The Prince Regent returned in triumph, and all of Storm's End overflowed with joy. Even though the war didn't directly benefit everyone, people always love to celebrate a victory.
The Prince Regent, clad in silver armor and riding a silver-armored warhorse, led the procession. He accepted the continuous cheers from both sides of the road. Cole heard people calling him "Silver Knight," "Silver Highness," and "Prince White Bird.
" He never imagined such a welcome, nor did he feel he had done anything special for them. Unknown to him, among the common folk and the bards, Cole Julius's reputation now rivaled "Fearless Barristan." Cole's stories were widely sung by the minstrels.
Rebuilding and Reorganizing
Upon returning to the castle, Cole immediately focused on establishing his military farming plan. As a representative of Storm's End, he sent one ship for the Lannister military operations.
The rest of his ships he kept anchored at Storm's End's port in Shipbreaker Bay, claiming in a letter that they were heavily damaged and undergoing repairs.
Each garrison under his plan would have 200 people. With his own troops, Cole needed to settle nearly 5,000 individuals, which was a huge task. First, a military camp was set up in Midsummer Hall. This location was crucial as it served as a gateway to control the Stormlands, the Reach, and Dorne.
Since he couldn't build a castle quickly, a military camp would suffice for stationing troops. He assigned five garrisons, which he called "small war groups," to supply them. He had to deploy almost 2,000 troops at Midsummer Hall.
The remaining soldiers were divided into 15 smaller war groups, spread out around Storm's End, guarding the castle like satellites.
Communication and Structure
For this plan, Cole also ordered the training of many military pigeons. While ravens were the main form of communication in the Seven Kingdoms, training ravens was far more difficult, a specialized subject taught at the Citadel.
He instructed his people to keep pigeons in military vehicles so they could move with the pigeons within a certain range. Since the small war groups wouldn't be too far from the Stormlands, using these pigeons for messages was extremely convenient.
Cole's basic setup for a small war group included a war group leader, an inquisitor, and an administrative officer. The war group leader was in charge of the group, responsible for training warriors and assigning tasks.
The inquisitor, appointed directly by Storm's End, had the power to oversee and judge, acting on behalf of Storm's End in any internal conflicts. The administrative officer managed the group's logistics.
The first war group leaders were chosen from warriors who had distinguished themselves on the battlefield.
Cole decided not to knight them, seeing this strategy as a different kind of reward. This was also how Cole planned to cultivate new talent, as his loyal subordinates were few. Only Camillo and José had been with him from the start.
The battle at Cape Wrath made him realize he desperately needed more capable people. While nobles were useful, they were also easily restricted; if a decision went against their family's interests, betrayal was a risk.
Character and Strategy
Honor was noble and commendable, but Cole doubted if every knight in the Seven Kingdoms truly lived by it. How many "Dragon Knights" like Aemon or "Spearbreaker" Prince Baelor truly existed in Westeros? Singers praised such figures simply because they possessed rare and exceptional character.
As of now, Cole could only think of Eddard Stark, Brienne of Tarth, and a few others in the North, many of whom weren't even knights.
Cole sometimes felt like a villain himself, believing noble character wasn't truly part of him. He couldn't sacrifice his own interests or life for some noble ideal praised by the world. Yet, he didn't see himself as a pure profiteer either, unable to be like Brynden Rivers, the Bloodraven, who had no moral limits in pursuing maximum gain.
He knew that once the Dragon Queen landed in Westeros, the Seven Kingdoms would descend into chaos. He didn't believe the Dothraki's arrival would simply sweep away everything like a strong wind. How long this war would last and who would win remained unknown.
Intelligence and The Wall
After his recent victory, Cole's war group plan progressed smoothly. To keep the loyal knights content, Cole also created a special war group just for nobles, leading it himself. Because few people had experience with his new system, Cole found himself incredibly busy after returning to Storm's End.
He had to train the war group leaders, teaching them how to train soldiers and manage their groups. Most of these men had been commoners before the war and could barely read or write.
He didn't expect perfection; he was essentially "panning for gold in the sand." If someone could achieve results by following his instructions, that was the talent he needed.
Cole returned to Storm's End, his body weary. He planned to bathe and then tackle the documents in his study. Recently, the Golden Company and the Lannister army had been fighting fiercely on Dragonstone.
Those well-trained mercenaries were proving to be a tough opponent for the Lannisters. He wondered if Lord Tywin had received any new information, but for now, the Lannister fleet had retreated to Crab Island, near Crab Bay.
Cole's news was far behind King's Landing. He was also trying to build his own intelligence network, but he lacked the means to create a vast network of "little birds" like Varys. Ravens couldn't convey complex messages, even if they could mimic speech.
So, Cole hired people to gather information from taverns and brothels everywhere. They would bring the information back to Storm's End, where Maester Pylos would assess its value.
Newer information fetched a higher price, and of course, highly valuable information was also priced accordingly. Though not highly efficient, Cole discovered some talented individuals among these informers. This was how he began to establish his intelligence system.
Cole's intelligence system only covered areas near King's Landing and other nearby regions. It didn't even reach the North, let alone across the Narrow Sea. Therefore, he could only guess about many things or ask Caesar to help him.
But Caesar was growing bigger now. Cole didn't know what the dragon ate, but its body continued to expand. Little Black Balerion hadn't grown so fast; he was still a small dragon that couldn't fly very high.
"Your Highness." As Cole walked into the hall, Maester Pylos rushed to him. Clearly, the maester had been waiting for a while. With Maester Pylos by his side, Cole felt relieved of many burdens. Those sent from the Citadel to various castles were always very capable.
Cole took the letter, noting the Night's Watch wax seal on the envelope. It was a letter from his brothers of the Night's Watch. He had told the maester to prioritize any letters from the Night's Watch. Cole nodded, then opened the letter.
Wildlings invade!