The feudal system was introduced to Westeros by the Andals, forming the foundation of the Seven Kingdoms and representing their claim to be a civilized race.
The feudal system in Westeros has a strict social structure, with the nation comprised of Kings, Lords, and Commoners.
Nobles govern their territories through a system of loyalty and oaths. Under this system, every Commoner has a duty to serve, and in return, the Lord promises them land, protection, and work.
Vassals are families who swear fealty to their Liege Lord. They possess their own military forces, and they are protected by their Liege Lord while also subject to his coordination and management of the various Vassals.
When war breaks out, Vassals are obligated to provide military support to their Liege Lord and obey his commands upon being summoned. This is why, during the War of the Five Kings, Robb Stark's ravens were able to summon so many reinforcements from The North.
To integrate into this world, Marco could only follow the traditions of Westeros for his ennoblement ceremony.
His plan was to first contact The North as an Essos merchant. Afterward, he would use food and weapons to establish a relationship with the Night's Watch, using the excuse of opening a slave smuggling trade route.
Even if they didn't agree, Marco still intended to befriend them in advance. After all, in Marco's opinion, these thieves and criminals, who formed a special organization, had more knightly spirit than the Noble Lords in the South.
Moreover, Marco was quite confident about this matter because the Wall had become increasingly difficult to maintain in recent years.
After King Robert came to power, his lifestyle became increasingly extravagant. In his opinion, as long as the North supported him, everything would be fine. Consequently, the Night's Watch organization declined even further, becoming worse than it was during the Targaryen Family era.
Marco cared about his subordinates, so he designed a Coat of Arms for their families. The Coat of Arms culture in Westeros was a prominent feature of the Andals' feudal system.
The Coat of Arms and Family Motto of many families had always been a symbol of their pride and the foundation of their centuries-long heritage.
Time quickly reached noon. After lunch, the crowd filled the grand hall on the third floor, with rows of Foot Soldiers lined up neatly beside the benches.
At this moment, Marco sat on his tall throne, with Ser Henk Crowl, the head of the Crowl Clan of Deepwood Motte, Erlok, the head of the Stark Clan of Flint's Hall, and Marrow Dan Magnar, the head of the Magnar Clan of King's Hall, standing before him.
Today, all three of them were wearing clean fur coats. Their previously dirty and messy beards and hair were completely gone, and they now looked somewhat like Noble Lords.
What surprised Marco even more was that after some grooming, these three guys all looked about the same age as him.
Henk was the oldest, appearing to be around 40 years old. He was thinner and shorter than the other two, a head shorter than Marco. His build was considered short even for a Stoneborn.
Underneath his black, curly hair were squinting eyes that gave him a dangerous look. His high, hooked nose added to his ruthless aura, and a mole sat on his pointed chin, which he would touch whenever he had a moment, giving him the air of a strategist.
When Sas Tin called out to him, he immediately ran over, dropping to one knee and slightly lowering his head to show respect.
Marco nodded with satisfaction, then drew the knight's broadsword from his waist and lightly tapped his shoulder twice. He then said to him:
"Henk, Chieftain of the Crowl Clan of Deepwood Motte, you are a great Wolf Spirit Warrior. You led your people in protecting the Sacred Beast, the unicorn, on Skagos Island, and you provided your people with a better life.
Therefore, do you swear before the gods, from this day forward, to protect the weak, defend the Lord, cherish your people, and eliminate your enemies?"
"I do!"
"Very well, I now knight you and take the Crowl Clan name as your family name. From now on, you are Ser Henk Crowl!"
"Furthermore, I shall bestow upon you the first Coat of Arms for your family. It shall be the symbol of your house from this day forward!"
With those words, a Foot Soldier stepped forward, carrying a flag on a tray. The flag was black and red, with five inverted triangles arranged to resemble a devouring maw.
Henk was overjoyed upon seeing it, declaring that he would find a shield that very night and have his men carve the Coat of Arms upon it.
Next, Marco proceeded to ennoble Erlok, the head of the Stark Clan of Flint's Hall. Erlok appeared to be around twenty years old, but in reality, he was only fourteen. Yet, he stood nearly as tall as Marco.
He was a man of imposing stature, with a well-defined face beneath his gray-brown hair. His eyes were deep and intelligent, not at all what one would expect from a Stoneborn.
