"His Majesty Viserys is the incarnation of the Warrior (one of the Seven Gods); we should follow the guidance of the gods and fight under the Warrior's spear."
Priest Umu of Andas called out loudly, then put down his silver-plated staff and knelt at Viserys's feet.
"Andals, those who believe in the Seven Gods should walk the path of the Seven Gods. Our defeat is not a simple failure; it is the Seven Gods' punishment for the faithless. Those who defy the Warrior's command will surely face divine retribution!" Priest Umu shouted.
The Andals, with seven-pointed stars painted on their faces and chests, were awakened from their defeat and panic to another kind of fanaticism: a fervent, intoxicating faith.
"Warrior!"
"Warrior!"
"We should obey the Warrior!" The shouts of the Andal captives rose and fell.
The Andal captives stood up one after another, then knelt towards where Viserys was.
They no longer had weapons like swords and spears at hand; otherwise, they would have laid them at Viserys's feet on the spot.
Viserys had originally planned to carefully assimilate this group of captives.
Unexpectedly, his splendid military achievements combined with the intimidation from "War Priest" Umu made these Andals willingly kneel before him.
The power of religion was indeed terrifying. However, this also aligned with the characteristics of the Andals; the Andals revered the Warrior and championed knights.
Just like the rise of House Arryn, where an excellent knight was chosen to be king.
When the Bronze King was about to reclaim the Vale, the invading Andals in the Vale united and chose a leader who was neither king, prince, nor lord: Artys Arryn.
He was similar in age to King Robar, the best warrior among his peers, a champion in sword fighting, jousting, and the morningstar, and also a resourceful leader deeply loved by his companions.
"Andals, I have received the Warrior's call! We shall fight under the banner of His Majesty Viserys!" Priest Umu shouted.
"Fight!"
"Fight!" The Andals cheered, and the atmosphere became very enthusiastic. After almost all their bandit leaders and core members had died in battle, they were more willing to follow the priest's choice.
"Were you always so quick to kneel?" Viserys asked curiously.
"This is the way of survival for the Andals, Your Majesty," Bishop Umu whispered to Viserys.
Viserys thought about it and realized it was true. Andas and the Rhoyne River, the disputed lands, had now become crossroads and public toilets, where anyone could come and take what they wanted.
These impoverished Andals and Rhoynar, constantly in low-intensity warfare, were very opportunistic.
The two great peoples who once dominated the region had now fallen, and soldiers still needed to be trained step by step.
"But I firmly believe that Your Majesty must be the incarnation of the Warrior; I have never seen such a young and excellent warrior," Umu quickly added.
Being opportunistic was true, and adorning Viserys with a sacred religious mantle was also true.
Viserys nodded. The Westeros people he brought were mostly followers of the Seven Gods, and there was no ideological barrier with these Andals.
"Then you shall mold me into a great man, a Warrior," Viserys told Umu.
"You are already the incarnation of the Warrior," Umu said naturally, dusting off the dirt from his clothes.
Viserys was very satisfied with him; this was talent.
"My fort currently lacks a bishop. I wonder if you would be willing to take on this role?" Viserys asked.
"I am willing to take on this role, but Your Majesty wants me to stay inside the fort... this..." Umu looked troubled.
"What are your concerns?" Viserys urged him to speak plainly.
"dothraki despise forts and towns, which is why Andas and the plains have no towns, only villages and manors. Once there are permanent forts and towns, there's no guarantee they won't be attacked by marauding Horse Riders (Dothraki)," Umu hastily explained. "Although the dothraki usually travel along the Valyria Road and the plains, the people of Andas also fear them."
Viserys knew these things. The dothraki's most frequent destination was the Pentos plains.
The plains were ravaged by the Khals; no matter which khalasar wanted to see the sea, this was a necessary route, and the dothraki would destroy towns along the way.
And the Velvet Hills, though further north, would occasionally attract Khals and marauding Dothraki bandits.
"That's why I want to unite the Andals, so they don't have to hide and suffer humiliation from the dothraki and bandits. Priest Umu, you don't want the Andals to remain so destitute, do you?" Viserys's words carried a persuasive tone.
Umu of Andas's thoughts shifted. He had to admit that Viserys's words made a lot of sense. The Andals had suffered too much bullying for too long.
However, to contend with the invincible Dothraki Khal, their current manpower was laughable.
"Forget it," Bishop Umu's mind stirred. This was a gamble, wasn't it?
After a large number of Andals had crossed the sea and left, the remaining poor Andals lived in poverty and hardship. His business as a war priest supporting his wife and children was even more fraught with risk.
The battlefield changed rapidly; sometimes, he, as a priest, also had to carry a spear and might not be safe from attack.
Rather than that, it was better to try listening to Viserys's opinion.
After all, Umu had never seen a warrior of such noble birth and fighting prowess in the Velvet Hills.
If Viserys failed, it would just be his investment gone wrong, but if he truly made a name for himself, Umu would also rise quickly.
Thinking of this, Umu gritted his teeth, having made up his mind.
"Your Majesty Viserys, I am willing to accept this entrustment and spread the gospel of the Seven Gods among men," Umu said, kneeling.
Viserys was very satisfied. This Umu, after all, was a priest who often ran onto battlefields, not just an ordinary chanting good-for-nothing.
Such a person also had a gambler's mentality.
"Very good." Viserys raised his Sull's sword and placed it on Umu's shoulder. "In my name, Viserys Targaryen III, I hereby appoint Umu of Andas as the first Bishop of Westeros Fort."
After appointing a bishop, it meant that Westeros Fort became more formalized. Forts usually had family priests and septs.
Formal bishop elections were usually nominated by junior priests, just like the Great Sept of Baelor in King's Landing, which, while implementing the king's will, mostly followed the form of nomination.
In the chaotic Velvet Hills, such formalities were not as strict. It was equivalent to Viserys, a secular leader, also appointing a religious leader.
And the benefits Viserys gained were not limited to this.
"your majesty the king," Priest Umu, now elevated to Bishop Umu, said, "Now that this fort is to be built, I will try to reach out to the villages and towns that participated in this expedition and invite my people to come here."
"If that can be done, it would be even better," Viserys replied.
After all, the Andals and the Westeros people shared a layer of kinship and religious connection. Viserys did not reject force, but if he could gently win over the local Andals, that would be even better.
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