The territory of the Lord of Wolf Pack encompassed two islands of the Stepstones, a peninsula in the Disputed Lands, and numerous estates beyond the peninsula.
Most of the western part of the continent of Essos is fertile and rich land. The territory of the Wolf Pack Company was no different, except that from a military perspective, it lacked hard topographical barriers and strategic depth, meaning they could only win every hard-fought battle.
"Freedom!" "Liberate slaves!" The slogan of the Free Army, "Break the Chains," spread like a contagion through the Disputed Lands, even reaching the towns of the Three Daughters and Volantis. Many escaped slaves from the Disputed Lands, and even from the deep banks of the Rhoyne River, came to join "the liberator," and the Free Army's momentum grew stronger.
Myr, Tyrosh, Lys, and even the upper echelons of Volantis were deeply worried, but their multi-person democratic governance structure also led to slow and procrastinating decision-making, unlike the Wolf Pack, which had clear and decisive orders.
Inside Gendry's tent, everyone was engaged in a heated discussion about the next round of war planning.
The Myrish's first defeat was not crippling, and their second war was already brewing. This time it was not a single Magister's revenge, but a larger-scale effort agreed upon by more Magisters. Those slavers had committed atrocities against slaves for many years, and they did not like the idea of roles being reversed.
Many blood oranges were also placed in the tent, their fragrance rich, filling the air with a sweet scent. The blood-red color of the oranges symbolized the impending war. The high-ranking members of the Wolf Pack Company and the Free Army savored the taste of these blood oranges, which came from Dorne. With a seaport and coastline, daring merchants and smugglers had already begun trading and interacting with the territories controlled by the Wolf Pack Company.
"Beware of the Myrish's gifts!" Gendry said, looking at a letter sent by The Red Viper. The letter was delivered by Dornish fishermen who traded blood oranges, hidden inside a hollow orange. "The Myrish's gifts," as the name implied, meant Myr was preparing a new round of attacks on his kingdom.
In fact, Maester Qyburn's informants had already known about this, but The Red Viper's letter still represented a gesture of goodwill; The Red Viper was willing to offer some help. It seemed the Myrish had contacted many city-states, even seeking aid from Dorne.
"Myr is intensifying its lobbying efforts to recruit Mercenaries that can launch an offensive against us, from the Golden Company to the Cat's Company, the Windblown, the Spear Company, the Stormcrow Company; capable Mercenaries have all been approached, and even down-on-their-luck Mercenary companies like the Second Sons!" The Handsome Man said.
There were countless Mercenary companies in the Disputed Lands, but only a few were truly powerful. The Golden Company, with its ten thousand well-trained Mercenaries, ranked first. Next, the Cat's Company had 3,000 infantry, while the Windblown had 2,000 mounted soldiers and infantry. The Spear Company had over 800 cavalry. The historically long-standing but now fallen Second Sons currently numbered only around five or six hundred, and the Stormcrow Company also had about five hundred men.
"They even sought out the Cat's Company and the Second Sons; it seems they're truly desperate!" The Arrow Maker still laughed. The Cat's Company, led by Bloodbeard, was cruel and violent, and the Second Sons were equally notorious.
"Although the Cat's Company and the Second Sons have a bad reputation, their overall strength is still decent," analyzed Longspear, the cavalry commander. "The Golden Company is in a league of its own, no doubt. But the Cat's Company also has over three thousand members."
"What about the Golden Company?" Everyone was still most concerned about the top Mercenary company in the Disputed Lands. They had a large number of men, strict discipline, and considerable combat power.
"The Golden Company is still observing. It's said that the gold they demand as payment is an astronomical figure, even the Myrish Magisters find it hard to bear. Moreover, the Golden Company will not participate in attacking the Wolf Pack; they will only protect the city-states from Wolf Pack attacks within a certain period of protection," Maester Qyburn said. Maester Qyburn served as the maester and strategist, also responsible for the Wolf Pack Company's intelligence network.
"The Golden Company is hesitating; it's possible for them to side with either party," Gendry analyzed. "If they support the Wolf Pack, they'll have assistance for an invasion of Westeros. If they support Myr, they'll gain a considerable amount of wealth."
"Commander-in-Chief, should we also send people to try and secure the Golden Company's involvement?" The Handsome Man asked.
"No need. I don't think the Golden Company's high-ranking officers are all fools."
"What I'm about to say next isn't pleasant, but it concerns the success or failure of our cause!" Gendry's tone grew serious.
"Pay attention to the gains and losses of our policy. Our foundation in the Disputed Lands is the liberation of slaves, not indiscriminate killing and wantonly expanding our enemies! Overthrowing the slavers is inevitable, but we must avoid excessive killing, especially of skilled individuals. That would unite all slave-owning city-states! I want an order that is as complete as possible," Gendry said. All wars change the original power structure, replacing it with a new generation.
Gendry's supporters were escaped slaves, and their conflict with the slavers was irreconcilable. However, in this process, it was still necessary to avoid going too far as much as possible. Peaceful slavers could be bought off and appeased, while stubborn opponents needed to be dealt with forcefully. War is the continuation of politics; all politics is about compromise and striking blows.
"Yes, Commander-in-Chief!"
"At your command, Commander-in-Chief!"
"We must also address the combat effectiveness of the Free Army. The Free Army now has scale, and it also needs extensive systematic training. Training is the foundation of soldiers; our Instructors are excellent warriors, the Wolf Pack Company is fierce, and the newly joined Free Army recruits must also be trained to become true steel. Secondly, discipline. The military discipline of the Wolf Pack Company and the Free Army must be strict, and the selection process must also be rigorous! We need not be soft-hearted towards certain bandit slaves or Bandit Mercenaries who attempt to revive slavery or indiscriminately kill innocent people."
Gendry made these points clear, and the Wolf Pack Company and the Free Army would quickly execute his orders. Now, the Free Army also received specialized training; the Wolf Pack Company trained northern-style warriors for frontal assaults, including knights and Longbowmen. The Unsullied training method was used to train light infantry phalanxes.
"There's one more thing, Commander-in-Chief!" The Handsome Man inquired. "Many Free Folk have petitioned for you to be crowned King of the Narrow Sea, the Stepstones, and the Disputed Lands."
At these words, many people showed concerned expressions. A series of military victories had given the soldiers and Free Folk some ideas. To present a crown to the Commander-in-Chief.
"We'll discuss this later; now is not the time. To claim a crown now would be to make ourselves a target for everyone!" Gendry knew what many of the Free Folk and Wolf Pack soldiers were thinking, but he couldn't do it.
Gendry also yearned for a crown, but now was not the time. Building walls, hoarding grain, and delaying claiming the title of king was the shrewd approach. Once he put on that crown, he would be putting himself in the fire.
"We will all support the Commander-in-Chief's decision!" The Handsome Man breathed a sigh of relief. He was afraid Gendry would get carried away, which would cause a complete uproar.
"A wise decision. We haven't fully occupied the Stepstones yet, nor have we taken any towns, such as the Three Daughters. So the Commander-in-Chief's idea is correct. Our strength is still limited," Maester Qyburn added.
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