After eating a few quick bites of the meal prepared by the tavern owner, Edward bid farewell to Rostislav, stepped outside, and mounted his warhorse; he had to hurry on his way, as the war in Hungary wouldn't wait for anyone.
Watching Edward's departing back, Rostislav felt a sense of emotion; for his usually optimistic relative to be so anxious, a drastic change must have indeed occurred in Hungary.
Rostislav didn't know much about the history of Hungary during this period; he was only familiar with Rus', and had only a slight understanding of this Nomad-settled nation.
And these memories told the Prince that the coming chaos in Hungary would last for a long time and continuously draw in its neighbors, which made him somewhat worried about Edward.
He was quite fond of his relative, Edward; he always viewed everything optimistically, spoke with humor and wit, and always managed to build good relationships with those around him.
However, Rostislav then thought, wasn't Edward raised in Hungary? It seemed a bit ridiculous for him, a foreigner, to worry about someone who could be considered a native Hungarian.
After watching Edward's figure depart, Rostislav subconsciously wanted to summon a messenger to Kiev to inform his uncle of this news, but then he came to his senses; how could his uncle not know about the situation in Hungary, as his territory bordered Hungary.
In his impression, Rus' in its original history had no record of sending troops abroad during this period, mainly because Rus' had to be wary of the Nomads on the steppe, and had to pour a large amount of resources into this, so naturally, there was no way to carry out any external actions.
But in this current world, ever since Brus Khan's death, the chaos on the steppe has continued to this day, so it can be said that that area is no longer a threat, and can be handled by the regular forces in his third uncle's hands, without the need for all of Rus' to be on standby, so the scope of intervention can be very large.
His uncle is a person who values family ties very much; when he finds his in-laws facing difficulties, this Kiev Grand Duke will inevitably take some action.
If Rus' also participates in the chaos in Hungary, then things over there will truly become more and more lively.
Just as the Moscow Prince was pondering future developments, Adam, who had been waiting nearby, walked up behind him at some point.
"Rostislav, my Lord."
He called out Rostislav's name, and the Moscow Prince looked at Adam with some surprise; this young man rarely spoke first.
"I've thought about what you just said, and I've decided not to kill them."
Rostislav knew what Adam was referring to; it was about the suggestion to kill all opponents.
"Most of them are just unwilling to accept my conversion, but they are still loyal to my father. If I kill them now, I will encounter more obstacles when I return to Bulgar in the future, and this is providing ammunition for the usurper to attack me; they will not let this matter go."
Rostislav was first taken aback, then nodded with satisfaction; originally, his remark was just a casual one, a way to elicit a response, wanting to hear what Adam truly thought, but his wife's sudden interruption foiled his plan, and Edward also arrived then, so he could only temporarily put it aside.
Rostislav was also very satisfied with this answer, which indicated that Adam also had his own ideas and had learned to consider political implications, already beginning to walk the path of a ruler.
"You spoke very well; then proceed as you see fit."
The Moscow Prince waved his hand; this was Adam's matter, so he should be in charge.
Then he walked away without looking back; he had to hurry back to eat and rest, as there were many things to deal with this afternoon.
Adam, however, was a bit bewildered; Rostislav had always taught him what to do, and after he made a decision, he would always comment on it and then tell him what he should do, but this time, he let him handle everything himself.
"Don't be in a daze; you're an adult, we shouldn't have to teach you everything anymore."
Zoe affectionately patted Adam's shoulder, reminding her little brother in her heart, and gave him a kind smile, and while Adam was still in a daze, Zoe walked away, following her husband.
Adam, meanwhile, stood rooted to the spot, pondering; as an exile, he was very sensitive to the Moscow Prince's reactions, and subconsciously began to analyze the Prince's intentions.
Although the Prince and his wife treated Adam very kindly, with Lady Zoe treating Adam like a younger brother, Adam had not forgotten his identity; no matter how kind and good the Rus' people were to him, he was still an exile.
And this time, no matter how he analyzed it, he could not discern any malice from Rostislav.
"My Lord, we should also leave."
After the Prince and his wife and their attendants left, Aleff's calm voice sounded behind him, making Adam, who was deep in thought, react.
"Aleff, what do you think the Moscow Prince's purpose is in doing this?"
He asked this old loyal servant of the family; Aleff was his father's confidant, and now his confidant as well, and the most loyal among all his followers.
When Adam announced his conversion to Christian, it was Aleff who resolutely declared his conversion, which then led a large number of people to follow Adam's actions, and also won over the neutral parties, preserving most of Adam's strength.
And when Adam asked Aleff why he did this, Aleff simply replied: "I am a servant of the Dulu Family, not a servant of Allah."
And facing the question, Aleff's answer was quick.
"Lord Rostislav has no ill intentions; he is a smart man, and he doesn't want to rule Bulgar as a puppet. He only wants a friendly Bulgar Christian monarch."
Aleff was indeed an old hand; he saw through Rostislav's intentions at a glance, and this answer clearly put Adam at ease. Adam had always trusted Aleff wholeheartedly, and this person's loyalty had never wavered.
"If that's the case, then that's excellent."
Adam said, unable to suppress his excitement, his eyes shining with the light of hope; reclaiming his father's throne and killing that damned usurper had always been his aspiration.
And he had another goal, which was to convert Bulgar.
The conversion was not entirely a decision based on Adam's personal preference; it was more because the jurists were now on the side of that damned Akad, who had bribed the jurists and had the border army, composed of fanatical believers, on his side. So, if that was the case, then he could only choose opposing religious forces.
Within Bulgar, there had always been some cities and tribes that were very dissatisfied with converting to the Allah faith, and Adam's conversion was intended to win over these forces, such as Suvar, Bulgar's second-largest city, which had always wanted to surpass Bulgar City's status as the first city on the Volga...