Chapter 1,242 Drevonesk

Starting from the city of New Ostara at the southernmost end of Lake Yin Ermen, the ship followed the slow-flowing Lovaj River straight to the city of Velikiy Luki built under Rurik's order. Although there is unimpeded inland shipping between the two cities, Because the distance between rivers is still too far, the cost of communication between the two places is inevitably higher.

The large area at the southern end of the lake has not been developed for a long time, and the non-local Slavs have no interest in it. Generally speaking, because it is a huge lakeside grassland infiltrated by many rivers, it is too humid to As for soft and watery soil, wheat seeds can be soaked to death.

This area is suitable for grazing, but the Slavs who migrated from other places are more willing to open farmland in the northern area of ​​​​the lake to grow oats.

The place that was voluntarily abandoned by the locals is now the base camp of the Swedish immigrants from Ostara and Granland who are good at animal husbandry, and is also the residence of a group of grassland immigrants.

It has been two years since Rurik last explored this place properly. Now that he is standing here, he is more interested in going south to see for himself the results of the kingdom's expansion in the interior of Eastern Europe.

The first thing to do is to take a good look at the city of Ostara and the surrounding areas.

He came with the Second Cavalry, and the soldiers were fully armed. Such military strength could completely fight a small-scale war. Rurik is not here to fight. He wants to take this young cavalry team for another experience. After all, long-distance marching is very necessary tactical training.

As for the weapons he carries, they are for self-defense, but if the opportunity comes, it is not inappropriate for the king to take the initiative to hunt bears with his young warriors.

Beyathil actually acts as the city lord of Ostara City. Since the king wants to visit, he is happy to be a leader.

Moreover, she relished the opportunity to be intimately alone with the king.

The summer breeze blows across the world, the lake is sparkling, and the waves of the lake are constantly rushing up to the muddy shore and beating the wildly growing reeds.

The cows and sheep were gnawing grass under the supervision of the horsemen. They sometimes shouted loudly, and the fast horses surrounded the running sheep and kept an eye on them to prevent them from accidentally falling into the river.

The flat environment has led to the rather wide Lovati River. Although its flow rate is slow, the total amount of water flow is not small.

The city of Ostara was built in a very clever place.

The city is located on the left bank of the main channel of the Lovati River, with the Politi River downstream and the Ledia River upstream. The city has actually become a peninsula area surrounded by three waters. It is large enough. There are shoals nearby that can be waded directly through, and there are enough boats for people to easily cross the river.

The Politi River is not a separate river. Before it is about to join the Lovati River, the Borussia River merges with a large amount of water.

The existing lakeside grassland area is not enough, and most of the new immigrants who joined the Principality of Ostara were assigned to logging jobs. Almost all of them were Slavs who migrated from abroad. They were extremely happy with the axes they received and had great enthusiasm for asking for land for cultivation from the forest.

Big pine trees collapsed one after another. After all the branches were cut down, the tree trunks were dragged by cables to the Bolisty River and pushed directly down. The river water pushed the big tree directly to the city of Ostara, where it was directly received by the waiting ships.

But now, in order to more efficiently cut down trees and open up wasteland, the Ostara people built a small pontoon bridge out of pine wood on a river with a width of one hundred meters!

The flow of the Polisti River is not fast, and the bottom of the river is thick with silt. Using the old technology used by northerners to install masts on ships, a batch of pine wood was inserted vertically into the mud. Then a large number of cables and vines were used to tie up all the pine trees prepared as the bridge deck. However, no matter how slow the water flow was, the bridge deck was washed into a huge arc.

Hearing that this was the recent masterpiece of the Ostara people, Rurik specially led all the cavalry here under the guidance of Beyathil to find out.

The one-hundred-meter-wide river was already wide enough. Three hundred Russian cavalry suddenly arrived. The few fishermen stationed at the bridge were so surprised that they stood up and took off their felt hats just to see who was coming.

The vast majority of people have never seen the true face of Rurik. They live in the remote south of the Great Lakes. As Slavs who were forced to immigrate, the one they see the most is their master, Duke Ostara. Lotta and Beyathil, the acting city lord.

At least they could see clearly the mighty army, and they couldn't help but retreat.

Rurik had no time to pay attention to these ordinary people. He raised his chin and looked around.

"There are forests everywhere, and this place is not suitable for grazing. Bayahir, how could you think of building a pontoon bridge at this location?"

"But it's very suitable for blocking the pine wood coming down the river." She smiled and pointed to the village not far away: "My sister (referring to Carlotta) built a lumber mill there."

"She's quite smart. Come on, let's go take a look."

The cavalry rushed into the factory that was busy processing wood. The scene in front of them really surprised Rurik.

He originally thought that this was a small construction site, with a large amount of wood stored on the soft ground, giving it a slovenly appearance, and not many residents.

