The closer Edward Wessex got to the Hungarian border, the more he felt the scent of war, a scent he was never unfamiliar with.
His entourage had encountered several columns of armed men marching along the road, their lords' banners fluttering above their shoulders, their presence filling the highway with the clang of metal.
Of course, there were always mercenaries drawn by the scent of blood from war, advancing in twos and threes, like the keenest hounds, ready to pounce and tear once they caught a whiff of blood.
And each time he encountered mercenaries, Edward would hire them. His forces needed constant expansion, and Edward had brought all his savings from the past five years to deal with this conflict.
Edward's army numbered nearly a thousand men. The helmets of the Hungarian heavy horse archers were adorned with magnificent feathers, some even wore pointed hats, with riding bows and quivers hanging from their saddles, and silver-inlaid scimitars at their waists, exuding the aura of steppe warriors.
Following them was the standing army dispatched by Rostislav, a unit named the Moscow Camp. These soldiers were all equipped with padded armor and long spears and shields, wearing uniform pointed helmets. They marched in orderly formation, clearly a well-trained force.
Finally, there were the farmers and tribesmen Edward had conscripted from his territory. These individuals wore mismatched armor and marched haphazardly; if not for the constant supervision of attendants, they would have long since fallen apart.
At the same time, this group was also responsible for transporting provisions and supplies. Edward never expected these people to fight; he merely brought them along to swell numbers and fill the lines.
Everyone was in high spirits. For most people in the entourage, this was their first time leaving their hometowns so far behind, seeing foreign landscapes, different faces, and hearing incomprehensible foreign languages. Everyone was delighted; this was something they could talk about for a lifetime.
Edward himself was dressed like a Hungarian noble, with feathers tied to his fur hat and a steppe-style hunting suit, looking entirely like a Magyar dignitary.
On such a major road, when armed forces met, everyone pretended not to see each other. This was an unspoken understanding, an unstated agreement among them.
Because although the approaching force might be an enemy, this was not a place for potential conflict. This was within Polish territory, and everyone had to suppress their restless urges.
Since the King of Poland had provided convenience to all parties, everyone had to show respect.
So, everyone tacitly refrained from displaying banners to identify themselves; this was a tacit rule they all agreed upon.
Although King Bolesław provided strong support to the Hungarian rebels, formally, as a fellow vassal of the Empire, the King of Poland still had to avoid confronting Imperial forces on the Hungarian battlefield, as legal matters would be troublesome to explain.
Edward inquired along the way and learned that the city walls of Krakow were already surrounded by tents that had sprung up like mushrooms after rain. The King of Poland was assembling the national army, but no one knew why he was gathering such a large force.
Besides the news about Bolesław, Edward also learned some bad news: the governors had begun to defect on a large scale, joining Duke Bela's rebels.
Initially, the governors were merely officials appointed by the Árpád Dynasty to administer the Hungarian lands, which had been divided into various counties. Most of these individuals came from the ancient seven Magyar tribes and were trusted by the Arpad Khan, thus being granted positions of territorial authority.
When the Magyar army launched its raids on the West, these governors were also a crucial component of the Khan's army. They were like a pack of wolves led by the wolf king, the Khan, attacking lands filled with innocents, plundering their wealth and property.
As time passed, the Khan became a King, the Magyars converted to Christian, and the scimitar no longer troubled the Western lands. These officials who managed the counties gradually became hereditary lords, rising to become high nobles of the kingdom, wielding significant power.
For a long time, the governors had stood on the frontline against Imperial influence. The King's submission to the Empire had pushed their discontent to the extreme. They had thrice repelled German invasions under the King's leadership; now they were to submit?
Their loyalty to the monarch still made them hesitate about rebellion, but ultimately, they abandoned the King and turned to another Árpád noble, Duke Bela.
Edward was mentally prepared for the defection of the Magyar nobles, as he had received related news much earlier, but he never expected that upon arriving at the Hungarian border, he would suddenly discover that even the influential great nobles, the governors, were beginning to switch sides.
On the way, Edward met the King's envoy and learned that King Andrew had been forced to retreat to the border because the situation was so desperate.
He had only two thousand men under him, mostly soldiers from the royal domain and a small number of loyal vassals; this was the only force the King could still control.
This was also the result of Andrew's long years of benevolence; otherwise, everyone would have rebelled long ago. The act of submitting to the Empire had cost the King too much popular support.
Fortunately, Imperial reinforcements had also arrived. The Turin Border Count and the Duke of Bohemia personally led troops to assist and provided a large amount of supplies to the beleaguered royal army. The Empire was expected to send five thousand men to support King Andrew.
Now, Edward's army was approaching the border. With the appearance of the boundary marker, Edward knew they had reached the border.
Upon arriving here, Edward became extremely cautious. The mountain pass was the most likely place for an ambush, and he had to remain vigilant against any possible attack.
Fortunately, the journey was uneventful, only encountering large groups of merchants. Edward initially thought they were enemies and almost launched an attack, but fortunately, the misunderstanding was eventually resolved.
From these merchants, Edward learned that the war on the other side of the frontier was nearing its end. The Duke's army was already advancing towards the King, and the King showed no intention of retreating, meaning battle was imminent.
Many in the merchant caravan were wounded. They had originally intended to travel further south, but law and order in Hungary had deteriorated, with bandits and rogue armies rampant, which was why they traveled together.
Their reaching this point was already a stroke of luck; many companions had died on the way, and one caravan was even ambushed and torn to pieces by bandits and starving people because it had left the main group.
These merchants primarily engaged in grain trade between Poland and Hungary. They had initially expected to make a fortune by going to Hungary but were forced to return due to the harsh conditions.
