Game of Thrones: The Road to Pirate King

Chapter 346 Rewards and Punishments

Several days later.

Euron personally led the massive force, comprised of five thousand salt slaves, iron slaves, and three hundred elite iron warriors, which had gathered from the Iron Islands, to land on the coast and then head inland.

This diverse group of people set foot on the land of the river region.

The heavy footsteps, the rolling wheels, and the scraping of chains mingled together, forming a dull yet striking torrent. We slowly made our way along the King's Road towards Harrenhal, the ancient and colossal fortress that stood majestically on the shores of Lake God's Eye.

When Euron left Harrenhal, he entrusted its management to Oswell Heaney and Irwin Snow, the Master Steward. Under their efficient management, Harrenhal gradually regained its order and vitality.

The Riverlands were devastated after the war, with countless farmers and tenants losing their homes and becoming refugees. Many soldiers and knights who survived the battle fled and hid in various places.

The two recruited many displaced people who had lost their homes in the war, as well as warriors and rangers eager to make a name for themselves under the new lord, thus injecting new life into this ancient fortress.

In addition, there were the stonemasons and craftsmen brought back from across the Narrow Sea. After receiving Euron's orders, they had set off from the Iron Islands and arrived at Harrenhal ahead of time. When they faced Harrenhal, the largest castle in Westeros, with its dilapidated towers and towering walls, their eyes shone with the light of creators, and their enthusiasm soared to unprecedented heights.

After days of meticulous investigation and measurement, the stonemasons and craftsmen have devised several reconstruction and renovation plans, each with its own advantages, awaiting Euron's return to personally decide on the final blueprint.

When Euron led his massive force of 5,300 men to Harrenhal, the scene before him was vastly different from the desolate ruins of the past.

Having received prior notice, the Chief Steward Irwin Snow made preparations for the reception. As soon as Euron arrived, he immediately demonstrated his extraordinary organizational skills, leading his men like a finely tuned machine to quickly engage in the arduous task of settling people in, dividing up temporary accommodations, allocating food supplies, registering personnel information, and making preliminary plans for the subsequent large-scale production work.

The huge courtyard and partially restored barracks of Harrenhal were instantly filled with crowds and noise.

The situation of the salt slaves and iron slaves did indeed undergo some subtle changes after Euron developed the highly profitable Platinum Sands in the Iron Islands, which greatly alleviated the economic pressure on the Iron Islands.

On the Iron Islands, their labor intensity was reduced, preventing them from dying of exhaustion in the salt fields or mines. Euron also ordered improvements to their diet; it wasn't particularly good, but at least they wouldn't go hungry. The accommodations provided for them were still rudimentary, but at least they were no longer drafty or stuffy, where people would either freeze or suffocate.

Freedom, however, remains an unattainable luxury for them.

The overall conditions of salt slaves and iron slaves improved, but only to the point of being "no different from livestock" to "slightly better than livestock".

Now, Euron has led them away from the Iron Islands to this completely unfamiliar green land. They are filled with unease, not knowing where fate will take them.

On the first evening after arriving in Harrenhal, the setting sun cast long shadows of the massive castle.

Euron ordered all personnel—including the three hundred Ironborn warriors, the newly recruited refugee scouts, and the more than five thousand anxious salt and iron slaves—to gather in the still-empty main courtyard.

The dark mass of people standing against the backdrop of the massive ruins appeared small yet full of unknown possibilities.

Everyone held their breath, focusing their attention on the figure high above, wondering what fate awaited the lord who had brought them here.

Euron stood on high ground, his voice sweeping across the courtyard like a sea breeze, clearly reaching everyone's ears: "In the land of Westeros, there are no slaves! From this day forward, you are no longer salt slaves, nor iron slaves; you are the people of Harrenhal!"

His words were like a thunderclap, exploding in the crowd. Many people looked up in disbelief, almost unable to believe what they were hearing.

"From this day forward, you can be farmers who cultivate the land, blacksmiths who forge swords, stonemasons who rebuild towers, or even warriors who protect this land!" He pointed to the composed Irwin Snow beside him. "The Steward will assign you jobs according to your respective strengths."

His gaze swept over the weathered, branded faces below, and his voice was resolute: "No matter what your status was before, once you arrive in Harrenhal, everyone starts on equal footing! As long as you are loyal to your duties and make contributions, wealth, status, even becoming a noble and being granted a fiefdom, are not unattainable dreams!"

Finally, Euron raised his hand, his voice booming like a vow, echoing throughout the courtyard: "I swear by the blood of the ancient Grey Sea King—I will not fail anyone who has pledged their loyalty to Harrenhal!"

After a brief silence, like a long-suppressed volcano suddenly erupting, deafening cheers erupted from the mouths of more than five thousand former salt slaves, iron slaves, refugees, and cavalrymen, the sound almost lifting the ancient towers of Harrenhal.

The voice was filled with the ecstasy of being reborn and an unprecedented hope for the future.

Euron raised his hand slightly, a simple gesture, yet it seemed to carry an invisible pressure, silencing the deafening cheers as if cut by a sharp blade. All eyes were once again focused on him, and the courtyard fell silent.

Euron's gentle expression vanished, replaced by a cold, hard tone: "Rewards are accompanied by punishments!" He slowly swept his gaze across the thousands of faces below the stage. "I imagine some of you have heard of my name, Euron Greyjoy. For those who have pledged their loyalty to me, my rewards are never stingy, far exceeding your wildest imaginations." His tone abruptly shifted, a chilling glint in his eyes: "But for enemies, my blade has never softened. The Sea Corpse Crown of the Stone Steps," you've surely heard of it—the height of those severed heads piled up is greater than Harrenhal's tallest Ghost Tower!

Euron paused for a moment, letting the bloody image settle in everyone's minds, before speaking clearly, word by word: "I cannot tolerate any form of betrayal. While I won't skin any traitors alive like the Boltons—" His voice was even lower, yet carried a chilling certainty: "I swear to the Drowned God, the ultimate fate of a traitor will be a hundred times worse than that—".

Euron was accompanied by Lloyd Hutchinson, a pirate recruited by the Steps Isles recruitment drive, and an interrogator who could cut prisoners into skeletons without killing them.

Euron intended to make Lloyd Hutchinson demonstrate his art of torture in front of everyone, so that they would know he was not lying, should he have the chance.

The chilling warning, a stark contrast to the earlier fervent promises, etched a clear understanding of the consequences of loyalty and betrayal into the hearts of every citizen of New Harrenhal.