Ulrich sat on the edge of a cliff overlooking a river. "Why was I brought here—to die or to live? Who knows?" he pondered aloud. With a sudden resolve, he picked up a rock and hurled it into the rushing waters. "My name will echo through history."
He rose from the cliff's edge and turned to walk away, revealing the village below. The newly completed great hall stood proudly at its center, surrounded by five modest houses. The village featured roads, wells, and other essential amenities. As Ulrich entered the great hall, he took his place atop a wooden, Viking-style throne. "Did you get it?" he asked, his voice deep and uncompromising, Just then, Harald approached and handed Ulrich a large rolled parchment. The room was filled with warriors, all eyes on Ulrich as he unrolled the map of Europe. He pointed to a region. "This is where we are—it's called Norway." Next, he indicated another region. "And this is Britannia, or England. With your help, I plan to raid England. When we return, we will be rich!"
Cheers of excitement broke out among the warriors. "Alright, everyone out. I need to talk to Harald," Ulrich commanded as the hall emptied.
"What's wrong, kid?" Harald asked. Ulrich closed his eyes and sighed. "We can't raid England."
"Why not?" Harald pressed. "You get everyone's hopes up. We have around 123 soldiers. England is divided into seven kingdoms—Northumbria, Mercia, Wessex, Sussex, Kent, Essex, and East Anglia. Each kingdom has hundreds of soldiers." "I haven't mentioned this before," Ulrich continued, "but when Sigurd was here, I was trying to recruit a shieldmaiden warband, and I'm still waiting for their reply." He paused, then added, "Oh, about that wolf you brought back: it's fully healed after taking the medicine you gave it. And regarding the shieldmaidens, we could just visit them. Speaking of visits, aren't you going to check on the village Sigurd gave you?"
"Not now," Ulrich replied, rising from his throne. "Prepare my escort."
The scene shifted to Eleanor deep in the forest, practicing her sword technique, slashing at a tree. The bark bore numerous dull sword marks when the sound of hooves broke the silence. A rider approached: a woman clad in brown boots, grey pants, and a beige shirt adorned with armor on her shoulders and wrists.
"Eleanor!" the woman called as her horse came to a stop. "Helga says that Earl Ulrich has returned." Eleanor's face lit up with excitement at the mention of someone so important.
The scene shifted again to a medieval castle, where a man in a red cloak peered out from a window. The man wore white royal robes beneath the cloak. "The Northmen should be arriving soon," he mused.
Meanwhile, Sigurd sat upon his horse, leading a convoy loaded with supplies. A man in wolf-head armor rode alongside him. "Are you sure about giving two villages to this Ulrich kid?" the man asked.
Sigurd chuckled, "Ivar will deal with him."
The scene returned to Ulrich, who was riding alongside Harald, flanked by about 50 warriors. As they drew near the village, Eleanor and Helga eagerly awaited them, while Astrid stood nearby, her expression less enthusiastic, gripping her battle ax.
Ulrich dismounted, and in an instant, Helga tackled him with a joyful hug. He managed to keep his footing. "How have you been?" she exclaimed, and Ulrich responded with a playful noogie.
Looking up, Ulrich found himself face-to-face with Eleanor. "Oh, Ulrich," Helga said, "this is Eleanor. Eleanor, meet Ulrich—the guy I told you about."
"Are you sisters?" Ulrich asked.
"No," Eleanor responded, trying to maintain her composure. "We grew up together; we're great friends—Viking age sorority sisters!"
"It's kind of funny," Takuya thought to himself.
"Can we go somewhere private to talk?" Ulrich suggested, his tone more serious.
The group gathered in a windowless room adorned with a chandelier and medieval candle mounts. Helga was seen eating roughly, not paying attention to the discussion.
"What can I do for you?" Eleanor asked Ulrich.
"I plan to turn the three cities I currently own into a kingdom." Gasps filled the room, and only Harald remained composed, his eyes wide in shock.
Ignoring their surprise, Ulrich continued, "I can't create a kingdom with only 123 soldiers. I can't use them to attack another kingdom, which is why I invite you all to be commanders in my army and high-ranking officials in this kingdom. All I need is your loyalty and your soldiers."
"I'll follow you," Eleanor said, "but me, Astrid, and Helga are part of a much larger group of shieldmaidens known as the Sisters of the Shield. Our leader, Nia, will want to investigate you."
As Ulrich stood up from his seat, he declared, "I'll have a house prepared for you and your group." He then exited the room, leaving a mix of anticipation and uncertainty in his wake.
Ulrich was about to mount his horse when Harald stopped him. "Hey, kid," he said, grabbing Ulrich's arm. "You never told me anything about this."
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Ulrich laughed. "I guess I forgot." He swung up onto his horse and shouted, "Make way to Eddaheim!" With that, he and his soldiers, along with Harald, began their march away from the shieldmaiden village.
The scene shifted to a semi-medieval Viking-style village. A woman dressed in a black gown with a white sash was tending to crops when a black-haired girl with blue eyes rushed up to her. "There's someone heading toward the village!"
Ulrich rode into view, sipping wine from a drinking horn. "It's been so long since I've had wine, and even then, the wine here isn't as good as the wine from the future!" he said internally
One of the soldiers shouted as the village came into clearer view, nearly every villager staring at Ulrich and his company. Among the peasants, one woman stood out: she wore a leather armband and a red battle skirt, with a blue chestplate that accented her brown hair and freckled face. A small sword dangled at her side, and a pouch was tied to her belt, complemented by a fur cloak. All at once, the warriors halted in the town square.
