From a hired knight to a master of Game of Thrones

Golden Castle.

Outside the small hall next to the main castle hall.

A servant brought over a wooden tray.

On the wooden tray were two large slices of rye bread, a small stone bowl of rock salt, and a square piece of dried milk cheese.

The salt grains are coarse and grayish-white, produced by salt mines near Huangzhongtun.

One-Armed Haywood Stow looked at Rodney and Don Quixote, who had been invited along, and said in a gruff voice:

"Bread and salt."

"Hey, my two guests."

"Welcome to my roof, welcome to my dining table."

Don Quixote broke off a small piece of bread, dipped it in some coarse salt, and ate it.

...The coarse and dry texture of rye bread, when dipped in salt alone, is quite difficult to swallow.

Don Quixote quickly picked up a small piece of cheese and put it in his mouth.

The creamy cheese seemed to perfectly neutralize the dryness in my mouth.

After Don Quixote and Rodney finished their rough, hard bread with its salty, savory, and milky flavor, they bowed slightly and said:

"Thank you for your hospitality, Lord Heywood."

Earl Haywood nodded and smiled:

"Let's go to the dining table and discuss trade over drinks."

The group followed Earl Haywood into the small hall.

The small hall contains a long stone table and several decent wooden chairs.

The area was decorated with gold and brown heraldic carpets.

Earl Haywood first took his seat in the high-backed wooden chair at the head of the table.

He shifted his position on the high-backed wooden chair, causing the wooden planks beneath him to creak and groan.

Earl Haywood waved with his remaining arm:

"sit!"

Don Quixote and Rodney sat on the left, while the rest of the Stau family sat on the right.

Three servants entered silently, bringing some rough earthenware cups and a bulging leather wine sac.

The dark liquid slid down the glass, so thick it almost clumped around the edges.

At the same time, a rich and fragrant aroma of roasted malt instantly filled the air.

Earl Heywood downed a glass of dark beer in one gulp and exclaimed:

"Fine wine, Mandalay's Blackstout, unique in the North."

"This is truly a good wine to warm you up!"

"Indeed!" Rodney echoed, laughing as he drank.

"Our northern climate is just right for this kind of strong liquor."

Don Quixote picked up the ceramic cup and looked inside.

It was pitch black, thick and clinging to the glass, with a heavy, rich liquid.

It has a slightly caramelized sweetness from roasted malt on the palate, with a long-lasting aftertaste.

Then, like a warm, comforting fire, it burned from the tip of my tongue all the way down to my stomach.

"Excellent wine!"

Don Quixote slowly drank his wine while listening to Rodney's conversation with Earl Haywood.

Not long after, the food was served.

White bread, salted cod, roast chicken, honey-roasted wild boar.

As the fairly plentiful meal was almost finished, Rodney's bargaining with Earl Haywood was also nearing its end.

Finally, Earl Haywood stood up and said:

"Rodney, the gates of Fort Goldman are always open for you."

"My castle will always have a loaf of bread and a bowl of rock salt for you, as long as you come with sincerity."

Rodney also hurriedly stood up and said respectfully:

"Thank you for your understanding and hospitality. I will definitely pay you a visit next time I come to Huangzhong Village."

"Bringing you the freshest seafood and the strongest black stout from White Harbor."

"May the Old Gods protect Goldenmoon Castle and you, my lord."

Soon, Don Quixote and Rodney left the small hall, led by guards.

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.

The goods loaded on the three trucks were unloaded and handed over to the Stau family.

After Rodney took the bag of coins, he directed the caravan to continue on its way.

Not long after.

The caravan arrived at the east gate of Huangzhongtun.

Wasteland is one of the most central settlements in the North, besides Winterfell, a wintering town.

It is also the only large settlement in the area of ​​ancient people's abandoned tombs.

The entire town was built around the Great Wilderness, and the Dustin family's ancestral home, the Great Wilderness Hall, was built at the foot of the Great Wilderness.

The Great Wilderness Tomb.

