Chapter 43: The Secret of the Viking Berserker

"My Lady, is there truly no hope left for Ralph?" Robert finally couldn't hold back, his voice trembling slightly. "I mean, must he really leave?"

Oni stopped abruptly, lowering her head as if struggling to suppress a surge of sorrow. "Yes, he must leave. He cannot control his destructive impulses—once anger takes hold, he descends into madness, leading him to commit rash acts."

Robert fell silent, seemingly lost in thought.

"I will grant him one chance to remain in the territory, provided he does not attempt to flee. If he chooses to run, he will be stripped of all legal protections, and from that moment on, anyone who encounters him may kill him."

That night, Oni held a long discussion with the High Priest by the campfire.

...

The next day, the Jarl's throne was placed outside the Great Hall. Oni and Harold, who sat there like a mere mascot, presided over the scene. She gazed down at the gathering crowd with eyes like burning torches.

Standing around them were members of the Housecarl guard, as well as the Woden priests and the High Priest. Their expressions were stern, and the atmosphere was heavy.

"Bring him forth!" Robert commanded loudly.

With his hands bound, Ralph was pushed by soldiers toward the center of the crowd. The moment he appeared, the angry families of his victims pelted him with rotten cabbage and stones; even the guards escorting him were not spared.

Ralph did not try to run, nor was it a body double. This brought Oni a sense of relief; had he fled, she would have issued a death warrant, and the people would have viewed him with contempt.

Such an act was cowardice, and in Scandinavian culture, it was considered more shameful than treason.

There was no soil for cowards to grow in here. To be branded a coward was, in the eyes of all Northmen, the most vicious of insults.

"Kill him!"

"Kill the coward!"

The roar of the crowd’s fury rose in waves. Seeing this, Oni slowly raised her hand, signaling for silence.

Though her gesture was gentle, her face carried an undeniable majesty. The crowd gradually quieted, awaiting her verdict.

Oni’s gaze locked onto Ralph. Her voice was clear, ensuring all could hear: "Ralph, if you have any defense, speak now. This is your final chance."

Ralph took a deep breath, his voice tinged with resignation. "I admit it. I conspired to kill the two Jarls and over a hundred men. But I did it all to protect our territory. I overheard Ludwig plotting against the Lady; he had contacted other territories and planned to attack the town of Skjelvik!"

He looked around, shouting at the crowd, desperate for them to hear his words.

Oni’s expression remained unruffled. She asked calmly, "Do you have proof?"

Ralph was silent for a moment, then shook his head. "No."

Oni’s face was void of emotion, her voice cold and sharp: "So, you murdered two Jarls and over a hundred warriors without a shred of evidence?"

Ralph did not evade her gaze. He nodded, a look of resolve flashing in his eyes: "Yes, I did."

"Now, we shall vote on Ralph's fate. Those who agree to his execution, please raise your right hand." Oni sat upright, resting her left elbow on her knee, her eyes sweeping over the crowd.

Almost everyone in the assembly raised their right hand without hesitation. Oni nodded, her tone firm: "According to the vote, I declare that Ralph, Captain of the Housecarls' Left Wing, is sentenced to death, to be carried out immediately."

The executioner stepped forward with a two-handed axe, preparing to behead him just as they had the old maidservant of the former Jarl.

"High Priest, it is your turn," Oni said, turning to him. "Our agreement—I have kept my word!"

"Wait!" The High Priest suddenly stood, his voice booming. "Woden has a divine decree to announce!"

The executioner froze. Ralph turned his head in confusion, and every eye shifted to the priest.

"In the name of Woden, I grant a stay of execution for Ralph's crimes!" the High Priest declared.

The crowd erupted in an instant, nearly everyone staring at the priest in disbelief.

"Impossible!" someone bellowed. "This is unjust!"

The High Priest rose and spread his arms, the strips of cloth beneath his deer-antler headdress obscuring his eyes. "Woden has been captivated by Ralph's martial prowess. His ability to slay two Jarls and over a hundred soldiers with only fifty riders has caught the attention of Woden and the Valkyries! Woden requires a new breed of warriors—what He calls the Berserkers. They shall be granted the protection and power of Woden!"

