"Lord Yang also has his difficulties... Ever since he witnessed the power of the pagans in Hungary, he has been very sensitive about this, and he should be, after all, who knows if those pagans have some kind of hidden conspiracy beneath the surface."
Dier recalled the raging religious war in Hungary and the conspiracy he experienced in Fehérvár. He couldn't help but agree with Yang's strict attitude.
"Ha, so you're going to squeeze me dry? Bastard! I have no idea what to do. Anyway, I'm going to slack off this time. I'll just tell a few subordinates to casually investigate and write something. If it really doesn't work, I can even make up a whole report for him. Doesn't he want information? I'll give it to him now."
However, although Domnal spoke as if it were a matter of course, he was actually a bit flustered inside, because his information did indeed have some problems.
For convenience, mainly to avoid being too far from his wife and children, Domnal's investigations were mostly confined to areas near the city...
Domnal was not keen on going into the countryside; if someone died in such a place, it would be all too easy to conceal the news.
For example, just last month, Domnal learned that a chieftain had attacked a village that hadn't paid enough tribute, hanging several elderly people in the village. This matter had been concealed for a full three months.
And the month before that, a chieftain directly ran into a village to snatch a bride, and after snatching her, killed her and buried her in the woods.
Of course, it wasn't all about nobles oppressing commoners; when faced with oppression from their lords, the common people also showed a lot of martial spirit.
There were also places where the common people directly hanged a noble's steward, and this matter was hidden for five months without anyone knowing. If it weren't for the young lord getting drunk and knocking over a mud wall in the basement, the body would never have been discovered.
In short, it's very easy to kill someone in the countryside. Even a fully armed warrior, if they go in, is very likely to be ambushed and killed.
As for these matters, they are actually nothing. The Bodyguard Unit of Moscow has never been dispatched because of them. It's just a few people dying and villagers being bullied; this is already considered a very mild state.
Dier knew his old friend always tried to cut corners, but he didn't know exactly how he managed it this time. Therefore, he just looked at his old friend suspiciously for a while, almost making him reveal himself, but Dier didn't say anything in the end.
"However, speaking of investigation, I do have an idea you can look into."
Dier ate meat and drank wine, pondering for a moment, then he spoke his thoughts, and Domnal looked at him somewhat unexpectedly.
"The Blacksmiths' Guild recently opened up the trade of weapons and armor within Moscow, didn't they? I think you can start investigating from that direction. Pay attention to recording the flow of equipment and constantly check for any large-scale movements of weapons and armor. If there are any, investigate them."
Dier's idea was simple: if pagans were going to cause trouble, they would definitely buy equipment, and now Moscow's largest equipment supplier had begun supplying the city's market.
"Hmm, that is indeed a good approach. I will immediately send people to keep an eye on it. Dier, thank you for providing me with an idea."
Much of the unhappiness on Domnal's face dissipated. Dier at least gave him an idea, after all, he didn't want to take people into the wilderness. As he thought about it, a smile even appeared on his face.
"Speaking of which, Dier, you're a quick thinker! You immediately thought of a way to truly find something. I suppose that's why Lord Rostislav appointed you to command the Rostov Camp."
"Hey, this officer position is not clear at all. Besides Yegor, I have no one under me. The Prince of the Moscow Camp doesn't assign any of the old brothers to me. I can only manage those new recruits from scratch, which is truly exhausting."
Dier had nothing good to say when he brought up the Rostov Camp. The Prince simply gave him a batch of equipment and a sum of money and told him to recruit people himself, then gave him a few officers, leaving the rest for him to figure out.
Finally, the team was assembled, but the management was a headache.
"Yegor Ivanovich Sherikhov? The Sherikhov Family of Yaroslavl?"
Domnal, meanwhile, noticed that name. That Yaroslavl noble family appeared quite often in his records.
"Yes, you know him?"
Dier was a bit surprised. How would Domnal know his subordinate?
"The Sherikhov Family is the family most enthusiastic about expansion in Northeast Rus'. How could I not know them? Ever since Lord Rostislav became the Prince, their requests for supplies from Moscow have never decreased."
As an assistant to the Captain of the Guard—who was also his father-in-law—Domnal had seen the family's name many times, and over time, he came to recognize them.
"Is that so? His family is a noble family from Yaroslavl? Hey, I never would have guessed. He doesn't have any of those spoiled second-generation rich kid habits. It seems this kid is interesting."
The discussion about The Sherikhov Family did not last long, after all, for the two men here, it was merely a small topic of conversation.
Domnal and Dier were both very happy with this gathering, so they kept eating and drinking. And as the two warriors here had their fill of food and wine, their discussion topics immediately turned risqué, after all, men talk most about women after drinking.
"Oh, by the way, speaking of your younger sister, I heard she came to Northeast Rus' two years ago. How come I've never seen her?"
Under the influence of alcohol, Dier's speech became a bit unsteady. He suddenly thought of Domnal's sister, so he simply asked.
"That dead girl is still with Alexei's troupe. She really likes performing for that pretty boy, and now she's become the troupe's lead actress. Honestly, I think she'll end up in bed with that pretty boy sooner or later."
When his sister was mentioned, Domnal had nothing good to say. Domnal was a scholar as well as a warrior, and he had always been proud of this identity. Naturally, he only felt contempt for a pretty boy like Alexei who only had literary talent.
But unfortunately, his sister was interested in drama. There was nothing Domnal could do but watch his sister, who had come all the way from Britain to Rus', become an actress, and now she had become the lead actress, enjoying a great reputation in Rus'.
"Huh? That's your sister? I never would have thought."
Dier had also seen the troupe's performances, but he never imagined that his old friend's sister was among them.
"Alright, alright, don't mention it."
"Alright, alright, alright."
The two continued chatting like this, while pouring wine down their throats, and in the end, both of them fell sound asleep in the private room.
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