"I heard the Prince's wife is about to give birth."
"Huh? Where did you hear that news?"
On the newly built walls of Moscow's inner city, two men wearing long-sleeved chainmail shirts chatted idly while observing the movements outside the city. Their demeanor was very casual, indicating this was not the first time they had done so.
Not far from where the two were chatting, a small black cat was curled up sleeping on the battlement, occasionally shifting its position.
"Domnal, are you really unaware or just pretending? Considering your past record, I really have to suspect you're playing dumb."
The one with a quiver on his back spoke with a hint of irritation, as if he had been tricked by this person—which was indeed the case.
"Oh, oh, Dier, I remember now. Ugh, just now that bastard Gvaran made me clean the entire dormitory. Damn, I'm exhausted. That old bastard just can't stand to see me at ease."
The Gael was full of resentment when mentioning the Captain of the Guard. The Captain of the Guard had really tormented him enough, constantly bothering him for no reason.
Just now, after finishing the cleaning, he was sent to guard the city wall.
"Haha, isn't that what you brought upon yourself? He was going to let you off four months ago, but you actually hooked up with his daughter and almost did the deed in the granary. Of course, he has to keep tormenting you."
Dier's expression couldn't help but lighten up when he mentioned that incident. This guy and the Captain of the Guard were truly a pair of bickering lovers.
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Some time ago, after a long period of effort and courtship, Domnal finally won over the girl who frequently visited the Bodyguard Unit's dormitory.
He had put in so much effort and time for this, but after the girl accepted his pursuit, he felt it was all worth it.
And since he had won her over, it was time to act. The two eventually chose the granary, but just as Domnal was about to take the girl's virginity, someone burst in—an angry father. And what was worse, it was Captain of the Guard Gvaran.
Regarding the girl's parents, Domnal had always assumed they were likely his colleagues, as she always only left things at the entrance of the Bodyguard Unit's dormitory, which other Bodyguard Unit members would then collect.
Those Gael Bodyguard Unit members had once asked, and they only said they were asked by others to help carry them, but they would never say who specifically.
So the Gael had always thought the girl's father was some colleague who valued privacy, but he never expected her father to be Gvaran.
Later, the Gael learned that Gvaran didn't want others to know he had such a beautiful daughter; he wanted his daughter's youth to be peaceful.
As the Captain of the Guard for the Moscow Prince, he deeply understood the importance of his position and didn't want those with ill intentions or opportunists to seek her out too early.
So he specifically ordered his subordinates to keep it a secret. These were his most trusted subordinates, and they indeed kept the secret.
Most of the accompanying Bodyguard Unit members also knew the identities of the few Bodyguard Unit members who frequently interacted with the beautiful girl, which also deterred these veterans from harassing her—those few Bodyguard Unit members sometimes did things the Prince preferred not to handle personally—this group even once thought she might be the Prince's spy, which is why they didn't know the truth.
However, Gvaran didn't expect that this would instead allow a guy he had always disliked to get lucky.
If Domnal hadn't reacted quickly that day, he would have been beaten to death there. After being disciplined by Gvaran so many times, he had developed an instinctive reaction to that face, and this is what saved him.
However, Domnal could run but he couldn't hide forever. In the end, he still had to bite the bullet and go back. His brothers were still in the Bodyguard Unit, and he couldn't abandon them.
Fortunately, when he returned, Gvaran didn't directly break ties with him but chose to intensify his private torment. Later, Domnal learned that his little lover had pleaded for him, which was why Gvaran let him off; otherwise, he would have been beaten senseless long ago.
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"Tsk, that old geezer, always like this."
Mentioning that matter made Domnal's face darken. Having such a future father-in-law, one could only say his luck was too "good."
"I feel like this isn't a long-term solution for you. Why not think of another way? How about becoming a chieftain in the local area? I heard some people are already discussing it; you could join their ranks."
Dier then stopped teasing the Gael and began to suggest ways for him to break free from his current predicament, such as taking charge of a fortress in a local area.
Since Rostislav intended to build fortresses throughout Northeast Rus', he naturally needed people to govern them.
For this, the Prince gave his Bodyguard Unit a choice: to go to a local area and serve as a chieftain, taking control of a region.
After this, they would no longer receive wages from the Prince but would support themselves through the produce of the land, and the value of this land's produce would be higher than their wages.
"I'm not one of those old men or those who want to avoid war. Why would I join that?"
Domnal's answer illustrated the practical situation facing the Prince's plan. Although Rostislav had extended an invitation, most of the Bodyguard Unit members showed no response.
For most people, gold and silver were the most important; they became Bodyguard Unit members for gold and silver, not land.
Only a small number of older individuals and those weary of war chose this option. For them, living out their remaining days peacefully was most important, and the Prince's choice offered them a perfect opportunity to stay away from war.
"Then there's nothing that can be done. It seems you'll just have to tough it out."
Dier shrugged, indicating his helplessness, but then he changed the subject.
"However, I think your hard times won't last much longer. I estimate your old father-in-law's anger will soon subside. He knows he can't change his daughter's mind and will eventually have to accept all of this. Plus, he understands you and knows you're serious about this relationship."
"Huh? I can't see our old Bodyguard Unit member giving in."
Subconsciously, Domnal blurted out these words. After being tormented so many times by the Captain of the Guard, he truly got a headache just thinking about the man.
Dier merely smiled in response. He knew this friend was good in every way, except sometimes he was too unreliable.
And just as the two were chatting and joking, suddenly a group of people on horseback appeared galloping wildly through the streets of Moscow. If it weren't for the riders' quick reactions, they might have even knocked over pedestrians.
"Who are they? Riding horses in the street?"
Domnal frowned as he watched the group. Such a scene was truly uncomfortable to witness.
However, then he suddenly saw a face, the face of the Moscow Prince, which made him shiver uncontrollably. Then he abruptly looked towards the Prince's palace.
"Could it be… that it's true?"
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