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Robb's group first reunited with the Winterfell soldiers who had stayed behind in Eastwood Village to bury the villagers.
After waking up, Sam declared that he wanted to join the army of Winterfell. From then on, he followed Robb's group in silence.
By the time they finally returned to Winterfell, the sun was already close to the horizon.
When Robb entered the audience hall with Jon, Theon, and Jory, Eddard, Maester Luwin, and the others were already waiting.
With dusk approaching, the hall was naturally dim, and many candles had already been lit.
"…That's what happened, Father."
After recounting everything that had taken place over the past two days, Robb stood quietly, waiting for the most powerful man in the North to respond.
Eddard clasped his hands beneath his chin, thought for a moment, and then said,
"Maester Luwin, send a raven to Roose Bolton and inform him of these events. I want an explanation."
"Jory, have those heads placed at the crossroads outside Winterfell. Write down the crimes they committed beside them. Let it serve as a warning to anyone who thinks of doing the same."
"Robb, the distribution of the spoils and the compensation for the families of the fallen soldiers will be your responsibility."
After issuing the orders, Robb and the others immediately bowed in response.
"Yes, Father!"
"As you command, my lord!"
"I'll take care of it immediately!"
Watching his eldest son walk away, Eddard remembered the troubling news Catelyn had told him the day before.
He clenched his jaw and made a decision.
"Robb, tomorrow at dawn, come to the training yard wearing your training armor."
"Yes, Father!"
Just as he was about to leave, Robb turned with a slightly puzzled expression, answered, and then went with Jon and Theon to the armory to remove their armor and store their weapons.
"Hehe, Robb! I killed two enemies. I should get a bigger share of the spoils, shouldn't I?"
Theon casually tossed his mail shirt, still stained with blood, and his longsword aside as he spoke with a grin.
"Jon will handle the distribution of the spoils tomorrow. If you want more, ask him. I'm going back to my room."
Robb was thinking about Bloodwind. After giving a brief reply, he tossed aside his armor and weapons and left directly.
In the armory, servants were responsible for cleaning and maintaining the armor and weapons.
"Snow…"
Watching Robb leave the armory, Theon turned to Jon, who remained silent with a cold expression.
"Ah, forget it. Pretend I didn't say anything.
Hehe, once I get some money, I'll go find Ros and study a bit of the art of the human body."
Jon simply ignored him.
After arranging his own armor and weapons, he looked thoughtfully in the direction Robb had gone.
…
"Hey, little guy. Did you miss me?"
As soon as he returned to his room, Robb picked up Bloodwind — who had been sleeping curled up in a pile of old clothes — and began rubbing his soft fur.
"Uu…"
Awakened by Robb's rather rough handling, Bloodwind let out a small protesting growl.
"Hm? Haven't you grown a little?"
Feeling the weight of the pup, Robb lifted Bloodwind in front of him and examined him carefully.
The Blood Pact Points were truly remarkable.
The point of Constitution he had added two days ago clearly seemed to have taken effect.
Looking at Bloodwind, who had visibly grown larger, Robb had a thought, and the familiar red mist appeared once again, flowing into the pup's body.
Constitution +1…
After three red messages appeared before his eyes, Robb tried once more to increase Constitution.
But this time there was no response.
He thought for a moment and tried distributing the points again.
Speed +1
Strength +1
The other two attributes of Bloodwind could be increased without any problem.
Reality truly wasn't like a game.
It was impossible to invest all the points into a single attribute.
After this test, Robb gained a better understanding of his special ability and decided not to add any more points for now.
Name: Bloodwind
Contractor: Robb Stark
Constitution: 5
Speed: 3
Strength: 2
Species: Spirit Direwolf (6)
Blood Pact Points: 2
This time, after distributing the points, Robb did not feel any fatigue. Perhaps it was because he still had Blood Pact Points left.
After playing with Bloodwind for a while, Robb placed him back in his nest of old clothes.
Finally free, the pup yawned and fell asleep again.
…
During dinner, Eddard did not appear in the great hall, while Catelyn ate silently with a gloomy expression.
Since she did not start any conversation, Robb and the others avoided bringing up the topic as well.
Throughout the entire meal, Theon — who took it upon himself to keep the atmosphere lively — told stories about how bravely he had fought the enemies.
Arya and Bran bombarded him with strange questions, leaving him completely speechless.
Seeing the scene, Robb couldn't help but smile.
But by chance, he noticed out of the corner of his eye that Jon had been watching him the whole time.
Jon must have noticed that my personality and the way I act have changed…
That kid may understand nothing about love, but he has a sharp instinct for everything else.
Robb's expression remained calm, but he decided not to worry about it.
No matter how much Jon observed, he would never reach the conclusion that Robb was someone who had transmigrated.
"Robb, Lord Arryn — your father's foster father and the Hand of the King — has died of a fever."
Catelyn suddenly spoke, and the atmosphere at the table changed instantly.
Everyone fell silent as she continued.
"The king has already set out for Winterfell with the entire royal family."
"I still remember when you were born at Riverrun, wrinkled like a little old man… and now you are nearly grown."
"You must prepare yourself…
Prepare to be a proper lord.
Prepare to protect your brothers and sisters."
"Mother, I promise I will be ready!"
Seeing the sadness on Catelyn's face, Robb immediately responded.
"Finish your meal. I'm returning to my room."
After saying that, Catelyn stood and left the hall.
"The king is coming to Winterfell! Will the Kingslayer come too? And the Imp?"
"They say the prince is very handsome. I wonder if he's really like the rumors."
"Hmph, those soft southerners coming to the North… I wonder if they'll be able to handle it. Though southern girls should be more charming than northern ones."
As soon as Catelyn left, the hall quickly filled with chatter.
Robb looked at his younger siblings — completely unaware of how tragic the future would become — and simply shook his head as he continued eating.
The dinner, made up of meat, fruits, and vegetables, was far more nutritious than dry rations.
After eating about one and a half servings, Robb received 1 Blood Pact Point.
…
Northwest of the Dreadfort, between the long stretch of Long Lake and the barren Lonely Mountain, lay a wide plain.
A force of around a hundred cavalry rode slowly across the region, sweeping across the land as they advanced.
Roose Bolton, Lord of the Dreadfort, listened to a soldier reporting the message delivered by a raven.
"Very well, I understand. How are the other cavalry units?"
Roose Bolton — of medium height, pale-faced, and refined in appearance — asked calmly.
"All of them have reached their designated positions. By noon tomorrow, the trap will close. Those wildlings are troublesome, but once hundreds of cavalry charge and surround them, they will certainly be wiped out."
The soldier answered immediately.
"And Ramsay? If the deserters were eliminated by the Starks, why hasn't he returned yet?"
"We haven't received any message from Lord Ramsay yet."
"I see. Order the cavalry unit in the southwest to withdraw. The other units will continue closing the encirclement."
"The southwest? That's the direction of Stark territory… understood!"
After giving the order, Roose Bolton looked coldly toward the southwest and murmured quietly,
"Let the 'explanation' deliver itself to you, Lord Eddard."
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