The Prince sat on the main seat in the hall, with Zoe, the Princess Consort, by his side, both looking down at the nobles of Rostov below.
The hall once belonged to the Kul'kant Family, who exercised the power of city rulers here before Rurik Prince arrived, but now that Rurik Prince was here, they could only cede this sturdy fortress for Rurik Prince to occupy.
For the Kul'kant Family, Rostislav's arrival was extremely displeasing; they had been perfectly content as local overlords, only for a powerful dragon to suddenly appear and seize their status and power.
As for the ordinary nobles of Rostov, they only wanted to earn money safely and maintain the city's security; they sought nothing more.
Therefore, they welcomed Rostislav's arrival very much, and the Prince's arrival could also strike a blow against the Kul'kant Family, who had always lorded over them.
The two groups stood distinctly apart, disliking each other, and further back were representatives from the Old City, who clearly disliked both groups of nobles. Rostislav observed the expressions of everyone below, then gestured to Poleye, who had already returned from receiving the Bulgar envoy.
Poleye immediately understood the Prince's meaning and shouted:
"Those seeking an audience, step forward and present your requests to the Prince!"
This was the signal for the audience to begin, and also the start of Rostislav's exercise of power in this city.
The first to step forward was Sanya of the Kul'kant Family. This was an old man, nearly 60, who, though trembling, still managed family affairs and had presided over city governance before Rostislav's arrival.
Sanya was dressed very modestly, wearing a black fur coat and a simple brimmed leather hat. If one did not know, they would think he was just an ordinary old citizen.
Unlike his disgruntled descendants, Old Sanya respectfully presented a series of documents summarizing the Kul'kant Family's many years of dominance in Rostov, as a handover of the city's governing power. These documents were filled with information on the city's trade and development, proving to be a great aid to governance.
Rostislav was very satisfied with the old man's pragmatism. Since the patriarch of the Kul'kant Family was willing to submit, his original plan to strike at this family could be put aside.
After Old Sanya stepped down, the local centurion of Rostov stepped forward. This city military official requested Rostislav to send elites to lead the Veche Militia to clear out the bandits near Rostov, as these fellows had become increasingly restless lately, robbing merchants and travelers, and growing more brazen.
This was the norm in Northeast Rus'; after all, outside the city lay lands dominated by the law of the jungle, where the identities of farmers and bandits often overlapped, so bandits needed to be periodically cleared out.
Rostislav, of course, readily agreed to this; it was a perfect opportunity to display his power. So, he directly assigned Sogier's Norse mercenaries to this man.
It wouldn't do for these mercenaries to just sit around in the city all day doing nothing. Anyway, he had no burden if they died, so sending them to do this work was naturally the most suitable.
Moreover, though it was called bandit suppression, in reality, it was a massacre of villages or tribes confirmed to be engaged in such activities. Rostislav understood this principle not long after arriving here.
These mercenaries, as foreigners who did not speak the local language, had no possibility of cooperating with the locals. The advantage of using them as executioners was also here: they could not collude with the locals, nor could they be soft-hearted.
As for the third person to seek an audience, it was a representative chosen by the Old City Veche, a middle-aged blacksmith named Vanigo. He wore a blacksmith's leather apron over a short tunic, with various tools at his waist, and his arms were incredibly thick from years of smithing.
Yes, Rostov had two Veches. The residents of the New City disliked the barbarism of the Old City, while the residents of the Old City disliked the pretentiousness of the New City. Consequently, both sides gradually stopped attending the Veche assembly to avoid meeting each other. Eventually, the two cities directly split the Veche into two, so as not to affect each other's normal administrative arrangements.
And the request made by this blacksmith made everyone present feel uneasy.
"Prince, the New City has suppressed us for too long, preventing the Old City from participating in the Volga trade. Even organizing merchant caravans is forcibly disbanded, and our produced goods can only be sold to the New City, who also deliberately suppress the purchase prices. Furthermore, they discriminate against us. We have endured for too long."
"So, blacksmith, what do you want?"
Rostislav asked directly, interrupting the blacksmith's complaints. Meanwhile, the Rostov nobles waiting to observe began to whisper, with many cursing Vanigo, the "savage."
"We want freedom, the same rights as the New City, and to be able to participate in trade as well."
Vanigo's words were full of resolve, with a sense of 'succeed or die trying.' This was something the Old City had long yearned for, and what they had hoped the Prince's arrival would achieve.
The Prince was not surprised by this request; Poleye had already told him about it.
And he intended to grant some power to the Old City; their anger had long reached its limit, and it was time to decentralize power.
"I understand. In that case, I..."
"My Lord, please allow me to raise an objection."
At this point, Old Sanya stood up and interrupted Rostislav. The Prince frowned, feeling a little displeased, but still gestured for him to continue.
"The privileges of the New City were granted by the great convert, Vladimir, as a reward for the New City's loyalty when facing the Bulgar Army."
Sanya's words met with widespread approval from the Rostov nobles. This was power their ancestors had won through blood and war, their rightful power, and how could it be abolished by the words of a few Merya?
"Therefore, I hope Your Highness will consider carefully before speaking and making a decision."
After saying this, Sanya bowed again and sat back down. He had successfully stirred up the emotions in the hall, and the observing nobles clamored that Vanigo was simply delusional and should be driven out.
Rostislav narrowed his eyes. He had thought the Kul'kant Family was already tamed, but he didn't expect this old man to still try to test him. Very well, he would show his authority.
"Silence."
As Rostislav spoke, the personal guards in the hall drew their swords and struck their shields. Suddenly, a clamor filled the space, and the nobles were all awed by the sound of metal, quietly closing their mouths.
"We have noted your request, Vanigo."
After the surroundings quieted down, Rostislav said.
"Ancient privileges need to be protected, but the current situation is different from when my grandfather granted those privileges. Therefore, I will grant the Old City the right to freely sell goods. As for the rest, it still requires time for study and discussion. Does anyone have any objections?"
Joy spread across Vanigo's face. He had been disappointed, but at this moment, a pleasant surprise suddenly arrived.
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