The Threat of the Wildlings

A castle is the core structure for human control over land and the prerequisite for lords to declare sovereignty.

In Westeros, the kingdom's colonization decree follows this same principle; only by building a castle that meets the required standards on the colonized land will the kingdom recognize a lord's legal ownership of the territory.

Therefore, after arriving at his new territory, Samwell's primary objective was to build a castle of his own.

Only then could he become a lord in the true sense of the word.

So, as soon as he finished lunch, Samwell summoned the craftsmen from Highgarden to discuss the construction of the castle.

"Lord Caesar, we have just made a rough survey of the environment here and have a general plan in mind, which we were just about to report to you."

The speaker was a craftsman named Vidor, over fifty years old with graying hair and beard. He held great prestige among the craftsmen who had come from Highgarden, and Viscount Martin had even taken Samwell's hand back then, urging him to ensure the old man was well protected.

"Mr. Vidor, please go ahead." Samwell had always respected those with genuine skill.

Vidor bowed slightly and spoke eloquently:

"My lord, we believe that to build a castle worthy of your status, the best location would be the northeast corner of this valley. The terrain there is higher, so it would not be affected even at high tide, and it is backed by mountains on two sides, which would save us the cost of two sections of curtain wall.

The preliminary plan for the castle covers about five acres, with a six-story main keep, thirty-eight rooms, and two basements. In addition, there are three secondary keeps, a stable, a warehouse, three barracks, and four ninety-foot-tall towers, which can be equipped with heavy ballistae and small catapults.

The walls would be about eighty feet high and twelve feet thick, divided into three inner and outer layers, built with stacked stone and mortar, with rubble filling in between, making them very sturdy.

Outside the walls, we could divert seawater to create a moat..."

Samwell listened silently, and only after the man finished did he ask:

"So, how much would it cost to build such a castle?"

Vidor stroked his long beard and pondered for a moment before saying:

"It would take about seventy thousand Gold Dragons."

Samwell's mouth twitched, and he asked again: "And how long would it take to complete?"

"With our current manpower, it would take about five years."

Samwell's mouth twitched even more violently, and he asked again: "If I find enough manpower, how long would it take?"

"At least half a year. However, in that case, the cost would certainly exceed seventy thousand Gold Dragons; I fear it would multiply several times over."

"I see." Samwell nodded, his mood improving slightly.

He certainly couldn't wait five years; by then, the White Walkers would have arrived, and the game would be over.

He had to secure his ticket to the table before this Game of Thrones officially began.

So, the question now was, how to raise such a massive sum of money in a short period?

Continuing to solicit investment was certainly impossible. No matter how many fools there were in Westeros, he couldn't swindle them out of such a fortune.

However, Samwell wasn't panicked. Since he dared to come out and colonize, he was certainly prepared.

When he told Todd earlier that he could generate income for the territory through legitimate business, he wasn't just bragging.

But it was too early to discuss that now; he had to settle in first.

"Mr. Vidor, since the castle cannot be rushed, let us first build a stable and secure camp. Do you have any suggestions for that?"

"My lord, then I suggest you build a simple wooden fortress.

First, build a small hill out of earth and stone near the entrance of the valley, construct a wooden tower on top with a beacon, build three or four shorter arrow towers on either side, and surround the area with a sturdy fence for protection.

Outside the fence, you can dig a trench to enhance defensive capabilities. Behind the tower, you can set up houses, stables, a smithy, and other buildings, also constructed of wood.

This simple wooden fortress is low-cost, easy to source materials for, and has a short construction period, allowing for effective defense to be formed quickly. Of course, its drawbacks are also obvious: it is not sturdy enough, it is vulnerable to fire, and it cannot be recognized by the kingdom as the core of a territory.

However, it is more than enough to serve as a transitional camp."

Samwell smiled and nodded, saying:

"Very well, Mr. Vidor, I will leave this matter entirely in your hands."

"Yes, my lord." Vidor bowed, then asked, "My lord, I also have a preliminary plan for the construction of the wharf..."

"The wharf is not urgent for now." Samwell shook his head, interrupting him. "Focus the manpower on building the wooden fortress first. Remember to build more wooden houses; I fear it won't be long before we have new companions arriving."

"Understood, my lord."

After arranging the craftsmen, Samwell turned his gaze to Todd Flowers standing to the side:

"Ser Todd, do you have any suggestions for the security of the camp?"

Although there had been some friction between the two due to Carter's death, they hadn't had a falling out, and throughout the journey, Todd had been diligent and conscientious.

Especially after venturing deep into the Red Mountains, if not for this seasoned knight, the expedition team would likely not have reached the northern shore of the Summer Sea so smoothly, even without the harassment of the Wildlings.

Therefore, Samwell still highly respected Todd's opinion on security.

Todd did not hold back and replied immediately:

"My lord, I suggest clearing all the trees near the entrance of the valley to prevent enemies or beasts from using them for concealment. In addition, throughout our journey, although the Wildlings did not launch an attack, they have been following us, so we must remain vigilant and send men out of the valley to keep watch every day, while also scouting the surrounding situation."

"Good." Samwell nodded in agreement, pondered for a moment, and added, "However, regarding the surrounding Wildlings, as long as they do not show malice first, we should not attack them. If possible, I hope to figure out the distribution of the surrounding Wildling tribes; it would be best if I could meet with those tribal leaders."

"My lord, the Wildlings in the Red Mountains will not have any goodwill toward us. The only reason they didn't attack us before was because they saw we had enough soldiers. You must not lower your guard against them."

"Don't worry, I understand the danger they pose. But as a colonizing lord, if we can accept some Wildlings as our subjects, our territory's development will certainly be much smoother."

Todd didn't try to persuade him further and immediately began to act according to Samwell's instructions.

The once-quiet valley suddenly became bustling again.

Samwell led his new recruits to catch fish and shrimp by the sea. Because Eagle's Beak was located deep in the Red Mountains, transportation was inconvenient. Although they had bought some livestock and prepared some salted meat, they certainly had to be frugal.

Fortunately, the new recruits were all former dock workers, and most of them had grown up by the Mander River, so they naturally knew exactly how to catch food from the water.

In one afternoon, the recruits had a bountiful harvest, and the seafood they hauled up piled into a small hill half a person high.

But just as Samwell was rejoicing that they could have a seafood barbecue feast that night, Todd returned with a worried expression and reported:

"My lord, it's bad. The soldiers we had out cutting trees were attacked by Wildlings. Three were injured, and of the three groups of sentries sent out, only two have returned."