The Mountain of Ice and Fire

Chapter 447: A Sword and a Choice (Seeking Subscriptions and Support)

On the city wall, beneath the Clegane banner, a centurion shouted, "Lord Mountain, we are only acting under orders. Can you spare us a path to survival?"

The Mountain raised his head, looking at the centurion. "Centurion, the Westerlands, under the past protection of Lord Tywin, had unclear rewards and punishments, and no distinction between good and evil. That won't do now. I am the guardian of the Westerlands, and the first rule is: no indiscriminate killing of unarmed Westerlands civilians. Nobles can wage war and exterminate families, but the common people beneath the nobles, unarmed, farming and eating, posing no threat to anyone's life, will henceforth have their lives protected by me and the Clegane legion. Whoever indiscriminately kills innocent old people, children, or women will be put to death."

"From today onwards, we will obey your orders and no longer indiscriminately kill the innocent. Please, Lord, grant us, a thousand brothers, a path to survival."

"When the old people, children, women, farmers, kennel workers, stablemen, and blacksmiths of Clegane village faced your raised swords, did they ever beg you to spare even one child? This is a blood crime that will be recorded in the history of the kingdom."

"We are only acting under orders, Lord. You should be capturing Davon Lannister and Tywin Lannister, and then beheading them, instead of bullying the weak," the centurion sneered.

"Centurion, rest assured, Davon's men will arrive soon. Do you think he can escape judgment by hiring just any ship? As for Lord Tywin, he has already donned the black and will guard the Wall for life."

Knights and soldiers, both on and off the wall, were shaken!

Maester Bancroft, Centurion Baelor Lannister, and Captain of the Guard Gerna Lannister were all shocked.

Davon will be escorted back? Lord Tywin has donned the black?

The centurion on the city wall was exceptionally brave, but also insidious and vicious. The Mountain had a weakness: he would fly into a rage at a single word, lose control, and kill. He was trying to anger the Mountain, to make him slaughter the city, so they would all die together. However, what increasingly surprised the centurion was that the Mountain actually spoke many sentences to him, and his tone was neither hurried nor slow, his expression neither angry nor imposing, and the Ice sword in his hand pointing at Baelor Lannister was as steady as a mountain, without the slightest movement.

The Mountain's direct line of heavy cavalry, six hundred men, followed Countess Sharlotte, selecting handsome men from noble families one by one, and collecting the nobles' household registrations, land deeds, and tax documents. The Mountain had two cavalry teams by his side: four hundred mounted archers, who were also light cavalry after advancing into battle formations; and five hundred 'rabble' from Crab Claw Peninsula, with disorganized formations and mismatched weapons. If the Mountain relied on this bit of force to slaughter the city, the entire city, united, would have a high chance of killing the Mountain.

The centurion's heart panicked. Why wasn't the Mountain angry? Why hadn't he chopped off Baelor Lannister's head with a single sword strike after so long?

The centurion sneered again. He was prepared to die, but he would fight to the death before he died. There was no retreat, so there was no need for retreat.

"Lord Duke, may I ask, have you ever indiscriminately killed the innocent?"

This sentence was very powerful. Everyone knew that one of the Mountain's greatest misdeeds was 'indiscriminate killing of the innocent'.

Maester Bancroft finally realized that they had been trying their best to prevent a city slaughter from happening, but the centurion on the city wall was deliberately provoking the Mountain, making him kill. The garrison would be forced to retaliate, the war would quickly escalate, the Mountain would slaughter the city, and the entire city would be forced to resist. Lannisport would become a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood, and blood would flow like rivers in the streets… If they were going to die, they would all die together…

Although, despite the fact that the Mountain's forces were indeed not many, and they hadn't seen a single infantryman… it seemed that by gathering the strength of the entire city, they could indeed fight…

The Mountain remained calm and composed, his words flowing like a river: "Centurion, soldiers, since I, the Mountain, became the Duke of Dragonstone, no longer subject to the enslavement and command of Lord Tywin, I have never killed any child, woman, or old person. I will not now, and I will not in the future. The Mountain will henceforth be upright and will no longer indiscriminately kill unarmed civilians of this country."

