Chapter 12

As it turns out there was only so much an Empty ID could do for training, I managed to gain two ranks in most of my skills, and reached level ten in Battle Frenzy, but there is only so much you can do in an empty ID. I also had a truly Prodigious amount of points to put into stats at 68. Seeing as I could no longer use simple excercise to up my base stats without the aid of magical or technological training equipment that I just did not posses, I placed 12 points each into STR, DEX, and VIT bringing those all up to a base of 40, and 10 points each into INT, WIS, and LUK, bringing those up to a base of 40 each. With my new gear that brought my Physical Stats above 50, with my STR and VIT at 57 and my DEX at 55. After I did this I received a Notice.

Congratulations! You have surpassed the Wall of Humanity!

50 points in any Physical Stat is considered Peak Human, by using a combination of equipment and raw stats, you have upgraded all of your physical stats to Superhuman Levels!

You have gained the Trait: Superhuman Strength-Damage Done to all those with Peak Human or Lower VIT is increased by 10%

You Have Gained the Trait: Superhuman Dexterity-You may now move at Superhuman Speeds for a 36 second burst of "Arrow Time"

You Have Gained the Trait: Superhuman Vitality-Physical Damage taken from enemies at Peak Human or Lower STR is decreased by 10%

Warning: These traits will be lost unless wearing your stat boosting gear, until you up your base stats to 50

That was interesting. However by the time I finished training it was nearing evening and I was ready to have my last meal in Kings Landing for the forseeable future and go to bed in my reserved room for the last night in the forseeable future. Hopefully when I returned, I would be part of a victorious Army, and not be forced to flee soon after, of course that all depends on how future events go.

XXXX

The next day I reached the docks where Lord Stannis' Flagship Fury was docked. The Man himself was on deck, overseeing the loading of provisions with a careful eye. I noticed Devan Seaworth shadowing him, ever the faithful squire. I noticed Stannis arch an eyebrow as I strolled up and decided that if the man was going to make me a lord, even a minor one, I should probably make myself as useful as possible so as to start my rise as early as possible. A pair of Sailors were struggling to carry a large crate of what appeared to be salted pork onto the deck for transport into the hold.

"Allow me, lads." I said as I hoisted up the crate onto my shoulders and carried it, solo, up the gangplank before loading it into a net to be lowered into the cargo hold. Petty use of my newly gained super strength? Possibly, but I always did want Proportionate Spidey Strength, so it all evened out in my mind.

"Master Pyke. Traveling light, I see. Still, I would think for a man about to be given a Lordship, you would wish to let the rank and file do the manual labor?" Said Stannis.

"I'm used to pulling my own weight, my Lord. I haven't been handed anything I wasn't willing to put in the work for before, and I damned sure don't intend to start now. Call it the Iron Price, modified for a more civilized age." I replied.

"Quite." Replied Stannis, with a small smile.

Huh, I managed to make Stannis the Mannis Grin, even if only slightly. If Westeros had Achievements, I'm quite sure I would have gotten one just now.

"No bags?" Asked Stannis.

"Traveling light, as you said my Lord. To be honest, I'm a Sellsword, we don't tend to accumulate much in the way of goods beyond what we can carry at a moment's notice, those of us that do are typically old enough and successful enough to have a company baggage train to haul them in or are retired." I replied.

"I have been told as such in the past. Well, we'll depart as soon as the last of the Provisions are on board. It should take three days to Dragonstone, and perhaps a week longer for all my Lords to Gather for the Ceremony. I expect Lord Celtigar, your immediate Liege Lord, will be late, but not late enough to miss the Banquet. I must warn you that Lord Celtigar is a cantakerous and greedy old man. He'll probably arrive in that Glorified Pleasure Barge he calls a Warship of his." Grumbled Stannis.

"Sounds to me like you don't much care for the man." I replied.

"He is an. . .unpleasant man. Unfortunately I cannot just replace him with a younger, more pleasant heir. Not only would that not be good for stability, but his heir is his 16 year old Grand-neice. Most of the Other Celtigars were exiled after the Rebellion, dead, or in the case of the only other male line heir, sent to the Night's Watch for exercising poor judgement in public one too many times. I'm afraid Lord Ardrian is who we are stuck with, you so more than myself." Replied Stannis.

"Shite rolls downhill I suppose." I grumbled.

"Indeed." Replied Stannis.

+50 Reputation With Stannis Baratheon

Before long the last of the supplies were loaded and we were on our way. I insisted on pitching in sailing where I could. It had been too long since I had sailed, before I even arrived in this body in fact. Of course the fact that my Sailing Skill was only at level 2 also played a part in that decision.

XXXX

We arrived at Dragonstone late on the third day of our voyage and already a few of Stannis' Bannermen were there, just from simple distance. Ser Davos Seaworth was there overseeing the Royal Fleet, as well as Lord Monford Velaryon from nearby Driftmark, leaving House Faring, House Sunglass, House Bar Emmon, and House Celtigar as yet unrepresented of those houses sworn directly to Dragonstone.

I spoke for a bit with Lord Monford Velaryon, he seemed a hot tempered young lord and was constantly pressing me for details about battles I'd fought or adventures I'd had. I did my best to satisfy his curiousity, even if I had to leave certain things out, like the fact that the Brigands in the Sewers of King's Landing I had fought were actually undead in the catacombs and the nature of the most recent siege I had taken part in. When I was finally allowed to extricate myself from him, he simply nodded and said, "He'll do." before I managed to take my leave.

