Upon hearing the squire's words, Lord Linde had a guess about Duke Tyrell's summons and immediately headed towards the main camp.
Soon, Lord Linde arrived near the main camp, where the Duke's Guard stood watch.
Seeing Lord Linde approach, they all saluted him in unison, then stopped him, pointed to Glory, who was by Lord Linde's side, and said respectfully, "Lord Linde, your pet cannot..."
Lord Linde looked at the two men blocking his way and said, "It's more dangerous to leave it outside; it's better to keep it by my side so I can control it."
"Can't we use a rope…?" another suggested.
Lord Linde said sternly, "Don't forget it even bit through an iron cage the night before last. What kind of rope do you think could hold it?"
"This…" The two guards didn't know what to do for a moment.
"Let him pass," Lord Rogell, who was leading a knight over, seemed to have heard their conversation and shouted at the two guards blocking Lord Linde's path, "If the Duke blames us for keeping our Bear Hunter outside the tent because of this little fellow, you'll be in trouble."
The Duke's Guard exchanged glances and immediately made way.
Lord Linde walked up to Lord Rogell, saluted him, and said, "Lord Rogell."
"Linde… no, it should be Ser Terra." Lord Rogell addressed Lord Linde formally, then looked at Glory at Lord Linde's feet, and said, "You should find an iron chain to tie it up, lest it cause trouble and you regret it too late."
Lord Linde explained, "Don't worry, My Lord, Glory doesn't bite people randomly anymore."
Lord Rogell said with a serious expression, "I've heard some rumors about it. Things that defy logic always cause fear. It has made many people in the camp uneasy; many are worried their souls will be sucked away by it in their sleep."
"My Lord wouldn't believe such absurd rumors, would he?" Lord Linde said.
"It's not about whether I believe it or not, but about…" Lord Rogell was about to say something but stopped abruptly, shook his head, and said, "Never mind, there's no point in saying all this. Anyway, you probably won't be with us for too long."
Lord Linde vaguely guessed something but still wanted to confirm it, asking, "My Lord means…"
Lord Rogell waved his hand and said, "You'll know in a bit. Come with me!"
After speaking, he led Lord Linde and another knight towards the main tent.
When the three entered the main tent, it was already filled with people, most of whom were knights from the camp, along with a few young nobles.
Lord Linde was a head taller than everyone else present, and the moment he entered the tent, everyone's gaze involuntarily shifted to him.
Those blocking his path, under the pressure of him and Glory, instinctively made way, allowing Lord Rogell and him to easily reach the front.
Duke Tyrell frowned when he saw Lord Linde bring Glory, but he said nothing, looked at the others, and asked, "Is everyone here?"
Lord Rogell replied, "Brynden, Gary, and Pim have gone off drinking somewhere, perhaps in the taverns and brothels on Silk Street. Do we need to find them?"
"No need!" Duke Tyrell shook his head, nodded to Scholar Moras, and said, "Begin, Scholar."
"Yes, My Lord." Scholar Moras stepped forward and then informed everyone present of the matters they had discussed earlier.
For a moment, various deep breaths echoed in the tent, and the air inside seemed to thin considerably.
The conditions offered by Duke Tyrell were enough to sway even seasoned court nobles; many of the knights present were still young and naturally couldn't control their emotions, and even some old knights showed signs of losing control when they learned they had a chance to become landed knights.
Lord Linde, on the other hand, appeared very calm. It wasn't that he wasn't tempted by the conditions, but mainly because they differed somewhat from what he had expected.
Due to Fotimo's reminder, he had thought Tengshi Town would be the condition Duke Tyrell offered, but now it seemed he had guessed wrong.
Duke Tyrell perhaps had no intention of rebuilding Tengshi Town; he only wanted to ensure the Rose Road was clear.
Furthermore, Duke Tyrell didn't plan to send troops or provide sufficient military funds; he only intended for a knight to raise his own army and funds, and deal with the bandits.
If successful, he would gain a clean territory; if he failed, he would suffer no losses.
This was simply an empty promise.
