In the evening, when Roman returned to his room to rest, Fili walked in with a nervous expression.
"Lord Roman, the Queen..."
Before the girl could finish, Roman covered her mouth and made a shushing gesture.
He then quickly scanned the surroundings with his White Flame Vision, and only after confirming no one was eavesdropping did he release Fili.
"It's safe now, speak slowly."
"When I was coming back just now, the Queen stopped me. She wanted to talk about you. I made an excuse and ran away, but later she sent someone to invite me again, so I had no choice but to come to you."
Roman looked at the nervous Fili and inwardly cursed his own negligence. Everyone around him was now a target of surveillance; if an accident occurred, it would be too late.
He pulled the girl into his arms, stroking Fili's trembling back.
"I'll leave The Red Keep as soon as my business is done. For now, stay by my side and don't put yourself in danger!"
Fili had been worried, but she hadn't expected this stroke of luck. Realizing she could sleep with Roman lately, a smile instantly blossomed on her face.
"Hehe! Lord Roman." Fili rubbed her head against Roman's chest like a puppy.
"You changed your tune a bit too fast, didn't you!"
For the next few nights, Fili slept exceptionally soundly, but Roman was filled with worry.
The Red Keep was a chaotic place where all sorts of people converged, and there was Cersei, who was prone to flipping the table with her erratic behavior.
Roman wasn't afraid of them coming after him, but he feared his soldiers and those close to him would be caught in the crossfire.
Thus, Roman only stayed in The Red Keep for a few days, and after handling some trade matters, he immediately bid his farewells.
Leaving the castle and entering the market, Roman found an inn and went to a private booth as indicated by a signal.
When the people inside saw Roman arrive, they all stood up to salute.
"That's enough, keep your movements small. Let's talk business."
These people were the spies Roman had planted in King's Landing. They were everywhere, with an intelligence network reaching from the high nobility down to the beggars.
Now, Roman needed them for something big.
"Can we plant our people in the Gold Cloaks?"
"No problem, my Lord! The Gold Cloaks' wages have been embezzled by the higher-ups. On the surface, they are a single unit, but in reality, they listen to whoever pays. We already have several men who have infiltrated the City Watch and even become junior officers."
Roman nodded and offered some praise before presenting his own view.
"Being officers isn't enough. A group of subordinates who only care about money could mutiny at any time. I need an entire organized unit to blend into the Gold Cloaks for future security. Can you manage that?"
Several of the leaders took out corresponding diagrams, and after some thought, they nodded solemnly.
"No problem, my Lord. As long as enough funds are prepared, that parasite Janos will actually be quite happy. Currently, we can arrange for up to 300 men to join; any more would risk a leak."
"No problem," Roman patted their shoulders. "Money is not an issue. If you lack supplies or personnel, ask me. As long as it's used for the right purpose, I won't be stingy with any amount."
Roman then took out a large cloth bag and tossed it onto the table; it was filled with the clinking sound of coins.
When opened, silver stags of excellent quality filled the eyes of those present.
"You've done very well lately. These are rewards. I was coming to King's Landing anyway, so I brought them along."
Without waiting for them to speak, Roman immediately took out another bag.
"Inside are letters written by your families through scribes. I brought those as well. You've all attended classes at Harrenhal, so you should be able to read them."
At that moment, everyone in the room knelt on one knee, silently paying their respects to Roman.
"Alright, stop kneeling. Get up and get to work. I'll be waiting for your good news at Harrenhal."
After Roman finished speaking, he didn't wait for a reply and turned to walk out.
By the time they reacted, Roman had already left the inn and was leading his team out of the city.
They looked up and met each other's eyes; there was a fire in everyone's gaze, and their hearts were filled with respect for Roman.
"Alright, don't just stand there. The Lord's mission has been assigned. Let's get to work!"
Originally, Roman had wanted to find someone to explore the secret passages of The Red Keep, but on second thought, it was too dangerous. If they were exposed, the entire spy operation would go down the drain.
However, Harrenhal's penetration of key positions in King's Landing was already quite good. It was better to let these professionals handle it; his micro-management might actually cause trouble.
