"Does anyone still have questions?"
After answering several questions raised by the knights, Nick once again addressed the crowd. By now, the commanders had all done their homework and clearly understood their respective duties. No one spoke up.
"Very good. It will take one month to sail from Rolas to the Stepstones. After arriving, we will be stationed on Bloodstone Island and construct six military harbors! This island is twice the size of Tarth and is the largest island in the archipelago."
"...You must pay attention— the natives on the island are different from the pirates. After handing them over from the slaving parties, the two must be separated..."
"..."
Standing on the podium, Nick spoke endlessly, explaining the strategic deployment in the Stepstones.
The Stepstones were an archipelago formed from the broken arm of Dorne. The terrain of each island was complex, and the pirate strongholds entrenched there were easy to defend and hard to attack. Developing this region would require an enormous investment of manpower and resources.
Tywin and the others were still constrained by a Westerosi worldview. Galadon did not merely intend to set traps—he planned to use the might of a thirty-thousand-strong combined legion to intimidate the Eight Free Cities.
Even so, committing the entire First Legion might still be insufficient to completely wipe out the pirates and natives on the islands and seize full control of several of them.
Violence to suppress violence!
Galadon had invited slaving parties even more ruthless than the pirates themselves, putting up a bounty of two million Gold Dragons on pirates and native islanders. The estimate was over sixty thousand people—thirty Gold Dragons for every head captured.
One had to know that a fully trained Unsullied from Astapor cost only eighty Gold Dragons; a bed slave trained in Yunkai was worth merely ten Gold Dragons; even ten slaves from Slaver's Bay together were worth only one Gold Dragon.
This was far more profitable than capturing slaves in the Summer Isles. You could capture and sell them on the spot, without even needing to send them to Slaver's Bay for training.
At the same time, if large pirate fleets gathered, the First Legion would move out to engage them directly.
As early as two months ago, after the mercenary guild on Tarth posted the bounty, many slaving parties caught wind of it and began roaming around the Stepstones, simply waiting for Tarth to start throwing money around.
"Zhì Nǎo, Rolas has about seventy thousand people. The natives and pirates of the Stepstones number around sixty thousand. How long would it take to form the Second Legion?"
Galadon was also communicating with Zhì Nǎo in his mind.
[For the formation of the Second Legion, the project requiring the longest time is the retraining of five thousand infantry drawn from the Stepstones. It is estimated to take two years of reorganization.]
"It must be shortened. We need to make the people of the Stepstones submit as soon as possible! What plans do you have?"
[Blood and fire deterrence. Host requires a massacre exceeding ten thousand people. At the same time, distribute women to lower-level officers.]
"You— you idiot!"
Galadon nearly opened his mouth again. This thing truly had not a shred of humanity.
Something that could clearly be solved just by letting the Three Little Ones go for a stroll, like Dragon Mama did—yet it insisted on provoking the wrath of heaven and resentment of man.
"What's the second plan?"
Still, Galadon really did understand Zhì Nǎo. To reform pirates who were vicious beyond measure, you had to change them from the soul outward!
Slaughter alone was not enough. People accustomed to licking blood off the edge of a blade, people who would dream of becoming heroes again after eighteen years—how much would they really fear blood and fire?
The Three Little Ones were also insufficient. Their massive size could only create a visual shock to initially intimidate the pirates; it could not make the pirates genuinely reform in their thinking.
Just look at how Dragon Mama in Game of Thrones relied on three dragons to recruit followers everywhere—he was practically speechless.
Accepting anyone and everyone—could that really achieve a level of control where they moved like one's own arms and fingers?
[Second plan: seize Estermont Island and the Disputed Lands, recruit additional troops, dilute the composition of the Second Legion's manpower, while secretly eliminating stubborn pirates who refuse to reform.]
[During the labor reform of pirates and natives on the islands, divide them into classes with different待遇, gradually making them yearn for the status of Tarth's subjects.]
"This plan sounds very reliable!"
Galadon was quite satisfied. Such a good plan was actually ranked second—was this idiot beyond saving?
[The second plan is expected to take half a year longer than the first.Its effectiveness will be reduced by half.]
"Uh—!"
Galadon was speechless. Thank the gods Zhì Nǎo had no self-awareness; otherwise, he would have suspected it was secretly reading his mind.
