Almost a month after Obella inherited the title and territory of the Wyl Lordship, Lynd continued leading his team along the coastline, rounding the Cape Wrath and heading toward the Red Watch River. Jon remained behind at the port construction site, nad Miracle Port, to oversee the developnt of the port city.
A few days later, the group arrived near the mouth of the Red Watch River. From there, they could see the top of Stonehelm Castle across the water. On the fertile land near the river, more than a dozen villages, both large and small, had been established. Looking out over the landscape, they saw fields of barley and wheat, along with cornfields abundant with fruit.
Lynd had expected so resistance from Stonehelm Castle, but upon arriving in one of the villages, the elders handed over the prepared village registers and land deeds without hesitation.
"Who told you to do this?" Lynd asked, surprised as he looked at the docunts in his hands.
"It was Lord of Stonehelm," the village elders answered honestly. "They told us that you, my lord, would co to claim us, and that from now on, our village would be under your rule. We are your subjects."
Hearing this, Lynd was montarily at a loss for words. It seed the Lord of Stonehelm had been frightened by the events at Wyl.
It made sense. The Lord of Wyl had only wanted to reclaim the land he had seized and resettle the people there. Now, not only were there no people left, but the land itself had fallen into soone else's hands. No matter how greedy the Lord of Stonehelm was, he would not want to beco the next Lord Wyl.
As a result, all the reclaid land and villages in Stonehelm were surrendered to Lynd intact. Even the wooden bridge originally built to connect the east and west banks of the Red Watch River had been dismantled.
And it wasn’t just Stonehelm. The sa thing happened in Crow's Nest.
As Lynd's forces advanced upstream into the Red Watch Valley, the reclaid lands and newly built villages under Crow’s Nest were also handed over to him, with their bridges similarly dismantled.
Though Lynd was astonished by the actions of the lords of Stonehelm and Crow’s Nest, their decisions ultimately saved him a great deal of trouble and significantly reduced the ti needed to survey his new territory.
Additionally, he made so unexpected discoveries in the Red Watch Valley. Besides the Stormlands settlers who had migrated from Crow’s Nest, there were also aboriginal tribes in the nearby mountains—tribes that bore similarities to the Wildlings of the North.
These people referred to themselves as the descendants of Drox the Corpse-Maker.
After their ancestors were defeated by Storm King Cleoden I of House Durrandon, they were placed under house arrest in the valley. Generations later, they had settled permanently in the region. They still preferred to use the ancient na of the Red Watch River, calling it the Slayne River, and referred to themselves as the Slayne people.
What surprised Lynd the most, however, was that they also knew of a hidden mountain path—one that connected Sumrhall directly to the Red Watch Valley, bypassing the long and arduous route through the Red Mountains. A journey that would typically take about a month could instead be completed in just two days.
Eager to see this for himself, Lynd had the Slayne guide him along the path. It wound up a steep mountainside, passed through a narrow, gate-like mountain stream, and then led through a valley.
Erging on the other side, they found themselves already on the slopes of Sumrhall. In the distance, Lynd could vaguely make out a rocky mountain, its peak shaped like a towering stone pillar, marking the exit.
The passage showed clear signs of human excavation. Lynd suspected it had been dug by the Slayne's ancestors in an attempt to escape their captivity in the Red Watch Valley.
Though the path was currently narrow, only wide enough for a single person, it had potential. With so work, it could be expanded to accommodate horses, mules, and donkeys.
There were also areas where vertical elevators could be built, allowing goods from the valley to be transported up the mountain and then carried across to the other side by pack animals. Such a system would drastically reduce transportation ti.
Additionally, the vast valley connecting both ends of the path could be developed into a small town or fortress. Defensive towers could be constructed along the mountain trails on either side, securing full control over the route and eliminating the risk of an enemy using it to launch an attack on Sumrhall.
After surveying the path, Lynd had a fully ford construction plan in mind. He then discussed it with the master mason to finalize the details.
