Soon, Valin's troops advanced on the roads built by Rostislav.
Although the dirt roads built by Rostislav were simple, they were enough to connect the cities of Northeast Rus.
And it was by relying on these roads that the people scattered across the vast land of Northeast Rus were able to find their way to Moscow.
Everyone's spirits were high; this was their first time away from home, and everything around them felt new and fresh.
Along the way, many scattered farmers joined their ranks, most of whom came from independent villages in the forest, and their destination was naturally Moscow.
The marching people even sang folk songs from their hometowns, most of which were hero songs, written by warriors who fought in all directions, representing the values of the Rus' people.
If they were walking on country paths, these people would certainly not be so bold, because that would be marking their location to potential attackers.
But these roads were different; they were the "official roads" designated by Rostislav, and from time to time, villages entrusted with maintaining public order could be seen along them.
The nearby chieftains would sometimes patrol the roads, surrounded by their subordinates.
Moreover, the gatherings of nearby villages were all held on these roads; on market days, the roads were filled with crowds.
With so many people and armed forces on these roads, naturally no bandits dared to operate or "do business" on them; committing crimes here was simply asking for death.
Valin listened to these hero songs; although everyone's singing was terrible, many were even tone-deaf, but such songs did not demand much, as long as the tune was sung, and the louder the better.
The values conveyed in the hero songs, from the perspective of later generations, were full of problems.
They were full of the law of the jungle, encouraging people to use force to acquire wealth, but this was the era, an era of force.
For example, a passage Valin was hearing now:
"Youth plunders and robs.
Now, save your soul."
The meaning of this hero song was simple: in youth, one plundered and killed for wealth, and in old age, one should naturally offer their soul to God to gain salvation.
It was said that this song came from the Moscow Court, which was very much to Valin's liking; he was now a devout Christian and already had an idea for his old age.
He planned that when he could no longer fight, he would donate a large sum of money to a church or Monastery, then enter and practice until his death, accepting the constraints of monastic rules until he died to atone for his sins.
While Valin was envisioning his future, the troop arrived at a three-way intersection, where the singing stopped because another troop, a fully armed troop, appeared on another road.
Everyone knew that the main road was safe, but facing an armed troop whose numbers were no less than their own, everyone couldn't help but put their hands on their weapons; after all, this was Northeast Rus, and walking in the wilderness could not be too naive.
Leading them was a group of mounted warriors clad in iron armor, with surcoats over their armor, looking like Westerners in Valin's impression.
Seeing this, Valin understood who the newcomers were; in the land of Northeast Rus, only that Prince and his subordinates would dress like this.
Meshko.
He had heard of Meshko's reputation long ago; in war songs centered on the Bulgar invasion, this brave Pole was an important supporting character.
"Lord Meshko, it's truly good to see you. I am Valin, leading my territory's troops to Moscow."
Naturally, Valin called out Meshko's name.
If it had been Valin shortly after arriving in the Trans-Volga Region, he would have had to be deferential to Meshko, but now Valin was also a lord, so he could naturally address him as an equal.
"Oh, it's Lord Valin. As you can see, I am also heading to Moscow."
Meshko was initially stunned, then understood the other party's meaning, and then spoke kindly.
This young Pole had changed a lot from before; if it had been earlier, he would only have had a sour face, putting on a very annoying demeanor.
Next, the two exchanged a few pleasantries, as they were colleagues, and then discussed their backgrounds.
And when he learned of Valin's peasant origin outside Kiev, Meshko showed no contempt; due to Siczech's influence, this Pole had long since lost his disdain and contempt for commoners.
Finally, both sides naturally reached the same agreement: to go to Moscow together.
This made both sides breathe a sigh of relief, as in Northeast Rus, it was never uncommon for chieftains to fight over minor disputes, even though Rostislav tried his best to suppress these incidents, they still occurred from time to time.
However, it was also not true to say that Rostislav's efforts were completely useless.
Because under the influence of the Moscow Prince's prohibition, although such private fights were still numerous, everyone was very careful not to cause too many deaths, so they would not be investigated by the Prince.
As the two sides' columns merged, the soldiers on both sides quickly struck up conversations, exchanging stories of their hometowns or envisioning a future of wealth; in short, it was incredibly harmonious.
And as they advanced, the number of people on the road increased, and the number of troops increased, with some troops even marching directly parallel to the road.
All sorts of people appeared one after another: merchants, tribesmen, farmers... they carried large and small bundles, all heading towards one goal.
Moscow, the center of Northeast Rus.
And when the silhouette of Moscow finally appeared clearly before everyone's eyes, the farmers and forest dwellers, who made up the majority of the crowd and were visiting Moscow for the first time, gasped in amazement.
They saw a city that had never existed in their imaginations, with red spires seemingly glittering under the sun, and connecting the towers were log walls.
And behind these walls were protected farmlands and houses; the streets were crowded with people they couldn't clearly see, and black smoke rose from some houses, which was the location of the Blacksmiths Guild, drawing everyone's gaze.
The innermost part was a wall constructed of red bricks and tiles; after all, there were also red high towers here, and behind that red brick wall was the Prince's palace.
And what was even more surprising was that next to this city was another "city."
Although many people said Moscow was a growing city, indicating its development, the "city" next to it was truly "growing."
That was where the troops assembled from various places were encamped; there were already many tents there.
"Lads, we've reached Moscow."
Valin announced with a touch of pride.
Valin and Meshko's troops entering Moscow caused no stir; the most abundant thing here at the moment was various armed groups.
Their troop might attract a lot of attention on normal days, but now it was just an unremarkable sight, a tiny component of this vast army.
Those in the troop who were visiting Moscow for the first time looked around in surprise; in their worldview, the markets they usually attended were already the most bustling places, and everything here far exceeded their imagination.
Cheers erupted from the nearby racetrack; although the racetrack was incredibly simple, it still didn't dampen people's enthusiasm, with waves of cheers rising one after another.
The racetrack's recent revenue was quite considerable, after all, so many people had come to Moscow, and no one disliked gambling.
Valin and Meshko left their troops outside the city and walked into Moscow through the crowded city gate.
Moscow's streets were packed with people, and armed soldiers were everywhere, as if it were a city of soldiers.
They were currently eating, or bargaining with merchants, or pulling those loose women into alleys.
The two rode their horses onto the crowded street, at one point getting stuck, but fortunately, the diligent Veche Militia helped these two, who clearly looked like nobles, pass through to the Red City.
The Red City's guard captain knew almost all the nobles in Moscow, so he let them in directly.
Compared to the chaos and bustle outside, the situation inside the Red City was much calmer; servants and soldiers worked quietly and orderly, piling various supplies where they belonged.
In this busy courtyard, they found the commanding officer, the Greek Leo, who was holding a report in his hand and constantly giving orders to those around him.
When Valin and Meshko stated their purpose, the Greek, as if by magic, pulled out another report from somewhere.
After recording their troop strength and names, he handed them two silver identification plaques, bearing Moscow's emblem—saint george slaying the dragon—as proof.
Just as the two were about to leave, a troop of heavily armored cavalry entered the Red City, then loudly ordered their servants to quickly lead away their warhorses, and Leo frowned.
Looking at these people, Valin couldn't help but ask if these were the Prince's personal guards.
Leo only gave a wry smile.
"Personal guards, yes, but they are his uncles'. My lords, please return to look after your troops; I already have enough work here and don't want any more trouble."
Since Leo spoke like that, Valin and Meshko wisely left.
However, Valin couldn't help but look enviously at those fully armed men; he wished he could have such a troop.
After leaving the Red City, they naturally parted ways; after all, everyone had their own circles and their own affairs.