After returning to Jaqenion Estate, Luke did not linger in the joy of receiving his new title. Instead, he imdiately summoned Steward Arthur.
Inside the study, the atmosphere was practical and urgent.
"Arthur, ti is short. I need you to handle several matters in King's Landing right away."
Luke stood by the window with his back to Arthur, his voice steady and clear.
"First, offer salaries thirty percent above market rate to heavily recruit all kinds of skilled craftsn. Carpenters, masons, stonemasons, blacksmiths, leatherworkers, tailors, cooks, brewers… anyone with a useful skill who is reliable and willing to follow to the fief. Initial target: two hundred people.
"Tell them the base monthly salary is one silver coin, with full room and board provided. Once we reach the fief, there will be further arrangents. Those who perform exceptionally well may receive land or the right to operate a shop."
One silver coin per month was already quite a good wage for ordinary craftsn in King's Landing, not to ntion the included food and lodging plus future promises.
Arthur quickly noted it down: "Yes, my lord. Craftsn often have families. Should we also make arrangents for their dependents?"
"That is exactly what I was about to say," Luke turned around, his gaze sharp. "At the sa ti, publicly recruit one thousand refugees, bankrupt farrs, and landless free folk. The conditions are generous: for the first year, I guarantee basic rations for every recruit and their imdiate family mbers — parents, spouse, and children — with at least two full als per day.
"Additionally, every adult laborer will receive fifty copper coins per month as pocket money. For each additional qualifying family mber they bring, an extra fifty copper coins will be provided monthly. Once we reach the fief, land will be allocated per household, with taxes halved for the first three years."
Arthur quickly calculated in his head. These terms were like a gift from heaven for people struggling on the edge of starvation!
Not only would they survive, they would receive money, and in the future they would have land. The appeal was enormous.
"My lord, with such conditions, we will likely attract a huge crowd. It may even cause dissatisfaction among other nobles…"
"That is why we must act quickly and screen strictly. Littlefinger will help us with that."
Luke cut him off: "Prioritize able-bodied young adults with simple family structures and clean records. We can discreetly use the Silent Sisters or reputable rchant guilds for preliminary screening. Tell everyone this is about opening new land, not living in comfort. It will be hard work, but the Jaqenion family always keeps its word."
"Also," he emphasized, "casually spread word about the treatnt our guard unit receives — full coverage of food, clothing, housing, and transport; starting monthly pay of twenty silver coins; settling-in bonuses, death benefits, enemy-kill bounties, and raising of descendants… Let those ambitious young n who are willing to fight know that I offer a different path here."
Arthur's expression grew solemn. He understood his master's deeper intention.
This was not just recruiting labor; it was also screening and attracting potential soldiers, while using generous conditions to quickly gather loyal hearts and establish a foothold in the new fief.
"Understood, my lord. I will see to it imdiately."
"And third…"
Luke walked to the desk, picked up a quill, and quickly wrote down a few lines.
"Procure a batch of basic supplies: enough grain, salt, iron nails, rope, canvas, simple tools, common dicinal herbs, and seeds. Also, go to the horse market and select fifty sturdy pack horses and twenty ordinary horses suitable for riding or pulling carts. Do not buy showy warhorses — practicality first. All procurent and recruitnt must be completed within ten days. Ten days from now, we depart for White Stone Town."
"Within ten days?"
Arthur felt the pressure, but seeing the unyielding look in Luke's eyes, he straightened his back at once.
"Yes! It will be done!"
After finishing the civilian matters, Luke changed into a dark outfit suitable for movent and headed to the adjacent courtyard that had been converted into a temporary military camp.
Unlike the quiet of the main estate, the air here was tense yet full of vigor.
In the center of the courtyard, a perfect ten-by-ten square formation stood in disciplined silence.
One hundred young n, wearing matching gray-green coarse training uniforms.
These were not real armor, but practical garnts designed under Luke's guidance — well-fitted, with cinched waists to emphasize broad shoulders and narrow waists. The cuffs and trouser legs were tightened for ease of movent.
On the chest and back of each uniform, the Jaqenion family crest — an abstract yet majestic purple-gold dragon emblem — was embroidered in red thread.
Although the fabric was plain, the uniform attire, straight backs, and the orderly posture developed through more than a month of drill training gave these once-sallow, malnourished street youths a unique spirit that set them apart from the City Watch or ordinary sellswords.
Swords hung at their waists, and they held identical round wooden shields edged with iron bands in their left hands.
Their gazes were fixed straight ahead. Though so eyes still showed nervousness or excitent, no one whispered or fidgeted.
Bronn had also shed his usual lazy sellsword appearance. He wore the sa gray-green uniform as the soldiers, but of slightly better quality, with small pieces of hardened leather sewn onto the shoulders and elbows for protection.
