Robbing Money, Robbing Men!

Twenty-year-old Amparo was tall, standing about 1.75 meters, only half a head shorter than Gryn.

Her light brown hair was tied loosely behind her head, possessing a feminine delicacy while still looking heroic and spirited.

Her skin was a slightly deep, wheat-colored tan, appearing somewhat rough.

The muscles on her body were smoothly defined, though they did not look bulky.

Most women in the Crabb Territory plowed fields and hunted just like the men, so Amparo was actually quite well-maintained by comparison.

Amparo wore a brown, coarse-linen tunic that left her arms bare, the hem reaching only to mid-thigh, cinched at the waist with a thick rope.

She wore leg wraps on her calves and straw sandals woven from wheat stalks on her feet.

Perhaps sensing Gryn's gaze, Amparo's toes curled and flexed a few times.

Being summoned personally by the lord for the first time, and so suddenly, the expert hunter Amparo felt very nervous.

"Amparo, rumor has it you once hunted a black bear?"

Although Gryn's voice carried a hint of youthful rawness, it was steady enough to reveal a maturity beyond his years, and Amparo's nervous tension seemed to calm significantly.

"I had help from others nearby; I just landed the most shots."

After a brief, casual chat, seeing that Amparo had relaxed, he asked, "Are you willing to fight for me?"

Amparo was puzzled: "Fight Wildlings? I've killed quite a few, at least ten. Wildlings often sneak into our hunting grounds and try to steal our prey."

She was a bit single-minded, so Gryn changed his way of expressing it.

"You are very brave. I am asking if you want to become one of my house soldiers? Like those fellows in the training yard. I will grant you iron armor and a sword."

Amparo was stunned, and Gryn continued: "At least 2 Gold Dragons per year."

"It mainly depends on your performance; there will be more rewards from the spoils of war."

Amparo hurriedly replied: "I am willing, my lord."

As if to confirm she hadn't misheard, Amparo asked again: "But I am a woman, and they are all men. Will they..."

The house soldiers of House Crabb were all men. Amparo was worried about being ostracized by the men. She wasn't worried about being harassed—at most, there would be some crude remarks, and if they dared to go too far, she would just slash them; she was very strong!

Gryn expressed his affirmation: "That is a valid point. The Spearwives of the territory sometimes follow my house soldiers into battle, but they aren't considered official combatants; they only assist with simple tasks. That is only temporary, and no one minds, but joining officially is different."

"Furthermore, mixing men and women together all day will lead to many unnecessary troubles."

Amparo nodded in agreement... That's exactly what I was thinking, but I didn't know how to say it. The lord is very wise.

"You are famous among the Spearwives. If I let you handle the recruitment, how many people could you gather?"

"Could they all become house soldiers? There are twenty or thirty I'm close with, and they are all excellent hunters."

"I want to establish a legion in the territory composed specifically of Spearwives, named the Thorn Legion."

"We are going to war soon. Recruit as many as you can—those who dare to fight men, especially those without men of their own. As long as they can follow your command, you will serve as the commander of the Thorn Legion."

Gryn was very patient, and under his detailed explanation, Amparo heard clearly and understood. Amparo's chest heaved as she suppressed her excitement, her eyes shining as she looked at Gryn.

Gryn's tone turned serious: "Amparo, can I trust you?"

At this moment, only Gryn, Amparo, and Maester Al were in the study. Maester Al had been sitting quietly in a corner, as if asleep.

How do I prove it?

Amparo stared at the quiet Maester Al for a moment, her eyes darting left and right. She gritted her teeth, as if having made a decision: "Do you want proof now?"

Faced with Amparo's strange counter-question, one of Gryn's eyebrows arched, and he nodded calmly.

Swish, swish.

The clothing on Amparo's body left her fair frame entirely.

Looking at Amparo, who was staring at him with flushed cheeks, Gryn associated her with a Mother Leopard.

