The Mountain of Ice and Fire

“Lafford, Clegane knight, I swear, there will always be a place for you by my hearth. We will drink and eat meat at the same table. I will never force you to do anything you don’t want to do. From now on, you are a member of House Clegane, and we will live and die together,” Gregor said.

He modified the oath read by Maester Hallis, changing ‘I will never force you to do anything unjust’ to ‘I will never force you to do anything you don’t want to do.’ For a man who was going to pave his way with ‘evil,’ the word ‘unjust’ sounded grating and unsettling. Gregor already understood the dark and heavy side of this world better than most. He only cared about the motive and pursued the result, without considering whether the means were honorable or upright.

The original oath didn't include the words ‘live and die together,’ but Gregor wanted to start cultivating sworn knights who would die for him. Sweetmouth Lafford wouldn't be the first, nor would he be the last, so he specifically added the oath ‘live and die together.’

A noble would never say such words as ‘live and die together’ to subordinates. In the hierarchical noble society, the status of nobles and subordinates/commoners was completely different, with strict distinctions between superiors and inferiors. In Gregor's memory of the plot of this world, only Arya Stark of the North was a true oddity, even befriending the butcher's son. She even struck Prince Joffrey for the butcher's son on the Ruby Ford, triggering a series of events that ultimately killed her butcher friend and Sansa's direwolf, Lady.

Gregor's statement about living and dying together shocked everyone present.

Addam Saratt was slightly uneasy. Gregor had become unfamiliar to him, not only bloodthirsty but also demeaning himself by treating his subordinates as equals, pledging to live and die together, and forming brotherhoods, which was a disgrace to noble honor.

Maester Hallis was very surprised. Gregor's series of actions after getting rid of his addiction—the night raid, returning Alvar's body, capturing Addam Saratt, writing to Lord Tywin Lannister, knighting Sweetmouth Lafford—made him seem nothing like a brute, but more like a wise man. Seeing the redness in Sweetmouth Lafford's eyes, Hallis knew that if Gregor wanted Lafford to die a hundred times, Lafford would be willing.

Lafford was already very excited, and tears moistened his eyes. Everyone could see that he was a little emotionally overwhelmed by the honor bestowed upon him and Gregor's granting of his surname.

Maester Hallis watched coldly: A smiling demon who kills without blinking an eye was, in front of Gregor, like a three-year-old child getting candy.

Polliver's mouth was wide open, and his eyes were wide. His right hand was still in a splint, stretched straight in the air, and his left hand, holding a knife and fork, was also frozen in the air. He also wanted the honor of knighthood, also wanted the Clegane surname, and even more wanted Gregor's words ‘live and die together.’ He was willing to pay any price for these words.

To Polliver, a super fanboy, the influence of the super idol Gregor was like that of a god.

Gregor continued, “Ser Lafford Clegane, please remember our family motto.”

“Family motto? My Lord? We have a family motto?!” Lafford was pleasantly surprised.

He knew that House Clegane had no family motto at all. The three generations of Clegane lords were illiterate and had very little education.

Maester Hallis was even more stunned.

Gregor was an illiterate, when did he come up with a family motto? Family mottos were either created by highly knowledgeable people in large families or carefully selected from maxims and proverbs with the help of great scholars for a hefty fee. If Gregor could come up with his own family motto, it would be a bit strange and unusual.

The girl Julie, the old soldier Thomasman, Addam Saratt, the executioner Dunsen, the scribe Mark, and the brain-dead fan Polliver were all staring blankly at Gregor.

Only Maester Hallis watched coldly, with a strange feeling in his heart.

“Unrivaled!” Gregor said. “The Clegane family motto is Unrivaled.”

Addam Saratt's mind exploded. He couldn't bear it any longer, and a burst of anger surged out of his heart. He stood up abruptly: “Lord Gregor, Unrivaled is the motto of my House Saratt.”

