Training the Royal Guard is Robb's top priority right now. Don't underestimate this nascent force of only three hundred men; they are all heavily armored cavalry meticulously selected from various families.
As long as cavalry can build momentum, a single charge can shatter the enemy's morale, and these three hundred men can chase down tens of thousands of ordinary infantry.
Heavily armored cavalry, in this era, is the most unstoppable killing machine.
"No one shorter than a horse's neck, no one who can't lift this stone, no one who can't ride a horse around Kalin Bay once, no one too old, no one who tries to cut corners…"
Because nobles along the way joined in, Robb's army grew from 15,000 to 18,000, with about 3,000 cavalry. There was a lot of room to choose one out of ten, so the requirements were very high.
However, the combat power of Northern soldiers is generally higher than those from other regions. Even with Robb's strict requirements, 294 cavalrymen ultimately met the criteria and were successfully selected.
Greatjon's son, Little Jon, as well as two sons from House Karstark, and one son from House Cerwyn, were also among those selected.
There was no favoritism here; Robb strictly followed the requirements for the selection of all Royal Guards. However, the offspring of nobles, born to good food and drink, were naturally much stronger than ordinary farmers' sons. Additionally, most of their fathers had participated in the rebellion against the Mad King, and they began training their children from a young age.
Robb's requirements were just their daily routine, so they naturally passed with ease.
On the training ground, 294 cavalrymen stood in a neat square formation. Most of them were strong young men in their twenties or thirties, holding long spears whose tips glinted with cold light under the sun. Their armor, new and old, was all sturdy.
What distinguished them most from ordinary farmers and craftsmen were their firm, sharp eyes, filled with loyalty, honor, greed, and ruthlessness—this was a highly combat-effective force.
Robb, wearing brown leather armor, rode around the front of the formation, inspecting it with satisfaction. This was the army he needed, but they were still missing something, and his job was to provide it.
"In ancient times, Aegon, the ancestor of the Targaryen Family, rode three giant dragons from another continent to Westeros, sweeping across the other kingdoms on the continent and ultimately achieving unification. During this process, six of the original Seven Kingdoms either surrendered or were burned to cinders by the dragons."
Robb paused as he spoke of the history of Westeros: "However, only the southernmost kingdom of Dorne, whose lords and people, when facing a powerful enemy, did not act recklessly, nor did they surrender. When the dragons arrived, they hid underground, and when the dragons left, they took up arms and fought under the leadership of their lords."
"Ultimately, they were the only kingdom not conquered by the Targaryen Family! Instead, they joined the kingdom through a relatively equal marriage alliance, becoming a ducal territory."
"They are a group of warriors, not for any other reason, but because when facing a strong enemy, they had the courage to draw their swords and absolute trust in their lords!"
"I hope that you can also become such warriors. As my Royal Guard, you must have extraordinary courage and complete trust in me. If you can do that, I, Robb Stark, the Son of the North, hereby swear that I will never betray your loyalty, and you shall receive your due rewards."
At this moment, Theon, whom Robb had arranged to be in the Royal Guard, shouted loudly: "For the North, Loyalty!"
Guided by this prompt, the other members of the Royal Guard were also infected by the atmosphere and began to shout "Loyalty" in unison. At first, it was a bit scattered, but then it gradually coalesced, forming a unique momentum.
"Loyalty!!"
"Loyalty!!"
"Loyalty!!"
The soldiers cheered three times, each shout louder and more unified than the last, with the final one echoing through the heavens and earth, so clearly that the entire Kalin Bay could hear the soldiers' shouts.
Of course, this was just a temporary surge of emotion; everyone was a bit carried away in the moment. If most of these people were truly asked to pledge loyalty, even the dogs on the roadside would probably squat down and defecate to express their refusal.
Robb waved his hand, signaling his subordinate to bring out a bag.
Hearing the clinking of metal inside, some financially struggling knights instantly widened their eyes. This sound, they absolutely could not mistake!
Gold dragons!
A large bag of gold dragons!
Robb reached into the bag and grabbed a handful; a dozen or so gold dragons were in his hand, and many more slipped through the gaps between Robb's fingers back into the bag, making the most pleasant sound in the world.
Gulp.
Many cavalrymen swallowed. Just the handful Robb held was enough for a soldier to buy a good horse, commission a blacksmith to forge top-notch armor, visit the most expensive girls, and live comfortably for the rest of his life!
Money moves hearts; that saying is absolutely true.
Seeing everyone's expressions, Robb smiled and said, "That's right, it's just as you think. The money in this bag is all yours."
The soldiers below held their breath, their hearts racing. Was this lord too generous? How long would it take to spend so much money?
"But," Robb released his hand, letting all the gold dragons fall back into the bag, "to take this money, you must pay a price. As I just said, you must trust me and obey completely during the upcoming recruit training."
"My lord, do you mean this little money is enough for us to sell our lives to you?" one knight bravely asked.
"Of course not," Robb shook his head. "This money is your reward. If you take one gold dragon from me, you must work for me for one month. During this month, my military orders are absolute. If you violate the regulations, I will cut off your heads. Of course, after this month ends, if you still want to earn gold dragons, you can stay. If you want to leave, I will not stop you."
"I have made myself very clear. If you are unwilling and wish to leave now, there are silver stags in another bag. You can take one and go."
Hearing Robb say this, many cavalrymen felt a little relieved. Those who betrayed Robb received a silver stag; how could they be wronged if they followed him?
When Robb was still in Winterfell, he had already established a series of military laws and set up a military police force to oversee their implementation. Maege and Robb had beheaded many people according to the law, but everyone was convinced because Robb and his military police force always upheld four words: selfless impartiality.
Everyone saw what their lord did, and they had a consensus in their hearts about what kind of lord Robb was.
They believed that Robb was someone worth following.
Other wandering knights didn't care about Robb's character; they only cared about money. They came to fight for money, and now, even before the war began, gold dragons were in their hands. This lord was very generous.
Other noble children didn't care about money or whether Robb was fair; what they needed was Robb's friendship, so no one even thought of leaving.
In the end, only four hesitant individuals, taking silver stags, walked away shamefaced under the contemptuous gaze of the crowd. The remaining 290 people chose to stay by Robb's side.
Robb looked at these people with a touch of emotion. He then grabbed a handful of gold dragons from the bag and scattered them into the sky, letting the golden rain fall upon every soldier.
"From today on, you shall be called the Wolf Cavalry."