Game of Thrones: King of Harrenhal, starting with a blue hand stat panel

Chapter 109 The Exchange of the Iron Seeds

Conquest ended in 289.

The festivities on Pike Island continued late into the night, filled with laughter and joy.

Liquor is like an old hero; the more you drink, the more courageous you become.

"Cheers! Drink!" Robert Baratheon, his face flushed from drinking, was a renowned drinker and glutton in the Seven Kingdoms, and a notorious womanizer.

"This wine is truly excellent," Soros of Mil exclaimed, gesturing wildly.

The red-robed monk had long forgotten his role as the God of Light; he was Robert's famous drinking buddy.

Compared to the two men, the smiling Duke Eddard, Sir Kevan, and the serious Sir Stannis seemed completely out of place.

Stannis has always been strict and has a distant, unapproachable demeanor, lacking the charm of his older brother.

Robert led the way in a feast, and they certainly had a good time tonight.

Since Arthur is relatively young, he drinks in moderation.

The princes fawned over the king and important figures like Duke Ed and Earl Royce, like butterflies flitting among flowers.

The Baratheon dynasty is currently at its zenith, and anyone who says that it will fall apart in ten years would be ridiculed as a fool.

But this is the future of the Baratheon dynasty, and the few who didn't come are the biggest landmines.

Queen Cersei in the palace, Duke Renly of Storm's End, Varys, the schemer lurking in the palace, and Littlefinger.

These people are all incredibly important.

The Iron Seeds looked disheveled and embarrassed, each of them wearing a forced smile and acting cautiously.

King Baron's face was as black as the bottom of a pot.

The Iron People are a hardworking people; unless they are robbing, they don't usually indulge in lavish meals.

And now, the wine, grain, and meat of Pike City and Harlow Island are being consumed recklessly by the Iron Throne army, squandered as if money were no object.

Anyway, everyone will be leaving the Iron Islands in the next couple of days, so we'll definitely have to eat and drink well. This is all thanks to Baron.

This is war; it's already a miracle for the losers to keep their heads.

"Back when we were in the Eyrie, we used to throw rotten oranges around there," Robert said to Ed, as the two reminisced about their youth.

The various lords of the valley also chimed in.

Robert's approachable, rough, and brave style is completely different from the "melancholy prince" and artistic youth, Réa.

One can only be described as highbrow and the other as lowbrow.

One is more approachable, while the other is more aristocratic and aloof.

Although Rhaegar had many supporters, Robert's charm was no less than that of the Silver Prince.

The banquet only ended after the king had eaten and drunk his fill.

Robert also returned to his enormous, extravagantly decorated tent, a testament to the king's honor and luxury.

Unfortunately, there weren't many attractive women in Pike City, and the camp was full of cheerful soldiers and knights, so messing around with women would be unsightly.

Otherwise, Robert would have to ask, "Are there any prostitutes in town?" and he would have to wait until the bustling Port Lannis to indulge himself.

Arthur also returned to the golden tent in King's Port, which was also golden, but much smaller than the king's.

Arthur's servants had all drunk quite a bit today, but Rosso and Tritimor hadn't drunk much, and at least two of them were to stand guard outside Arthur's tent.

Arthur lit the whale oil candles he had obtained for free from the Iron Islands, filling the tent with light.

Arthur placed the longsword Darkbringer and Orphan Maker on the desk, carefully examining the mesmerizing black ripples on the sword.

Although they couldn't snatch Red Rain, these two swords were enough. The Orphan Maker's fearsome reputation even surpassed that of Nightfall and Red Rain.

Once we return to King's Landing, both of these famous swords will disappear from history.

Arthur intends to fuse the two swords together to create a giant sword that contrasts with Ice, Light Howl, and Heart Shatter.

"Your mission is about to be completed, and a new, glorious sword of the River An will appear in history," Arthur thought.

"My lord, we have guests to visit you!" Rosso announced as he entered the tent. "They are several leaders from the Iron Islands."

"Let them come!" Arthur sat behind his desk, waiting for the guests to arrive.

This is perfectly normal. Arthur earned his reputation through battle, and many people want to get closer to him.

Entering the tent were several high-ranking leaders of the Iron Islands: the scholar from Harlo Island, the leader of Goobler from Great Wake Island, the leader of Drum from Old Wake Island, the leader of Oakmon from Oak Island, and the leader of Baylor from Black Tide Island who would be taken hostage.

These are all big shots in the Iron Islands, but judging from their styles, they are more intelligent than Baron.

"What brings you all here?" Arthur asked, looking at the leaders and inviting them to sit on the camp chairs inside the tent.

"Seeing Lord Arthur, he truly shines! He is indeed the most outstanding young knight of the Seven Kingdoms!" Leader Zhuogu immediately launched into praise mode.

