Upon hearing the squire's words, Lynd had a guess about Lord Tyrell's summons and immediately headed towards the main camp.
Soon, Lynd arrived near the main camp, where the Lord's Guard stood watch.
Seeing Lynd approach, they all saluted him in unison, then stopped him, pointed to Honor, who was by Lynd's side, and said respectfully, "Lynd, your pet cannot..."
Lynd 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.
Lynd 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 Roger, who was leading a knight over, seemed to have heard their conversation and shouted at the two guards blocking Lynd's path, "If the Lord blames us for keeping our Bear Hunter outside the tent because of this little fellow, you'll be in trouble."
The Lord's Guard exchanged glances and immediately made way.
Lynd walked up to Lord Roger, saluted him, and said, "Lord Roger."
"Lynd… no, it should be Ser Terra." Lord Roger addressed Lynd formally, then looked at Honor at Lynd's feet, and said, "You should find an iron chain to tie it up, lest it cause trouble and you regret it too late."
Lynd explained, "Don't worry, My Lord, Honor doesn't bite people randomly anymore."
Lord Roger 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?" Lynd said.
"It's not about whether I believe it or not, but about…" Lord Roger 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."
Lynd vaguely guessed something but still wanted to confirm it, asking, "My Lord means…"
Lord Roger waved his hand and said, "You'll know in a bit. Come with me!"
After speaking, he led Lynd 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.
Lynd 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 Honor, instinctively made way, allowing Lord Roger and him to easily reach the front.
Lord Tyrell frowned when he saw Lynd bring Honor, but he said nothing, looked at the others, and asked, "Is everyone here?"
Lord Roger replied, "Brynden, Gary, and Pim have gone off drinking somewhere, perhaps in the taverns and brothels on Street of Silk. Do we need to find them?"
"No need!" Lord Tyrell shook his head, nodded to Maester Lomys, and said, "Begin, Scholar."
"Yes, My Lord." Maester Lomys 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 Lord 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.
Lynd, 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 Vortimer's reminder, he had thought Tumbleton would be the condition Lord Tyrell offered, but now it seemed he had guessed wrong.
Lord Tyrell perhaps had no intention of rebuilding Tumbleton; he only wanted to ensure the Rose Road was clear.
Furthermore, Lord 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 Lord 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." Lord 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 Lynd, and other knights in the tent, prompted by their companion's actions, gradually realized something and all turned their gaze to Lynd.
Lynd 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 Lynd possessed, none dared to ask Lynd, because they knew very well that their relationship with Lynd was very ordinary, and it would be impossible to borrow money from him.
Moreover, Lynd 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?" Lynd 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," Maester Lomys 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 Maester Lomys's words, the knights did not linger any longer and left the tent in groups of three or five.
As Lynd was about to leave, Vortimer called out to him, then led him to his own tent, and directly asked, "What are you thinking?"
Lynd 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."
Vortimer nodded, seemingly pleased with Lynd's caution, and then asked, "Do you remember Tumbleton, which I told you about?"
"I read about Tumbleton in Maester Holly's book." Lynd paused, then asked in confusion, "You previously reminded me to pay attention to Tumbleton. Is it because the Lord intends to rebuild Tumbleton?"
"Yes." Vortimer admitted, "Maester Lomys's initial proposal was indeed to use Tumbleton 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?" Lynd couldn't help but ask.
Vortimer sighed and said, "Because the House Footly of Tumbleton did not agree to the Lord's proposed land exchange and insisted on holding onto that ruin."
Lynd then asked, "Hasn't the Lord considered other methods? I imagine that with the means of House Tyrell, a fallen family shouldn't be able to resist."
"The Maesters 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," Vortimer looked deeply at Lynd 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 Tumbleton 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 Lord would rather shelve this best proposal than rashly move against Tumbleton."
Lynd asked, puzzled, "Since the proposal for Tumbleton has been shelved, why are you bringing it up to me now?"
"Although the Lord has shelved the proposal for Tumbleton, it doesn't mean others must comply." Vortimer said with a serious expression, as if explaining something important, "The current lord of Tumbleton is LadyNymeria Footly, 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 Lady of Tumbleton was Prince Lemony's mistress, and after Prince Lewyn Martell died in battle, his retainers gave all his armor and weapons to Lady Nymeria."
Lynd listened to Vortimer's words, stunned for a long time; he didn't quite understand why Vortimer would suddenly and inexplicably introduce the lord of Tumbleton.
Seeing Lynd's bewildered expression, Vortimer sighed and said, "This Lady is still single."
At this moment, Lynd understood the hidden meaning in Vortimer's words and looked at Vortimer with great surprise, as he had never imagined that someone like Vortimer would also act as a matchmaker.
"Is this your idea? A marriage alliance?" Lynd couldn't help but ask.
"No, it was Maester Lomys's remedial idea. The Lord didn't agree," Vortimer said with a somewhat awkward expression, "However, Maester Lomys wanted Lord Garlan to marry the Lady, so that the rebuilt Tumbleton could become Lord Garlan's territory in the future."
"Lord Garlan?" Lynd 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 Lady.
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 Lord 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 Lord agree?" Lynd 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 Lord was muddled, he shouldn't have miscalculated this.
"Because the Lady has Dornish blood." Vortimer explained.
Lynd'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 Lord Mace Tyrell likely declined the marriage proposal due to this concern, even if the Lady only had half Dornish blood.
Vortimer 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 Lady would even look at me?" Although Lynd was pleased that Vortimer thought of him at this moment, he still found Vortimer somewhat whimsical and couldn't help but laugh.
"Others might not, but you are different." Vortimer said with profound meaning.