Last night, after Robb finished praying in the Godswood, he held a brief meeting.
The ambush on Tywin was not complicated; each lord just needed to bring his cavalry and appear at the right place at the right time, without needing to execute any complex plans.
The discussion of these matters took about half an hour, and Eddard also offered a few suggestions. Afterward, the King arranged the castle's defenses, and everyone was dismissed.
Next, everyone in the city found their preferred rooms and quickly caught up on sleep, preparing for the upcoming battle tomorrow.
Eddard slept until evening. As soon as he finished washing up, Abel suddenly blurted out, "Young Master, I heard the waitress at the Golden Glow Tavern in the city is especially beautiful."
"Hm?"
Eddard then put down his towel and looked at the tall Abel with amusement, teasing, "What? Do you want to go see for yourself?"
Most of House Karstark's men, once they reach adulthood, tend to be tall and fierce-looking.
Then he suddenly thought of something and added, "Oh, right, today is your fifteenth birthday."
"Hehehe."
Abel scratched his head, smiling shyly, but gratitude appeared in his eyes.
Today, he had just turned fifteen. According to the village customs, he had now officially transitioned from a boy to a man, but not yet a true man.
Only boys who had been 'nurtured' by a woman would be accepted by their peers; otherwise, they would continue to face ridicule.
Therefore, on their birthday, they would usually find a woman to 'discuss' what should be done during the wedding night.
He had only mentioned this once, and he hadn't expected the Young Master to remember.
"Alright, then let's go see for ourselves."
Eddard knew about this custom and remembered Abel's birthday thanks to a recent dream; he had seen it in the original body's memories.
"Let's go!"
Eddard picked up a longsword from a nearby rack, hung it at his waist, and then led Abel out the door.
On the battlefield, an axe is more effective than a sword but less convenient. In daily life, most people choose to carry a sword.
At this moment, the two brothers, Matthew and Martin, were guarding the door. Since they were going for a drink, Eddard called them along. After locking the door, the few of them chatted casually on the way and learned that after waking up, the others had also gone out in pairs to spend some money.
The two brothers were unlucky; when they flipped a gold dragon to guess heads or tails, they lost both times, so they had to stay behind to guard the door.
Looking at the frustrated faces of Martin and Matthew, Eddard smiled and said nothing.
Abel, on the other hand, was laughing particularly happily.
The Golden Glow Tavern was not far from the inner castle.
When Eddard and his group arrived, it was already very lively inside, with the sounds of revelry drifting out from the open windows.
"That battle last night was truly exhilarating! I followed Lord Umber, fighting from one end of the city wall to the other. My axe blade even got several nicks."
"Oh, please, yours was an ambush. What we fought was truly brutal! Everyone wore two layers of chainmail and carried shields, but we were still pierced right through by the giant ballistas on the city walls. These Southerners, who deserve to be taken by the Others, are really rich!"
"Alright, everyone just be happy. If it weren't for House Karstark's Young Master coming up with a good plan, who knows how many more people would have died to take this city."
"Tch, it's just talk. What's there to boast about? I think that Young Master is also a coward. I heard he wore plate armor and chainmail and even hid behind a wooden wall, afraid of being seen by the enemy. He's just a chicken!"
At this moment, Abel had just lifted the tavern curtain, lowering his head to invite Eddard in. Upon hearing this, his face quickly flushed with anger. He pointed at the person who had just spoken and shouted, "Damn it, what did you just say?"
"What? Not convinced? Yes, I said it. Your Young Master is a cowardly egg."
"Shut up!!"
"What? Want to fight, you stinking brat who hasn't even grown hair down there? Can that thing between your legs even stand up?"
"Damn it!"
Through the door, Eddard saw the person exchanging insults with Abel.
It was Mata of House Norrey, Owen Norrey's younger brother. He was also in plain clothes, his expression a mix of anger and sorrow.
After all, his brother had just died on the battlefield.
Watching Abel, equally furious and clenching his fists as he charged forward, Eddard quickly recalled what the punishment was for fighting with comrades during rest periods.
If it was beheading or being sent to the Wall as atonement, he would have to stop him.
He remembered a few seconds later.
Fortunately, it was only ten lashes, or a fine of one silver stag. Moreover, the enforcer was Ser Brynden, who had a good relationship with him.