Seeing Luke enter, he jogged over, stopped five steps away, clicked his heels together, stood at attention, and saluted with a crisp "hand-to-forehead" gesture — the Jaqenion military salute Luke had introduced.
"Report, my lord!"
Bronn's voice was loud and deliberately stripped of his usual slickness.
"Unit assembled! One hundred present and accounted for! Awaiting your orders!"
Although he still privately grumbled about these "fancy drills," he carried them out with absolute precision.
Luke's gold and prestige had made it clear: here, they played by new rules.
Luke returned the salute with the sa crisp motion.
"Begin the rank-awarding ceremony!"
"Yes!"
Bronn turned to face the formation and barked: "Company — attention!"
"Shua!"
One hundred n simultaneously shifted their right feet. The movent wasn't perfectly synchronized yet, but the effort to maintain discipline was already evident.
Bronn imdiately gave the next order: "Company — salute!"
One hundred right arms rose in unison, performing the hand-to-forehead salute.
Then, one hundred young throats burst out with a slightly uneven but earnest, powerful shout:
"For Lord Luke! For House Jaqenion! We — By Virtue, We Rise!"
After days of repeated indoctrination, this had beco one of the small unit's slogans and spiritual identifiers.
The shout echoed across the courtyard, startling several crows from the nearby trees.
"Salute complete — at ease!" Bronn ordered again. The formation returned to parade rest.
Luke nodded slightly and stepped onto a low wooden platform that had been hastily built on one side of the courtyard.
He stood firm, his gaze slowly sweeping over every young, expectant face below. Many eyes shone with eager light — they sensed that today would be different.
"Brothers of House Jaqenion!" Luke began. His voice was not loud, but it carried clearly across the entire yard. "Today, I have good news to share with you all. Just now, in the Red Keep, before His Grace the King and the lords, I, Luke Jaqenion, received a personal bestowal from the King himself!"
He paused, seeing everyone below hold their breath.
"From this day forward, I am no longer rely your employer — I am now Baron of White Stone! House Jaqenion now possesses its own lawful fief on the southern shore of the God's Eye Lake in the Riverlands!"
After a brief silence, the crowd erupted into excited murmurs and joyful glances.
Becoming the personal troops of a noble was one thing. Becoming the direct forces of a landed noble was sothing else entirely!
It ant a more stable future and far greater opportunities!
Luke raised his hand for silence. The yard imdiately fell quiet again.
"A fief ans a new ho, but it also ans new responsibilities and challenges!" His voice grew stronger.
"I hereby promise you — my earliest followers — that the glory of House Jaqenion will be shared with all of you!
"I will not hoard this honor alone!"
"I, Luke Jaqenion, swear by the na of my house: I will never mistreat anyone who is loyal to ! I will never shortchange anyone who sheds blood and sweat for the family!"
"rit will be rewarded. Faults will be punished!"
"This is my eternal promise to you all!"
"Boom—!"
This ti the n could no longer hold back. Enthusiastic and prolonged applause and roars erupted.
Every eye was lit with hope for the future, longing for reward, and the first sparks of recognition and loyalty toward the young lord on the platform.
Luke calmly accepted it all.
He knew that slogans and a single promotion ceremony were far from enough.
But he was laying the tracks — borrowing Blue Star's mature military training and organization (the embryonic form of squads, platoons, and companies), combined with Westeros reality, and adding a rit-based promotion system centered on military achievents and rewards. He used the most direct benefits to drive them.
Gradually instilling collective honor and "family" identity would slowly brand these n as "Jaqenion."
For now, they were still raw recruits in plain uniforms, carrying training weapons, who had only just learned how to stand in formation.
Their physical fitness, combat skills, and coordinated tactics were still far from ready. That was why he had not yet brought out the fine plate armor and sharp blades from Blue Star.
Moreover, suddenly appearing with over a hundred sets of well-made, distinctive full plate armor in King's Landing would be the sa as announcing to everyone that he was suspicious.
They had to leave King's Landing first. Only after reaching the relatively independent fief could he gradually issue proper equipnt and begin true military training.
But the seeds had been planted. The frawork was in place.
This future "Jaqenion House Guard" — and eventually a much larger army — would begin with these one hundred n. As they marched to White Stone Town, they would grow through blood and fire, construction and pioneering, into a force that would make Westeros tremble.
"Dismissed! Squad leaders remain behind. Everyone else, follow Ser Bronn for afternoon training subjects!"
Luke gave the final order.
The formation broke up in orderly fashion. The newly promoted corporals were kept back. They would receive their first short briefing from Luke and Bronn on the "responsibilities of a squad leader."
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