Three months later, Mako finally returned to Griffin Keep. Griffin Keep was still the same, except for the dozen or so heads impaled on the city gate, of course!
This expedition had taken Mako nearly half a year. Although it was a bit arduous, the rewards were very rich. Coupled with the castle and skill bonuses, Mako's current resources had reached an astonishing amount.
At the city gate, Mason Dan Magna, Priest Caspar Ed, Bobby Lee, the Bloodstone Elder, and Bloody Hand Blackstone had been waiting for a long time. There were also some Children of the Forest and Giants nearby.
As soon as Mako dismounted, Griffin Swan and Unicorn Silverflash rushed out from the crowd. These two seemed to be competing in speed, and in the end, Silverflash was slightly faster, reaching Mako first.
After greeting the two big fellows, Mako walked into the welcoming party. Priest Caspar Ed, as the leader, said to Mako:
"My Lord! Welcome back!"
Mako nodded to him, then said to the crowd around him: "You've all worked hard during this time! Everyone has done very well! Griffin Keep will get better and better in the future, and we still need everyone to continue working hard together! Alright! Let's enter the city!"
"Yes! My Lord!"
Mako advanced slowly down the castle avenue, surrounded by a phalanx of Thug soldiers protecting his safety. The surrounding residents cheered excitedly. The population here hadn't changed much, still primarily consisting of the elderly and children.
Their attire had changed significantly. They were no longer wrapped tightly in animal skins as before. Thanks to the influence of Griffin Keep's magic, the climate here had become very pleasant, and many people wore linen clothing.
Mako's warehouse held a vast amount of supplies, and the clothes they wore came from there. Because they had food and clothing, many children had grown taller, some already appearing to be the height of adult Rockmen.
Rockmen generally had Giant bloodlines, and were all powerfully built. Coupled with the fact that everyone was now well-fed and well-clothed, many tribal warriors had become much stronger, especially the Thug soldiers who had been converted from tribal warriors. The phalanx they formed now looked like a wall!
After entering the castle, Mako was met by Finny and Nira, along with their retinue. These wives of Kaster were all wearing matching maid dresses. These dresses, which were somewhat similar to the style of Japanese anime, were something Mako had never seen before. He didn't know where they had found them, but there was simply too much stuff in the warehouse for him to keep track of.
Behind them were five female warriors in armor. They each had a longbow slung across their backs, a quiver of arrows hanging from their left waist, and a lady's longsword on their right. They looked very spirited. The two red-haired girls in the lead appeared to be only about 15 years old.
Priest Caspar Ed said that after Wolf Fang and his group returned, Finny and Nira came to him immediately. Both claimed to be Mako's maids and hoped to be allowed to live in the castle. When Caspar Ed asked Wolf Fang for his opinion, Red-hair Red brought in his two daughters, plus three spear wives (the three captured outside the Great Wall).
Mako looked at the suddenly "flower-filled" castle and felt a little dazed for a moment, but he still said to the people in front of him:
"Alright! That's settled then! Gather everyone for a meeting! Finny! You and the others, go clean up the meeting room first!"
"Yes! My Lord!"
Everyone responded in unison.
Mako walked towards the five savage spearwomen and said to them, "Are you certain you want to be our guards?"
One of the slightly older red-haired girls replied to Mako, "Yes, my Lord! Our tribe has sworn allegiance to you. From now on, we are your spears and shields, and we will never retreat!"
"Alright! Since you have this determination, I accept you. You will live in the castle from now on! If this castle ever has a mistress, you will be responsible for protecting them!"
"Yes! My Lord!"
About ten minutes later, Mako's subordinates had all gathered in the meeting room. The Giants didn't participate due to their size, so it could be said that this meeting had the most personnel in attendance!
Mako, seeing that everyone had arrived, began, "Alright, let's begin today's meeting!"
The main purpose of this meeting was for Mako to understand how Griffin Keep had been developing since he left. Priest Caspar Ed was exceptionally capable; his combat prowess and administrative skills were among the best of Mako's subordinates, with only Brinden potentially rivaling him.
