Chapter 15

Compared with the magnificent Highgarden, the castle of the Mullendore family looks much shabbier.

  Thick walls, narrow windows, and dim candlelight made the banquet hall look cramped and even eerie.

  The dinner was not very rich, consisting of barbecue, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, and a vegetable salad.

  Of course, Samwell would not complain. While eating, he talked to Mark about his cute monkey.

  Hearing that the monkey actually came from the Midsummer Islands, Samwell became very interested and asked many related questions.

  For example, the approximate area of the Midsummer Islands, whether there could be merchant ships coming and going, the culture, race, and specialties of the islands, etc.

  It was rare for Mark to meet a knight who was also interested in the Midsummer Islands, and he immediately felt a sense of camaraderie, spitting and telling what he knew.

  Viscount Martyn watched his son get into a heated conversation with Samwell so quickly and couldn't help but secretly frown.

  He glanced at Todd Flower, who was silently eating and drinking, and asked, "Your Excellency, Todd, are you a knight of House Tyrell?"

  Todd put down the knife and fork in his hand and said, "Yes, Lord Viscount."

  Viscount Martyn nodded thoughtfully and was about to ask again, but Samwell suddenly said, "Yes, Lord Viscount, Knight Todd is the 'noble illegitimate son' of Arbor Island. This time, he is ordered by Lady Olenna to personally lead the team to follow me to the Red Mountains."

  It really was the army of the Tyrell family.

  Viscount Martyn was secretly startled.

  He didn't know that Samwell deliberately blurred the difference between soldiers of the Tyrell family and recruits in his words just now, so he thought that the two hundred people in the pioneering team were all elite soldiers of the Tyrell family.

  "I didn't expect the Lord Duke to value you so much that he would send such an elite army to go with you to explore."

  Samwell smiled, shook his head and said, " Lord Viscount, you are wrong."

  "Oh? What's wrong?"

  "Is there anything worthy of the Duke's attention to me? The real reason for his sending troops is actually to win the new territory of the Red Mountains."

  "I see."

  Viscount Martyn obviously believed it.

  Because he himself didn't feel that the waste in front of him was really worthy of Duke Mace sending so many soldiers to follow him.

  However, a new question followed— since Duke Mace valued the new territory so much, why did he send such a waste to develop it? Does the Tyrell family lack knights?

Of course, even if Viscount Martyn looked down on Samwell from the bottom of his heart, he couldn't ask such a question face to face. Otherwise, it would be too rude.

Unexpectedly, without Viscount Martyn asking, Samwell actually expressed the doubts of the Lord of the Upland City himself: "Master Viscount, are you surprised why the Lord Duke sent me to develop?"

Viscount Martyn smiled slightly, without changing his expression: "The Tarly family has always been rich in outstanding generals. The Duke must have valued your talent as a leader."

Hearing this, everyone present blushed a little, even the black and white monkey squeaked and waved its arms, as if it couldn't stand Viscount Martyn's nonsense.

Samwell shook his head and said with a wry smile, "Master Viscount, how can I have the talent to lead the army? Otherwise, I would not have been kicked out of the house by my father and deprived of the right of inheritance. The reason why the Lord Duke sent me to develop is because I dare to do what others dare not."

"What is it?" Viscount Martyn asked hastily.

However, Samwell smiled slightly, looked around, but remained silent.

Viscount Martyn immediately understood, knowing that the other party did not want to speak in public.

He hesitated for a while, and finally couldn't help being curious, so he put down the knife and fork, wiped his mouth with a napkin, and extended an invitation to Samwell: "I have collected some wines from Arbor Island, Sam. If you are interested, would you like to taste it?"

"It's my honor."

Samwell got up, followed Viscount Martyn out of the banquet hall, and came to a small room next to it.

Viscount Martyn took a bottle of wine from the wine rack and poured two glasses.

The clear aroma of wine soon permeated the entire room.

Samwell took the wine glass, thanked him, and then took a sip.

Sweet and refreshing, it was indeed a good wine.

However, the two of them did not really come here to taste wine.

"Master Viscount, you must really want to know why Duke Mace sent me to explore the Red Mountains?"

Viscount Martyn shook the silver wine glass in his hand, did not speak, just looked at Samwell quietly, waiting for his answer below.

"Upland City is at the foot of the Red Mountains, so you must be aware, Lord Viscount, that if you go deeper to the southwest, not only will the land be barren and wild beasts will be densely populated, but there will also be ferocious savage tribes who plunder, making it difficult to develop and grow.

This is the reason why the Knights of the Riverbend are unwilling to come here to develop."

" However, I am different. I am a waste abandoned by the family and have no way out. Naturally, I am willing to come here to give it a try.

Beside there is a method that can make the territory grow rapidly - plunder!"

  Viscount Martyn listened intently for a long time, but when he heard such an answer, he suddenly laughed and said:

  "Sam, you don't mean to rob those savages, do you? But I want to remind you that the most valuable thing on them is probably the crudely made animal skin clothes."

Samwell shook his head and began to look around: "Lord Viscount, you have misunderstood. My new territory will be built on the northern shore of the Summer Sea, near the mouth of the Turbulent River. As you said, will I let so many rich merchant ships come and go, instead of robbing them, go looking for a poor savage?"

  Viscount Martyn immediately narrowed his eyes when he heard this.

  After looking up and down at the young pioneer knight in front of him, he said again:

  "But your excellency Caesar, I don't need to remind you about the punishment for pirates in the Reach, right?"

  "Of course, I know," Samwell said, shrugging his shoulders with a relaxed expression, "Master Viscount, have you forgotten that the Tyrell family has sent more than two hundred elite soldiers to follow me to open up the land, and the leader is still from Arbor Island?"

Viscount Martyn's face turned pale, and there was still some disbelief in his eyes.

  Samwell continued:

  "Of course, what Madam Olenna means is for me to rob those Dornish merchant ships, and not wantonly attack other merchant ships."

  "Even so, once this matter is exposed, your reputation will be ruined, and you will be sent to the gallows!"

  Samwell laughed and said,

  "Do I still have a good reputation? Besides, if I don't do this, how can I open up a new territory in places like the Red Mountains?"

Viscount Martyn took a deep look at Samwell: "Knight Caesar, you are nothing like the rumors."

  Samwell shook the wine glass in his hand and said with a smile:

  "The rumors are always half-covered , Lord Viscount."

  Viscount Martyn also laughed: "In that case, then I wish you success in your development."

  Samwell suddenly took a few steps closer and said:

  "Master Viscount, do you want to make some money?"

  Viscount Martyn immediately became vigilant when he heard this.

[END]