—A huge hill covered with wild grass and snow.

It is the most magnificent and oldest site in this desolate wasteland filled with ancient tombs.

Legend has it that this place is the burial site of the legendary First King, the leader who led his people across the Narrow Sea and onto the continent of Westeros.

This is one of the most sacred sites of the Northern Peoples.

Don Quixote looked up at the massive hills that resembled the spine of a sleeping giant, and muttered to himself:

"This land is indeed ancient."

The desolate plains outside the town are dotted with the stone tombs built by the ancestors.

The wind blew through the wild grass on the grave, making a mournful sound.

The air is perpetually filled with the smell of soil, withered grass, and a faint odor of decay.

Even in the height of summer, it felt chilly.

Several guards wearing sable cloaks and carrying long swords blocked the caravan.

Rodney went up and negotiated with the guards, handing them many gifts, and was then thoroughly questioned by them.

The caravan was then allowed to pass.

This is a town surrounded by wooden walls.

The wide, straight streets are lined with elm trees, and a large, desolate mound rises from the ground in the center of the town.

Merchants, mercenaries, and Night's Watch messengers from White Harbor, Winterfell, and the Wall would all stop at this market.

It has everything: a tavern, a stable, a blacksmith's shop, and a warehouse.

The caravan finally stopped in front of an inn whose signboard featured a picture of a sheaf of golden wheat stalks.

Don Quixote glanced at the golden straw sign, then shook his head and laughed:

"Lord Rodney, we can stay at a regular inn; there's no need for the Golden Wheat Inn."

Jinmai Inn is located next to the main street shaded by elm trees.

It is one of the few high-end inns in Huangzhongtun that is qualified to accommodate noble entourages.

Rodney also laughed:

"It's just for one or two nights, it won't cost much."

"Besides, if I let Sir Don Quixote and your party stay in those low-class inns, I'm more worried about hiring your Bloodhand Mercenary Group again next time."

"Then it's not certain that we'll be able to get a job!"

"Haha, we Bloodhand Mercenaries aren't some noble knights, we can endure even the harshest conditions!" Don Quixote chuckled upon hearing this.

He quickly glanced around at the eight fully loaded trucks and said with surprise:

"Lord Rodney, can so many goods really be sold in just two days?"

It's important to understand that the Dustin family wasn't a small lord like the Stau family.

The Dustin family are direct descendants of the Tomb Kings who ruled the Tomblands for thousands of years.

At the end of the Thousand Year War, the last King of the Wasteland submitted to the King of Winterfell.

The King of Winter married his daughter, thus uniting the two families through marriage.

House Dustin has been loyal to House Stark ever since, becoming one of the most important pillars of the North's vassals.

It can be described as the oldest and most powerful top vassal family in the North.

They ruled over the desolate mounds and the desolate tombs of their ancestors for generations.

Especially Barbara Dustin, the current head of the Dustin family.

She is also the second daughter of Lord Rodrik Leswell of Streamlands.

The Leswell family is known for its fine horses.

Even their family crest features the head of a black horse.

Barbara Dustin relied on the cavalry strength of her maternal family, the Leswell family.

In addition, the Dustin family's own heavy cavalry force firmly controlled the entire territory of the First Men's Tomb.

She is one of the few female lords in the North who independently rules a top vassal family.

After the bloody wedding.

Barbara Dustin, driven by her hatred for the Stark family, allies herself with her brother-in-law, Roose Bolton.

It became the core military pillar for the Bolton family's control of the North.

However, he secretly maintained contact with Wiman Mandler of White Harbor.

It was the most crucial wavering force in the North during the War of the Five Kings.

A man of such power in the North would never personally receive a small merchant like Rodney.

Or perhaps Barbara Dustin had never even heard of Rodney.

The two sides are not even on the same level.

Therefore, Rodney had to go to various markets to sell his goods in this desolate village.

Unlike in Golden Castle, where they traded directly with the Stau family.

……

PS: (Please recommend and read this!)