Undoubtedly, the focus of Duke Tyrell's plan lay with the patrol cavalry responsible for the safety of the Rose Road.
The only commendable aspect was the generous reward for completing the task, as becoming a landed knight was perhaps the lifelong pursuit of most knights; in a sense, a landed knight was already qualified to be called a minor lord.
"My Lord, I hope to take on this important position." While everyone was still thinking, a middle-aged knight eagerly stepped forward and said.
"Ser Rosso, your courage is commendable." Duke Tyrell showed no signs of pleasure, saying in a deep voice, "However, one cannot rely solely on courage to accomplish things.
Tell me now, how will you recruit enough soldiers, where will you raise sufficient military funds, and then how will you eliminate the bandits north of Bitterbridge?"
The middle-aged knight stood stunned, unsure how to answer for a moment.
Clearly, about half of the knights in the tent were mercenary knights, receiving fixed weekly salaries, and very little of their income remained after supporting their families and maintaining a decent life.
They couldn't even afford a squire, let alone hire a troop of warriors.
As for the other knights, although they were all the second or third sons of a certain lord, they might have some money on hand, but it was unlikely they could come up with a large sum to hire warriors, unless their lord fathers were willing to subsidize them.
The knights in the tent immediately realized their predicament, their enthusiasm doused as if by a bucket of cold water, and they all fell silent, the lively atmosphere in the tent quickly cooling down.
At this moment, someone thought of something and couldn't help but look at Lord Linde, and other knights in the tent, prompted by their companion's actions, gradually realized something and all turned their gaze to Lord Linde.
Lord Linde had a champion's prize of twenty thousand gold dragons, which should be enough to hire sufficient warriors and form an army.
Although further investment would likely be needed later, as long as initial results were achieved, military funds might be acquired through other means later, ultimately completing the mission.
However, although they were all interested in the twenty thousand gold dragons Lord Linde possessed, none dared to ask Lord Linde, because they knew very well that their relationship with Lord Linde was very ordinary, and it would be impossible to borrow money from him.
Moreover, Lord Linde was now a knight himself, and he was also qualified to take on this mission.
"My Lord, this matter is very important. Can you give us some time to consider?" Lord Linde did not immediately express his willingness to take on the mission; he thought carefully and asked.
"Of course, those interested should come find me before we depart for Highgarden tomorrow," Scholar Moras nodded and said, "Of course, I hope that when you come to me, you already have a feasible plan to suppress the bandits, and not just come without thinking of anything."
Hearing Scholar Moras's words, the knights did not linger any longer and left the tent in groups of three or five.
As Lord Linde was about to leave, Fotimo called out to him, then led him to his own tent, and directly asked, "What are you thinking?"
Lord Linde paused and said, "This is somewhat different from my expectations, and this task will take a long time to complete and require a lot of gold dragons, so I must think it through."
Fotimo nodded, seemingly pleased with Lord Linde's caution, and then asked, "Do you remember Tengshi Town, which I told you about?"
"I read about Tengshi Town in Scholar Holly's book." Lord Linde paused, then asked in confusion, "You previously reminded me to pay attention to Tengshi Town. Is it because the Duke intends to rebuild Tengshi Town?"
"Yes." Fotimo admitted, "Scholar Moras's initial proposal was indeed to use Tengshi Town as a central stronghold for bandit suppression, and later it could serve as an important trade hub between the southern and northern regions."
"Why wasn't that plan executed?" Lord Linde couldn't help but ask.
Fotimo sighed and said, "Because the Fudeli Family of Tengshi Town did not agree to the Duke's proposed land exchange and insisted on holding onto that ruin."
Lord Linde then asked, "Hasn't the Duke considered other methods? I imagine that with the means of House Tyrell, a fallen family shouldn't be able to resist."
"The scholars taught you well, but you must remember to use what you've learned cautiously. Some things may seem convenient, but in reality, they hide poison," Fotimo looked deeply at Lord Linde and explained, "Minor families might use schemes and tricks to gain profit, but for great families, using such methods would only ruin their reputation.
