ebookpocket.com #313 - Chapter 47: The Rebirth of the Night Watch
#313 - Chapter 47: The Rebirth of the Night Watch
Syrio Forel looked at Arya's firm eyes, knowing that she had made up her mind and would not change it. "Then so be it. No matter where you are, I will silently bless and support you from afar," Syrio said slowly.
Arya's lips curled into a smile as she sincerely responded, "Thank you, Syrio."
A blizzard suddenly raged across the land, the biting wind making it almost impossible for people to open their eyes. The wind howled as if to tear everything apart and devour it.
"Doo-woo~ Doo-doo!" A series of melodious and deep horn sounds echoed through the clouds, reverberating continuously above the Wall. In an instant, countless members of the Night's Watch surged onto the battlements like a tide. Their expressions were serious, and their eyes were fixed on the mysterious haunted forest beyond the Wall. From a distance, figures could be vaguely seen moving in the forest, indicating that the wildlings were brewing a large-scale attack.
However, faced with this situation, the Night's Watch did not show the slightest panic, and they did not even draw their weapons. After all, the Wall was more than two hundred meters high, and such a majestic structure was like an indestructible barrier, guarding the peace and tranquility of the Seven Kingdoms.
Gradually, more and more dense figures appeared before their eyes. These wildlings were draped in all kinds of animal skins, and the weapons they held were even more diverse and dazzling. Spears and axes were the most common, but from the appearance, the quality of these weapons was really uneven. A few were relatively sophisticated, cast from pig iron or bronze; more were made of bone, and some were simply charred pieces of wood that had been slightly polished and used as combat tools. Such crude equipment could not help but cast doubt on the combat effectiveness of the wildling army.
Two years ago, Robb Stark, the Prince of the North, solemnly issued an edict, explicitly recognizing Jon's legitimacy of blood and restoring his noble Stark family name. Since Jon Stark was honored as the 998th Lord Commander, today's Night's Watch has been completely renewed, with an unprecedented scale of more than 6,000 soldiers, of which more than 4,000 are combat troops, and elite rangers account for more than half.
At this moment, all 19 fortresses above the Wall were in use, each garrisoned by dozens to one or two hundred people. Thanks to the ample manpower, the defense of the Wall has become more and more impeccable, and the wildlings can no longer easily cross the unattended sections of the Wall as they did in the past. Even if a small number of wildlings dare to venture through the Bridge of Skulls or the Frozen Shore, they cannot escape the pursuit of the patrolling rangers. They are either killed on the spot or become prisoners, and eventually escorted back to Castle Black to serve as laborers.
As for those who were at odds with Jon, the first to bear the brunt were naturally Ser Alliser Thorne and his cronies, who undoubtedly became the focus of the crackdown. After being carefully trained by Liu Yuan, Jon would naturally not be a magnanimous person. As a result, these forty or so people were sent to the smallest fortress—Deep Lake.
Saying it was a dispatch was actually a disguised form of exile, but they were not given any less work. However, the treatment they deserved was not lacking! If anyone is not convinced, then sorry, the Night's Watch's military regulations are not vegetarian, just wait to be whipped!
Nowadays, the jurisdiction over both the Gift and the New Gift has been transferred to the newly established Ministry of Internal Affairs. Oh, yes, the new Minister of Internal Affairs is Samwell Tarly. In addition, there is a large group of young government officials from Skagos, who not only have very rich management experience, but also completely replicated the management system of the Sun Moon Legion.
Since the wildlings beyond the Wall can no longer go south to loot, the entire Gift has become safer than ever before. Not only that, but the Legion has also recalled some of the wildlings who have surrendered and assimilated from overseas, and even those refugees who once fled are now returning. It is also worth mentioning that even the mountain clans who live in hardship have begun to come down from the mountains one after another and have become subjects under the rule of the Night's Watch. After everyone accepts unified management, the residential areas are re-planned, and the government provides advanced agricultural tools, livestock, high-quality seeds, and efficient production technology. Before long, the once-barren land was rejuvenated.
At the same time, the Night's Watch's military service system has also undergone major changes, divided into three categories: Sworn Brothers, Redeemers, and Volunteers.
The so-called Sworn Brothers are those brave warriors who follow the ancient traditions and willingly swear to guard the Wall, dedicating their lives to it. These people are highly respected, and a high proportion of them are noble children.
As for the Redeemers, their sources and backgrounds are more complicated. Some are exiled nobles, and some are prisoners escorted by lords from all over the place. These people come here with sins, much like the ancient Chinese practice of exile to the army. Jon knew that they were eager to be free, so he resolutely decided to reclassify them according to the severity of the crimes they had committed, with the minimum term of service set at five years and the maximum not exceeding twenty years. As long as they successfully complete their military service, they can regain their freedom and leave the Night's Watch. Thereafter, whether they choose to stay by the Wall and continue to live, or return to their hometown, is entirely up to the individual.
The so-called volunteers are actually soldiers recruited from the outside to solve the problem of troop shortage. These volunteers can be roughly divided into two categories: first, auxiliary personnel from various villages in the Gift who perform military service. They are similar to conscripts, and personnel are replaced every year, and only a small amount of allowance is obtained as compensation; the other category is combat personnel who are specifically recruited, and their employment contract is for a period of five years. During the contract period, they must, like other members of the Night's Watch, strictly abide by the various rules and regulations of the Night's Watch and the vows they have made, in order to express their respect for this ancient tradition!
For all members of the Legion, as long as they leave the Night's Watch, they can return to normal life, marry, have children, and enjoy the warmth of family.
In addition, the Night's Watch also learned from the Sun Moon Legion's salary and merit system. Each month, each person can receive the corresponding salary according to the position they hold, the arms they belong to, and the level of merit they have made. Of course, the specific amount will vary depending on individual differences. Among them, the salary and benefits of the Sworn Brothers are the most generous, after all, they have to do it for a lifetime!
The generous military salary has instantly soared the income of the Night's Watch to three to five times the original amount, which is undoubtedly a huge temptation for those veterans who have experienced hundreds of battles. Faced with such attractive conditions, they will of course not raise any objections to the reforms promoted by the Lord Commander. After all, compared to those outdated traditional concepts, the silver stags that actually fall into the pocket are obviously more attractive! What's more, the girls in Mole's Town have always favored men with money in their pockets.
And those criminals who were exiled to the Wall saw the hope of going home. They simply approved of this reform with both hands and feet, and only fools would object!
The Lord Commander's military reform has invisibly elevated the status of the Sworn Brothers to a special height. Whether in terms of promotion opportunities or salary and benefits, the Sworn Brothers are clearly superior to other ordinary soldiers. Those who sincerely wear black robes for the sake of vows and honor have no complaints about this. On the contrary, the various preferential treatments have allowed them to regain the feeling of being nobles in the past.