Game of Thrones: Bastard? I’m the Damn Heir!

Chapter 369 369: Preparations for the Northern Campaign, the Shadow of War

It was still the main hall of Castle Black. The bonfires burned fiercely, so warm that it hardly felt like winter in the far North.

Of course, perhaps this was treatment reserved only for when the King was present.

Ever since so many people had arrived at the Wall, the original supply of firewood had long since become insufficient. Even a section of the Haunted Forest beyond the Wall had been stripped bare.

Aside from the timber set aside for crafting tools, weapons, or construction, everything else had been turned into fuel.

At the head of the wooden table, Kal was carefully reviewing the war preparations at Castle Black. Before him lay a pile of documents, all concerning the recent matters of the Northern coalition army.

Nearly a year had passed since he first arrived at the Wall and began laying his plans. By now, those early designs should have begun to yield tangible results.

After skimming through some of the reports, Kal pushed the pile aside and raised his head to look at the people before him.

"The time has come. Faced with an enemy that hides and the ever-deepening cold, we must take the initiative."

"So—how is the expansion of the 'wormholes' progressing?"

If they were preparing to counterattack the White Walkers, then how to deploy troops beyond the Wall was a matter of utmost importance—especially in terms of logistics.

The "wormholes" Kal spoke of were in fact the "gates" beneath the Wall. Because they resembled small holes burrowed through like those made by insects, he had casually given them that name.

As for these wormholes, the currently known passages through the Wall numbered only two: one guarded by Castle Black, and the other—the Black Gate—located at the Nightfort.

At Kal's question, everyone present turned to look at Benjen Stark, the Lord Commander of the Night's Watch.

As the nominal owner of these assets, this matter naturally fell under his responsibility.

Benjen gave a somewhat bitter smile and shook his head.

"Not well. During this time, we've tried many methods to expand these passages, but with little success. Even using fire proved ineffective."

"Iron picks cannot break through the ice, and flames won't even burn inside those tunnels. We nearly lost men in the process. In the end, we had no choice but to abandon those attempts."

Benjen spoke, looking at Kal with a trace of embarrassment.

"Your Grace, I believe that relying on these wormholes to achieve our goal is clearly not suitable."

Hearing this, Kal frowned slightly but did not reproach him.

Rubbing his chin, he thought for a moment, then looked up toward the ceiling and pointed.

"Have we considered climbing over the Wall itself?"

"That would be even harder…" Benjen's expression tightened. "Leaving aside whether we can get that many men up there, even if we do, we still have to find a way to get them down safely."

"There's only one winch lift. Even with craftsmen, we cannot produce another in a short time. And lately, the weather has grown colder—the snow outside is getting deeper…"

"...Tch."

Faced with one problem after another, Kal clicked his tongue in irritation.

The Wall, this natural barrier, had done an excellent job of keeping enemies out—but now, it had become a cage trapping them inside.

"If it comes to it, I'll just have Robert burn a breach through it…"

Kal slapped the table as he spoke, half in jest, adopting a "to hell with it" attitude.

Of course, it was only a joke. He wasn't foolish enough to dismantle his own defensive line before the war had even begun.

"Then let's change our thinking. Aside from these convenient passages, do we have any other methods that might be more suitable?"

"For example, ways to bypass the Wall—Eastwatch, perhaps?"

"I recall we have a fleet there. Could we transport troops across by sea?"

Kal continued.

At this question, those present exchanged glances. This time, it was Carter Pyke who spoke. He was still serving as the commander of Eastwatch.

"Your Grace, in theory, it is feasible. But to implement it, we would likely need to bypass the Storrold's Point peninsula and sail directly to Hardhome. That is the only place suitable for landing a large force."

"The bay near Hardhome forms a deep-water harbor capable of accommodating even the largest ships."

"And the area is rich in timber and stone. The sea is full of fish, easily caught, and there are even seals and walruses."

"On the other side lies a massive cliff, riddled with caves. There are no longer any wild—free folk—there now; they've already retreated south of the Wall."

"If used for strategic purposes, it does offer room for operation."

Carter gave Kal a positive answer.

Hearing this, Kal pulled the map closer and examined it carefully as Carter explained.

After a while, he nodded.

"Add it to the evaluation list. After the meeting, send people to scout it. Ensure that troop transport will not encounter issues—especially the safety of the route."

"Given the Cold God's abilities, I suspect it may be able to interfere with such efforts."

"So—any other suggestions?"

After issuing the order, Kal looked up again, inviting further input.

At that moment, Qhorin Halfhand stepped forward and pointed to a location on the map.

"The Gorge may also be a viable option."

"The Gorge?"

Kal frowned, unfamiliar with the name.

"It lies near the Shadow Tower, which stands west of Sentinel Stand and east of Westwatch-by-the-Bridge."

"The Gorge is a very deep ravine separating the Wall from the Bay of Ice. In the past, wildling raiders would often sneak into its depths, bypass the Shadow Tower, cross the Wall, and enter the Seven Kingdoms."

"If we can modify and make use of it, it could serve as a viable approach."

