By the time Euron arrived in Moat Cailin, four days had passed.
In order to arrive as soon as possible, Euron led his men on a journey that lasted day and night.
And as it turned out, he did the right thing.
At this time in Winterfell, rescuers were still arriving one after another.
He had already begun persuading his brother to attack Winterfell one by one.
Moat Cailin, the city gate tower.
A cold, salty wind swept across the swamps of Moat Cailin, where countless black Iron Fleet longships were moored in the waterways.
Victarion looked down at its fleet, yet remained as silent as an iron-cast reef.
The reason was that the other person in the room —Euron— brought him not victory, but a crushing defeat!
After a long silence, he finally spoke with a cold, sarcastic tone.
"So, you failed to take down Winterfell and instead came back like a dog that'd been kicked in the stomach?"
Victarion harbors deep resentment towards Euron.
At this point, they mocked him mercilessly, leaving him no face whatsoever.
Euron, however, didn't care at all. Instead, he grinned and revealed a crazy smile.
His black eyes gleamed with an eerie light.
"My dear brother, there are always winners and losers in war."
"I was just testing the wolf cubs' teeth and leaving them with a memorable impression."
He downplayed his failure and then dropped a bombshell.
"And I have even more interesting news—our dear niece, Asha, is so enthusiastic that she has moved into the Deepwood Motte."
"What?!"
Victarion suddenly stood up, and the whole room seemed to shake.
" Asha has been captured? How do you know? Is it reliable?"
Euron leaned back lazily in his chair, ignoring his brother's furious outburst.
"Very reliable!"
"If Glover hadn't defeated Asha and rescued Winterfell in time, I wouldn't have failed so quickly!"
"Her distant relatives have also come looking for her; they're right outside the door. You can go and ask them."
Victarion's face turned extremely ugly.
Asha is Balon's only adult child and currently Balon's only heir!
He had to consider it carefully.
Victarion was silent for a moment, then said in a deep voice, "This news must be reported to Balon immediately so that he can make the decision!"
Victarion knew his older brother would definitely bring Asha back, after all, she was his only heir.
Therefore, he preferred to play it safe and wait for Balon's orders.
"Reporting to Balon?"
But Euron just chuckled, as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world.
"By the time our furious brother sends orders from Pike Island, Asha's children might already be calling Glover 'Dad'!"
"Besides, do you think the Northerners will obediently wait for us to negotiate?"
He stood up, walked up to Victarion, and spoke in a seductive voice.
"Now is the best opportunity!"
" Winterfell has just experienced a major battle. Although it won by luck, it must have suffered heavy losses and its people are in a state of panic."
" Glover has fought two battles against Asha and me, so their forces must be few in number."
"Furthermore, although reinforcements are gathering from all over the North, they are leaderless and suspicious of each other!"
Euron spread his arms wide, his eyes flashing with an eerie light.
"And we—you have the strongest Iron Fleet, and I have the fearless Silence; together we have over three thousand elite troops."
"While they're still arguing about who should be the alpha wolf, we'll charge straight down Kings Road and completely crush Winterfell!"
"At that point, rescuing Asha will be a natural next step."
He looked at Victarion's tall figure and extended an invitation.
"My dear brother, this is what we Ironborn should do—take everything we want with sword and fire, not sit in a damp, cold castle waiting for ravens!"
Victarion was moved by Euron's words; he himself believed more in force than negotiation.
The thought of conquering the northern capital in one fell swoop seemed to bring immense glory and spoils within reach.
After much hesitation, he was finally persuaded by Euron's madness and ambition.
"good!"
Victarion slammed his fist on the table. "As you wish! Assemble all the lads in the fleet who are capable of amphibious operations and prepare to depart immediately! We will let the people of the North know that the sea monster's wrath has only just begun!"
At Victarion's command, Ironborn quickly mustered their forces and charged toward Winterfell like a giant sea monster.
While the Ironborn were speeding towards Winterfell, a crucial dinner was being held inside Winterfell's Hall.
Almost all the Northern Lords and their representatives who had arrived were present, including the Umber, Hornwood, and Flint families, as well as many other minor nobles.
Ramsay Snow of House Bolton was also among them, wearing an enigmatic smile.
Seeing that the time was right, Maester Luwin signaled to Sansa.
Sansa Stark took a deep breath and slowly rose to her feet under everyone's gaze.
She was dressed in a dark gown, her expression solemn, and despite her nervousness, her voice was clear and firm.
"My lords, thank you for answering the call to protect Winterfell and House Stark."
She first expressed her gratitude, then her tone changed and became serious.
"The North is now facing an unprecedented crisis. Although the Ironborn have been temporarily repelled, they still hold sway in the North!"
"There will inevitably be several fierce battles ahead, so we must unite as one to overcome these difficult times." Her gaze swept across the room and finally landed on Galon.
"Hereby I, Sansa Stark, acting Lord of Winterfell and Robb Stark..." The name "warden of the north " was officially confirmed and announced.
"In accordance with Robb's orders before his southward march, Lord Galon Glover is granted full command of all remaining troops in the North, as Supreme Commander!"