+150 Reputation with House Velaryon

Ser Davos was much easier to talk to, we wound up swapping old sailor's stories and talking about ships and the sea. I spun him a yarn about Leviathan Hunting off Skagos and how the captain of a ship I had been sailing with was almost consumed by desire for revenge against a white Leviathan who took his leg, cribbing the story wholecloth from Moby Dick. He nodded along and laughed at the appropriate parts, I could tell he knew I was making it up, but sailors were supposed to make up outlandish tales and he took it all with good humor.

+100 Reputation with House Seaworth

I retired after dinner that night knowing that at least two of my soon to be fellow lords of the Narrow Sea came away with a positive impression of me.

Two days later, House Faring arrived, the Day After that House Sunglass showed up, and two days later House Bar Emmon arrived. It was on the sixth day at Dragonstone that my new Liege, Lord Ardrian Celtigar arrived in a ship that was, as Stannis put it, a Glorified Pleasure Barge. It had ornate carvings, bright paint, and a gilt figurehead. It was like a giant neon sign saying "Target Me!" The man himself only spoke with me in short bursts, always with a probing question, always trying to see if I could make him more money, always tersely and with a sour expression on his face.

It was after the third time of him asking me how I would plan to increase tax revenues that finally drove me to break out some of my home world knowledge.

"My Lord, I have recently found a way to streamline recordkeeping while increasing accountability and allowing me to decrease waste in revenues. Look here, say I have just recieved a payment of 50 Gold Dragons from tennants, I note down the payment here in what I have termed, the Real Account, and here in what I have termed the Nominal account. Each revenue and each expense is noted in two places, which allows me to cross check both accounts to get a more accurate reading of who owes what to whom, what is payed, and what is expended. This system can be expanded upon to also offer loans and credit, and all while minimizing book-keeping errors." I said grabbing parchment and quill from a nearby shelf and proceeding to demonstrate the wonders of Double-Entry Book-keeping.

Lord Celtigar seemed to not have completely understood, except for the part where I told him that more accurate book-keeping equates to more stable revenue, and that the potential for loans the system offered would allow an increase in revenue. That at least he understood. Of course he had Maester Pylos, Maester Cressen's Assistant check the numbers to be sure. That was when something interesting happened. Pylos' Face lit up in recognition, and he briefly glanced at me with a questioning gaze before returning to his place.

That night, a mere day before the Ceremony, I found a Note in my Room, written in of all things German. A Language which I speak, but had not encountered in this new world. It read simply,

"I know who you are. Meet me after the ceremony at the south Watchtower at midnight."

It was Signed Prometheus.

Combined with the recognition from earlier, this could only mean one thing. . .Pylos was also a SI.

XXXX

The Next Day I found myself standing in Front of Lord Stannis and Lord Celtigar, while the other assembled Lords and Household Members looked on. Stannis was holding a Sword and a parchment.

"We are gathered here today to witness the addition of a New Lord to our Ranks. Robb Pyke has fought well for this honor, demonstrating prowess and Courage in Battle by defeating many other knights, including two of the Kingsguard in combat. He has demonstrated a willingness to back his word with action by promising to deliver a beating to Jaime Lannister and then doing so, he has demonstrated intelligence by inventing a new system of book-keeping, which Maester Cressen assures me will allow more accurate accounting and greater revenues, and he has demonstrated forthrightness by submitting to the questions the assembled Lords have put to him over the past week. Thus, I, Stannis of the House of Baratheon, Lord of Dragonstone, and Master of Ships, do say that he has proven worthy of Lordship. If any of the assembled Lords wish to contest this matter, speak now. . ." Intoned Stannis

No one did.

"Kneel, Robb Pyke and Swear Your Oaths to Lord Celtigar."

"Do you swear to uphold the Law, to collect taxes, to be a leal and loyal Vassal of House Celtigar, from now until the Twilight of the World? That you will come when your Liege Commands, raise levies for him in time of war, administer justice, and uphold the King's Peace?"

"I do so swear."

Lord Celtigar picked up a plate, on it was a slice of bread and a pinch of salt.

"Eat of this bread and salt, that we may seal the pact between vassal and Lord, here in the eyes of Gods and Men, according to the old traditions."

I ate the bread and swallowed a pinch of the salt.

"By birth you are a bastard, born of House Greyjoy, and so named Pyke. As Lord, you must need a proper name to give your children and their children, to carry on your blood and start a new house, here on the Eastern Shore of Westeros. Have you Chosen a name?"

"I have, I am Ironborn, born of salt and iron. My children and theirs will be less so with each generation that passes, but I wish to remind them of where they came from. Thusly I choose the name Irons for my new House."

"Interesting, not planning to go reaving on me are you lad?"

"I hadn't planned on it, my Lord."

"Very well, and do you have words for your new house?"

"Our Word is Unto Steel."

"Very good. And your sigil?"

"A Bronze Longship upon a field of Grey."

"Somehow appropriate. I dub the Lord Robb Irons, of House Irons of the Whispers. You may rise now, Lord Irons."

I rose and Stannis presented me with parchments sealed with the Seal of King Robert.

"Your Patents of Nobility, Lord Irons. I know that in the Iron Isles, they do not bother with such, but you will find we do in the Crownlands." Said Stannis.

I took the Patents and the assembled Lords and dignitaries Cheered, as I took my place amongst them and headed off towards the banquet.

Now I just had to find out what's going on with Pylos. But First, food.