Lynn stood in front of the shelves, grinning foolishly at the cabbages piled there. Dany watched this scene and felt a chill creep up her spine.
Could it be that my lord suffers from some kind of delusion?
Guard Captain Hood saw that same smile on his lord's face, and his heart was no calmer. He remembered clearly—the first time Lord Lynn had narrowed his eyes atop the city walls, sizing up the sea raiders preparing to attack Fishing Village Harbor, he had worn that very same eerie smile.
Then Hood thought of the bloodstains left along the shore.
That bloody massacre from a few days ago was still vivid in his mind.
"Hood, you said the Ironborn merchant convoy passed through our port and headed north a few days ago?" Lynn asked, the smile fading from his face.
"Yes, my lord. It was about three days ago. We had just finished wiping out the pirates who attacked us. They came to the port to replenish fresh water," Hood replied.
Lynn nodded and continued, "With Ironborn merchant ships, how long does it usually take to travel back and forth between Bite Bay and Widow's Watch?"
Hood didn't understand why his lord was concerned about this, but after thinking for a moment, he answered honestly.
"Well… a regular fishing boat from Fishing Village Harbor usually takes about seven days for a round trip to Widow's Watch. But Ironborn twin-mast long-keel ships only need five days."
They had departed three days ago, and the round trip only took five days. Adding one or two days for loading cargo, that meant the Ironborn merchant ships might arrive in his territory again within the next three days.
Lynn folded his arms and tapped his elbow lightly, calculating in silence.
The timing was just barely workable.
However, he needed to send word immediately to Rodat on the Three Sisters, calling him back for reinforcements.
Ironborn merchant convoys were always equipped with escorts. Those former pirates—even the ordinary sailors—were likely far more combat-capable than typical sea raiders.
Lynn had come up with a plan that killed two birds with one stone.
He turned to the suspicious-looking housekeeper and asked, "Dany, roughly how many craftsmen have we recruited recently? Have you tallied them?"
Dany was still puzzling over what exactly her lord was planning. She was so lost in thought that she didn't respond until Lynn called her name a second time.
"Dany?"
"Yes, my lord!"
Spacing out while work was being assigned—Lynn pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling a trace of displeasure.
Still, he didn't let his irritation flare up. Instead, he patiently asked again.
This time, Dany answered quickly, "Twenty-seven craftsmen in total, plus thirty laborers with no construction experience, my lord."
"Didn't you say these people could quickly learn how to build?" Lynn said. "Send them to completely redo the dock at Fishing Village Harbor."
"Redo it?" Dany froze. "You mean renovate it, my lord?"
"No," Lynn replied flatly. "Tear it down and rebuild it from scratch."
The young housekeeper was taken aback.
Demolishing and rebuilding the dock wasn't a massive project—after all, Fishing Village Harbor's dock wasn't large—but rebuilding wasn't as simple as putting up a house. It meant that the harbor, which originally had only two berths, would be reduced to just one during construction. If merchant ships passed through or fishing boats returned during that time, it would severely affect operations.
What she didn't know was that this was precisely Lynn's goal—to make the small dock at Fishing Village Harbor temporarily crowded and busy.
He had no intention of explaining this to Dany. As a housekeeper, her job was to manage daily affairs and follow orders. Letting internal administration get too involved in external combat matters was never a good thing.
Guard Captain Hood more or less guessed what his lord was planning. He pressed his lips together, wanting to speak, yet unsure how to begin.
Dany, having grown up in a great house, had long learned how to read expressions and grasp the basics of human nature.
For example, right now, it was obvious that Lord Lynn and Guard Captain Hood had something to discuss privately.
So she tactfully chose to take her leave.
"My lord, then I'll go attend to my duties."
Lynn was quite satisfied with his new housekeeper's performance so far. Everything she did was proper and meticulous.
A fourteen-year-old girl with such awareness—good upbringing truly did matter.
Lynn gave a slight nod. Only after her figure disappeared beyond the cellar door did he lower his voice and speak to the guard.
"Hood, I have a task for you."
Hood straightened instantly. "My lord, please give your orders."
"Send a few guards on horseback north along the coastline. Have them bring ravens. The moment they spot Ironborn merchant ships heading south, they are to notify you at once. Once you receive the message, organize several fishing boats and block the entrance to the harbor."
Hood paused. "My lord… are you planning not to supply the Ironborn with fresh water?"
Lynn smiled mysteriously and said lightly, "No. If we don't give them fresh water, they won't leave. And you said they docked at our harbor three days ago without me knowing at all—this means they're highly disciplined and won't disembark rashly. If they were that cautious with empty ships, then when fully loaded with goods, they'll be even more on guard."
Behind Hood's thick beard, his broad face flushed red. He carefully studied the young lord beside him. Under the dim torchlight of the cellar, Lynn's face carried a trace of eerie ferocity.
"My lord… are you planning to ambush the Ironborn merchant ships inside the harbor?" Hood lowered his head and said. "Once those people sense trouble, they'll flee. And Ironborn sailships are fast. If they don't disembark, we don't seem to have much we can do to them."
Lynn examined Hood closely and said, "Hood, you truly are a capable man—keen observation, calm thinking. But I don't think we need to make them leave their ships. They'll jump ship on their own."
Hood said in surprise, "But my lord, Ironborn don't abandon their ships lightly. Making them do so won't be easy."
"Indeed, it won't be easy," Lynn agreed.
"But that won't be up to them." Lynn suddenly narrowed his eyes. "What if their fresh water only makes them thirstier the more they drink… or even infects them with a seaborne plague?"
Hood's face twitched. It was a despicable yet extremely effective method.
With the route blocked behind them by fishing boats, and a plague breaking out onboard, panic would inevitably set in among the Ironborn. Jumping ship would be their only choice.
On the continent of Westeros, fear of plague was even more terrifying than a witch's curse.
"But my lord," Hood said, "what about after they come ashore? They have five merchant ships. Counting sailors and crew, that's nearly two hundred men—all hardened sea raiders who've fought and pillaged along the western coast. With our numbers, we might not be able to take them down."
Hood was reminding him: yes, my lord, your elite cavalry is fierce—they slaughtered the pirates of the Three Sisters like chickens and dogs—but Ironborn were an entirely different matter.
Please don't get overconfident.
Lynn understood this well and handed Hood a reassurance.
The corner of his mouth curled downward slightly.
He reached out, picked up a cabbage from the shelf, and began peeling off its leaves one by one.
Taking a deep breath, Lynn said, "The craftsmen rebuilding the dock will set up some traps around the dock planks over the next two days. When those vicious bastards are trapped within the narrow stretch of coastline near the harbor… no matter how strong the enemy is, they'll be peeled away layer by layer—just like a cabbage."
...
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(End Chapter)