Whispering City, Lord's Hall.
Green took the horn cup offered by Calaia, took a sip of the territory's special red wine, and his brows naturally furrowed.
Still so undrinkable!
Green handed the horn cup back to Calaia and said to the stocky man kneeling on one knee below, "Reik, descendant of the First Men, I accept your fealty."
[Reik Snow, in his early thirties, a Northern bastard, leader of a Sellsword company in the Vale, Petyr's "gift"]
With that, Green rose from his chair and walked towards Lek.
Tap, tap… Green stopped in front of Lek, looked down at him for a moment, and then, with a clang, drew his sword.
Green stared at Lek, who remained motionless with his head bowed, and nodded slightly.
Lek felt the cold longsword on his right shoulder, and a drop of cold sweat slid down his forehead; he felt like a Trout waiting to be slaughtered.
He had no chance of survival… Lek dared not move an inch.
In a short while, Lek, the Sellsword, was covered in fine cold sweat on his back.
"Reik Snow, I hope the next time I draw my sword, it will be for my Sea Knights."
Hearing this, Lek couldn't help but raise his head, looking towards the owner of the voice.
Lek suppressed the surging emotions in his heart, enduring the longsword pressed against his shoulder, his voice agitated, as if shouting: "Count Green, I will forever obey your commands; I swear to the old gods and the Old Gods, until death."
Green sheathed his sword, glanced at the excited Lek, turned and ascended the steps, reseating himself in the Lord's wooden chair.
Green lowered his gaze, staring at Lek, and did not speak again.
Under Green's gaze, Lek's agitated emotions quickly calmed, and he bowed his head uneasily.
Green then spoke: "Lek, I order you to recruit sailors in Mermaid Port, enough for three ships to sail long distances."
"As you command, my Lord!"
"Rise, Lek."
Green's gentle tone at this moment made Lek's heart flutter, and his expression became even more respectful after rising.
Green looked at Follard, who was standing by, and added: "Captain Follard, please arrange accommodations for Lek and their families on my behalf."
Before Follard could respond, Lek's eyes trembled slightly, and he was the first to say: "My Lord, thank you for your kindness!"
Green looked at Lek, a satisfied expression on his face: "Lek, Kleber is a descendant of the First Men; you will have a new life. You may go."
Lek nodded and left the Lord's Hall with Follard.
After the two left, Green's slender fingers tapped the armrest of the chair.
He was thinking of his cousin, Leanna Clayburgh, whom he had met yesterday.
Leanna had already renounced her inheritance rights to Kleber, and Green needed to make the necessary arrangements.
Leanna had already married once for the family's benefit; now, whether she chooses to be beautiful on her own or find true love, Green does not intend to interfere with Leanna's romantic choices.
Will she encounter another bad person? Please listen to the whispers of the crypt… Moreover, Whispering City will always be Leanna's home; as long as Green is here, Miss Leanna's treatment will always exist, and she will always be protected by Green.
Therefore, as long as Green is here, the one who should be worried is the person Leanna Clayburgh takes a liking to.
… … … …
A week later, after inspecting the new farms in Old Claypole, Green arrived at Whispering Fort, once the House Clebber's castle, with his sworn sword, Mason Baker.
Whispering Fort was now a weed-infested, abandoned castle, built of unmortared ancient stones, standing on the edge of a cliff.
Thick moss grew in the rock crevices, trees sprouted from beneath the foundations, the perimeter wall by the cliff had collapsed, and clumps of poisonous red vines grew on the piles of rubble.
Fifty feet below, waves surged into a ruined old lighthouse, and behind the tower was the entrance to a large cave.
The seawater had eroded hollows beneath the cliff, and when waves passed through the underground caverns and passages, they would make a rumbling sound, which is how Whispering Fort got its name.
There is another legendary version of the origin of Whispering Fort's name: it is said that the legendary hero of Crab Claw Point, Clarence Clebber, was eight feet tall and strong enough to pull up a pine tree with one hand and throw it half a league. No horse could bear his weight, so he could only ride a wild ox.
Clarence's wife was a forest witch; every time he killed someone, he would bring the head home and have his forest witch wife kiss the lips of the head to revive it. These people were Lords, wizards, knights, and pirates, one of whom was even the King of Duskendale.
After being revived, because they were only heads, their voices could not be too loud, and they never stopped talking to pass the time, so the Kleber Family castle was called Whispering Fort.
… … … …
Green gazed at his ancestral castle, now a ruin, for a while, and said, "Mason, I intend to restore the ancestral castle."
Mason, as a descendant of the Kleber Family's long line of sworn swords, was naturally very happy to hear Green's words.
Mason grew up in Whispering Fort and had a special affection for the place.
In Mason's memory, Whispering Fort at that time was at most a half-ruin… Yes, it seemed that the Kleber Family ancestors never cared about their living environment; as long as it was habitable, it was fine, truly half-savage nobles.
After the War of the Usurper, as the Kleber Family lady (Green's mother) led the remaining clan members to migrate west (to the current Whispering City), more than ten years passed, and the Kleber Family ancestral castle was completely ruined.
