From a hired knight to a master of Game of Thrones

The caravan moved forward slowly.

The surrounding area consists of barren, yellowish-brown grasslands and scattered tombs of ancestors.

Before we knew it, the wind began to howl.

Rodney watched as a black dot appeared in the distance and immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

"The journey has been very smooth, we should be grateful."

He did not feel reluctant to pay Don Quixote a considerable sum of money despite not encountering any robbers along the way.

As a businessman who has experienced a lot, he would rather spend money to ensure safety than encounter any setbacks on the journey.

"My lord, this place is so desolate and eerie." Adele glanced at the surrounding graves, shrank back, and gripped the reins tightly with her small hands.

There are few trees among the wasteland, hills, and clusters of tombs.

This broadens one's horizons.

But an ancient and desolate atmosphere inexplicably arose in the hearts of travelers with each gust of cold wind.

Gazing at those desolate tombs of our ancestors, it's as if the legends of our ancestors are intertwined with the shadows of reality.

Don Quixote smiled:

"Are you scared? We'll be going to more desolate places, and we might even visit the Wall of Despair!"

"That place is the source of all legends and tales, of ferocious and savage savages, giants, ghouls, half-men, half-ghosts, and White Walkers!"

"what……"

Adele gasped in surprise, then blushed.

"Hmph! I won't take pictures!" Adele muttered stubbornly, then turned her horse around to get a little closer to Don Quixote's position.

"Hahaha."

Cole and Alden couldn't help but laugh when they saw this, but they quickly suppressed their laughter under Adele's threatening gaze.

We walked some more road.

A small castle, built of rough local stones and without any fancy decorations, came into view clearly.

Above the city gates, on the crenellations of the city walls, or at the corner towers, flags with gold and brown stripes were planted.

Those were inverted mountain-shaped stripes of alternating reddish-brown and gold.

Don Quixote gazed at the gold and brown striped flag, glanced around at Adele and the other two beside him, and laughed:

"Whose family crest is that flag? Whoever figures it out first will receive 1 silver deer!"

After arriving at White Harbor, Don Quixote placed great importance on knowledge of cultural customs and historical legends.

I have been collecting rare books and seeking out knowledgeable people.

Stories are passed down through written texts and oral traditions.

His understanding of Westeros deepened day by day, especially of the North.

Moreover, the cultural knowledge that had been carefully selected and copied onto the parchment scrolls was never intended to be kept secret.

Instead, they encouraged Adele and the other two to look through it whenever they had free time.

Although Adele and her two companions' basic literacy skills were far behind his progress, they were gradually mastering them under the tutelage of a nun they had hired at a high price.

Some basic common writing systems have been mastered.

Adele glanced at it, thought for a moment, and then hurriedly said:

"I know, I know! That's the coat of arms of the Staul family."

"—Gold and brown two-tone inverted V-shaped stripes!"

Don Quixote nodded, satisfied.

"Great! Adele is right, that is the emblem of the Stau family."

"Haven't you two figured it out yet? Or do you simply have no idea!"

As he spoke, Don Quixote glanced at Cole and Alden, who were deep in thought and frowning, and snorted coldly:

"I'm telling you to read more of the words I've written."

"A qualified knight must not only be skilled in martial arts and pursue honor, but also have a certain level of cultural refinement!"

"I don't expect either of you to have any advanced academic knowledge."

"But at least you should be familiar with the history of the North and the continent, and understand where your responsibilities and heritage come from!"

"The knowledge of the heraldry of these lord families is also very basic and important."

"If you want to survive better in the North in the future, you must learn these basic things."

"Only then will others recognize and accept you!"

Cole and Alden exchanged a glance, as if thinking of those tedious words, and immediately became dejected:

"Yes, Lord Don Quixote!"

"We'll definitely read the books often when we get back and diligently memorize this knowledge!"

Don Quixote said coldly:

"I hope so!"

He paused, looked around at the three of them, and slowly said:

"Come closer to me, I'll show you around this castle."

Upon hearing this, Adele, who was already close to Don Quixote, eagerly moved even closer.

Cole and Alden didn't dare to delay and quickly moved closer.

Don Quixote, while riding his horse, whispered:

"This is the residence of the Staud family—Golden Mang Castle!"

"It is a castle located next to the east gate of Huangzhongtun, serving as the eastern wing barrier of Huangzhongtun."

"Jinmangbao controls the land route from Huangzhongtun to Baigang."

"The Stau family are the core direct vassals of the Dustin family. They believe in the Old Gods and value the legacy of their ancestors."

"The current lord of the Stau family, the Earl of Goldmanburg, is Earl Haywood Stau."

After a brief conversation, the group arrived at Golden Mang Castle.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Several pale-faced young guards blocked the group from advancing.

These young guards wore leather armor and gold-brown cloaks.

A cavalryman on horseback glanced warily at the caravan in front of him.

Finally, looking at Rodney, he pondered for a moment before it dawned on him:

"So it's Lord Rodney. You've come here to do business again."

Rodney had already recognized the cavalryman in front of him and laughed:

"Captain Ryan, please inform Lord Haywood that we have brought seafood and dark beer from White Harbor!"

Ryan was a cavalryman who worshipped the Old Gods, not a knight.

Upon hearing this, Ryan immediately smiled and said:

"Lord Rodney, do you have any Blackstout?"

Blackstone is the finest dark beer in the North.

It's thick enough to chew, and strong enough to sting the eyes.

It's the kind of strong liquor that people in the North crave most!

Rodney quickly laughed:

"Of course, I have prepared a black stout especially for Lord Haywood, and I have also prepared some small gifts for everyone."

After saying that, Rodney accepted some gifts that had been prepared by the caravan servants.

A small bucket of black stout, and several large bags of fish.

Then he personally delivered it to the guards in front of him.

Ryan eagerly took the small bucket of black stout, opened it, took a deep sniff, and then said:

"Mr. Rodney, thank you very much for your gift."

After speaking, Ryan turned to look at a young guard beside him who was holding fish in one hand and a sword hilt in the other, and gave him an order:

"Anton, go and inform Lord Haywood that Lord Rodney from White Harbor has arrived and is ready to trade with us."

The young guard nodded and immediately replied:

"Yes, Captain Ryan!"

A considerable amount of time has passed.

A group of people rode out from the small Golden Mang Fortress.

The leader was an elderly man with gray hair and one arm.

……

PS: (Please recommend and read this!)