Judging the Prisoners

The North, Sea Dragon Point Peninsula, Flint's Finger Castle, near the castle gates.

The wind blew ceaselessly through Flint's Finger all year round. If Sea Dragon Point Peninsula was a palm, then Flint's Finger was its little finger. Today, however, Flint's Finger was particularly lively. People had been talking since morning, because the troops sent to the Western Mountains had returned.

Eddard had written late into the night, only returning to his bedroom to rest after his candle burned out. To prepare for welcoming the returning troops and taking custody of the prisoners, he had risen early again today.

By now, a simple platform had been erected on the open ground near the castle gates. It had been converted from the gallows. Eddard had long since ordered the gallows dismantled, leaving only the platform.

In this medieval-like world, common people had little entertainment. Apart from tournaments, watching their lord judge criminals and watching hangings were among their few diversions.

Eddard disliked hanging people, and he also disliked sending criminals off to the Wall at every turn. North of the Seven Kingdoms' North, near the Frostfangs, stood the Wall, where an organization called the Night's Watch was stationed. Its history stretched back a very long time. It was a military organization established specifically to defend against the Others after the First Men and the Children of the Forest formed their alliance.

According to certain records in the Citadel, this organization dated back further than humanity's known history, spanning several thousand years or so. But as time passed and the Others vanished without a trace, this wretched place gradually became a place of exile for the Seven Kingdoms. All manner of criminals and nobles who had lost their lands were dumped there and left to fend for themselves.

As a lord with modern memories of Blue Star, Eddard naturally understood very well how important population was to the development of his territory. This was also the main reason he had instructed Guard Captain Arthur Stone and the others to take more prisoners.

Flint's Finger already had a small population. Finding criminals to send to the Wall or hang for no good reason brought Eddard no benefit whatsoever. So, to bring back more laborers, he had to resort to some "unorthodox methods."

Although Eddard Stark, Warden of the North, had expressly forbidden the slave trade, Eddard could play with definitions and exploit the prisoners in the name of reform through labor. Once he added a reputation for "righteousness" and "mercy," no one would come pointing fingers. Besides, given Eddard Stark's good-natured disposition, Eddard generally would not be held accountable as long as he did not go too far.

Just as Eddard was organizing what he would say that day, a guard came to report that the expedition had returned to the docks. By the time Eddard reached the gates, surrounded by the guards who had stayed behind, he could already see the procession approaching from afar.

After the transport ships and longships dropped anchor, the men disembarked one after another. Before long, they formed a long, winding line, looking rather like pilgrims coming to worship.

The common people of Flint's Finger loudly cursed the pirates from all around, while the still-shaken miners searched the crowd for their families. The accompanying guards and mercenaries formed two lines, guarding the captured pirates between them. A small number of female Clan Warriors were mixed among the prisoners.

The crystal on Eddard's left hand gave off threads of warmth. He then activated the Golden Eye and sensed that terrible creatures were gestating within these female warriors.

However, Eddard's senses told him very clearly that these creatures could not survive in this world at all. According to the demon B'lack's memories, the various conditions in this world simply could not support the survival of high-level magical creatures. In order to allow demonkind to take root in this world,

The demon B'lack had conducted many experiments,

And specimens left behind by the demon could be found in many places throughout this world. Near Claw Isle, under the jurisdiction of the Seven Kingdoms' Crownlands, there was a strange humanoid monster that the locals called "squishers" (a legendary sort of half-human, half-fish monster). These were the work of the demon B'lack. The demon's experiments had also given Eddard many ideas. He had originally planned to find some marine creatures or animals to experiment on later. He had not expected Arthur Stone to capture these female Clan Warriors whom the demon B'lack had implanted with demonic seeds.

After being infested with the demon B'lack's demonic seeds, these female warriors would grow weaker and weaker, eventually becoming nourishment for the experimental specimens. As it happened, conducting these experiments now could also free the women from their torment sooner. To be honest, in Eddard's view, the demon B'lack's methods were far too crude, even something of a waste of precious resources.

Although sacrificing oneself to a god was a glorious thing in the beliefs of these Clan Warriors, such twisted and terrifying worship ran counter to civilized society. Eddard would not allow demon worship to continue in this region.

As it happened, Eddard had also found certain interesting things in the demon B'lack's memories this time. With the help of some of the Children of the Forest's methods for using dragonglass, he should be able to transform these prisoners into his first batch of loyal followers and slaves.

While Eddard was considering how to deal with these people, Guard Captain Arthur Stone and "Scar" Rickard and his two sons had already approached him.

Upon seeing Eddard, Arthur Stone's persistent unease gradually settled. Eddard, meanwhile, discerned some of the fear in his heart, so he spoke first to reassure everyone:

"My loyal subjects, let us cheer for our heroes! It is thanks to them that our miner brothers survived at the hands of the bandits and pirates. Long live our heroes!"

Although Eddard was already shouting as hard as he could, his voice still carried only a few dozen meters. Some commoners at the rear of the procession could not hear what he was saying at all. But that did not stop them from cheering along with him. As Eddard raised his arm high, the guards who had stayed behind to maintain order also followed his gesture and began to shout.

"Long live our heroes! Long live our heroes!"

Although some of the commoners did not know what the others were cheering about, thanks to Eddard's earlier publicity, they knew more or less why the troops had set out.

The rule of the father Eddard had inherited had always been very stable, and the subjects of Flint's Finger were very obedient. Apart from the clans and bandits in the Western Mountains, House Flint maintained a fairly strong hold over this region. Events like this could also strengthen the subjects' sense of honor and belonging, letting everyone know that Eddard had always been protecting them.