“You are not worthy,” Gregor said coldly. “Only House Clegane is worthy of Unrivaled. As for House Saratt, Utterly Charming suits your peacock coat of arms very well.”

“I want to…” Addam Saratt shouted, but he couldn't say the words ‘duel with you’ after that. He only felt hot all over and had difficulty breathing, but he couldn't muster the courage to fight to the death for honor.

Lafford stood up, patted Addam Saratt on the shoulder, and smiled as he raised his glass: “Lord Addam, don't be angry. You continue to use Unrivaled as your family motto, and we Cleganes will use it too. I'm just a little worried that your family motto may become a joke to other nobles in the future. House Saratt is rich, so just hire a great scholar to come up with a new family motto, right? Don't be angry, come on, let's have a drink to celebrate my glory in joining House Clegane!”

Sweetmouth Lafford never cursed. He killed people with a gentle smile, his lips sweet as honey, and a sword hidden in his belly.

Maester Hallis chuckled dumbly: So Gregor had taken a fancy to the Saratt family's family motto, which was in line with his bandit logic. Indeed, once the Clegane family's Unrivaled motto spread, House Saratt would be disgraced and become a joke. When it comes to bravery, the best in the Westerlands, and even the best in the Seven Kingdoms, is only Gregor Clegane. Few would deny Gregor's claim to be Unrivaled. However, this incident will also deepen the conflict between Gregor and House Saratt, adding fuel to the fire over Alvar's death.

However, this was very much in line with Gregor's character. It seemed that a brute was just a brute, how could he become a wise man, even stealing a family motto.

*

“Father, you said you wouldn't kill me, right?” The little girl Julie poured wine for Gregor and put a piece of honey-covered bread on Gregor's plate. Gregor's appetite was several times that of others.

Gregor squinted at the little girl Julie, feeling a little guilty. Of course, no one could see his guilt.

Gregor didn't know what the little girl would say, so he didn't respond.

“Ser Lafford Clegane, when you go to Lannisport to forge the Clegane coat of arms tomorrow, please help me forge one too. I like pins made of silver, and they have to be small.”

Lafford glanced at Gregor's slightly stiff face and smiled, “Okay, Julie.”

However, Gregor felt a chill in his heart. Lafford would kill Julie after the 'Saratt' incident. The more 'sweetly' he smiled, the more ruthless he would be, and he would dispose of Julie without alarming anyone.

Julie was not Gregor's illegitimate daughter, nor was she any daughter of his. Sweetmouth Lafford naturally understood this, and he saw Lord Gregor's embarrassment.

Sweetmouth Lafford naturally had to do a good job of cleaning up for Lord Gregor.

Silently killing and cleanly disposing of a little girl was a delightful task for Sweetmouth Lafford.

Gregor didn't want Julie to disappear like this. The little girl was innocent.

Although he could order Sweetmouth Lafford not to touch Julie, but, well, since he saved her, he should protect her first. As for what would happen in the future, who knew! He would take it one step at a time!

“Lafford, tomorrow help Julie make a pin with the family crest, made of gold.” He looked at Julie's clothes and head full of messy straw-like hair, “Also, take Julie to get her hair done and buy some nice clothes.”

“Yes, my lord.” The smile disappeared from Sweetmouth Lafford's face, and he shrugged. He only had a few coppers in his pocket, so he had to use the Clegane name and the sword at his waist to get credit.

“Maester Hallis, if you are willing, please teach Julie to read tomorrow. You must teach her all kinds of noble etiquette and common sense about the family crests and mottos of the great families of the Seven Kingdoms.”

“Yes, my lord!”

“Lord Addam Saratt, Julie is my adopted daughter, her name is Julie Clegane.”

Addam Saratt's face turned pale!

The old soldier Thomasman loosened his grip on the knife and fork. He glanced at Gregor, a grateful light flashing in his eyes, and then lowered his head and drank the bacon soup vigorously.