"My Lord! You can't be serious! Is this for real?"
Dominic Bolton stared at Marco, his face filled with disbelief. He was starting to wonder if he'd heard correctly.
"Yes! Young Master of House Bolton! You heard correctly! Our Lord has decided to release the soldiers under your command, and let them return to the North!"
Sas Ting chimed in, his tone even.
Three days ago, Marco had defeated the expeditionary force from House Bolton, capturing nearly 500 defeated soldiers, including Dominic Bolton, the only son of Lord Roose Bolton.
Initially, Marco's plan was just to hold the prisoners for a few days, strip them of their armor, and send them back to the North. He hadn't expected Wolf Fang and the others to capture such a big fish.
Therefore, to prevent future attacks and assassinations from Roose Bolton, Marco decided to keep the heir of House Bolton at Griffin's Hold and immediately send all the other prisoners back to the North.
On Westeros, it was permissible for knights and nobles to surrender, and their families would pay to ransom them back.
Although Marco wasn't short on money, he could use Dominic Bolton to negotiate some good terms with Roose Bolton.
Even if the negotiations went south, Marco could still get a huge sum of money by leveraging this direct descendant of House Bolton. Either way, he was guaranteed to profit.
At this moment, the reception hall on the first floor of Griffin's Hold was filled with prisoners from House Bolton: Mandis, Capo, Bucktooth Manson, and Black Eel York.
Marco carefully calculated, and he didn't expect that he already had so many knights from House Bolton in his hands.
The North had always been a special place on Westeros. They were mostly descendants of the First Men, and due to their beliefs, few Northerners studied knighthood.
However, House Bolton, for some special reasons, had always been imitating the noble system of the South. Their knight instructor had also knighted many people, and, unfortunately, two of them were here.
After seeing that Dominic was no longer agitated, Marco spoke to them:
"Thank you all for your 'cooperation' during this time! Of course, if you don't want to leave and want to stay, I'm also quite 'welcoming'!"
When he said the word "welcome," Capo and the others stiffened slightly. All four of them simultaneously turned their eyes to Henk, who stood beside Marco.
Henk seemed to feel their gaze and turned to look at them. He bared his teeth in a cruel smile, making the four of them jump in fright!
In the past three days, Henk had obtained a lot of useful information from them, although the process involved a lot of "unpleasantness"!
But in the end, under the "careful attention" of Marco and Henk, they had revealed their "true feelings." Now, hearing that they could go home, they were all filled with disbelief!
"No! No!"
The four of them answered almost in unison, but regretted it immediately. They remembered that their young master, Dominic Bolton, would be held here.
Thinking of this, their joy at regaining their freedom instantly vanished, replaced by uncertainty about the future!
On the one hand, they wanted to escape this den of demons as soon as possible. On the other hand, they were afraid to return to the North, because they hadn't completed a single task Roose Bolton had given them!
"Alright, since there are no objections! Bobby, Lauren! You two are in charge of sending them back to the North, and have Charles find people to assist you!"
Dominic Bolton watched as the vassals were escorted away, a complex mix of emotions churning within him. On one hand, he yearned to be by his father's side, but on the other, after witnessing the marvel of Griffin's Hold, he found himself wanting to stay.
Dominic had been fascinated by the history of Westeros since childhood. During his knightly training, he'd devoured every book he could get his hands on.
He knew the history of Westeros inside and out; if he were to go to the Citadel, he could already earn a copper link for himself.
He was one hundred percent certain that no family of any significance had ever appeared on Skagos in history. The island's natives had always been little better than wildlings.
Even if they exhausted all the manpower and wealth of Skagos, they couldn't build a castle this magnificent. So, there was only one possibility left: "Magic"!
Every child in the North had heard the tales of the Children of the Forest since they were young, and they all grew up listening to stories about The Long Night.
As Dominic got older, he began to treat these things as mere legends and jokes. But now, when he found those legends were right here beside him...
He felt that the Seven had always favored him. Every young man in Westeros dreamed of one day riding a dragon and soaring through the sky!
Now, although there were no dragons, magic and griffins were real, and they were right in front of him.
"I must seize this hard-won opportunity!"
The young man silently vowed in his heart.
Marco looked at the young man lost in thought, and he was also somewhat moved. Once upon a time, he was like this too, full of fantasies and eager to show off.
"You're only twenty, what's with all the sentimentality!" Thinking of this, Marco quickly stopped his own wandering thoughts.
He glared at Dominic, as if blaming this overly dramatic young man for affecting him.
Then he collected his thoughts and said to his trusted subordinates:
"Henk, Narkissos, Erok, Sas Ting, you're coming with me to the North and beyond the Wall. Henk, go fetch the twenty Snow Bear Knights as well! Oh! And Wolf Fang!"
"Now then! The rest of you stay and guard Griffin's Hold. After I leave, Casper Ed will be in charge of everything, and you will all obey his orders! Understood?"
"Yes, my Lord!"
Everyone replied in unison.
"Uh, my Lord! What are you going to do with me?"
At that moment, Dominic Bolton's voice came from the center of the hall, drawing everyone's attention.
The 17-year-old, being watched by so many people for the first time, couldn't help but blush.
Marco said calmly, "You are already my prisoner! From today on, your range of movement is limited to this floor. I've already given the order, if you are found to leave this area, you will be killed!"
"Your vassal has already taken the letter to your father. After I'm done handling things in the North, I'll discuss matters with your father! Alright! Bloody Hand Black Stone, take him away!"