Once a reputation is destroyed, it's very difficult to rebuild it. Furthermore, the geographical location of Tengshi Town is very special; not only are we eyeing it, but also the Westerlands, Crownlands, and Stormlands are watching it.
Any small action would be infinitely magnified, so the Duke would rather shelve this best proposal than rashly move against Tengshi Town."
Lord Linde asked, puzzled, "Since the proposal for Tengshi Town has been shelved, why are you bringing it up to me now?"
"Although the Duke has shelved the proposal for Tengshi Town, it doesn't mean others must comply." Fotimo said with a serious expression, as if explaining something important, "The current lord of Tengshi Town is Countess Na Melilia Fudeli, nineteen years old this year, strong-willed, and extremely martial.
There are rumors that she is the bastard daughter of Prince Lemony, the former Kingsguard.
The previous Countess of Tengshi Town was Prince Lemony's mistress, and after Prince Lemony died in battle, his retainers gave all his armor and weapons to Countess Na Melilia."
Lord Linde listened to Fotimo's words, stunned for a long time; he didn't quite understand why Fotimo would suddenly and inexplicably introduce the lord of Tengshi Town.
Seeing Lord Linde's bewildered expression, Fotimo sighed and said, "This Countess is still single."
At this moment, Lord Linde understood the hidden meaning in Fotimo's words and looked at Fotimo with great surprise, as he had never imagined that someone like Fotimo would also act as a matchmaker.
"Is this your idea? A marriage alliance?" Lord Linde couldn't help but ask.
"No, it was Scholar Moras's remedial idea. The Duke didn't agree," Fotimo said with a somewhat awkward expression, "However, Scholar Moras wanted Lord Garlan to marry the Countess, so that the rebuilt Tengshi Town could become Lord Garlan's territory in the future."
"Lord Garlan?" Lord Linde was somewhat surprised.
Although Garlan seemed very mature and conversed like an adult, he was still just a ten-year-old child, and there was almost a decade difference in age between him and the Countess.
However, on second thought, he didn't think much of it, after all, the Ice and Fire World was a medieval world, and in noble marriages, age was never an obstacle.
Just think, even Duke Arryn married Lysa Tully, who was old enough to be his granddaughter, so a ten-year age gap was naturally nothing.
"Why didn't the Duke agree?" Lord Linde was somewhat puzzled.
In his opinion, this proposal should have been beneficial to House Tyrell; it was practically a business with a thousandfold return, and even if the Duke was muddled, he shouldn't have miscalculated this.
"Because the Countess has Dornish blood." Fotimo explained.
Lord Linde's face also showed a look of understanding.
Dorne and The Reach could be said to be ancient enemies; from the time of the Gardener Family, the border between Dorne and The Reach was constantly embroiled in war.
After the Targaryen Dynasty, it was slightly better, but various minor conflicts had not ceased for centuries.
The Reach had fertile land and prosperous lives, while Dorne's land was mostly desert and very barren, yet its people were fierce.
Thus, bandit groups composed of Dornishmen often raided The Reach, and most residents of The Reach living near the Dornish border had relatives who died at the hands of Dornishmen.
Perhaps not one hundred percent of the people in The Reach hated Dornishmen, but at least half regarded Dornishmen as enemies, and the remaining half had no good feelings towards them.
It might be fine for an ordinary noble to marry a Dornish wife, but if the leading family of The Reach were to mix in Dornish blood, the situation would be different.
Those lords in The Reach who already disliked House Tyrell might seize the opportunity to cause trouble, so Duke Mace Tyrell likely declined the marriage proposal due to this concern, even if the Countess only had half Dornish blood.
Fotimo continued, "Although this proposal isn't suitable for House Tyrell, it's very suitable for you. This is also an opportunity for you."
"Do you think a Countess would even look at me?" Although Lord Linde was pleased that Fotimo thought of him at this moment, he still found Fotimo somewhat whimsical and couldn't help but laugh.
"Others might not, but you are different." Fotimo said with profound meaning.
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