The High Priest shifted his tone, lowering his arms and speaking with gravitas: "However, this is unjust to the families of the fallen. Therefore, I decree that the families of the dead be permitted to carry out public vengeance!"

Hearing this, the boiling crowd calmed instantly. To them, this was effectively an execution—only one more "honorable" than the axe.

There was no difference!

Oni clapped her hands softly. "Bring him up!"

Jorgen was led to the center of the field by guards, his eyes burning with rage as he stared fixedly at Ralph.

"Ralph! Ralph! You killed my brother! You will pay!" He began to struggle, trying to break free of the guards' hold.

"Quiet, and listen to me!" Oni pointed at him. "Jorgen, you violated military law by detaining a superior officer without authorization, but considering the circumstances, I grant you a pardon. Furthermore, I permit you and the other families of the victims to publicly exact your revenge upon Ralph."

"Thank you, my Lady!" Jorgen bowed to Oni. "That is fair!"

He turned to the crowd: "Who will join me in this public vengeance? Step forward!"

Four men stepped out, all of them riders from the Housecarls who had recovered the bodies of their own kin on the battlefield. Then, three women stepped forward, all from the territories once ruled by Ludwig and Frederick.

The High Priest spoke again: "According to the tradition of the duel, you may seek your vengeance. This is the will of Woden. However, because Ralph will be gifted with the power of Woden, I allow you to attack him together, no matter how many of you there are. If he survives, it shall prove he has passed Woden's test!"

The people murmured, excitement flashing across their faces. Oni's intention was clear: only one side—the murderer or the grieving families—could walk away alive.

Since the problem could not be resolved, she would simply eliminate those who posed it. Whether Ralph won or lost, he would earn the people's respect.

"Ralph, I permit you to choose any weapon you desire from those present, but you are not allowed to wear armor," Oni commanded.

Ralph looked around and finally shook his head. He walked to Oni and knelt on one knee. "My Lady, I request to use your father's weapon—the hand axe."

"Fetch it from my chambers," Oni ordered Hina.

Soon, Hina returned, holding the axe in both hands. Oni pointed to the weapon with its intricately carved, anti-slip pattern, and Ralph gripped it tightly.

"I also require a shield and several throwing spears!" Ralph added.

"Give them to him!" Oni ordered, pointing her finger. "But the throwing spears are forbidden!"

Ralph stood stunned.

Oni turned her gaze to Jorgen and the others who had stepped forward to claim vengeance: "You, too, may choose your weapons, and you are permitted to wear armor. Once you are ready, you shall duel."

She was not favoring Jorgen and his group, yet to the onlookers, it appeared that way. Fighting in the nude against armored men was a joke; Ralph was surely a dead man.

This plan had actually been proposed by Robert. He believed that since Ralph was to be mobbed, his advantage should be amplified—by slowing the mobility of Jorgen and the others, Ralph might be able to use his superior speed to avoid being surrounded by two or three opponents at once.

The crowd spontaneously formed a boundary. Those seeking vengeance entered the circle one by one.

Just then, Hina stepped forward with a bowl of pale yellow liquid and handed it to Ralph.

"Drink this henbane water, and you shall receive the power granted by Woden!" the High Priest commanded, pointing at the bowl.

Ralph drained it in one gulp. His face flushed rapidly, and his chest heaved violently—the potion was taking effect.

Oni stepped forward and struck Ralph across the face with a heavy slap.

As the insulting blows rained down, Ralph’s face grew redder, and saliva began to drool from his mouth. Stimulated by the rage, he began to roar.

"Roar... roar..." Ralph began to lose his mind. He bit into his shield, his eyes bloodshot, letting out guttural cries as he fought to suppress the fury and retain just enough sanity not to harm Oni.

"Go! Prove your strength and courage to Woden! Kill them! Do not disappoint me!" Oni pointed toward Jorgen and the others, who stood stunned, clutching their own shields and weapons.