On the day Andrew's wife and children arrived, the conference officially began—a long-awaited moment for everyone, as they were about to divide the interests of Hungary.
This was bound to be an exceptionally volatile meeting, as all parties involved had more or less conflicting interests. The animosity between Andrew's wife and children and Bela was even more intense; if not for the presence of Anastasia's brother and the Imperial forces, Bela would surely have killed his sister-in-law and nephew.
For Rostislav, what brought him the most relief was not having to attend this meeting. Although it might have been somewhat impolite, no one could say anything if he chose to do so.
His three uncles would handle the meeting, and they also had a task for him.
That was to reorganize the army.
The negotiations would become increasingly intense, so it was imperative to organize the army for battle. This wasn't necessarily about fighting, but about demonstrating military might.
This was also part of the bargaining chip, and in case of an emergency, these soldiers had to be able to move immediately.
Rostislav was pleased with this arrangement, so he headed directly to the military camp outside the city.
The Rus' camp was located with those of Solomon's supporters and the Imperial army; after all, these three parties were on the same front, and camping together could provide assistance in case of any emergency.
The Moscow Prince stepped into their camp, and fortunately, he didn't see any chaotic scenes. He still remembered how dissolute these Bodyguard Unit members had been when they first arrived in Hungary, with the camp reeking of alcohol and prostitutes running around.
After all, during that time, the Prince was enjoying himself in the city, so he couldn't very well forbid them from enjoying themselves outside.
Fortunately, as the conference began, everyone realized they needed to be serious. Thus, there were no wine bottles in the camp, nor any prostitutes running around, and the camp became clean and tidy once again.
After all, these were the Rus' elites; their combat effectiveness was largely commensurate with their self-control. If they lacked self-control, how could they be worthy of the money they received?
Rostislav simply summoned the Captains of the Guard of his three uncles, relayed their masters' instructions to them, and then let them proceed as they saw fit.
Rostislav didn't need to personally handle the details; he merely supervised. Moreover, rashly interfering with his uncles' Bodyguard Units could easily cause trouble.
As for his personal retinue, Vasily managed them very well, so he didn't need to worry much about them.
After resolving matters in the camp, Rostislav went to the adjacent camp to find someone: Edward Wessex.
When the Moscow Prince entered the Magyar camp, the first thing he saw was a training scene. Edward, accompanied by several Magyar knights, was observing dozens of spearmen thrusting at each other in the training ground. He was also giving instructions to the knights, telling them to note any deficiencies they found and how to counter thrusting spears.
One of the Magyar knights was the one Rostislav had seen at the city gate ceremony. This man stood very close to Edward, but his expression was quite gloomy.
It was normal to think so; how could one be in a good mood after experiencing such things?
Seeing that Edward was still busy with training, Rostislav did not disturb him. Instead, he found a soldier standing by a tent to chat with. The man wore a pointed hat, which indicated his identity: a soldier of the Moscow Camp.
Upon seeing the Prince approach, the soldier showed no timidity and began to chat idly with the Moscow Prince.
The soldier said his name was Dier. He carried a longbow, and the calluses on his hands indicated his identity as an archer. He had been in the Moscow Camp for several years.
Rostislav found him somewhat familiar but couldn't recall him immediately, so he chatted with the man to see if he could remember.
Because he carried a longbow, Rostislav talked to him about archery, and the man seemed to know everything about the topic, clearly a powerful archer.
As the conversation deepened, Rostislav finally remembered that the man in front of him had once been a member of his Bodyguard Unit, and the man also admitted his identity.
As for Bodyguard Unit members leaving their posts, this was very common in Rus'. Rus' allowed Bodyguard Unit members and nobles to change employers; it was a long-standing tradition.
As for why he left the Bodyguard Unit, he primarily believed that the Moscow Camp had a better future than the Bodyguard Unit.
It was a pity that he had been in the Moscow Camp for five years and was still just a small Decurion, but this did not affect his honing of his combat skills, so that one day he could achieve great deeds on the battlefield.
In the Hungarian war, his training proved useful, making him the core of the fighting. He led his subordinates to win many difficult battles.
"How is it that such a loyal and brave person as you is still just an ordinary Decurion?"
Rostislav placed his hand on Dier's shoulder, lamenting how he hadn't discovered this talent before.
"I'm promoting you to Centurion right now, Vasily. Write this down."
Vasily immediately recorded the Prince's command. Originally, Rostislav hadn't wanted to bring him along, but he insisted on coming, and the Prince had no choice but to let him follow.
This made Dier overjoyed. He had originally joined the Moscow Camp because he felt there was no promotion prospect in the Bodyguard Unit, yet he had remained a junior officer there for several years.
He had even planned to leave the army and return to his hometown after the Hungarian war ended. Of course, he definitely wouldn't go back to the village; he preferred shedding blood on the battlefield to the life of a hunter in the village. Besides, going back to the village would also earn him ridicule from his old, disabled father who had once been a Bodyguard Unit member.
Dier intended to become a mercenary or an adventurer of sorts, and then go to the magnificent Imperial Capital his father often spoke of.
He possessed superb archery skills, which meant he could make a living anywhere he went.
Perhaps there, he could even join the famous Varangian Guard and deface the walls of the Grand Palace—just as his father used to boast.
As a result, Rostislav had now promoted him, and not just any promotion, but to Centurion. This immediately dispelled his thoughts of leaving; one should know that there were only five Centurions in the entire Moscow Camp.
Although the Moscow Camp was currently small in scale, Dier's intuition told him that this unit would have a great future, which was why he had left the Bodyguard Unit to join it back then.
"Rostislav, why didn't you announce your arrival? Oh, Dier is here too."
Just as the Moscow Prince and his newly promoted Centurion were chatting happily, Edward's voice interjected. His face showed apology, and behind him, several Magyar knights were bowing slightly to them.
Edward also greeted Dier, who was one of his fierce subordinates.
Dier, understanding the situation, bowed and then moved out of their sight. It was clear to him that Lord Edward was there to discuss matters with Lord Rostislav, and it was better for him to step aside.
"This man is excellent. He has great archery skills, is brave in battle, is good at organizing people and boosting morale, and also knows how to read the atmosphere."
Edward watched Dier leave, praising him. The Moscow Prince, of course, understood his subtext: he wanted him to promote this archer.
"Dier just became a Centurion, and when we return to Northeast Rus', I will give him an even more important position."
Rostislav said with a smile. He had already planned Dier's future in his mind.
Since he was so capable, he wouldn't stay in the Moscow Camp for long. Soon, he would lead a brand new unit—Rostislav was planning to establish a second standing camp upon their return.
"Is that so? Well then, let's get down to business, Rostislav. What do you need to see me for?"
Edward also smiled, then shifted the conversation to the main topic.
At this moment, the Moscow Prince's face lost its smile. He became serious and stated his purpose.
"Edward, I hope you can tell me about the situation of the Hungarian pagans, especially their forces."
"Pagans? Why?"
Seeing Rostislav's serious expression, Edward's expression also became serious.
"I understand. Then let Zhe'erji tell you; he knows more about this than I do."
Edward said, gesturing for the knight following him to step forward. The Moscow Prince was standing next to Edward, that Magyar knight.
And upon closer inspection, Rostislav noticed that his face resembled Solomon's somewhat, like a grown-up Solomon.
— — — — — — — —