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

Outside the Worry-Free Hut, Veri Ward and Lucas Root were still training with their swords and shields on the flat ground.

"Clang! Clang!" The longsword and shield clashed with a deafening roar.

The two are evenly matched, with Veri being slightly stronger.

Their talent and aptitude are average.

Even with the training of Sir Arthur and Sir Lucas, they would probably only reach a first-rate level in the end.

This is considered normal in Hejian, which is now roughly equivalent to the Wude Depression.

Inside the Carefree Cottage, Arthur and Sir Lucas Dayne continued to plan their next move.

"Harrenhal's trade routes primarily extend eastward. Besides the Trident estuary, there's also King's Landing. The routes through the West Riverlands and the Westerlands are secondary," Ser Lucas said.

That's normal. To the east are King's Landing, the Vale, and those rich guys from Essos.

To the west, apart from the western border and the western river valleys, there is only the poor iron ore.

"That's right. The docks along the Trident River estuary, Earl Harlowe's town, Salt Fields, and Maidenspring are all on our side. I even scattered gold in King's Landing, thanks to my connection with Commander-in-Chief Genos. This money might even end up in the King's hands."

The "Frog" commander-in-chief was also very attentive to Arthur, who was a cash cow.

"There's a reason why Genos has been able to hold onto his position as Commander-in-Chief of the garrison. Besides being a sycophant, he's also a master at making money," Sir Lucas chuckled. "It's truly unbelievable that the Commander-in-Chief continues to hand over his money."

The so-called "handing over" means that Robert also spent it.

Genos not only indulged in food and drink himself, but also set aside a portion of his funds to curry favor with the king.

Genos taking money, giving it back to Robert, is more like a glove.

This is very Robert, and it fits the rules of Westeros.

Tax increases have always been synonymous with tyranny, which is why people like Littlefinger, who are good at financial tricks, are more popular.

If you grind your little finger, both income and deficit will grow together.

This wasn't exactly a good thing, but Robert liked it and even indirectly protected and flattered Genos.

"King's Landing's trade channels are open, Harrenhal is slowly recovering, and the next step is to train the soldiers," Ser Lucas said, taking a deep breath.

To enrich the country and strengthen its military.

After becoming wealthy, they faced the problem of building a strong military.

"But Arthur, what are your expectations? If you are content with your position as Earl of Harrenhal, making Harrenhal rich and restoring it to its former glory, that's not a big problem. But if you want more, that will be difficult." Sir Lucas looked directly at Arthur.

Making Harrenhal rich again is a simple task.

Harrenburg's favorable geographical location is right here, perfect for farming, collecting taxes, and tolls.

They were among the wealthiest major vassal states in the Hejian region.

The difficult part is the second step: how to cross the Tully of Riverrun and traverse the river.

Following Sir Lucas's suggestion, they should first settle down and live a stable life.

After all, the Tully family and the new elites of the House of the Deer were intertwined, making their relationship seem very stable.

"The second step is naturally difficult, but I have no other choice," Arthur said firmly.

"Do you think the Seven Kingdoms will remain at peace for a long time, Sir?" Arthur asked Sir Lucas.

Sir Lucas shook his head.

"Not likely, the future is hard to predict. Even with those blunders, the King and Prime Minister have the power to control the situation and can keep things in order."

Anger and discontent still linger in the seven countries.

Dorne, the East Riverlands, the Kinglands, the Reach, and even the former King's Hand Tywin Lannister have remained idle.

No one can accurately predict when war will break out, and the seven nations are generally optimistic.

"Kings and prime ministers cannot live forever." Arthur looked at Ser Lucas, his eyes flashing with a cold light. "Sir, to be honest, the Riverlands are still in a dangerous situation."

"A dangerous time for the Riverlands? How could that be? The wolf, deer, trout, eagle, and lion form a great alliance; the trout and the falcon, the wolves and the stags and the lions are united—it's an impregnable fortress." Sir Lucas was somewhat bewildered. "Furthermore, Horst Tully is a strategist; many compare him to the most outstanding Duke Kermit Tully before him."

The Riverlands "Boys" who fought at the end of "Dance of the Blood Dragon" are considered to be the best group of Riverlands warriors.

Notable figures include the brothers Sir Kermit Tully and Sir Oscar Tully, and Lord Benjico Blackwood, the "Bloodthirsty Squad," who went to war at the age of eleven.

They were young, but extremely ferocious on the battlefield.

The "Boys" killed Duke Boros Baratheon of Storm's End at the Battle of King's Road.