In fact, its true appearance is obscured by the nearby pine forest. Only when you enter it along the riverside road do you find that a village is rising.

If you look closely, you can see that some logs were deliberately buried on the dirt road, and part of them was deliberately exposed to look like a huge slide.

At the end of the slide is the village itself. There is indeed a large amount of wood piled here. Near the wood placed in the open air, there are already various wooden houses. It seems that at least two hundred men, women and children live here.

"A village suddenly appeared in the forest? In the woodland near Binhu Grassland? I have never heard of her talking about this."

"It's because you didn't ask Sister Carlotta." Bejahir, who was holding the reins, said with a smile.

"That's right. People will be moving out of the forest one after another. Is this a village for new immigrants?"

"yes."

"Did Carlotta name the settlement?"

"Already taken."

"What is that?" Rurik asked impatiently.

"Trastadt, in Slavic parlance, is called drevonisk."

(Dlyvonesk is located slightly downstream of the river where Old Rusa is today.)

Rurik's head was a little dizzy: "She is very ambitious. Even though this is a village, she still uses the suffix of her superior."

Bayahir shrugged: "If the forests around here are cut down, the new immigrants will not be able to graze with peace of mind. They will plant wheat. This is no longer a meadow area, and it is said that it can already be used for farming very well. By then it will Let’s develop it into a big city.”

"It will be like this." Rurik sighed, and he thought a lot for a while: "Our population will increase in the future, and the area around the lake, which seems to be full of available land, will also become crowded. Now This is a critical period and we must seize the time to build settlements in unknown areas."

Rurik said something that was difficult for Bejahir to understand. Of course she didn't know what Rurik was thinking now.

The pontoon bridge not only facilitates transportation, but its biggest purpose is to intercept the fine wood floating down the upstream.

Timber is different from lumber. The forests in the lakeside area also have high-quality pine and beech trees. They have actually been cut down, and all that is left are some small trees. Instead of using them as good materials, they are better chopped into pieces. Firewood.

Beech, oak, and spruce are extremely important tree species to Ross. They are directly related to the quality and durability of built ships.

After cutting down all the good trees near the settlement, the loggers had no choice but to head up the river with their axes. Cutting down high-quality trees is the biggest goal. You can also get some rare furs by hunting with weapons.

The endless forest south of the Great Lake is the dark green ocean, which is full of danger and wealth. The Slavs who were forcibly relocated had previously lived in the forest. As people who had been dealing with trees for a long time, they joined the Principality of Ostara and gained a new identity. Among them, those who were willing to be herders were already living in the lakeside meadows, and Part of me is still used to the old days in the forest.

All you need to do is find a tall and upright beech tree, cut it down and take it to the river by all means, then carve an obvious mark on the trunk and let it flow down the river and block it with a pontoon bridge.

Loggers looking for good trees rely on this technique to try their luck in the forest. As long as they find the right big tree, it can eventually turn into a satisfying income. Being able to feed their families just by logging, such a good thing prompted them to focus their main energy on forest exploration, and the economic stimulation continued to stimulate the expansion of Drevonetsk.

All this happened in the forest area on the left bank of the Lovati River approaching the mouth of the lake.

Now Rurik finally understands that the Novgorod Neyland Shipyard has never worried about not being able to get good wood. He has never paid specific attention to these things. This exploration to the south of the Great Lakes allowed him to get a glimpse of this. Condition.

After all, the Ostara tribe still retains the spiritual core of the Swedish people. Under the leadership of Carlotta, this principality with a rapidly expanding population is trying to find ways to open up new industries.

Existing ships carrying local products have become tugboats, towing rough-processed wood to shipyards in the north of the Great Lakes, thereby earning more profits than directly transporting logs.

More than just wood? The main business of the Principality of Ostara is a variety of dairy products. On the basis of cow and sheep dairy products, horse milk products are added.

The future of this principality is unlimited. Rurik feels that its military strength is already considerable, and it is now the most dynamic force in the era of Ross's eastward expansion. The only fly in the ointment is that the Principality of Ostara is a great vassal of Ross, and its control area is not directly controlled by the royal family. Rurik does not yet know how many people it has.

This is a hidden worry, but it will not really become a problem until a hundred years later, not to mention that there is still a Beyathil standing here.

Taking the army to visit Drevonetsk shocked the locals into not wanting to work at all. Although they were afraid, curiosity prevailed.

The children boldly walked towards the cavalry, and Rurik dismounted in time. He casually summoned a brave boy, held him high in his arms, and said loudly in Slavic in front of the anxious parents and onlookers of the villagers: "I am the King of Rus! This child is not afraid of me. It seems that he will be a warrior in the future!”

After all, the living conditions in the forest are difficult, and those who were forced to immigrate are generally shorter in stature. Rurik stood in front of them like a blond giant, and it was this giant who spoke very kindly.

