Eskil, he originally thought that the Birka Market in Mälaren was already the largest city in the north.
Reims, Hamburg and Bremen, these important Frankish cities, were densely populated and all had wooden walls.
A city with a population of tens of thousands, or even five thousand, is densely populated in his mind.
Although the locals in Birka in Mälaren had barbaric beliefs and even killed people as sacrifices. He could not deny that in terms of population alone, it was already a big city.
What can you learn by going to the far north home of the Russians? Can Rurik, who is interested in sacred beliefs, be converted into a saint? Even if that is unrealistic, are there potential lambs for the locals?
But Fort Ross stands on the waterfront below the hills.
Tall wooden walls, the duke's palace as high as a hill, and even the altar and granary enclosed by the wall. The dense and compact arrangement of piers and piers, and an astonishing number of ships arranged in an orderly manner.
Especially for the returning large ships loaded with various supplies, he saw the Russians using a combination of levers and net bags to quickly unload the supplies on the ship, and either shouldering or pushing two-wheeled carts to transport the supplies to the warehouse.
This is Roseburg! The Onyx of the North!
When he landed, he was shocked to see thick smoke billowing from one side.
What is that? I'm afraid it's a fire? But it doesn't look like it.
When he first came to Rus, Eskil received courteous treatment from Rurik. This old guy was also very smart to keep a low profile. The important matter of spreading the sacred faith must be acted upon according to the situation. If the Duke is disgusted, his life may be in danger.
Here he and his two followers enjoyed a small but warm room, where they could wipe themselves clean with floral-scented soap, take a hot bath in a bucket, and even descend into hell.
In a normal sauna.
He resisted at first, thinking that it was a devil's lair! However, once he accepted the feeling of being surrounded by thousands of clouds of steam, it was really refreshing.
He originally wanted to have a good chat with the Duke early and take the opportunity to reveal his intention to stay at Ross Cap Abbey, but the Duke did not summon him and he was allowed to observe the entire Ross on the waiting day.
Maybe this is a good thing too.
One clear morning, a slave girl came to Esquier's current residence carrying a wooden box.
Compared with the past few days when he didn't get food until close to noon, today's situation really surprised him.
What surprised him even more was that it was a woman.
He wanted to avoid it, so he sent the little priest who was accompanying him to get the meal.
After a while, the little priest hurried back to the dormitory.
"Padar, the woman who delivers the food, she..."
"What's wrong?" Eskil pretended to be angry and put on a serious face, "Take out the wheat quickly. You know, I like this very much now."
"It's... that woman. She is a devout lamb."
"Alas?"
Now Eskil jumped up and said, "Quick! Let her in!"
The woman delivering the meal knelt down as soon as she entered the room. Her heart was beating wildly and her whole body was shaking. Her eyes were filled with tears, and she placed the wooden box filled with wheat rice on the ground with trembling hands.
"Padar, even here, we have not forgotten our faith. You are here, this must be God hearing our prayers."
Esquier saw the cross on the woman's chest at a glance. From the accent, it seemed to be Saxon? It didn't seem to be the case.
No! This woman also has orange hair.
"Get up! My child, you understand my language."
The woman stood up in panic: "Padar, I want to confess to you."
"Here? That's not appropriate. Confession is in the monastery."
"Ah! There is a monastery! We have a monastery."
The monastery, pronounced "Christini" in the entire European context, originally meant a temple.
This word was like a thunderbolt that struck his head.
"A monastery? There is a monastery in Ross! Quick! Take me there quickly!"
"But padar, your meal."
"Go to the monastery!" Eskil revealed again with high spirits, tears welling up on his face full of grooves, "I didn't know that the leader of Ross had approved a monastery. Which friend came here to spread the news
sacred……"
He took his entourage, led by this woman, and went straight to the prayer room of the Britton servant in Rurik.
And all this was Rurik's instruction.
Rurik even arranged for his servants to deliver meals, while he himself stood on the third floor of the palace, watching what Eskil did not far away. Everything was under Rurik's control.
Esquier hurriedly arrived at the servants' prayer room, where ten people had already gathered.
They are all women, their hair color may be blond or red, which shows their ethnic differences, but they are all lambs.
Eskil came, and the arrival of a black-robed high priest shocked and ecstatic them.
They knelt down one after another, prayed to the high priest to say a mass immediately, and then listened to everyone's confession.
"Get up, children, you have not forgotten your sacred faith in this far north. You are all the most pious."
That's all, he asked the young priest to take out the handwritten gospel book he was bound to carry.
This wooden house is small and simple, but the sacred faith also requires that devout people should not indulge in the glitz of the world, and devout people should live a simple life.
