The Mountain of Ice and Fire

After passing through three iron gates, the passage ahead opened up, revealing a castle gate-like oak door with black iron trim.

The heavy oak door was slowly pushed open, revealing a formation of gold blocks, each as tall as a person, arranged like a neat line of soldiers.

Standing at the doorway, the end of this gold square formation was not visible.

Everyone was shocked by the scene before them!

This was the power of the Iron Bank, capable of purchasing the wealth of an entire world.

The wealthiest family in Westeros was the Lannisters, but the place with the most gold stored in the entire world was the Iron Bank.

"Your Majesty, there is also a jewelry vault further in," said the key keeper of the Iron Bank, who had led them in.

His expression was calm, and his tone was weary.

Clearly, he was used to seeing such wealth and was even a little numb to it.

The bleeding on his head had stopped, but the blurred right side of his face still made him look terrifying.

However, his emotions had calmed down, and his fear of the Mountain was lessening. Perhaps he thought his death was inevitable and resistance was futile, which gave him inner strength and composure.

"We won't bother with the jewelry vault," said the Mountain.

Seeing the gold reserves in the Iron Bank was enough.

Wealth had lost its secular purchasing power for the Mountain and was more symbolic than practical.

The Mountain needed the Iron Bank's gold reserves to support his paper money plan and the expansion of the Clegane Bank worldwide, which was the most important thing. As for the gold itself, its symbolic power outweighed its actual use for the Mountain.

"As you command, Your Majesty," the key keeper said, his tone now somewhat indifferent. He knew he would face death in the next moment. For the brutal Mountain, his usefulness was over.

Perhaps the managers of the Iron Bank were too confident in their defenses. The warehouse通道for storing gold had no traps, ambushes by skilled assassins, or soldiers.

After opening the gate of the Iron Bank, the path was unobstructed.

There was no danger at all!

"What's your name?"

"My name is no longer important, Your Majesty," the key keeper said faintly. "Do it, cut off my head, or take me outside and let the dragon burn me to ashes."

The Mountain stared at the key keeper. He was not afraid of death and was unfazed by gold and jewelry. Such a person might be kept to temporarily manage this gold reserve. Could anyone else face so much gold and a special jewelry vault without being tempted?

It would be difficult!

The Mountain didn't have many people he could trust right now.

Daenerys was one, Arya Stark was one, and Ian could be considered one, but the Mountain didn't know the other centurions under Ian and the soldiers of various nationalities and statuses from all over the world.

"What's your name?" The Mountain asked the key keeper again.

"My name is Atwood," the key keeper said.

"Are you a member of the Iron Bank family?"

"Yes, I am!"

"If you don't want to die and want to live peacefully to eighty years old and die in a warm bed, I will consider giving you a chance."

Atwood had already taken life and death lightly and put them out of his mind. He never expected that he would have a chance to live.

Atwood looked at the Mountain, his eyes clearly disbelieving.

Ian and Daenerys and others all looked strange.

What was His Majesty doing, using an enemy to manage such a huge amount of wealth?

Daenerys didn't understand even more. The Mountain was merciless when killing people in military fortresses.

"Your Majesty, perhaps this would be a mistake," Ian said.

As a newcomer who had sworn allegiance to the Mountain, Ian was also a person who dared to speak his mind.

"Your Majesty, the Iron Bank cannot be managed by the Iron Bank family again," Daenerys stated clearly.

The Mountain nodded, as a response to Ian and Daenerys's suggestions, indicating that he had heard them. However, he didn't intend to change his mind. The key keeper had guarded this gold reserve for many years and should be immune to the temptation of gold and wealth. As long as he wasn't an Iron Bank assassin and didn't have the skills of a Faceless Man, he wouldn't pose any threat to the Mountain. Even if he had ulterior motives to take some of the gold, how much could he take with his own strength? A pound? Ten pounds? A hundred pounds? Two hundred pounds? And even if he moved two hundred pounds of gold from the gold reserve, it would be like a hair on an elephant.

And he alone couldn't take away two hundred pounds of gold even if he had it.

If he let someone else manage the gold, that person's determination might need to be tempered, and he would probably have other thoughts and could easily persuade his accomplices. But Atwood no longer had accomplices.

The Mountain was determined: "Atwood, if you don't want to die, I can give you a chance. You continue to guard this Iron Bank."

