Volume Two: The Iron-Blooded Baron Chapter 129: The Defense of Norlandenburg (III)

Asadan stood before the two tree stumps, took a deep breath, and spoke in a booming voice: "Brothers, we all despise cowards. But if a coward performs a service, we must grant them a chance to survive. Iboka claims to have brought back vital intelligence. Are you willing to hear him out first?"

Hearing their leader, the men exchanged glances and nodded in agreement. They would let Iboka state his information; if it truly proved valuable, his life would be spared. But if he were merely playing games, then he and his companion—formerly their comrades—would be hacked to pieces and tossed into the lake to feed the fish.

Seeing the consensus, Asadan waved his hand, and the pirates holding Iboka let go. Iboka rubbed his knees, which were sore from prolonged kneeling, not even bothering to wipe the blood from his face. Relieved as if granted a pardon, he laughed and said loudly, "Father, brothers, what I have brought is absolute, vital intelligence! That fool at Norlanden named Belion has stored all his significant wealth in the newly constructed castle. Do you have any idea how much there is?"

"You bastard! Get on with it, or we’ll cut you down right now!" one pirate, impatient with Iboka’s attempt at an interactive Q&A, threw a small stone at him in anger.

Stung by the stone, Iboka realized he was pushing his luck and quickly blurted out, "There are eight hundred thousand dinars and three hundred thousand pounds of grain inside. If we take the place, we’ll be rich beyond measure!"

"Is that your 'vital intelligence'? I don't need you to tell me that; once I take the castle, I’ll have all of it anyway." After hearing this, Asadan kicked him to the ground again, raised his battle-axe, and prepared to strike him down.

Iboka scrambled to plead for his life, "Father, wait, please, let me finish!"

Asadan pressed the blade against his neck, sneering, "Speak quickly. If you keep stalling, this axe will truly fall!"

By now, Iboka was drenched in cold sweat despite the biting chill of the autumn night. He hurried to explain: "Even if we could get it by taking the whole of Norlanden, the effort required would be immense, and we might not even succeed. The castle is new, very sturdy, and built on the only hill in the area. There is only one road up; it is easily defended and hard to attack. Without concentrating all our strength, we cannot take it."

"If I hadn't escaped the dungeon tonight to bring you this news, I suspect you would have spent tomorrow clearing the surrounding villages first. But the villages of Norlanden are built in what the Brik call 'enclosed homes.' Each village is like a small, circular fortress. Picking them off one by one would take a long time and cost us many brothers."

"By then, we would have suffered heavy casualties, wasted so much time, and yet we wouldn't have plundered much wealth or grain from the peasants. Wouldn't we have come all this way for nothing? Moreover, if we suffer heavy losses clearing the villages, not only will we fail to take Norlanden, but we might be counterattacked by that cunning Brik, and we would be utterly ruined!"

"But because I brought this intelligence and offered a suggestion, Father, you can lead the brothers straight to Norlanden tomorrow, concentrate your forces, and take it in one stroke. Once we have those eight hundred thousand silver coins and all that grain, we will be rich, and the Count will hold you in even higher esteem."

Asadan listened to Iboka’s explanation, nodded, and moved his foot from the man’s chest, lifting the axe from his neck. The surrounding pirates also nodded, signaling their approval of Iboka’s reasoning.

Seizing the moment, Iboka launched into an exaggerated account of how he had heard the intelligence, obtained the keys, and risked his life to escape—embellishing the tale far more than he had the already inflated figures of the wealth.

His masterful performance successfully won back the favor of the group. Several familiar pirates even stepped forward to embrace him. Through a combination of playing the victim, exaggerating the numbers, and putting on a show, Iboka successfully secured his acceptance by Asadan and his men. The crimes of the other two pirates who escaped with him were forgiven; since one was already dead and another wounded, there was no need for further punishment.

Furthermore, the news of eight hundred thousand dinars in Norlanden sent the pirates into a frenzy. While they often plundered money, a place holding eight hundred thousand dinars in one go, outside of the most prosperous cities, was unheard of.

Whether it was the Kingdom of New Gal, or the wealthy cities of the Brik and the Valendi, every place within reach of the pirates was guarded by elite forces. Without heavy siege engines—and unable to endure the year-long sieges common in traditional warfare—the pirates could never hope to loot such astronomical wealth.

Typically, their raids on villages and small castles yielded limited spoils. For a warlord like Asadan, commanding five or six hundred men, a two-month raiding campaign usually netted about two hundred thousand dinars total, including grain and textiles; direct gold and silver were far less.

That two hundred thousand was the collective labor of five or six hundred men over two months. After the shares for the Count and the Warlord were deducted, and the leaders took their cut, an ordinary Toba pirate might receive only a few dozen dinars, plus perhaps a slave or some supplies.

Having never seen such riches, the pirates were ecstatic at the thought of eight hundred thousand. This single job promised them hundreds of dinars each.

Did they not realize that it was highly unusual for a small barony to hold so much wealth? If it were anyone else, they would have been suspicious. But because it was Norlanden, they found nothing strange about it. Why?

During their raids in the province of Yangvikshuo, they had acquired exquisite painted pottery and soap. Upon interrogating the owners, they learned the origin of these high-priced goods: Norlanden. If a place could produce such refined goods that sold so well in a wealthy province, then the place itself must be incredibly rich. The Toba pirates were logical enough to grasp this. In their eyes, it would have been a miracle if Norlanden *didn't* have that much money.

With the matter settled, Asadan ordered a tent prepared for Iboka and his companion, providing them with new clothes and food so they could rest. The two expressed their deepest gratitude to Asadan before departing. Asadan and his men, in high spirits, prepared to sleep, intending to be fully rested for the morrow, when they would strike in one blow to seize Norlanden and all its riches.