By mid-November, conditions in the North Atlantic were steadily worsening. Fortunately, the twin-masted square-rigged ships handled heavy seas well, and the fleet returned to Londinium without incident.
Vig hurried to the docks when he heard the news. Seeing how unusually excited the sailors were, a bad feeling crept into his mind.
"Did you raid some port?"
"No—of course not. I reached an agreement with the governor of Lisbon. He allowed us to sell goods there. And the port of Gijón in Asturias permits us to make short stops, on the condition that we pay in suits of armor."
Helgi produced a parchment detailing Lisbon's prices, tax rates on various goods, and a list of commodities purchased during the voyage.
According to the rules, the crew would receive half of the expedition's profits—but that alone didn't explain their exuberance. As Vig listened to their boasts, he caught a familiar name:
"The Canary Islands."
"You found those islands?"
Helgi nodded. "Yes. While docked in Lisbon, the men were drinking in taverns and met a local sailor. Guided by him, we sailed south for ten days and discovered the archipelago."
By the custom of whoever discovers, possesses, Helgi should have become the master of the Canary Islands. However, the fleet belonged to Vig. After discussion, Helgi swore fealty to Vig as Count of the Canaries, in exchange for Vig's recognition and protection of his rule.
After the investiture, Helgi returned home and took stock of his life savings—nine hundred and thirty pounds, most of it accumulated dividends from the Western Seas Fur Company.
"Not enough. Not nearly enough."
Developing a new territory required ships and sailors. The royal navy had no reason to help him with private ventures. At present, a brand-new twin-masted ship cost 140 pounds. Hiring sailors, installing heavy ballistae, and purchasing weapons pushed total expenses close to 200 pounds per ship.
Second, the Canaries lay far from Britannia. If attacked, reinforcements from the homeland would arrive too late. Helgi intended to build stone fortresses—another massive expense.
Finally, he needed to recruit large numbers of laborers to clear land and plant sugarcane. Britain had plenty of unused land; unless wages were high enough, few people would be willing to venture into unknown southern seas.
Seeing her husband's distress, Britta tried to dissuade him.
"Are you sure you want to pour everything into a barren island? What if sugarcane and grapes fail? How will we live afterward?"
But Helgi's resolve exceeded his wife's imagination. He not only invested all his savings, but also used his shares in the Western Seas Fur Company as collateral to attract merchant investors—leaving himself no retreat at all.
In December, the cabinet compiled the kingdom's accounts for the year 859 and reviewed the performance of the eleven counties under royal control.
Officials in the five northern counties and Tynemouth County knew Vig's temperament well and dared not be careless. Their performance largely met expectations.
The remaining five counties performed terribly. Not only did they fail to meet tax quotas, but their reports were chaotic, with many expenditures lacking explanations. Public security was a mess.
Clearly, the new king was not as lenient as the old royal house. Vig was furious—and the consequences would be severe. He was already planning mass dismissals in those five counties to root out corruption and inefficiency.
"Next summer, a new cohort of students will graduate. At that point, we'll exempt them from Guard service and assign them directly to fill vacant posts."
He quickly wrote the plan in Chinese characters (to prevent leaks), then stretched and went to attend the cabinet meeting.
After a full year of construction, a six-meter-high stone wall now surrounded the palace, with a moat outside, fed by water diverted from the Thames.
Inside the palace, the main hall was still under construction, but most other buildings were finished. The cabinet met in a modest, single-story hall similar to the old royal palace.
At three in the afternoon, all ministers were present. Godwin presided. Vig did not sit; instead, he paced the hall with hands clasped behind his back, listening as figures were read aloud.
Population
The British Isles now held roughly 2.2 million people.
Four years earlier, when Vig was prime minister, the population was estimated at the same figure. With agricultural improvements, food shortages were rare, and natural growth of 1–1.5% annually, plus immigration from the North, should have added over 100,000 people.
However, a war lasting more than half a year devastated southern Britain, reducing the population back to its former level.
Londinium and surrounding counties suffered the worst: farmhouses burned, wells clogged, long-cultivated wheat fields reverted to weed-choked wasteland, requiring years to recover.
Across the Channel, West Francia boasted five to six million people, a favorable climate, and abundant resources—an overwhelming advantage. To narrow the gap, Vig revived his northern immigration policies:
"Tell merchants trading in the north—if their ships have spare space on the return voyage, invite locals to settle in Britain. Not only Vikings, but also Sami (Finns) and Slavs (Eastern Europeans). The kingdom will pay the passage."
Finances
Total revenue for the year amounted to 13,000 pounds.
Taxes and industrial income from the northern counties and Tynemouth (ironworks, distilleries, shipyards, paper mills): 4,000 pounds
The biggest growth came from the distillery. Whisky was well received domestically and, with increased output, could be sold to Northern and Eastern Europe.
The five newly acquired counties performed poorly. Aside from York and Nottingham, the other three were devastated by banditry and economic collapse, contributing only 1,100 pounds.
Customs revenue totaled 4,000 pounds, mostly from wool export and cloth import taxes. With domestic textile production rising, this was expected to decline gradually.
Three silver mines delivered bullion worth 2,000 pounds.
Tribute from vassals amounted to 1,000 pounds.
Miscellaneous income—dividends from the Western Seas Fur Company, inheritance taxes, and textile patent fees—totaled 900 pounds.
The textile industry was expanding rapidly; patent fees and related taxes were expected to rise sharply next year.
Expenditures
Military spending was the largest item:
Maintenance of army and navy (pay, food, equipment wear): 3,000 pounds
Nine new warships commissioned this year: 1,800 pounds
Fortifications and beacon warning systems: 700 pounds
Horse farms: 500 pounds
Total military expenditure: 6,000 pounds
Administration, temples, and schools: 3,000 pounds
Court expenses: 2,000 pounds
In October, more than 600 nobles attended court for over half a month; feasting alone exceeded 700 pounds.
Thanks to Vig and his wife's sensitivity to finances, many wasteful expenses were eliminated. Court spending was less than half that of the old royal house.
Palace repairs: 500 pounds, still ongoing, with further costs expected.
Miscellaneous expenses: 1,000 pounds
Total revenue: 13,000 pounds
Total expenditure: 12,500 pounds
Surplus:500 pounds
The surplus exceeded Vig's expectations. He had assumed the year would barely break even, or even require new taxes.
He exhaled deeply.
"Once we survive the first year, things will get much easier."
—------------------------------
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