Eroq recounted the entire incident to his mother, Aili Amber. He hadn't expected Mako, who had just offered to help, to resolve the issue so quickly.
Aili Amber listened with amazement, thinking, "No wonder the Stoneborn on Skagos Island revere their lord so much."
It was because he always created miracles: wondrous magic and legendary creatures. These things always filled the isolated Stoneborn with awe.
Thinking this, Aili Amber told her son, Eroq, "You must obey the lord's commands in the future."
Eroq replied that he would serve Mako with his life. He also told his mother that the lord would be heading to The North in the spring, and he could send her home then.
Hearing the word "home," tears welled in Aili Amber's eyes again, but this time they were tears of joy, of happiness. She hoped winter would pass quickly.
Although Westeros was experiencing an endless summer, it had no effect on The North. Winter in The North was always long.
Meanwhile, Mako was in his consciousness, conversing with the Three-Eyed Raven. Mako asked him:
"How are things going on your end? Are they willing? Are there any other magical creatures still alive over there?"
"The Children of the Forest have all agreed to accept your protection, but you can't force them to fight for you, nor can you do anything bad to them!"
"Ha!"
Mako was completely dumbfounded by the Three-Eyed Raven's words.
However, he instantly reacted, shouting at the Three-Eyed Raven, "What do you take me for! Besides, you people of Westeros are the strange ones!
You do bad things to the Giants, the Children of the Forest, and the damn White Walkers. I'm a normal person, a normal person, understand? Don't think I'm afraid to hit you!"
"Alright, alright! I'm just relaying the message! Don't get so worked up! Well, that's that. You had better prepare yourself. There are too many icebergs in the seas north of the Hardhome, making it impossible to sail. Will you come over The Wall?"
Whether it was an illusion or not, Mako seemed to sense a hint of a smile at the corner of the Three-Eyed Raven's mouth, but being in a fit of anger at the moment, he didn't pay any attention to it.
"Oh, right! About 50 Giants are willing to come with the Children of the Forest. We fought the White Walkers two days ago. A Giant tribe and more than ten of our Children of the Forest comrades are gone forever. There are some things you should hear when you get here!"
Before the words finished, the person turned into a pile of black ash and quickly disappeared.
The next day, early in the morning, Mako got out of bed. Looking at the gold resources that would be reduced again, Mako's resentment towards going to the tavern increased a little.
So Mako simply tidied up and went downstairs to eat breakfast. But at the stairwell, he met Eroq and his mother. Aili Amber immediately knelt on one knee to express her gratitude to Mako!
Mako hurriedly gestured for Eroq to pull her up, and comforted her, telling her that he would definitely go to The North, and hoped she would wait patiently.
After some instructions, Mako invited them to the dining room to eat breakfast with him. Today's breakfast was barley porridge and two slices of black bread, with two slices of ham and a little onion.
During the time he was eating, Mako built the third peasant hut. At this time, Bloody Hand - Black Stone came out of the kitchen, holding two wooden cups of wine and came to Mako.
This was the wine Mako had them make using pumpkins and wheat. Since Griffin's Hold didn't have much grain, they only brewed about two barrels this time.
Mako was never one for drinking. After taking a small sip, he passed the mug to Eroq, who was sitting across from him. However, before Eroq could even take a drink, Aili Amber, who was sitting beside him, snatched the mug away.
The former noblewoman of The North scolded her son:
"You're not even of age for another year! No drinking!"
"Pfft!"
Mako, who had just tasted the ale, spat it out immediately, accidentally spraying Bloody Hand - Black Stone, who was watching the scene.
Mako quickly stood up to apologize, but Bloody Hand - Black Stone waved him off, chuckling. He said,
"Eroq is already the chieftain! What's this about not being allowed to drink! The Stoneborn consider anyone who can fight on the battlefield to be an adult! There aren't so many rules!"
Mako also chimed in, "My lady! It's nothing! Besides, he's been chieftain for half a year already. He's probably done everything an adult can do!"
