After realizing the identity of these people, Rostislav also understood why he felt familiar with the clothing style of those behind Edward.
Those people clearly came from the Anglo-Saxon lands, and the descendants of these people would have a great influence on Britain in later generations.
As a history enthusiast, Rostislav in his previous life had more or less come into contact with this aspect of things, and had watched many ancient English movies and TV series, so he naturally felt a sense of familiarity.
Because no matter how magical or inventive movies and TV series were, that style was still more or less the same, and this could not be changed.
Just as Rostislav was sighing inwardly, one person suddenly rode out from among the Anglo-Saxons behind Edward.
This person was tall and imposing, with an air of martial prowess between his brows, clearly not a simple individual; his arms were thick and powerful, indicating he was a warrior.
And when he announced his name, it astonished Rostislav even more; this time, he was truly, completely astonished.
"May God look upon you, Lord Rostislav, I am Harold Godwinson, and I have come to escort Lord Edward back to England."
"Uh... I truly didn't expect to meet you here, Lord Harold."
This truly surprised Rostislav; he genuinely hadn't expected to meet one of the protagonists of the far-reaching historical event of the Norman Conquest, the future King of England, Harold Godwinson.
"Oh, I didn't expect Rostislav to know me."
Harold raised an eyebrow, also very surprised by Rostislav's reaction; he had thought this Eastern Prince would not know him, at most considering him a distant noble.
But judging by his tone, Rostislav not only knew who he was but also knew his identity.
"It was all Harald His Majesty who told me, Lord Harold, after all, you are a great noble of England."
Of course, Rostislav could not say that he knew his identity from later generations, and also knew that he would be shot in the eye and die at the Battle of Hastings.
He could only push the matter onto Harald; this Norwegian King's enthusiasm for North Sea affairs was well-known, and after all, he couldn't go to Harald to confirm it.
Hearing the Moscow Prince's reply, Harold no longer had doubts; he knew Harald's reputation, and he, as a powerful minister who controlled almost three-quarters of England, was certainly a key observation target for that King.
"Then, Lord Harold, can you tell me the current situation in England? And why are you so eager to recall Edward to the country, even to the extent that a noble of your stature has personally come? I ask this with no other intention; Edward is a good friend of mine, and I need to understand the situation."
Next, Rostislav inquired about the situation in England; although he was too far away to interfere in those affairs, there was no problem in just asking around.
Harold sighed; he felt embarrassed recalling those matters.
But it was not a secret, and rather than concealing it, it was better for him to speak, lest the person in front of him believe those embarrassing rumors.
"The situation in England is still very stable; the entire country is developing steadily. As for why we are so eager to request Lord Edward's return to the country, it is because King Edward the Confessor wishes to give the throne to William, the bastard from Normandy, which is unacceptable to us. Therefore, we proposed that Lord Edward, who is far away in Hungary, inherit the throne, and so we have come to seek Lord Edward to return to the country and ascend the throne."
Harold spoke these words, while inwardly sighing. Although they had found the rightful heir of the Wessex Family, there was no telling what other mess that King His Majesty might stir up.
He would do anything to spite their Godwin family.
The feud between the Godwin family and Edward the Confessor had already lasted for two generations. Initially, old Godwin had supported this King's ascension and even married his daughter to him. At first, the relationship between the two sides was very close, but then it changed, which did not prevent their animosity.
As time progressed, there was constant discord between them, even to the point of armed conflict, and the Godwin family was once forced into exile, with all their territories stripped away.
By his generation, Harold, although he had reclaimed the family territories and the family's power had further strengthened, this strength came with a shadow: the King's aversion.
That aversion was too strong; even with the Godwin family holding great power, they couldn't help but feel a chill.
After all, even in the most desperate times, the King, through war and authority, had forced their Godwin family to abandon their lands, and family members were compelled to flee to various places.
It was also for this reason that Harold resolved not to oppose the King His Majesty, but to serve the monarchy as much as possible, to be at the King His Majesty's disposal.
But even though Harold humbled himself before the King and served the monarchy, His Majesty's dissatisfaction and aversion towards their family remained incredibly strong.
Generally speaking, when a great noble expresses willingness to obey the monarchy, the King should at least ease up, but King Edward's heart was filled with hatred for their family.
The things old Godwin had done had brought the King's aversion to their family to a peak, and it was difficult to eliminate.
The King had done many things to spite their Godwin family, such as giving the English throne to that bastard across the channel, which was his latest spiteful move.
Edward the Confessor had spent a long time in Normandy when he was young, and had been hosted and highly regarded by the Duke of Normandy. Therefore, he himself carried a strong Norman style; the cathedral he built was actually Norman in style.
He knew that the Norman nobles, led by Godwin, would never tolerate the greedy Normans ruling England, so he did just that, actively giving the throne to the Normans, just to spite their Godwin family and shake their leadership position.
To counter the King's move, Harold tried every possible method, and finally could only seek Edward, the rightful heir of Wessex, who was far overseas.
As for whether the King himself could have an heir, many rumored that he had remained chaste and had never touched his wife, and that the Queen prayed daily but remained a virgin.
It could be said that finding Edward was related to Harold's power; if that William were to sit on the English throne, with his assertiveness, the Godwin family's good days would be completely over.
In fact, several years ago, Harold and his people had already gone to Hungary to search for Edward, but unfortunately, at that time Edward was happily pioneering in Rus, so they naturally couldn't find him.
And the journey to Rus was not allowed by their schedule, and they were completely unfamiliar with that land, so they could only leave Hungary with regret that time.
This time, after hearing that Edward was active in Hungary, they immediately went to Hungary to invite Edward back to the country again, and their request was successful, after all, that was the throne.
After listening to Harold's narration, Rostislav nodded repeatedly; these matters were largely consistent with the history he knew.
However, Rostislav then fell into a dilemma. He supported Edward's return to the country; having another King as a friend had no downside.
It's just that the Norman Conquest involved too many aspects, and in the future, it could be said that the entire North Sea would be involved, with too many variables.
And thinking of the historical outcome of the Norman Conquest, Rostislav was truly worried for Edward, his relative by marriage; the bastard of Normandy was not an easy opponent to deal with.
What's more, there was another person who would participate in this struggle for the English throne in the future, and thinking of this person gave Rostislav a headache: it was the Norwegian King Harald, and historically, he would even lose his life because of it.
Rostislav had a very strong liking for Harald; he still remembered the King's kindness and help, and Rostislav truly did not want Harald to meet his historical fate.
But ultimately, things depended on human effort, and Rostislav was too powerless regarding distant matters, just as he had no way to intervene even if he wanted to, so he could only choose to let go.
Finally, the Moscow Prince called Edward over and made him a promise, which was the only thing he could do.
"Lord Edward, may you successfully inherit the throne of England, but no matter what, please remember, Rus will always welcome you."
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