The instinct to be king was carved deep into Robb's soul.
The nobles of the Riverlands were desperate for someone to lead them, someone who could take revenge on House Lannister.
The lords of the North were unwilling to have come all this way for nothing. They now held an overwhelming advantage, and they longed to seize even greater benefits from the war.
War was a beast that chose its prey and devoured it—never knowing satisfaction. Once unleashed, it would swiftly awaken the desires buried in people's hearts, only pausing when those desires were temporarily sated.
Clearly, the cravings of the Riverlands and Northern lords were far from satisfied. That colossal monster called war still lay dormant in everyone's hearts.
Thus, Robb being raised up as King in the North was only natural.
Although his acting was a little superficial, fortunately, no one cared.
After putting on the show, Robb returned to his usual expression and set the tone for this entire script.
"Our current goal is to restore the North to the status of an independent kingdom, as it was three hundred years ago—not to make claims over the whole of Westeros like Joffrey or Renly."
"From this moment on, I will no longer inherit the title of duke. I will be king."
"As for legality and justification—there's no need to worry about such things. Just like House Targaryen conquering Westeros, the power I possess is the reason I am king."
A wave of jubilation surged through the nobles of the Riverlands and the North. The boss had formally declared his kingship!
From this day forward, Robb Stark became King in the North, his dominion stretching from the North down into the Riverlands.
The boss's status rising—this was a wonderful thing!
If the boss doesn't rise, how can we rise?If we don't rise, how can our subordinates rise?If the subordinates get no benefits, why would they risk their lives for us?If they won't fight for us, we'll have no men, the boss won't value us, and how can we rise again?
This was the cycle of war.
Watching the delighted expressions on his men's faces, Robb began assigning tasks:
"Greatjon, Rickard Karstark, and Jason Mallister—you three will take your men and camp on the west bank of Riverrun. The towns there are large enough to accommodate your forces."
"Once the hostages have been exchanged, raise your banners immediately and march on the Westerlands. Gnaw away at their territory. Seize everything—gold, grain, and people. The Riverlands have been devastated; without plunder, we won't be able to replenish our strength in the short term."
The three valiant lords nodded in agreement, their faces filled with excitement. Looting was always a lucrative job!They were already prepared for a great battle.
After the meeting ended, Robb went to his grandfather's study. Sitting alone in the chair, he began to think about matters he could not speak of to his subordinates.
After two heaven-defying campaigns, his prestige in the North and the Riverlands had reached its peak.
The most obvious change was that, on the surface at least, there were no longer any "old weasels" who dared to bargain with him when he demanded troops.
But what everyone thought in secret was another matter entirely.
Robb took out a sheet of paper and wrote down four names.
The first was Catelyn.
"Mother has gone to the new king Renly to lobby House Tyrell. Renly is putting on a public wedding with the Little Rose, but he prefers men and has gotten involved with the Tyrells' Knight of Flowers."
"My victory over the Lannisters should reach Mother soon. King Renly will also die mysteriously because of the sorcery used by his brother. With Mother's abilities, there should be a chance for an alliance through marriage with House Tyrell."
On the paper, Robb marked his mother Catelyn in red—this meant everything was proceeding smoothly.
Next was Lord Tytos Blackwood, who had gone to King's Landing to negotiate with Tywin's army. He carried many of Robb's demands, the most important of which was the exchange of hostages.
Joffrey would be easy to deal with, but Tywin and Cersei were not fools.
This trip would not go smoothly for Lord Blackwood, but since Robb's side held the advantage on the battlefield, the final outcome should still be what he desired.
Robb drew a black mark beside Tytos Blackwood's name—this meant there were problems, but the result would ultimately align with his wishes.
After that, Robb looked at the name of Theon Greyjoy, whom he had sent to the Iron Islands. As a companion who had grown up with him, Theon's personal abilities were not in question.
However, as a hostage raised in House Stark, even after being tempered by two campaigns, whether he could withstand his father's pressure was still unknown.
Unlike the original timeline, Robb knew the Iron Islands would rebel and lead an army to attack the North. Thus, every move of the Iron Islands was already within his grasp. Theon's personal choice was powerless to change the overall course of events.
The reason Robb was willing to let him return was also a test of loyalty.
He only hoped Theon would make the right decision.
Robb made no mark beside Theon Greyjoy's name—because he was insignificant.
Finally, Robb looked at the last name: Roose Bolton.
At present, Roose Bolton was holding the Kingsroad with ten thousand men, locked in a standoff with Tywin's army at Harrenhal.
"Although he suffered a defeat earlier, his opponent was Tywin. The fact that Roose Bolton can barely hold his ground under Tywin's pressure proves his military talent is not weak."
If possible, Robb truly wanted to bring Roose Bolton under his command. He had already given that old fox several warnings—it was just a matter of whether the man could see the situation clearly.
Robb drew a single line across Roose Bolton's name, indicating that this person still required observation.
After assessing the situation of the four key ministers he had sent out, Robb began handling the various affairs of the Riverlands and Riverrun—mainly military matters.
"Before the hostages are exchanged with House Lannister, the offensive against the Westerlands must slow down. But we can't do nothing either. To pacify the outside, one must first settle the inside. We were short on time before—now we finally have the chance to clear out internal problems."
Robb's gaze roamed across the map of the North and the Riverlands, until he finally fixed on his first target: the Twins.
"The old weasel at the Twins still has four thousand men under his command. That's a force that can't be ignored. Since we already fell out with him, we can't use those troops. Now that we have time, it's time to go find trouble with him and settle accounts properly."
He rang a small bell, and a gorgeously dressed maid entered the study.
"Go and summon Ser Stevron Frey."
Before long, Ser Stevron Frey—armored and old enough to be Robb's grandfather—entered the study. After pushing the door open, he knelt on one knee.
"Your Majesty, why have you summoned me?"
Robb nodded. "Have you been corresponding with your father recently?"
Stevron Frey's heart skipped a beat. He couldn't tell whether this was a test. After all, the incident where Lord Frey tried to demand benefits and was instead reprimanded by Robb had left their relationship less than harmonious.
Still, as the old weasel's eldest legitimate son and heir to the Twins, correspondence was perfectly normal.
Having thought it through, Stevron Frey nodded. "We have been in contact, my lord. My father sends his congratulations on your brilliant victories."
Robb laughed.
"Congratulating me? I'm afraid he's so scared right now that his pants are already soaked."
...
The fully completed English PDF of this fan-fic is now available on my Patreon shop.If you want to support my work and enjoy the entire story in one go, grab the PDF and binge-read it from start to finish without any breaks.
Patreon Shop:patreon.com /InkNovels
Here are a few fan-fic titles that I've recently uploaded on my Patreon:
"Game of Thrones: Dragon Prince"
"Game of Thrones: Political Life"
"Game of Thrones: Holy Flame"
"The Game of Thrones Upgrade System"
"Game of Thrones: Lannister Kingdom"
"Game of Thrones: Godzilla vs. Dragons"
"Game of Thrones: Ruler of the Deep Seas "
"Game of Thrones The Glory of a Knight"
"Game of Thrones: The Most Powerful Dragon Queen"
" Game of Thrones: From the Elden Lord to the Young Wolf"
"Game of Thrones: Rise of a Lord with the Army-Building System"
(End Chapter)