Clang, clang, clang...

Amid the repeated clanging of metal, the crowd's excited shouts gradually subsided. Only after everyone had quieted down did Eddard clear his throat and speak:

"Although these pirates and bandits have committed unforgivable crimes against our lands, the Old Gods are merciful. As Lord of Flint's Finger, I will have them atone through labor to repay the harm they have done to you all. All right! Take these people away now!"

After receiving Eddard's orders, the guards and mercenaries escorted the prisoners into the castle together. Eddard had specifically converted the stables to house them.

Moreover, to prevent these prisoners from resisting, Eddard had specifically asked Maester Albert to prepare something resembling a knockout drug for them. Although poppies also existed in this world, Eddard would not touch that sort of thing. He was not so idle that he would take on a whole bunch of addicts as his followers.

After dealing with the prisoners, Eddard reassured the miners and told them that if they were willing to return and resume mining later, their wages would be doubled. These miners earned roughly one copper penny a day, equivalent to about ten yuan a day.

In this remote rural domain, paying them double wages was already extremely generous of Eddard. Although many miners were tempted when they heard his offer, the thought of those terrifying wights left them utterly afraid again.

Eddard did not rush them to decide. Instead, he told the miners to go home and think it over. Later on, these people would only manage the mining area rather than actually descend into the mines. In time, the pits would become a place where Eddard punished criminals and enemies.

Eddard then read out several recruitment plans concerning the development of his territory. Among them, the most important task was to build a new kind of workshop-or rather, designate a new industrial district. He had already chosen its location: an empty stretch of land between Golden Wheat Village and the outer town.

At present, Eddard still had far too few capable people under him. Maester Albert alone could be said to oversee both construction and medical care, handling every aspect of both jobs from start to finish. By now, he could barely spare any time to attend to Eddard's condition.

For the moment, however, Eddard had no good solution to this problem. The level of productivity in this territory, or indeed this entire world, was simply too low. The common people were tied to their land and food gathering all year round, with no spare time whatsoever to work for him.

But freeing up productive capacity could not be accomplished overnight either. Without a guaranteed food supply, Eddard had no way of putting this manpower to use. If he wanted productivity to advance by leaps and bounds, he could only look to magic for a way forward.

Soon, after finishing issuing his decrees, Eddard led his followers to the place where the prisoners were held. There were twenty of the weakened female Clan Warriors in total. After Maester Albert gave them the drug, they were sent to a cellar in the castle.

Once these matters had been arranged, Eddard went to the cells converted from the stables. Everyone held here was a captured Ironborn pirate: "One-Eye" Billy, First Mate Marco, and the pirates who had survived the sea battle. All of them sat slumped on the ground like heaps of mud.

These men were extremely difficult to deal with. Although Arthur Stone had already given them several beatings, their eyes still held that same fearless look, as though they had no fear of death at all. After all, according to their faith, they would enter the Drowned God's Watery Halls after they died.

"Ah... you... stay away from me! M-monster!"

Just as the guards were about to drag out two troublemakers to teach them a lesson, a voice suddenly reached everyone's ears. It was filled with fear and terror. They looked toward its source and saw "One-Eye" Billy trembling in fright.

In "One-Eye" Billy's eyes, Eddard's appearance could scarcely be described as human. Where his head should have been was a jumble of twisted tentacles and eyes. His left hand was terrifying scales and flesh like those of a giant lizard, while his right side was a twisted pillar formed from all manner of strangely shaped dragonglass. The golden crystal in his chest radiated dazzling light.

Apart from "One-Eye" Billy, Eddard looked equally terrifying in the eyes of "Eel" Ralf and "Housecat" Bran. In their eyes, however, his dreadful appearance only flashed past for an instant. They could not see Eddard's "true face" as clearly as "One-Eye" Billy could.

After seeing their former leader's reaction, some of the surrounding Ironborn pirates forced their weakened bodies upright and began cursing him. Unfortunately, "One-Eye" Billy remained utterly unmoved, still staring at Eddard with terror written all over his face.

"Hmm... not bad. All right, tell me! Who exactly are you, and why did you come to attack our mine?"

After hearing Eddard's words, "One-Eye" Billy seemed to fall under some sort of control. After struggling for a while, he spilled every secret, like beans pouring out of a bamboo tube.

Throughout this, although the Ironborn pirates kept trying to interrupt "One-Eye" Billy's account, Eddard's guards obligingly stepped forward to give them a few slaps. Eddard naturally already knew these things, but he wanted to spread the news.

The Ironborn pirates had never enjoyed a good reputation along the shores of the Sunset Sea. Previously, the nobles of the Seven Kingdoms had merely harbored suspicions, but now that there was concrete evidence, the situation was different. If the North, the Westerlands, the Riverlands, and the Reach pressured House Greyjoy of the Iron Islands over the matter of the "Sons of the Drowned God,"

Then life would become even harder for the Ironborn pirates. All kinds of conflicts would erupt. Infighting, seeking a way out, or throwing caution to the wind and continuing to raid would be their only three choices. When that time came, Eddard's opportunity would arrive.

When the pirates came to plunder, Eddard could seize the chance to take prisoners. When the Ironborn came seeking alliances, he could also seize the chance to find allies and cultivate forces of his own. In the end, he could even prop up puppets to divide the Ironborn. These Ironborn were all natural-born sailors and craftsmen. Used well, they would be an enormous help to Eddard's future endeavors.