When the Prince's personal guards carried the immense aurochs carcass back to the massive hunting camp, the entire camp immediately erupted into a frenzy.
Many hunters who had spent years hunting in the wilderness had never seen such a huge aurochs before, so it went without saying for ordinary people.
Aurochs were not uncommon in the wilderness, but many people were seeing such a massive one for the first time; in their worldview, an aurochs could not possibly grow to this size, yet here it was, truly happening.
As the crowd gathered, Rostislav's reputation spread, and soon everyone knew of the Moscow Prince's feat of single-handedly hunting an aurochs, followed by even more cheers and shouts of his new nickname, 'Aurochs Slayer'.
Although the Prince himself found the nickname somewhat odd, he had fully achieved the desired effect; slaying such a colossal beast would elevate his prestige to another level.
Many people marveled at the Prince's bravery; hunting an aurochs required courage, let alone one so enormous.
Many who were seeing Rostislav for the first time now believed in the Prince's martial prowess, which they had previously dismissed as mere fantasy stories.
Those who had belittled Rostislav because of his youth now became cautious, and those who had intended to disregard the Prince's authority changed their minds.
The Moscow Prince had proven before them that he was not a useless descendant of his ancestors, but a true hero, and this was the most powerful statement in the wilderness.
Seizing this opportunity, Rostislav announced the end of the hunt, which everyone gladly accepted; the hunt had lasted for over half a month, and it was time to conclude it.
On the night of this announcement, Rostislav held a grand feast, drawing a close to this monumental hunt.
This hunt had yielded much: it showcased the Prince's authority, trained the local militias, strengthened inter-unit cooperation, and accumulated a large amount of supplies; the Moscow Prince was very satisfied, and every participant was also very satisfied.
When night fell, the bustling hunting camp had transformed into a magnificent feast venue.
Preparing a feast for over three thousand people was both simple and troublesome: simple because with a large number of wild beasts hunted, meat was absolutely plentiful, but troublesome because the beverages for the feast could only be transported from surrounding towns, and in very large quantities.
For that trouble, Rostislav had prepared in advance; he had long ago gathered a large amount of kvass from various towns, which would certainly be enough for this feast.
Under countless bonfires, people gathered around them, roasting meat, drinking kvass, and singing loudly.
The roasted meat had no spices, only the most basic salt, and the kvass was of the lowest quality.
But it was precisely this kind of drinking and singing that felt so exhilarating; everything was so raw, but that was precisely what everyone loved.
Villagers from nearby settlements also joined the feast; no one would miss such a grand celebration, and the arrival of women further brought the atmosphere to its peak, as people held hands around the bonfires, dancing lively, and the joyous atmosphere reached its climax.
Musicians played joyful songs; regardless of daily conflicts or existing discrimination, everyone now had their arms around each other's shoulders, enjoying themselves to the fullest.
The Princes and nobles present were not particularly refined in their behavior either; their roasted meat was simply more exquisite, and they drank precious wine.
As for other aspects, there was no difference from how ordinary people behaved at the feast; they ate and drank heartily, and sang while drinking.
Watching this joyful scene, the delight on Rostislav's face became more evident; this was his favorite sight, seeing people immersed in the celebration he had brought.
More importantly, those reveling before him now included the powerful figures from all over Northeast Rus', whether urban elites or local chieftains; their gathering here undoubtedly demonstrated the Moscow Prince's immense prestige.
Rostislav held a glass of wine from Bulgar, yes, wine produced in the land that had submitted to Allah.
When he discovered this, Rostislav was very surprised, and even more so when he inquired further, realizing that Bulgar produced a large amount of wine, with many vineyards there.
The Prince cared so much about this wine, but the people present did not; for them, what they drank now was all the same.
Because everyone was actually waiting, waiting for a portion of food belonging to them.
To be precise, the food itself was not important, but the power it represented behind it was very important.
Finally, as the horn sounded, everyone's attention was drawn.
Then they saw a giant roasted whole ox being carried in, sprinkled with various precious spices; those spices alone would be an enormous sum, but it was nothing to the Moscow Prince, as the Bulgars' reparations also included many such items.
The personal guards skillfully used large knives to cut the most precious and tender parts from the roasted ox, placing them before Rostislav at the head table; everyone's gaze was drawn to this.
Distributing food at a feast was an important power, especially at a gathering of so many nobles; to some extent, food distribution represented the distribution of power, indicating the Prince's closeness or distance to them.
Rostislav also skillfully divided these roasted meats, and then, according to his command, these roasted meats were sent to the various Rus' nobles; those who received food naturally beamed with joy, as this indicated the Prince's recognition and trust, while those who did not receive any had darkened faces, signifying that they had not yet been able to enter the core of the Moscow Court.
The Moscow Prince felt a thrill at this moment, the thrill of holding power; by merely dividing a portion of food, he could make everyone anxious with anticipation, a truly captivating feeling.
At the same time, he also felt deeply Feelings, that when he first arrived in Northeast Rus', these fellows had practically disdained him.
And now, they were almost kneeling before Rostislav, almost fawningly requesting the Prince's trust.
A tremendous sense of accomplishment surged into the Prince's heart at this moment; all of this had truly not been easy, so let him fully enjoy this night, enjoying the power he had fought for.