"Now, please let my lord give his address!"
While he was arguing with Zhì Nǎo, Nick had already finished explaining the strategic deployment for the exercise.
"Train in Rolas for half a year. Drill every day. The two long-range attack regiments should also make some noise!"
Galadon stepped onto the stage to give a brief summary, his gaze falling on the two long-range regiments—one trebuchet regiment and one ballista regiment—together possessing fifty trebuchets and fifty ballistae.
"Remember this: after arriving in the Stepstones, no matter what situation you encounter, absolutely do not rush march!"
His tone was stern. Wherever his sapphire-blue eyes swept, not a single commander dared to meet his gaze.
The First Legion was a heavily armored legion, covered head to toe in iron. The two knightly orders were also heavy cavalry.
The greatest taboo was fighting in unfamiliar terrain combined with forced marches. If they were ambushed, even if they ultimately repelled the enemy through a perfected command system, soldier morale, and excellent equipment, their own losses would still be severe.
"Military orders are as unyielding as mountains. Violators will be punished!"
"All right. Over the next half month, spend quality time with your families!"
Galadon's expression softened slightly. Once the combined legion set out this time, they would be campaigning abroad for at least a year. It was only right to give everyone a long leave.
The population of Tarth Island was only a little over 120,000. The First Legion had already exceeded the one-in-ten limit. Losing more than a hundred men would make Galadon so distressed he wouldn't even be able to eat.
....
Oldtown, the Seneschal's Tower of the Citadel.
"Gentlemen Archmaesters, this is a letter sent back by Maester Windamyr from Pyke on the Iron Islands. Everyone, take a look."
At the conclave, Archmaester Theobald, the Seneschal of the Citadel, passed around a top-secret letter stained with yellow blotches.
"My apologies—when the news arrived, I accidentally knocked over my tea."
To his right, Grand Maester Ambrose narrowed his eyes. After quickly reading it, he exclaimed, "Worthy indeed of being the shield of House Lannister. This shield may be old, but the years have only polished it until it's harder and more slippery!"
"If the Lannisters don't move against Tarth, what should we do?"
"Then let the Master of Ships, Stannis, go probe Tarth's true strength."
"That's not a good idea. Stannis's Dragonstone fleet of over a hundred ships can't afford to disappear again!"
"...."
After passing the letter around like a game of hot potato, the Archmaesters began whispering among themselves in low voices.
Unlike King's Landing, which only noticed Tarth Island's unusual movements after something happened to the Royal Fleet—
Three years ago, when the Citadel failed to receive routine reports from Maester Reed stationed on Tarth for half a year straight, they already sensed that something was wrong on the island.
Over the past few years, the Citadel and Tarth Island had been locked in a state of low-level covert struggle. What shocked the Archmaesters was that the Citadel, which had taken the initiative, had actually fallen behind.
Not only had they never managed to contact Maester Reed, who was supposed to be coordinating from within the island, but several intelligence channels painstakingly built by the Citadel had been uprooted completely.
"Archmaester Marwyn, are the glass candles effective?"
Seneschal Theobald lightly tapped the table, directing his question to a short, stout Archmaester at the end of the table, with a bull-thick neck.
"No, Seneschal," Marwyn said, lifting his Valyrian steel archmaester's chain. "Perhaps it's because magic is severed in this age, or perhaps the glass candle is too far away to take effect."
"My noble Grand Sorcerer Archmaester Marwyn!" shrieked the astronomer Archmaester Vaellyn, nicknamed "Vinegar Doctor." "Glass candles are lost one by one when used—there mustn't be any mistakes!"
"A glass candle is worth only a thousand Gold Dragons. I think Archmaester Marwyn needn't worry at all—just pawn your chain and it'll be fine~ heh heh."
Archmaester Perestan chimed in. He also disliked Marwyn, believing him to be unreliable.
"Enough!" Theobald snapped, defending Marwyn. "Using the glass candles was a decision we made together. Whether it works or not, the responsibility will be borne by all of us."
Grand Maester Ambrose nodded in agreement and added, "What matters most now is how we can uncover the truth about Tarth Island—and how we can make Stannis jump into the trap, even knowing full well that it was set by Tarth!"
...
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"Game of Thrones: Dragon Prince"
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"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)