An Open Assault on Winterfell

Lordsport was the largest port in the Pyke Islands. Robert burned it down more than a decade ago to mark his victory.

But not long after, Ironborn rebuilt the port and even expanded its scale.

The wooden bridge extends out into the sea, allowing it to accommodate more ships.

Most of the boats here are longboats, with their prows held high, like the raised head of a venomous snake.

Each longship could carry eighty to one hundred and fifty sailors. Longships did not have a bow and stern; the sailors on board only needed to turn the ship around.

At this moment, more than 300 longboats, along with 30-odd sailboats, were anchored on the water, ready to set sail.

Not far from Lordsport, more than eight thousand Ironborn were gathered there, their heads almost covering the open space near Lordsport. They liked to wear clothing made of sealskin, which was warm and waterproof, and looked like a black, greasy rag.

The sailors of the Iron Islands had little experience in large-scale battles, especially large-scale land battles. They were not as particular about formations as other parts of the Seven Kingdoms, and they did not make any compromises when welcoming Balon.

However, they were all skilled sailors; the Ironborn of the Iron Islands liked to boast that they were invincible on board.

The loosely packed formation, at first glance, might easily be mistaken for a rabble, but everyone was excited about the impending looting.

The spoils from the raid on the Westerlands months ago have been enjoyed by them ever since, and the number of Salt Wife on the island has multiplied several times over, so everyone is full of anticipation for the next raid.

"I heard this trip is to the North?"

"Why go to the North? It's far and cold, what's there to rob?"

"Who says otherwise?! I think we should go to the Reach; the girls there are the most beautiful."

"Or even further south, if only I could go to Arbor, my biggest dream in this life is to be able to bathe in wine."

"What are you thinking? Redwyne Fleet is on Arbor!"

The Ironborn people were buzzing with discussion, as if what followed wasn't war, but a trip.

Just then, someone suddenly shouted, "His Balon has arrived!"

"Shut up, all of you! His Majesty is here!"

"It's Your Majesty!"

Upon hearing that Balon had arrived, all the Ironborn stopped chatting. Some even took out their binoculars, only to have them snatched away by someone else after just a couple of glances.

"Long live His Majesty Balon!"

"Long live His Majesty Balon!"

Amidst a surging crowd, Balon arrived at Lordsport, accompanied by his daughter and three younger brothers.

The sea breeze ruffled Balon's hair, which was streaked with white, like a tattered but still unyielding flag.

Balon raised his hand, and the cheers of the Ironborn were ready to depart near the port gradually subsided.

Euron, standing beside him, watched this scene with a sense of longing, and had to admit that even though he possessed magic, Balon had an innate talent in this area.

"Ironborn!" Balon's voice was powerful and resonant, like crashing waves, deep yet deeply moving.

"Our ancestors cleaved the North winds with axes and crushed the Riverlands's waves with longships. We are the Ironborn! We are the children of the storm! We are the hammer of the Drowned God! We will never bow down!" As Balon's words fell, the cheers and roars of the Ironborn in the harbor drowned out the sea breeze.

However, a Raven hiding in the shadows revealed a mocking glint in its eyes. Balon seemed to have forgotten that Greyjoy's ancestors had gained their superior status over other families in the Iron Islands by pledging allegiance to the Dragon King.

"This time, we will make the North remember that the Iron Islands do not grow wheat, we sow fear! We do not raise cattle and sheep, we continue the storms; we do not pray for a bountiful harvest, we wish our enemies beautiful daughters and plenty of wine! Go! Go! Brute force is better than hard work!"

"The Drowned God protects us!" Aeron, the most renowned Drowned Priest of the Iron Islands, stepped forward and proclaimed.

Soon, a thousand sails set off, and the Ironborn rowed their famous ships eastward.

Euron stood on the deck of the merchant ship he had seized, looking at the ravens circling overhead, a sinister smile playing on his lips. He knew he couldn't possibly drive away all of Jon's Raven, but he was confident he could quickly take Winterfell, leaving Jon helpless.

He wanted to hang the Stark of Winterfell to avenge Jon's theft of the ship!

Jon regained his senses and focus; he was now in his study in Casterly Rock. The Iron Islands were shrouded in dark clouds, but Casterly Rock was bathed in sunshine.

This strange feeling is like waking up from a dream.

Jon knew that Euron was mocking him, believing that Jon had no way of assembling a sufficient fleet and army to stop him from invading Winterfell in a short time.

Moreover, Jon was certain that Euron must have also planted Raven near Winterfell, just as he had done at Golden Tooth and Casterly Rock, and it would be most likely impossible for him to notify Winterfell.

There was one thing Jon didn't quite understand, and that was that he seemed to have overlooked one thing—he could have not notified Winterfell but instead notified Robb directly.