After the fight, a plea and a fine wouldn't be a big deal.
Martin and Matthew, the two brothers, rolled up their sleeves, ready to help, but Eddard quickly stopped them.
If it turned into a group brawl, that would be akin to a mutiny, and then people would truly die, with His Majesty the King himself taking up an axe to behead them.
Such an honor, let's just forget about it.
There were also sensible people from House Norrey. Fager also stopped four young men who wanted to help. He even nodded at Eddard, offering an apology.
Eddard waved his hand indifferently and quietly led his people to the bar. He immediately asked the owner for his prized Arbor golden wine. After throwing down a few silver stags, he poured a glass for himself, Martin, and Matthew.
Then he looked at the "battlefield" in the center of the hall.
Previously, during the Battle of Oxford, this group of people, including Abel, had followed Eddard's subordinates from the start, and their rank had already reached [Northern Soldier].
Afterward, they followed Lord Rickard out on raids and participated in the Battle of Golden Tooth, and their ranks all increased by one level.
The five people who came later were already [Northern Soldiers].
Abel had even advanced to [Ice Warrior], with a 40% strength bonus, a 20% stamina bonus, and a tiny bit of frost resistance.
Eddard wanted to see if he could defeat Mata, who was already an adult.
It was a small experiment, after all.
To see what the three attributes of strength, stamina, and agility represented.
At this point, all the people in the tavern were seasoned soldiers, genuinely enjoying the spectacle. They cheered and moved tables, chairs, and benches, instantly clearing a large area in the tavern.
Abel shouted, quickly charged at the short and sturdy Mata, and then threw a punch with extreme speed, even creating a gust of wind.
At this moment, Mata's originally scornful face showed a look of seriousness. He hadn't expected the opponent's speed to be so fast.
He had been in sorrow earlier and had drunk a bit too much, unable to control his mouth and letting out a few complaints. He got provoked and stood up.
Now that the battle had begun, there was no option but to defeat his opponent or be carried out horizontally!
Mata moved his feet and skillfully dodged, then extended his right leg, tripping Abel. He watched as the opponent fell directly onto a table, knocking over bottles and bowls, which shattered all over the floor.
"My Lord!"
Others weren't anxious, but the tavern owner was. He bravely tried to speak and stop them, but then he saw Eddard pull out a handful of silver stags from his pocket and throw them onto the bar.
He carefully picked up the gleaming silver coins, bit them, happily stuffed them into his pocket, and then closed his eyes.
Smash away, he would just pretend not to see it.
Abel nonchalantly got up from the ground, brushed off the debris, and charged at Mata again. He ran very fast, making it difficult for his opponent to react, not at all like a child who had just reached adulthood.
Mata dodged several times in a row, and while evading, he frequently threw punches and kicks, hitting Abel, who couldn't react in time.
After a few minutes, the intense running, dodging, and attacking caused faint beads of sweat to appear on his forehead.
Although Abel was covered in bruises and his clothes were tattered, Eddard could see that he wasn't red-faced or breathless, showing no signs of fatigue.
He was still chasing Mata with powerful blows.
Watching the two fight, Eddard pondered silently.
The increase in strength and stamina should have increased speed, but it did not improve agility, which means reaction time and accuracy of movement.
Not bad. Once he truly controlled Golden Tooth, he might be able to form a heavy infantry unit similar to the Tang Dynasty's Mo Dao team.
That wouldn't require reaction; the great swords would just cut down anyone they met, sparing neither man nor horse.
As Eddard was deep in thought, a small man with shifty eyes came to the bar. Before speaking, he smiled, revealing a mouth full of missing teeth, and asked, "My Lord, I am Tomallo. Are you participating in the bet? The big guy pays two to one, the small guy pays one to two. Only silver stags are accepted."
"Hm? Why are the odds like that?"
"Didn't you see? The big guy has taken so many hits; he might give up from the pain soon, so the odds are higher. My Lord, if you want to participate, you have to be quick; it might be over soon."
Eddard took out another gold dragon from his pocket and said, "I'll participate. I bet on the big guy to win."
Tomallo looked at the gold coin in front of him, quickly calculating if he could afford to pay with the money and assets he had collected. Then he snatched it.
He thought the big guy wouldn't last much longer.