First, the Bloodstone Elder reported on the progress of their educational initiatives and the population census. Griffin Keep's permanent population had reached 24,406 people, with the new Wildling tribes being housed within the city walls.
The Giants and the Children of the Forest were also temporarily settled in a residential area within the city. Mako had previously informed Caspar Ed through raven messages to allocate the land near the weirwood trees, which had already been planned, to the Children of the Forest.
The Giants would continue to live in the city, as Mako wanted to change their lifestyle and end their barbaric existence. Once these big guys were properly trained, the likes of the Mountain would be nothing!
The Blacksmith Shop under Mako's command now had over 200 craftsmen. Under the guidance of two master craftsmen, they worked day and night, forging weapons and armor. Specifically, they were developing obsidian-tipped armor and Wolf Fang clubs to counter the Others, weapons that would undoubtedly leave a lasting impression on the Night King!
Next to report was Bloody Hand Blackstone. Since Mako's departure, he had been in charge of Griffin Keep's farms; in a sense, he was Mako's future Minister of Agriculture. Over this period, Mako's food reserves had doubled.
The yields of both saltwater and freshwater fish have been quite good recently, and a large amount of various seafood and dried goods have been stored. Drying, pickling, and frying – any method that can preserve food for a long time – were all taught to the Rock-men by Mako!
In this era of low productivity, logistics have a huge impact on war. The Bolton Family's victory over Stannis was also due to Ramsay's raid. Therefore, Mako has been quietly accumulating food and supplies. Moreover, the population here may continue to increase in the future, and not solving the food problem will put them in a passive position.
Finally, Mason Dan Magna came forward to report. He reported to Mako the amount of iron ore that had been put into storage and the output of weapons. Mako's weapons and equipment have always been quite sufficient, and the iron ore accumulated now is all for strategic reserves.
Seeing that everyone had reported, Mako asked Priest Caspar Ed:
"Who are the heads stuck on the city gate? They all look like Rock-men?"
Mason Dan Magna scratched his head and said to Mako:
"My lord! I'm sorry! Those guys were some of the chieftains of small tribes under my command. They intended to rebel and were killed by me and Master Caspar!"
It turned out that on the day Wolf Fang and the others returned, a few small tribes near the King's Hall caused trouble at the city gate under the guidance of certain people. In fact, their purpose was only to divert attention, but they all underestimated Caspar's determination to quell the rebellion. As soon as the matter came to light, it was suppressed by Mason Dan's troops.
These guys were cowards. After just a slight scare, they immediately confessed who was behind everything. After capturing the culprit, Bloodstone Elder and the others interrogated him overnight. Under torture and poison, the poor guy revealed the rest of his accomplices.
This time, thanks to Kaster and the others' efforts, all the hidden members of the Bolton Family's "Bloody Hand" force were wiped out. Since the last siege, the remaining core members of the Bloody Hand had been basically eliminated. The rest were just small fry. Some of the heads displayed on the city gate tower were Bloody Hand members. A few were still locked up in the cells. Kaster wanted to extract more information.
Mako highly praised their efficiency, while also secretly making a note to settle this score with the Bolton Family in the future.
The meeting lasted until evening. Mako had everyone stay in the castle for dinner. He postponed the celebration to welcome the Giants and the Children of the Forest until after he had built the Fairy Tree.
Meanwhile, Mako took this opportunity to introduce Brinden, Joman, and Red-hair Red, who had just joined them. Everyone partied until late at night before gradually leaving the castle.
After the banquet, Leaf and her people left together. Moonshadow stayed by Mako's side. Perhaps because she had been with Mako all along, Moonshadow wasn't very close to Leaf and her tribe and just followed Mako around every day.
Mako summoned Finny and the others and arranged a guest room for Moonshadow next to his own room. After taking care of everything, Mako returned to his room. The moment he entered, he eagerly opened the building list, preparing to expand Griffin Keep.