Gryn's pupils dilated and then contracted; he turned his face to the side: "Cough, you have a good figure."

Maester Al, who had woken up at some point, revealed his sparse teeth, trembling as he sat there, and even winked at Gryn.

The thick-nerved Amparo finally sensed that something was wrong, and she hurriedly covered her vital parts with her hands.

"That is not what I meant. Put your clothes back on. Hmm, I don't blame you. It is an honor to have been allowed to admire your charm. Today has been a pleasant day."

Once she was dressed again, Amparo's cheeks remained red, and her toes had already curled enough to dig out two Whispers.

"Amparo, kneel. Cough, you are my warrior; kneel on one knee."

The little interlude was turned over, and the lord's work had to continue.

"Repeat after me: I, Amparo."

"I, Amparo..."

"I swear my allegiance: to love what he loves, and to hate what he hates."

"I swear my allegiance, to love what he loves, to hate what he hates..."

"I swear that my every word and deed, my every action, shall be guided by the will of Gryn Crabb, and I shall never deviate."

"I swear that my every word and deed, my every action, shall be guided by the will of Gryn Crabb, and I shall never deviate."

"From this day forth, until death do us part."

"From this day forth, until death do us part."

"I swear this in the name of the New and Old Gods."

"I swear this in the name of the New and Old Gods."

A silk-like drizzle shrouded the entire city of Whispers.

Outside the city gate.

A girl of sixteen or seventeen, dressed in a leather cuirass over an orange tunic, carried an old hunting bow on her back.

Though the girl was short and lean, she gave off an impression of toughness.

The girl's name was Lena; she had brown skin and silver hair tied into a high ponytail.

Lena was bored, glancing toward the city gate from time to time.

Amparo's figure finally appeared at the entrance, and Lena sprang to her feet with agility.

"Hey, Mother Leopard, did Lord Gryn finally decide to let you out? How was it?"

Amparo walked up to Lena and said, "Little Lena, are you in heat again?"

Having said that, she turned slightly to show off her cloak, which featured a deep blue base embroidered with golden Marsh Marigolds.

Lena wiped the rain from her face vigorously, her large eyes widening even further.

"Marsh Marigold? Isn't that the sigil of House Crabb? Amparo, you've lost your mind! You'll be hanged for this. Even if the lord forgives you, the White Walkers will snap your neck. Give it back quickly... no, don't pull away, let's run! Let's leave this place, right now!"

"Stop, stop, stop! It's not what you think."

"Oh, oh, then..."

Lena raised an eyebrow, her expression suggestive: "Did the Mother Leopard's passion please the lord? Is this a reward?"

Amparo's cheeks flushed a dark red. She touched her face with one hand and sighed, "Lena, stop guessing. Shut your mouth, listen to me, and let me explain."

The cloak embroidered with the Crabb sigil had been a gift from Gryn to Amparo. Within the Crabb Territory, wearing this cloak symbolized status; previously, the only ones in the entire territory to wear cloaks with the sigil were Knight Pell and Knight Mason.

Amparo's mission was urgent. This was Gryn's advance reward, intended to bolster Amparo's authority in recruiting Spearwives and facilitate her work.

Whether she could keep the cloak afterward would depend on Amparo's own ability.

Gryn's test had already begun in silence.

Once Amparo finished explaining everything in detail, Lena said excitedly, "That's fantastic! This is truly great news. There will surely be many sisters willing to join."

"Hurry, hurry, what are we waiting for? As long as we deal with a few troublemakers, you'll be able to gather one or two hundred people."

"Haha, we'll be grabbing money and men!"

"By the way, Thorn Legion Commander, I'm the first to sign up!"

Lena spoke so quickly, one sentence after another, that Amparo couldn't get a word in.

But Lena's good mood was infectious, even to the usually stern Amparo.

Amparo nodded with a smile, and the two of them quickened their pace without realizing it.