Before the Magyar arrived, this vast plain was known as Pannonia, and after the arrival of the Magyar, the name Hungary was added to this land.
The Rus' first entered a savanna grassland, where the land was not fertile and unsuitable for cultivation but very suitable for grazing.
This was the main area of activity for the Magyar Nomad tribes, where those who maintained ancient customs were most active, and it was also the largest base for Hungary's pagan forces, where the worship of the Magyar Sky God was still ubiquitous.
Rostislav often saw cattle and sheep covering the mountains and plains, and migrating groups of Nomad, who were very wary when they saw the large army.
This was not surprising; after all, the civil war had only ended a few months ago, and it was impossible for people to forget the bloody massacres so quickly.
Vsevolod looked at this scene and couldn't help but say that they had seen too many Nomad scenes on this journey. He couldn't help but lament that if Alexander's direction of conquest had been the grasslands, he would not have achieved such great accomplishments, because the Nomad tribes on the grasslands seemed endless.
However, Rostislav just wanted to say that Alexander could not possibly conquer the grasslands; his expeditionary army was backed by the entire Greek debt collectors, so how could he conquer the grasslands, which offered little profit.
And returning to the present, indeed, from Kiev to Wallachia, and then to Hungary, they had truly seen countless Nomad along the way.
For the Rus', seeing so many Nomad was actually a bit unnerving; ever since the capital moved to Kiev, the Rus' greatest enemies had always been these Nomad from the steppes.
And they could never be eliminated; no matter how many were defeated, just as many would emerge.
"Eagles fly directly from the trees like flies, devouring their cattle and horses."
This was a popular saying among the Magyar when facing attacks from the Pechenegs, indicating how powerless they were against the seemingly endless Pecheneg Nomad.
And the Rus' faced the same predicament.
After this brief interlude, the Rus' continued their journey, and the local Magyar lords, like the lords of Transylvania, warmly entertained the Rus', allowing Rostislav to once again enjoy some excellent steppe cuisine.
Bela's eagerness to please was truly evident; it seemed he greatly needed the Rus' support.
Leaving the grasslands, the Rus' arrived in the wealthy areas of Hungary, the fertile agricultural regions, which were also the most severely affected by the war.
Upon entering, the devastation of war was everywhere, with dilapidated villages everywhere undergoing recovery, and even human bones could be seen by the roadside.
But this did not affect anyone; no one lingered long in the death brought by war. The common people were ultimately the most resilient; the wars of the Prince and nobles were commonplace, and after the war, they simply carried on as usual.
"Is this Fehérvár? The political and religious center of Hungary?"
Rostislav looked at the city below, which was much smaller than Kiev, and his words couldn't help but carry disdain; this city's level was on par with his Moscow.
Magyar had no clear capital; the King of Hungary's daily routine was to travel throughout the kingdom, residing in cities with different functions, and Fehérvár was its political and religious center; if a meeting was to be held, no place was more suitable than here.
"This city is really quite ordinary, not at all like a king's residence... The churches in the city look decent."
Looking at the city's appearance, Yang also made the same assessment; compared to Kiev, this city was truly too ordinary, even dilapidated, making him look down on it.
"And there are ruins around it."
Meshko added quietly; as the political and religious center of Hungary, Bela's and Andrew's armies had fiercely contested here, and all the houses outside the city walls had been burned down, with residents suffering heavy casualties.
Now, many laborers were diligently clearing these ruins, as this place would gather prominent figures from surrounding countries and all of Hungary, so the urban environment had to be given importance.
In addition, many tents were set up outside the city walls; after all, Bela had summoned powerful individuals from the entire kingdom, and many people were attracted, and the hotels in the city could not accommodate them, so they could only stay outside the city.
These tents were set up very neatly; it seemed Bela had put in effort.
At the same time, the Rus' also saw Poland's White Eagle and the Empire's Archangel Michael; it seemed the Polish and German had already arrived, and they had set up their respective camps outside the city, in a military camp-like manner.
What the Rus' did not see was that a month earlier, Bela had already cleared out all the beggars and refugees in the city.
Beggars were sent to the mines, and all refugees were sent back to their places of origin; the King only gave them some food and sent them away. Fortunately, the war had ended, and they could resume production upon returning home, otherwise they would have been returning to their deaths.
"It seems the Magyar envoy has arrived, Yang, go tell the Great Duke."
Rostislav saw a cavalry unit orderly ride out of the city; it was a unit wearing long-sleeved chainmail, with surcoats over their armor, and the red background with white cross on their bodies and banners indicated their identity.
The Rus' had already sent envoys to announce their arrival before reaching the city, so now that Rostislav and others appeared within sight of the city with the Rurik Trident banner, the Magyar naturally came to greet the procession.
Rostislav and others were here to scout ahead; the main Rus' contingent was still behind, and the Moscow Prince had also returned to the procession. The ceremony had now begun, and everything had to proceed according to plan.
Upon entering the city, the Rus' Princes changed into ceremonial armor; these armors were overly ornate and offered insufficient protection, but they looked imposing and conveyed the wealth and luxury of the nobility, and the Prince would only wear them on such occasions.
After the Prince were the selected retainers, who had changed into their best armor and were well-groomed, their armor shining in the sunlight, while everyone else camped outside the city.
The Magyar cavalry welcoming the Great Duke Rostislav were positioned outside the Rus' formation, serving as an honor guard, which was part of the host's etiquette.
As the Rus' procession entered the city, trumpets sounded one after another, and grand, majestic music played to express welcome to the distant Rus' guests, and they were greeted by the city's important figures.
The Magyar welcomed the Great Duke Rostislav with the same etiquette as they would a king, as for Westerners, the Great Duke Rostislav was the King of Rus', a powerful ruler of the Christian World.
Standing at the forefront of the lavishly dressed nobles was King Bela, who wore the Holy Crown of Hungary but was dressed very simply.
Although a smile was on his face, due to his naturally sharp features, Rostislav truly felt it was better if he didn't smile.
However, Rostislav did not therefore show any disrespect to this King; this demeanor, combined with the rumors he knew, instead indicated that he was not a simple person.
Moreover, Rostislav keenly noticed that although the current scene was grand and magnificent, the defenses had no weaknesses; soldiers were stationed at every possible firing point, and all directions that could approach the King were blocked by Magyar knights.
This King truly handles matters meticulously.
The Great Duke Rostislav came before the King of Hungary—Bela had been formally crowned shortly before—and both first exchanged blessings with Christian prayers, then dismounted and embraced each other.
At this moment, everyone cheered, signifying the friendly relations between the two sides, representing peace in the Christian World, and representing peace between the catholic and Orthodox worlds.
Next, both sides exchanged pleasantries, mostly about claiming kinship and introducing their respective retinues, saying diplomatic platitudes he had heard countless times, which made Rostislav feel a bit bored.
Fortunately, they didn't talk for long before the two rode into the city together, with the main contingent following behind.
Thus, to the sound of music, the Rus' entered the city.