"Greetings, Prince Rostislav."
Poleye stood before everyone, greeting his Prince warmly.
"You've worked hard, Poleye. Without you, I wouldn't have received such a welcome."
Rostislav dismounted readily and gave his confidant a warm embrace. It was Poleye who had stabilized Rostov for him, and he deserved such enthusiastic treatment.
Sogier and his Norse subordinates stood with the local nobles, yet remained distinctly separate. The Prince approached them and exchanged pleasantries. These nobles were very enthusiastic towards Rostislav; they had been awaiting the Prince's arrival for a long time.
However, Rostislav noticed a group of people dressed in expensive fur coats who were merely watching them from a distance. Leading them was an old man who appeared very aloof. Noticing Rostislav's confusion, Poleye leaned in.
"This group belongs to the Kul'kant Family. They are the most powerful nobles in Rostov, and they are not very pleased with your arrival."
Upon hearing this, Rostislav's expression showed no surprise. The local power was now suddenly about to be suppressed by a strong force; how could they be happy?
He had experienced this situation several times already. When visiting those towns, there were always nobles who felt the Prince's arrival infringed upon their power, watching with cold eyes from the side.
However, Rostislav was not in a hurry to build good relations with those people. He quietly asked Poleye about another matter.
"There's a team from Bulgar behind us. Do you know what that's about?"
"The Bulgar have arrived? That's truly unexpected."
Poleye looked as if he had just heard the news, caught off guard by the Bulgar's arrival.
"You will receive the Bulgar later. I will first deal with the nobles of Rostov. It's time for the audience. Let's go to the castle first and see what they have to say."
The audience was an important step for the Prince to exercise his authority. Everyone would present themselves to the Prince, either offering suggestions or requesting assistance.
"Yes, everything according to your will. Oh, and to make it convenient for you to see the city, the city gate I chose allows you to pass directly through the entire Old City and New City, giving you a view of the entire city's appearance."
Poleye responded after accepting the Prince's command. The old noble, having decades of experience, knew well how to cater to his superior's needs.
Rostislav nodded imperceptibly, then walked towards the waiting nobles, while Poleye mounted his horse and rode towards the Bulgar delegation at the back.
After a brief exchange of greetings with the welcoming Rostov nobles, Rostislav's party, surrounded by the nobles, proceeded towards Rostov Castle.
First, they passed through Rostov's Old City, where Merya and Slavic people primarily coexisted. They were mostly followers of the old gods.
Looking around, all that met the eye were simple wooden houses, and even sheds. Between the houses, one could still see remnants of old ruins, having endured who knows how many years of weathering.
The Old City was clearly severely lacking in planning. These buildings were constructed in a wild, uncontrolled manner. The roads were muddy, with some wooden planks haphazardly laid in the mud, many of which were rotten but had not been replaced.
From the dark alleys, gazes with ulterior motives constantly emerged, but when the Prince's gaze swept over, they would immediately vanish, leaving only dirt.
Roadside vendors sold furs and grains. These people were mostly local hunters and farmers, coming to sell what they obtained from the forests. Simply processed furs and bloody raw meat were piled there, with mosquitoes often seen flying nearby.
People's clothing was mostly fur. From time to time, one could see people bargaining with hunters and farmers. Their expressions towards Rostislav varied; some had hostility in their eyes, while others held anticipation.
But overall, most people were still aloof, mixed with a hint of hostility. In their eyes, these lords from the New City were still too distant from them.
However, their gazes towards the New City were consistent: disdain and aversion.
By the roadside, altars to the gods stood prominently. perun and veles were naturally indispensable, and there was even an altar for Ugor (the Finn faith) deities. Citizens could be seen worshiping there from time to time.
Rostislav took all of this in, silently noting it without comment.
Many Rostov nobles relaxed upon seeing this. They were truly afraid that this Prince from Kiev would be a religious zealot, making difficulties over the widespread pagan worship in Rostov, or even using it to make excessive demands on them.
Separating the old and new cities was a thin wooden wall. The spear-wielding guards, seeing the procession of nobles arrive, respectfully bowed and opened the gate. The New City thus appeared before Rostislav.
Compared to the dirt and disorder of the Old City, the New City exuded civilization and order. The ground was neatly paved with wooden planks. Vendors sold silks from the East, carpets from Persia, and even handicrafts from the imperial capital. A variety of goods filled the area, and among them, kvass vendors could be seen. Veche Militia were scattered throughout, maintaining order.
The streets were mainly filled with vendors selling cooked food. According to the nobles, those selling raw food were all in the corners of the city walls. These butchers had formed the most basic trade associations. Together, they commissioned hunters from outside the city to hunt game, which was then directly sent to the New City for them to process, and then delivered to the citizens' tables.
The wooden houses here, compared to the simple dwellings in the Old City, had many more carvings and decorations. And the deeper they went, the more such carvings and decorations there were, revealing the differences between the two cities in these details.
The citizens' attire followed the same principle; the closer to the castle, the more exquisite and respectable the clothing, revealing their wealth.
There were even merchants of other nationalities on the streets. Rostislav saw the turbans of Christian believers, the pointed hats of grassland visitors, and the ubiquitous presence of Jews everywhere. Their common characteristics were their respectable attire and rapid speech.
The spires of wooden churches stood above everything. Priests tirelessly preached the Lord's gospel to passing citizens, and residents' chests often bore crosses. Undoubtedly, Christian faith held a dominant position in the New City.
Rostislav took all of this in. He understood why Poleye had called him. This city was a chaotic mix of ethnic conflicts, class conflicts, and religious conflicts. No wonder Poleye could only mediate here; one wrong move and it could explode. It indeed required him, the Prince, to come and handle it.
Rostov's castle soon appeared before Rostislav. It was a wooden fortress, and atop the fortress tower's spire was Rurik's trident. Looking at his family's banner, the Prince couldn't help but feel a sense of familiarity.
Sogier's Norse warriors now occupied this castle; Norse armored soldiers were visible everywhere.
Come, let me see what this city is truly like, and what difficulties it will bring me.
Thinking this, Rostislav entered the castle.
— — — — — — — —