Bernarr Brune of Dyre Den had once served as a squire to Lord Alyn Stokeworth, the Hand of the King under Aegon I.
During the Battle of the Trident in the War of the Usurper, House Crabb and House Brune of Crackclaw Point had fought side by side, bathed in blood, for Prince Rhaegar Targaryen.
Both were model loyalists of the House of the Dragon, the closest of confidants.
Now, under House Baratheon, they were both doing terribly—suffering among the suffering.
–
Sitting atop a towering cliff, the sturdy gates of Dyre Den—which looked to be over forty meters high—remained tightly shut. Glyn decisively abandoned his plan to take the castle by storm.
To capture such a well-defended castle using conventional siege methods would, in Glyn's opinion, cost far too much. The road to hegemony inevitably involved siege warfare, but without dragons, Glyn needed to prepare more unconventional means and methods for taking cities.
At present, Glyn was unprepared for a siege of Dyre Den. If there was an opportunity to get rich quick, he would take it; if not, he would decisively give up.
Glyn comforted himself with the thought: We are both poor lords. Why should the poor make things hard for the poor?
–
When someone dares to challenge you, you should answer resolutely with iron and blood. When they bend the knee in submission, you must help them up with your own hands, otherwise, no one will ever be willing to submit to you again.
Savoring these words from his memory, he turned to Ser Massen Baker. "Ser Massen, the rest is up to you. Handle the ransoms for the captives of House Brune according to the old rules. For the sake of having once fought side by side for the Targaryens, we will spare them this time, but warn them: there will not be a next time."
Massen nodded in acknowledgement.
Glyn then quietly instructed Ser Pell, "Hand the captives over to Emparo for transport. Your Recon Corps will stay behind to continue striking at the wildling tribes, especially those friendly with House Brune. Destroy their settlements just as before, but migrate the population out. The Crabb lands need a large number of farmers."
Ser Massen Baker was about to implement the semi-militarized farming estates Glyn had planned in the newly recovered Crabb lands.
As time passed, Crabb's semi-militarized farming estates would spread across all arable land in the eastern region of Crackclaw Point.
"As you command, my lord."
Glyn nodded with a hum of approval and continued, "We have crushed the main fighting force of the wildling tribes near the Old Crabb lands, so there shouldn't be any more fierce resistance. However, I still require you to treat every battle with caution. If you encounter good hunters, recruit them into the Recon Corps. Recruiting soldiers while striking the wildlings—this is a rare opportunity for training troops."
Ser Pell replied, "My lord, I will strictly obey your orders. As for House Brune..."
Glyn shook his reins, turning his horse to walk in another direction, and Ser Pell urged his mount to follow.
Riding side by side with Pell, Glyn said, "Conversing with you always puts me at ease, Ser Pell. Yes, although they lost this time, House Brune will not submit to me. For a time, there will be no force in the Old Crabb lands capable of threatening House Crabb, which gives us a chance to properly digest the fruits of our victory. At the same time..."
"Aside from the twenty warhorses I have selected to take back, I will transfer all remaining horses to you. The Recon Corps needs speed more."
Glyn turned his head to glance at Dyre Den once more. "House Crabb's footsteps cannot stop. We need constant plunder to support the population of both the new and old territories. We are expanding too fast; the farmland cannot supply so many people."
"The only noble house in the eastern Crackclaw Point that can still cause us trouble is House Brune. This is something I cannot tolerate. One Crabb is enough to be the master of eastern Crackclaw Point."
"Massen will stay behind to handle the development of the old lands. I will order him to coordinate with your campaigns. Start by conquering the wildling tribes friendly to House Brune one by one. I want you to blockade House Brune, making it impossible for them to move a single step, until they submit or vanish."
A smile touched Glyn's lips as he patted Pell on the shoulder. "I must depart for King's Landing soon. I cannot be in two places at once, so I can only rely on you. Fortunately, I have you. Your loyalty and ability have always given me the greatest peace of mind."
"Ser Pell, for the glory of House Crabb."
Pell's expression turned solemn. Placing a hand over his heart, he bowed his head. "My sword shall serve you forever!"
–
Mandon Waters carried a large round shield on his back, a warhammer tucked at his waist, and was currently gnawing on a smoked sausage.
Beside him, Lena said helplessly, "Mandon, do you never get full? Why are you always eating?"
Mandon Waters replied with an honest, naive tone, "Ah, I'm scared of being hungry. I could never get enough to eat before, but it's so much better now. Since following the Lord, I haven't gone hungry once."
Lena rolled her beautiful eyes at Mandon. "You've never been full, yet you're this fat and hard!"
Mandon Waters scratched the back of his head. "Heh heh..."
Lena's eyes darted slyly. "Mandon, if you keep eating like this... be careful so that the Lord doesn't punish you for eating too much."
Mandon widened eyes that seemed to lack the light of wisdom. "Th... th-this... I know I have a big appetite. Should I go turn myself in to the Lord?"
Lena first snorted, then couldn't help but clutch her belly and burst out laughing, leaving Mandon even more confused.
Fortunately, Glyn's voice arrived in time. "Mandon, Lena is joking with you."
Glyn walked over and lightly tapped the top of Lena's head. "He will take it seriously."
Lena cried out in pain, squatting down with her hands clutching her head, while Glyn calmly inspected his own palm.
Mandon suddenly shouted an accusation. "My Lord! Lena isn't in pain! She's faking it! I saw it! She snickered just now! I saw it!"
Mandon Waters possessed a beast-like intuition. From his first day joining Glyn's camp, he sensed that military regulations were closely tied to his future.
To Mandon Waters, Glyn was the first person not to disdain his large appetite, and the one who ensured he no longer went hungry.
While chewing the food in his mouth, Mandon Waters had put in the hard work to memorize the regulations by rote with his not-so-clever brain.
He had just been momentarily spooked by the cunning Lena, but Mandon Waters finally realized that eating too much did not violate military regulations. Naturally, he had to "retaliate."
Mandon Waters jumped up and down, ruthlessly exposing her, his large belly undulating like waves of flesh.
How did this guy suddenly get smart?
Lena said miserably, "Lord Glyn, I beg forgiveness... I..."
Mandon scratched his head. Did the retaliation go too far?
Glyn waved his hand helplessly. "Go on, get Mandon something more to eat. I will forgive you immediately."
–
King's Landing, a corridor in the Red Keep.
Tyrion Lannister sat on the marble balustrade at the edge of the corridor, his short legs swinging back and forth.
Clutching a goblet that seemed never to leave his hand, his face flushed with drink, Tyrion said, "Brother, think of something happy. You worry too much. Sometimes I suspect your affection for our sister isn't normal."
Jaime Lannister, still uneasy, glanced once more toward Cersei's chambers. He sighed deeply and sat on the railing as well, anger lingering on his handsome face. "The Usurper has forgotten what honor is. I can't remember how many times he has laid hands on Cersei."
Tyrion shifted his bottom closer to Jaime and reached out to pat his arm. "You have to understand why I stopped you. If you get involved, the result will only be worse."
Jaime rubbed his face helplessly with both hands.
Tyrion's gaze grew deep, his tone carrying a rare seriousness. "Sister always thinks she's Tywin with teats, but she falls far short. If nothing else, Father has always been as cold and calm as a glacier, whereas Cersei burns like wildfire whenever her emotions flare up. Our King and Queen are like two raging fires; the slightest touch makes them burn even fiercer."
Jaime sighed deeply again. "I just want Cersei to live happily."
(End of Chapter)
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Powerstone Goal - 100 for 1 Bonus Chapter.