The Burning of the Silence
"Look! A ship is on fire!" a sailor in charge of navigation said to his companion.
Whether it's a ship heading to the port or one about to leave, as it passes the mouth of the Mander, it can be seen that thick smoke is rising into the sky.
In the era when sails and oars were the primary means of propulsion, ships were virtually immune to fire.
Passing sailors and ships curiously raised their binoculars and discovered that the ship billowing black smoke was a black-hulled sailboat.
Several other boats surrounded it, as if they were executing a criminal.
Flames raged and engulfed the ship, making the black sailboat burn like a giant brazier.
Many ships nearby noticed what was happening, and many people expressed their confusion and regret.
The Silence was a pretty good ship no matter what, and it would be worth a lot of money even if sold at half price. It's really baffling that it was burned for nothing.
But only those on the warships surrounding the burning Silence knew why the ship had to be burned. As the ship burned, human cries could be heard emanating from the flames!
"Is there really no one left on the ship? Why is there crying coming from there?" a man who looked like an officer questioned his soldiers.
"Sir, it was Duke Stark himself who said there was no one left on the ship."
"The Duke of Stark?" The officer knew that Jon had been watching the soldiers unloading things from the Silence the whole time.
Since Jon says there's no one on the ship, then there's no one. Of course, everything on the ship has already been unloaded, including the poor souls imprisoned by Euron and the scheming wizards.
The officer turned to look at the House Tyrell's large ship not far away, where Jon and Willas were talking.
Jon kept the strange weirwood hidden from everyone and insisted on burning the ship.
Willas accompanied Jon to burn the ship, at Jon's request. As the Silence crackled and popped as it was devoured by the flames, Willas moved closer to Jon.
The reason for seeking out Willas is that Willas does indeed wield a considerable amount of power in the Highgarden, and he is clear-headed and quick-witted; it would be much easier to simply entrust certain matters to him.
"Willas, I want to speak with you about seeking justice for Lady Alerie. I believe we can declare war on the Iron Islands now, but we must proceed cautiously."
"Are you worried about the Iron Throne?" Willas probed.
"Yes, I am worried about Stannis." There was no one else around on the deck, so Jon didn't bother to pretend.
Willas's counter-question proved Jon's judgment correct; he was a smart man worthy of being trusted.
Jon's straightforward answer surprised Willas a little. Although he had a vague feeling that it was unlikely, he had always thought that Jon was the kind of person who was loyal.
"Stannis arranged my marriage to Margaery to punish Tyrell and weaken Tyrell by pacifying the Westerlands. But the war ended too quickly; he clearly miscalculated. Now, there's the Iron Islands. He'll definitely use them against us. If we show any eagerness to attack the Iron Islands Iron Islands, we'll be outmaneuvered. We absolutely must attack the Iron Islands, but how and when to attack are decisions we must make," Jon said, looking at Willas, his face illuminated by the orange flames.
Having fully accepted the fact that Jon would be a reliable ally, Willas asked with great interest, "So, how do you plan to fight?"
"Firstly, the Iron Islands Fleet, as one of the three major fleets—and now one of only two in Westeros —has the greatest advantage in maneuverability. They possess the initiative in both offense and retreat. The western coast of the North has absolutely no need for maritime trade. I intend to increase taxes in the Westerlands ports and abolish transit taxes. This will significantly reduce the activity of merchant ships at sea, forcing these pirates to attack us. On land, our army will have a much greater advantage!"
Listening to Jon's explanation, Willas nodded. Although Jon's actions would harm the maritime trade of the Sunset Sea, merchants were always people who could be exploited at will by lords, so no one cared.
"That's one way, but with such a long coastline, how can we know where the Iron Islands pirates are going to attack?" Willas asked.
"If Euron can obtain the Seastone Chair, I believe it will be the Shield Islands!"
Jon knew that, according to the original timeline, Euron would have killed Balon before returning to the Iron Islands, and then appeared the very next day to vie for the Seastone Chair.
Euron became King of the Iron Islands, he attacked the Arbor, owned by House Redwyne, and the Shield Islands.
Because Redwyne Fleet was dispatched to Dragonstone to eliminate Stannis's forces, he led the Iron Islands pirates to attack Arbor and plunder it extensively.
If the timeline doesn't change, Jon will ambush the Iron Islands army at Arbor.