Ulrich dismounted, and the narrative shifted to Earl Sigurd in a grand Viking throne room. The wooden-beamed hall was filled with tables where Vikings consumed their meals roughly. In the center lay an octagon-shaped indent leading up to a throne. Upon it sat a menacing man with a bushy beard and brown hair, draped in a fur coat. A belt across his chest bore an unusual symbol, while a small sword hung at his waist. Beside him was a massive double-sided axe adorned with engravings and decorated with bear teeth.
"So, you're telling me that a brand-new self-proclaimed Earl has taken two of your cities—cities that are useless anyway—and this is a challenge to your rule? He said himself he wasn't scared of you!" pleaded Sigurd. Yet Ivar showed no signs of interest.
"Get out of my castle before I kill you, Sigurd," Ivar said, rising from the throne and grasping his battle axe. Sigurd turned away, simmering. *That damned Ulrich will pay for making me look like a fool,* he thought.
The scene then returned to Ulrich, who was seated across from the woman from before. "I heard that Earl Sigurd had sacked our village, but I didn't think he'd be foolish enough to try," she said.
Harald approached Ulrich and handed him some papers. Ulrich examined them and glanced up at the woman. "It says here that you have 18 ships at your disposal."
"Uh, yes. We have a carved-out spot in the mountains where we store our ships," the woman replied.
"It also mentions that this village's chieftain is a man named Roki Halfenberg. My father died a day ago, so I'm the acting chieftain of this village. I'll be staying for a few days. I don't need anything fancy," Ulrich said.
"Okay, I can manage that," she responded.
The narrative shifted to a nearby tavern table where a messy-haired teenager with blonde hair and blue eyes sat. Under his fur cloak, he wore lamellar armor, and a short spatha and axe hung from his waist. A few tables away, men were engaged in conversation.
"Hey, have you heard?" one man said, his voice cracking, likely from drunkenness. "Sigurd sold Eddaheim to some lone Earl!"
"I heard he's building an army," a deeper voice interjected. The messy-haired teenager looked surprised at the news.
"I already joined!" another man exclaimed, his voice squeaky. "I can't wait to go to war!"
The men cheered, raising their glasses in celebration. Behind them, the messy-haired teenager piped up.
"Hey!" he called. The deep-voiced man turned, visibly annoyed. "What do you want, kid?" he grumbled.
The teenager smirked. "Where do I sign up for the army?"
Ulrich stood in front of a group of soldiers on horseback. Harald sat on one of the horses. When the shieldmaidens arrived at the main village, Ulrich said, "Come here. The rest of you, go to Alsvik and recruit as many people as you can."
"Alright, you heard the man! Let's go!" Half of the soldiers went one way, while the other half went the opposite way as Ulrich turned to face the village. Ulrich then inhaled and exhaled through his nose, and subtly smelled a foul odor. "I think I should try to create a washing system now," Ulrich said, still annoyed by the bad smell.
Meanwhile, it showed Eleanor walking through her village, which was mostly empty as everyone had started to pack their belongings to move. Eleanor glanced at Astrid, who was packing her clothes with Helga. Astrid was also asking Helga if certain clothes looked good on her. Eleanor got behind Astrid, teasing her, "Who are you trying to impress?" Eleanor then smirked, as if she had a brilliant idea. "Are you trying to impress Earl Ulrich?" Eleanor said Astrid then blushed and pushed Eleanor away.
Troops approaching!!, One Yelled
it then showed Ulrich in front of an old man standing in front a barrel. The barrel contained a black substance. Ulrich and a old man stood in front of a longhouse, on which was an emblem with a shield in the back and a sword and axe crossed together in the front. "So, what is it?" the old man said, looking at the black substance. "Where I come from, we use this to make a certain type of steel that is stronger, more durable, and better than any sword you will ever make," Ulrich replied. The old man glanced at the barrel, "What do I need to do?"
Step 1: Gather Materials Ulrich started to say fast kinda excited
You'll need a few basic materials:
**Clay**: Look for natural clay that can withstand high temperatures.
**Sand**: Coarse sand helps make the furnace stronger.
**Straw or organic material**: This will help bind the clay and improve ventilation.
Step 2: Build the Base
Start with a solid base for your furnace. If you're using a steel drum, cut it in half. If using bricks, arrange them in a circular or square shape, leaving the top open.
Step 3: Create the Furnace Walls
Mix your clay with sand and straw to create a thick paste. Apply this mixture to the inside walls of your drum or the bricks. Make it at least 2-3 inches thick to handle high temperatures.
Step 4: Form the Opening
Leave an opening at the bottom for airflow. This is important because the fire needs oxygen to burn effectively. You can create a small hole or a vent at the bottom of your furnace.
Step 5: Add a Grate
Install a grate made of metal or sturdy material at the bottom above the opening. This allows air to flow in and keeps the charcoal and iron sand raised above the bottom, improving the furnace efficiency.
Step 6: Finishing Touches
Smooth out the clay walls and leave a small opening at the top where you can add your iron sand and charcoal for smelting. Make sure everything is well-ventilated.
Step 7: Let it Dry
Allow your furnace to dry completely. This can take a couple of days, depending on the humidity and thickness of the clay.
Step 8: Ready to Fire Up
When your furnace is completely dry, you can start a small fire inside to test it out. Gradually increase the temperature by adding charcoal and adjusting the airflow.
"Once you finish all that, come back to me, and we can start the steel-making process, and then the sword-making process," Ulrich said, his excitement evident as the scene shifted to Eleanor, who sat at the same table with The Many Other Girls .
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