Chapter 66 Borrowing Food

"My Lord, look at this armor, it's so beautiful." Camilo stroked the bright silver breastplate with a golden thread carving on the chest.

This armor fits him perfectly. Cole has grown a lot taller in a year. He estimated that he might be about 1.75 meters tall, which is not considered a giant in the Seven Kingdoms, but he still has at least five years to grow taller. If he has enough nutrition, it should be very likely that he will be 1.8 meters tall.

The fine steel plate armor is plated with gold and silver on the outside and wolf skin on the inside. It is not heavy to wear on him. He also wrapped a layer of inner leather inside the steel armor. Under the leather is a velvet black brocade shirt. The shoulder and arm joints of the plate armor are connected with a set of arm guards with hanging hooks, and the arc-shaped shoulder armor is covered from the head to protect the joint connection.

The thigh root to the knee is connected with chain mail. The iron skirt at the waist protects the chain leg armor like lobster scales, and the calf is a long steel plate boot.

Behind him was a black cape with a white bird with wings spread out and blazing flames coming out of its mouth.

This set of armor was very cumbersome to wear, and the adjutant Camillo didn't know how to wear it at all, so he was not allowed to do the work of a servant anymore.

Originally, he was going to do something else. At least Cole's success would benefit everyone in the family. He is now the commander of the Storm's End. In addition to the more than 200 new recruits under his command, the more than 1,000 original defenders of Storm's End who surrendered were also under his charge.

Originally, Camillo was going to manage the 200 new recruits, but he came to help Cole's servants the next day.

Not to mention, he is now more familiar with this set of armor than Cole.

This set of armor, which combines defense and magnificence, is definitely the work of a master craftsman. The price must be more than a thousand gold coins, of course, referring to the new gold coins promoted by Littlefinger Baelish, the Minister of Finance of the Seven Kingdoms. And this is also the best armor Cole has worn in Westeros these days.

But it seems to be just a spare armor for Renly.

"Lord Julius, His Majesty has summoned you." Stannis's guards came to the door.

Cole responded and walked towards the study of Storm's End. Our King of Dragonstone and Stormlands is a busy man, especially after taking Storm's End.

Dealing with letters, judging justice, inspecting the army, inspecting logistics, discussing strategies; he is almost involved in everything, and every detail is very detailed.

He has almost no personal life and entertainment.

"Your Majesty, Ser Julius is here." The king's servant Davon reminded Stannis softly.

He raised his head, although he was still cold and iron-like, his complexion was much better than when he was in Dragonstone.

"Come in, Davon will bring him a chair."

Cole thanked the little servant for the chair, and then sat down at Stannis's table.

The king looked at the man in front of him. He had short silver hair and a handsome face. There was no trace of childishness on his tender face. His blue-purple eyes were as deep as the starry night sky. It was this young man who easily took down Storm's End.

Some people say that he has an army made of white birds that flew directly to the castle.

He put down the parchment roll in his hand. "Lord Celtigar complained to me that he had been eating salted fish for two days. You burned all the food in the castle. In order to quickly march out, almost all the baggage was left on Dragonstone, and it would take several days to transport food for 10,000 people."

Kore's eyes flashed with helplessness. Wasn't burning food also to force them to surrender?

"Your Majesty, I remember there is still food in the cellar of the castle?"

"Today's food is the last. After tomorrow, I will not be able to pay for everyone's food. I have asked Montford Velaryon to send his fleet to transport food, but he said it would take at least two days."

The two looked at each other and then fell silent. Now half of the troops in Storm's End are surrendered. If the food cannot be guaranteed, it is estimated that there will be variables. Even if it is only two days, this is the case when there is no storm at sea. If the food transport fleet is blocked at sea, it will take longer.

"I do know where there is food." Cole said after a long silence.

"I don't like to be kept in suspense, sir."

"Farm." Cole said only one word, but Stannis frowned.

He said decisively, "I will never rob civilians of their food to feed the soldiers."

Cole shook his head, "No, Your Majesty. I didn't say I would rob them of their food."

When Cole walked out of the door, he couldn't help but sigh, and then walked quickly towards his house. He had work to do again.

Taking his own double swords, Cole found Camillo in the castle, and then asked him to greet his brothers. It was his own guards who sacrificed more than a dozen people when capturing the city, and then some were added from the brave people in the battle.

While Camillo was calling people, Cole went to find the maester and asked him for a bunch of paper rolls and ink.

Fifty guards wearing armor and white bird cloaks quickly gathered in the parade ground. The gray-white armor looked neat and tidy. Almost all the latecomers could ride horses, so Cole gave them all war horses, one war horse and one pack horse for each person.

It took more than fifty people to support the logistics of these fifty cavalrymen.

Camillo also put on a suit of armor and followed Cole's side.

Cole said hello and led his men out of the city.

Passing through the heavy city gates and iron gates, fifty riders followed Cole closely. There was a white dot flashing in the sky. Cole did not slow down and went straight to the first farm outside the Wind's End.