Both Kermit and the Duke of Horst enhanced the power and influence of the Tully family.

It's simply a matter of one relying on war and the other on marriage alliances.

Do the Martell family of Sunspear not want revenge? Do the Tyrell family of Highgarden not want to interfere in King's Landing?

It's not that I don't want to, but that I lack the ability.

They appeared weak and isolated in the face of this five-team alliance.

"Nothing is impossible. Alliances formed for mutual benefit can also break down for mutual benefit. There are only two types of people in this world who are truly ruthless and clear-headed: politicians and warriors. And a few people are both. Tywin Lannister is one of them."

Arthur stood before the tapestry of the Seven Kingdoms, analyzing the situation in the Riverlands.

It's hard to feel at ease with a powerful neighbor nearby.

One drawback of the Seven Kingdoms system was that the spoils were fixed, leading to constant struggles for the right to inherit the throne.

Many people say that developing new land is not as comfortable as developing familiar land.

The Dragon family's few foreign wars revolved around Dorne and the Stepstone Islands, and they carefully controlled the scale of the wars.

Once all the forces converged in King's Landing, they immediately started fighting.

"So what you were really worried about was Tywin," Sir Lucas realized.

Arthur's vision extended beyond the Tully family to the Lannisters further afield.

If mere profit is insufficient to protect the people, then let the people flow to those who provide protection.

"Sir Lucas, there's the Blood Gate in the Vale, the Neck in the North, and the Golden Tooth in the West. What does the Riverlands have?" Arthur's gaze swept over those geographical barriers one by one.

The eggshells in the river valleys are so fragile that they break at the slightest touch, and all the terrain is more advantageous to the neighboring areas.

People have spiked clubs, I have a big head.

Sir Lucas also stood up, his brow furrowed. "These are defensive flaws that have existed in the Riverlands for thousands of years, and now the three realms are united..."

It was quite normal for the Duke of Horst to want to join Robert's rebellion.

Hejian is located in a strategically important area, so it's bound to get attacked.

Why not take a gamble and join an ally with a higher win rate, relying on the alliance for security?

Tully's greatest reliance in uniting the two realms through marriage was not the Starks in the North, but Arryn in the Vale.

Arryn is closer and stronger; the Knights of the Valley can rush to the aid of Riverlands through the Blood Gate. Arryn is also the Hand of the King and the adoptive father of the King and the Duke of Stark.

If the three realms had merged during the "Battle of the Five Kings," they wouldn't have been defeated one by one.

Horst never expected his two daughters to become so eccentric; the savior turned into a jinx.

"First, we can't rely solely on Arryn and the Starks. It's better to rely on ourselves than on others. The North is vast and harsh, and mobilizing troops will take time. The Vale is rich, but its people can easily stay put. The Riverlands suffered significant setbacks in the War of the Five Kings, and the Iron Throne confiscated a large amount of gold dragons and land from the West Riverlands. By the time reinforcements arrive, the Riverlands will have been almost completely burned. Second, Tully hasn't allied with the Lannisters, and their relationship is lukewarm. Golden Tooth is strategically located, making it easy for the Western Kingdoms to move east. Tywin is arrogant and ruthless; his infamy is known throughout the Seven Kingdoms," Arthur said softly.

Sir Lucas nodded: "At the most pessimistic point of view, it's not impossible. The gap between the Westerlands and the Riverlands is widening when compared individually, which is why Duke Horst formed an alliance."

The Three Realms Alliance is quite intimidating; most people would definitely be fooled.

"Wolves and eagles aren't the Trout's strength alone. The worst-case scenario is that the Riverlands will be facing a powerful foe alone. On paper, no one dares to mess with Horst. But what if the opponent is Tywin? Tywin is ruthless." Arthur emphasized the name again.

"Tywin Lannister." Ser Lucas's face showed surprise.

Yes, Tywin.

This person acts recklessly and is ruthless.

Tywin was definitely an outlier in aristocratic politics, known for his pettiness and ruthlessness.

Tywin Lannister originally intended to get involved in the Riverlands, but the Kingslayer did not marry Lysa Tully; instead, he married Jon Arryn.

Tywin's rule is not the traditional "stop when you've had your fill," but rather the ruthless "kill them all."

"Tywin is not a forgiving man, and the Targaryen, Martell, Reyes, and Tabek families have all learned this lesson," Arthur said coldly.

The Dark Forest: An era of moral decay and social disorder has arrived.

Slaughter them all, settle accounts with them.

He said he'd kill the whole family, and he did.

The one who led the Seven Kingdoms into the Dark Forest was Tywin Lannister.