Game of Thrones: I Created the Magic Web

The sunlight was intense, illuminating the spacious command tent, making it bright and warm, as if radiating golden light.

Every member present stood ramrod straight.

"House Rowan and House Oakheart will not comply, even if it is the price they should pay."

Ser Stafford Lannister spoke first.

Everyone looked at Stafford.

He was not only the cousin of Lord Tywin, but also the younger brother of the Duke's beloved deceased wife, Lady Joanna, and thus received much leniency on ordinary days, and did not speak as restrainedly as others.

"To carry out His Majesty's will," Ser Stafford Lannister continued, "there can be no mercy for rebels!"

"That is natural."

Stafford's son, Ser Daven Lannister, took over the conversation.

"The question is, what is the best way to do it?"

Garlan faintly felt several gazes sweep towards him, as if wanting him to speak. But Garlan did not open his mouth. The meeting had only just begun; it was not yet time.

"With His Majesty's divine power," Ser Daven Lannister looked at the three Kingsguard, "Old Oak will naturally have no power to resist, and we can succeed at any time…"

"That's right!" Ser Robar Royce looked confident.

"With just a military order, His Majesty's Tenth Regiment can win the victory for our army, and will only destroy the city gate, the castle can still be intact!" Ser Robar Royce smiled and gestured towards Garlan.

Garlan could only return a friendly smile.

"That's not the key," Ser Harras Swyft of Cornfield retorted, "The trouble isn't the victory or defeat of the battle or the losses, but the impact after the war. We must never damage His Majesty's reputation."

Garlan looked at this man. The wrinkled old man seemed to have seen through the true intention of the meeting, and it was unknown whether it was intentional or unintentional.

The tent stirred slightly because of this sentence.

"How can it damage His Majesty's reputation!?" Lord Damon Marbrand of Ashemark questioned fiercely, "It's just a reasonable punishment for a few traitors, which good family would criticize His Majesty for this?!"

"I think so too."

"Yes, yes, what does this have to do with His Majesty?"

"That's right."

"…" For a time, many people spoke out in agreement.

"Of course we won't," Lord Roland Crakehall of Crakehall snorted a few times, reminding them meaningfully, "But don't forget, whose territory are we standing on, who do the farmers pay taxes to for generations, and which castle do they praise and worship."

As soon as he finished speaking, dozens or hundreds of gazes looked at Garlan, either openly or secretly. Garlan of Highgarden.

Garlan still maintained a calm expression on his face.

"In any case, the people still respect the King," Lord Quenton Banefort of Banefort tried to ease the atmosphere, "As long as we carefully distinguish and are more tolerant of the soldiers and civilians who are coerced by ambitious men, and govern fairly in the future, the people will sincerely accept it."

Govern fairly. Garlan would certainly do so.

"But we can't let go of any real traitors!" Lord Andros Brax of Hornvale declared sternly, "Not just Houses Rowan and Oakheart. On the land that the scouts passed through, more than half of the castles refused our army's entry! Obviously, they are full of hostility!"

"That's right! They cursed very harshly."

"Even though the scouts sent out were large teams of more than a hundred people, there have been more than one death or injury so far."

"Although the small villages and towns did not dare to refuse, many of the supplies provided were deliberately damaged."

Lord Brax's sons provided strong evidence.

Garlan did not dare to believe it all.

It was normal for the castles to be heavily guarded. But the others…

How could weak castles and powerless civilians possibly resist the King's army for no reason? Unless they had to.

Garlan looked at Lord Brax. Was it a lie, or a bloodbath?

"In any case, His Majesty has already ordered us to take Old Oak, today," Lord Lynesse Hightower of the Hightower reminded, "Besides, the continuously transported grain and supplies can't be kept in the wilderness forever."

He was responsible for the army's logistics supply.

"Let's discuss the matter of Old Oak first," Lord Sherrett of Silverhill agreed, "It won't be too late to talk about other places after we enter the city."

"His Majesty only wants us to take back Old Oak and Goldengrove," Ser Daven Lannister said.

"The question now is, how should we deal with the clansmen of Houses Rowan and Oakheart? How should we deal with the other traitors? Keep them all, or execute the culprits?"

There was no option for implicating the innocent. But Garlan knew that this would definitely be the result.

"Spare those who surrender."

Lord Tywin's voice.

The tent fell silent for a moment, and everyone looked at Lord Tywin in the main seat.

"The rebels' terms of surrender cannot be accepted," Lord Tywin said, "We will launch an attack. But this is not a massacre. The gods are merciful, and anyone who can be determined to have sincerely surrendered can be spared."

No one objected anymore.

Of course, Garlan wouldn't either. He just silently chewed on Lord Tywin's words. Sincere… surrender. What is sincere? How to determine it? Who determines it?

Obviously, this was not true forgiveness.

And far more than just Garlan understood this. The smile on Lord Brax's face proved that he was one of them, and so was Lord Crakehall…

The lords of the southern Westerlands mostly had a tougher attitude.

Garlan had already seen King Joffrey's map, so he naturally understood why. These Westerlands lords near the Reach territories had the best chance to benefit.

The newly added bright red band on the map did not look conspicuous.

But it represented hundreds of villages and towns, dozens of castles, and endless fields in the Reach.

These would all become the property of the Westerlands, and then be given to the knights or soldiers who had made contributions in the war, with more shares going to these loyal lords nearby.

Sweet fruits.

And if you want to safely accept these rewards and no longer worry about being taken away all day long, the best way is naturally to completely destroy the original owner.

Old Oak and Goldengrove were both huge threats.

The more prominent and powerful Houses Oakheart and Rowan were, the more they were resented and worried about at this time.

The more people wanted to exterminate them.

Garlan looked at Lord Tywin, who was the only one sitting. Such a shocking thing as exterminating a clan was always unacceptable to the nobility, but this proud Lion King was different; he would gladly allow it.

"The Rains of Castamere" was not just a terrifying ballad, but also Lord Tywin's determination.

For any offense, disrespect, or covetousness, Lord Tywin would respond with the most cruel and thorough powerful blow, using blood to dye the Lannister banners and emblems red.

Highgarden escaped a disaster. But Old Oak and Goldengrove were not forgiven.

…

After the tone was set, the war meeting quickly reached an agreement: the Kingsguard Tenth Regiment would be the vanguard, the main army and artillery units would be at the rear, the decree would be read, and the rebel army would be defeated in one fell swoop.

Only the final resolution remained.

Lord Tywin stood up: "Warden Garlan, Old Oak is already under your control, and so is this campaign. What is your decision?"

Everyone looked at Garlan, waiting for the Warden's order.

What else could Garlan do?

"Just do it this way." Garlan even sat down on Lord Tywin's original seat in a provocative manner.

Lord Tywin had no dissatisfaction.

Garlan sighed silently, calmed down, and stood up again, "Act immediately. I will personally go and read His Majesty's decree."

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