The warm scene had only stirred Green’s heart for a fleeting moment.
In such a short time, there were still things Green could not immediately adapt to.
In his memory, Callaia’s image was frozen a little over a year ago—a timid little girl following meekly beside Surana.
He first marvelled at how quickly people matured in this world.
What was Green thinking about right now?
In truth, his thoughts centered on the fact that the castle’s security measures needed urgent reinforcement.
No matter how vigilant Green was or how much confidence he had in his own martial prowess, relying solely on personal alertness to guard against threats day after day was absurd and exhausting.
Furthermore, key personnel and vital places throughout the domain needed stronger guards.
*Cough*, beware the vulnerable neck—a dagger could slit it without warning.
Once he had spare resources, he planned to purchase some Unsullied to serve as bodyguards.
The Unsullied were reliable.
Keeping two Unsullied stationed outside his door at all times…
Such were the daydreams of a impoverished lord.
…
Green offered a faint smile.
“Callaia, it has been a while.
Has Lady Surana started assigning you duties?” “I want to be your handmaiden, My Lord, but Mother thinks I am not mature enough yet and need more training.
She told me I must satisfy her standards first before I can serve you.” “But I couldn’t wait any longer, so I chose to speak with you directly.
Please forgive my impudence.” It sounded reasonable enough.
Surana was dutiful, and Callaia’s seemingly rash behavior stemmed from a desire to show loyalty to her lord.
As the daughter of the lord’s trusted confidante, she was hardly going to be blamed for it.
Green had soaked long enough anyway.
With Callaia assisting him, he slipped into his robe.
Taking a sip from the goblet of red wine Callaia handed him, Green couldn’t help but frown.
Sour red wine—one of the specialties of the Crabb domain.
He had no idea how they brewed it for it to taste so sour.
Was it a problem with the grape variety?
Finer wines had to be imported and were far too expensive, so this would have to do for now.
Mm, tasting it more closely, the flavor was actually somewhat tolerable…
Setting down the goblet, he decided against taking another sip.
Lord Green had just found another reason to strive for realm conquest.
…
The night passed without incident.
First, Green arranged for Callaia to shadow Maester Al.
Maester Al was extremely old, walking with tottering steps, and Lord Green was deeply concerned about his remaining lifespan.
If a lord’s maester passed away, the Citadel would assign a replacement immediately.
But Oldtown was far away, leaving a gap of at least three months—and in Whispers Castle, Maester Al was the only one who knew how to send raven messages.
That included the daily feeding and care of the ravens.
Raven messages were the most vital means of communication, and Green attached great importance to them.
All of these were skills Callaia needed to learn and master.
Green had too many matters to manage and a shortage of literate, capable personnel, making Callaia a rare find.
Most importantly, Callaia was reliable and worthy of trust.
…
Ser Marston finally returned.
According to the tally, there were 13 blacksmiths and 32 carpenters in the domain.
Apprentices needed to be assigned at the same time, with tasks broken down so that they initially learned only a single step of the process.
Progress would be swift that way.
The basic framework for a workshop was barely sufficient.
Responding to their lord’s summons, these craftsmen would relocate household by household with their families.
Hershel, the chief steward of Whispers Castle, was put in charge of settling them in.
…
Whispers Castle, the lord’s study.
Lord Green, Ser Pell, Ser Marston, and Maester Al held a military council concerning the mountain wildlings.
Green’s original plan was to exhaust the enemy and use fire attacks, aiming to resolve the wildling threat with zero casualties.
There was plenty of dry grass nearby, perfect for setting ablaze.
The land near water sources could even be cleared for farming afterward.
As for tactical details, Green’s memory mostly consisted of hunting down stragglers under his mother’s command.
After listening to their explanations, Green summarized it to himself…
warfare here was a bit like agreeing to a street brawl.
Whispers Castle would send emissaries to negotiate; if war was inevitable, they would set a time and place.
At the designated time and place, the two sides would hack away at each other.
It really was just setting a time for a fight!
Green tapped his fingers lightly on the table, drawing everyone’s eyes.
“Ser Pell, I will have Hershel prepare shields, longswords, bows, and 10 of our house guards for you.
You are to recruit another 90 men, focusing primarily on veteran hunters.” “Once complete, you will command 100 men in total.” “…It shall be named the Recon Corps, and you will be its first commander.” “Find more men familiar with the terrain.
While Marston and I engage the mountain wildlings, I expect you to already be paying a visit to their homes.” “I’ve had enough of the wildlings’ harassment.
This time, I will wipe them out.” “I need a vast number of captives.
Developing the domain requires population, so the more prisoners you take, the greater your reward.” It was slightly more complex than their traditional way of fighting, but not difficult to grasp, and Ser Pell understood quickly.
Ser Pell accepted the command solemnly.
Maester Al spoke in a trembling voice.
“Lord Green, I have a map in my quarters.
Whenever I had spare time, I kept track of news about the wildlings, compiling and recording it over the years.
Their areas of activity and the locations of their camps are all marked.
There may be minor discrepancies, but it should be largely accurate.
I hope it proves useful to you.” Green placed a hand over his heart and said solemnly, “Thank you for your contribution, Maester Al.
House Crabb will never forget your service.” …
…
King’s Landing, the Red Keep.
Cersei Lannister clutched a letter in her hand, greedily enjoying Jaime Lannister’s caresses.
Afterward, Cersei Lannister rose and draped a red robe over her shoulders.
In her thirties, Cersei Lannister remained slender-bodied and fair-skinned.
Cersei Lannister picked up a flagon, poured a full cup, and took a deep draught of red wine to soothe her parched throat.
Seeing Cersei pick up the letter to read it once more, Jaime Lannister wore a doting smile.
Jaime Lannister’s smile always carried a dash of spirited confidence.
“The kid’s nothing but a flatterer.” Cersei Lannister’s lips curved upward as she characteristically tilted her sharp chin.
“Jaime, you don’t understand me, but he does.” *A rare blend of courage and beauty*—I like this opening.
Jaime said helplessly, “That boy isn’t honest at all.” Cersei walked over to Jaime, caressing his handsome face with a laugh.
“Jaime, surely you aren’t jealous of a child?
You really ought to be the one wearing my dress.” Jaime Lannister deigned not to answer whether he was jealous or not.
“Are you planning to take him along on the hunt?” “He’s cute, isn’t he?”