City Owned: Griffin Keep
Emblem: Holy Sun
Family Motto: Light and Order
Owner: Mako Baleris
Hero Level: 6
Hero Skills: Basic Offense, Advanced Leadership, Diplomacy, Retribution, Finance... (omitted)
Special Abilities: Kingly Bearing, Knowledge of All Things.
Owned Buildings: Town Hall, Militia Hut, Blacksmith Shop, Fortress, Tavern, Market, Archery Tower, Barracks, Griffin Tower... (omitted)
Building Level: 10
Troops: 310 Thugs, 9 Archers, 3 Footmen, 5 Griffins, 1 Priest, 1 Unicorn, 1 Grand Magician, civilians… omitted.
Resources: 23,450 Gold, 34 Wood, 41 Ore, 7 Crystal, 4 Mercury, 8 Gems, 8 Sulfur.
Town Hall
Town Level Requirement: 3
Construction Prerequisites: Town Hall
Resource Requirements: 2000 Gold
Building Function: Provides 1000 Gold per month.
"Build? Yes/No!"
After Mako clicked on "Build," the entire castle seemed to come alive, with flashes of light appearing in the rooms. The materials, decorations, and style were all different from before, and the area had doubled in size.
Mako, seeing the changes, walked slowly to the window and looked down at the scenery. He found that the area of Griffin Keep had expanded again. Just as he was marveling that his castle had finally broken through the village level, a knock suddenly sounded.
Mako opened his door to find Moonshadow standing outside. As soon as she saw Mako, she threw herself into his arms and hugged him, saying:
"It's too desolate over there, and Shadow Lynx isn't around. I'm coming here. I'm so sleepy! I'm going to rest first!"
After saying that, she ran to Mako's bed on her own and burrowed into the covers. Mako looked at her helplessly and had to fetch a mattress and a quilt.
Mako hadn't been resting well during this time. After finishing these things, he fell asleep.
The next day, just as it was getting light, Mako came to the Market early. He hadn't dared to come here before because he was broke. Now, with more than 20,000 gold resources, Mako could finally enter it with confidence.
Previously, there were few people near the Market Hut, and it was merely used as a material transfer station. However, as Griffin Keep developed, the residents had more and more finances and goods, so the market became lively.
The market stall was much smaller than the blacksmith shop and the tavern, a two-story building of about 100 square meters. When Mako pushed open the door, he saw only a simple counter in the hall.
A young man was sitting at a desk, staring blankly. When he saw Mako come in, his eyes instantly lit up. He hurried over and said to Mako:
"Lord! You're finally here! I'm bored to death counting inventory every day!"
Mako said helplessly, "I'd like to come too! But I don't have any resources! Can you just give me some?"
"Uh! Sorry! Sorry! Lord! I'm sorry, I've been remiss. You are the master of the castle, but some things still have to follow the rules."
The market manager, who called himself Wisher, said to Mako.
Then, he pulled out a list from under the desk and handed it to Mako. After Mako took it, a large list popped up in front of his eyes.
"Ding! Congratulations to the host for arriving at the comprehensive market. You have activated the secret library, memory mentor, treasure merchant, astrologer's tower, mapmaker, and architect modules!"
"Ding! Congratulations to the host for using the Market and completing the hidden mission, 'First Attempt'! You have received the blessing of the Astrologer's Tower!"
"Ding! The blessing of the Astrologer's Tower. To help the host, the great astrologers will raise a war mist near Griffin Keep, valid for 2 years. The war mist can cause enemies to lose their way and stay away from Griffin Keep. Only those invited by the host can enter!"
"Oh! My luck is pretty good! I was just thinking about how to solve the concealment problem, and the system gave me such a great gift! Not bad! Not bad!"
Mako looked at the system's prompt and said happily in his heart.
Mako quickly opened the building designer module. Looking at the rows of building lists in front of him, Mako felt that his eyes were about to be dazzled!