He didn't know what the boy's name was, so he held it up high with both hands under his armpits, and said casually: "Just call your name Sirna (a)." It means "huge strength", which is exactly what it means to cut wood. The most critical element of the enemy, and those with strong strength will also be good players on the battlefield.

The cavalry came and went in a hurry, leaving a good story in the logging camp of Drevonesk.

People were talking a lot. They saw the husband of Duchess Carlotta, but they didn't expect that King Ross himself would have the intention to visit the small and remote logging camp.

They were not moved to tears or clamored to do good things for the king just because of Rurik's show-off behavior.

They saw the majestic cavalry, which was a completely different quality from the horseback riders. It is not only the beauty that comes from the complete uniformity of uniforms and weapons, but also an indescribable arrogant temperament.

Rurik did not explore further into the depths of the forest. He did not know where the final source of the river named Polisti was. It must be an uninhabited land. The population of Eastern Europe in this era is too small, and people are not actually living in scattered places. Therefore, most areas of the vast world are full of dangers and opportunities. The pure original ecological environment there is unoccupied. As long as the Russians take action first, they can Be the first to declare ownership.

"Ah! It's better to go back to the city and feel comfortable."

Rurik lay comfortably on the soft and wide bearskin mat. Living in the temporary king's palace in Ostara City, the open wooden windows allowed the gentle summer wind to blow in the hall. It was the setting sun. After exploring the environment on the left bank of the river, he learned many things that he had not known in the past, and that was just It's the left bank.

"Are you tired?" Beyathil came personally carrying a glass bottle, which was filled with pale white liquid and tightly sealed with a wooden stopper.

The setting sun shone through the window on Rurik's lazy face. He raised his head slightly, put his hands on the back of his head casually, squinted his eyes and murmured: "I am indeed tired. What did you get?"

"Koumiss. I brewed this myself."

"Hey, can you still make wine?"

"I'll just give you a little shock from the grassland." After saying that, Beyah Hill sat down and struggled to pull out the cork, and the wine couldn't help but pour onto his face. Suddenly the fragrance of milk and wine is overwhelming, and if you smell it carefully, there is even a hint of honey.

Rurik, who was a little thirsty, grabbed the bottle and drank half of it without forgetting to burp.

"Delicious! Comfortable! It's actually really sweet. You added honey."

"I did it on purpose. And..." Beyathil gently lay on his side, simply using Rurik's thigh as a pillow.

Rurik gently touched her soft cheek, enjoying the lazy gentleness under the sunset, and couldn't help but yawn.

"When do you plan to go south?" she asked suddenly.

"Huh? You want me to leave?"

"I don't dare. I...just want you to spend more time with me. But I...I can't leave. I have to be responsible for Ostara and her."

"Haha, you really regard Carlotta as your biological sister."

"She is indeed like a sister." She fell into a confused thought, slowly sat up, and put her cheek directly against Rurik's forehead: "You still owe me."

"Owe? I understand! I understand..."

Then came another round of joy.

Beyathil is not an ordinary female. She was born into a prairie noble. She had no chance in the past. Now that she is watching Carlotta become bigger and stronger, the ambition deep in her heart is also sprouting.

She was at the mercy of Rurik, and now she was breathing heavily: "I also want to fiefdom. Give me a piece of land, and I can train a group of cavalry for you. Besides, Hazal will grow up in a few years, so you still ...Give him a title."

Rurik, who was lying next to her, suddenly lost all tiredness when he heard this. He really wanted to think about this practical issue.

"Would it be okay if I gave you some Slavic populations?"

"Okay. Divide some of my people and give me a piece of land, preferably near Ostara. I think I already have a second son in my belly. The children are all your warriors, I will Train them to be the best cavalry leaders they can be.”

"I promise you." After saying that, Rurik stood up slowly, straightened his clothes and stood by the wooden window. Behind him, Beyakhir also hurriedly put on his robe, and the corners of their eyes looked toward the east of the main channel of the Lovaj River, the so-called right bank area.

"Over there! Does Carlotta have a construction base on the right bank?"

"No, but that place is not a good place."

"It doesn't matter. You will build it into a nice place in the future, but not now. The conditions are not yet mature. When I think the time is right, you will take your children and the people who were given to you to move to the right bank area."

"Okay, that's okay..."

Beyathil is not picky. Powerful female aristocrats are not new in the Kingdom of Ross. Moreover, she has also heard that even the children of the ten subordinate maids will be granted titles and lands in the future. His status is much higher than theirs, so if he gets this golden opportunity, he still needs to hurry up.

Now, she is satisfied.

As for the endless forests in the right bank area, that is indeed not a problem. In the future, just organize people to cut down trees on a large scale. As long as you spend some time, you can artificially create a large grassland for grazing.