Ice and Fire: Conquering the World Starting from the Wall

"Perhaps we can take advantage of this, but I have no doubt that Roose Bolton will use the same methods against us."

Lynn calmly analyzed:

"If it weren't for the Red Wedding causing such widespread resentment in the North, I reckon there would already be tens of thousands of Northern troops outside Castle Black by now."

"Even so, the Northern nobles will most likely unite around House Bolton because of our existence."

He looked at Jon again as he spoke:

"Besides the Amber family, has anyone else replied to your messages?"

Jon replied, "And the Earl of Manderley at White Harbor and House Mormont on Bear Isle."

"Count Wiman Mandel's reply was ambiguous, neither showing goodwill nor completely rejecting me."

"His ancestors were not from the North, so he has no hatred for the Free People, and I think he is inclined to support me."

However, the capture of his heir Willis by the Lannisters would undoubtedly influence his decisions.

"No matter what, it's a good thing that they didn't explicitly refuse."

Lynn offered timely encouragement, not wanting his newly appointed Duke of the North to be discouraged or disheartened.

"At least they replied, instead of remaining silent like other nobles."

Jon, however, was very confident. He said:

"White Harbor has been loyal to the Starks for many years because the Starks took them in when their ancestors were desperate, which allowed the Manderley family to continue."

"In terms of loyalty, I dare say Manderle even surpasses Karstark, who claims to have Stark blood in his veins, and can be compared to House Umber."

"But the Amber family isn't heeding your summons right now."

Mans killed the game with a single sentence.

Jon, being young, blushed.

"The Amber family is because of the savages..."

He tried to explain, but eventually gave up, because he was now surrounded by savages, and there were thousands more outside.

"Tell me about Mormont, that Bear Island. What did they say in their reply?"

Lynn intervened in time to defuse the dispute between his two "vassals".

Jon breathed a sigh of relief and said softly:

"The reply came from Lyanna Mormont, the youngest daughter of Lord Maggie, Lord of Bear Island. She was named after my aunt and was only ten years old."

Because her sister, Alexandra, led the Bear Island soldiers to the Rock Coast to fight back against the Ironborn, she became the acting lord of Bear Island.

Another Lyanna.

Lynn thought to himself.

I wonder if Kuna named her daughter after Lyanna Stark.

In the year she was born, Kuna happened to hear rumors about the Battle of the Trident and learned of the deaths of her two older brothers, which may have led her to learn the name Lyanna.

"In her letter, she wrote: 'Bear Island knows no other kings, only the King in the North, whose royal family name is Stark.'"

This sentence in the letter displeased the others, so Jon quickly continued reading:

“‘But if you are of the true Stark bloodline, I would like to meet with you and have a talk.’ That’s what she said, Your Majesty, so I need to go to Bear Island myself.”

"Give me a ghoul, and I can persuade them to fight for you."

They had the best warriors and hated Bolton just as much as anyone else because their lord and heir had died at the Red Wedding.

(In fact, Maggie Mormont did not die.)

Lynn nodded; he had indeed heard of the Mormont family of Bear Island.

Jeor Mormont, the former Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, was the previous patriarch of Bear Island.

In order to pass his title to his son Jorah Mormont so that Jorah would have a proper status to marry his fiancée Lynise Hightower, he voluntarily chose to join the Night's Watch.

Later, Jorah broke the kingdom's laws by selling poachers to the Tyrothy as slaves.

After the incident was exposed, Eddard Stark sentenced Jorah to death in accordance with the law, but when Eddard arrived at Bear Island, he found that Jorah had disappeared.

After that, the right to inherit Bear Island passed to Geor's sister, Maggie Mormont.

Maggie had no sons, but instead had five daughters, so all the heirs to Bear Island were women.

Even the savages know about this.

One reason is because of the Lord Commander of the Night's Watch.

Secondly, Bear Island and the Frozen Coast face each other across Ice Bay, and there are frequent conflicts between them, so they know each other to some extent.

"If successful, how many personnel can Bear Island provide?"

Lynn asked the key question.

"There won't be many. Their conditions are poor, and their population is limited, but both men and women are the best warriors."

Someone made a disdainful sound, and Lynn knew who it was without even listening.

He agreed to Jon's request and allowed Hamma to select some reliable surrendered soldiers to be placed under Jon's command.

When dealing with these northerners, it's not a good idea to have him bring a group of wildlings with him.

But Jon seemed to have more to say.

"I know where I can find more soldiers."

He said somewhat hesitantly:

"However, His Majesty may need to go there personally to request that they fight for you."

Lynn became interested and asked curiously:

"There's an army in the North that will fight for me if I ask? How many of them are there?"

"Two thousand, maybe three thousand."

"What's their equipment like? What kind of people are they?"

"Proud, poor, and troublesome, but they value honor and fight bravely."

Well, in Jon Snow's eyes, every poor Northman is brave.

Lynn sighed inwardly and asked:

Where are these people?

"You can find them here."

Jon used his burned hand to trace the map on the table, pointing west to the Kings Road and south to the Gift Land.

"Mountains? There are no signs of castles, roads, towns, or villages there."

Lynn was a little confused, and Jon explained:

"My father often said that a map is not the same as the actual land."

Humans have lived in those deep mountains and valleys for thousands of years, ruled by clan leaders, whom you may call minor lords, though they don't refer to themselves that way.

Mountain clan warriors fought with broad, two-handed greatswords, while ordinary people wielded slings and rowan staffs.

They are very aggressive; when not fighting, they graze livestock, fish in icy bays, or train hardy horses you've never seen before.

"Sounds like a distant cousin of a freeman..."

Lynn muttered to himself:

"Do you think they'll fight for me?"

Jon said with absolute certainty:

"If you invite them."

"When Robb went south, the mountain clans sent men to fight alongside him, but most of them remained in the mountains."

"Sending a message is not very useful. Your Majesty needs to go there in person, enjoy their bread and salt, drink their ale, listen to them play their flutes, and praise the beauty of their daughters and the courage of their sons. Only then will you obtain their swords."

But if you directly order them to fight for you, they'll just look at each other and say, "Who is this guy? He's not our king."

Jon withdrew his hand:

"They would compete to show off their hospitality. My father, Lord Ed, once said that he had never eaten as much as when he toured the clan."

"The mountain clans have never seen a king since Toren Stark knelt before Aegon the Conqueror. Your arrival will bring them honor, especially with your dragons with you."