Lake Ilmen and the city of Novgorod are completely another world to King Bjorn of Sweden. Although there are a large number of Russ and other immigrants who speak Gnoss, the largest number are natives who speak Slavic.

People here, no matter how high or low, build their houses with a lot of wood. In addition to the houses, the surrounding walls of the entire city are also piled up with thick timbers.

Any wood is first of all straight, and a house made of wood is naturally regular.

Compared with Shilla Fort, the city structure of Novgorod in Bjorn's eyes is worse. Even so, this big city is quite neatly located. There are not too many winding streets and alleys, and there is no annoying smell of feces and urine in the visible alleys, and the road under your feet is at least hardened.

Bjorn was first a big landlord of the Merlaren tribe, followed by the tribal leader and the king of Sweden.

His ancestors were also wealthy farmers who kept accumulating wealth, and Bjorn still prided himself on having a lot of experience in farming.

Just look at it and you will see it all!

The farmland covered by snow is an amazing area. Everything is not similar to what you saw in Shilla Fort, you can only say that it is exactly the same.

envy! envy! Deeply envious! And fear...

Bjorn's ideas are extremely complicated, and the other nobles who visited are exactly the same.

Naturally, some nobles did not hesitate to think of new possibilities, just like Svalgard, Duke of Gran. Because all those rumors became true, he saw a female nobleman with a very special identity and talked with him about some secrets of the past.

He could be sure that the woman pulling a young child was indeed Carlotta, Duchess of Ostara.

Ten years ago, the Ostara tribe suffered disaster. The two daughters of the tribe leader fled together and collided with the Granite who was also on the run. That was an opportunity that made Svalgard, who was as young as that year, have a relationship with the Carlotta sisters.

For the sudden visit of King Bjorn of Sweden, Carlotta has no sense of him, and is completely dispensable.

But for Granite Svalgard, it was completely different.

She had no opinion on the new Duke of Gran, only thinking of his identity, and then thinking of the past. At that time, Ostara and Glan lived in the southern border of the Swedish Tribal Alliance, and they had been fighting with the Gotalans for the first line of grazing pastures. The two tribes have co-existed for a long time, and the Granites have always existed as vassals of the Ostara people.

When the catastrophe is gone, Carlota, who has nothing, can only beg the Granite to give some food. At that time, she resented Gran's stinginess, and even now, this resentment still exists.

However, a weak girl has grown into a female warrior, and a declining tribe has risen in a new form in the new world.

"It is said that you Grans have maintained the same way for a full ten years. I thought you were developing very well. Svalgard, it seems that your father did not manage the tribe well. On the contrary, it is my Ostala. , Everything is okay, I am about to return to my past strength..."

Carlotta vented his own grievances with arrogance, and also relied on these words to announce that Ostara was still much better than Gran.

Svalgard heard something different, this woman wanted to restore Ostara's past existence because she needed to bind the Gran tribe.

He didn't dare to assert, and first asked quietly: "I have come to the new world, at least let me go to your new territory to see."

"Yes, just let you see my warrior."

Carlotta did mention the term "Warrior" explicitly. According to Svalgard's cognition, the Ostara people basically lost their own males. How can there be warriors without men?

Let's talk about Carlotta. She came to Novgorod with her child Karl I to meet her man, and by the way, she saw a Swedish nobleman who was visiting. She devoted a lot of thoughts to her construction of the southernmost territory of the lake and the raising of her son. Because of her frustration with her hometown in Sweden, she didn't want to go back and take a look at that sad place.

Sister Svetlana finally gave birth to a boy, so the Duchy of Ross became the first legal heir. She was sincerely happy for the Ross people, and she understood her place in the Principality very well. Nominally, the Principality of Ostara and the Duchy of Ross are equal in rank. In essence, Ostara is a vassal of Ross and guards the current southern frontier for the Principality of Ross.

She wisely didn't stay in Novgoroddo, and according to Rurik's own arrangement, after taking away a group of horses, she happily sat down on the sleigh south.

At this moment, Svalgard is in the team going south. The next winter trip deeply shocked the Gran noble. The team went south along the ice-covered lake shoreline. All around you could see a large area of farmland with clear ridges, as well as large and small settlements.

Carlotta's way back home was decided by Liurik, and it is a fact that the Duke of Gran intended to return. If he wants to go to the south to see, he should let this guy see Ross's strength.

Carlotta's sleigh pulled more than two hundred horses and a batch of oats, deliberately descending south along the east bank of the lake.

