Sloop

King's Landing, Hook Alley, afternoon.

Gryn had just entered the courtyard with Mutton and Anguy when they encountered a young man in blue robes of average height but exceptionally sturdy build.

Upon spotting Gryn, the blue-robed youth approached with an excited expression and dropped to one knee: "Lord Gryn, the loyal Martier Baker pays his respects to you."

Signaling for Martier Baker to rise, a smile appeared on Gryn's face: "Martier, does this mean you are finally free to travel?"

The twenty-two-year-old Martier scratched the back of his head sheepishly: "I finally have a son. My father has been in the old lands with no set return date, and I could wait no longer. I requested Steward Herschel to put me on a merchant ship, and I arrived just now, following the address he provided."

Martier Baker was the legitimate eldest son of Mason Baker, a landed knight of Crabb. The Baker family held an absolute, inviolable rule: the eldest son could neither go to war nor travel far until he had sired a son of his own.

Legend had it that this rule was specifically established by the ancestors of Crabb for their landed knights' families, and the family of Pell Pili, another landed knight of Crabb, followed the exact same tradition.

Having married at fifteen under his father's arrangement, Martier had spent seven years of continuous "plowing" to fulfill his family duty and, more importantly, to earn his freedom.

Gryn could well understand Martier's impatience to leave the moment his son was born; the ancestors of Crabb had done a fine job!

Gryn patted Martier's solid shoulder: "Welcome, Martier. From now on, you are my squire, responsible for tending to my mount and guarding my bow and arrows."

Suppressing his excitement, Martier dropped to one knee once more: "I swear, following the ancestral traditions of the Baker family, I shall be loyal to you forever, until death. I swear this in the name of the New and Old Gods."

Following the traditions of Crabb, Gryn stood with his hands resting on his sword, his steady voice carrying a hint of solemnity: "By my hearth, there shall always be a place for you; at my table, there shall always be meat and wine for you. I swear this in the name of the New and Old Gods."

Anguy watched with envy and whispered to Mutton: "Have you sworn your oath of loyalty to Lord Gryn yet?"

Mutton blinked his large eyes, which lacked a certain spark of wit: "No. Haven't you read the Lord's military regulations? Unless there are special circumstances, one is only eligible to swear an individual oath of loyalty after serving the Lord for three years and proving one's worth through past merit. I'm not in a rush."

Anguy scratched his head in embarrassment: "I'm not very literate... wait, you can read?"

The simple-minded Mutton looked rather proud: "My mother taught me. If I didn't learn, I wouldn't be fed."

Anguy's expression dimmed for a moment before returning to normal: "What counts as a 'special circumstance'?"

Mutton answered in his simple, honest tone: "Like him? Like Martier's family—they have been loyal to the Lord's house for hundreds of years, starting from their ancestors."

Hundreds of years? That was something he couldn't compete with, and Anguy's mood sank instantly.

Mutton comforted him: "The most important thing in the first three years is obedience—obeying every order from the Lord. It's just about being a good listener, which I find very simple."

When Mutton was young, if he didn't listen to his mother, he would go hungry. To him, the word "obedience" was all too familiar and even felt comforting.

Mutton continued: "After three years, you become eligible to swear your oath. Once you've sworn it, if you perform great deeds in the future, the Lord might even knight you. I specifically asked—even bastards can be knighted. I'll have a chance to become a knight too, hehe!"

Through Mutton's words, Anguy saw a very clear path for advancement.

I could be knighted too? The dejected Anguy was instantly revitalized.

"Oh, right..."

Mutton suddenly remembered something and added: "I recall another special circumstance. Amparo, the commander of the Thorn Legion—she swore her oath on her very first day."

Anguy's interest piqued: "Judging by the name, she's a woman? How did she manage that?"

Mutton wore a guileless expression: "She is very strong. Everyone says she is formidable; she is the number one female warrior in the territory."

Anguy, perhaps thinking of something else, suddenly asked: "Are the women of the Whispers all this formidable?"

Mutton, who possessed the instincts of a beast, played a small trick when answering Anguy: "Some people are just more special than others?"

That made sense; it was normal for a small portion of women to be exceptional, and Anguy nodded in agreement.

The women of the Whispers—well, the Spearwives—were just a bit stronger, a bit fiercer, a bit more ruthless, and other than the fact that they could fight as well as any man, they were perfectly fine!

Mutton, maintaining his usual simple expression, nodded along with Anguy.

Mutton felt it was time to change the subject: "Anguy, your skills are impressive. Don't be impatient; you will have your chance."

Anguy expressed his gratitude: "Mutton, I will. I didn't realize you knew so much. I'll have to ask for your guidance in the future."

Mutton chuckled: "I've had excellent hearing since I was a child. When everyone eats, they talk about many things, and I can hear it all."

Anguy first looked at him with an expression of admiration, then added: "You have to teach me how to read. From now on, my share of the wine is yours."

Mutton shook his large head: "It's fine. I like working with you, and I'm happy to help. You keep your wine. Learning to read will let you memorize the Lord's military regulations; that is what's truly important."

A certain flower bloomed between Mutton and Anguy.

Cough, the flower of friendship!

Martier, who was leading Gryn's mount, hesitated for a long while before speaking to Gryn: "My Lord, do you remember the merchant Jeffries?"

Jeffries was a moderately successful merchant who owned two 100-foot flat-bottomed sailboats. He primarily engaged in trade along the coast of Blackwater Bay and had conducted several leather deals with the Whispers.

It was Jeffries' merchant ship that Gryn had taken from Mermaid Harbor to King's Landing.

The expensive ticket price had left a deep impression on Gryn, and he nodded.

"My Lord, I traveled on Jeffries' ship this time as well. On the first night of the journey, we encountered pirates. Although the royal patrol ships in Blackwater Bay rescued us in time to prevent a major loss, Jeffries was struck by an arrow in the abdomen. His condition is grave; I fear he won't last many more days."

Lord Stannis Baratheon of Dragonstone, the second brother of King Robert Baratheon, served as the Master of Ships. Stannis Baratheon was known for his stern and reserved character, his meticulous adherence to the law, and his uncompromising nature. Consequently, under the jurisdiction of Master of Ships Stannis Baratheon, the royal fleet never dared to slacken their patrols in waters like Blackwater Bay.

However, the sea was vast, and there were always bold and cunning pirates who would evade the royal fleet to take the risk of entering Blackwater Bay, the very area Stannis Baratheon valued most.

Gryn's heart stirred, and his brown eyes shifted toward Martier.

"After I boarded, once Jeffries learned of my identity, he treated me with great hospitality, saying he held you in very high regard, my Lord."

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