For the past few days, Roman has been conducting his routine inspections of the grassroots, where laborers everywhere are building various facilities in an orderly manner under supervision.
Thanks to the fact that most nobles in The Crownlands treat their people poorly, Roman's new policies were implemented rapidly. Even if a small number of commoners hesitated out of lingering loyalty to their former lords, Roman only needed to send Barristan to change their minds.
Barristan also accompanied Roman to train troops in The Crownlands, where the finest recruits, carefully selected from all parts of the territory, were sent to Old Barristan.
These men first undergo a preliminary selection, after which officials verify their family background, character, and reputation, before screening them once more.
Those who make it to Barristan are all upstanding men; not only are they strong and healthy, but they also possess immense discipline. Furthermore, most of them have benefited from the House Whent, ensuring their loyalty is extremely high.
Looking at these thousands of men, Barristan couldn't help but exclaim:
"The physical fitness of these new recruits even surpasses that of some heirs of minor noble houses. It is no wonder that Tywin could not gain an advantage on the battlefield when Lord Roman was not present; the disparity in the quality of troops between the two sides is simply too great!"
Barristan had been at Harrenhal for some time, and the more he learned about Roman, the more astonished he became. Harrenhal's current formidable military strength was merely a byproduct of its economic development.
Roman's investment in civilian life far exceeded that in military training. With Harrenhal as the center, every time Roman occupied a new territory, he would build main roads to it. Many commoners, having just come under Roman's rule, would be able to purchase goods produced in Harrenhal within a week.
Roman also spared no expense in building other infrastructure, such as irrigation systems, water purification and sewage disposal, healthcare, public education, and mechanical workshops.
In order to understand every aspect of the soldiers, Barristan had once studied Harrenhal's policies regarding its troops in great detail.
What impressed him most was the army's rations, which could be described as luxurious, and this was closely tied to the agricultural development within the territory.
Supported by agricultural technologies such as irrigation, improved seed breeding, and the application of fertilizers, the House Whent required much less farmland to feed its subjects than other nobles, allowing them to use more land to grow supplemental foods.
The development of intensive farming and veterinary medicine greatly increased the production of meat, eggs, and dairy, which made the physical condition of the House Whent's subjects far superior to those of other nobles, directly elevating the caliber of the army.
Coupled with the fact that Maesters specializing in nutrition designed the troops' diets, Barristan could be certain that the soldiers of Harrenhal were undoubtedly the best in Westeros.
Barristan began training the troops with excitement; to him, being able to train such excellent young men was entirely due to Roman's favor.
For the soldiers of Harrenhal, being able to train under the legendary Kingsguard, "The Bold" Ser Barristan, was an supreme honor!
However, some were unhappy at this time.
Envoys from Renly and Stannis arrived at Roman's location simultaneously. Witnessing the majestic troops of Harrenhal with their own eyes, they were filled with mixed emotions.
For these two stags, Roman was someone who had to be won over; even if he could not become an ally, he certainly could not be allowed to become an enemy.
Stannis needed more support to make up for his numerical disadvantage in troops. He held the right of succession, but lacked the raw power, and his sour temper meant that few nobles were willing to support him.
Renly, on the other hand, had been intimidated by Roman's actions in resisting Tywin and conquering The Crownlands. Furthermore, with Storms End having recently been captured by Stannis through unknown means, he desperately hoped to befriend Roman to avoid being attacked from both sides.
Upon entering Roman's territory, the envoys from both sides were struck by the region's abundant resources and formidable army, which only reinforced their superiors' decisions.
Upon hearing this, Roman set aside his work and invited the envoys to the conference hall to discuss the matter.
"You have traveled far; I presume you have important business with me. How can I be of assistance?"
The envoys from both sides exchanged glances and shouted in unison:
"We ask that Lord Roman pledge allegiance to Lord Renly!"
"We ask that Lord Roman pledge allegiance to Lord Stannis!"
Roman looked at the two groups and suddenly felt the urge to cover his face; they seemed a bit too straightforward.
"Gentlemen, I now understand the intentions of Lord Renly and Lord Stannis, but I must ask: which of the three Baratheons in the south actually holds the right of succession?"
"Joffrey? The world says he is the product of incest between Jaime and Cersei, yet he has been recognized by the High Septon."
"Lord Stannis is the first in line after King Robert, and he was granted Dragonstone, which was the seat of the House Targaryen's crown prince."
"Lord Renly is the second in line after King Robert, and he was granted Storms End, which is the ancestral seat of House Baratheon."
Roman paused, then continued: "All three Baratheons can claim to be the legitimate heir to the iron throne, yet none can clearly justify it legally. Tell me, who should I choose?"
This question left the envoys dumbfounded. They had not considered such complexities before arriving, but upon Roman's reminder, they realized that the succession issue between Joffrey, Stannis, and Renly was indeed incredibly chaotic.
Ultimately, however, all of this could be blamed on Robert. As the head of House Baratheon, his differential treatment of his two brothers and his lack of attention toward Joffrey had led to the current chaotic situation.
In particular, granting Storms End, the ancestral seat of House Baratheon, to Renly was the very reason Renly dared to lay claim to the iron throne.
The envoys from both sides knew they would be returning empty-handed after hearing Roman's words, yet they still tried their best to win over the House Whent.
"Lord Roman, if you help Lord Stannis ascend the iron throne, he is willing to recognize your control over the lands of The Crownlands!"
"Lord Roman, if you are willing to join Lord Renly's alliance, once he ascends the iron throne, he will grant you rights and status comparable to Lord Hoster!"
The envoys spoke with fervor, but Roman gestured for them to stop.
"Gentlemen, please forgive me, but I cannot choose between Lord Stannis and Lord Renly. Siding with either would be a disregard for the rule of law. Therefore, I will not form an alliance with either lord, nor will I become their enemy; Harrenhal shall remain neutral."
The expressions of the envoys from both sides noticeably darkened. Seeing this, Roman smiled slightly:
"However, please return and tell the two lords that if they wish to wage war against Joffrey and the Lannisters, we remain comrades."
————
When the envoys from both sides returned to their respective lords, both Stannis and Renly expressed their regret.
Stannis spent more time pondering what he had done wrong to cause Roman to withhold his support, though he did acknowledge Roman's stance.
For Stannis, it was enough that Roman was fighting Joffrey and not favoring Renly.
As for Renly, upon receiving the reply, he spoke incisively to the Old Rose:
"Roman Whent' ambitions extend beyond just the Riverlands and The Crownlands; I fear he is waiting for us to destroy each other so that he may seize more power."
The Old Rose, having seen her fair share of storms, nodded in agreement: "We must act quickly. The more territory Roman occupies, the harder it will be for us to restrain him."