Edward purchased these grains at a low price. The merchants' supplies were considered stagnant, and for them, the sooner they sold these goods, the better. Thus, both buyer and seller were pleased with the transaction.
After bidding farewell to the merchants, the tall mountain pass was quickly traversed. Crossing the pass meant they had truly entered Hungary, the land of the Nomads.
Upon entering Hungary, the Anglo-Saxon noble ordered his subordinates to raise the red flag with a white cross. This was the symbol used by the Árpád Dynasty after their conversion to Christian, serving as a sign of the Árpád Dynasty's piety alongside the Holy Crown.
The moment they stepped into Hungarian territory, it was as if they had stepped onto a battlefield. King Andrew's army was there, and Duke Bela's forces were on their way.
And soon after entering the territory, Edward found that the traces of war were immediately apparent, just as the merchants had described.
Since this land, like Poland, was primarily plains, one could see for several miles from a slightly elevated position. What Edward saw from a height were villages and towns reduced to ruins.
This scene greatly shocked Edward. Although he was not young, it was the first time he had witnessed such a devastated landscape.
As far as the eye could see, there were ruins everywhere. The achievements of past construction had now turned to ashes under the ambitions of warriors.
The common people bled and died for the ambitions of the powerful, living in suffering, yet the powerful remained indifferent to all of this, viewing it as their inherent right.
This land had been tormented by two opposing armies. Their raiding parties repeatedly conscripted and plundered, burning villages and killing people, using the bodies of civilians to intimidate them, forcing them to submit under the scimitar.
Ultimately, the people here were either forced to leave their homes, became bandits, or were forcibly conscripted into armies, adding another layer of torment to this already suffering land. Such a land would take at least decades to recover.
In these ruins, it was difficult to determine which direction to proceed. Fortunately, Edward eventually found several guides: border guards loyal to King Andrew, who were normally responsible for monitoring movements at the mountain pass.
They had observed Edward's army for quite some time, only coming forward to meet once they had confirmed his identity. Naturally, they would then guide the main army to King Andrew's location.
Edward's subsequent march was conducted with the highest vigilance, as they could encounter enemies at any moment. The guides said that some individuals, driven mad by the war, even dared to attack large armies here.
So Edward ordered everyone to put on their armor and advance, as battle could begin at any moment.
However, they did not encounter any battles along the way. Instead, they saw many traces of combat: bodies of soldiers stripped of their armor were casually discarded by the roadside, and some trees still bore bodies with cloth bags over their heads.
Wolves and crows harmoniously feasted on these human corpses. When human armies passed, these wild beasts merely looked up. They were accustomed to armed groups and no longer feared them.
Seeing that the humans had no intention of provoking them, they lowered their heads and continued to enjoy their meal.
The howls of wild beasts echoed eerily, making Edward feel a chill in his heart. He had witnessed many cruel sights, and had even committed massacres in Northeast Rus', but none of them could evoke such an atmosphere, that vast atmosphere of death and decay.
Everyone in the army was affected by this atmosphere; those who had been singing as they marched were now quiet.
Edward occasionally noticed cavalry moving on nearby hills. These warriors in linen tunics merely glanced from afar before retreating, disappearing from sight shortly after.
But the feeling of being watched persisted. Edward knew his presence had been discovered. Now, he wondered who would arrive next—enemies or friends?
Not long after, a cavalry unit approached menacingly, fully armored and ready for battle.
The cavalry was clearly Magyar. Their armor combined steppe styles with elements from both Eastern and Western Empires. Many wore round helmets with long nasal guards.
As for their weapons, Edward saw Magyar riding bows, which were short composite bows, on one side of the saddle, and long swords or scimitars hanging on the other side.
Most of them wore red cloaks, the symbol of the Árpád Dynasty, and the red flag with a white cross fluttered above their heads.
The influences of both East and West were simultaneously evident in this group.
This cavalry unit was clearly well-trained; they approached Edward's army in a perfectly orderly fashion, their demeanor calm and elegant.
Seeing the appearance of this elite unit, Edward couldn't help but feel tense, immediately placing his hand on his sword hilt, ready to draw at any moment. The Magyar nobles behind him followed suit, some even directly drawing their weapons.
Upon seeing this, the Moscow Camp infantry immediately lowered their spears and raised their shields. Although panic was written on their faces, long training made them instinctively react correctly.
As for the farmers and tribesmen at the very end, it was a difficult sight to describe. They didn't even know what was happening and appeared completely bewildered by everything. Only a few reacted, but their numbers were too small.
Edward looked back at this scene, feeling utterly dismayed. If those heavy cavalry charged, the farmers would likely collapse first, then cause the other soldiers to collapse as well.
However, Edward's guide, seeing the appearance of these men, actually breathed a sigh of relief. He told Edward, whose hand was already on the hilt of his scimitar, that these were friends, and then rode forward alone to negotiate.
And indeed, the guide proved correct. The guide recognized these men, and they recognized the guide. Seeing the guide approach alone on horseback, they largely lowered their weapons, allowing the guide to come forward.
After the guide explained Edward's identity to these red-cloaked knights, their hostility and vigilance largely dissipated.
Some even smiled when they learned the newcomer was Edward. Just like in Rus', Edward had a good reputation among the Magyars and had made many warrior friends.
During the subsequent conversation, Edward learned that this unit was a cavalry force directly under His Majesty the King.
Most of the individuals in this unit could trace their origins back to the ancient seven Magyar tribes; it could be said that the knights here represented the most essential part of the Magyar nation.
They had rushed here upon receiving news of an unidentified army's appearance to investigate the situation, and if circumstances allowed, to defeat the enemy. However, they had not expected to encounter a friend from afar.
This greatly invigorated everyone; in these difficult times, nothing was more encouraging than the arrival of friends.