That way, even if he can't get there in time, Robb will be able to.

But Jon wouldn't believe Euron would be foolish enough to ignore Robb's army; the guy would definitely include Robb in his calculations.

Given Winterfell's defensive capabilities, even with a relatively small force, it should be able to hold out for ten days or so, unless Euron is confident he can capture Winterfell before Robb returns to reinforce Winterfell.

But is that even possible?

Jon was well aware of Winterfell's defenses, and with Winter Town nearby, the Iron Islands ' army couldn't possibly arrive silently.

With Luwin and Catelyn Stark at the helm Winterfell will not be easily conquered.

Moreover, the pirates of the Iron Islands don't like to wear armor; going to a siege without armor is tantamount to suicide.

While Jon's attack on King's Landing did involve an element of surprise, he still used heavily armored troops to clear the way.

If it's not using conventional methods, then it can only be using unconventional methods.

Thinking about the dark magic Euron had learned, Jon decided to go and ask the wizard he had imprisoned a good question.

Since returning to Casterly Rock, Jon has been swamped with various political affairs, and the warlocks have only been temporarily placed under house arrest.

So he left the castle and went to the courtyard that Qyburn had been given to do his research, where Jon had also imprisoned the wizards.

"Your Majesty the Duke."

"Hmm, how's the research going lately?"

"I've been organizing my manuscripts and the materials you borrowed for me from the Citadel recently. I've also been conducting several experiments on sheep, mice, and dogs regarding the cesarean section you requested. The results on the mice and dogs have been relatively smooth, but large animals like sheep, horses, and cows always seem to experience severe bleeding," Qyburn explained to Jon in detail about his recent findings.

Now that Jon is funding his research, he no longer needs to wander with those mercenaries.

Qyburn was also a smart man, and Jon had him start his research on cesarean sections, most likely in preparation for Margaery's delivery.

"Do a good job. If you can resolve the massive bleeding problem, I guarantee your name will be recorded in history, and I won't be stingy with the reward of a noble title!"

"Thank you, sir," Qyburn said respectfully, but without the usual fervor for a title.

In his eyes, only his own research was the most important thing.

Jon certainly didn't want anything to happen to Margaery during childbirth. On the one hand, only if she, as his wife, lived a healthy life could the Westerlands continue to receive help from Highgarden.

On the other hand, Jon had indeed developed feelings for her after spending time together. Moreover, she was very intelligent and managed Casterly Rock very well. Not long ago, she even went with him to visit the immigrants from the Mountain Clans.

During the Targaryen era, a king ordered the Grand Maester to perform a cesarean section on his queen, who was experiencing a difficult childbirth. As a result, both the queen and her son perished.

Although his queen was physically weak, she had successfully given birth to a daughter and had also suffered several miscarriages. Why did this accident happen only when she was about to give birth to a male heir?

While the Targaryen king's eagerness for a son also played a part, it also made Jon wary of the Citadel.

After all, it's shocking that such an immature surgery would be used on a member of the royal family. If that were all, it wouldn't be so bad, but the fact that this Targaryen king's second wife comes from the Hightower, the main supporter of the Citadel, makes one wonder.

Jon has made up his mind that, regardless of whether he seizes the Iron Throne or not, he will not tolerate the Citadel's dominance.

He wanted to start from scratch! Those trainee scholars were his focus, but there were just too many things to do, so he could only take it one step at a time.

Led by Qyburn, they arrived at the courtyard where the male wizard was being held captive. Two somewhat hard-of-hearing Mountain Clans veterans were stationed outside the courtyard.

They only recognize Jon's face; they don't recognize anyone else.

Furthermore, Jon didn't want Qyburn to go astray by learning magic, so he always had the veterans control the time Qyburn seeing the wizards, and they weren't allowed to have much interaction except for physical examinations.

"You can go out now."

"Yes, sir."

Qyburn left the yard, Jon entered alone.

When Pyat Pree saw that it was Jon, he quickly knelt down on the bed and bowed.

"Honorable and merciful sir, may the gods bless your family and lineage."

Although Pyat Pree was still under house arrest with Jon, Jon's confinement was much more lenient; he not only provided him with normal food but also at least a room to stay in.

Jon wasn't the kind of Euron who killed without hesitation and enjoyed tormenting people with fear. This gave Pyat Pree a sense of relief at escaping hell.

"No need for such formalities. I'm here to ask you some questions," Jon said calmly, looking at Pyat Pree's bald head. He explained his purpose to Boli, Pyat Pree naturally answered all his questions without reservation.

"My lord, Euron cut off my legs that day and used a Sacrificial Magic to create a wind that helped him break through the encirclement. He would probably use similar magic to quickly capture a castle."