Mermaid Harbor

Gryn Crabb had three coins laid out on his table: a Gold Dragon, a Silver Stag, and a Copper Star.

One Gold Dragon was worth 10 Silver Stags, and one Silver Stag was worth 100 Copper Stars.

Gryn roughly converted these to the currency of his past life: one Gold Dragon was worth about 1,000 yuan, one Silver Stag about 100 yuan, and one Copper Star about 1 yuan.

[The monetary system, values, and conversions are settings established for the convenience of writing.]

[To provide a few more examples for easier reading: a full suit of plate armor starts at 10 Gold Dragons, chainmail starts at 3 Gold Dragons, a fine warhorse starts at 16 Gold Dragons, one Unsullied costs 100 Gold Dragons (shipping not included), a meal with meat and a mug of ale costs 20~30 Copper Stars, and a peasant's annual income is about 1 Gold Dragon.]

The current cash in the Crabb treasury totaled over 2,000 Gold Dragons; this referred only to liquid assets, excluding the goods stored in the lord's warehouse.

However, there was an external debt of 5,000 Gold Dragons, and the interest paid last year alone had been 500 Gold Dragons.

Following the War of the Usurper, at the behest of Hand of the King Jon Arryn, the nobles and merchants of the Vale had forcibly issued these loans to "help" the noble lords of Crackclaw Point "tide over their difficulties."

This was one of the terms of the post-war peace treaty for Crackclaw Point.

You would never see a single Gold Dragon; the Vale nobles and merchants had simply taken the land that rightfully belonged to you and used it as the principal for the loan.

It was that blunt.

You could refuse, of course, but the Baratheon armor and weapons had not yet been stored away, and Robert had not yet had his fill of fighting.

The Crabb Territory had been valued at 5,000 Gold Dragons, and the interest the House Crabb had paid annually had already accumulated to 7,500 Gold Dragons.

According to the contract, they still had to pay for another five years, totaling 2,500 Gold Dragons, with the 5,000 Gold Dragon principal due in the final year.

This was a suppression tactic originating from the Red Keep, born of their wariness toward the nobles of Crackclaw Point.

The interest for "post-war reconstruction" sounded pleasant enough, and the share was just right—enough to keep them gasping for air without forcing them into a desperate gamble, while simultaneously restricting their development.

A weak and submissive lord of Crackclaw Point was a good lord.

The Crabb Territory had a total population of over 2,000 people. Because they needed to guard against the constant harassment of the Mountain Wildlings, they maintained 200 clansmen as full-time soldiers.

Under normal circumstances, this was already the limit.

Because of frequent warfare, the population ratio in the territory was skewed toward more women than men.

The women here had sturdy frames; most needed to plow fields and hunt just like the men, and there were many spear-wives.

As long as weapons were available, the spear-wives could be conscripted for battle to seize wealth and men.

Theoretically, if they left behind only the craftsmen and the infirm, a total mobilization could push their military strength to a limit of 1,500.

Facing the wildling lords in the surrounding valleys—the small ones with only dozens of men, the large ones with only a few hundred, all of them scattered like loose sand—they could sweep them aside!

Why bother farming? As mentioned earlier, the motto of House Crabb had been temporarily changed to "Strong Taking Over Bitter Tilling."

First, they would deal with those Mountain Wildling tribes who had gathered and united, intending to raid the territory because the heir, Gryn, was young.

It would start with this battle.

The next day, the clouds hung heavy and low.

The curved Whispers castle was built in a rugged style, lacking refinement.

But it was large enough to house all 1,000 of the territory's subjects during wartime.

Gryn stood on the 20-meter-high castle wall, looking down, with the steward Herschel and the knight Pell standing behind him.

The chaos following King Robert's death had lasted seven years; the planning for Whispers should have been done long ago.

Gryn looked toward the south.

The terrain to the south was flat. Based on a scale of ten thousand people, he would first plan and build the first ring, then the second... Gryn chuckled; he wouldn't call it the first ring, he would call it the Inner City.

