Lynd did not stay at Miracle Port for too long; after handling some affairs there, he went to the den chosen by Glutton.
This den was located east of Miracle Port, not far from Redemption Sanctuary.
Lynd ordered a temporary camp to be built here, with a team specifically assigned to care for Glutton and to prevent anyone from accidentally entering the area and being attacked by Glutton.
Lynd did not intend for Glutton to be permanently stationed at Miracle Port. Before long, when he traveled to the Stepstones, he would bring Glutton along. After unifying the Stepstones, he would place Glutton's den on God's Grace Island, allowing it to guard the Stepstones alongside the Three Sea Monster Alliance.
As for Glutton, he did not give too many instructions, only bringing a few high-ranking officials from Miracle Port to meet it. With Glutton's current intelligence, it should know what to do and what not to do.
The next day, he left Miracle Port and returned to Redemption Town, but before leaving, he also instructed Weiss and others to prepare for the upcoming expedition to the Stepstones.
Lynd, upon leaving Miracle Port, did not take the Bone Road back to Redemption Town, but instead took the Crimson Guard River Valley route to inspect the Red Guard City and its surrounding farms and mines.
While taking the shortcut, he also made a trip to Black Hollow to understand the situation there, the progress of various potion productions, and incidentally dealt with Qyburn's matter, lifting the ban on him.
Six months ago, after discovering a deeper cave within Black Hollow and an underground passage leading out of the mountain, Lynd expanded Black Hollow, relocating the original pharmaceutical factory here. He increased the number of scholars engaged in potion research in Black Hollow to fifty, specifically for producing raw potion liquids, with over a thousand supporting pharmaceutical workers, though those individuals were in the factory outside Redemption Town, not in Black Hollow.
To ensure the safety here, Lynd dispatched all the Silent Monks from Redemption Sanctuary who had undergone various trials, possessed devout faith, and absolute loyalty, to Black Hollow to supervise the people there. Outside, five hundred fully armed Chosen of God were stationed to ensure absolute security.
After the ban was lifted, Qyburn's first request was for Lynd to hand over the three church monks who had failed the Seven Gods Trial and become living dead. He might be able to enable these living dead to regain their ability to fight.
This suggestion also reminded Lynd of Qyburn's abilities in the books and TV series of his previous life. After a brief consideration, he agreed to Qyburn's request. However, this matter involved people from Redemption Sanctuary, and by agreement, all internal affairs of Black Hollow were handed over to Moroa. He could only make suggestions; Qyburn needed to convince the two himself regarding the specific matters.
For this reason, Qyburn, who had just had his ban lifted, despite being eager to return to his laboratory to complete his interrupted experiments, had to suppress his impulse and temporarily leave Black Hollow, following Lynd back to Redemption Town.
When he departed from Miracle Port, he had already sent a message to Nameria through Weiss, informing her of his return route. So, as soon as he left Black Hollow, halfway there, he encountered the welcoming party waiting at the Red Guard shortcut station.
Although Nameria wanted to come herself, her pregnancy made movement inconvenient, and there would be dangers on the road. If someone wished to harm Lynd's offspring and set an ambush, even with the strictest protection around Nameria, it would not compare to the safety in Redemption Town or Summerhall Castle. If anything went wrong, they might not even have a chance to regret it.
Therefore, Moose, as the steward of Summerhall, came to welcome Lynd on behalf of Nameria, and he did not bring too many people, only enough to ensure his own safety.
"Is the situation in Redemption Town already this bad?" Lynd asked in a deep voice after listening to Moose's introduction.
Moose said very solemnly, "After Earl Nameria announced her pregnancy, the number of wandering knights, mercenaries, and free riders coming to Tengshi Town doubled compared to the past. They all claimed to come to serve you, but you were still missing at the time, so whether they truly serve you is unknown. Additionally, lords from various regions, to strengthen their ties with us, have sent envoys to establish liaison offices in Redemption Town. They also brought many people, and whether they have other intentions is temporarily unknown. The biggest problem now is that they usually abide by the rules you set, so even if we suspect their motives, we cannot expel or arrest them."