But now it's clear the situation has changed. Redwyne Fleet will not be sent to Dragonstone, and Arbor, protected by a fleet, will not be Euron's primary target. The Shield Islands are very likely to become his first target.
The North poor, the Westerlands has just been plundered, and the only place left with any value for looting is the Reach.
"You mean we should deliberately expose our weaknesses to the Iron Islands to lure them into attacking?"
"Yes, that's right!" Jon said with a smile, finding it easy and pleasant to talk to intelligent people.
However, Willas quickly realized that Jon's analysis all rested on a fundamental assumption: that Euron would become the leader of the Iron Islands. But Balon's health should be quite good right now, and he has a son, so how could it possibly be Euron's turn?
In response, Jon explained again, "You saw those wizards with missing limbs, didn't you? These guys told me they were teaching Euron the Dark Arts."
Dark magic!?
"Yes, I suspect Euron has fled back to the Iron Islands, might use dark magic to seize power. Of course, whether he will succeed is another matter. If Balon takes power, our plans will need to be adjusted accordingly. That's why we must lead the war and not let the Iron Throne get involved."
The steel female statue at the bow of the ship, having lost its anchor, slumped down, crashing into the sea and sending up plumes of white spray.
"Alright, leave that to me. We'll handle everything regarding the Iron Islands," Willas assured Jon.
"Alright, there's one more thing I need your help with, brother."
"Jon, don't be so polite, just say what you need to say." Willas was pleased to hear Jon address him that way.
"I hope you will write a letter to the city and send all the apprentices who are still in training to the Western Region. I will give them the treatment of associate bachelors. If there are formal bachelors who are willing to come, I will give them double the treatment."
"There must be at least a thousand apprentices training in the Citadel, Jon, what do you need so many maesters for?" Willas asked in surprise.
"The House Tyrell have spent three hundred years trying to bring the Reach to complete submission, and I've been in the Westerlands for less than three months. I need to take control of the Westerlands as soon as possible and eliminate the influence left by the Lannister," Jon explained, looking at the Silence, whose hull was ablaze.
Jon intends to govern the Westerlands with bureaucracy, which is the best way to consolidate and centralize power.
Willas was naturally very supportive of Jon's plan after hearing it, as an ally he was happy to see Jon grow stronger quickly.
The Iron Throne's current constraint on Jon is a matter of legitimacy, and Willas is a smart man; he knows that the issue of legitimacy ultimately boils down to whether one is strong enough.
If Jon can maintain an army of around 50,000 in the Westerlands, with his wife's family, the Tyrell, to the south, his brother Robb to the north, and his quasi-ally Riverrun to the east, his geographical location and diplomatic environment would be exceptionally favorable.
Even if Tywin were to be resurrected, he, as the Lord of Casterly Rock, would no longer be threatened in any way.
Soon, the Silence was gradually consumed by the flames and even began to slowly sink. The howling sounds coming from the fire gradually disappeared, and Jon mentioned another matter— the White Walkers!
"I saw these legendary monsters with my own eyes on the Wall. No matter how terrible the wounds inflicted on them, they wouldn't bleed. Even if you pierced their hearts with swords, they wouldn't die. Only by cutting off their heads or stabbing them with weapons made of Dragonglass would these monsters truly die. That's why I asked Stannis to mine large quantities of Dragonglass on Dragonstone. Before I left the Wall, my uncle Benjen— "
Jon repeated the story he had told Robb in Riverrun to Willas, believing that Willas would take it seriously.
In short, it boils down to this: don't underestimate the coming winter, because it's not just winter, but also a terrifying Long Night and the White Walkers.
You must stockpile as much food and Dragonglass as possible.
Finally, Jon briefly mentioned that Willas should sell off his share of the treasures as soon as possible, since it was a considerable fortune and it would be wise to convert it into usable resources promptly.
Having finished their conversation, Jon and Willas prepared to return.
Before they had even returned to Highgarden, Aleken sent his cousin Merrell to find Jon. Merrell, however, did not come in person, but instead sent his youngest son Merrell.
"Your Grace, Sir Willas, Her Majesty the Queen requests your presence."
"What is it that Your Majesty wishes to discuss?" Willas asked gently.
"It's about the Iron Islands, that's all I know."
As soon as Merrell finished speaking, Willas looked at Jon.
Both men knew that Stannis was unaware of what had happened at Highgarden, and that the House Florent was undoubtedly trying to curry favor with Stannis.