[Bonus Chapter] | Chapter 22. Seizing Military Command

Translator note:

thank you for your consistent support, although we reached half of our target, your support has been invaluable! 

...

In the training grounds of Winterfell, Robb was undergoing recovery training. When he had first awakened 3 days ago, his body was indeed very weak.

However, after these days of high-protein meals to supplement his nutrition, combined with his originally good physical condition, he had almost fully recovered within just 3 days.

As soon as he finished training, Torrhen, who stood to his left, stepped forward and handed him a towel. Since Theon had led the team out, the Karstark brothers had stayed by Robb's side.

Smiling, Robb nodded and took the towel to wipe his sweat. He estimated that Theon and the others were probably still on the road, pursuing their mission.

"Edd, gather all the Direwolves who don't have assignments!

Torrhen, you go gather the captains of Winterfell as well."

Robb no longer concerned himself with whether Theon would complete his mission smoothly. He was certain that his body had recovered and immediately gave orders to Edd and Torrhen beside him.

"Yes, Young Lord!"

The Karstark brothers left quickly and relayed Robb's orders without delay.

After waiting for a while, all the Wolfguards, except for the six who were on assignments, assembled in neat rows on the training grounds.

The knights of Winterfell, including Ser Rodrik, arrived a bit more slowly, taking more time to gather.

"Brothers and sisters, I've been unwell recently. Thanks to your daily watch and protection, I've been able to recover my health."

Robb began his speech loudly, and with a tone of gratitude, he first bowed toward the Wolfguard warriors.

Standing straight again, Robb raised a hand to stop the slight commotion among the Wolfguards caused by his bow, and continued speaking loudly,

"During my time in slumber, I had a long nightmare. I saw Winterfell ravaged by war. I saw the banners of Northern nobles torn down. I saw the people of the North weeping in despair."

"You might think this was just my dream, that it means nothing. But the Wildlings I captured told me that beyond the Wall, a wildling King is preparing to gather one hundred thousand wildling warriors to attack the Wall. They even say they have the legendary giants with them."

"Of course, in our understanding, they could never breach the Wall. But what if they succeed? Would you be willing to watch your families fall, your loved ones die in misery or suffer a fate worse than death, and yourselves become food for those Wildlings?"

By the end of his speech, Robb was filled with emotion, pointing to the North and shouting.

"Never!"

"Absolutely not!"

"Kill them all!"

The Wolfguards shouted loudly, their emotions fully roused. After spending so much time with Robb, they had developed a deep admiration for him, so most chose to believe what he said.

The captains of Winterfell, however, had a different reaction. Although they echoed the chants along with the warriors, including Ser Rodrik, they were less convinced internally.

In their hearts, they thought little of the matter. To them, the Wall had stood for a thousand years, and not even a hundred thousand Wildlings; let alone a million, could bring it down.

"In the name of the Warden of the North, Lord of Winterfell, Eddard Stark's designated heir, and acting Lord of Winterfell, I, Robb Stark, hereby declare that from this day forward, Winterfell will enter a state of war readiness. I will assume full command of Winterfell's forces, and all shall follow my orders!"

Robb had noticed the stark difference between the reactions of the Wolfguars and the high ranking knights, but he paid no mind. He boldly announced his true purpose for today's display.

When Robb declared his total control over the army, Ser Rodrik had no objections, as he was always wholly loyal to House Stark.

However, murmurs started among the lower ranks of captains.

The structure of Winterfell's captain corps was simple, divided into three factions.

There were the cavalry captains, responsible for scouting, communication, and managing warhorses; the archer and infantry captains, tasked with fortifications and maintaining security; and the transport captains, overseeing supplies and support.

Each faction was hierarchically managed, with orders passed down accordingly.

In fact, these three branches functioned almost like independent departments, controlling their own resources and duties.

With Robb's command, military authority was now concentrated solely in his hands, which naturally sparked some dissent among the captains.

"If you have objections, speak up now. Don't discuss it behind my back!"

Robb had no patience for playing mind games with the captain corps. After all, his plan was to eventually have the Wolfguards replace them, so he spoke bluntly.

The Winterfell captains weren't fools. Hearing Robb's stern tone, none dared to continue their private discussions. Instead, they straightened up and stood at attention, unwilling to be the first to challenge him.

After all, Robb was Eddard's appointed heir and the well-known Young Wolf.

Winterfell's army already belonged to House Stark, so it was only natural for him to take command.

Moreover, the combat prowess of the Wolfguards had been witnessed by everyone. After their last mission to eliminate the Wildlings, the 190 soldiers responsible for perimeter defense had already sung their praises throughout Winterfell.

Thus, without any real resistance, Robb nominally took full control of Winterfell's military forces.

***

The next day, after privately addressing the Wolfguards, Robb dispersed them and began taking control of Winterfell's three military branches.

For those captains who complied with reassignment, Robb continued to use them. After all, he would need loyal captains of his own to oversee and manage the bannermen in the future.

As for the disobedient captains who refused to relinquish their authority, Robb produced incriminating evidence he had obtained through certain channels, directly imprisoning them. He gave them a choice; death or taking the Black.

Both Maester Luwin and Ser Rodrik fully supported Robb's lawful and proper methods.

Since Eddard wasn't present, they regarded Robb as their rightful liege.

Catelyn remained by Bran's bedside, completely uninvolved in these matters. In fact, she had neither the authority nor the inclination to interfere with Robb's actions.

Aside from Dacey, who insisted on staying to protect Robb, the remaining twenty-four Wolfguards were spread throughout Winterfell, controlling the 4,300-strong army.

They followed Robb's orders, teaching these Winterfell soldiers the same training they had undergone themselves.

This was something Robb had thought through in advance.

The basic quality of Winterfell's soldiers was already quite high, and to quickly enhance their combat effectiveness, it boiled down to improving their equipment and reinforcing their formation training.

However, Robb had neither the money nor the resources to upgrade their equipment.

Though the North was vast, compared to the South, it was rather poor. In terms of armaments, they couldn't possibly compete with the Lannisters, who owned gold mines.

What about introducing some ancient equipment from his previous life?

That wouldn't work either!

After all, Winterfell's warriors had trained for decades, perhaps even lifetimes, using their current standard weapons.

For men accustomed to the standard longsword, giving them a curved sword wouldn't be a question of which weapon was superior.

To Winterfell's soldiers, the curved swords would be an unfamiliar, unwieldy weapon, something they couldn't adapt to quickly.

Forcing them to use a curved sword in battle would undoubtedly reduce their combat effectiveness rather than improve it; there was no question about that.

However, many of ancient weapons and equipment were better and more practical than those in Westeros. Robb planned to experiment with these later and gradually introduce them.

The only option left, then, was to focus on formation training for Winterfell's soldiers; a method that had already proven effective with the Wolfguards.

Unsurprisingly, a well-disciplined army with tight formations was far stronger in battle than one whose ranks broke apart the moment they charged.