Atwood felt his body heat up, and he couldn't be so calm anymore. There was still a chance to live? This was too unexpected and caught him off guard. His breathing became rapid, his palms began to sweat, and the wound on his face even started to hurt again.

If there was only one way to die, Atwood wouldn't think about it, just die, it didn't matter, just draw the knife and be done with it. But once he realized he could still live, he felt the desire for life in his body gushing upwards like an underground spring.

"Your Majesty, can you spare my wife's life?"

The Mountain didn't answer, he stared at Atwood for a long time, and nodded. This guy didn't mention his parents, children, brothers, or sisters, only his wife, probably his brothers, sisters, parents, and children were already dead, or he and his wife were the only two who depended on each other. In a large family, some people's fate is so difficult, their parents die early, and some are married without children.

Next, the Mountain decided to take the time to understand Atwood's close relatives, and the twenty or so people who were captured in the military fortress who were not dead. From these people's mouths, he could get information about Atwood's relatives.

Of course, not now.

*

Under Atwood's guidance, the Mountain and his party began to exit the Iron Bank. Suddenly, a scout rushed into the passage: "Your Majesty, a woman claiming to be Arya Stark is leading twenty-two narrow sword swordsmen to request an audience."

"Let them in, Arya Stark is the Heavenly Mandate Elder of the House of Black and White and my personal guard."

As soon as the Mountain said this, Ian and the twenty soldiers accompanying him were all surprised, and their faces changed.

Atwood was also shocked.

Elder of the House of Black and White, is His Majesty's personal guard?!

No matter who it was, they couldn't calm down when they heard this, especially the people in Braavos.

The Mountain's words were misleading, exaggerating his mystery and supreme status, but this little trick was harmless and a small detail in the Mountain's deliberate or unintentional shaping of his supreme status.

The scout who came to report was also so surprised that his eyes widened!

House of Black and White Elder, guard, these words linked together were unbelievable.

But they had to believe it!

The scout who came to report didn't know how he rushed out of the underground passage. When he came out and jumped on his horse, he heard the sound of enemy attack horns in the distance.

The Mountain and Daenerys and others in the passage heard the sound of enemy attack horns.

The group immediately quickened their pace and came out. When the sunlight shone on the Mountain, the horns of the military fortress and the horns of the scout team arranged by Ian on the island echoed each other, resounding over the island.

"Ian, tell them to stop blowing the horns," the Mountain said calmly.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"You lead five hundred-man teams to support the enemy. In this battle, Her Majesty Queen Daenerys and I will watch your combat effectiveness from the sky."

"As you command, Your Majesty," Ian replied loudly.

His Majesty wanted to see the real strength of their battle with the enemy!

This was also the first battle for Ian and his brothers after their surrender.

Ian shouted loudly, and soon, five hundred-man teams were assembled. Ian galloped out, and behind him, the team surged out. Not far away, the formation began to deform.

This was a legion that still needed systematic military training.

The Mountain ordered the remaining five hundred-man teams to assemble in the military fortress. The Mountain ordered three hundred-man teams to defend the city wall, one hundred-man team with all warhorses, responsible for being his and Queen Daenerys's guard team, and one hundred-man team responsible for cooking.

Twenty-one prisoners were brought before the Mountain.

They were the last people in the Iron Bank military fortress.

There were seven women and fourteen men, one of whom was Atwood's wife.

The Mountain let Atwood take his wife away and let the couple return to their room to wash and bandage their wounds. Then he ordered the remaining six women and fourteen men to be taken to different rooms, and everyone was asked the same question, which was about everything about Atwood's family.

Everyone's answers were consistent. Atwood's parents died early, and his two brothers lived in the Iron Bank Fortress, and the Iron Bank Fortress had been razed to the ground by the Mountain. Atwood and his wife had no children after they got married.

The Mountain was very satisfied with this situation.

These people were soon taken outside the military fortress and burned to ashes by dragon fire.

The power and non-combat personnel of the Iron Bank, except for the Atwood couple, were all wiped out.

An hour later.

Inside the Iron Bank Military Fortress.

The Main Hall.

The Mountain sat on a high stool carved with exquisite patterns, with Daenerys Targaryen sitting beside him, and General Ian and the Atwood couple standing behind him.

Arya Stark led twenty-two Faceless Men standing on the right side of the hall, and the Sea Lord led his several doctors and naval commanders standing on the left side of the hall.

Outside the military fortress, a thousand-man regiment was lined up to cheer.