There is a large population on the shoreline of the lake, not only Mstisk and Youth City where the old Russians mainly settled, but also the construction of "hidden people" driven out of the forest has expanded to as many as thirty villages. .

It can be said that during the warm period of 838, Governor Medved's subordinates were busy entering the forest to search for people, and things were very effective.

Old Russ and a surprisingly large number of children live in Hudong, with a population of over 10,000 men, women and children.

The new villages built by those "hidden people" have a total population of 20,000.

There are also old villages in Hudong that have existed since ancient times.

Compared to Lake Mlaren, Lake Ilmen is much smaller and its hydrological structure is relatively simple. Hudong has a larger population than the peak period of the Mlaren tribe, and the living environment of the people is relatively high. So based on the impression of Svalgard, it is densely populated.

What he saw while sitting on the sledge were the villages next to the lake, and people rushing to the frozen lake to fish without fear of the cold.

Along the way, he could easily see villagers wandering, and a large number of children playing with snow and piling up strange things. He often saw men and women walking on the extremely icy road with large amounts of firewood on their backs. .

It is obvious that the people living in the Hudong villages are not as wealthy as the people in Novgorod, which can be seen from their simple dress and lack of care.

Svalgard wanted to ask Carlotta about something, but the noble woman held her child in the warm covered sleigh, and used crystal (glass) as a window extravagantly, allowing you to clearly watch the outside in the sleigh. landscape. However, he could only cover his face with leather velvet, and finally put on the sunglasses purchased with a huge sum of ten silver coins to cover the wind and cold and protect his eyes. The image of the whole person became quite strange.

In Shilla Fort, he felt that the Russ were incredibly wealthy. In Novgorod, there are clearly a large number of foreigners living in the city. They speak Slavic and obviously live a wealthy life.

If we go all the way south, it seems that the population of the new people is very large, and their poverty is also obvious.

Could it be that as long as you go south, you will get poorer? Could Carlotta brag about himself, but actually New Ostara still pulls his hips?

(Because they have just moved from the forest farm to the lakeside, these villagers have just started a new life)

They actually experienced a fifty-kilometer journey. The team spent the entire day on animal sleds, horses and deer, and arrived safely in New Ostala just as the day was thinning.

A city built along the glacier is in front of you. At first glance, it is indeed not as prosperous as Novgorod, but the scene here is very special.

The Ostarans are good at raising cattle and sheep, others can't know it, but all the Granians know it best.

The Ostara people in the new world have restored their old skills, and there are a large number of gray-brown existences moving on the snowy ground. They have huge horns. What is it if it is not a reindeer?

I'm afraid it's not just reindeer!

There are a large number of thick sheds here, and you don't need too many sheds to raise reindeer. Many sheds can only be said that they are raising cattle and sheep on a large scale.

The sled team stopped under the wooden wall, and Svalgard sat cross-legged throughout the day. He immediately felt that his legs were too soft to stand.

Then he found a wooden stick and stood firmly as a walking stick, but was deeply frightened by the big beast that suddenly rushed in. A staggered sitting in the snow made the Ostrala people who came to watch laughed.

Even Carlotta, who was holding the child, said with joy: "Old friend, this is my city. Are you afraid of my big city?"

"No! It's these riders. Ah!? It's all yours?"

Carlotta looked at the cavalry, and then at the guy still sitting on the ground: "It's all the Ross cavalry. Get up! Their swords won't kill friends, you are the Duke of Gran, there is nothing to be afraid of."

Duke? It's just the leader of a village composed of four to five hundred people. Such a small group is a small role in the eyes of the Principality of Ross. Along the way, he was deeply aware of the pitiful small population of his Gran tribe, and organizing a hundred soldiers was already the limit.

On the other hand, the cavalry in Ostrava had to have fifty cavalry in front of them.

The Ross Cavalry suddenly appeared on a large scale, but it didn't really mean anything. Because the territory of New Aostara is the southern border of the Principality, a strong army must be stationed. Although the Ross Cavalry is few, the current elites are all stationed here.

Before 839, the Principality's cavalry was no more than 80 horses. Some of the cavalry participated in the crusade against the King of Denmark in the form of infantry. Since the autumn harvest in 838, they have been stationed in the south. The Pecheneg envoy, which had traveled all the way, approached.

Young cavalry soldiers are stationed here, and even their families are also moved. Such a small population of New Ostara directly increased the population by nearly two hundred.

