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

The world is bustling with activity, all driven by the pursuit of profit.

In-law ties cannot fully guarantee allies; it is more likely to forge allies based on shared interests.

Due to geographical divisions and considerations of self-interest, Frey, one of the major vassals of Hejian, remained neutral and AFK.

The lords of the Eastern Riverlands, such as Riveran, Mouton, Darryl, and Leicester, and the lords of the Western Riverlands, mostly supported the Tully family, leading to a major schism in the Riverlands.

Tully is no longer a friend of the River Queen; only the defeated royalists and the River Queen family share his fate.

In Westeros today, after Robert ascended the throne, the lords and knights of the land have been directly and brutally divided into losers and victors.

The Wolf-Fish-Eagle-Deer alliance was the victor and the beneficiary of the new system. The Lannisters also infiltrated the alliance through marriage.

The remaining royalist lords, mainly from the East Riverlands, the Royal Lands, the Reach, and Dorne, were undoubtedly the losers and the marginalized.

The Dane family is actually related to the Targaryens by marriage; the wife of Meka, who was crushed to death, was the eldest daughter of the Dane family.

"The Earl sent me here because he is concerned about your situation. The Riverlands are a battleground, and Harrenhal has a wealthy territory, so there are many problems," Sir Lucas said.

Sir Lucas's coat of arms is an intersecting sword and a shooting star against a pale purple background.

Starfall City is protected by mountains and sea. The Crimson Mountain Range and the ocean are located on an island, so even if the city is defeated, ordinary people cannot get in.

Harrenhal, however, was built directly on flat ground with little buffer zone.

The feudal lords of Hejian were, frankly speaking, mostly opportunists, and their servants were unknown.

A typical example is Tully, who submitted to Mulder, Baratheon, and Hall.

"We lords are now severely weakened, while the Tully family is riding high. Although old Horst covets this land, he won't make a direct move. As for the Eastern Riverlands, our defeat has united us," Earl Walter said shrewdly.

The Tully family's position in the Riverlands was indeed awkward.

The foundation of power is land. Benliu City is small but fortified, but its mobilization capacity is somewhat limited.

In contrast, the Tyrells controlled a vast and wealthy area of ​​Highgarden, a place once overflowing with riches.

The Tully family lacked sufficient resources and influence, and was unable to expand through mergers and acquisitions.

Even old Horst was merely a master of social maneuvering; aside from marriage alliances, he could hardly expand his actual power.

The Brecken and Blackwood families, the Vance family and the newly rising Frey family have more extensive territories and stronger military forces than the Battull; the Melist family of Seafront has a more noble lineage; the Multon family of Maidenpool is more wealthy; and Harrenhal, rumored to be shrouded in curse, is more majestic than Riverrun and is also ten times larger.

In the time when Minnie Tully married Horst, and even before the Trident, House River Ann was the largest vassal of House Tully.

Now that their fortunes have turned, the Frey family, which has not suffered any major setbacks, is even stronger.

Arthur understood that not attacking Harrenhal was not Horst's intention.

Instead, the area around Donghejian is full of defeated men and former royalists, and taking further drastic measures against He'an could easily incite a popular uprising.

Moreover, the Curse of Harrenhal is so infamous that any unforeseen events could be more dangerous than an assassin's; Count Horst can just wait and see.

If Harrenhal faces a succession crisis, Riverrun will have a chance to take over.

"Be wary and observe," Sir Lucas said, then raised his glass with Earl Walter.

"Arthur, now you can say something that pleases you, the gift from Earl Darryl," said Earl Walter, gesturing for Arthur to open the cedar chest that Sir Lucas had brought from Starfall City.

Arthur opened the cedarwood chest. The first chest contained bottles and jars, like medicine for wounds.

High-quality Milfire, specifically used to heal cuts and lacerations, is the Mil people's flagship product.

When Arya gets scratched by a cat during her water dancer training, she uses this to apply medicine. It stings, but it works incredibly fast.

Starfall City's exclusive snake oil is used to heal bruises and sprains, promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis, and some varieties can even ensure smooth skin without leaving scars.

These bottles and jars are all quite expensive.

In this era, only nobles and wealthy merchants could afford the finest medicines.

These were actually side items for knight training. In addition to armor and horses, knights also needed a period of healthy training.

Just like modern athletes, nutrition, training, and sports rehabilitation are a three-in-one approach.

As a long-established family of swordsmen, the Dane family may not be the best in terms of knight training, but it certainly has the most complete system.

"Training warriors means they're always the first to be hit under the sword and shield, so these little gadgets are essential," Sir Lucas said.

This is quite normal; many martial arts training programs teach grappling before actual kung fu.

Arthur opened a second cedarwood box, inside which were Dorn's silk blouse, fine summer red, dried lemon slices, spices such as spice flowers, cardamom, and pepper, as well as a sword specifically for apprentices.

The sword is made of fine steel, with a blue sheen, and is double-edged. The hilt is wrapped in leather, and the end is decorated with an obsidian bat.

Wine, spices, grains, and silk were all hard currencies on both sides of the narrow sea, and many wealthy merchants started their businesses on these.

Some merchants made their living through the slave trade. Westeros prohibited the sale of slaves, but some still sold them secretly, such as Jorah Mormont and Cersei.

Dorne is a region that produces some wines and spices, while the wealth of Houses Horn and Frey comes from grain and tolls.

Summer Red has a sweet taste and is rich in fruity aroma. It has always been a flagship product for Dorn, selling well on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.

Dorne is located at a low latitude and has distinctive fruits such as lemons and blood oranges, and the flavor of Summer Red is also quite unique.

"Earl Dane is so generous," Arthur said. Earl Dane was also a kind and honest man.

In terms of price, spices, medicines, fine wines, and silks are all quite expensive.

Moreover, the firewood, snake oil, spices, summer red, and silk blouses sent by the Dane family were all of the highest quality.

Some things cannot be bought with money, such as snake oil, which is only produced in small quantities by the lords of Dorne because of its mountainous terrain and venomous snakes.

These few boxes alone, when converted to gold, amount to a considerable sum.

Just like Robert spent money quickly, the king used only the finest things for food, drink, and entertainment. With losses and the middlemen taking a cut, the hole kept getting bigger and bigger.

"Friendship is priceless, Arthur. We place our hopes on you," said Sir Lucas.

The Dane family is an ancient family with a long history and its own pride.

There aren't many who can catch the eye of the Dane family.

"Then I thank Earl Dane for his gift and will certainly not fail to repay his kindness," Arthur said.

"In return, we should also present a generous gift to the Countess and the heir," said Earl Walter.

A fine young man shouldn't be so coy. Knights are, by nature, a group of spirited and energetic people.

Earl Dane's investment isn't exactly legitimate now, but rather a well-intentioned one.

But at this time, the camaraderie of sticking together is already incredibly precious.

You can't miss out on a friend like that.