Stevron Frey lowered his head. "My father holds Your Majesty in the highest regard. He will absolutely not repeat the mistakes of the past."
Robb looked at him and suddenly spoke, "You're already over sixty, aren't you?"
"Yes… Your Majesty." A stir passed through Stevron Frey's heart.
All this time, there had been an unspoken understanding between Robb and Stevron.
Robb would, intentionally or not, often bring up Stevron's age, saying things like how rare it was in the world to see an heir in his sixties.
And because he had too many sons, and because Lord Frey himself was far too old, the Frey family had long been far from harmonious. Family affection had grown thin.
Some sons and grandsons were even willing to grovel shamelessly before Lord Frey, yet showed little respect toward Stevron.
This was not hard to understand. On the continent of Westeros, sixty was already considered advanced age. As for whether he or Lord Frey would die first, that was still an unknown.
Thus, the anxiety and unease in Stevron Frey's heart gradually wore away what little familial affection remained—at least, the affection he once had for his father and brothers had nearly been ground down to nothing.
Robb had seen through the situation within House Frey, which was why he chose to bring Stevron Frey to his side. This, in itself, was a gamble.
"You've followed my wolf cavalry into battle. That makes you half my knight. Go back and write a letter to your father. Tell him that I will be paying him a visit soon. Just like last time, I will only bring my wolf cavalry with me.
"You'll come with me as well."
Stevron Frey bowed his head deeply, his aged hands trembling slightly. "Yes, Your Majesty."
——
The Riverlands had previously suffered brutal ravaging at the hands of House Lannister. Every lord had taken heavy losses, and as a result, countless smallfolk had been slaughtered or driven from their homes.
When refugees increased and supplies dwindled, bandits and brigands naturally followed.
Robb had already sent his uncle Edmure to gather supplies from across the Riverlands and to rally scattered soldiers, but that alone could not completely change the chaos there.
Robb planned to head north to Luànhe City, and he could take this opportunity to train his wolf cavalry while also cleansing the roads of bandits along the way.
Before departing, Robb met privately with Maege of Bear Island and Ser Brynden, the Blackfish, giving them careful instructions.
One of them was Robb's "whip of military law," while the other was his eyes and ears on the battlefield. Both were deeply trusted by him.
In the end, Robb went to see his grandfather. His body had recovered a little, but decline was inevitable. Robb did not wish to burden him with further worries, so they only chatted about everyday matters before Robb took his leave.
In the afternoon, Robb arrived at the camp where the wolf cavalry was stationed. Upon receiving the news, Smalljon and Greenbeard came forward to greet him.
Greenbeard was visibly nervous. "Y–Your Majesty, we await your command."
After paying his respects, Smalljon said with an energized expression, "Your Majesty, we're all ready. We can depart at any time."
Ever since the battle of the Whispering Wood and the Battle of Riverrun, the fearsome reputation of the wolf cavalry under the Young Wolf had spread across the entire continent.
In the Riverrun camp, the wolf cavalry was known to all. Many ordinary soldiers even came over just to watch, wanting to see what these legendary wolf cavalry actually looked like.
This brought the wolf cavalry immense satisfaction. That feeling of being respected and admired was intoxicating, and it caused them to unconsciously hold themselves to even stricter standards, striving to live up to the expectations others had of them.
This was a very common psychological effect.
As a result, the spirited expressions of the wolf cavalry formed a sharp contrast with the weary, uneasy Tyroshi mercenaries.
Robb glanced at the Tyroshi mercenaries, then at the original wolf cavalry.
The two groups were clearly divided.
It seemed that during these past few days together, Smalljon had failed to let these men absorb the wolf cavalry's sense of collective honor.
This was not a good sign. The wolf cavalry Robb needed had to be a single whole—an extension of his own body, something he could command and control at will. The two fractured groups before him clearly could not achieve that.
This problem would have to be resolved on the road to Luànhe City.
Having made up his mind, Robb rode his horse over to the Tyroshi mercenaries and spoke slowly.
"How much did Jaime pay you?"
Greenbeard, standing nearby, hadn't reacted yet. "What did you say?"
Robb replied calmly, "Aren't you mercenaries? Jaime pays you money, and only then are you willing to sell your lives for him. Isn't that right?"
The mercenaries exchanged looks. One of them finally gathered his courage and spoke up. "Your Majesty, for one battle, House Lannister pays us two silver stags. Each."
Robb smiled. "For that little money, why risk your lives? Smalljon, tell them how much they'll earn after becoming wolf cavalry."
Smalljon lifted his head high and announced proudly, "From now on, you'll receive one gold dragon. Every month."
Boom!
All of the Tyroshi mercenaries erupted in an uproar. They had never imagined their new lord would be so generous—one gold dragon?!
A farm boy might not earn a single gold dragon in his entire lifetime!
And they could get that much in just one month?!
Seeing the Tyroshi mercenaries instantly lose discipline, all of them excitedly whispering to one another, Smalljon flew into a rage.
The wolf cavalry was the most elite force under Lord Blood Wolf. How could they be this loose and disorderly?
He called Robb Blood Wolf.
Blood Wolf was the private title the wolf cavalry, led by Smalljon, used for Robb among themselves. They had all personally witnessed Robb on the battlefield, fighting one against a hundred, his entire body soaked in blood.
"Lord Eddard is dead. He's no longer the Young Wolf—he's the Wolf King!"
"What Wolf King? Didn't you see how Robb looked that day? Just watching made my legs tremble. Terrifying—like he crawled out of a sea of blood. He's the Blood Wolf!"
"Blood Wolf, that name's good! I bet that bastard Joffrey would piss his pants just hearing it!"
Through discussions like these, back and forth, the wolf cavalry eventually agreed unanimously to call Robb Blood Wolf, using it to distinguish their own respect for him from that of others.
Smalljon felt it was his duty to teach these mercenaries what discipline meant.
"Shut up! You idiots—can't you see His Majesty is here? Shut your beaks and be quiet!"
"Who the hell are you, you bastard? What are you supposed to be, telling us what to do?!"
Immediately, some of the mercenaries refused to accept it. They were free mercenaries by nature, undisciplined and unrestrained. Seeing someone dare curse at them, they naturally refused to back down and began shouting curses in return.
Smalljon exploded in fury. He grabbed his riding whip and strode toward the man, snapping it out in a single stroke and leaving a red welt across the man's face.
Pa!
It was like cold water poured into hot oil—the entire camp instantly boiled over. More than three hundred Tyroshi mercenaries flew into a rage, drawing their weapons and glaring at Smalljon, filthy words pouring from their mouths as if they would tear him apart the very next second.
The wolf cavalry swiftly turned, facing off against the Tyroshi mercenaries. Yet none of them drew their weapons, and none of them spoke. They simply stood there in silence.
Because they had not heard Robb's order.
...
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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)