"Until Robb and the Lord of the North return!"
"All vassals of the North and their demonic warriors must obey his commands! Those who disobey will be breaking their ancient oath to House Stark!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a murmur arose in the hall.
Most lords had anticipated this, but the official announcement still caused a stir.
As expected, the representative of the Dustin family from Barrenhome spoke first in a sarcastic tone.
" Miss Sansa, Lord Galon is certainly a brave and skilled warrior."
"But commanding the entire Northern Army is a heavy responsibility. Wouldn't it be more appropriate to wait for more adults to arrive and jointly elect one?"
"After all, the Glover family isn't the most illustrious..."
Galon glanced at the Dustin family representative sent by Countess Barbara, and information about Barrenhome flashed through his mind.
Countess Barbara harbored resentment because Ned failed to bring her husband's remains back to Barrenhome during the Battle of the Tower of Joy.
Therefore, over the years, Barrenhome has always outwardly obeyed but inwardly disobeyed Stark's orders.
Even when Robb was summoned not long ago, Countess Barbara only sent some stragglers to deal with him.
Little Flayer's brother, Domilik, served as a sommelier for Countess Barbara for four years, which is why Barrenhome and House Bolton have an unusual relationship.
In particular, Galon noticed that before the Dustin family representative stood up, he made a point of exchanging glances with Little Flayer.
He sneered inwardly and added Barrenhome to his list of casualties.
Galon knew this information, and Sansa knew it even better. So before he could finish speaking, Sansa interrupted him, raising her voice slightly, with an undeniable determination.
"Recommendation? What needs to be recommended?"
"This is Robb's order! And Stark's order! Is the Dustin family going to break their oath and question Stark's decree?"
She looked sharply at the other person, and without waiting for a reply, she continued.
"As for Lord Galon's abilities, I think everyone here should be clear about them now!"
"It was him who annihilated Asha Greyjoy's 1,700-strong army at Deepwood Motte!"
"It was he who, at Winterfell's most critical moment, personally led the cavalry to defeat Euron Crows Eye's main force and relieved the siege!"
"It was him too, he just recaptured Sevon!"
"Such a record, such loyalty and ability, is that not enough to command the entire army? Is there anyone else who believes that is more qualified and has more merit than Lord Galon to lead us against the Ironborn?"
Sansa's series of rhetorical questions were forceful and resounding, silencing everyone with Galon's undeniable achievements.
The hall fell silent for a moment.
At this moment, Galon slowly stood up.
He ignored the skeptics and walked to the center of the hall, where he stood.
Galon slowly drew his sword and looked around at everyone.
"In the past, Lord Greatjon questioned Lord Robb because he was too young, and I drew my sword to stop him and swore an oath."
"It's right here!"
Galon slammed his sword down on the long table, creating a vibration. Little Flayer happened to be sitting opposite the blade.
Startled, Little Flayer shifted his position slightly.
But Galon didn't even look at Little Flayer, and continued, "I will cut the long table in two and swear before all of you: anyone who dares to disobey Stark's orders will be as if the table were broken!"
With a slight exertion, he left a clear, deep scratch on the long table amidst a screeching sound.
Everyone in the hall held their breath.
" Glover has been loyal to Stark since the First Men, and that loyalty has never wavered!"
" Stark's will is the will of the North!"
"The will of the North is my will!"
"I have been appointed here not for power, but solely to protect the North until Stark and all my lords return!"
Galon's expression was cold and stern. He surveyed the crowd once more, his gaze fierce and domineering.
"Now that I've finished speaking, who agrees and who disagrees?"
In an instant, you could hear a pin drop in the hall.
At this moment, Cley Cerwyn suddenly stood up and was the first to respond: " Sevon obeys Stark's command! I am ready to follow Lord Galon's orders!"
The representative from Bear Island also rose, saying, " Mormont is ready to obey Lord Galon's orders!"
Representatives from Hornwood and the Locke family of Old Town also rose to their feet and swore to obey Stark's orders.
Soon, the other lords realized what was happening and stood up one after another to pledge their loyalty.
Even the Dustin family representative, under Little Flayer's gloomy gaze, reluctantly expressed his agreement.
Seeing the inevitable trend.
Ramsay was the last to stand up, still wearing that forced smile, and clapped.
"What a brilliant declaration! House Bolton, of course, will always be loyal to Stark."
But deep within his eyes, the flames of jealousy and danger burned even more intensely.
Galon ignored Little Flayer's sarcastic remarks; in his mind, Little Flayer's thousand-strong army had already become cannon fodder in his hands.
He could still tolerate cannon fodder to some extent.
"Homage to Stark!"
He sheathed his greatsword back at his waist, grabbed a nearby wine glass, and shouted.
At that moment, everyone raised their glasses simultaneously: "To Stark!"
Boom-1
The hall, which had been so cold and aloof just moments before, suddenly became lively.
Galon's position as commander-in-chief was finally established through Sansa's declaration and his own power.
The power of the North was now completely under his control!
Meanwhile, the dangers of Crows Eye and Victarion are gradually approaching.