News of the Ironborn invasion spread like a plague across every inch of the Riverlands, inevitably bringing panic and chaos, with all sorts of bizarre rumors flying around.
The atmosphere in the Lions Den council hall remained tense, with Arthur sitting in his chair, pondering if there was anything he had overlooked.
Lucien had led four hundred new, non-combatant liegemen to reinforce Daintings City.
For the greater good, once the war began, these four hundred-plus men would only consume food if left in his territory. It was better to send them to Daintings City to eat rations, which would also earn him a good reputation. Though cruel, the Ironborn might not dare to attack the castle, so these men might not necessarily be in danger.
Arthur fell into deep thought, his mind racing. He had strategic depth and, if absolutely necessary, could retreat into the mountains to hold out. Chaos was a ladder; a great upheaval in the Riverlands, even the loss of Seaguard, might not be a bad thing... Could he profit from the chaos?
"Hake's report." Evelyn's voice broke the silence of Arthur's contemplation. She handed him a piece of parchment.
Arthur looked at the paper, his face twitching. It contained explanations drawn with various strange symbols, recording the latest developments in the mountains.
Fortunately, he could understand it. The stick figures with lines of fire likely referred to the Wildlings, and a circular pattern probably indicated the mountain fort at Offshore Cliff.
Arthur's fingers tapped lightly on the table, his gaze sweeping over Brin and Rosso, his officers, who were present: "Those Wildlings, they're back again."
Brin frowned. Having spent many years in the mountains, he knew the dangers of the Wildlings.
"They're like rats in the dark, peeking and prying in the mountain forests, spying on our newly built military town at Offshore Cliff."
Rosso Brun, a knight eager to earn honor and land through battle, immediately stood up.
"My Lord, give me a hundred men, and I'll go cut off all their heads!"
He found that although he had subdued many retainers with force, in a group of elite warriors whose status was based on military achievements, he always felt a little looked down upon by them.
Arthur, however, shook his head and walked to the giant Riverlands sand table map, where different colored stones marked the enemy and friendly positions.
He did not look at the black stones representing the Ironborn, nor at Seaguard, but instead gazed at the rugged Brightmoon Mountains on the eastern side of his territory.
He turned his head and looked at his Knight Captain: "Rosso, gather all the retainer riders."
"Yes!" Rosso responded excitedly. He then turned to Brin: "Brin! From the military town's liegemen! Select three hundred liegemen most familiar with the mountain terrain!"
"And conscript another hundred from the new liegemen! Teach them how to use crossbows! Give them our crossbows!"
Arthur sighed deeply. Before the war arrived, he had to let as many liegemen as possible see blood to prepare for the future. It was just a pity that his steady progress in construction, which he had worked so hard for, would now have to halt again.
Brin thumped his chest and responded loudly: "At your command, My Lord!"
Arthur's gaze turned cold: "We're not waiting for the Ironborn anymore."
"Before the fires of war reach our doorstep! We must first thoroughly clean out our backyard!"
Evelyn was somewhat silent. She didn't quite understand this decision, but finally spoke: "Two to three thousand Ironborn, our forces are already stretched thin, and we're going to divide them to deal with a group of Wildlings?"
"Perhaps... we should contract our defenses, concentrate all our strength in the various military forts, and prepare for defense."
"No." Arthur pointed to the location of Lions Den on the map, then swept his finger across the entire mountain region.
His voice was not loud, but it carried an unchallengeable resolve: "Precisely because the Ironborn might arrive, we must act."
"Otherwise, we'll have a pack of jackals hidden behind us, ready to pounce and tear at any moment."
"Only with absolute security in our rear can we advance or retreat freely in the coming chaos."
"The Ironborn are strong, but they are ultimately pirates from the sea and cannot fight in the mountains. The High Mountain Wildlings are a cancerous growth rooted in the mountains, and they must be dug out first!"
His words were decisive, and there was no longer any dissenting voice in the council hall.
Everyone understood that Arthur had made his decision.
Deep in the Brightmoon Mountains, inside a damp cave, a bonfire crackled.
Kopi, son of Gern, chieftain of the Treemen tribe of the High Mountain Clan, was sharpening his battle-axe with a whetstone. The scar on his face, left from when Arthur's army routed them last time, still ached faintly on rainy days.
His fear of that Flatlanders lord was etched into his bones, yet his longing for home compelled him to return here.
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