This was a gold dragon!!
No reason not to earn it.
As soon as he took the gold dragon, Abel on the field roared, enduring several heavy blows, and grabbed Mata's clothes. Then he pulled hard, throwing him to the ground.
Then, while Mata was dizzy, he grabbed his neck with one hand and his crotch with the other, lifted him up forcefully, and prepared to throw Mata out the window.
"No, stop, we surrender!!"
Fager quickly tried to stop him, but Abel was unmoved. "Young Master Eddard," he quickly turned a pleading look to Eddard.
"Alright, put him down."
Eddard softly stopped him, then looked at Tomallo, who had set up the bet, a slight smile on his face, and said, "I won."
"Yes, yes."
Tomallo's face showed a stiff smile, then he frantically waved behind him. Two young men, one tall and one short, reluctantly handed over a money bag each. When opened, they were full of gleaming silver coins.
Both the large and small bags were full of silver stags.
Tomallo said with a mournful, tearless face, "My Lord, it's all yours. This is all my worldly possessions!!"
"Alright, tell the owner to pour each of you a good glass of wine, it's on me."
Eddard smiled and dismissed Tomallo and his companions. Then he looked at Abel, who had won and returned, throwing him the money bag and the gold dragon, saying with a smile, "Take this. This is your reward for winning. Now, go have your coming-of-age ceremony."
If a subordinate stands up for him, even if they lose, they should receive some compensation, let alone if they win.
Then they should receive more rewards.
"Thank you, Young Master."
Abel smoothly caught it, his smile even brighter.
He slammed the money onto the bar and started whispering with the owner, pointing towards the kitchen.
Eddard followed his gaze and saw a woman who looked to be around twenty years old.
Her figure was very good, the type that was particularly plump, or to use a term Eddard learned in his previous life, "curvy." Her pretty face was also quite attractive, with a charming yet down-to-earth quality that made her very pleasing to look at, while also instinctively evoking some primal desires.
At first glance, she was even more beautiful than the prostitute who had previously bewitched Theon Greyjoy.
Upon closer inspection, she was even more captivating.
It had to be said, Abel had good taste, choosing such a woman for his first night.
At first, the owner looked at the money bag on the table, somewhat at a loss.
Because it was too much; his small establishment would take a long time to earn a few gold dragons.
This money was almost enough to buy two good horses.
But as the two whispered longer, the owner gradually understood. He carefully put away the small money bag, nodded with a smile, and said, "I understand, I understand. I'll take care of it right away, right away."
He thought, these country bumpkins from the North, although they kill without batting an eye, if you cooperate obediently, they won't make things too difficult for you.
Most importantly, they actually paid for their drinks; not one of them tried to renege on the bill.
They were much kinder than that giant who made people afraid just by looking at him, and that fellow was even a knight who had received holy anointing.
Pah!
For this small request, he would even kneel to make sure his Avril served that bruised young man well.
"Mm."
"Why aren't you following the owner upstairs? What are you standing there for? Or should we go instead!!"
Martin and Matthew, the two brothers, cheered and pushed Abel, their faces showing envy. They had long heard that the waitresses here were very beautiful and wanted to spend some money to try them out.
They hadn't expected their own person to get there first.
Abel put his arms around Martin and Matthew's shoulders and said warmly, "What are you talking about? I also arranged girls for you with the owner."
Although these two were just commoners, they performed excellently on the battlefield. Abel himself, well, he just carried the Karstark name, a distant branch of a distant branch. He would definitely follow Young Master Eddard and stay in the Riverlands in the future.
Since they all served the same master now, it was natural to maintain their relationship.
"Then we should thank you, Abel."
Martin and Matthew were surprised and delighted, then looked at Eddard, asking if they could go.
Abel chuckled and said, "You should all thank the Young Master's generosity."
Then he looked at Eddard again and asked cautiously, "Young Master, do you want to..."
"Alright, go have fun."
Eddard impatiently waved them off, picked up his wine glass, and took a sip of the golden wine.
Feeling the sweetness and fruit aroma in his mouth, he smiled.
In the system, the reason [He supports you] appeared in Abel's personal profile.
While feeling happy, his stomach also rumbled.
Eddard said to the cook who came out to deliver food, "Hey, you, bring me your best dinner here."