Chapter 36

Despite your Interest, you decide to leave the War between the Ironborn and the Starks alone for now, and refocus your Mind on the Reach, which despite devastating Raids on the Ironborn's part has yet to break. All in all it was rather unsurprising with how many Differences People are willing to overlook when it serves the Goal of destroying a common Enemy. And doubtlessly the Militant Houses of the Reach are by now fully under the Illusion that the Tyrells will finally begin ruling like proper Lords, instead of just profiting off the Land like common Merchants.

An Illusion crafted with Skill and Charisma, but still nothing but that, a rather simple and honestly shallow Illusion as everyone that looks in from the Outside could tell, but that's sadly how the World works, at least until you manage to change it. And you think you already have a decent Idea how to acquire at least a small part of the Reach in the future. For the Tyrells were one of the Houses that didn't send the Crown Troops during the Cold War, and are the only Neighbours of the Westerlands that actually have Land to spare, so the King would undeniably love the Idea of drawing out the Hosts of the West from their Mountains to ensure your Father's long term Loyalty and weakening at the expense of House Tyrell, you certainly would.

And what Lord would ever refuse the Privilege to Defend the Lands of his Liege against Raiders and Rebel Scum numbering in the tens of thousands, certainly not a Lord that hopes to add to the Legacy of his House, like a certain Lion that the King knows all too well. Getting such a Thought into the King's Mind would be truly wonderful, an official Mandate to take Land from the Tyrells and Defend it from People your Father would put to the Sword anyway, all in an effort to weaken the Armies of the West. And selling the Idea as overstretching your Father's Troops is just mad enough that the Lunatic might one Day actually fall for such a Plan, thinking himself a Genius all the while.

But sadly that wouldn't be nearly as fast as the Invasion you had seemingly wished for alone, but that's fine, for the Realm is already in Chaos, and Chaos always spreads further than anyone at the time could have imagined. Thus buying some Whisperers and waiting for a Decade seems overall fine to you, it's after all not like you're the only one knowing the Truth about Humanity, and the Wolves and Opportunists of the Realm won't squander the Chance you gave them, that much is sure.

If only you could say the same about the Lions of this World, everything would be nigh perfect, but you feel like they're simply too impassive to seize the Opportunity going by your Family and your Vassals. But you can deal with that, seeing as you aren't under all that much time pressure with half of your potential Enemies wasting their time and Resources on each other. And it's not like you plan to stop your work by relying on a Plan that would take a Decade to finish, just because your House isn't too fond of risking its Troops before every bit of Strength is drawn up.

No, you still had some Ideas that could be used right away, like your current Favourite of buying up and selling your Fishing Boats to the Iron Islands, an Idea you had since the first Wave of Raids hit the unprotected Coasts of the Reach. For it was such a grand and helpful Revelation that you just couldn't leave the Knowledge unused for any longer, considering the Situation of the Ironborn. Especially with how their problems could be solved by, again, something as cheap as Fishing Boats, which your Guild can buy in the hundreds without a problem.

You're rather excited to find out if it would be enough to give the Ironborn a real Chance to hold the Sea, and you guess helping them out in such a way would simultaneously cheapen the Price of an Alliance later on as well, all at the expense of the Royal Fleet. And so after getting permission, just to make sure that you aren't squandering Assets your Father had unspoken Plans for, you began the buying Process for the Ironborn's newest Fishing Fleet, though you can only guess at how many Ships will actually be freed up for the War, surely a few dozen of the proper Ironborn Ships should be in it though.

And considering how much the freed up Ships would help in keeping up the pressure on the Crown despite whatever Losses they might suffer over the Years, you're sure the King's Health and State of Mind won't improve, and will remain in the usual Condition that your Family will continue to happily exploit. You're more than sure of this, simply because you have met far greater Men that were broken under pressure like this, without starting out as a Madman in your last Life.

Though despite the expended Gold, you still don't plan to help the Greyjoys in their struggle openly, for each problem they cause alone will be twice as effective in weakening the Royal Faction than it would be if House Lannister was openly supporting them. And hey, if the Ironborn retain the Ability of conducting their little Raids while the Westerlands secretly continue to grow in Strength through your little efforts, as the King is focused on reinforcing his Fleets, you wouldn't really call that helping the Ironborn, but rather call it's supplying them to help your Family, which you can't see your Father having a problem with.

If only the Ironborn had a better Culture, and were as good at waging War as they were in raiding unsuspecting Villages, the Rock would fully support their efforts without so much as a Question. But with their lacking Strength on Land and the whole Slave problem they aren't worth investing anything of actual Value into them, and a House like yours doesn't get to rule the Westerlands for as long as it did by being seen supporting a People of Slavers, and if one thinks about it, Heretics. No, until their Allegiance is as cheap as their Morals you can't see your Father moving so much as a Finger on their behalf, even if it's ultimately a waste, he still has the Pride of a Lion after all.