Arthur turned his head, his gaze sweeping over Barna, Evelyn, Lucien, and Hakon, and he spoke slowly, his voice not loud, but clearly reaching everyone's ears:
"We now have Gold Dragons and soldiers, but no armor."
"A warrior, no matter how courageous, is useless without armor."
"Tell me, where can I get iron? A large amount of iron."
The Treasurer, Qiba Nana, was the first to speak up. He was a merchant before his bankruptcy led him to become a beggar. He waved his hand,
as if holding a shining Gold Dragon: "My Lord, we have Gold Dragons!"
"We can send people to King's Landing, to Lannisport in the Westerlands, or even cross the Narrow Sea to Pentos, to Myr! As long as the price is right, I don't believe we can't buy iron ore and armor!"
His suggestion sounded full of grandeur, as if paving the way with Gold Dragons would ensure success.
But Arthur shook his head; the cost was too high. He stood up and walked to the map of Westeros hanging on the wall, his finger pointing at a location on the map: "Barna, your idea is good, but you've overlooked the most important thing."
"In the Seven Kingdoms, all large iron mines are firmly controlled by the great lords; they are strategic resources."
"Transportation—iron ore is extremely heavy. To transport it here, the tolls alone, plus the cost of the transport team and guards, would be enough to double or triple the cost. Moreover, they would certainly take the opportunity to raise prices. This trade is not cost-effective."
"As for buying across the Narrow Sea, it takes too long and the risk is too high. Our fleet might encounter pirates or storms. By the time the iron ore is transported back, it might be half a year or even a year later."
"I do have money, but I won't spend it like that."
Barna sat down in silence, offering no rebuttal.
Lucien rubbed his hair vigorously, his eyes wide as if he had discovered something monumental. He slammed the table with a loud bang, stood up, and faced Arthur, saying: "Lord Arthur! Let's go raid them!"
"The High Mountain! It's full of damned bandits and wildlings! Their camps must have weapons! And armor! We can send troops to clear them out! Strip all their weapons and armor! Melt them down! Won't that give us iron?"
This suggestion, full of simple and crude logic, immediately gained Hakon's approval.
Arthur gestured for Evelyn to explain that re-smelting scrap metal was not practical. He did indeed need to deal with the bandits on the Riverlands side of the High Mountain, but not for their ironware. A significant portion of the bandits in Westeros became outlaws because they violated the lords' laws or couldn't survive due to high taxes.
He had largely figured out the situation: the bandits on the High Mountain side of his territory were all driven to outlawry by the Terry Family, fleeing into the High Mountain. Many of their families were even the common folk currently living on his land. Most crucially, these were all people, and he had to win them over.
Seeing Arthur's gesture, Evelyn stood up and spoke: "Re-smelting and purifying scrap metal would result in extremely surprising losses.
We might work all day, clear out a few camps, and the pure iron we finally obtain wouldn't even be enough to forge three good swords. To risk war for such poor iron would be a net loss."
Lucien's face turned red, and he sat down like Qiba Nana.
The council hall fell silent again. Buying was not feasible, raiding was not cost-effective; it seemed all paths were blocked.
Evelyn walked to the map. Her gaze did not fall on the prosperous cities or ports, but rather her hand traced over the continuous mountain range on the map:
"My Lord, the most reliable source will always be the land beneath our feet. We must be self-sufficient."
"According to my deductions, there must be mineral deposits within the High Mountain. The most crucial thing is that the wildlings have already retreated into the mountains on the Vale side. Once we clear out the bandits, we can send people to prospect for minerals."
"It's just that... the legal jurisdiction between the Vale and the Riverlands in the High Mountain is unclear. The Belmore Family of Heart's Home cannot rule the High Mountain range due to the presence of the High Mountain Clan, but they claim this mountain range as their own."
Arthur looked at Evelyn. This woman truly understood his heart; he had to be self-sufficient and could never rely on others. Everyone looked at Arthur, awaiting his final decision.
He walked to the Black Lion plate armor, tapped the cold breastplate with his finger, and turned around: "Everything you've mentioned! I will do it! We will walk on two legs!"
Everyone was puzzled.
"We will eliminate the bandits hiding in the High Mountain so that the prospecting teams can safely search for minerals."
"Barna, take people immediately, with Gold Dragons, to the lands around us, to Seaguard. We won't buy iron ore; we will buy scrap iron at a high price."
"Scrap iron?" Barna was momentarily stunned.
"Yes," Arthur affirmed, "On the battlefield with the Ironborn, damaged armor and broken weapons from the battlefield—buy all of it."
"I need to arm a force first to clear out the bandits in the mountains. Without good equipment, there will be many unnecessary sacrifices."
"Furthermore!" Arthur looked at Lucien and Hakon, "You two go to the four military towns and summon the stewards to see me at the Lions Den."
"I need to know how many families have members who are bandits in the High Mountain."
"Send people to the four military towns to see how their population census is coming along and how the Three Elders System is being implemented. It's time to test the effectiveness of their work!"
The stone walls of the council hall echoed Arthur's final decision.
Barna was the first to stand and bow: "I will depart with my men immediately, Lord Arthur!"
Lucien and Hakon exchanged glances, then simultaneously bowed to Arthur: "Lord Arthur, we will depart at once."
No one raised objections or questions. The court officials, under Arthur's will, began to operate at high speed.
Two days later, the stewards from the four military forts were brought by Lucien and Hakon into the deepest part of the Lions Den's council hall.
They had never set foot in this place before. The grandeur and chill inside the mountain caused them bouts of dizziness and suffocation.
The four men wore their best linen clothes, yet they still couldn't hide the dust on them and their inner nervousness and apprehension. Before this, they were commoners who had been directly promoted by Arthur because they could read and write. They felt they might disappoint Lord Arthur.
They stood trembling before the long table, not even daring to look up at the young lord seated at the head of the table.
"Raise your heads! My stewards!" Arthur's voice was calm, yet it was like a stone dropped into a deep pool, stirring great waves in the hearts of the four. They stiffly raised their heads, meeting Arthur's eyes.
Arthur spoke slowly, his gaze sweeping over their nervous faces one by one: "You have been my stewards for a long time now, and you should have a general understanding of your responsibilities."
"As stewards, your primary duty is to understand the situation of the common folk within your military fort and to mediate disputes among them."
"Therefore, you should know the situation in each of your military forts better than I do. This is my first test for you."
"Now, I want to know how many people there are in total in our territory, and how many adult males."
"How many families have men who are currently bandits in the mountains outside."
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