Inside the manor's council hall, beautiful Myrish tapestries hung on the walls, depicting scenes of a bountiful harvest at the manor.
Gendry, Qyburn, and The Handsome Man were in this council hall, with a map of the Disputed Lands on the long table. Victory was sweet, but the more victories they achieved, the greater the fear among the Myrish.
At a certain point, the Three Daughters might even unite out of fear.
"After taking the manor, we will distribute everything using the original method: land and daily necessities to the free slaves, and precious metals, handicrafts, medicine, etc., to the internal treasury, just as before!" Gendry said. Since it was all private property of the Myrish Magisters and wealthy merchants, he truly didn't feel any heartache. Precious metals, valuable handicrafts, medicine, and the like belonged to the military funds, with a dedicated internal treasury.
"It has already been registered and will be redistributed later," Qyburn said.
"Firegrass Manor, Purple Thistle Manor, Foxtail Manor..." The Handsome Man added. "The more manors we take, the higher the panic among the Myrish."
"Most of these manors are properties of Myrish Magisters or wealthy merchants, primarily Governor Joey," Qyburn said. "I'm afraid it won't be long before the Mercenaries or adventurers hired by the Myrish come to attack!"
The former leader of the Wolf Pack Company and their allies had died at the hands of Joey and the Sailing Guild, creating deep animosity between the two sides. Whether for territorial gain or to avenge their former leader, they had to fight Governor Joey and his people to the end.
"The best news is that the Myrish are not united, just like the Three Daughters," Gendry said. "The High Council has over a dozen Magisters, like a dozen horses running in different directions!"
The disunity of the Three Daughters was an old tradition. In the past, the Triarchy's High Council was composed of thirty-three Magisters, with Lys, Myr, and Tyrosh each electing eleven. Each Magister wanted to demonstrate his foresight and lofty status, and each wanted to secure benefits for his city-state. Any proposal had to go through incredibly lengthy discussions.
"Maybe many Myrish Magisters should even thank us!" The Handsome Man said. "Because we control a lot of gunpowder herb, merchants in Myr who hoarded gunpowder herb have also made a fortune. They'd love for us to keep stirring things up for a while longer!"
"Let the Myrish be in chaos; we will seize the current time," Gendry said.
"All the Myrish-instigated attacks have been small-scale assassinations, and we have eliminated them all! Next, they might hire Bandit Mercenaries!" Besides medicine, Qyburn was also responsible for intelligence and espionage.
"We need to consolidate Firegrass Manor and the surrounding manors, then open up the coastline."
"Besides land forces, perhaps we also need a navy. To conquer the Disputed Lands, we must consider the Stepstones, otherwise we will be caught in a multi-layered encirclement," The Handsome Man analyzed.
"The ideal territory is for us to capture the Disputed Corner, and then control several nearby islands!"
"Besides the underground smugglers of the Three Daughters, are there any other forces contacting us?" Gendry interjected.
"Yes!" Qyburn said. "According to my informants in the taverns, some Dornishmen and people from The Reach are also very interested in our gunpowder herb!"
"Dornishmen! People from The Reach! That's interesting."
Dorne was barren, and The Reach was fertile. The only thing the Dornishmen and the people from The Reach had in common was being excluded from the core of the Baratheon Dynasty, being neglected in the distribution of power.
On a luxurious yacht in Myrish Harbor, the Myrish High Council meeting was in full swing. Slender, olive-skinned Magisters represented different factions: the Sailing Guild, the Craftsmen's Guild, the gunpowder herb Guild, and so on.
The Magisters were in an uproar because the storm stirred up by the Butter-King, who had been rampant in the Disputed Lands recently, was growing larger. Even within the city-state of Myr, stories of the Butter-King were spreading: "Divide the land, give it to the common people, everyone is born free!"
"Governor Joey, it is because of your foolish decisions that we face such difficulties now! The price of gunpowder herb keeps rising, the price of firewine also rises, citizens are full of complaints, and slaves are filled with resentment," one Magister first fired at Governor Joey.
"Me! Is the rampant spread of the Wolf Pack entirely my fault!" Governor Joey's face turned red. "I know some Magisters are in contact with the Butter-King, because the more chaotic the situation in the Disputed Lands, the more you can profit by hoarding gunpowder herb and firewine!"
"It's your stupidity. One Magister falling is normal. But because of your incompetence, those crazy wolf cubs have started causing trouble in the Disputed Lands. Without slaves, how can we make firewine and mead, how can we make those exquisite tapestries!" The Magister of the Craftsmen's Guild said with dissatisfaction.
"That's slander!" The Magisters began to quarrel, tearing at each other internally before the real fight.
"Enough! Enough! Be quiet!" An old Magister with olive skin, white hair, and black eyes stood up and spoke. It was Magister Rayword, bearing the emblem of the Craftsmen's Guild, one of the powerful and respected Myrish Magisters.
"The Disputed Lands are fertile and beautiful, and slaves are the foundation of Myr's prosperity; neither can be abandoned. We cannot allow these Bandit Mercenaries and slaves to continue their mischief!" Rayword said.
"Then what is your opinion! Should we appease them or exterminate them!"
"The wolf cubs' propaganda has incited the ambition of the slaves; all these people must be cut down and killed. Just like those in Slaver's Bay, we must be equally severe!"
"This task falls to you, Governor Joey. You have benefited the most this time, and it's time for you to make some contribution to Myr!"
"I..." Governor Joey hung his head, but had no better ideas. Seeing the intentions of most Magisters, he knew he would have to pay, and hiring adventurers and Mercenaries was a huge sum.
"But many Mercenary companies won't accept such a crazy mission. That boy is good at fighting and skilled at inciting people; the slaves believe in him!" Governor Joey still tried to struggle.
"There are plenty of Bandit Mercenaries in the Disputed Lands; some will always be willing to step forward. As far as I know, there are currently two crazy Mercenary companies willing to deploy troops."
"Which two!"
"The Brave Companions and the Second Sons!"
"Their reputation is infamous!" Joey gasped.
"Infamous Mercenaries are still Mercenaries. In this situation, do you have the money to hire the Golden Company!"
The Brave Companions, a Mercenary company with a terrible reputation. Its members were mainly criminals and exiles from various places.
The Second Sons were a bit older. The Second Sons were one of the oldest Mercenary companies in the Eastern Continent, established during the Century of Blood. They were not as renowned as the Golden Company, but they also had impressive battle records. In recent years, under the leadership of Mero, their reputation had deteriorated to the point where they could hardly find contracts in the Free Cities.