"Maester Aemon's eyes have recovered their sight?"
Roman's brow furrowed. "The glass candles are lit, the blind see again… Hah! Two prophecies have already come true in Westeros. I fear Essos will not remain peaceful either. The age of magic is returning, and disaster follows close behind."
The Citadel had been very restless lately, largely because Roman had established a "Second Citadel"—Harrenhal University—to rival the one in Oldtown.
Moreover, Roman had invested heavily in the livelihood and construction of his territory, ensuring that even the children of the lowest woodcutters could receive an education.
As a result, a large number of students had entered Harrenhal University, which directly boosted Harrenhal's overall strength. For every experiment the Citadel conducted, Harrenhal University had already scheduled dozens of corresponding ones.
Unlike Oldtown, where sending a family member to the Citadel often meant losing a vital laborer—a fatal burden for most common families in Westeros—Harrenhal University was far more accessible.
Everyone knew the Citadel's status in the world of knowledge was still unmatched, but people were far more optimistic about Harrenhal University. The overall quality and education level of the population under Roman's rule was already higher than that of Oldtown.
And now Roman's very existence proved another truth: magic had never truly left Westeros.
The maesters of the Citadel had long dreamed of proving there was no such thing as magic, but Roman's flight had caused the glass candles to burn once more. Even the most stubborn archmaesters had to admit that magic had returned.
However, Roman had no time to worry about the Citadel's attitude right now. Rats had entered his territory.
Tywin had played his hand cleverly, mobilizing those in the Crownlands who remained loyal to the Iron Throne to carry out acts of sabotage from within.
Many strongholds had not fallen to external enemies but had been attacked from the inside.
Roman's response was swift. He immediately mobilized the militia to begin a thorough sweep of the entire territory.
"I trained a large militia force specifically for maintaining stability. Since you pests have dared to come out this time, I will catch every last one of you in a single sweep."
The lives of the common people in the Crownlands had never been good. Since Roman's arrival and the implementation of land distribution, tax reduction, and policies that truly benefited the people, many had seen real improvement.
Furthermore, Roman paid special attention to shaping public opinion. Local governments regularly organized education sessions to help people understand where their true interests lay and not to believe anything that would harm themselves or House Whent.
Therefore, any act of sabotage was noticed almost immediately. In the past, such things had belonged to the lord, and protecting them brought no benefit to the smallfolk.
But now these public facilities were their own wealth. If those loyalists destroyed them in the name of so-called honor, what would commoners like them gain?
When people have something to lose, they guard it like treasure and will never allow others to trample upon it.
Those incited to defect could usually only cause a small disturbance before being dragged out by the populace or reported to the patrol. Then soldiers in iron armor would kick down their doors and arrest them.
The group from the North still had business to attend to, so they followed Fili on a tour of Harrenhal's territory.
Snow asked, "Miss Fili, are all these people spies for the Iron Throne?"
Fili nodded. "That's right. Lord Tywin mobilized those in the Crownlands who are still loyal to the Iron Throne to carry out secret sabotage. However, most have already been discovered and contained, so there hasn't been much impact."
Bowen Marsh asked in confusion, "Spies for the Iron Throne are no simple matter. Why was Tywin's scheme dismantled so quickly? Did you use some kind of special strategy?"
"No."
The young woman chuckled, then looked in Roman's direction.
"Lord Roman distributed land to everyone, not only reducing taxes but also canceling many labor services. At the same time, facilities like mills, hospitals, and schools can be enjoyed for free or at very little cost."
"Lord Roman shares the wealth of his territory, and the people treat Lord Roman as one of their own. Lord Roman's interests are their interests. So if anyone makes an enemy of Lord Roman, they will face the wrath of all the people under House Whent's rule."
Jon Snow looked at Fili's admiring expression and could not help but think of his father, Eddard Stark, who was also a beloved lord.
But from what he had observed of Harrenhal over the past few days, the people's respect for Roman bordered on fanaticism.
Snow asked, "Miss Fili, what about you? Why are you so loyal to Lord Roman?"
"Ah! Me?"
Hearing the question, the girl recalled the various events since she first met Roman—from their initial encounter, to living together, to those tender nights…
Fili's face gradually flushed crimson, but she quickly composed herself. She shook her head and forced a calm smile.
"I… I was picked up by Lord Roman outside King's Landing. He gave me food and clothing and entrusted me with heavy responsibilities. Without Lord Roman, I would still be struggling in the mud. My life has long belonged to him!"
Ygritte looked at Fili's infatuated expression and said to Snow with a mischievous smile,
"Hey, Jon, I heard you southern knights are best at using sweet, deceptive words that can make women lose their heads. Will you do that to me too?"
Snow blinked. "Huh? No! I wouldn't do that! Ygritte, you should know that very well."
"Hahaha! Of course. Your eloquence is as rough as tree bark beyond the Wall. How could you handle such delicate work?"
Bowen Marsh, standing nearby, looked at Jon and could not help but ask,
"Jon Snow, do you really not intend to join the Night's Watch? With your abilities, you could quickly rise to a high position."
Snow looked at Bowen Marsh, then turned back to Ygritte. Kissed by Fire returned his gaze with a sweet, tempting smile.
"No… I feel that I probably wouldn't be able to fulfill the Night's Watch vows. I don't want to defile the Wall."
Bowen Marsh looked at the couple who were clearly inseparable and could only let out a long sigh.
"It seems I can only ask Lord Roman if we can incorporate these captured spies into the Watch."
Ygritte snorted. "You black crows really can stomach anything. If you ask me, just let us wildlings help defend the Wall. Are we really going to go rob a useless wall of ice?"
Beside the Gods Eye
Roman was currently speaking with Samwell Tarly. This man was one of the few intellectual figures on the Wall, so he had to inquire carefully about any news from beyond it.
However, the Others had not yet made their move, so Fat Sam had no useful information to share.
Instead, Sam turned the conversation to his own father.
"Lord Roman… is my father doing well?"
"Tsk, I would have forgotten about that fellow if you hadn't mentioned him. Don't worry, he's doing very well. He was even able to block my path at Rosby. Your father is truly a famous general of Westeros."
Hearing that his father was fine, Fat Sam breathed a visible sigh of relief. He had been afraid Roman might have burned Lord Tarly to a crisp.
But Sam also felt uneasy. Harrenhal would inevitably clash with the Reach in the future. His father would certainly be at the forefront of any battle, and given Roman's fighting style, those opposing generals usually met rather miserable ends.
Seeing Fat Sam hesitate to speak, Roman patted the man's broad shoulder.
"Don't worry. After the war is over, I will still need to govern various places. Keeping capable nobles around is still useful to me—provided they do not seek their own deaths."
Fat Sam relaxed upon hearing this. Then a bold thought began to swell in his heart, and he asked cautiously,
"Lord Roman… could you… send me to the front line? I want to see my father."
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