to his bodyguards mounted on horseback, "Orders! At dawn, we march back to Biade!"
A thunderous cheer erupted across the camp. The Viking warriors felt they had plundered enough and slain enough; it was indeed time to return home, rest, and await the next campaign of slaughter and looting…
Their target: Bergen! Their goal: breach the walls! Three days of sack to follow...