Chapter 53: Margaret's Method for a Strong Military

At the critical moment, Abraham quickly pulled out the silver token presented by Margaret and said in a hurried voice, "This is a gift from Lady Dute! We are her servants. If you dare to harm us, she will never let you off!"

However, his words were met with an even more violent barrage of kicks and punches. Abraham and his companions could only curl up tightly, trying their best to protect their heads.

It wasn't until they could no longer move at all that the guards finally stopped with satisfaction and strode away.

Abraham spat out a mouthful of blood with difficulty, a blazing fire of rage burning in his eyes as he stared fixedly at the retreating backs of the guards.

"Abraham, we can't just let this go!" his companions wailed, helping each other to their feet.

Abraham's eyes rolled as a resolute expression crossed his face: "Of course not. Let's go find our mistress. She will definitely uphold justice for us!"

Limping along, they made their way toward the lord's hall and cautiously approached another group of guards to negotiate.

Seeing Margaret was no easy task. It wasn't until Abraham showed the silver token that a guard went inside to announce them.

"I never knew this token had such a use?" One of the companions looked at the silver token with envy, taking it to play with and reluctant to let go.

Before long, the guard reappeared and coldly announced, "You may go in."

Abraham quickly snatched the silver token back from his companion and carefully tucked it away close to his chest. His companion curled his lips in dissatisfaction but said nothing more.

Inside the hall, Margaret and Alexander were sitting in a corner, intently playing a game of Hnefatafl, also known as the King's Table. Both remained silent, casting a rather solemn atmosphere over the room.

The King's Table was a board game requiring extremely high strategic thinking, where one side played the defender and the other the attacker. The objective of the game was to protect one's own king or capture the opponent's king.

Margaret glanced up at them and immediately noticed something was amiss: "What happened?"

While continuing to focus on the game, she listened to Abraham's tearful complaints. Weeping and wailing, Abraham not only recounted what had just happened in detail, but also embellished their ordeal.

Holding his injured arm, Abraham's face was plastered with grievance: "That's how it was, Mistress. We even mentioned your name, but we were still brutally beaten! They simply don't hold you in any regard!"

Alexander cast a cold, deeply disdainful glance at them and said sternly, "Why didn't you fight back? There is no dignity for the losers, and no one respects the weak!"

Abraham and his companions were shocked by Alexander's words, which seemed entirely different from what they had anticipated.

They stared at him in disbelief, then turned their hopeful gazes toward Margaret.

After a moment of contemplation, Margaret asked, "Do you remember what they look like?"

"Yes, Mistress. If I see them again, I will definitely recognize them. They were the group of guards from this morning!"

Margaret stood up expressionlessly, took a whip from the wall, gave it a sharp flick, and said with firm resolve, "Let's go. Take me to them."

Overjoyed, Abraham and his companions struggled to their feet despite their injuries. The group marched angrily toward the dining hall.

Alexander also silently followed behind them.

Margaret decisively summoned the officer of the Housecarls and ordered him to assemble all guards except those guarding the hall.

She had Abraham stand to the side, ready to identify the men who had attacked them.

Soon enough, the area was packed to the brim with curious warriors, forming several dense layers, mostly consisting of ordinary professional soldiers.

The members of the Housecarls were ordered to stand in a row, with some trying to hide in the back, unease flickering in their eyes.

Margaret frowned. When had the Housecarls become like this? Could an army like this really protect the family?

Unfazed and arrogant, Abraham pointed directly at the guards who had beaten them, identifying them one by one.

The identified guards were sternly dragged out by the officer, keeping their heads bowed.

Margaret gazed at them coldly, her voice chilling: "I heard you don't hold me in any regard? I'll give you a chance to explain yourselves!"

The guards hurriedly denied it, panic in their voices: "No, Lady Dute!" Yet, none of them were willing to disclose the detailed sequence of events.

Margaret deduced that these men probably harbored resentment from being extorted and felt that such matters were too shameful to speak of, hence their reluctance to explain.

With a sharp gaze fixed on the officer, Margaret asked, "What is the penalty for offending me?"

The officer replied gravely, "Lady Dute, offending you is a capital offense punishable by beheading."

Pointing at them, Margaret ordered, "Ten lashes for each of them!"

Benches were quickly brought over, and the identified guards were forced to strip off their upper garments, lying flat on the benches to receive the flogging. Enduring the agony of the whip, they glared at Abraham and the others with eyes full of hatred, as if saying: This isn't over!

Of course it wasn't over. Margaret's youthful yet crisp voice rang out, clearly reaching everyone's ears: "Listen to me, all of you. The Housecarls are the personal guards of the chieftain's family of Gotland. Under no circumstances and for no reason is anyone permitted to come into conflict with them.

Even if they beat you, or kill your kin, if anyone dares to fight back—no matter who they are, even a Jarl—I will punish only them.

The crimes of the Housecarls shall be judged solely by the chieftain's family!"

This sudden twist shocked the soldiers present, leaving them utterly unable to guess the true intentions of this Lady Dute.

She handed over the riding crop, pointed at Abraham and the others, and ordered the officer: "These people openly offended the Housecarl knights. Give them fifty lashes!"

The expression of joy on Abraham and his companions' faces vanished instantly, replaced by terror and disbelief. They began to plead: "Mistress, we were wrong! Ah—"

However, Margaret had already turned and walked away, leaving only the members of the Housecarl order gazing at her retreating back with fanatical adoration.

"Margaret!"

"Margaret!"

The Housecarl order behind her cheered, puffing out their chests with pride. Meanwhile, the other warriors began asking one another how to join the Housecarls.

As Margaret walked back, Alexander suddenly appeared before her. He looked somewhat hesitant, as if he had something on his mind.

In a good mood, Margaret smiled and asked, "Since when have you been following me? Ask whatever is on your mind!"

Alexander asked with utter incomprehension, "Sister, why are you granting such immense privileges to the knight order? Aren't you worried that these privileges will lead them to break the law?"

His question went straight to the core. This was clearly partiality toward the knight order, granting privileges completely detached from right or wrong.

Margaret answered straightforwardly: "Because rule takes precedence over the impartiality of the law. The Housecarls are the direct personal guards responsible for protecting the family and determine the survival of our house. Absolutely no one is permitted to step over their heads, contend with them, or breed resentment in their hearts."

Alexander remained perplexed: "Why?"

Margaret explained: "We need an army that can never be bribed by interests and is utterly loyal to the family.

In the future, the Housecarls will be hereditary and their members chosen exclusively from the lord's family. Unless absolutely necessary, they will not be sent to the battlefield; they will exist as the core pillar of the family's rule."

Alexander understood only half of it.

"Tomorrow, you will join the Housecarls and train with them!" Margaret instructed. "I will also come to inspect. You must ensure this army becomes entirely devoted to the family, to the extent that even if ordered to kill their own kin, they must execute it without a moment's hesitation!"

Many people thought that drilling troops meant training them in combat skills, but Margaret believed otherwise. There were only two things to train in troop drilling: first is loyalty, and second is discipline. Everything else was secondary!

Alexander nodded.

Margaret thought of Modu Chanyu's method of military training: "Tomorrow, bring Lady Oney's donkey to the training ground and clearly state the military orders to them. When the time comes, I will issue the command for them to shoot the donkey dead. If anyone hesitates, cast them out of the Housecarls immediately!"