Although the flames of war had already ignited, for many, the war had little impact on their lives; some even knew they could stay out of it entirely.
So they paid no heed to the war, even resorting to a series of small schemes behind the scenes, but the problem was their schemes weren't as covert as they imagined...
"How can intertwined swans fly alone?
Playing the lute as words, to whom do I pour out my heart?
But who can mend a broken heart?
Giving my heart to the wind, to blow away all sorrow.
Gray mist in the dense forest, yet I will not retreat.
At the end of longing, no sadness remains."
Domnal plucked his lute, singing a somewhat melancholic poem, and as he sang, a small black cat occasionally poked its head out of the pouch at his waist, but he gently pushed it back each time.
And those about to embark on a long journey indeed needed some songs to soothe their weariness; everyone listened attentively, as he had been playing his poems before each march to alleviate their fatigue.
"Good, very good, truly worthy of someone who once served as the Great Duke Rostislav's personal poet; this poem is indeed excellent."
Yang commented from the side. Although he wasn't fond of music or culture, having followed Rostislav, he had some ability to appreciate cultural works, and could indeed enjoy them.
"Thank you very much, my lord."
Though Domnal's words were humble, everyone could hear the self-satisfaction and arrogance in his tone, which made his companions somewhat worried. This man never knew how to be humble when facing the powerful, even though this personality had caused him trouble several times.
However, Yang clearly wasn't concerned with such matters; he merely said that if there was an opportunity in the future, he would recommend him to serve as a poet in the Prince's court. Then he mounted his warhorse, indicating that since the song was over, everyone should quickly prepare to depart.
But the Gael looked at the warhorses with bitter expressions. The Gael, led by Domnal, were also given warhorses after joining the army. Although Gael warriors from the highlands were skilled in battlefield techniques, they were not proficient at riding horses.
Although riding a horse on a march was not difficult, it still exhausted them considerably.
"Next, we will be entering enemy territory. Combat could begin at any time, so be prepared."
Yang turned his horse around and said to the crowd, his expression utterly serious, even the previously jovial Domnal reined in his expression.
After several days of traveling together, Domnal now understood the objective of this force.
It was the traitors.
In the current Northeast Rus', even those who did not favor the Moscow Prince rarely chose to defect to the Bulgar; observing from the sidelines was the safest approach.
But opportunists always existed, and among them, the most conspicuous and active was Olaf, who was their target for this expedition.
Olaf's family had a long history in Northeast Rus'; their first ancestor was a trusted aide of Great Duke Oleg. Their descendants achieved military merits during the Rus' expansion, maintaining their superior status.
By the generation of his great-grandfather, this family was granted some villages in the Suzdal region by the Great Duke Rostislav, becoming chieftains ruling over a territory.
This family quickly took root locally and expanded their influence in an orderly fashion. Whenever a Rurik Prince vied for the throne, they always chose the right side, so their family's enterprises continuously developed and did not end due to political changes. They even participated in urban commerce as chieftains, and by now, they had become a powerful land and commercial noble in Northeast Rus'.
The current head of this family is Olaf. Like many Rus' nobles, Olaf accepted bribes from the Bulgar, but he did not choose to remain neutral. Instead, he intended to use this opportunity to backstab Rostislav and gain greater political resources.
Yes, Rostislav knew all about the nobles' secret machinations. This was thanks to the Kul'kant Family's defection; the Kul'kant Family, whom Rostislav had initially expected to be the most troublesome, instead proactively approached him and informed him of everything they knew.
As the former overlords of Northeast Rus', even though the Kul'kant Family bowed to Rostislav, everyone still considered them the largest opposition to the Prince in Northeast Rus'. Furthermore, the Kul'kant Family did not explicitly reject those who drew close, and gradually, they gathered a vast amount of information about the opposition.
And then, Old Sanya, overriding all objections, handed all this information over to Rostislav. Yes, the Kul'kant Family also engaged in opportunism, but their chosen object of opportunism was Rostislav.
And it was because of this that Rostislav was able to learn of such an ambitious person in Suzdal. To deal with this person, Rostislav dispatched his most capable confidant, Yang, to handle the problem, and he provided him with a unit of elites sufficient to resolve the issue.
After understanding all this, Domnal knew this was a good opportunity, a great chance to make a name for himself. If he seized this opportunity well, becoming a regional noble would be within reach.
As Domnal was envisioning a beautiful future, he suddenly saw a row of hanged corpses by the roadside. Crows gathered on the dead, devouring their flesh, and immediately scattered when they saw a large contingent of people approaching.
Yang didn't even glance at these scenes; he had long been accustomed to dead bodies. Domnal stared blankly at the sight for a moment but then returned to normal.
After these days of travel, he knew what these corpses meant: they were unfortunate souls punished by Olaf, killed to intimidate the villages and force them into submission.
Domnal had long been accustomed to such things. In his days in the highlands, highland nobles would kill each other over the ownership of a dilapidated tower or a few scrawny old cows, let alone matters concerning rule.
However, what they saw next was a battle.
Soldiers in armor advanced rapidly. With warriors clad in iron armor at their core, they mercilessly charged into the farmers, slaughtering them. The farmers, unskilled in warfare, though armed, were no match for such an army. Everything was like a massacre; the farmers simply could not contend with these elite troops.
And what they saw when they stopped was the scene of the farmers being routed.
"It's the nobles who sided with Olaf; they're suppressing the farmers again."
Yang, stopping his warhorse, observed the scene and pondered the information he had gathered.
According to the intelligence, Olaf had attracted many newly arrived nobles and warriors in Northeast Rus' to join his ranks. To satisfy their need for land, the suppression of farmers had increased.
Their method of bringing villages under control was very simple: a few fully armed warriors would charge in, kill the leading villagers, and the rest would naturally become obedient.
As for villagers who dared to gather and resist, that was even better; he had gathered so many people precisely for suppression. How could farming tools contend with weapons?
Rostislav was aware of these matters, and he knew that some of his subordinate nobles were doing this, but he chose to ignore it, as he was, after all, a representative of feudal lords.
However, while Olaf was doing this, he was also absorbing more manpower into his ranks, manpower that should have belonged to the Prince. And if he intended to use this force to incite rebellion, then Rostislav could no longer tolerate it.