In a real war, you couldn't count on an army of farmers armed with wooden pitchforks. Jason understood this well. Backed by his seemingly endless finances, he was free from the constraints that shackled other Westerosi nobles, allowing him to slowly but steadily expand his professional army.
His ultimate goal was to establish the First Northern Army, a force of seven thousand trained soldiers. He was still a long way off, with his current numbers just shy of three thousand. This included one thousand spearmen, one thousand cavalry, five hundred archers, and the several hundred soldiers stationed at his logging camp near Winterfell.
After inspecting the spearmen and cavalry drilling on the training grounds, Jason made his way to the waterfront. Escorted by his guards, led by Rickard and Kent, he walked through the cluttered but purposeful construction site of Starfire City and arrived at the nearly completed Starfire Harbor.
What was once a simple, five-hundred-meter stretch of shoreline along Saylor Lake was now a wide, flat wharf made of reinforced concrete. The lakebed alongside it had been dredged several meters deep to accommodate the draft of larger vessels. A pier of this size was more than enough to allow numerous merchant ships to dock and unload at once.
To ensure safe passage, Old Torrant had directed a large crew of workers to dredge the approach to the pier, preventing incoming ships from running aground. Most merchant ships in Westeros were two or three hundred tons, with the largest rarely exceeding a thousand. Starfire Harbor could now accommodate them all.
Thanks to the sailors Jason had recruited from White Harbor, the four-hundred-kilometer stretch of the White Knife River connecting Starfire Harbor to the sea had been cleared and deepened over several months. Now, merchant ships could sail directly from the port of White Harbor, up the White Knife River, and into Saylor Lake.
The opening of this new waterway revolutionized trade in the region. More and more merchants chose to transport their goods by water, which was faster and allowed for far greater cargo capacity than land-based carriages. The White Knife River was now bustling with ships from all over Westeros and even the Free Cities across the Narrow Sea.
As a result, business at the East's shop boomed, even more so than when it was in the winter town. Jason's massive construction projects required a constant supply of stone, wood, grain, cloth, and other materials. The new waterway allowed the volume of imports to increase several times over, easily meeting the demands of the growing city. This influx of trade attracted scores of smaller merchants, and a lively market had spontaneously formed by the lakeside.
"Torrant, how much longer until Starfire Harbor is finished?" Jason asked, standing on the pier. He watched as a dozen small merchant ships navigated the lake, mooring at the completed section of the wharf. Sailors laid down wide wooden planks to bridge the gap between ship and pier, while dockworkers began hauling cargo onto waiting carriages. The ship owners shouted instructions, reminding the workers to handle their goods with care.
"Just another fortnight, my lord, and the whole port will be ready for use," Old Torrant replied, his body stooped from months of hard labor. "We've deepened the wharf to more than three meters. Even the large merchant cogs can moor here now."
For the past six months, Old Torrant had personally directed the construction of the port. He felt an immense sense of pride in overseeing such a grand project and managing thousands of workers. It was a sense of accomplishment only an engineer could truly understand. Jason, who knew little about construction, simply thought Old Torrant and his masons had done a remarkable job.
Jason raised a looking-glass he had brought from his world to his eye, casually scanning the shores of Saylor Lake. "You've done well, Torrant," he said with a smile. "When Starfire Harbor is officially opened, I'll give you a generous reward, on top of your usual salary. You've all worked hard to build this port so quickly."
"Thank you for your generosity, my lord! It's an honor to serve you," Old Torrant said, his face lighting up. Having heard of the young lord's famous generosity, he was already imagining the bonus. He and the other master craftsmen from Winterfell and White Harbor had already decided to move their families to Starfire City. Here, a man of skill was valued and paid what he was worth.
"My lord, our fleet is back!" Kent shouted happily, pointing to the east where the White Knife River met the lake.
Jason looked up to see five ships sailing in a single file line into Saylor Lake, making their way toward the harbor. These were the first ships of his own fleet—five old merchantmen he had purchased from White Harbor while his new, custom-built ships were still under construction. Each was a common cog, over thirty meters long with a displacement of around two hundred tons.
The sailors aboard were the same men he had recruited to clear the river, more than a hundred of them spread across the five ships. It was enough for now, but Jason was still actively recruiting. He wanted a fleet of at least ten ships, which meant he would need to double his number of sailors.
As the East family fleet docked, port workers rushed to help secure the vessels and lay down gangplanks. They soon began carrying crate after crate of sea fish from the ships' holds. The salty, fishy smell quickly filled the air, carried on the cold northern wind.
Fortunately, the low temperatures of the North helped preserve the catch.
Seth, the fleet's captain, finished arranging the unloading with the other four captains and hurried over to Jason.
"My lord," Seth and the captains said, bowing in salute.
Jason handed the looking-glass to Kent and looked at the men. Their faces were dark and weathered from the sun and sea, their expressions tired but resolute. "Good work, all of you," he said warmly. "Seth, was it a good voyage?"
Jason led them off the bustling pier and into a large, luxurious carriage. He invited the five captains to sit with him as his driver, Barlow, started back toward the city proper.
Seth straightened up, a flicker of fear still in his eyes. "My lord, the voyage was rough. We encountered wind and waves, and one of the ship's masts broke, but we all made it back safely. The catch, however... it's less than last time."
------------------------
For Advance chapters visit : patreon.com/Mythic_Muse