It would be good if the monastery is decorated with gold and silver, but even if it is a humble house, there is no problem.
The significance of the existence of this wooden house goes far beyond itself! Although it is very small and sparse, and even the cross is made of simple wooden strips, it is a monastery.
Esquier immediately started his work, held a surprise mass, and then listened attentively to the confessions of the imprisoned believers.
When he finished these tasks, the wheat rice had already turned cold.
As if their souls had been purified, these bought slaves began their noon work again...
The wooden house became cool, and Eskil ate his cold meal and stood outside, looking up to the sky and sighing.
"What else can I ask for, Duke of Ross? There is clearly a monastery here! Rurik, no wonder you are interested in our sacred faith..."
"Padar, but this is just a simple wooden house." said one of the attendants.
"It's a wooden house, that's enough. The monastery also needs a priest. You, John, stay here."
"Me?" The young servant was shocked, "This is a wild land."
"Yes, and no. Child..." Eskil touched the back of the boy's neck affectionately, and the boy trembled subconsciously.
"Padar, do you want to be in a place like this..."
"God will not dwell on such things. This is our secret, and it is time to end it. I love you, so you stay here. You will be the future priest of the Ross diocese."
Young John had mixed feelings, because he was originally a lowly slave waiting to be sold in the market of Hedebe, and he was spotted by the sermon Eskil because of his good looks.
Esquier has many servants, and he intends to train the slaves he bought to become preachers. These small Saxon or Danish believers should become the most determined ones.
But John, who was given the Christian name, was most moved by the fact that he could eat enough food. As time went on, his inner ambition also sprouted.
He is even willing to be a "rabbit" so that he can continue to be loved by Eskil, the future archbishop of a certain place, and he can become a bishop. A slave becomes a master! He is willing to lift up his robe and do whatever he wants with Eskil
What do you want.
But to open up wasteland in this barbaric land?
John didn't refuse, maybe this was fate.
As a result of the morning's adventure, Eskilde strategized his future actions.
"Maybe compared to Birka, Rossburg can become a holy place in the north. The Russians are good at architecture. If I finally influence Rurik, Duke of Ross, will he build a magnificent monastery for me?"
But the summons from the Duke of Ross had not come yet, and he did not dare to barge in to ask for an audience. Moreover, the monastery existed in reality, and he had no particularly urgent needs.
Eskil started wandering around Roseburg with his wooden staff.
He walked to Ross's altar and saw the golden god standing inside from a distance, subconsciously thinking that it was gold.
In fact, it is indeed gold, and all the statues are plated with a very thin layer of gold.
He saw a large-scale gathering of the people of Ross at the open altar. They lined up as much as possible under the management of the warriors. He also saw them holding silver and copper coins and stuffing them into a wooden box under the gaze of the young priest.
After the clanging sound, he hurriedly entered the altar.
Believers in Rus knelt down and worshiped their gods, or prayed with their hands clenched and eyes closed, or even raised their hands in the air and made strange movements.
"This is useless witchcraft. What's the point of worshiping false gods..." Esquier muttered secretly and slapped John on the back, "Child, you have to make them give up this barbaric behavior. They are all lambs.
All can be influenced.”
John nodded, "I will."
Will it happen? John was unsure, and was even very afraid.
Another day, Eskil and his entourage were awakened by the noise. They went to investigate and were surprised to see the Russians starting to gather again.
It had been many days since I had seen Rurik and his face that was even more handsome than that of a noble lady. When I saw Rurik again, this boy was standing with his father, the real Duke of Ross, and there was a large field of wheat at their feet.
!
"Are you actually selling wheat?"
I saw the Russians lined up in pairs again with the soldiers maintaining order. They took wooden boxes or linen bags and money to the big scale to trade wheat from the duke.
And this kind of wheat trading behavior? It’s really unheard of!
It seemed like all the men in Roseburg had come, including women.
Of course, there were also noisy people and queue jumpers, but these people were pulled aside by soldiers maintaining order, and then dragged to the end of the queue.
The noisy business of trading grain lasted all day.
It wasn't until evening that Eskil understood Duke Ross's intention - to be as fair as possible.
"Rurik, are you already using the Bible as a standard to learn what kindness and fairness are? If your principality fully accepts our faith, I'm afraid the Pope will canonize you as a saint in the north."
The Rus have a market that is not inferior to that of Birka. It is located in the easternmost area of the city, close to the sea.
There are a large number of merchants and fishermen selling their own products, mostly fish and seal meat, and even a very small amount of live chickens.
He wandered around the market with great interest, comparing what he had seen in Birka.
