Looking at the silent soldiers below.
Arthur actually had a preliminary idea, one he had been considering since he first arrived in this world.
He planned to break away from the bloodline noble system of Westeros within his own territory.
And establish a new system of landlord-military nobility.
Essentially, it meant replacing bloodline noble lords with military-merit landlords.
Every bloodline noble lord in Westeros was the master of his own land, a state within a state.
And Arthur's own land happened to be barren and desolate, with everything needing to be rebuilt, and no complex relationships.
It was very suitable for strengthening the army through reform.
Although he couldn't recall any technological knowledge he could use.
But with his nine-year compulsory education history knowledge, he could still try to modify the Disadvantages that would arise over time under the new system during the reforms.
For example, he could avoid possible future land annexation by not collecting a head tax, but instead collecting taxes based on the amount of land owned.
Instead of granting fiefs layer by layer downwards to vassals, he could enfeoff knights and nobles, but his knightly nobles could only be salaried and titled, with him issuing their stipends.
He could allow his soldiers to obtain private land deeds issued by him from his territory based on military merits.
Gradually replace dependent farmers with self-cultivating farmers acknowledged only by him in Westeros, while abolishing the chaotic tax categories.
Establish a unified tax system, liberating the productivity and population reproduction capacity of farmers.
In his memory, as long as the land stability of self-cultivating farmers could be ensured, self-cultivating farmers were often supporters of the conservative faction, and even further back, staunch royalists.
And most crucially, only he in Westeros would guarantee their private land ownership.
These newly emerging landlord-military nobles and the self-cultivating farmers who acquired land could only depend on him.
They knew they were anomalies of the old system, with no legal basis, no foundation, no allies, and even the gods they believed in opposed them!
Therefore, apart from him, they had no choice but to defend themselves with blood.
Because he was the representative of their class interests! Opposing him was opposing them!
Only by supporting him could they truly safeguard their hard-won private land and interests, obtained through bloodshed and sacrifice!
This continent has been quiet for too long!
It needs a new nobility and people! They will not be loyal to any ethereal ancestors! They will not endlessly entangle themselves in old grievances!
They will only be loyal to the one who can give them land and power! That truly strong and unified master!
Their interests will be completely intertwined with this master!
Arthur never believed in grand narratives; in his view, relationships between people were ultimately bound by interests.
The soldiers were willing to follow him because he gave them hope and had half-realized it.
There was never any loyalty in the world that arose inexplicably, without a source.
He never shouted any grand, lofty slogans at them, but rather kept writing them blank checks and cashing them in little by little.
Write big blank checks!!
This was precisely why they were willing to shed blood and sacrifice for him!
Arthur looked at Hakon, kneeling on one knee.
Then looked at the silent soldiers.
He had to bring it to a close.
Then, to everyone's shock and astonishment, Arthur began to unfasten his black noble robe.
He also bared his upper body, revealing muscles that, while not covered in old scars like Hakon's, were young, lean, and strong.
"Hakon," Arthur said calmly. "I am your commander."
"If you have problems, it is also due to my ineffective leadership."
He threw the rattan cane in front of Hakon. "Now, it's your turn."
Hakon suddenly raised his head, his eyes full of shock and dread.
"Lord Arthur! No!" He knelt on both knees and shuffled forward, trying to embrace Arthur's leg. "No!"
Lucien also hurried forward and knelt down: "Lord Arthur! No! Absolutely not!"
The surrounding soldiers also knelt down en masse.
Cries and pleas filled the air.
Hakon pressed his forehead to the ground, his body trembling violently, tears continuously dripping into the dust.
He hadn't shed a tear after over a hundred lashes, but now tears gushed like a spring.
"Execute!" Arthur coldly commanded.
"Lord Arthur! If you insist!" His voice was hoarse, filled with despair. "Hakon can only die!!!"
He drew the sword from his waist! Attempting to commit suicide!
Arthur kicked his sword away!
Then slowly knelt halfway down, holding Hakon's shoulders with both hands, who was kneeling on both knees, and spoke loudly.
"Why am I punishing you today! Do you know!"
"I hate that you don't strive for improvement! I hate that you're not forging yourself into steel!"
"You care for your soldiers! Yet you don't strictly discipline them!"
"This is a battlefield!"
"You are harming them! Not protecting them!"
"Today you command a hundred men! Yet you are unrestrained and undisciplined!"
He gripped Hakon's shoulders tightly, shaking him gently and speaking slowly in a low voice.
"How can I confidently entrust my great army to you in the future like this?"
Upon hearing this, Hakon raised his tear-streaked face, opened his arms, and tightly embraced Arthur.
Arthur shifted his gaze to Lucien:
"A general is the brain and heart of an army."
"Even if a general is personally very brave, how many people can he kill by fighting alone?"
As if asking Lucien, he bowed his head deeply.
Bronn sneered in the shadows of the jungle, "Isn't this play being performed quite well?"
Arthur broke free from Hakon's embrace.
He drew the longsword from his waist.
Holding the sword in his right hand, he pointed his left index finger at the two of them.
Then he swept his gaze across all the soldiers.
"When I, Arthur, emerged from Suleiman Stinky Fort! I only had two people by my side!"
"Now I have three hundred people!"
"Sooner or later!"
"I will have a thousand people! Three thousand!! Five thousand!!! Ten thousand!!!!"
He pointed at Lucien and Hakon and roared.
"Don't blame my strict military law!"
"By then! You will be leading five thousand people! Ten thousand!!"
"You will be my left and right hands! My very life!!!"
He held the sharp blade in his right hand and swept his left hand across the soldiers, pacing back and forth, roaring furiously!
"Sooner or later!"
"I, Arthur!"
"Will lead you through the Seven Kingdoms!!"
"And every inch of Westeros!!"
"I will give you everything!!!"
"I will give you food!!!"
"I will give you land!!!"
"I will give you gold dragons!!!"
"I will give you houses!!!"
"I will give you women!!!"
"I will give you servants!!!"
Arthur plunged the longsword in his right hand fiercely into the ground!
He stopped pacing!
He extended his right index finger towards them! His eyes gleamed with a cold light! Like a wolf, like a lion! His sharpness fully revealed!
"One day!!!"
"I will make you—Knights!!!"
"I!—Will!—Make!—You!—No!—bles!!!"