"Alright, my lords, I don't see that you're all particularly drunk," Arthur said to them, deciding to be more explicit.

"Simply put, we admire Lord Arthur's charisma and wish to establish a relationship with you," Chief Guberle introduced. "The greatest warrior of the Three Rivers, you will surely be the vanguard of the Iron Throne in the future."

This was also the consensus among the Iron Islands leaders: Arthur River was ruthless, capable, and a formidable fighter.

He will undoubtedly be the Iron Throne's top henchman; we need to cultivate a good relationship with him beforehand.

Robert used to be the top vanguard, but now that he's the king, he doesn't charge headlong into things like before.

"Of course I'd like to build relationships with you all, but unfortunately, I have so many people under my command, and they all cost money," Arthur said, patting his longsword.

The leader of the Gubler tribe frowned, realizing he was truly at their mercy.

"Iron ore, whale oil, we have prepared generous gifts for you," said Chief Beller.

Now that the Iron Clan has fallen so low as to have to fawn over others, they used to rob people all the time and don't have the habit of giving money away.

"Not enough!" Arthur shook his head, then said in a deep voice. "To be honest, as the guardian of Crab Bay, I may need to deal with smugglers and savages in the future, and I want a few longships."

"Two?" Chief Gubler took a deep breath, feeling dizzy; this was another bleeding episode.

"Three?" Zhuo Gu, the leader, asked through gritted teeth.

But Arthur remained unmoved, and finally the scholar sighed. "Five longships, that's our limit, Lord Arthur. And of our longships, some are smaller; most of the larger ones were destroyed on Fairy Island."

"Okay." Arthur nodded. His wish had been fulfilled, and there was no need to continue to exploit these iron resources.

One leader brought five longships, so there were twenty-five longships.

Even the smaller longships, rather than the Iron Fleet's variant of the Great Longships, yielded considerable gains.

Tywin and Stannis looked down on these trinkets, but Arthur thought they were great.

"Sir Tritimor, go and take over these longships to bolster our fleet," Arthur commanded.

"Yes, sir!"

"But what if you turn your backs on us with these ships?" Chief Gubler asked warily.

"Relax. The Harrenhal fleet and the Iron Islands fleet operate in different areas. I'm in charge of the straits of Crab Bay." Arthur looked at the Ironborn. "As far as I know, the Ironborn raid the most in the Stepstone Islands and the Contested Lands, and further afield in Slaver's Bay. No one's crazy enough to venture into Crab Bay to rob. I'll be dealing with the slave traders and smugglers of my third daughter. If it's these people, they're your colleagues and mortal enemies. By eliminating them, I'll actually reduce your enemies."

"That seems to make sense." The scholar took a deep breath and nodded.

In terms of sphere of influence, that is indeed the case; the two are far apart.

Although the Ironborn enjoy looting, their territory is limited to the western part of Westeros and the southern part of the eastern and western continents.

Ironborn rarely manage to reach the shores of the Narrow Sea, such as Blackwater Bay, Crab Bay, Gulltown, Wolf's Lair in the North, and the Outer Wall, or places like Tyrosh and Myr in the west of Essos.

In the past, these places were mostly the territory of the Third Daughter's pirate raids, and had nothing to do with iron.

"I've said my piece. Baron's delusions will not end well. You'd better watch yourselves," Arthur emphasized. After taking the longships, he also had a few more words of advice to offer.

"We understand," the scholar nodded. "We hope you will put in a good word for us in the future."

Arthur nodded, his fingers tracing the scabbard of the Orphan Maker's sword. "I dislike war. Wars only bring orphans and widows the most. As long as you submit to the king's rule, everything is negotiable."

The leaders of the Iron Islands nodded; the deal was done, and it was also an exchange of benefits.

Even if they want to continue the war, they should at least try to appease the important figures of the seven kingdoms.

"But why don't you go find Lord Ed or Lord Stannis?" Arthur asked.

"Lord Eddard and Lord Stannis are known for their impeccable integrity, and while you are an unparalleled warrior, you are also a wealthy and prominent lord. Someone who loves trade is easier to deal with," Old Drogon said slyly. "Besides Lord Arthur, we also make contact with some important figures, but you are definitely our top priority."

"As expected of the talents of the Iron Islands. Actually, I originally wanted to take Red Rain away, but it seems I don't have the luck." Arthur laughed.

These iron samples appear to have undergone background checks, and they've managed to win over some people.

Old Zhuo Gu was also startled, but luckily the plague god didn't find them.

"Do you know where Raven's Eye is?" Arthur asked.

The leaders all shook their heads.

The scholar said slowly, "He has always been a loner, so we don't know anything about him."

"Alright." Arthur nodded, then gestured for Rosso to serve wine to the leaders, before smiling broadly. "Thank you all for your support; may this fine wine bear witness to our admirable friendship."