Lurik will not ignore the animal husbandry skills of the Ostala people. They must raise horses, cattle, sheep and deer. In particular, the horse industry must have significant development in a short period of time.

The Ostara people were ordered to raise horses, and they also learned to ride horses. As a result, Ross has 80 horses stationed in the south in name, but in fact there are 1,500 cavalrymen. Even if the Ostara man or boy who has just learned to ride a horse is just a simple rider, he stands upright on a horse with a spear and can easily bluff his opponent.

It's not surprising to see someone riding a horse, it's shocking to see a large number of cavalry.

Svalgard is an old friend of the Ostara people, not to mention that there are some men in this city who used to be from Gran. New Ostara is not a city, but a huge barracks.

The brand-new Ostara has indeed undergone tremendous changes. As the Duchess, Carlotta seems to devote all his attention to training the cavalry.

The duke has also learned how to ride a horse, and even shoots arrows while riding, regardless of her archery skills, she must die if she is hit by that shot arrow.

Svalgard was a guest, and here he was familiar with cheese and milk crust. It is said that those black-haired visitors from the far south can't walk, and they all ride horses. The Ostarans are clearly learning from the steppe people, but the long boats pushed onto the shallows still prove that they are northerners.

After living in this city for many days, he finally figured out one thing.

In the face of absolute strength, Svalgard knew that not only could he only respect Prince Rus as the king of Sweden, but now facing the troubled Ostala people, his tribe is still an absolute weak.

It is not shameful to surrender to a man, and it is equally shameful to surrender to a woman.

Everything has returned to the historical context of the past. Svalgard is in the city of New Ostara, and wants to explain his wishes to Duchess Carlotta.

Carlotta's own house is a large wooden slab, and she and Rurik automatically and wittyly separated from the court of the Duchy of Ross after they gave birth to Karl I. She is a prince, and legally the adopted daughter of the old Duke of Rose Otto, as a subsidiary of Rose, she has the greatest power in her own territory. After suffering, war, revenge, and the revival that she is now experiencing personally, her heart is more determined, and the natural woman Wu Mei in her body has inevitably faded a lot. She became a genuine Viking female warrior, a "southern she-wolf".

Someone began to name her secretly, she neither knew nor cared.

She personally met Svalgard, Duke of Gran, who had business matters, in her humble ducal palace. Under the attention of many warriors, this Svalgard kneeled on one knee and saluted the warrior.

"Ah?! What do you mean."

"Ostala!" Svalgard's words were suddenly very formal and serious. "I have already thought that I will move my clan to Ross. Prince Ross is also supportive of this. I didn't know where to settle before, but now I have I have an idea. Just let everything go back to the past, and we Grans will still be your vassals of the Ostala people."

Carlotta immediately understood. He could say that without his own expectation~www.mtlnovel.com~ To be fair, for the current strength of the Ostara people, there is an extra Grann around him. Gongwei, the strength of the population increased as well.

Guarding the southern border is not as simple as establishing settlements. The Rus Principality must guard against the Smolensk people, who are at least not friendly, and suddenly move north along the Lovati River to the Ilmen Lake area, and also guard against the Pecheneg armed merchants. .

The suffering Carlotta experienced was an unsuspecting attack. The number of Pechenegg soldiers who visited in late autumn last year was large, and each of them wore iron armor and iron masks. Their strength should not be underestimated.

She is worried that one day in the future, the Pecheneg people will suddenly turn around, and then she will be the first front to bear the brunt. This matter is not her wisdom, but the fear of being madly attacked and ruined is like a mark on her body. She is afraid! The only exception is that they are not worried about the immigration of the Granites. Because she has regarded the Granite who has not yet arrived as a resource that must be absorbed.

She answered very simply, but she thought it over: "I can find you a piece of wasteland and you build a new settlement yourself. But you and your people should listen to my temperance. You know, I'm the woman of Prince Ross. , I am instructed to guard the south for Ross. You must listen to me to be my neighbor."

Svalgard also answered decisively, that is, he fully supported it.

In a sense, Svalgard gave up his title of duke. From his standpoint, he never wanted power and the title of duke, but led the entire blood tribe to live a stable life. In the past, I depended on the Ostala people, and later on the Yilmalun people. Now I have been promised that I can attach the family to the Rus people. But from the bottom of my heart, it is better to continue to live in partnership with the Ostala, so that the people of the Gran tribe will not have any objections, let alone feel wronged.