This brief conflict truly gave the Old Bear and Eddard a fright; seeing those legendary monsters actually appear in reality took the lords by surprise.
But Roman didn't care; the soldiers of Harrenhal proved that a united humanity could resolve such a crisis.
The wildlings were trapped in a perimeter by the soldiers, numbering perhaps several thousand at most; clearly, there were still many wildlings who had not yet reached the front lines.
Roman dragged Mance and was about to head back.
"Ser Roman, what are you doing?" Eddard quickly pulled at Roman.
"Lord Eddard, I intend to have a good talk with these people; perhaps they can become an asset in our resistance against the calamity."
"You want to let the wildlings cross the Wall?"
The Old Bear immediately bristled upon hearing this. The Night's Watch had fought the wildlings for so long; were they to just let them enter the Seven Kingdoms like this? What about the brothers in black who had sacrificed their lives?
"Commander Mormont, look at the ice crystals on my body; they won't melt even after being burned by fire. What do you think we are facing? If something even more terrifying descends, can the Night's Watch hold the Wall?"
The Old Bear stared wide-eyed and asked, "You don't mean the Others, do you? You actually believe in those things that disappeared thousands of years ago?"
"It's not about whether I believe it or not; I just don't want to take the ultimate risk. You know the legends of the Others as well—if these wildlings truly encounter the Others, they will all become enemies."
Roman pointed at the wildlings: "To put it simply, I don't want them becoming assets for the enemy either."
Mance was dragged to a high point by Roman, with the terrified wildlings standing below.
"Mance Rayder, you and your Free Folk have two choices next. One, follow my arrangements and head south with me; I have many tasks to give you. Two, stay in this winter to rot and eventually become food for those things."
Roman patted Mance on the shoulder: "Choose one."
"The Free Folk never kneel."
"I don't need you to kneel; a salute will do," Roman said nonchalantly.
"Are you playing dumb, boy? The Free Folk would rather die than abandon their principles!"
"Principles?" Roman laughed. "Then I'd like to see whether you want honor or to stay alive."
Roman grabbed Mance and shouted to the wildlings below:
"Listen up, everyone! I am a lord from the south. I know what monsters you've encountered, and I also know why you're so desperate to cross the Wall."
"Now I'm giving you a chance. Serve me, obey my rules, and I will give you food and shelter. I will take you back to the ancestral lands you've been away from for thousands of years."
Hearing that Roman was serious, Eddard was anxious to pull him down. If the Seven Kingdoms found out about this, there's no telling what chaos would ensue.
But Fili stopped Eddard, the girl looking at the wolf lord with a firm gaze:
"Lord Eddard, please rest assured. Lord Roman knows what he's doing and won't let things get too out of hand."
Eddard was completely unable to break away, so he could only stand there and watch Roman's maneuvers.
The surrounded wildlings soon erupted in roars of anger; naturally, they weren't willing to change their minds just because of a single promise from Roman.
But Roman ignored their insults; he was waiting—waiting for those Free Folk who truly found it difficult to survive to step forward.
It was extremely harsh Beyond the Wall; every tribe had its weak, and here, the weak only met death.
For that slim chance of survival, some Free Folk stepped forward.
"I... is what you said true?"
Roman glanced at them and said solemnly, "I am Roman of Harrenhal. The promise I make is witnessed by the gods. If I break my oath, the gods shall pass their judgment!"
Those Free Folk ignored the gazes of their companions and spoke hurriedly, "I agree. As long as you can keep my whole family alive, I am willing to be under your command."
"You bastard!"
The wildlings nearby couldn't stand it any longer and drew their weapons to strike, but the Harrenhal crossbowmen shot them dead instantly.
Roman looked down at the Free Folk with a grim expression: "I didn't give you permission to move. Anyone else who dares to interfere will meet the same end."
After this display of intimidation, the Free Folk became much more compliant; after all, the majority feared death.
This time, over five hundred Free Folk surrendered, which actually surprised Roman.
But when he saw their appearance—thin bodies, sallow faces, and vacant eyes—it was truly asking too much to expect them to have any spiritual integrity in such a state.
The Free Folk who submitted to Roman received an immediate reward; Roman had food distributed directly and ordered the army medics to begin examining their bodies.
This scene struck the hearts of many wildlings, and even some who weren't as resolute began to reconsider.
Roman not only provided food and medicine but also sent out recorders to converse with the Free Folk under the guise of an investigation.
The people of the Seven Kingdoms held great prejudice against the Free Folk, but Roman knew both sides simply lacked communication; he wanted to break these stereotypes right then and there.
These Free Folk who were willing to surrender already knew the Common Tongue, so communication was now barrier-free.
The recorders didn't give any grand speeches; they started by asking about everyday family matters.
"How are the children doing?"
"Do infants die easily?"
"What supplies do you usually lack? Is there anything you need help with?"
"What are your customs? What things would make you feel offended?"
...
Mance watched in shock as the Free Folk gradually moved toward Roman, muttering to himself:
"Impossible... what kind of sorcery do you have, boy?"
"Sorcery? Mance, you've stayed too close to the Free Folk and forgotten that the Seven Kingdoms also have sincere people. I've simply given them a chance to survive."
"The Free Folk want to climb over the Wall to stay alive. I give them a chance at life, and naturally, a price must be paid. Now, some clearly believe this is a fair trade."
Roman didn't bother with more words and had the soldiers take Mance and the surrendered Free Folk back to the military camp.
"Ser Roman, what do you plan to do with these wildlings?" Eddard asked.
Roman looked at the vast crowd below and said casually, "They can be taken to the New Gift to settle and work there; consider it a source of labor."
"You want them to go south? I don't agree!"
Eddard bristled as soon as he heard this. It was ridiculous enough for Roman to take some wildlings back into the Seven Kingdoms, but those could at least be communicated with; what about the rest of these people?
Seeing Eddard's reaction, Roman said nonchalantly, "Since Lord Eddard doesn't agree to these wildlings going south of the Wall, then I'll just kill them all."
With that, White Flame erupted from Roman's body, and the wildlings present instantly turned pale.
Some wildlings who had luckily survived the Battle of the Wall Tunnel began to weep, while many others prayed for the protection of the gods.
Hearing Roman's rapid change in attitude, Eddard countered:
"These people have already surrendered. Slaughtering prisoners is not a righteous act."
"Of course, Lord Eddard, but what should we do? You won't let them go south, and you won't allow me to kill them. Should we just let them go? So they can return and continue attacking our brothers in the Night's Watch?"
Eddard was momentarily speechless. His honor and morality wouldn't allow Roman to carry out a mass slaughter of prisoners, but directly letting wildlings settle in the New Gift was also impossible.
After a long while, Eddard sighed.
"Then we Northerners will keep watch over them. Let them work in controlled regions so that we don't have to release them."
Roman smiled; the matter was settled.
He bowed and expressed his gratitude to Eddard.
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