The western border has three abundances.
First, there's a lot of gold. The Westerlands are incredibly wealthy because of their abundance of gold, and Lord Tywin Lannister's wealth is the greatest in the land.
Secondly, there are many mountain ranges.
The mountains to the north, east, and southwest stretch for thousands of miles.
The capital city, Kaiyan, was built inside a single, twenty-mile-long rocky mountain.
Thirdly, there are many miners.
Because of the abundance of mountains and gold, miners are the most prominent profession in the Western Regions, outnumbering farmers, hunters, and fishermen combined.
*
A three-headed hound banner fluttered in the wind as it slowly emerged from the lion's mouth at Casterly Rock. The standard-bearer was a Blackrock cavalryman from the Clegane Territory, and the perfectly aligned cavalrymen advanced in several columns.
Behind the cavalry was a tall, luxurious carriage, its curtains decorated with six white seashells. These six white seashells were the coat of arms of the Westerling family.
Gregor and Lord Gavin rode alongside the carriage.
Miss Jenny sat in the carriage. Behind her were eight Westerling family cavalry guards in two rows.
Not far behind the eight guards followed dozens of professional gold miners recruited by Gregor in Casterly Rock.
The Ador Saloth family's Goldleaf Bay now belonged to Gregor Clegane, so it was perfectly legitimate for him to hire professional miners to mine gold, and there was no need to hide it anymore.
*
After Lord Tywin adopted Jenny, he kept her in Casterly Rock and wouldn't let her return to the Rock until she married Gregor. Lord Gavin, reluctant to part with his daughter, decided against returning with his northern 'neighbors' and instead, at Ser Gregor's invitation, took his daughter to visit Gregor Clegane's lands.
Without the Earl of Gavin's knowledge, Gregor helped the Earl sell and pawn the lands that were being sold off cheaply, threatening the nobles who had profited greatly to spit out the spoils they had already gained. This caused a fundamental reversal in the Earl of Gavin's opinion of Gregor.
Don't be fooled by the fact that those 'neighbors' have come to Earl Gavin to curry favor after Gregor's threats. It's unlikely they'll willingly relinquish their ill-gotten gains. Their humble posture doesn't mean they'll make significant concessions. The more obsequious they are, the more scheming they are, and the more cautious they are. Earl Gavin will likely have to rely on Gregor's military force to reclaim all the foundations left by their ancestors.
Negotiating with the nobles one by one should go more smoothly, but the real fear is that they might go back and join forces. If Lord Gavin wants to buy back those lands at the original price, he estimates he'll need to inflict significant damage on one or two nobles to establish his authority.
Earl Gavin decided to have a serious talk with Gregor about this matter. His hope, naturally, was to pay as little money as possible, ideally the original price, or at a ridiculously low price. But his 'neighbors,' while offering pleasantries, might not be entirely convinced of their true intentions.
If in the end one must rely on force to establish authority, the forces of Cliff Rock and Clegane are simply insufficient.
This is a very specific question.
But regardless of private speculation and conjecture, the Earl of Gavin knew that he could not reclaim the land he had sold off cheaply without Gregor Clegane.
When Gregor extended an invitation to Lord Gavin and Miss Jenny to visit Clegane, Lord Gavin consulted with Duke Tywin, who agreed.
It would be good to let her adopted daughter, Jenny, visit Ser Gregor's small estate; otherwise, she wouldn't find it interesting to be cooped up in Casterly Rock for a month. Tywin Lannister is an extremely dull man; he and Jenny live in Casterly Rock, and he wouldn't speak to her for three days straight. Jenny's sister Cersei Lannister, her elder brother Jaime Lannister, and her second elder brother Tyrion Lannister are not in Casterly Rock; they are visiting the Stark family in Winterfell, about three thousand miles away in the North, so there's no one to keep Jenny company.
A month isn't a long time, but if you don't have anyone to talk to, it can feel incredibly long.
So Gregor, after hiring the miners, returned with Jenny and her father to Clegane Castle, which was not far away.
Emerging from the Lion's Mouth at Casterly Rock, three main roads branch off: the Riverlands Road to the east, the Golden Road to the southeast, and the Coastal Road to the south. Gregor's forces can choose either the Golden Road or the Coastal Road; the distances are roughly the same, and both involve a detour midway into Clegane territory.
They took the coastal road this time.
The coastal highway passes through Lannesport, the largest city in the western region.
Two hours later, the cavalry and wagon convoy arrived at Lannisport. The dozens of miners Gregor had hired were far behind and could no longer be seen. Gregor didn't send any cavalry to supervise the workers, nor was he worried that they might desert. He could afford to lose the advance payment, but if he found out about any desertion, the problem would be severe; Gregor's men would beat that worker's ancestors to a pulp.
None of the Casterly Rock miners who dared to collect Gregor's wages as a deposit would run away, nor would they dare to.
The troops stopped to rest on the main road outside Lannisport, eating rations and drinking. It wasn't just eating rations and drinking water; soldiers in this world drank alcohol. The alcohol wasn't refined, and its alcohol content wasn't high compared to alcohol in Earth's civilization.
Jenny also got out of the car to get some fresh air, holding her kitten Angela in her arms. The kitten was beautiful and the kitten was well-behaved, a truly pleasing sight.
*
"Dunsen," Gregor shouted.
Deng Sen, who was chatting and laughing with a group of brothers, immediately ran over.
"You take the brothers back, and Miss Jenny, Earl Gavin, and I will go to Lannister Harbor."
"Yes, sir, when will you return?"
"Come back for dinner this afternoon and ask Mrs. Allen to prepare food to entertain our distinguished guests."
"Yes, sir."
Sweet-talking Raphthong Clegane stayed in Casterly Rock to train, promote, and teach the Sentinels how to command troops, and wouldn't return for another month. With Sweet-talking gone, Executioner Dunsen became the captain of the team, and Polliver became the vice-captain.
Jenny, who was eating by the carriage, was quite surprised. She looked at her father, Earl Gavin, who shrugged and made a face as if he knew nothing about it.
Gregor was going to Lannister Port with Jenny and Earl Gavin, without Gavin and Jenny knowing beforehand.
"Sir Gregor, are we going to Lannesport?" Jenny asked.
"Yes!" Gregor's booming voice naturally dropped eight octaves.
This small detail pleased Miss Jenny quite a bit.
Although Jenny hadn't spent much time with Gregor, his words and actions were full of thoughtful care and consideration, which continuously warmed her heart. She was also constantly updating her understanding of Sir Gregor.
"Sir, may I ask what we're going to Lannesport for?"
This is a question that Lord Gavin also wanted to know.
"We're going to see someone who is important to both of us, Miss Jenny," Gregor said softly, with the politeness of a well-mannered aristocrat.
*
I recommend "A Song of Ice and Fire: Winter Is Coming," which is already quite long. It features a multi-narrative, ensemble style with a grand perspective; worth trying.
Thank you for the tip, Antarctic White Rabbit. A small treat is a pleasure. Thank you.