Without a doubt, this was the most beautiful buck-passing in history, unprecedented and unmatched.

The ill-intentioned centurion on the city wall, who was prepared to fight to the death, felt despair rise in his heart, and at the same time, he felt suffocated.

He opened his mouth and realized that he could no longer find anything to say. How could he provoke and stimulate the Mountain? His mind was blank.

When did the Mountain become so eloquent?!

This was unbelievable and unfair. They were only acting under orders; they shouldn't die! But…

Suddenly, the centurion drew his longsword. A cold light flashed, and with a loud bang, the longsword struck the Clegane flagpole.

This action awakened the garrison soldiers. The Clegane banner was something everyone had agreed to hang after discussion. This banner was meant to let the Mountain see their obedience, see their desire to avoid war and surrender. But if the Clegane flagpole was cut down in front of the Mountain, if the banner of the Red Viper and Ice was to fall, it would be the greatest humiliation to the Mountain and his soldiers… In battles between armies, brave generals would charge into the enemy lines and behead the flag bearer. Once the flag fell, morale would collapse…

The centurion's actions were equivalent to a declaration of war!

The centurion's intentions could not be more vicious.

Even if he died, he would drag the people around him, the people of this city, down with him! The Mountain had few soldiers. Who would die and who would lose in the end was still uncertain! If he could drag the Mountain down with him, the centurion would have won!

While all the soldiers were stunned, the sound of a bowstring rang out. An arrow flew from the Mountain's side, *poof*, hitting the centurion's right eye.

This arrow was fast and ruthless, and it was a armor-piercing arrow.

The arrow was sharp and poisonous. The triangular iron arrowhead pierced through the centurion's right eye socket, and the tip of the arrow, carrying red blood streaks, protruded from the back of his head!

The centurion had only struck the first blow. He raised the second blow, ready to strike, when he was shot in the eye socket by the armor-piercing arrow, piercing his skull!

The centurion fell backward violently, as if he had been hit in the chest by an invisible giant hammer. He flew backward, his longsword flying away. The sword spun in the air, under the sunlight, flashing dazzling rays of light.

*Boom!*

The centurion soared into the air and fell. Everyone looked up at the sword spinning and flying in the air. Finally, the tip of the sword flew down, *swoosh*, and with a *thud*, it plunged into the ground beneath the city wall.

Anguy's divine arrow, lived up to its name!

At the moment the centurion drew his sword, Anguy drew his bow and nocked an arrow. The centurion had only struck the first blow when the arrow sped to its target, hitting the vital point!

Soldiers on and off the city wall, inside and outside, all changed color.

At the next heartbeat, the Mountain would surely strike down with his giant sword, Baelor Lannister's head would fly, and at the same time, the Mountain's cavalry would surely charge, the city gates would open wide, and the city lord, Rosamund Lannister, would bear the brunt…

However, the sea breeze gently brushed past…

The Mountain's expression did not change, and the longsword in his hand still pointed at Baelor Lannister. He did not move, and the fierce soldiers and bandits behind him did not move, as if they were a group of sculptures filled with killing intent: "It's your turn to answer my question, centurion. Within one day, arrest all the murderers in the garrison. Can you do it?"

Baelor Lannister said: "Yes, Lord Duke."

Baelor also understood the centurion's intentions on the city wall just now. When the centurion swung his sword to cut down the flag, there were no two options in this matter, only one single choice.

The centurions of the garrison and Maester Bancroft all understood that the moment Lord Tywin donned the black, Lord Tywin was finished, and the Lannister's foundation in the Westerlands was completely shaken. And if the Mountain wanted to establish his authority in the Westerlands, if he could not avenge the killing of his own people, how could he be the guardian of the Westerlands? If he could not avenge, he could not deter the many noble forces in the Westerlands who had always been loyal to the Lannister family.

