6 -6- Thorn Corps

The twenty-year-old Emer had a tall figure, only half a head shorter than Gallen, standing about 1.75 meters tall.

Her light brown hair was casually tied behind her head, exuding both feminine grace and a strong aura.

With slightly tan skin, she appeared somewhat rough but still graceful.

Her muscles flowed smoothly, not bulky in the slightest.

In Gallen Crabb's domain, most women, like men, worked in farming and hunting, so Emer, with her relatively well-preserved appearance, was considered quite exceptional.

Emer wore a brown coarse linen robe that exposed her arms, with the hem only reaching mid-thigh, and she tied a thick rope around her waist.

Her calves were bound with straps, and she wore straw sandals on her feet.

It was her first time being personally summoned by the lord, and Emer, a skilled hunter, felt quite nervous.

"Emer, rumor has it that you've hunted down a black bear?" Gallen's voice, though tinged with a hint of youthfulness, was steady and carried a maturity beyond his years, which seemed to calm Emer's nerves somewhat.

"Someone else was helping nearby, so I had more shots," Emer replied.

After a brief chat, seeing Emer had relaxed, Gallen asked, "Would you be willing to fight for me?"

Emer hesitated, "Fight the wildlings? I've killed quite a few, at least ten. Wildlings often stray into our hunting grounds and try to steal our prey."

Gallen approached the topic from a different angle. "You're very brave. What I'm asking is if you want to become one of my soldiers? Like those guys in the training yard. I'll give you armor and a sword."

Emer was puzzled, "But I'm a woman, and they're all men. Will that...?"

House Crabb's soldiers are all men. Emer is worried about being excluded by men. As a woman, she's not worried about being harassed, at most just some teasing. If anyone dares to go too far, she'll take them down with one strike. She's very strong!

Gallen expressed affirmation: "Makes sense. The Spearwives in the domain sometimes accompany my soldiers in battle, but it's not considered formal participation, just assisting with simple tasks. This is only temporary, and no one minds, but it's different once it's official."

"Moreover, mixing men and women together all the time will lead to a lot of unnecessary trouble."

Emer nodded in agreement... That's what I was thinking, but I didn't know how to say it. The lord is very wise.

"You're quite famous among the Spearwives. If I were to call upon you, how many people could you gather?"

"They could all become soldiers, right? I'm familiar with about twenty or thirty, all good hunters."

[In homage to the Queen of Thorns]

"All can be soldiers, right? I'm familiar with about twenty or thirty of them, all good hunters," she replied quickly.

"I want to establish a special unit composed of women, called the Thorns."

[ In honor to the Queen of Thorns. ]

"We're going to war soon. Whoever you can recruit will be recruited. Those willing to fight alongside men, especially those without men, and who are willing to follow your command, will primarily become part of your unit," Gallen explained patiently. Emer listened carefully and understood. Her chest heaved, suppressing her excitement, and her eyes sparkled as she looked at Gallen.

...

Gallen's tone turned serious. "Emer, can I trust you?"

In the study, there were only Gallen, Emer, and Maester Ars, who had been sitting quietly in a corner as if asleep.

How can I prove it?

Emer glanced at the quiet Maester Ars, her eyes flickering, and then bit her lip as if making a decision. "Prove it now?"

Facing Emer's strange and unexpected response, Gallen raised an eyebrow and nodded calmly.

Swish.

All the clothes on Emer's body fell away from her delicate figure.

Seeing Emer, blushing and staring at herself, Gallen thought of a leopard.

Gallen's pupils dilated and then contracted, turning his face away. "Cough, you have a good figure."

Maester Ars, who had awakened at some point, sat straight and blinked at Gallen.

Emer, nervously sensing something was amiss, quickly covered her vital parts with her hands.

"That's not what I meant. Put your clothes back on. It was an honor to let me admire your charm. Today has been a pleasant day."

Emer, who had been red-faced despite being dressed again, still had flushed cheeks.

"Emer, kneel. Cough, not like that, on one knee."

In the midst of this little episode, the lord's work continued.

"Follow me in reciting: I, Emer..."

"I, Emer..."

"Swear allegiance, love whom you love, and hate whom you hate."

"I swear that my words and deeds, every action, will be guided by the will of Gallen Crabb, without fail."

"From this day until my death."

"I swear in the name of the Old Gods and the New."

...

As fine rain enveloped the entire Whispers.

Outside the city gate.

A sixteen or seventeen-year-old girl in an orange short robe, wearing leather armor, and carrying an old hunting bow on her back.

The girl was of short stature and somewhat skinny, but she exuded a tough demeanor.

The girl's name was Reyna, with brown skin and grayish hair tied up in a high ponytail.

Reyna, feeling bored, occasionally glanced inside the city gate.

Emer's figure finally appeared at the gate, and Reyna agilely stood up.

"Hey, Leopard, did Lord Gallen finally let you out? How does it feel?!"

Emer walked up to Reyna, unimpressed. "Reyna, are you feeling frisky again?"

With that, Emer turned to reveal a cloak with a deep blue background embroidered with golden marsh marigolds.

Reyna vigorously wiped the rainwater off her face, her large eyes widening.

"Marsh marigolds? Isn't that House Crabb's emblem? Emer, you're crazy! You'll be hanged, even if the lord forgives you, the White Walkers will bite your neck off. You'd better return it... No, let's go, let's leave here, let's go now!"

"Stop, it's not what you think."

"Oh, then..."

Reyna raised an eyebrow, her expression teasing. "Did the Leopard's enthusiasm please the lord? Is this a reward?"

Emer's cheeks flushed, one hand stroking her face, sighing. "Reyna, stop guessing. Shut your mouth and listen to me."

The cloak embroidered with the Crabb emblem was a gift from Gallen to Emer. Wearing this cloak symbolized status within the Crabb domain. Before Emer, the only ones wearing cloaks with the emblem were Ser Phillip and Ser Mayson.

Emer's task was urgent, aiming to increase her authority in recruiting Spearwives, making it easier to act. It was an advance reward from Gallen.

The test from Gallen had quietly begun.

...

After Emer finished her explanation in detail, Reyna exclaimed excitedly, "That's great news! Many sisters will be willing to join."

"Quick, what are you waiting for? As long as a few troublemakers are dealt with, you can gather one or two hundred people."

"Haha!"

"Right, miss commander of the Thorns, I'm the first to sign up!"

Reyna's speech was too fast, one sentence after another, and Emer couldn't get a word in edgewise.

But Reyna's good mood infected Emer, who nodded with a smile, and the two of them quickened their steps unintentionally.