During the coronation, the Patriarch fabricated a noble lineage for Basil, claiming he was descended from the royal family of ancient Armenia.
Given that the church was packed with Imperial Guards and Varangian warriors, the nobles dared not voice open opposition. Instead, they vented silently in their minds.
A country bumpkin dares call himself emperor?
Let's see how he handles things once the generals in the provinces hear the news.
If he was born in Macedonia, why not claim a more prestigious ancestor—like Alexander the Great of the Macedonian Kingdom?
After the coronation, Basil lavishly rewarded his loyalists.
Nils received yet another tongue-twisting honorary title. He accepted it calmly.
On the third morning, Basil assembled the soldiers in the square north of the palace and personally distributed money to them.
The previous year, Michael III had confiscated the estates of Bardas and his supporters. Most of the gold and silver had been stored in the emperor's sacred treasury.
Now, after launching his coup, Basil had taken control of that treasury—and seized the wealth of numerous nobles who opposed him.
A rough estimate placed his holdings at the equivalent of one full year of imperial revenue.
Converted into the units used in Britain and Northern Europe, that amounted to 600,000 pounds of silver.
The first time he heard the figure, Nils was stunned.
After thinking it over, however, he realized it made perfect sense.
The Eastern Roman Empire had a population of 8.5 million, with Constantinople alone exceeding 500,000 inhabitants. Its level of civilization far surpassed the rest of Europe. Revenue on that scale was only natural—and during the empire's peak centuries earlier, the income would have been several times higher.
Looking at the piles of gold and silver stacked like small hills in the square, and the soldiers lining up to receive their rewards, Nils muttered to himself:
"Even if you combine Charles the Bald and Vig, their annual income probably doesn't exceed 100,000 pounds. As for the rest—Rurik, Erik the Younger, Halfdan—they're practically paupers by comparison."
It took two full days for Basil to distribute rewards to every soldier under his command, securing their preliminary loyalty.
Next, Basil wrote letters to generals across the empire.
He tailored different offers to each man's personality.
Within just one month, after a series of complicated political bargains, more than a dozen generals formally recognized his rule.
With the overall situation stabilized, Michael III conveniently died of a sudden illness.
Basil now held power.
To strengthen his authority and legitimacy, he urgently needed an external war—victory would solidify his position.
At present, the Eastern Roman military numbered roughly 100,000 troops, including:
65,000 thematic soldiers (farmer-soldiers)Stationed across regional military districtsHeld hereditary land allotmentsFarmed and paid taxes in peacetimeAnswered mobilization in wartimeGenerally poor morale and training10,000 border troopsStationed along frontiersResponsible for defense against invasion15,000 field army soldiers stationed in Constantinople2,000 Varangian GuardsWell-equipped and highly capableThe empire's core combat forceThe Imperial Navy60 warshipsAbout 5,000 sailors, craftsmen, and support personnel
In addition, regional generals maintained several thousand mercenaries of varying numbers.
After reviewing the balance of forces, Basil summoned his trusted ministers to a meeting.
The gathering did not take place in the palace hall, but on an open terrace halfway up a hillside overlooking the Sea of Marmara.
Green vines climbed the surrounding walls. On the table lay figs, grapes, olives, and other fruits.
Nils did not eat.
Instead, he gazed eastward toward the sea.
The sky was deep blue. Sunlight glittered across the water like scattered gold. Merchant ships of all shapes moved steadily back and forth. Occasionally, naval dromon warships could be seen.
Their oars rose and fell in perfect rhythm as they glided swiftly across the waves. Two heavy ballistae stood on their decks, and dragon-shaped figureheads adorned their prows—said to conceal launchers for Greek fire.
"Sit down, everyone. Don't be so formal."
Clad in a purple robe, Basil stepped onto the terrace with a smile and ordered servants to spread a large map on the ground.
The empire faced three major external threats:
The Abbasid Caliphate in the east
The rising Bulgarian state in the Balkans
Pirates entrenched on the island of Crete
"Which direction should we strike?" Basil asked.
Silence followed.
His gaze swept across the terrace until it settled on Nils at the edge of the group.
"Nobelissimos—what is your opinion?"
(The title meant "Most Noble," an honorary rank typically granted to the emperor's closest confidants.)
Nils replied in stiff Greek:
"The Abbasid Caliphate is powerful and vast. It would be unwise to provoke them.
The pirates of Crete excel at raiding and are difficult to pin down.
Therefore, I choose Bulgaria. Their territory lies directly north of Constantinople, making supply lines shorter and easier to maintain."
His reasoning matched Basil's own thinking.
As a child, Basil had been captured and taken to Bulgaria, where he endured more than twenty years of hardship.
Now that he held supreme power, it was time for revenge.
He nodded slightly, a look of anticipation on his face.
"And how should we conduct the campaign?"
Nils answered:
"The farmer-soldiers are weak. We should not rely heavily on them. If they suffer excessive losses, Anatolia's defenses will be weakened, inviting invasion from the Abbasids.
I recommend recruiting Rus warriors and steppe nomads from Eastern Europe.
They live in poverty. Offer them modest pay, and we can obtain a large number of mercenaries.
Even if their losses are severe, the empire's foundation will remain intact."
By this period, Eastern Roman infantry was far less formidable than the legions of earlier centuries.
Their primary strength lay in armored cavalry—both rider and horse clad in armor, resistant to most attacks.
Compared with Frankish knights, who specialized in lance charges, these cavalrymen also carried bows, functioning as heavily armored horse archers.
Their weakness, however, was speed.
The heavy horse armor slowed them down, making it difficult to pursue enemy cavalry. They required support from allied light cavalry to operate effectively.
The emperor found Nils's proposal appealing:
Eastern Europeans could serve as heavy infantry
Steppe nomads could serve as light cavalry
This combination would compensate for weaknesses within the army.
And the empire's wealth was more than sufficient to pay for it.
Basil approved the plan.
He ordered Nils to travel to the middle and lower reaches of the Dnieper River to recruit mercenaries—up to a limit of 15,000 men.
Two days later, Nils departed for the Golden Horn, accompanied by:
Paymaster Titus
Five eunuchs
Five hundred escort guards
Under the protection of dromon warships, the delegation sailed toward Eastern Europe.
Returning to familiar territory, Nils found little had changed along the Dnieper.
The Rus still lived harsh, dangerous lives, frequently clashing with nomadic tribes.
When news spread that an Eastern Roman mission had arrived, the Rus chieftains became excited.
They brought young warriors from their tribes to the riverside camp, eager for employment that promised high risk and extremely high reward.
Nils stepped forward and addressed the crowd:
"My name is Nils, the White Raven of Gnutz, commander of the Varangian Guard, bearer of the imperial title Nobelissimos, and nephew of Ragnar…"
After reciting his long list of titles, he looked down at several slightly nervous faces in the crowd.
"I have fought alongside some of your leaders before. You have likely heard of my deeds.
This time, I bring good news to share with you all."
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