"Yes, my lord!"
Two weeks later, Seal Bay.
After sailing for a week, Marco and his party dropped anchor at a small fishing village dock belonging to House Umber.
Although it's called a small fishing village, it's actually the naval port and garrison of House Umber. The wildlings from beyond the Wall raid south every year.
The purpose of these garrisons is to strike against the wildlings who come down the coast. Marco's ship had already made contact with their naval forces before entering the harbor.
After collecting a hefty "inspection" fee, the naval soldiers of House Umber allowed Marco's ship into the harbor.
These guys were bold. After they took the money, they didn't even bother to inspect Marco's cabins and just let them in.
Even though it was already spring, it was still snowing in the North, and the climate here was completely different from Griffin's Hold.
The weather in Griffin's Hold was becoming more and more like the South. Within the boundaries of Griffin's Hold, there wouldn't be endless snow like this!
Marco's arrival had already caught the attention of the port's security officer. Just as Henk and the others were directing the soldiers to disembark and assemble, a middle-aged man claiming to be the security officer's messenger ran over to negotiate.
Behind this messenger were over 100 fully armed soldiers, some of whom were holding various bows and crossbows, already aiming at Marco and his group.
The security officer, Tu An, who was protected by the soldiers, looked very depressed. At first, he thought Marco and his group were just ordinary merchants, mainly here for trade.
While he was still planning how much tax he would collect, he heard a report from his subordinates that Marco's group had released 20 Snow Bears from the ship. Tu An was startled and quickly gathered his troops.
He couldn't help but curse the eighteen generations of that coastal defense officer's ancestors in his heart. That guy had taken the money, but now the problem had all been dumped on him.
These Snow Bears were a unique breed from beyond the Wall, and they had hardly ever appeared in the North, with many people only having heard of them.
On Skagos, there were only about 30 of them. After acquiring them, Marco had always assigned specialists to raise and care for them.
These 20 Snow Bear Knights weren't included in Marco's system, but their combat ability and loyalty were beyond reproach.
Because Snow Bears were naturally incredibly defensive, Marco only equipped them with armor on their heads and necks. Moreover, the weapons these knights used were mainly crossbows and bows.
The physical structure of Snow Bears meant they couldn't be standard mounts, only suitable for deterrence and snow warfare.
Marco's main purpose in bringing them this time was to show off and serve as an honor guard. After all, this was his first time dealing with the Northern nobles, and if he didn't make a good impression, he'd easily be looked down upon.
Watching the already tense atmosphere, the envoy of the Cod Village constable, Tu An, couldn't help but swallow. He gathered his thoughts and loudly asked Marco, who was in the crowd:
"Um! Sir! May I ask who you are? And what are you doing here with so many soldiers?"
At this moment, Marco was riding his warhorse, wearing a black-brown cloak that concealed his face and hair.
To avoid unnecessary trouble, Marco decided from the start to conceal his appearance. After all, Silver Hair Purple Eyes was a dead giveaway, instantly conjuring thoughts of the Targaryens.
Robert Baratheon had only been on the throne for a little over a decade, but many commoners and nobles were still familiar with the family's characteristics.
It wasn't hard to imagine the repercussions if Marco's appearance was seen by the common folk. Before long, Littlefinger and the Spider would likely be receiving reports and rumors of a Targaryen restoration in the North.
Marco didn't answer, instead waving his hand towards someone nearby.
The great mage Narkissos stepped forward and took over, addressing the messenger:
"Greetings, sir! My master and I hail from the distant continent of Essos. Our ship lost its way in a storm and, by chance, ended up near Skagos.
There, we met Erok, the chieftain of House Stern of Driftwood Hall. He was preparing to visit House Umber in the North.
So, we decided to travel together. Of course, my master also wishes to visit House Umber, to sell our goods and replenish our supplies."
"Well! This! The person I serve is just a constable. I'm not sure we can get in touch with the Earl! Uh, uh!"
The messenger's eyes flashed with contempt when he heard that Erok and his companions were from Skagos. His tone also hinted at a refusal.
However, after receiving a silver coin from Narkissos, his smile immediately became friendly, and he directly introduced Narkissos to the constable.
Narkissos, also "friendly to money," had a conversation with the constable. In just about three minutes, the two became "good friends"!
And Narkissos's constable friend specially invited Marco and the others to his office building as guests.
It was called an office building, but it was actually a two-story small building made of rock and wood. As Marco and the others walked up, the wooden joints on the second floor kept creaking, making Marco wonder if he would accidentally fall to the first floor.
Along the way, Narkissos used all sorts of methods and money to completely win over the constable, Tu An.
Watching this guy squint with joy, Marco thought that if Narkissos asked him to pledge allegiance right now, this guy would immediately agree.
"Esteemed sir! Rest assured! I will send a raven immediately. I believe a reply from the Earl will arrive soon, and then you can proceed to the Last Hearth!"
After everyone was seated, Tu An, beaming with confidence, made his guarantee.
"Is that so? What if I don't allow it? Tu An! You have quite the nerve! These people have unknown origins, and you dare to recommend them to the Last Hearth! Do you want to die?"
At this moment, a voice came from the stairwell. A middle-aged man with a full beard walked in, wearing simple armor and a dark cloak.
He was tall and muscular, exuding the aura of a seasoned soldier.
His green eyes were fixed on Marco and his companions, filled with distrust and suspicion.