Aili Amber finally realized she was influenced by her previous memories, and those thoughts had surfaced naturally.
Having received a noble education from a young age, Aili Amber retained some of her habits even after her amnesia. Therefore, she taught her children many things that the Stoneborn didn't know.
It turned out that these things were incredibly useful in a backward, uncivilized tribe. With these special skills and cleverness, Eroq became the leader of his clan at a young age.
After breakfast and after trying the drinks, Mako walked towards the tavern with excitement. This was his first time here.
Previously, due to limited resources, he hadn't dared to come, fearing his heart couldn't handle it.
The building was about three stories high and shaped like a "U". The first floor was the restaurant, the second was the inn, and the third was an office and rest area.
As Sas Ting and his two companions pushed the door open and entered, the originally noisy tavern instantly fell silent. Seeing Mako enter, everyone stood up and bowed to him.
Mako, in return, slightly bowed his head to both sides to acknowledge the greetings. Most of them were the first Stoneborn to enter Griffin's Hold, from the Bloody Hand - Black Stone tribe.
Influenced by Mako's instruction in etiquette, these Stoneborn were a bit more civilized than the other three tribes. Mako also felt that all of this seemed to be related to the mysterious power of Griffin's Hold!
After greeting everyone, Mako slowly walked up to the third floor. On the way up, he also opened the information list for the tavern.
The system had a total of 18 staff members here: 10 on the first floor, 5 on the second, and 3 on the third. The only pity was that all 18 of them were men. There were no tavern waitresses or female receptionists as he had imagined; they were all young men in their twenties.
Mako walked to the reception area on the third floor. There were three offices here, each staffed by one person. They were the Hero Recruitment Office, the Refugee Recruitment Office, and the Intelligence Office. Mako forcibly resisted the urge to go check out the Refugee Recruitment Office.
He quickly walked towards the Intelligence Office; he was afraid that he wouldn't be able to stop himself and would rush over there. After stepping into the office, a young man in a long robe stood up and bowed to Mako.
Mako nodded in return and then asked:
"So! What can I get here? What price do I need to pay?"
"Respected Lord! What we can provide here is some fragmented information and intelligence. They are basically collected by our staff. Since everything in the castle belongs to you! So there is no need to pay a price!"
"Of course, you can also use resource points to gather intelligence. This information is fragmented, and you need to analyze and assess it. This intelligence can be about anything or anyone in this world."
Mako didn't plan to collect information from other places right now, so he took some ordinary intelligence gathered by the tavern from the staff. It was a large stack of rough paper, densely covered with writing.
The young man offered to use the "Prophet's Hut" permissions to help Mako sort the information, but the cost was 100 Gold. Mako, after a moment of thought, "stingily" refused.
Mako thought to himself, his heart aching, "Being poor is the original sin!"
After putting aside these scattered thoughts, he focused his mind on the intelligence.
The first piece of information that caught his eye was: "It is reported that Sir Henk Crowl caught a rapist last night. Originally, he should have paraded the criminal through the streets naked.
However, someone saw Sir Henk Crowl and his men secretly take the criminal into the woods. Afterwards, there was no record of the criminal being imprisoned. Conclusion: The criminal may have been eaten!"
After reading this, the veins on Mako's forehead bulged. He thought that Henk must have been craving "meat" again, so he went to eat people behind his back.
However, this was precisely why he had made Henk the constable. Henk was now his whip and his eyes, and with him in Griffin's Hold, things would remain stable.
After reviewing several reports, Mako finally found the information he was looking for.
"It is reported that approximately 20 kilometers northwest of the King's Hall, a strange Direwolf of unknown origin is leading fifty forest wolves in constant attacks against the newly established mine. Sir Rope Dan Magna is greatly troubled by this!"
At this moment, Mako's quest interface popped up. He quickly clicked on it, and it read:
"A mutated, aberrant Direwolf is continuously attacking your newly established mine, seemingly guarding something within. You must find out why and eliminate them! Ensure your mine is established as soon as possible!"