As Qhorin explained, Kal focused his gaze on the marked location.

"You mean we could follow the gorge directly into the lands beyond the Wall?"

"No, no—of course not, Your Grace. The Milkwater flows through it. Moving a large army through there would be extremely difficult," Qhorin quickly shook his head. "I mean the bridges—such as the Skull Bridge."

He traced several arcs across the map.

"I think we don't necessarily need to concentrate all our forces in one place. With the Wall under our control, there are already multiple ways to pass beyond it."

"So my thought is that we could divide our forces into several groups, advancing separately. This would not only expand our search area but also allow us to quickly establish control over the lands beyond the Wall."

"Speed is paramount. To strike at an enemy that hides, information is the key."

As expected of a man ruthless enough to order Jon to kill him so he could infiltrate the wildlings—Qhorin's proposal was practical, but far more dangerous.

The greater the risk, the greater the reward—but it was undeniably a strategy that could yield rapid results.

Before Kal could respond, someone at the table raised a concern.

"Qhorin, your plan is indeed more efficient… but it also places greater strain on our logistics. I believe the first problem we must solve is a stable supply of food and provisions—and warmth."

"That cursed land beyond the Wall—without strong supply lines, the outcome won't be favorable."

The speaker was a maester of the Night's Watch. Many present nodded in agreement.

The issue was obvious. Even maintaining their current supply lines was already a heavy burden. If they followed Qhorin's plan, even a minor disruption could collapse their logistics entirely.

And what would happen then?

The answer was self-evident.

Faced with this challenge, Qhorin frowned but said nothing further.

Their previous expeditions—ranging patrols—had involved no more than a hundred men at most, often fewer than ten.

They followed familiar routes, with wildling settlements along the way that could provide some supplies. Combined with what they carried, it had always been sufficient.

But those were merely patrols.

Now, this was a true campaign—tens of thousands marching out, facing enemies spoken of only in ancient tales.

The danger and difficulty required no imagination.

Without thorough preparation, it would be no different from marching to their deaths.

As Qhorin fell silent, the atmosphere in the hall grew heavy.

The maester's words had made everyone realize what this campaign truly meant.

Sensing morale faltering, Kal clapped his hands, drawing all eyes back to him.

"I will bring the dragon with us. With it, certain dangers can be anticipated in advance."

"So Qhorin's plan is not unworkable—we simply need to use it more flexibly."

"For now, add it to the evaluation list as well."

He paused, then smiled faintly and looked toward Tormund, who had been sitting quietly at the side.

"Perhaps none of you have fully realized this—but the free folk are now our allies. We share a common enemy."

"We are not enemies. We are one people."

"In the end, we will fight side by side—as brothers."

"So we need the help of our allies—not to stand alone."

"As for logistics, we will establish supply stations along the way, expanding them as we secure territory. This will ease the pressure while stabilizing our advance."

"We can slow our pace if needed—ensuring this comes first."

"At the same time, our forces will advance from multiple directions and assemble beyond the Wall, so as not to give the enemy a chance to defeat us piece by piece…"

"And also…"

…

The military council for the northern campaign lasted from noon until dusk before finally ending.

Even so, they had only settled the broad direction. The finer details still required careful planning.

When Kal stepped out of the hall, the sky outside had already turned a dim gray. Snow fell heavily, veiling the world.

Exhaling a long plume of white breath, Kal turned back to look at the towering Wall behind him.

Not long after, he ascended to the top by the winch lift.

Pushing open the iron door, passing through a small room where several braziers burned yet the wind still howled, biting cold, Kal finally stepped onto the edge of the Wall.

Beyond, sky and earth merged into one. There was no up or down, no left or right—only endless snow and storm.

The wind carried shards of ice that cut against the face like knives.

"We've already built roadstones in the Vale, White Harbor, Casterly Rock, the Isle of Faces, the Twins, Flint's Finger, Winterfell… traveling will no longer be so exhausting."

A voice spoke from nearby.

Before Kal arrived, someone had already been standing there, gazing beyond the Wall.

Her skin was dark, long black hair whipping in the wind. The cloak draped loosely over her shoulders, hood down, revealing pointed elven ears stark against the storm.

At Kal's words, Erevi withdrew the hand she had extended into the snow, as if sensing something, and turned slightly.

"So next, are we building roadstones here as well?"

"Or do we need to go beyond the Wall?"

Since successfully constructing the roadstone on the Isle of Faces and confirming its stability, Kal and Erevi had been working across several locations.

The technical difficulties had long been solved. With sufficient materials, building roadstones was no longer difficult for them.

After all, with Kal's storage space, many resources were simply numbers to him.

"Both. And if possible—more."

Kal wrapped an arm around Erevi, speaking calmly.

"The shadow of war draws closer. I can feel that our enemy is preparing as well."

"So beyond our visible plans, we must have more contingencies."

"Erevi… to be honest, I don't have absolute confidence in winning this war. The enemy is unknown. If I allow myself arrogance now, we may all die in ways we cannot imagine."

"So before that, aside from preparing for war—and the roadstones…"

"We must find… a friend."