Therefore, those thousand soldiers who committed the murders had no choice.

In fact, everyone had no choice!

The world is like this, only speaking of reality. In this blood crime, reality neither believes in tears nor in reason.

"Very good, Centurion Baelor, you have made the right choice."

*Clang!*

The Mountain sheathed his Ice greatsword.

Baelor Lannister retreated, turned around, and returned to the ranks. Suddenly, a soldier drew his sword and stabbed him in the abdomen. Baelor Lannister could not dodge, but he was highly skilled in martial arts, and he quickly leaned to the side and fell to the ground. The soldier's longsword slashed across his abdominal armor, leaving a deep scratch. Baelor Lannister drew his dagger from his waist. The soldier's longsword came again, fiercely chopping at his throat. Baelor Lannister blocked with his dagger, and with a *clang*, the dagger was knocked away. Baelor Lannister's fingers were almost severed. Suddenly, a section of longsword *poof* pierced out from the attacking soldier's chest…

Another soldier stepped forward and killed this comrade, relieving Baelor Lannister's danger.

Baelor Lannister got up. The soldier who had just saved him suddenly had his head fly up, a longsword hacking over from behind, severing his neck…

Suddenly, on and off the city wall, the soldiers almost simultaneously drew their swords, stabbing the comrades beside them.

Mutiny!

At the city gate, dozens of soldiers drew their swords and pounced on the city lord, Rosamund Lannister, and Maester Bancroft…

Captain of the Guard Gerna Lannister shouted, drew his longsword, and cried out to meet the enemy. Several knights protecting City Lord Rosamund had superb swordsmanship. Several longswords rushed out, instantly cutting down several soldiers. Cries of misery and blood splattered together. Rosamund covered her face and screamed loudly… Maester Bancroft was unarmed and only knew to shout to protect the city lord!

*Poof, poof, poof!*

On and off the city wall, inside and outside, the sounds of swords stabbing bodies could be heard everywhere, cruel and bloodthirsty.

Sansa's eyes widened, her face full of shock, watching this sudden outbreak of mutual slaughter, without blinking.

If she could detach herself from her body to observe herself, she would realize that she had changed. The bloodshed and hacking would no longer make her cover her beautiful face!

Baelor Lannister drew his longsword and shouted: "Brothers, kill the rebels!"

The same Westerlands red cloak, the same armor, the same helmet, the same longsword. The warring sides made it impossible for the Mountain to distinguish who was who.

But those soldiers seemed to be able to distinguish clearly, and very clearly.

The soldiers of the garrison were all veterans. The core centurions and captains were all branches of the Lannister family. The garrison was a long-term profession. The soldiers had been together for more than ten years at the longest, and nearly two years at the shortest. Before the outbreak of war between the Westerlands and the North, Count Odbur had newly recruited a batch of new soldiers to join the garrison.

Those who acted first seemed to be desperate newcomers, their attacks vicious and each strike fatal.

The veteran soldiers of the garrison all regretted that they should not have taken in the 'murderers' who had committed the blood crime.

There was no way to do this. No one knew whether the soldier beside them was the next 'centurion' to cut down the flag.

Since they had chosen to be soldiers, they were no longer civilians. Perhaps there were no innocent soldiers, perhaps only innocent people.

The good do not speak of courage; the merciful do not command troops!

This world only has iron and blood, not the love that poets and singers sing of, 'sunshine and compassion, shining on everyone', or the delusion that 'the power of kindness is greater than the sword'.

*

A long spear flew diagonally, hitting Maester Bancroft's back.

It pierced through the back and protruded from the chest!

Maester Bancroft was protecting Rosamund with his weak body under his gray robe.

