Chapter 92

"Maybe now you've got a little taste of how we the poor folk feel! No matter how unreasonable the king's demands are, there's nothing you can do, just like how we could do nothing but obey you! "Strength is justice," and the world serves men far more powerful than you, Ketil."

- Ketil's man (Name unknown)

Hundred-count (百数える間, Hyaku Kazoeru ma) is the 92nd chapter of the Vinland Saga series.

Overview
The battle wages on and Ketil's men get massacred. On Snake's orders, Fox tells everyone to retreat and Ketil's men flee. Ketil unsuccessfully tries to get them to keep fighting. Wulf tells Canute it looks like one of their men just slayed Ketil; Canute is displeased, as he wanted him arrested. He lets Wulf go confirm the man's identity and sends forth Floki to keep his men in line, as they are cutting down the fleeing farmers against his orders. With Canute now unguarded, Thorgil takes his chance and attacks him from behind. Canute surprisingly parries him, but Thorgil quickly regains the upper hand and is about to deliver a killing blow when Wulf throws his sword into Thorgil's arm. Wulf launches himself at Thorgil and tries to strangle him, but Thorgil jabs through his right eye with his fingers and gets him off. As Wulf stands to face him, the soldiers make their way back to defend the king and Thorgil realizes his opening is over; he runs towards the water. Meanwhile, Arnheid asks where they're going and Leif tells her they'll go to his village. When Arnheid inquires, Leif has to admit that there are slaves there, that there has been war and that there might be war again in the future. Arnheid says she'll go somewhere else far away instead, to her house, where Gardar and her children are waiting for her. She thanks Thorfinn and Einar for their kindness. Einar begs her to hang on, while Thorfinn wonders if there are words he could say that could keep Arnheid with them.

Summary
Fox thinks back to how he's killed 13 people in the past, including a noble whose throat he slit, thinking killing was fun because he was stronger than his opponent. Based on this experience, he knows the soldiers facing him are enjoying the current slaughter. All Fox can think of is how scared he is. He sees Badger get his left hand lopped off and screams out for him, using his real name, but he's so scared that his legs won't budge. As a Jomsviking approaches Badger for the killing blow, Snake swoops in and chops off the soldier's head. Snake tells Fox to take Badger, fall back to the fort and tell everyone to retreat. Badger argues that he can still fight and get back to the men who took his hand. Snake tells him to take a good look around — no one on their side has any will to fight left. Fox listens and yells at everyone to hurry up and retreat already; the peasants and farmers are glad to hear it and start running. Ketil sees them and yells at them that he didn't order them to retreat. He tells them to get back, that the fighting's just begun and asks where their honour is. Ketil grabs one man and asks him if he really thinks he'll clear his debts after that poor show of a fight. The man replies that no one cares about debts and that everything is over for Ketil. He adds that now, Ketil has a taste of how the poorer people feel; he can do nothing despite the king's unreasonable demands, just like they could do nothing but obey Ketil. He says that strength is justice and that the world serves men far more powerful than Ketil. Ketil lets go of the man and he runs away. A Jomsviking makes his way to Ketil with his axe drawn. Wulf makes a questioning noise while looking at the battle and Canute asks him what he sees. Wulf replies he believes he saw a man who looks like Ketil slain by one of their men. Canute says that's not good, as he wanted him arrested. Wulf apologizes and asks if he can go confirm if it really was Ketil who was slain. Canute notes that the Jomsvikings are slaying the fleeing farmers and that that is also against his orders; he tells Floki to tell his men to stop and he acquiesces. On the shore, Thorgil notes that the officers just left Canute's side and that this is the best chance he'll get. Canute tells them to gather the peasants' corpses, as he won't allow the soldiers to loot and wants to return the bodies to their surviving family members. He turns around as Thorgil launches at him, sword drawn, yelling that Canute's head is his. Canute just barely parries him, to Thorgil's shock. Canute's guards attack him, wondering where Thorgil came from, but Thorgil quickly beheads both of them. As Canute's sword breaks from the impact of Thorgil's swing, Thorgil notes he's impressed he could block his attack and that his skills have improved. Canute thinks he can barely feel his left arm and wonders if parrying the blow broke one of his bones. Thorgil attacks him again and Canute drops his broken sword. Canute throws off his cloak to distract Thorgil and leaps to the ground to try to grab one of the fallen guards' swords. Thorgil tells him that as much as he'd like to play with him, he's short on time and will make it quick. He steps on Canute, wishes him farewell and goes for the killing blow, but a sword thrown by Wulf lodges itself into his right forearm. Wulf launches himself at Thorgil, knocks him over and grasps his neck, yelling at him for daring to step on the king. Thorgil jabs two of his fingers into Wulf's right eye, bursting through it and drawing blood. Wulf keeps trying to strange Thorgil, but the latter digs his fingers in deeper and successfully pushes him off. Thorgil barely rolls away in time to avoid a thrust from Canute's sword. Wulf asks Canute to hand him the sword and back away. Thorgil notices the soldiers are swarming back towards them to protect the king; yelling at his defeat, he runs towards the water. Wulf yells at him to stop, but Canute tells him there's no need to chase him too far and that he should attend to his own wounds first. Canute admits he got careless, but that Thorgil is a fine warrior. Now awake, Arnheid can hear the sounds of the battle nearby. She notes that she recognizes the sounds — ones she's heard before, of villages being burned, of the world being engulfed in flames, of war. Einar tells her not to worry, as the battle has nothing to do with them. He tells her none of them are slaves anymore and that they're on their way to leave the farm. Arnheid asks him where they're going. Einar is taken aback, but Leif says they'll go to his village, a place that's a little cold, but nice regardless. Arnheid asks if there will be slaves there and Leif replies that there will be. Arnheid asks if there's war there. Leif replies that there's been a few in the past and that he'd be lying if he said there wouldn't be any in the future, as it's an inseparable part of human life. Arnheid says that if that's the case, she's not going and will go somewhere else far away. She says that her house is there, though she thought it had been burnt, and that Gardar and her children are there waiting for her. She smiles and says she just wanted to say thank you to Thorfinn and Einar for being so kind to her. Einar tells her she can't go there and asks her to please hang on, reminding her that she's finally become free again. Thorfinn realizes that death is calling for Arnheid; he wonders if there's anything he can say to keep her in this world.

Characters In Order of Appearance

 * Fox
 * Badger
 * Snake
 * Ketil
 * Canute
 * Wulf
 * Thorgil
 * Arnheid
 * Einar
 * Thorfinn
 * Bug-Eyes
 * Leif Ericson
 * Gardar (dream)
 * Hjalti (dream)