The idea was good, but a whole host of problems followed.
First and foremost was the issue of personnel.
This wasn't a small problem; in fact, it was the most important one of all. The number could be large or small, but they had to be loyal.
Before a new generation of Witchers could emerge on a large scale, capable of forming an army for the front lines, this small team would be tasked with dirty work, whether on the battlefield or in peacetime.
This placed very high demands on the quality of the team's personnel, and it was absolutely not to be taken lightly.
Being old and experienced, Lord Wyman quickly grasped the meaning behind Clay's summons today. It was to say that suitable candidates should be screened from among these Manderly branches.
From a cost-control perspective, these people's social connections were all in White Harbor or its subordinate villages, making them relatively easy to control after becoming Witchers and joining the army.
Though not glorious, this method was essential. With the bond of their hometowns, collaborative management would also be much more convenient.
To put it bluntly, Clay and his family held the wives, children, or parents of these people. This meant their resistance to corruption and attempts at bribery would be slightly higher.
Narrowing his eyes, Lord Wyman asked Clay directly:
"How do you plan to screen them?"
He expected Clay to mention things like martial prowess, honor, or loyalty. Instead, without the slightest hesitation, Clay stated a word he had long considered:
"Learning ability."
"Learning ability?"
When he said this, Clay's mind was filled with images of ordinary soldiers of a certain party in another world conducting guerrilla warfare behind enemy lines. Clay's team would take on a similar role in the future.
He couldn't directly command them. Breaking them down into smaller units would allow for powerful execution. Illiterate conscripted peasant soldiers, who could only follow orders, were simply incapable of this. It was out of the question! The system gave him complete Signs abilities, knowledge of potions, and even the swordsmanship of various schools, but he couldn't directly grant these things to the future Witchers. Therefore, learning ability was a requirement he'd carefully considered.
Chewing over the word, he didn't immediately connect it with the term "warrior," but that wasn't important. Lord Wyman fully respected his grandson's opinion.
"You have your own ideas, and I won't interfere. You don't need to be involved in selecting the personnel for now. We old folks will screen some suitable candidates for you first, and then you can choose based on your requirements later."
That's how smart people operated; they didn't forcefully interfere in things they didn't understand. This was the technical knowledge Clay brought, and Lord Wyman wouldn't compete with him for the final decision-making authority.
Seeing his grandfather help him complete the most difficult step, Clay, who had sheathed the sword he'd planted in the ground, couldn't hide the smile on his face.
If he had to do this step himself, he'd have to investigate each person's family background and character. For him, who didn't know much about the folk of White Harbor, it would be a complete time-waster.
"Alright, we've settled the personnel issue. Now, let's talk about the next thing: what do you need to create warriors like yourself?"
Clay had to answer this question, but it was actually difficult to answer. It involved the issue of magic, and explaining magic to his grandfather would undoubtedly be a risky undertaking.
So, Clay decided to avoid the issue of magic and take on the trouble himself. After all, he had to be present during the mutation to maintain the stability of his body.
Chin resting on his palm, Clay pondered for a moment before giving his answer:
"Transforming ordinary people into such warriors requires a potion. It needs one Wyvern Venom Gland, an adult Swamp Leech, powdered Sentinel Bark, and a handful each of Ghost Grass and Copper Coin Grass."
"Hmm… Aside from the first one, the others aren't difficult to acquire. What then, after they're bought?"
"I'll handle the final synthesis. It's not that I'm being secretive, but if someone were to trace our large-scale purchases of these ingredients, they might suspect something. For now, I don't want to create any written instructions; the risk is too great."
Clay's reasoning was approved by the old lord. They were undertaking something unprecedented in the history of Westeros, and caution was paramount. Lord Wyman was also pleased that Clay thought so.
"Anything else?" Lord Wyman asked, the items Clay had listed were well within White Harbor's financial capabilities.
Thinking through the entire process, Clay recalled the scene of rolling around in the mud beneath the weirwood tree in the godswood, his body instinctively feeling uneasy.
"If possible, have the maester prepare some pain medication. This transformation is not something that can be passed through easily."
Clay only provided the necessary materials for the Witcher transformation; he didn't need to worry about their collection, purchase, and transportation.
He trusted that with the old lord's experience, handling these matters wouldn't be a problem. Clay placed the order and waited for delivery.
Actually, the most crucial ingredient here is missing: Dragon Bone. But that's incredibly difficult to obtain. There are only two places in Westeros that have it: the Targaryen family's dragon skulls beneath the throne room in King's Landing, or the dragon pit at the top of Rhaenys' Hill.
As a place where the Targaryens once kept their dragons, there might be some skeletal remains to be found.
But either way, the risk of doing something like that in King's Landing is far too high. Even if Clay or someone from the Manderly family pulled off a perfect heist and managed to get the Dragon Bone, the stuff contains a lot of metallic elements and is even harder than steel.
So, it's impossible to cut it up on the spot. And this world doesn't have chainsaws…
The conclusion? Even if he got it, he couldn't get it out. He should probably forget about that idea for now.
"Grandpa, how many Gold Dragons can we spare on this?" Clay wanted to know the old man's budget in advance.
Upon hearing that his grandson was actually asking him how much money he had, Lord Wyman, who had been sitting there frowning in thought, perked up immediately.
He held out a thick, rough hand and spread it in front of Clay, holding up five carrot-like fingers.
"Um… five hundred?"
Clay guessed, but immediately realized he'd lowballed it. His grandfather's look of disdain was already plastered all over his face.
"Five thousand!"
"Heh." Lord Wyman snorted, not wanting his grandson, who was truly embarrassing the Manderly family, to guess anymore. He just gave the answer.
"Fifty thousand gold dragons to start, and I'll make up the difference if you need more. The commercial taxes from this port alone are more than that in a single season. Can't you aim a little higher!"
From this, Clay could feel the domineering aura of his wealthy grandfather almost pressing into his face. He couldn't say anything, only sighing:
Money is really good!
Clay finally understood why his family could afford full plate armor for 1,500 men and horses. No money? Dream on.
I'll fix any typos later. I'm just trying to survive.
Well, I've confirmed I got the recommendation. Thank you all for your support, this humble person will write diligently and fully respect the opinions of all my esteemed readers.
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