At the last moment, the Maester shouted with all his strength, but his voice was weak and almost inaudible. His pleading gaze towards the Mountain had already explained everything: "Lord Mountain, save Rosamund, she is still a child…"

The Maester fell down!

A red shadow flashed, and the Mountain's Red Viper flew out, the Ice sword *clang clang* unsheathed, the sword light like a bolt of white silk, a burst of shouting, the sound like a thunder, the Red Viper kicked away a sword-and-shield soldier who rushed over, and the Red Viper, fitted with refined steel horseshoes, kicked the soldier away like a straw man, killing him on the spot.

The Ice sword wielded a sword flower, suddenly pulling out a silver brilliance, like a brilliant starlight falling into the soldiers who rushed over one after another, under the Ice sword's blade, unmatched power swept across, severed limbs and hot blood flying together.

"Centurion Baelor Lannister, form ranks!" The Mountain shouted.

"Yes, Lord Duke." Baelor, who had been fighting alone, blew the military whistle to form ranks to meet the enemy.

In the blink of an eye, the Red Viper had crashed open the battle circle surrounding Rosamund, the Ice sword swung out, those who blocked it were invincible, so fast that only a silver shadow could be seen, the rebel soldiers were all cut in two. The Red Viper rushed into the core, turned left, the Mountain's Ice sword swept across with all its strength, killing all seven or eight spearmen surrounding several knights.

"Get out of the way!" The Mountain shouted.

The knights protecting Rosamund on the front lines separated to both sides, the Mountain stretched out his left hand, gently picked Rosamund off the horse's back, clamped his legs, the Red Viper retreated, kicked a spearman who rushed over and pretended to stab, the person was in the air, and was already killed.

The Mountain protected Rosamund, and the alien beast's horn killed many soldiers, and the flying kick was even more powerful, as fast as a shooting star falling, lightning in the air. The soldiers who attacked from behind were all killed by a single kick!

Baelor Lannister, with the Mountain's help, blew the military whistle, the formation was formed, the soldiers' shields were erected, and the spears were thrust out from the shields, advancing step by step, and the rebel soldiers fell one after another.

Suddenly, the rebels shouted and fled in all directions.

The elite knights and guards protecting Rosamund urged their horses to cover and kill, and this time, it was like cutting melons and vegetables, and the rebel soldiers who fled on foot fell one after another…

"Everyone stop!" The Mountain shouted, his voice like a thunderbolt, shaking the city gate with booming echoes, "Rebel soldiers, put on black clothes, and I can spare your lives."

Lord Mountain's words were military orders, and the soldiers who were chasing and killing the rebel soldiers shouted while slashing: "Lord Duke has ordered, put on black clothes, and you will not die."

A fleeing soldier stopped. A second fleeing soldier stopped, then a third, a fourth… Scattered soldiers stopped one by one, and the pursuing soldiers also halted one after another…

Clang!

A longsword was dropped!

Clang!

A second longsword was dropped!

After several heartbeats, a chorus of clangs rang out!

The rebel soldiers dropped their weapons one after another, and the pursuing soldiers also stopped fighting.

This group of people, arriving at the Wall, will greatly increase the defensive strength of the North.

If not forced to the last moment, this group of soldiers would not so easily become men of the Night’s Watch!

*

A red shadow flickered. The Mountain returned to the Clegane formation with Rosamund. Rosamund kept her eyes tightly closed, tears streaming down her pretty face.

“Lord Mountain, please hand Miss Rosamund over to me.” A timid voice said.

Sansa's voice!

Although the voice was timid, it actually revealed a courage that even she herself didn't understand!

Without a considerable, instinctive courage, Sansa would only be timid and silent, unable and unwilling to speak out.

The blood of the Stark, the Northern royal family, flows in her body!

This is the second time Sansa has spoken out. The first time she spoke, in the Silver Hall of Sallot, Maester Carol was saved from losing a hand because of Sansa's words!

*

ps: There's more!

Thanks to [疯乱流] for the reward, thank you, handshake!