The castle is the core structure of human control of the land, and it is also a prerequisite for the lords to swear sovereignty to the outside world.

In Westeros, the kingdom's edict of development also follows this principle, and the kingdom will only recognize the liege's legal ownership of the frontier if a suitable castle is built on the frontier.

So, after coming to the Frontier, Samwell's first core priority was to build a castle of his own.

Only in this way can he become a lord in the true sense of the word.

So, as soon as lunch was over, Samwell gathered the craftsmen of Highland City to discuss the construction of the castle.

"Lord Caesar, we have just taken a cursory survey of the environment here, and we have a rough plan in mind, and we are about to report to you."

It was a craftsman named Victor, over fifty years old, with gray hair, but he was very prestigious among the craftsmen from Highland City, and Viscount Martin took Samwell's hand and told him to protect the old man.

"Mr. Victor, please speak." Samwell has always had a lot of respect for people who have the ability to do it.

Victor bowed slightly and spoke eloquently:

"My lord, we think that the best place to build a castle worthy of your identity is in the northeast corner of this valley. The terrain is high, even if the tide rises, and it is surrounded by mountains on both sides, which can save two sections of fence.

The castle is currently tentatively planned to cover about five acres, with six floors, thirty-eight rooms, two basements, three secondary forts, a stable, a storehouse, three barracks, and four ninety-foot-high towers on which heavy bed crossbows and small trebuchets can be housed.

The walls were about eighty feet high and twelve feet thick, divided into three layers, stacked with rock, plastered, and filled with rubble, and were very strong.

Outside the city walls, the sea can be diverted to besiege the city, and a moat ......"

Samwell listened silently, waiting for the other party to finish speaking, and then asked:

"So, how much does it cost to build such a castle?"

Victor touched his long beard and thought for a moment, then said:

"It will take about 70,000 golden dragons."

The corners of Samwell's mouth twitched, and he asked, "How long will it take to build?" ”

"With the current manpower, it will take about five years."

The corners of Samwell's mouth twitched even more, and he asked, "If I get enough people, how long will it take?" ”

"At least half a year. However, in this case, the cost will definitely be more than 70,000 gold dragons, and I am afraid it will be several times greater. ”

"I see." Samwell nodded, feeling a little better.

He certainly won't be able to wait five years, when the strangers are all here and playing with.

Tickets must be obtained before the official start of this Game of Thrones.

So, the question now is, how to raise such a huge amount of money in a short period of time?

It is definitely impossible to continue to attract investment, and even if Westeros has many big injustices, it is impossible for him to fool such a huge amount of money.

However, Samwell did not panic, since he dared to come out to open up, he must have been prepared.

He had told Todd that he could earn income from the territory through a serious business, and he was not bragging.

But it's too early to talk about that, and we have to settle down first.

"Mr. Victor, since the castle is in a hurry, let's build a stable and safe camp first, what do you suggest about this?"

"My lord, then I suggest you build a simple wooden fortress.

First of all, a small hill was made of earth and rocks near the entrance to the valley, and a wooden tower was built on it, on which a beacon tower was erected, and three or four lower arrow towers were erected on each side, and a strong fence was built around it to protect it.

Ditches can be dug outside the fence for added protection. Behind the towers can be houses and stables, blacksmiths, etc., which are also made of wood.

This simple wooden fortress was inexpensive, easy to obtain, and short in time, allowing it to quickly form an effective defense, but of course, it also had obvious drawbacks, it was not strong enough, it was afraid of fire, and it could not be recognized by the kingdom as the core of the territory.

However, there is certainly more than enough camp for transitional purposes. ”

Samwell smiled and nodded, and said:

"Alright, Mr. Victor, you'll take full responsibility for this matter."

"Yes, sir." Victor bowed, and then asked, "My lord, I also have a preliminary plan for the construction of the dock......

"Don't rush the dock first." Samwell shook his head and interrupted, "Let's concentrate on building the wooden fort first, remember to build more wooden houses, I'm afraid it won't be long before we have new companions." ”

"Yes, sir."

After arranging the craftsmen, Samwell turned his gaze to Todd Buddha on the side:

"Knight Todd, what advice do you have for the security of the camp?"

Although there was a gap between the two before because of Carter's death, they did not tear their faces, and Todd has always done his best along the way.

Especially after going deep into the Crimson Mountains, if it weren't for this seasoned knight, even if it wasn't for the attack of the savages, the pioneer team probably wouldn't have reached the northern shore of the Summer Sea so smoothly.

Therefore, Samwell still respects Todd's opinion when it comes to security.

Todd didn't hold back, and immediately replied:

"My lord, I recommend that all the trees near the entrance and exit of the valley be cleared of all the trees to prevent enemies or wild beasts from taking refuge. In addition, although the wild men did not attack us all the way before, they have been following us, so we must be vigilant and arrange for men to go out of the valley every day to sentry and find out the surrounding situation by the way. ”

"Okay." Samwell nodded in response, and after a moment of thought, added, "However, as long as they don't show malice first, we won't attack the surrounding wildlings. If possible, I'd like to find out the distribution of the surrounding wildling tribes, and preferably let me meet the leaders of those tribes. ”

"My lord, the wildlings of the Crimson Mountains have no kindness to us. The reason why they didn't attack us before was because we had enough soldiers, so don't take them lightly. ”

"Rest assured, I understand their danger. However, as a pioneer lord, if we can accept some wildlings as lords, our territory construction will definitely be smoother. ”

Todd didn't try to persuade him too much, and immediately followed Samwell's instructions.

The valley, which was originally quiet, suddenly became lively again.

Samwell led his recruits to catch fish and shrimp on the seashore, because Hawksbill Island is located deep in the Crimson Mountains and is inaccessible, although he bought some livestock and prepared some cured meat, but he must save some food.

Fortunately, the recruits were originally dock laborers, and most of them grew up on the banks of the Mandeb River, so they knew how to catch food from the water.

In the space of an afternoon, the recruits had a bumper harvest, and the seafood they had caught was piled up into a half-man's mountain.

But just as Samwell was delighted to have a seafood barbecue dinner tonight, Todd came back worriedly and reported:

"My lord, it's not good, our soldiers who are cutting down trees outside have been attacked by wild people, three of them have been injured, and besides, the three groups of sentries sent out, only two groups have returned."