While the border was in constant fierce battle and Rus was preparing to set off, a hunt was underway on the plains of Magyar.
On the snow-covered land, the Arpad's black eagle flew alongside the white cross on a red background.
All of this appeared so proud, demonstrating the powerful authority of the flag's owner, and the owner of this contingent was naturally self-evident.
King Bela.
The reason the King initiated the hunt was simple: autumn was the season for hunting animals, and the meat from the hunted prey could also serve as supplies for the army.
Most importantly, the King wanted to display his authority through the hunt.
However, the Magyar Nobles, who loved hunting, didn't care much about that; they simply enjoyed hunting, and for them, it was an excellent activity. Displaying their martial arts on horseback was always their favorite thing to do.
No matter how many changes they experienced, even moving from the grasslands to this basin, they have maintained this custom to this day.
The youths of the Magyar Noble families were the most eager for this moment, because the one who gained an advantage in the hunt would be everyone's object of admiration, the center of attention for adults, and the glory of their parents.
Bela was also happy to see such a scene. For him, this was a display of power; so many Magyar Nobles gathered here at his word to display their martial arts and offer their prey.
"Don't let it run away!"
"Circle around from that side!"
"Be careful! Don't get too close!"
On this plain, several brightly dressed Magyar Noble youths were chasing several majestic stags. They held exquisite riding bows in their hands and wore silk and satin, presenting a vivid image of splendid attire and spirited horses, a standard appearance for Noble youths.
Around the hunting ground were numerous soldiers, all fully armed, either on horseback or on foot. They all wore surcoats with a white cross on a red background. It was they who had previously driven these animals together for the Noble youths to hunt in the field.
Stags are a very worthwhile beast to hunt; not only are their large antlers magnificent and visually appealing, but more importantly, these beasts are also very fierce. Being gored by a stag's large antlers is no joke, and there are even cases of people wearing armor being directly gored to death.
However, when encountered by trained hunters, these beasts can only face death.
Finally, as several exquisite arrows pierced the necks and bodies of those stags, these majestic beasts suddenly collapsed after a brief and sudden tremor.
Obtaining the prey made these Magyar Noble youths cheer, especially since all of this was accomplished under the gaze of so many nobles, particularly the true monarch of Hungary. This would be of great benefit to both their personal future and their family's influence.
A group of children watching from a high ground not far from the hunting ground let out cheers. From their attire, it was clear that these children came from influential families.
They also wished to gallop across the hunting ground like this, their eyes filled with envy, but due to their young age, they could only watch from here.
"Very good, very good."
Bela rode on a majestic black warhorse, wearing the Holy Crown he had taken from Andrew's corpse. The emperor's riding bow and quiver hung from the back of the warhorse, and on the other side was the Magyar sword the King had picked up on the battlefield.
The older Nobles were not as engrossed in hunting as the young people; they had long passed that age, and compared to glory on the battlefield, they cared more about splendid authority.
The governors were all gathered around the King, acting like loyal servants of the King, as the new monarch before them certainly needed to be appeased. The opportunity for their power to soar in the future was right before their eyes.
After the civil war, many losers would be stripped of their land, and these governors came precisely for these lands. Although they could forcibly seize them, the legal right to define ownership lay with the King.
Bela rarely participated in hunting, but he did attend this time, though only as an observer, not participating in the shooting. The King merely used the hunt to display his authority.
Moreover, King Bela had always been very vigilant, especially regarding his personal safety. Those who approached him were always trusted individuals. His side was full of guards, and it was this vigilance that allowed him to escape several assassination attempts.
The King's words of praise for the hunting scene resonated, whether out of genuine agreement or merely to flatter. The Nobles and important ministers around him also began to offer various praises, and for a time, all sorts of voices blended into a chorus.
Bela's throne was practically set in stone, and everyone naturally sought to curry favor with him. Even those once arrogant governors were now incredibly humble. However, on the other hand, those governors who were truly determined to disdain the King would not have come here.
This was the privilege of the victor. No matter what problems existed within his contingent, or what shortcomings he personally had, victory was enough to cover everything. Victory could make a shaky throne incredibly stable.
"Let the young men continue to play."
Bela said with a smile on his face. This great man rarely showed such obvious expressions to his contingent; he had always been known for his seriousness. It seemed that the successful capture of the throne had somewhat changed his personality.
Just then, the Polish Noble Siczech galloped over. King Bela watched him and waved happily. This man and King of Poland behind him were his great benefactors, and now he had been entrusted with an important responsibility by the King: to lead the suppression of Andrew's remaining forces.
Of course, it wasn't for the Polish people to personally fight; he was mainly a titular commander to show his prestige, while the specific military operations were handled by the governors and generals below him.
In recent days, this Polish man had been given numerous gifts by the King, all from the royal treasury. Moreover, Bela had also sent gifts to King Bolesław. Bela knew that without the King's help, he would absolutely not have achieved his current position.
However, Siczech did not bring any good news to Bela—although he was the titular commander, messages would be consolidated with him.
First, the news he brought was that the operation to attack the border stronghold had failed. The fellow named Edward had blocked the armies of the governors and forced them to retreat.
This caused Bela's expression to change slightly, a bad kind of change, but it was instantly suppressed. All of this happened within a second, showing King Bela's ability to control his emotions.
Then he told the Polish man that it was nothing, they were just a remnant force after all, and would not amount to anything.
As for his little nephew who had escaped, Bela was very dismissive. Such a small child could not threaten his power; the governors would not possibly side with an underage child.
And the second piece of news brought by this Polish Noble was very important. This had nothing to do with his titular command, but a great deal to do with his original identity.
That was, the King of Poland was about to arrive, and the Empire and Rus were also close to setting off, and this was precisely what Bela was waiting for.
Bela needed a conference to declare his legitimacy, and nothing would be more suitable than a grand assembly disguised as mediation but actually for the division of spoils.
So when the Rus people suddenly intervened, asking them to host a conference gathering the magnates of various nations, he agreed without hesitation.
Because he knew that the step provided by the Rus people would allow everyone to sit together, and since everyone was sitting together, his position could also be discussed, and since they were all sitting together, who would be so tactless as to refuse to acknowledge his authority?
Of course, his little nephew and his mother certainly would, but in this setting, they were merely bargaining chips. If they caused trouble, it could only be because someone needed them to cause trouble as a bargaining chip for negotiations.
Bela was very optimistic about the prospects of the conference. Additionally, for his legitimacy, Bela also summoned representatives from all over the country. He wanted representatives from all over the country to recognize his legitimacy as monarch, and he wanted to display this legitimacy before those foreigners.
Bela knew that if this was not handled well, it might cause the foreign magnates to wait for some time, after all, the nation of Hungary was so vast, gathering representatives from such a large land required a lot of time, but it was worth waiting.
After all, one thing was undeniable: the protagonist of this conference was him, he was the biggest victor, and even if interests were to be divided, it could only proceed with his consent and cooperation.
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