"Loyal Knight Mason, I intend to entrust this matter to you."
Mason placed his hand on his chest and bowed to Green, saying, "My Lord, I am honored to be entrusted by you with the important task of rebuilding the Kleber Family ancestral castle!"
Green nodded slightly.
Restoring the ancestral castle was a symbol of Green's completion of reclaiming Old Claypole.
The Kleber Family's eastward expansion was in its final stages, and Whispering Fort was not only a symbol of the Kleber Family's rule but also related to the Kleber Family's noble title.
Once the ancestral castle is restored, Green plans to change the name of Whispering City. What should it be called… How about renaming it Blue Keep? To echo the Red Keep in King's Landing?
Before parting, Green appointed Mason Baker as the commander of the "Garrison Corps." From the name of the Garrison Corps, one can understand its authority; Mason will be responsible for the overall defense of the Klaeb Territory.
After parting with Mason, Green, without stopping, inspected the current garrisons of the Survey Corps and the Thorn Legion.
Pel Pili, the commander of the Survey Corps, and the commander of the Thorn Legion received the same order upon meeting Green: to recommend thirty-man leaders.
Green's main purpose in establishing the thirty-man leaders was to further strengthen control over the legions, with the ultimate goal of making them as easy to command as one's own arm.
The lowest-ranking officers in the Cleber Legion were ten-man leaders, and above them were directly centurions.
The newly established thirty-man leaders were above ten-man leaders and below centurions.
After the establishment of the thirty-man leaders, the officers under a centurion would generally be one direct ten-man leader, three thirty-man leaders, and nine ten-man leaders, meaning each thirty-man leader would have three ten-man leaders under him.
As for the name of the thirty-man leaders… Green was worried about it sounding out of place, so he didn't name them platoon leaders.
The commanders of the Cleber Legion, in terms of scale, were equivalent to chiliarchs. Once the selection of thirty-man leaders for each legion was completed, Green would establish a higher rank above centurions—three hundred-man leaders.
Starting next year (298 AC), Green will host a banquet for officers of all ranks every year.
For example, the Ten-Man Leader's Banquet.
At that time, all the ten-man leaders of the Cleber Legion will gather to attend the banquet personally hosted by Green.
By analogy, there will also be thirty-man leader banquets, centurion banquets, three hundred-man leader banquets, etc., which Green will hold once a year, like an annual festival in the Klaeb Territory.
These are just some of Green's methods for controlling military power. No matter how large the Cleber Legion becomes in the future, Green will firmly keep it in his own hands, starting from now.
… … … …
By the time Green returned to Mermaid Port, exactly one month had passed since he last left.
Mermaid Port, Hall of Office.
Green looked at Dick, who had changed so much, and nodded to himself.
Dick was still very thin, but when he stood, his waist was straight, and his demeanor was that of a noble's son.
His eyes… still liked to dart around, but compared to before, they were much better; he wouldn't be mistaken for a thief at first glance.
Lord Green doesn't demand 100 points; 60 is a passing grade, and Dick, with his 70-plus points, is already good enough for Lord Green.
Ahem, Lord Green has always been strict with himself and lenient with others.
Lord Green glanced at Yulia, who had completely transformed into a noble lady, and a look of satisfaction appeared on his face.
"Sit, Dick, Yulia."
Lord Green's gentle voice made both Dick and Yulia's hearts tremble simultaneously.
Perhaps Lord Green's cold demeanor would have put the siblings more at ease.
Lord Green smiled and said, "Sit... sit down!"
Yulia was a little better, but Dick actually shivered, and then they both sat down.
After a pause, Lord Green began, "Dick and Yulia, I have never treated you as outsiders; you have always been my kin. However... even kin, when they make mistakes, should be punished."
The smile on Dick's face instantly froze, and he nodded tremblingly.
Lord Green turned to Yulia and said, "Yulia, you will receive an estate on Crabclaw Peninsula and be protected by Kleber."
Yulia seemed to be confirming whether she had heard correctly, her expression one of disbelief.
She thought Lord Green had dressed her up as a noble lady for... Yulia's feelings were complex, and for a moment, she didn't know what to feel.
Yulia rose and curtseyed to Lord Green, "Count Green, I thank you for your benevolence; I will forever remember your kindness."
Lord Green nodded with a smile and looked at Dick, who was beaming with joy.
Sensing Lord Green's gaze, Dick immediately reined in his smile.
"Dick Rivers, your sister is still to marry, and whether Yulia can maintain a superior life depends on you."
Dick stopped Yulia, who was about to speak, and nodded, gazing at his sister.
Dick gritted his teeth and said, "My Lord Green, please give your command; I am confident I can complete the task."
Dick had a certain confidence in the skills he had honed from killing chickens, and moreover... for Yulia, he could risk his life; as long as his sister could continue to live a good life, he feared no sacrifice.
Lord Green watched Dick and Yulia, who looked as if they were parting for good, and nodded to himself.
