After the gunpowder herb matures, it still needs to be dried, so the Wolf Pack Company will have to guard this manor for at least three months.
On the long walls of Firegrass Manor, Gendry looked at the surroundings below. The night was still dark and long, with stars twinkling in the sky. Tonight, he and a portion of the Mercenaries were on watch. Longspear and Morningstar were also his Instructors; their elusive weapon usage gave him a lot of trouble. Long-range weapons, after all, have a relative advantage against short-range weapons.
"Magister Karasso must be in a lot of pain. This year is a disaster year for gunpowder herb, so his stock of gunpowder herb will fetch a more attractive price!" Longspear complained. "That's why he needs to guard this most fertile manor, but it's a pity this manor is too remote."
As an economic crop, gunpowder herb also has its ups and downs. Many Firegrass Manors suffered disasters this year, and the market for gunpowder herb was good, but Karasso had already cleared out all his past inventory, leaving only the immature plants in the manor.
"There's no good way around it. The election for Magister in Myr is a money-burning game! As someone from the gunpowder herb guild, Karasso has to run for election," Morningstar replied. The Magisters of Myr are mostly nominated by major guilds: the carpet guild, the glass products guild, the gunpowder herb guild, and the wine guild.
Gendry listened to their complaints. The power structure of the Free Cities was different from Westeros; merchants held a lot of sway, even above nobles, and most Magisters came from the merchant class.
"Listen!" Everyone heard a sound booming through the night. They saw fireflies-like lights, then realized it was a large group of people.
"There's a battle, there will be blood! Good lad, are you ready?" Longspear asked Gendry, then struck the alarm bell, its sound echoing throughout the manor.
Gendry didn't speak, but instead raised the cold mace in his hand.
The Handsome Man ascended the city wall a moment later, looking at the people holding torches. The sound of the alarm bell and war horns woke all the Wolf Pack.
"It's escaped slaves and Bandit Mercenaries!" The Handsome Man said. The Disputed Lands also had escaped slaves, and these people, along with Bandit Mercenaries, liked to raid manors.
Gendry looked at the distant lights. These people were coming to Firegrass Manor for a free-for-all.
"Archers!" The Handsome Man ordered. Thirty of his men were on the high walls, operating bows and arrows. Half of them used crossbows, most of the rest used Eastern double-curved horn and sinew bows, and only a few used yew longbows. There were also slaves from the manor; they too got onto the walls, preparing barrels and hot oil.
The Bandit Mercenaries and escaped slaves began shouting loudly from outside the bow range, "People inside the manor, listen up! Open the gates! Open them immediately!"
"Are you blind! This is a private manor of the Myrish Magisters!"
"To hell with the Myrish Magisters, this manor now belongs to our lords!" The Bandit Knight shouted, not to be outdone.
"Who is your leader!" The Handsome Man looked at the crowd, which numbered several hundred.
"It's me! Purple Beard of Crown Town." In the torchlight, a person with bright purple hair appeared, his armor shimmering with an eerie glow. He was tall, and his shield bore a three-headed god emblem, with ornate swirls on his steel armor. He revealed his face, which was fleshy, with pale and cunning eyes. "Open the gate, and perhaps we can leave some wealth for you! Otherwise, no one will be spared."
"I don't think that's necessary! After all, we are not bandits, but Mercenaries!" The Handsome Man's words had barely finished.
"What is Crown Town?" Gendry asked.
"It's the heart of the Disputed Lands, the stronghold of Bandit Knights. Years ago, nine outlaws, exiles, pirates, and mercenary captains—later known as the 'Ninepenny Kings'—met under the Crown Tree to form an alliance, vowing to help each other achieve their ambition of conquering kingdoms."
"It seems you have rejected my good intentions. You could have joined us and plundered more manors!" Purple Beard waved his hand, and a Longspear shot out from the firelight and shadows behind him, aimed at The Handsome Man, but The Handsome Man, being very alert, dodged it.
Then more Longspears were thrown. "Get down!" The Handsome Man shouted. Most of the Wolf Pack Company's Mercenaries were experienced and took cover. Only one or two unfortunate slaves, who hadn't had time to react, had spearheads pierce their throats, then brutally tear through their necks.
"Charge! Kill them all, and this manor will be ours!" Purple Beard shouted, his voice cold. Outside the walls, armor, swords, spears, and shields clashed, making a cacophony of sounds. Purple Beard's men also didn't dare to take too many risks, as the escaped slaves behind them were very poorly equipped. Then torches were thrown into the manor, trying to ignite more flames.
The manor's steward had already made preparations, with some slaves frantically putting out the thrown torches.
"Ladders! Let the escaped slaves climb first!" Purple Beard gave the order. The manor walls were made of rough stone, very easy to climb. Fortunately, the Wolf Pack had already dug a trench outside the walls, making it less easy for the enemy.
"Whoosh!" "Whoosh!" The Wolf Pack's bowstrings made short, powerful sounds, and arrows began to fly. Those escaped slaves wearing leather or padded armor were unable to dodge.
The enemies seemed endless. In the pauses between bowstrings, some finally managed to climb up. The enemies seemed endless, climbing onto the wall. Gendry picked up his warhammer. Each time he smashed down and pushed someone off, another person would rush up. A very nimble escaped slave climbed up, but Longspear quickly rushed over, and his Longspear, like a venomous snake, pierced him.
A few escaped slaves tried to chop open the main gate, but they lacked the strength and were instead shot dead by arrows.
Gendry smelled a stench; there was the smell of fire, iron, blood, and dust everywhere. Gendry saw a manor slave next to him fall, his face already smashed into pulp by a mace.
"Long live the Wolf Pack! Ten men, follow me! Those skilled in horsemanship, fully armored!" The Handsome Man shouted. He glanced around; Purple Beard's men had no siege engines and no reinforcements.
"Me!" Gendry followed The Handsome Man downstairs. They found their respective horses in the stables!
The steel-clad force charged out of the manor and engaged in battle with Purple Beard's forces.
Gendry wielded his mace like a bull-headed god. His newly polished bull-horn helmet gleamed, the horns radiating light in the torchlight.
"Thwack!" The mace seemed to become one with Gendry. He rode his galloping horse, and as he surged forward, the mace accurately struck the enemy's weak points: throats, heads, or armor joints.