When the cavalry came like the wind, the sound of the horses' hooves scared the villagers to retreat.

Now the army is a plague to them. Many people know that they are fighting recently.

These are all farmers who depend on Storm's End. Cole led his troops directly to a small church. The priest inside quickly greeted him. He was a short and fat guy wearing a gray priest robe. A long chain with seven gods carved on it extended from his neck to his waist.

He walked to Cole tremblingly, "My lord, I wonder why you are here."

His news was much more sensitive than those farmers. He already knew that Storm's End had changed its owner, and this owner seemed to reject the Seven Gods and turned to believe in a foreign pagan.

The priest's attitude was humble and flattering. He was afraid that this group of people came to arrest him. The leading knight turned around and dismounted, and then walked straight into the church.

The priest followed Cole. Cole knew what he was afraid of, but his purpose of coming this time was not to attack the pagans of the King of Light R'hllor.

"I need you to gather all the villagers here to the church." Cole said to him.

"Sir, this will take a lot of time." He was thinking wildly in his heart, could it be that he wanted to execute himself in front of the world.

"I will let my cavalry go together, I am in a hurry." As he said, he found a place to sit down, holding many maple leaves in his hand.

The priest led the knights to call people from house to house, and Cole used pen and ink to write Chinese numbers on the leaves, repeating from one to nine.

After waiting for about half an hour, hundreds of people gathered in front of the church. They stood outside the door chattering, with nervous eyes, and the cavalry rode horses to surround them in a circle.

Cole walked out with the leaves, he glanced at the crowd, and then shouted loudly, "Quiet, gentlemen and ladies.

"I am Cole Julius, the commander of the garrison of Storm's End. The school city has just sent a message recently that summer is over, friends. Do you know what will happen after a ten-year summer?

"This will be a very harsh winter, so do you have enough food reserves? Have you prepared clothes for the children who are about to come in winter? Have you prepared fodder for the livestock?"

After Cole's question, everyone looked at each other, some of them didn't even know that summer was about to end.

"Commander, how long will winter last?" Someone asked worriedly.

Cole shook his head, "I don't know, no one knows how long the gods will let this winter last, but the maesters of the Drama Academy speculate that this winter is not short."

Cole looked at the villagers who fell into silence, and said again, "Maybe you are not prepared enough for the coming winter, but the great King Stannis, as the orthodox heir of the Seven Kingdoms, he will not watch his people starve to death in the winter.

"And the purpose of my coming this time is to bring his summons."

He raised the leaves and paper rolls in his hands, "His Majesty Stannis is the most trustworthy king of the Seven Kingdoms. This is a certificate written by him personally, and this certificate will prove who is loyal to the king. As long as you bring food to Storm's End and prove your loyalty. "

Hearing this, the villagers did not react.

Just hear Cole continue to say, "Once you get the proof, you can get the protection of His Majesty the King in the winter, and get double rewards in seven days."

Hearing this, some people finally got agitated. They were not interested in the so-called honor and loyalty of the nobles, but double rewards were real things.

Cole saw that some people were interested, "The king will only protect one thousand people, and he will ensure that these one thousand people will have enough food and clothing in the winter."

"My lord, I am willing to offer food. "Someone shouted, okay, he is the priest. Cole took his food, and then announced that the first person to donate food would get double the reward on the spot, and then gave him double the coins.

The people who were already eager to move suddenly became chaotic. Cole asked them to line up, and then gave the paper roll to the priest, asking him to record the name and number of the submitters. Cole left ten cavalrymen here to maintain order, and then led the people to the next village quickly.

In the evening, food began to be transported to Storm's End one after another, and Stannis had already made preparations here.

The first person in each batch will get double the reward directly, which undoubtedly makes the villagers more convinced. In fact, this effect is also the effect of Stannis's reputation. Cole also asked the priest to tell Stannis's stories of rewards and punishments wherever he went.

If the priest does not cooperate, then the pagan The thieves dealt with it.

Cole did not return to the castle, but continued to move between the farms. It was impossible for the farmers to have no food reserves, and Renly was not the kind of harsh lord.

Although these grains could not supply an army of 10,000 at once, seeing the grain transport teams coming to the castle one after another could reassure the soldiers, and also make some wavering people think that Stannis was deeply loved by the people of the Stormlands.

The next day, he went to a farm and passed the edict here, and he was ready to return to the castle. Anyway, the news had spread. At least before Renly's army arrived, someone would bring food to Storm's End. Twice may not seem like much, but there is no big risk. Of course, encountering robbers is another matter. So when Cole was ready to return to the castle, he arranged for people to patrol around and act as scouts.

"My lord, we caught a sneaky guy, maybe an enemy scout." After finishing his passionate speech, a team of guards reported beside him.

This place is a little far from Storm's End, so he also asked the soldiers to pay more attention.

"Really? I'll go and take a look. ”

There were two figures, one big and one small. Cole frowned slightly. Why was there a child?