The Old Territory Will Eventually Be Reclaimed

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Chua! Chua! Chua!

The 120 soldiers of the Thorn Legion fired in unison, the whistling of the arrows creating a ceaseless drone in the air.

The continuous volleys were like a dark cloud blotting out the sky, dense and suffocating.

Thwack!

Thwack! Thwack!

Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!

The Mountain Wildlings, charging forward at full speed, were continuously pierced and brought down, their wails filling the air.

The Wildling leaders, having never witnessed such long-range, area-of-effect arrow barrages, roared in terror, frantically urging their men to increase their pace.

Knight Mason, staring at the killing zone created by the Thorn Legion's volleys some 100 meters ahead, was secretly shocked.

By the time they reached their 20th volley, Gryn clearly felt the Thorn Legion's rate of fire begin to drop.

With over 200 Wildlings fallen during the sustained barrage, chaos erupted among their ranks, and a small portion of the Wildlings began to flee, ignoring the roars of their leaders.

When the 25th volley concluded and dozens more fell, the Wildlings began to rout on a massive scale, and Gryn decisively ordered the archers to cease fire.

Knight Mason commanded the 200 Crabb Clan Soldiers held in reserve—armed primarily with shields, longswords, and spears—to begin their advance toward the scattered Wildlings.

The Crabb Clan Soldiers marched forward in unison, their rhythmic chanting radiating an imposing momentum.

The average length of service for these Crabb Clan Soldiers exceeded ten years; every one of them was a battle-hardened veteran.

These soldiers were the elite who had survived years of constant warfare against the Mountain Wildlings, a tradition dating back to Gryn's mother; they were the bedrock of House Crabb.

As the Crabb Clan Soldiers advanced with long strides to the beat of their synchronized chants, the already terrified Wildlings fell into even greater panic and disarray.

Occasionally, a leader would rally a few men to charge the Crabb phalanx, only to be instantly swallowed up by the Crabb soldiers.

In Gryn's eyes, these Wildlings waiting to be captured or to surrender were his future reserve subjects, and based on today's performance, they were truly worthy of the name "Wildlings."

The only way Gryn could think to manage these people in the future was through strict laws.

Gryn sighed to himself, thinking that the rules might even need to be as detailed as specifying which foot to lead with when stepping out the door.

The Game of Thrones was about to begin, and the military strength in his hands was his true trump card; to achieve results in a short time, the Crabb Territory had to become one giant military camp encompassing all its subjects.

Having confirmed the development path suitable for his territory, Gryn no longer hesitated.

The Thorn Legion had only been established for a few days, so their ability to complete 25 volleys was truly stunning; Amparo had certainly proven her ability to lead troops.

During the rest period, some of the spearwives simply... it triggered a chain reaction. Gryn didn't know how to describe it—perhaps it was too hot, so they stripped to the waist?

A sea of pale skin lay before him, and Gryn felt the physical characteristics of the Crabb Territory's spearwives quite intuitively... they were sturdy and large.

Following Gryn's gaze, Amparo, who had been standing beside him with a serious expression, noticed the situation. Recalling something, her cheeks flushed a dark red.

Some of the spearwives, sensing Gryn's gaze, looked back brazenly, even boldly puffing out their chests.

If he were in his previous life, Gryn might have whistled and given a thumbs-up.

A lord needed to maintain his image—this was a memory from the education provided by his predecessor's mother. Gryn agreed with this sentiment, and besides, in Westeros, a thumbs-up did not signify approval.

Unknown gestures were easily misunderstood; in the Crabb Territory, a man had to learn to protect himself when stepping out!

Gryn merely revealed a faint smile and naturally shifted his gaze elsewhere.

He couldn't explain the logic of why soldiers needed to maintain their image to them, and the current occasion wasn't appropriate for such a discussion.

Gryn decided to add a section on soldier image to future training modules; they would get used to it over time.

