The Northern delegation stayed in Harrenhal's territory for some time, only bidding farewell after Roman had roughly cleared out the spies in the region.
Bowen Marsh looked at the more than three hundred captives and the purchased grain in the distance, his face breaking into a wide grin. This single addition of men was nearly one-third of the current total strength of the Night's Watch.
It had to be said that these spies were truly loyal. They would rather work in the mines or even die at the hands of House Whent than go to the Wall.
Bowen Marsh bowed deeply. "Thank you for your mercy, Lord Roman. May the gods bless your family!"
Roman waved a hand. "No need for thanks. I was just wondering how to deal with these fellows when you happened to arrive. Since you're heading back, let me give you something."
At that moment, Fili came over dragging a large chest that emitted a faint metallic clinking sound.
"Lord Roman, I've brought all the longswords—twenty in total, not one more, not one less!"
Roman fondly rubbed the girl's head. "Good work. Take a rest while I finish up here."
The Northerners nearby watched Fili in surprise. They had clearly seen the slender girl easily moving a chest much larger than herself.
Everyone murmured, "Lord Roman's side is truly full of hidden talents!"
"Alright, everyone, come take a look. This is the gift I have prepared for you."
Roman flipped open the wooden chest with one hand, revealing twenty two-handed longswords lying inside.
The swords were of uniform design, silver-white all over with sharp blades. The crossguards and hilts were also made from high-quality materials.
Bowen Marsh and Snow curiously picked up the swords to test them, but the moment they lifted them, they realized something was wrong.
They were too light. It was impossible for two-handed swords to weigh so little!
"Don't be surprised," Roman said. "These are made using a special forging process. We can only produce them on a small scale for now, so I only have these twenty to give you."
Snow and Bowen Marsh exchanged glances. They suddenly recalled the knowledge Maester Aemon had once shared—legends said Valyrian steel swords were created by blacksmiths incorporating magic during the forging process. Those swords were sharp, strong, and light beyond ordinary means.
Roman was a dragon who could wield fire magic. Did that mean…?
At that thought, Snow and Bowen Marsh quickly found some materials and swung the swords to strike.
From straw mats to burlap sacks, then to wood, and finally to ordinary iron armor plates.
Without exception, all these materials were easily sliced through. The swords even hummed when they struck the iron armor.
Moreover, after hacking through these hard objects, the blades remained perfectly intact, showing no sign of chipping or rolling.
Fat Sam, standing nearby, saw it clearly. With his vast knowledge, he recognized the truth at a glance.
"Valyrian steel?!"
Roman did not confirm it. He simply said it was a local specialty they had developed.
"The forging process for true Valyrian steel was lost long ago. This is just a new technique we discovered after producing a great deal of iron. Don't worry about what they're made of. As long as they work well, that's what matters."
Looking closely, these swords lacked the rippled patterns of true Valyrian steel, but their performance was already on par with it. That alone spoke volumes.
"Thank you for your generosity," Bowen Marsh said. "We will keep the secret."
He then handed one longsword to Fat Sam. "Aren't you heading to the Citadel? This weapon will be perfect for self-defense. You'd better study hard when you get there, or Maester Aemon will have no successor!"
With that, Bowen Marsh placed the remaining longswords back into the chest. These precious weapons would be left for the Old Bear to decide how to distribute.
Snow looked at the steel sword in Fat Sam's hand, his eyes shining with envy.
At that moment, Roman walked over and patted Snow on the shoulder. "Stop staring. To thank the North for supplying raw materials to Harrenhal, I've also prepared gifts for House Stark. You'll have one soon enough."
Snow deflated slightly. "But… I'm not a Stark…"
He regretted the words the moment they left his mouth, but Roman asked loudly,
"Lord Eddard treats you and Theon Greyjoy as his own sons. All of Westeros knows this. By saying you are not of House Stark, are you implying that Lord Eddard is actually a hypocrite?"
"No! Father has always treated me like a trueborn child, even though I'm just a bastard!"
Roman smiled. "Then isn't that right? Take it if I tell you to. If you really don't want them, give them back and I'll award them to my knights instead."
"No! I want it!!"
Snow was flustered now. He couldn't miss out on such fine weapons. Who knew if there would be a next time?
Roman laughed at Snow's reaction and assured him he would not be disappointed. Then he bid farewell to the Northerners.
Before leaving, Snow and Fat Sam gave each other a tight hug. Who knew when they would meet again after this parting?
Snow teased, "Sam, you're so fat I can barely get my arms around you. I heard the Reach is a nice place with food and wine everywhere. Don't get any fatter!"
Samwell Tarly replied, "Don't worry, Snow. I have a mission. I won't be indulging in pleasure. Just wait for my news in the North!"
Roman pulled Bowen Marsh aside. "After you use these longswords against the enemies beyond the Wall, remember to tell me how effective they are so I can make improvements."
Bowen Marsh did not fully understand what enemies beyond the Wall Roman was referring to. There was currently little conflict between the Free Folk and the Northerners under Mance's mediation.
Still, he solemnly agreed to Roman's request.
After Snow and the others left, Sam followed Roman toward Rosby.
On the way, Fili sent a raven to deliver a letter, but Lord Tarly thought it was another scout and ordered the archers to fire. The raven had no choice but to retreat.
"Roman, this kind of work is too dangerous. I almost didn't get to see Lady Fili again! You should send a person next time."
Fili checked the raven in a panic and breathed a sigh of relief once she confirmed it was unharmed.
"I'm sorry, Lord Roman. I failed to deliver the letter. I'll think of another way shortly."
"No need." Roman gently pinched Fili's nose. "Lord Tarly is an excellent commander. He surely has countermeasures for our tactics. There is nothing wrong with you or the raven. Now it is time for me to step in personally."
Roman picked up a short spear, wrapped the letter around it, and then took to the skies.
The army at Rosby was also battle-hardened. Seeing a dark shadow moving rapidly through the air, they immediately realized it was Roman.
The defenders instantly deployed the scorpions on the castle walls and mobilized soldiers on the surrounding high ground. Dozens of scorpions were aimed at the sky in moments.
"I didn't expect towers to be built on the surrounding high ground as well. It looks like they intend to use scorpions and catapults to create crossfire. And the number of scorpions in Rosby far exceeds expectations."
"Lord Tarly is indeed difficult to deal with. In the future, I'll have to move with the main army."
Seeing many scorpions aiming from a distance, Roman immediately climbed to a high altitude, rendering the dragon-hunting bolts ineffective.
Then he tucked his wings, his whole body forming a sleek shuttle shape as he dove vertically.
"Fire! Roman is diving!!"
Although the defenders tried to predict his descent trajectory, it exceeded the limits of the human brain. The bolts missed one after another, and they entered the reloading phase.
Furthermore, because Roman was already over the city, those scorpions were restricted by the walls and could not turn around. Thus, Roman was able to descend to a suitable position without further danger.
He seized the opportunity and threw the spear directly onto the square of Rosby before quickly departing.
He now knew the specific deployment at Rosby and had a clear understanding of the scorpions' limits.
"Have a good talk with your son, Lord Tarly. Things won't be this peaceful in the future."
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