Chapter 90

"If we just run now after mooching off a fraud for free, we'd be even more disgraceful than him! Sure, we might be a bit crooked, but we're still warriors, dammit! The least we can do is work off how much we ate!"

- Fox

The Price of the Food (飯の代金, Meshi no Daikin) is the 90th chapter of the Vinland Saga series.

Overview
Canute's ships and 100 men land. Canute sends Ketil a messenger sentencing Ketil and his family to 10 years of outlawry and bids them to accept their punishment; they will await his reply until tomorrow morning. When Thorgil tells Ketil of Canute's numbers, Ketil is emboldened by the fact that they outnumber them more than three times over and still intends to fight. Observing the king's troops with Fox, Snake notes that they're elite special forces, king's guards and Jomsvikings and that Ketil's farm doesn't stand a chance. At the guests' lodgings, Snake tells the other guests to run away if they want to. He himself intends to stay and fight since he's the commander — to pay off his free meals over the years and keep as many overconfident farmers from dying as he can. When the conversation turns to Iron Fist Ketil, Snake reveals he learned the ways of the battlefield from him when he was 15 or 16 and saw him as a brother. Finding himself on the run later, he followed rumours of Iron Fist Ketil's presence on the farm, as he was the only man who'd shelter him. He was surprised to find the Ketil here was not the same man at all, but someone of a similar age and figure taking advantage of their shared name. He tells the guests a fraud is not worth throwing their lives away for, but they join him, as they think running away after mooching off of a fraud for years would make them even more disgraceful than Ketil.

Summary
A man looses an arrow towards the ships — it falls into the water a long way from the ships. Badger calls him an idiot and tells him not to start shooting, as they have to wait for them to get closer for a chance for their arrows to reach. Just as he finishes talking, several men around him get struck by arrows struck from the ships. Badger yells at the men to fall back, wondering how the enemy can hit them all the way from there. The ships reach shore and Floki directs his men to secure the beach for Canute's arrival. Canute disembarks and remarks it seems like Ketil is determined to fight him. He asks Wulf to send a messenger and get the troops into formation while they await a reply. Taking in the farm, Canute notes that it's good land and that he'd hate to see it stained by blood. The messenger reaches Ketil and his men and reads out the message: for their crimes, the rebel Ketil and his family will be sentenced to 10 years of outlawry. The message goes on to say that sparing their lives is a kindness from King Canute, as their crimes would typically warrant capital punishment. The messenger finishes and tells Ketil that if they want to live, they'll have to get out. He tells him they'll wait for his reply until the next morning. After the messenger leaves, Ketil yells at his men for allowing King Canute's army to disembark so easily. He fumes at the talk of treason and outlawry and at what Canute thinks he can get away with just because he's king. Thorgil returns and is asked about the status of the king's troops; he says they're relaxing and cooking food and shares the logistics — there are two warships, two supply ships, troops setting up camp near the coast, and 100 men total, excluding slaves and servants. Everyone laughs, including Ketil, as they outnumber Canute's men more than three times over. Ketil wonders if Canute really thought he could scare him into surrendering quietly just by showing up in person and if that was the case, his plan failed completely. He asks his men if he's right and promises a generous reward to the one who takes King Canute's head. Thorgil laugh at the men's happiness — they now think this will be an easy win. Snake and Fox lay in the grass and observe the troops on the beach. Snake notes that they're not ordinary men and that the ones near the bigger tent are elite special forces. Fox still cannot believe the king came in person. Snake points out that since the men were handpicked as the king's guards, they're probably the best soldiers in Denmark and Thorgil's old comrades. Fox shudders at the thought that they're all as strong as Thorgil. He asks Snake about the men in white capes, who look weaker in comparison. Snake tells them they're the Jomsvikings and Fox immediately goes wide-eyed in fear at the name. Snake laughs at his expression and comments he doesn't think they can win this fight. Back at the guests' lodgings, the guests start gearing up for battle. Snake tells them that there's a big difference between the king's elite troops and their own group of farmer-warriors. He adds that it's unlikely Ketil will understand that fact until the fight's over and tells the guests thta if they want to run away, they can go ahead. Fox asks what Snake himself will do; he replies that he's the commander and can't just run away, and will go try his best and prevent the deaths of as many overconfident farmers as he can. Fox asks why he wouldn't simply tie up Ketil and his family and hand them over to King Canute if that's his goal — Sparrow pipes in and says there'd be no need for a battle if they did so. Rat wonders if that means they'd have to tie up Thorgil too. Fox tells him not to chicken out, as they can manage between eight of them and Snake. Mole says that Thorgil is not the only issue, as Master Ketil was once called Iron Fist Ketil and they've all heard of his exploits, including a time he killed a bear with his bare hands. Snake, tying his hair back, says he knows all about Iron Fist Ketil, whom he met at the age of 15 or 16 and learned the ways of the battlefield from. He says he was one hell of a monster, and like a brother to him. He ponders how many years it's been since he screwed up and found himself on the run — thinking that Iron Fist Ketil would be the only one who'd shelter him, he made his way to the farm, clinging on to the rumours he'd heard about Iron Fist Ketil being there. However, when he finally reached Ketil on the farm, the man he found was a completely different person who didn't know who he was, with nothing in common with Iron Fist Ketil aside from his age and figure. The guests are flabbergasted; Snake tells them they've all been had and that Ketil's just been taking advantage of the fact that he shares a name with Iron Fist Ketil. Wild Dog can't believe no one else found out about it. Snake dons his helmet and says that with nowhere else to go, he became the farm's guard dog and that now it's time for him to pay the farm back for all the free meals he's enjoyed over the years and what he owes. As the guests look thoughtful, Snake thinks to himself that he shouldn't have said that last thing. Snake tells them they can do whatever they want, as Ketil's just a fraud who's not worth throwing their lives away for. As he tells them to take care and walks away, they put on their helmets and follow. Snake tells them not to try to act cool, as they'll get killed before they can ever begin to pay back their meals. Fox tells him to shut up and that if they run away now after mooching off of a fraud for free, they'll be even more disgraceful than he is. As they're still warriors despite being crooked, the least they can do is work off how much they ate. Snake tells them not to tell others the truth about Ketil, for the good of the farm. A little ways away, Ketil is fully armoured and on his horse, his men behind him, and Canute looks on.

Characters in Order of Appearance

 * Badger
 * Floki
 * Canute
 * Wulf
 * Olmar
 * Ketil
 * Thorgil
 * Fox
 * Snake
 * Sparrow
 * Rat
 * Mole
 * Toad
 * Wild Dog