After resting for a while, the Thorn Legion followed Gryn's orders and joined the clan soldiers in pursuing the retreating Wildlings.

Knight Pell's Survey Corps had already taken one tribe; the opening battle was a great success. Thanks to the surprise attack, only a few men suffered minor injuries, with no deaths.

The Survey Corps captured nearly 300 people in the first tribe they conquered.

The Mountain Wildlings lived by hunting and gathering wild fruits, so the spoils of war consisted mainly of furs and dried meat. The Survey Corps only found a small pouch of Gold Dragons in the tribal leader's hut, numbering between 10 and 20.

Knight Pell ordered the captives to carry the loot themselves and then commanded his men to set fire to the tribe's dwellings.

He executed a portion of the captives on the spot who had incited resistance due to the burning of their homes, and then split off 20 men from the Survey Corps to escort the remaining captives back to the territory.

Knight Pell said to the squad leader in charge of the escort, "There will be people to receive the captives near the territory. If they get hungry, they can chew on dried meat. Do not stop to rest. Once the handover is complete, come directly to rendezvous with me. Watch your safety on the road; I will be waiting for you at the second tribe."

"If the captives show the slightest sign of unrest on the road, kill them immediately. Do not hesitate."

After giving his instructions, Knight Pell patted the squad leader on the shoulder and said, "Go."

By nightfall, Knight Pell had finally dealt with three large tribes.

The Survey Corps rested at the third tribe and returned to the territory the next morning, driving the captives and carrying the spoils.

On the way back to the territory, the Survey Corps encountered several groups of scattered Wildlings and captured dozens more.

The Survey Corps suffered 23 casualties in their first battle.

After two days of simple recuperation, the soldiers of House Crabb began to systematically strike out at the remaining small tribes in groups of 30 to 50.

All captives were escorted to Crabb Territory, and the dwellings of the Wildling tribes were burned to the ground.

Knight Mason personally escorted the final batch of captives back to Whispers, where he happened to see Steward Herschel standing before the warehouse door, his belly protruding as he beamed with a smile.

Knight Mason was in high spirits as well, joking, "Old friend, you seem to be in a good mood."

Steward Herschel replied with the same beaming smile, "Good day, Sir Mason. The warehouse is nearly overflowing with furs; it has been a long time since we were this well-off."

Knight Mason sighed with emotion, "Indeed. My Lord seems born for war. Before the Wildlings could even get close to us, the volleys from the Thorn Legion shattered them completely. It is the first time we have suffered so few casualties."

"Herschel, I no longer have any doubts about the Lord's decision to reclaim Crabb's Lands. I am full of confidence."

"Yes, Sir, I am full of confidence as well. House Crabb shall reclaim its old lands at last!"

"Sir, go inside and prepare yourself. Surana and I have been preparing for the victory banquet tonight for several days. It will be very, very sumptuous, and we can have a good drink tonight."

Inside the Lord's study at Whispers.

Gryn, Maester Al, and Kalaia had nearly finished tallying the spoils of this war.

There were over 2,500 captives in total, with nearly 700 being elderly or children.

Of the remaining 1,800 or so, 1,200 were women; there were truly more women than men.

To prevent the captives from colluding with one another, they first had to be completely broken up, ensuring that each person was surrounded by individuals from mostly unfamiliar tribes.

To absorb the population as steadily as possible, careful planning was required; there was no room for haste. Everything was for the sake of stability.

Once the dispersal was complete, they would be sent out in batches to various parts of the territory to be assigned labor.

At the beginning, the cooperation of the various legions would be needed to assist the sheriff in maintaining order and providing deterrence.

Gryn leaned back against his chair, feeling somewhat exhausted.

He was indeed tired, but Gryn was in a pleasant mood. With captives to replace the labor force, Crabb Territory could free up the majority of its able-bodied men.

Crabb Territory could immediately begin a second round of recruitment. For the time being, Gryn's source of happiness was mass-producing troops.

Mass-producing troops makes me happy!