"Quest Reward: 2000 Gold, 10 Wood, 10 Ore, Treasure Map"
Mako fell into thought upon seeing the Treasure Map option. He first excluded "Tears of Asha," as that was an ultimate artifact, and he likely wouldn't be able to obtain it yet.
"Sas Ting, relay my orders..."
Eroq stood on the edge of Skagos Island, his gaze fixed on the turbulent sea. The wind howled, carrying the salty scent of the ocean and the distant cries of seabirds. He had been stranded here for a long time, ever since the ship he was on had been wrecked by a sudden storm.
Damn it.
The Stoneborn, the wild people of Skagos Island, were a savage lot. They were rumored to be cannibals, and Eroq had witnessed their brutality firsthand. He had managed to survive this long by his wits and by staying hidden.
He was cold and hungry. Eroq clutched the worn leather of his tunic. I need to find food.
He had heard whispers of a hidden cache of Gold somewhere on the island, a treasure left behind by some long-forgotten explorers. A Treasure Map was said to lead the way. Eroq desperately needed something to eat, and Gold would be a good source of food.
He began to move, heading towards the island's interior, hoping to find some sign of civilization, or at least a place to hunt for some food.
The sun began to set, casting long shadows across the rugged terrain. Eroq was starting to feel desperate. He had been traveling for hours and found nothing but rocks and barren land.
Suddenly, he heard a sound. A faint, rhythmic thumping. Eroq froze, listening intently. It sounded like… a drum.
He cautiously moved towards the sound, staying low to the ground, and using the rocks to cover his approach.
Finally, he reached a small clearing. In the center, he saw a group of Stoneborn, gathered around a fire. They were dancing and chanting, their faces painted with strange symbols.
Eroq saw the leader. It was Bloody Hand - Black Stone, a man known for his ferocity.
Damn it, I have to be careful.
Eroq was about to turn and retreat when he noticed something else. Beside the fire, there was a large pile of… something. It was covered with a rough cloth.
He knew what it was. Food.
He realized that the Stoneborn would be having a feast. Eroq knew he could not risk going near them, but he was so hungry.
He watched for a moment, and then, slowly, he began to devise a plan.
The night was dark, lit only by the flickering flames of the Stoneborn's fire. Eroq waited, hidden in the shadows, until the Stoneborn were deeply engrossed in their revelry. Then, he made his move.
He crept silently towards the pile of food, his heart pounding in his chest. He pulled back the cloth.
It was a roasted beast.
He quickly grabbed a large piece of meat and began to eat. The taste was incredible. He hadn't eaten anything like this in weeks.
Suddenly, a shout. Eroq froze, his eyes wide.
Bloody Hand - Black Stone had seen him.
"Intruder!"
The Stoneborn turned, their eyes blazing with rage. Eroq knew he had to run.
He turned and fled, the Stoneborn hot on his heels.
He ran through the darkness, dodging rocks and trees, the sounds of the Stoneborn's pursuit echoing behind him.
He knew he cannot win in a straight fight. He had to use his wits again.
After running for a while, Eroq finally found a place to hide. He scrambled up a steep cliff, clinging to the rocks, and found a narrow ledge. He pressed himself against the rock face, hoping to remain unseen.
He could hear the Stoneborn searching below, their voices growing closer.
He held his breath, his body tense, waiting for them to pass.
After what felt like an eternity, the sounds of the Stoneborn faded away. Eroq cautiously peered over the edge. They were gone.
He let out a shaky breath, relief washing over him. He had survived.
He climbed down from the cliff, his legs trembling. He still had the piece of meat.
He found a small cave and ate it slowly, savoring every bite. Then, he settled down to rest.
He knew he couldn't stay on Skagos Island forever. He had to find a way off. He would need to find the Treasure Map.
I will get off this island.
He closed his eyes, the image of the Gold and the Treasure Map burned into his mind.
He would find them.