Lynd could feel the immense impact of his sudden disappearance during the battle with the sea dragon. From Moose's words, it was not difficult to sense the state of extreme vigilance, as if all outsiders who appeared in Redemption Town during this period were assassins with ulterior motives.
It was precisely because of this that, in his absence, they brought out his plan to unify Prince's Pass, concentrating all available forces in the territory to control that mountainous area in a short time. They wanted to use this battle to demonstrate their strength, just as a hedgehog facing danger curls up and extends its quills outwards.
And precisely because of their different mindsets, Lynd did not consider the people Moose mentioned to be a threat. However, he did not refute Moose's concerns. Instead, he thought carefully and said, "Don't those wandering knights, mercenaries, and free riders want to join my territory and serve me? Recruit all of them and send them to the military camp for training. Whether they have ulterior motives or are truly loyal, I will need them in the future. As for those liaison offices, as long as they follow the rules, there is no need to pay attention to them. I have returned, so even if they have any schemes, they should weigh whether they can withstand my wrath."
Upon hearing this, Moose puffed out his chest and replied, "Yes, Earl, I know what to do."
It was late at night when Lynd returned to Summerhall. Apart from Glory, who sensed Lynd's return and ran to the outskirts to greet him, Lynd's return to Redemption Town did not alarm too many people. It was not until the next day, when Lynd summoned officials from various departments of Summerhall to a meeting at the castle, that the people of Redemption Town learned of his return.
In reality, there was not much to deal with at this meeting. While Lynd was away, Nameria and her subordinates like Moose had handled everything exceptionally well, even better than when Lynd himself was present.
The main purpose of summoning everyone to the castle this time was to let those below know that he had safely returned to Redemption Town, to stabilize the somewhat unsettled morale during this period, and also to serve as a warning to some ambitious individuals in town, making them behave themselves, retreat if they should, and bow their heads if they must.
After a brief conversation with his subordinate officials, Lynd concluded the meeting. As the officials left the castle, the news of his return to Redemption Town spread.
"Sorry for making you worry!" Lynd and Nameria were strolling in the castle's small courtyard. When they reached the balcony overlooking the entire Redemption Town, Lynd suddenly said with deep apology.
Nameria was momentarily stunned to hear Lynd's apology, feeling a bit surprised by his action. Then she smiled, patting her slightly bulging belly, and said, "It's alright. These past days, I've begun to understand why Mother was so unusual when that person went to war back then. I used to resent Mother for it, but now it seems I was quite childish and ridiculous at the time."
Hearing Nameria's words, Lynd frowned, then suddenly, as if making a decision, a resolute expression appeared on his face. He then squeezed Nameria's hand and said, "I'm going to Redemption Sanctuary this afternoon. You come with me! We can get married too, by the way."
Nameria was completely stunned. It took her a long time to realize what Lynd was saying. Then she smiled and simply replied, "Okay!"
Just as Lynd's proposal was simple and Nameria's acceptance was simple, their wedding was also very simple. It was held in Redemption Sanctuary, with Sister Melissa, dressed in a bishop's robe, presiding over the ceremony, where they completed their marriage vows.
Although the ceremony was simple, many people attended the observation in Redemption Sanctuary. Besides officials from Summerhall and Tengshi Town, the heads of the liaison offices from various major noble houses in Redemption Town were all present, becoming witnesses to their marriage.
Furthermore, their wedding ceremony was unique. After they exchanged their marriage vows, the Stone Giants began to chant ancient songs, and accompanied by the singing, a golden light descended from the sky, penetrating the sanctuary's seven-pointed star stained-glass window, passing through the Seven Gods statues, and falling upon the couple. This scene was incredibly sacred and solemn, as if the Seven Gods were blessing their marriage. Everyone present involuntarily knelt on the ground, reciting the Seven Gods prayers, offering their blessings to the couple.
For the officials of Summerhall and Tengshi Town, the couple's formal marriage undoubtedly resolved a major concern.
Although the legitimacy of Nameria's unborn child had been recognized by the church, Nameria and Lynd were not officially married, so the child would always be a bastard. This could potentially become an obstacle to the child's legitimate inheritance of their territories.