"Dick, you are my kin; I will not put your life in danger or assign dangerous tasks like assassinations. If possible, I would wish for you to live very well and even have a castle of your own."
After a pause, Lord Green continued, "Once the task is complete, when you siblings reunite, not only will you receive my reward, but I will also allow you to legally bear the Kleber surname."
"Yulia, as a legitimate child, will find a husband who pleases her, become the mistress of a territory, and lovingly raise their children with her husband."
"And you, Dick, you will have your own territory and castle, and your legitimate children will become your legal heirs."
Why did such a pleasant surprise come so suddenly? Dick's eyes reddened, and he said, "My Lord Green, I..."
Dick couldn't continue, and he fiercely wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes... Can't cry, it's too embarrassing!
Lord Green walked over and patted Dick's arm: "This concerns the future of the Kleber Family; a strong Kleber Family is your foundation. Strive for the family's strength, and the family will likewise protect you. Dick, for your sister and for yourself, complete my task well."
...
...
The North, Winterfell.
Winterfell is located in the heart of the northern region of the Seven Kingdoms, and the King's Road connects it to King's Landing and the Wall.
Winterfell is a massive castle spanning several acres, including two thick walls and a village situated at its entrance.
Winterfell itself is built around an ancient Godswood and a hot spring. Steaming hot water is transported through pipes within the walls, flowing through the high walls like blood in the human body, warming the various rooms and making Winterfell more comfortable than other castles in the harsh North during winter.
Of all the rooms in Winterfell's main keep, Catelyn's bedroom was the stuffiest, so much so that the fireplace rarely needed to be lit for warmth.
Catelyn Tully is the wife of Duke Eddard Stark and the eldest daughter of Hoster Tully, Duke of Riverrun in the Riverlands.
Eddard Stark could never stand such heat; he said that members of the Stark were born to live among ice and snow. Catelyn would laugh and reply, if that were truly the case, then their castle was built in the wrong place.
Eddard Stark is the head of the Stark, Duke of Winterfell, Warden of the North, and his nickname is Ned.
Eddard Stark, having finished with his wife, climbed out of bed, pulled back the heavy brocade curtains, and pushed open a narrow window; the night's chill immediately poured into the bedroom.
The 35-year-old Eddard was burly, with a perpetually serious expression on his face. He had the long face characteristic of the Stark, dark brown hair, grey eyes, and his neatly trimmed beard was already beginning to grey.
Catelyn pulled the warm furs up to her chin and silently watched her husband; she was still a little sore, but it was a good kind of soreness.
Catelyn had auburn hair and blue eyes; though she had given birth to five children past thirty, she was still beautiful.
"Catelyn, a few days ago I received a letter from Robert; he said Jon Arryn's health is very poor and asked me to come to King's Landing to help with the Hand's duties."
Hearing this, Catelyn sat up in bed, her voice tinged with anger: "Jon Arryn? Is it very serious? My poor sister, Ned, you should have told me this sooner!"
"I'm sorry, Catelyn, I was always uneasy and didn't want you to worry with me."
Catelyn snorted softly and said, "The lone wolf dies, but the pack survives."
Eddard shook his head and said, "I can never win an argument with a Tully."
Catelyn glanced at Eddard and comforted him, "Grand Maester Pycelle is skilled in medicine; you shouldn't worry too much."
After a pause, Catelyn suddenly said, "King Robert actually asked you to go to King's Landing, then... could it be that he's already on his deathbed?"
Eddard nodded and said, "That's what I'm worried about too, but I don't think so. I know Robert; if it were truly that serious, he would have stated it clearly."
Catelyn, however, breathed a sigh of relief; her biggest concern was Lysa and Lysa's young son.
"Ned, what do you intend to do?"
After a moment of thought, Eddard spoke, "Winter is coming. My home is here, and my duty is in the North."
At this point, Catelyn was worried and hesitant: "He won't care about any of that; he's the King now, and a King cannot be treated as an ordinary person. If you refuse him, he will wonder why, and then suspect you of harboring ill intentions because of this. Can you not see the danger that refusing might bring us?"
Duke Eddard shook his head, his voice firm: "Robert would never do anything to harm me. He loves me more than his own brothers; if I refuse, he'll fly into a rage, cursing incessantly, but after a while, he'll scoff at the whole thing. That's just the kind of person he is!"
Catelyn, however, disagreed; she felt Eddard was sometimes too naive and advised, "That was the old him; the King now, to you, has become a stranger."
Eddard's voice carried sadness: "My father only went south once in his life, and he never returned."
King's Landing would always be a painful memory for Duke Eddard; both his father and brother died there.
Catelyn didn't care that the fur quilt had slipped from her body; she reached out to her husband, who was steeped in sorrow.
"Ned..."
Duke Eddard walked over, his large hand gripping his wife's slender fingers.
"How do you plan to handle it?"
Eddard patted Catelyn's hand and said, "First thing tomorrow morning, I'll have Maester Luwin arrange a raven. I want to contact Renly to understand the situation first, and then make a decision."
For some reason, Catelyn suddenly felt afraid and deeply embraced her husband.
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