This caused Marco to glance at Erlok's mother, the beautiful woman clad in a fur coat, a common garment among the Stoneborn.
This made her appear like any other Stoneborn woman, but Marco still sensed a different sort of aura about her.
It was a hard-to-describe feeling, akin to the difference between a young university professor and a student on the Blue Star. The professor's maturity and erudition were immediately apparent.
Henk had once told Marco that Erlok of Flint's Hall had a Northerner mother, rescued from the sea by Erlok's father.
It seemed she had forgotten her past. After her husband died, and because of her beauty, she became the object of desire for the Stoneborn of Flint's Hall. This situation only improved after Erlok became the chieftain.
Erlok was also given the Stark surname. His family's Coat of Arms was a Green Field with a Dead Tree, which suited the name of Flint's Hall.
Finally, there was Marrow Dan, the chieftain of the Magnar Clan of King's Hall. He looked to be around 30 years old; after cleaning up, he had a fierce air about him, naturally possessing the bearing of a battlefield general.
His towering size, like a wall, reminded Marco of those "European" strongmen from his previous life. Marco felt he could probably crush someone's head like The Mountain.
Marco named him Marrow Dan Magnar, and he designed their Coat of Arms to be two symmetrical golden crowns on a blue background, which Marco said was fitting for the atmosphere of King's Hall.
However, Marrow Dan Magnar told Marco that his deceased father had designed a Coat of Arms three years ago, but he had never used it.
Looking at the magical design of a green lobster against a white background, holding a black harpoon in its claws, Marco thought it looked utterly meaningless. His own design was much more reliable, he thought.
However, Marrow Dan stubbornly insisted on respecting his father. In the end, Marco could only retract the coat of arms flag he'd made, stating that the design didn't fit the meaning of King's Hall.
Marrow Dan then declared that only Marco was qualified to be called King on Skagos Island, and that he was merely his vassal.
However, whether it was just Marco's impression or not, he noticed that many families on Westeros liked to use animals for their Coat of Arms.
Once those meaningful animals were used up, the remaining smaller families would find strange and bizarre creatures to act as their emblems. Marco remembered there was even a family in the south of Westeros that used a turtle as their Coat of Arms.
After the ceremony, Marco ordered Bloody Hand-Blackstone and the others to prepare for the celebratory feast, while he quietly pulled Erlok to the side.
He briefly described his thoughts, believing that Erlok's Northerner mother probably came from a noble family in The North.
Erlok said that after becoming chieftain, he had tried many methods, but his mother couldn't remember any of her past memories. Whenever she got emotional, she would just stare silently at the sea to the west, shedding tears.
This situation worried Erlok, as he had opened the harbor and port with the intention of gathering information, hoping to find his mother's family.
Marco told him that he would find a way to resolve the issue and help Erlok's mother regain her memories. When Erlok thought about his mother recovering, he was so excited that he knelt on the ground to express his gratitude to Marco.
Marco quickly helped him up, saying it was what he should do.
Marco had a guess: Erlok's mother was very likely the missing daughter of the Umber Family of The North.
The Umber Family of Last Hearth was a noble house that swore fealty to the Stark Clan of Winterfell. Their ancestral castle was Last Hearth, which was closer to The Wall than Winterfell.
Their Coat of Arms was a roaring giant with brown hair, wearing animal skins and holding a silver broken chain, on a crimson field.
The current head of the family, Jon Umber, was the Earl of Last Hearth, also known as "Greatjon". His uncle, "Crowfood" Mors Umber, had a single daughter who disappeared more than a decade ago. Rumor had it that she was captured by Wildlings.
Marco had read some information and novels in his previous life, and many people had speculated about the whereabouts of this Umber Family daughter.
And Mark made a bold guess based on the existing information, but he couldn't be sure if his guess was correct. He would need the help of the Three-Eyed Raven.
Although he had misled the Three-Eyed Raven into believing he possessed similar abilities, Mark knew this was just information he had gleaned from his familiarity with the plot.
When he watched Game of Thrones initially, many of the stories felt vague, so he looked up information online. Later, he read several novels, which gave him a better understanding of some things in this world.
Mark had once made an agreement with the Three-Eyed Raven: if he needed help, he would have the unicorn sleep near the weirwood tree close to Griffin's Roos
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