A dragon and a black dragon hovered in the low sky of the military fortress.

The Mountain looked at the Sea Lord.

His appearance was fierce, and even without hostile gaze, he looked like he was glaring at the Sea Lord.

The Sea Lord coughed and walked out of the queue: "Great Your Majesty, the Braavos city-state..."

"Surrender!" The Mountain interrupted the Sea Lord's rambling. It seemed that the Sea Lord had prepared a long speech, but the Mountain didn't give him a chance to perform.

The Sea Lord was stunned!

"Surrender!" The Mountain said.

"Kneel and surrender." General Ian flashed out from beside the Mountain, his hand on the hilt of his sword.

The faces of Naval Commander Vincent and others who came with the Sea Lord changed slightly.

The Sea Lord's face slowly turned green.

"Ian, what is your status, how dare you interrupt here?" the Sea Lord said proudly.

"Kneel, surrender, or die!" The Mountain said lightly, "Braavos has lost the qualification to negotiate and form an alliance with me."

The hall was suddenly silent.

The Sea Lord's face turned red from green. He looked at Arya Stark, but Arya had no expression. The Sea Lord hoped that the House of Black and White could advance and retreat together at a critical moment to put pressure on the Mountain or create a turning point, but he couldn't count on it.

The Sea Lord's face slowly returned to normal.

"Your Majesty, I brought you a gift, maybe you want to see it first."

"Kneel, surrender, or die!" The Mountain replied.

The Sea Lord's face turned green again as if he had been slapped in the face: this was a humiliating reaction.

"Your Majesty, our gift is..." the Chief Doctor stood up and said.

But before he could finish speaking, the Mountain interrupted the Chief Doctor's words: "Ian, if any doctor speaks again, cut off his head."

The Chief Doctor was speechless: he choked. His face also turned red in an instant.

The hall was silent again!

The Sea Lord looked at Arya: "Elder Arya, the House of Black and White, the Sea Lord's Palace, and the Iron Bank have been advancing and retreating together for thousands of years."

"It was the Iron Bank and the Sea Lord's Palace that refused to advance and retreat with the House of Black and White," Arya said lightly.

"The root of the House of Black and White is Braavos."

"The root of the House of Black and White is the Red God, the Thousand-Faced God, and the God of Death."

The Sea Lord was speechless and couldn't speak for a while.

The Mountain looked at Ian, and with a swoosh, Ian drew out the short sword from his waist, strode forward, and with one sword, accurately stabbed into the Sea Lord's heart, pulled it out, and then slashed, cutting off the Sea Lord's throat...

Blood splattered all over Ian!

Ian was bare-chested and motionless.

He stared at Naval Commander Vincent and others, without blinking.

Gladiators kill people, and after killing them with one blow, they add another fierce sword.

The Sea Lord's fat body slipped to the ground like mud...

"Surrender, or die." The Mountain said lightly.

The Chief Doctor opened his mouth and shouted: "The Mountain, you..."

A cold light flashed, Ian's short sword cut open the Chief Doctor's neck, pulling out a huge wound, and blood spurted out. The doctor covered the wound with both hands, and blood poured out from between his fingers. He staggered back, his left leg caught on his right leg, and his body fell to the ground with a thud. His body twitched, his eyes horrified, as if he couldn't believe that the Mountain would kill scholars.

Doctors and scholars, in general, will not be involved in the slaughter. However, the act of killing doctors and scholars in war is not uncommon. After all, those who abide by the rules and ancient ways and have knightly spirit, such as Jon Connington and Eddard Stark, are in the minority.

Admiral Vincent of the Navy stepped out of the ranks, knelt, and placed his right fist over his heart: "Your Majesty, Vincent, Admiral of the Braavos Navy, submits. In the names of the gods of the sky, earth, and sea, I swear allegiance to Your Majesty and will never betray you."

The Mountain was not reassured by such oaths, but he knew that their importance to both parties was irreplaceable. How could he truly bind Vincent to his chariot? Of course, an oath of allegiance was not enough; it was only symbolic.

"Admiral Vincent, you will lead the naval fleet to attack the city-state of Lorath, which is about three hundred miles away. How long will it take you to capture it?"

The city-state of Lorath was the closest to Braavos among the nine Free Cities and also the weakest. The city-state of Lorath was located on the eastern coastline.

"Ten days, Your Majesty."

"I give you three days."