“What do you want?” Upon returning to the camp in the river valley, Lynd asked the Slayne elders.
“We hope to obtain a piece of land that is recognized by the Seven Kingdoms and can be passed down for generations,” one of the elders quickly replied. It was clear that this was the result of prior discussion.
Lynd, of course, understood their intent. However, instead of agreeing imdiately, he countered, “I can grant you such a piece of land, but who will be its master? I can't possibly give the land to all of you, can I?”
The Slayne elder was taken aback, as were the others around him. It was evident that they had not considered this point during their discussions.
“There’s no rush,” Lynd said, sensing their dilemma. “Go back, discuss it, and give an answer.”
Realizing that this was not the place for such deliberations, the Slaynes took their leave.
“Are you really going to give these Slaynes their own territory?” Nyria asked with concern. “Do you realize this will bring you a lot of trouble? If you grant them land, what about the wildling tribes that have pledged allegiance to you? And the knights who have followed you for so long? Will you give them land too? If not, then…”
“You don’t need to worry,” Lynd replied with a smile. “It won’t be long before they co to themselves and ask to withdraw their request.”
“Why?” Nyria asked skeptically.
“Because these people have followed an egalitarian system for generations,” Lynd explained. “Equal distribution of output, equal status within the group, collective control of wealth—even their decisions are made through discussion and voting.”
He paused for a mont. The first thing that ca to mind was what the Slayne elder had told him about their society. Isn’t this the very ideal of universal harmony that so many have pursued in the past?
Lynd smiled and continued, “Although this system has helped them sustain their prosperity and heritage for thousands of years, it doesn’t an it’s a good one. It has too many limitations—like the necessity of a relatively closed environnt and the absence of strong individual desires. The mont soone develops ambitions beyond the group’s consensus, it’s like throwing fire into oil. Eventually, it will all burn. Right now, the issue of land ownership and governance is the spark that has been ignited.”
At his words, an image of people consud by flas flashed through Nyria’s mind, and she couldn’t help but frown.
Lynd’s prediction proved accurate. A few days later, the Slaynes erupted into a fierce internal struggle with no apparent warning. It was as if centuries of suppressed desires had suddenly burst forth. In a single night, over a hundred people perished—an imnse loss for a people already small in number. All the elders were killed, most at the hands of those closest to them.
By morning, the survivors stood among the corpses, listening to the anguished cries of the wounded. The horror of what had transpired finally dawned on them. So, overwheld by guilt and grief, took their own lives, further reducing their numbers.
In the aftermath, the remaining Slaynes sought out Lynd once more. This ti, they did not ntion land. Instead, they only asked for relocation, wishing to settle elsewhere. However, they no longer remained as a single people. They split into five separate families, each taking a different path. The wounds of the night’s bloodshed ran too deep—living together would only breed further resentnt.
Lynd granted their request. Before leaving, the Slaynes handed him a map they had ticulously drawn over the years, detailing the mountains surrounding the Red Watch Valley. It marked the locations of various ore deposits they had discovered—a final offering before they parted ways.
“You've gone too far,” Nyria said to Lynd with so severity as she watched the Slaynes clean up the bodies of their own kind.
Lynd did not respond to Nyria’s remark, rely observing the situation before him with calm detachnt.
With the Red Watch Valley now under his control, his inspection of the territory was complete.
Half a month later, he and Nyria returned to Tumbleton and began preparations for the relocation.
Soon after his return, the Citadel approved his application and sent Maester Thorne to serve as an advisor.
However, what Lynd had not anticipated was that Maester Thorne would not arrive alone—he was accompanied by a dozen assistant Maesters. This was not an act of generosity on the Citadel’s part, but a strategic move. Lynd’s territory presented a rare opportunity: a vast region with nurous castles, port cities, and towns that needed to be built. The Citadel saw this as the perfect chance to gain experience and gather architectural data.
Lynd had no objections. After all, any construction required his approval, and he would never sanction designs that deviated too far from his own vision.