Now, with Lynd and Nameria becoming official spouses, the only easily assailable weakness of the unborn child has been rectified, which will make both territories even more stable.
Lynd and Nameria only intended to have a simple wedding ceremony, and their wedding ceremony was indeed extremely simple among all the ceremonies of great nobles and lords. However, not everyone thought a simple ceremony was better.
People within the territories of Summerhall and Tengshi Town spontaneously organized celebratory activities, and congratulatory gifts from other noble lords continuously arrived, lasting for over a month. From the Prince of the Summer Isles in the southernmost region to the Night's Watch at the Wall in the northernmost, and the Archon of Volantis in the easternmost, gifts from various dignitaries piled up in the castle's warehouses.
The most valuable of all the gifts was a Valyrian steel battle-axe sent by the Archon of Volantis.
What surprised Lynd the most was a gift from the House of Black and White in Braavos: a set of statues of Night Lion and the Daughter of Light, carved and polished from black stone.
To those who understood the story of Night Lion, this statue was not merely an exquisite work of art; it also carried a hint of blessing. Night Lion and the Daughter of Light gave birth to the Human Emperor, who ruled the Dawn Kingdom for tens of thousands of years, eventually ascending to the sky to become one of the constellations.
Clearly, the symbolism of this set of statues was already very obvious. Nameria, after learning the relevant mythology, also liked this set of statues very much, and after testing that there was no danger, she placed them in their castle bedroom.
However, Lynd's officials still did not understand why the House of Black and White in Braavos would so abruptly send a congratulatory gift to Lynd. Summerhall did not have much interaction with Braavos, and as for the House of Black and White, which held a special status in Braavos, they had never had any contact. Logically, the House of Black and White should not have reacted at all to Lynd and Nameria's marriage.
Only Lynd knew that the person who sent this set of statues should be the little girl he saved that day. That person had probably become an important figure within the House of Black and White by now; otherwise, it would have been impossible to send such a valuable set of statues.
Originally, Lynd planned to rest for two days upon returning to Redemption Town, and after handling the affairs there, he would set off for the Stepstones to completely unify them.
However, after seeing Nameria's slightly bulging belly, he felt that unifying the Stepstones did not seem so urgent. He decided to implement the plan after Nameria gave birth.
Although the plan to attack the Stepstones was temporarily halted, Lynd was not idle. He ordered Horth to transfer the main base of the Miracle Fleet to Godgrace in the Stepstones, leaving only a portion of the fleet to patrol the Dorne Sea and maintain maritime security. He also specifically went to Miracle Port to inform Glutton, asking it to assist the sub-fleet in maintaining order in the Dorne Sea.
In the following months, Glutton dealt with more than a dozen pirate groups from the Stepstones. These pirates wanted to take advantage of the Miracle Fleet's absence from the Dorne Sea to plunder, and without exception, none of them returned to the Stepstones. However, they did not end up in Glutton's stomach; instead, they were captured and sent to Black Hollow to become experimental subjects.
With the support of so many experimental subjects, some of Moroa's potion ideas were realized, among which the most concerning to Lynd was a type of hypnotic agent called Loyalty Potion.
This potion was not proposed by Lynd for manufacturing. Rather, Sister Melissa and Elder Colin felt that enhancing the piety of Redemption Sanctuary nuns and monastery monks through daily prayers was too slow. They hoped Moroa could create a potion that would accelerate the devout faith of believers and monks. Coincidentally, Lynd had mentioned anesthetic for treatment to Moroa at the time, and she combined the two ideas, eventually producing this Loyalty Potion through extensive testing on experimental subjects.
As for how powerful this potion was, its effect could be seen from a devout follower of the Lord of Light becoming a fanatic of the Seven Gods within just ten days.
However, this potion was not without flaws. The biggest flaw was that the user would fall into a state of madness similar to schizophrenia, and it could not be cured.
Logically, this Loyalty Potion should have been considered a failure, but if the Loyalty Potion was combined with the living dead who had not passed the Seven Gods Trial, then the Loyalty Potion became Lynd's most important potion, even surpassing the Seven Gods Potion in some aspects.
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