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American Fast & Furious NSFW
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Don Quixote finally spoke, smiling:
"I'm planning to form a mercenary company!"
"A mercenary company?"
Shane and Warren, both native Northerners, were hearing the term for the first time and looked visibly confused.
The North held to the Old Gods, and the traditions of knighthood were thin here. Even hedge knights and freelance swords were a rarity, let alone organized mercenary companies.
Most Northerners had never even heard the term.
Tom, hailing from the South, had heard of them.
He thought for a moment and asked:
"You mean like those sellsword companies over in Essos?"
"Exactly," Don Quixote nodded.
Tom hesitated for a moment before voicing his concern:
"I've heard that down South, if a mercenary band gets too big, the lords start seeing them as bandits. They usually band together to wipe them out!
"And up here... the Northmen follow the Old Gods. They have an even harder time trusting sellswords who fight for coin."
Essos was a fractured mess after the Doom of Valyria, with many Free Cities unable to maintain standing armies. The constant power struggles and border wars created a breeding ground for groups like the Golden Company, the Second Sons, and the Brave Companions—massive, organized armies for hire with thousands of men and clear chains of command.
They thrived on the wars between the Free Cities.
Westeros was different.
The feudal system was stable; lords called their banners and levied their smallfolk for war, costing them nothing but food.
More importantly, lords wouldn't tolerate large armed groups roaming their lands.
So, large mercenary companies couldn't survive here.
Unless the entire continent fell into chaos.
Supply follows demand.
Only when lords ran out of men would they turn to large mercenary companies.
...And that chaos was coming soon!
Breaking his train of thought, Don Quixote smiled slowly:
"You're giving me too much credit, Tom. I'm just planning to put together a small squad of four or five men.
"A group that small... heh, the high lords won't even bat an eye at us."
Don Quixote paused, looking at the three men, and continued:
"Have you ever thought about why freelance knights like us are always broke? Why we're always scraping the bottom of the barrel?"
Without waiting for an answer, Don Quixote exhaled and spoke in a low voice:
"It's because most lords don't trust us.
"They think we have no honor!
"They think fighting for coin is a betrayal of chivalry!
"They assume our loyalty is non-existent, that we're nothing but faithless opportunists!"
Don Quixote chuckled darkly before continuing:
"But we need to survive. Our weapons need maintenance, we need new steel, and our horses need fodder every single day.
"Some of us even have wives and children waiting on that coin just to eat!
"How are we supposed to do any of that without money?
"Heh, those high-and-mighty lords never think about that!
"They take it for granted that we should serve them selflessly, just like their smallfolk!
"But they forget—the feasts that make them fat, the silks on their backs... every bit of it is squeezed out of those very same smallfolk."
Don Quixote saw the shock on their faces.
Shane and Warren, in particular, looked as if they were hearing something scandalous.
He decided not to push that point any further and shifted gears:
"So, working for money is only natural!
"And asking for fair pay for risking our lives is perfectly reasonable!
"We need to find employers who are smart enough to understand that!
"But before that happens, we need to prove our strength and our reputation. We need to make them willing to part with their Gold Dragons and Silver Stags, and willing to trust us with the job!"
Tom looked at Don Quixote, puzzled:
"Captain, I get what you're saying, but how do we actually make them trust us?"
Don Quixote smiled:
"Overwhelming strength!
"We're all freelance knights, and we all went to House Cerwyn for work at the same time. Why was I the one they relied on, while you were sidelined?"
Tom thought for a second and replied immediately:
"Because you're stronger than us, My Lord!"
Don Quixote nodded:
"Right. It's because I easily beat two of their cavalrymen and held my own against Ser Kyle.
"That's why they used me. Is my character or reputation really better than yours?
"Heh, not necessarily.
"This was my first real job. Why would they trust a guy with a blank history like me? The only reason is that I was stronger."
Warren gave a helpless, bitter smile:
"Captain, my skills are what they are. I don't think I'm getting any better."
Don Quixote grinned:
"Strength isn't just about the individual; it's also about the power behind them!
"Warren, I guarantee you're a better fighter than some lords. So why do people look down on you, while they fear and respect those lords?"
Hearing this, Warren felt a mix of satisfaction and panic.
He hurriedly looked around, terrified a lord might suddenly appear.
...But in this freezing hellscape, why would a lord be out here?
After a moment of paranoia, Warren looked back at Don Quixote with burning interest.
Don Quixote continued:
"It's because the House standing behind that lord demands respect.
"So, Warren, if you had a faction behind you—maybe not one as powerful as a noble House...
"But compared to other freelance knights with the same skills as you, compared to men fighting alone...
"Employers would look at you differently."
Warren nodded. Don Quixote's words had struck a chord.
Don Quixote smiled, looking at Shane and Tom, who were equally silent and expectant. He spoke with a persuasive lilt:
"If we form a mercenary company, you won't be fighting alone anymore!
"With the company behind you, other hedge knights and sellswords won't dare look down on you!
"Even the lesser nobility will have to think twice!
"And the scum of the world won't bully you so easily, because they'll have to worry about the company coming for revenge!"
Don Quixote paused, letting them digest this, before adding:
"A mercenary company doesn't just give you backbone.
"It boosts your reputation!
"Heh, for men like us, reputation is just as valuable as skill with a blade. I don't need to tell you how important that is!"