"Herschel, take notes."

"The Fishing Village shall henceforth be renamed Mermaid Harbor."

The steward Herschel recorded it faithfully.

"The mermaid has the upper body of a young girl and the tail of a fish; her beauty is such that even the Seven would marvel at it."

Herschel hesitated and asked, "My lord, wouldn't such a description be a bit offensive... some septons are not very friendly toward us."

Gryn, an atheist, had originally wanted to say that even the Seven would be bewitched by her, but he had reined it in.

"Thank you for your counsel, Herschel."

Gryn paused, then said, "Bards. Find some reliable bards and convey the meaning to them. As for the phrasing, leave that to them; they are the professionals."

"Herschel, continue recording: Mermaids love to sing the heart-stirring songs passed down through generations. Mermaids are extremely shy and only surface from the sea to sing in the dead of night when no one is around. Their beautiful voices are like... well, like the music of the heavens."

Gryn had originally wanted to say they were kissed by the Seven, but he kept it restrained.

"Mermaids are carefree, kind, and optimistic. Only when they are deeply heartbroken and filled with sorrow do they shed tears. A mermaid's tears turn into the most crystalline pearls in this world—one tear, one pearl."

"A mermaid can only fall in love with one person in her entire life. Once a mermaid truly gives her heart, she will swear an oath of love."

"An oath of love... record this down, it is very important."

"I am willing to become the lover of so-and-so, to love what he loves, to think what he thinks, to bear his pain and endure his hardships. Whether in poverty or wealth, whether lowly or noble, whether in times of chaos or abandoned by the gods, I shall live for him and die for him, never to leave or forsake him, until the end of time!"

Grand Steward Herschel and Knight Pell's mouths hung open in unison, their expressions vivid with shock.

Gryn felt that they had been moved and were already convinced.

Could Fishing Village actually be a hidden land of legend?

Seeing this, Gryn altered his original plan.

A secret is only a true secret if it belongs to oneself alone; let us all bluff together.

And so, Gryn also chose to believe in the legend of the mermaid.

Do not forget one important point: mermaids are the shyest race in the world, so it is only normal that they cannot be found.

Come, come to Mermaid Harbor and go mad for the mermaids.

"This is a secret passed down orally only between the successive patriarchs of the Crabb family. I am telling you both now because you are the people I trust most."

Herschel and Pell puffed out their chests.

Indeed, there is no one in this world more reliable than us!

"First, we must mobilize all the villagers of Fishing Village to build a simple pier nearby. We need to find a location, and the distance can be a bit further, but the most important thing is that it must be convenient for large ships to dock."

"The second step is to build a lighthouse to guide nearby ships here."

"At the same time, we need a tavern, an inn, and a general store. The requirements aren't high at the start, but they must be fully functional. We shall earn every single Copper Star."

"All able-bodied villagers must be armed, while the elderly and weak can be arranged in suitable positions within the shops. We must ensure the safety of our friendly guests."

"Mermaid Harbor must become increasingly beautiful and comfortable; we cannot let those guests who come for the fame of the place be disappointed."

"All of these things are of the utmost importance."

The Grand Steward seemed to understand: "My Lord, the longer the legend of the mermaid persists and the further it spreads, the more people will be attracted to Fishing... to Mermaid Harbor. Our leather can be sold directly to buyers, and we will no longer be squeezed on prices by traveling merchants. It is not just the leather... Mermaid Harbor will become a trade hub."

"No wonder you are willing to spread the legend of the mermaid..."

"Indeed. Rules are rigid, but for the development of the territory, as your lord, necessary sacrifices are unavoidable."

"It must be spread secretly and naturally; I am counting on you."

Having said this, Gryn turned his back, stood with his hands behind him, and let out a long sigh.

The hem of Gryn's robe fluttered in the wind.

Herschel bowed with immense solemnity.

Pell, clad in plate armor, felt the veins on the back of his hand gripping his sword hilt bulge as he bowed alongside Herschel.