lerbook #338 - Chapter 72 The Road Home (I)
#338 - Chapter 72 The Road Home (I)
At this moment, the situation on the distant southern battlefield underwent a dramatic shift due to Tywin's unexpected demise. The Royal army, having lost its commander, was forced to begin contracting its battle lines. The Lannister forces in the north swiftly retreated to the line of the Mander River to fortify their defenses, while Kevan, along with his two brothers, Tygett and Gerion, rushed back to King's Landing overnight to attend Tywin's funeral.
In the west, the Tyrell army, under the command of the valiant Lord Randyll Tarly, retreated to Highgarden and established robust defenses along the Cockleswhent River. Simultaneously, the Targaryen forces also began to consolidate their troops. On one hand, the soldiers' morale was somewhat affected and unstable due to the change in royal authority. On the other hand, they needed to readjust their strategic deployment to cope with the unpredictable war situation. Besides, they were genuinely exhausted from fighting. After the war entered a stalemate, countless supplies poured into the army like snowflakes, only to melt away without a trace in the blink of an eye.
The Stormlands, with its narrow territory, has always been known for its poverty among the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros, only slightly better than the North. Not only are resources extremely scarce, but the population is also small, and there is a lack of sufficient reserve forces for replenishment. After several large-scale battles, it has consistently been one of the main war zones, and its territory's wealth has long been plundered, leaving nothing more to squeeze out.
The money Viserys borrowed from Liu Yuan had long been spent, and now he could only rely on Arianne's dowry and Illyrio's fortune to barely sustain himself.
Without sufficient financial support, the Golden Company, as the main force of the army, naturally began to slack off. Jon Connington was helpless in the face of this situation, as mercenaries always acted solely on the basis of money. Dorne and the Westerlands were fundamentally different. The actual situation of Dorne was what it was, and the Martell family could not fully support Arianne in the same way that the Lannister family fully supported Cersei.
Without a strong army as backing, it was impossible to contend with King's Landing and Highgarden. How to expand the army and recruit enough soldiers in the future became a difficult problem for Aegon VI. After careful consideration, he turned his attention to the mercenary groups of Essos. However, new problems arose—the shortage of funds made Illyrio worried, even to the point of anxiously pulling at his hair. The Iron Bank, which had originally promised to provide them with loans, unexpectedly changed its mind and refused to continue providing financial support. Of course, Illyrio had no way of knowing that the Iron Bank had been robbed, and the credit crunch not only prevented them from obtaining more money but also required them to try to recover the loans they had previously issued.
Now, the only one who could provide substantial help to Aegon VI was Daenerys, who controlled Slaver's Bay. Aegon VI's councilors placed their last hope on the delegation, hoping that they could successfully persuade the Dragon Queen to lend a hand. After all, Daenerys was Aegon VI's aunt, and perhaps family ties could move her.
But at this moment, everyone seemed to collectively and selectively forget an important fact: in the matter of succession to the throne, Young Griff had actually taken the throne that belonged to Daenerys.
After leaving King's Landing, Arya rowed for a short while before landing again. She asked for directions along the way and soon found the way to Rosby.
In this area, Marquis Garon and his Rosby were well-known. A large area of land west of King's Landing to Harrenhal was all under his jurisdiction. The many small lords and villages in this area took the initiative to express their loyalty to him. Here, people's lives became better. The crops they produced not only had sales channels but could also be purchased at affordable prices. In contrast, those in the south who were still in the midst of war lived very different lives.
As soon as Arya stepped onto the Kingsroad, she immediately noticed the difference between this place and the places she had been to. This section of the Kingsroad was obviously carefully repaired, wide enough to accommodate six carriages side by side. The wide road was bustling with traffic and people, and the pedestrians and caravans were in constant flow but orderly, with everyone consciously driving on the right side. When arriving at Sow's Horn, there were also special passenger carriages to Rosby. These carriages were very affordable, costing only one copper coin per person, and they departed as soon as the seats were full.
Out of intense curiosity, Arya boarded a bus. On the flat and straight road, the carriage moved exceptionally smoothly and quickly, and soon arrived at Rosby. In front of the towering and unique city gate, people were queuing to enter the city in an orderly manner. The soldiers in blue armor were only responsible for maintaining order and did not charge any entrance fees.
Not far from the city gate, a group of middle-aged women gathered around to sell maps. Arya found this very novel because it was the first time she had seen someone selling maps so openly in the city. One of the women, around fifty years old, noticed her expression and couldn't help but smile: "Little girl, you look like you're visiting Rosby for the first time, right? It's very common, after all, this city is huge and is divided into nine major areas, each with different functions. Without a map, getting lost is commonplace, not only wasting valuable time but also potentially attracting many unexpected troubles. Therefore, newcomers usually choose to buy a map. Would you like one? It's only two copper coins!"
Arya readily took out the money to buy one. When she unfolded the map, she found that it was a printed map. Although its appearance looked simple, the information marked on it was concise and clear at a glance. The map detailed the locations of some important shops and buildings with specific functions, and also listed the specific names of each street. But the most striking thing was the magnificent city hall in the center and the Dragonpit on the back hill.
Following the guidance provided by the map, she smoothly arrived in the midtown. Countless shops lined the streets, as well as many snack bars selling all kinds of delicious snacks. Arya strolled through the streets and alleys with great interest, and soon her hands were full of various delicacies. Then, while enjoying the food, she leisurely walked to the front of the city hall.
However, just as she was about to step inside, the guard at the door reached out his arm to stop her, pointed to a row of small rooms next to him, and said in a serious tone: "All citizens who come to handle affairs, please go there to register first. For commercial activities, please go to the first room; if you encounter disputes that need adjudication, go to the second room; for real estate and household registration, go to the third room..."
Arya asked, "Then if I want to meet the lord, what should I do?"
The guard looked her up and down with scrutiny, then replied: "The lord usually does not meet with outsiders. Since you are asking to see the lord, you must report your identity to us."
Arya took out a palm-sized badge from her pocket. It was shield-shaped, with a blue-black background, depicting a scarlet dragon, and the dragon's eyes were adorned with a sapphire.