Food, firewood and charcoal blocks, ironware, woodware, pottery, cloth, animal skins, wooden handicrafts, and even finished clothes are also sold here.
There are also crystal vessels here! There are also strange crystal vessels that are placed on the eyes!
There are people selling gemstones and colored crystals here.
What shocked him most was that these were extremely expensive items that many Russians seemed to be able to afford.
But the biggest difference here, and what moved him the most, was that there were no slaves for sale in the Duke's market.
The market is lively and bustling, obviously more prosperous than Birka!
It was another new day, and driven by strong curiosity, Eskil decided to go to the "Land of Eternal Smoke".
What he saw at the market yesterday was that the iron ax here was as cheap as only five silver coins.
Of course, this price is in Frankfurt, such as Reims, where I started. It would be difficult for an ordinary farmer to spend five silver coins to buy an axe, but the local blacksmith still gets ten silver coins to sell an axe!
An ax costs five silver coins, which is more expensive than the one at Birka Market, but the goods are different.
The Russian iron axes are more expensive and use more materials! As far as cutting wood is concerned, obviously a larger ax blade is more useful.
Eskil bought one with money, and he asked his servant John to make a new wooden cross with this attack. Just when it was used, the excellence of this ax was shocking.
Now, Eskil has arrived at the "Smoke Place" in the northeast of the city.
Compared to other areas, it is really warm here.
He saw the strong men with bare backs covered with sweat. They were carrying ore, standing on a high platform, and throwing it into the hot furnace. Some people were also carrying black charcoal in frames, walking up to the high platform and throwing it in.
Esquier is a man of action, and he is an old missionary who has traveled far and wide. If the lords are not easily influenced, he will go deep into the people and preach among farmers, shepherds and blacksmiths.
He knew how the blacksmiths smelted iron, but the strange smelting method among the Russians puzzled him.
"Padar, the heat of purgatory is here. It's really scary. Those who are carrying materials will fall if they accidentally fall..."
"John, stop talking."
"I want to be here..."
"This is your fate." Because of his nervousness, Eskil strangled John's neck with great force.
Suddenly, several men roared loudly, and then Youbian opened the hole of the giant furnace with an iron rod, and strange red stuff slowly flowed. The strong man who was ready poured water on it, and the red stuff turned black in the steam.
Disintegrate and be shoveled away.
After a while, the strong man roared again.
At this moment, Eskil was surprised to see that the "water", which was yellow, bright, hot and absolutely deadly like flowing water, began to be accurately poured into the pottery box.
"What's that?" John asked.
"I don't know, but we'll find out soon."
Eskil is a good observer, he just sees and then understands everything.
Although it is incredible, the blacksmiths in Ross used huge furnaces to turn unburnable iron ore into molten iron.
They are casting axes and shovels this way.
Esquier did not continue to look, even though there were other stoves. He was afraid that he would be expelled or arrested for spying on something he shouldn't have seen.
He left in a hurry and sat in his room, sometimes praising and sometimes sighing.
He said to himself, "I have traveled to many lords' territories, but I didn't know that the Rus people were so powerful. I didn't even know that they existed before."
"Padar, can they really be converted?" John's eyes were full of fear, obviously frightened by the pillar of fire spewed out by Gaul.
"You will succeed. Ah... I just don't know when Duke Ross will summon me."
Observing the industrial area of the Russian "Carbon and Iron Complex", Eskil felt for the first time the power of industry.
The next day, he rushed to the largest shipbuilding base in Russia and saw from a distance the hull of a large ship that had been completed in the indoor dock.
Just the matter of building a ship changed his perception that he could build a ship.
The Rus are able to produce iron tools and build huge ships. Their cities are well-ordered and they produce strange things. Their leaders are very rich. They are very orderly, and their leaders are kind and fair to the people.
"Ah! If a cross is installed on the top of the Duke's palace, if the diagonal blue stripes of the Russian flag become a blue cross, if the Russians tear down the altar and build a cross on the foundation, then it will be perfect, it will be the great tower of the north.
Les Salaam…”
Finally, on the tenth day after arriving in Fort Ross, Eskil finally received a summons from Rurik.
The reason why he was left alone for ten days was Rurik's arrangement. During these days, Eskil has been under surveillance. Rurik knew where he went, what he saw, and what he did.
Now, this old missionary who has traveled almost throughout Denmark should be able to understand the strong power and potential of the Rus.
He will definitely spread his knowledge to others in Frank.
With understanding, there are possible trade prospects, Russians can be sent to collect intelligence, and possible future military operations can be planned.
And this is Rurik's ultimate goal. The flexing of muscles ends here.