In his view, Maesters skilled in architecture—even if they were only assistant Maesters—were a valuable asset. He currently had three major projects underway: Sumrhall Castle, Miracle Harbor, and Red Watch Castle in the Red Watch Valley.
Originally, Lynd had only intended to fund two simultaneous construction projects. However, since the Church of the Faith of the Seven was willing to contribute financially to the developnt of his territory, he saw no reason to refuse. With ample funding, he had no concerns about managing construction on three sites at once—or even expanding to four or five if necessary.
The scale of developnt made one thing clear: the current population of Lynd’s territory was insufficient. He had no choice but to recruit refugees from places like King’s Landing.
Although the Seven Kingdoms had suffered through the catastrophic Extre Cold, there were surprisingly few refugees. Those too weak to endure had perished in the freezing conditions, leaving only a handful who managed to survive and reach major cities. Even in cities like King’s Landing, many of the poor had succumbed to the cold, drastically reducing the number of displaced people available for recruitnt.
However, Lynd’s concerns about manpower were short-lived. When he announced the recruitnt of laborers for the construction of Miracle Harbor and Sumrhall Castle, the Septs of the Faith of the Seven across the land called upon the poor to migrate to his territory and take part in the work.
At the lowest levels of society, there were countless devout followers of the Faith of the Seven. Under the Septons’ influence, working on the construction of Sumrhall Castle and Miracle Harbor was frad as an act of redemption.
As a result, a flood of impoverished people from all corners of the kingdom arrived in Lynd’s territory, filling the labor gap. More importantly, most of these workers required no wages—only food and shelter.
Upon realizing this, Lynd developed a cautious attitude toward the Church of the Seven. It was a double-edged sword—an entity that, if wielded well, could strike down enemies with ease, but if mishandled, could just as easily turn against him.
Although his current collaboration with the Church was smooth, he had to account for the possibility of future conflicts. He needed to establish his own influence within the Faith rather than relying solely on cooperation.
Thus, before the construction of his castle and port city comnced, Lynd proposed the establishnt of two new septs—one at the ruins of Sumrhall and the other at Bone Bridge near Miracle Harbor. He nad them the Miracle Sept and the Redemption Sept, and he requested that the Faith of the Seven dispatch Septons and holy man to oversee their affairs.
The Faith of the Seven approved of Lynd’s initiative and held him in high regard. In recognition, they granted him the title of Most Devout Septon of the Redemption Sept. Of course, this was rely a ceremonial position—the actual governance of the Sept remained in the hands of the two Septons.
No Lord had ever held the title of Most Devout before, but since Lynd was the Chosen One of the Seven, an exception was made.
Additionally, the Church saw this as a test of the Iron Throne’s reaction—whether the Crown would accuse them of interfering in secular matters.
As the Church had hoped, the Iron Throne remained silent.
Though his title as Most Devout was nominal, it did not an Lynd was powerless.
With careful maneuvering, he ensured that the two Septons assigned to the Miracle Sept and the Redemption Sept were from the Great Sept of Baelor in King’s Landing rather than the Starry Sept, which had a stronger connection to him.
The reasoning was simple. The clergy of the Starry Sept were true devotees of their faith, whereas those of the Great Sept of Baelor had long been corrupted by temptation. Beneath their religious robes, they were nothing more than ordinary n—and such n were far easier for Lynd to control.
Within just four days, the newly appointed Septons had fallen completely under his influence through a combination of coercion and bribery.
With their cooperation, most of the clergy in the two Septs beca his loyal followers. Those from the Great Sept of Baelor and other Septs who resisted were either sidelined into irrelevance or accused of fabricated cris and sent back to their places of origin.
Since Lynd never acted directly and allowed the Septons to handle everything, the entire affair was dismissed as an internal power struggle within the Faith of the Seven.
A few months later, both Septs were fully under Lynd’s control. And beneath their structures, in vast underground warehouses, he stored the dragon bones that Varys had secretly transported.
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