Douglas always acted responsibly, and within two days of receiving the order, the entire fleet was ready.
Hundreds of Volantis warships lined up beside Rhoyne, with sails and flags flying.
This time the trip was not urgent, Redd rarely chose to take a boat instead of riding a dragon - although sailing on the river is inevitably bumpy, it is still much more comfortable than riding on the back of a dragon and enduring the cold wind at high altitude.
What's more, no matter how carefully the dragon's saddle is built, how can it compare with the soft bed covered with oriental silk in the cabin?
The fleet sailed upstream, and the scenery on both sides of the Rhoyne slowly unfolded like a picture scroll.
Redd stood on the bow of the flagship "Valyria" and looked at the small towns built along the coast: houses with red tiles and white walls were scattered in an orderly manner, the pier was crowded with fishing boats, and smoke was rising.
The vast land from the mouth of Rhoyne to the Heartbreak Territory, as well as the fertile area in the west known as the "Orange Coast", are now included in the territory of Volantis.
However, as the territory expanded, Redd's brows became more and more frowned.
He realized that there were too few available people. Although Pentos's old subordinates were loyal, their abilities were limited after all;
The newly attached Sealord of Braavos secretly colluded with Coras, apparently planning how to get rid of control.
People with such double-minded intentions must be eradicated as soon as possible. Redd silently made a note in his heart: It's time to promote a group of new people.
The voyage lasted for several days. When the fleet slowly sailed into the waters of the Heartbreak Territory, the surrounding air seemed to be stagnant.
The scenery on both sides of the river was gradually replaced by a thick, gray-white fog that seemed to linger all year round. The visibility dropped sharply, and only the outlines of twisted and dead trees along the river bank could be vaguely discerned.
As well as the strange shadows of the ruins of magnificent buildings that were submerged in the mist further away, the dull sound of the bottom of a ship scraping against unknown obstacles could be heard from under the water from time to time, which were palace domes or broken statues that had sunk for thousands of years.
A smell mixed with decay, dampness and some indescribable disease spreads over the river with the breeze,
Even the bravest sailors unconsciously lowered their voices and scanned the dense fog that was silent and seemed to swallow all light.
Marcus had already led a group of officers to wait at the end of the makeshift trestle.
The army of 100,000 slaves led by him has been stationed here for a long time.
This general, who is known for his strict military management, has already received the news that the prince is coming, and is now lining up at the dock with his generals to welcome him.
Seeing Redd's flagship docking, Marcus immediately stepped forward and knelt down on one knee. "Your Highness, the army is ready to go and is at your disposal at any time."
The camp has been arranged according to the highest security standards, and the peripheral patrol team patrols around the clock, and no large-scale organized Stone Men attack has been detected so far."
Redd nodded and glanced at Marcus and the officers behind him who looked tired but had sharp eyes.
"Thank you, Marcus. Take me to see the situation on the front line." He went straight to the point without any extra greetings.
A group of people climbed to a higher observation tower on the edge of the camp.
Through the sometimes thick and sometimes light fog, you can vaguely see the huge shadow across Rhoyne in the distance - the ruins of the Dream Bridge.
What is even more heart-stopping is that in the gaps where the fog is slightly thinner, near the bridge piers and among the ruins further away, there seem to be scattered slow-moving humanoid figures with skin the color of gray slates.
They seemed to have no response to the huge military camp on the shore, just wandering aimlessly, like ghosts lost in an eternal nightmare.
"The situation is more troublesome than expected," Marcus pointed forward and said, "The number of Stone Men is far greater than expected, and they seem... not completely unconscious,
Occasionally there are signs of synergy, especially when defending certain areas, such as the passage leading to the core of the Bridge of Dreams.
If we attack by force, even if we can capture it, the losses will be very heavy."
Redd stared at the cursed land and was silent for a moment. What came to his mind was not only the immediate military problem, but also deeper considerations.
This forgotten territory, along with the remaining forces rumored to be under the control of the "Shroud King", may provide an alternative to pure force of conquest.
"Continue to exert pressure, but do not rush into Heartbreak Ridge." Redd finally issued the order, "Use the fleet to block the river, and your army will build a strong defense line along the river bank to cut off any possibility for them to go out.
At the same time, small groups of elite units were dispatched to conduct exploratory attacks in turns to find out their activity patterns and weaknesses.
In addition," he paused and lowered his voice, "try to see if you can get in touch with the 'Shroud King'.
Tell him that I can provide him and those who follow him with a position under the rule of Volantis, provided they give up unnecessary resistance."
A trace of surprise flashed in Marcus's eyes, but he quickly regained his composure as a professional officer. "Understood, Your Highness. I will make arrangements immediately."
However... negotiating with Stone Men is a rare precedent in the entire history of Essos."
"In an extraordinary place, extraordinary things are done." Redd turned around and walked down the watchtower, "What we want is the secret here, and by the way, it is best to include it in an area that can be controlled and eliminate hidden dangers.
If fear and isolation are the only languages here, then we become the new voices in this fog. But if they insist on decaying with the stone..."
His tone turned cold, with an unquestionable decision, "Then let Dragonfire hold a grand cremation for them."
In the next few days, Redd's orders were executed to the letter.
Volantis's fleet controlled the river, and the legion's soldiers combed the outer areas like combs. Small-scale conflicts occurred from time to time, but no large-scale decisive battle broke out.
Redd himself is sitting in the central army, while processing the government documents sent from Volantis, Pentos and even further places, while paying close attention to the situation in the Heartbreak Territory and any responses that may come from the depths of the fog.
This cursed land is like a huge mystery, quietly waiting for the new ruler to unlock its hidden secrets.
Every step is as careful as stepping on the tip of a knife. If you are not careful, you will fall into an abyss of eternal destruction.
The land of the Heartbreak Territory seems to have been baptized by an evil and mysterious force, which spreads quickly like a plague and swallows up everything.
Looking around, we can see a desolate and dilapidated scene: the once fertile farmland has now become barren and cracked; the dense forest has only bare tree trunks, lifeless;
Even those strong castles and houses were crumbling at the moment, as if they would collapse to the ground at any time.