"We have personnel at the city gates, and later we'll have units planted in the City Watch. There are eyes in every district. Now, besides The Red Keep's secret passages, there shouldn't be anywhere Harrenhal can't reach."
Having made these arrangements, Roman followed his usual routine and gathered a bunch of people from the outskirts of King's Landing to take back.
This time, with the Harrenhal staff pre-screening them, the people were already gathered when Roman arrived. There were over ten thousand in total, mostly young and able-bodied.
At this time, Scholar Tom also sent a report. Harrenhal's grain continued to have a bumper harvest, proving that the fertilizer Roman had produced was indeed effective.
Scholar Tom also mentioned that production lines for sulfuric acid and soda ash had recently been opened, leading to another labor shortage, especially in agriculture. However, food was now absolutely self-sufficient, so he told Roman not to worry.
Roman had realized that no matter how many people he brought in, as long as the land area per capita didn't fall below a critical threshold, he could support everyone.
As long as the ruler managed storage, land distribution, and tax regulation well, even in Westeros, people could live without worry.
Furthermore, with the addition of magic, Harrenhal was now no inferior to the nobles of The Reach.
With a commodity economy supporting Harrenhal's finances and increased grain yields from chemical developments, Harrenhal had issued new regulations.
The grain tax was reduced from 40% to 30%, and the poll tax was abolished.
Harrenhal was no longer just attracting people to join; it was practically stealing them.
Low-born commoners from many regions risked execution by their lords to flee to Harrenhal. Residents of Crabs Claw Peninsula who had been to Harrenhal never wanted to return to their old homes.
Roman sat in the carriage, looking through various reports from Harrenhal while calculating how to expand the army.
Fili asked while peeling an apple, "Lord Roman, you look very happy. Did something good happen?"
"Of course, Fili. Scholar Tom sent a report. Our grain yields are stable and high. Everyone will be able to eat their fill from now on!"
Roman was in a great mood, the gloom from The Red Keep completely swept away.
Seeing the lives of the people under him improve day by day was the strongest stimulant for Roman. That kind of pleasure was something no treasure could provide.
Roman munched on the half-peeled apple while sharing his vision of the future prosperity of the Riverlands with Fili.
In front of Fili, Roman had no need to hide, and he brought up all sorts of wild ideas.
"Compulsory education! Yes, the reeds in Crabs Claw Peninsula have also had a bumper harvest, which is perfect for making cheap paper. I want to mass-print books for the children of the territory to study. They must learn; families who have the means to support their children's education but don't will be heavily taxed!"
"The hospitals need reform too. These Maesters have too many bizarre and cruel practices; they need to be properly regulated."
"Also, disaster reporting and response methods need updating. Those who profit from people's lives after a disaster must be dealt with and prevented."
"Food pairing needs careful thought as well. Grains, vegetables, meat, fruit, oil, and milk—how to allocate production capacity on existing land is also a question."
Roman talked about a long list of things, while Fili smiled quietly beside him.
The girl wasn't that sharp and couldn't keep up with Roman's thinking, but she remained happily by his side. Fili knew Roman was thinking for the sake of the people in the territory.
While Roman took a break to drink water, Fili gazed at her Lord.
Roman had a handsome, resolute face and a strong body, but he wasn't arrogant or cruel like typical nobles.
It was as if the Seven had instilled virtues into him: mercy, humility, and responsibility. These qualities defined Roman and had saved Fili and the people of Harrenhal.
At this moment, a thought kept swelling in Fili's mind, battering her consciousness.
Finally, Fili plucked up her courage and, under Roman's puzzled gaze, asked:
"Lord Roman, I am already eighteen years old. I would like to ask you for a reward."
By the time Fili finished speaking, her voice was as faint as a mosquito's buzz, and she lowered her head, not daring to look Roman in the eye.
The setting sun turned the girl's cheeks bright red, making it impossible to tell what her expression was.
Roman smiled slightly. He pinched the hot, soft flesh on Fili's face and looked directly into the girl's sapphire-like eyes.
"Of course, but we have to get back to Harrenhal first. Otherwise, it'll make things difficult for the driver."
give my full efforts to you all make happy but you guys did not support me even in small ways. im very exhausted.🫠more chapter available in p@tréøñ(Atoki_29)