In the council chamber of the eastern tower, Ser Adam Marbrand, the defender of Harrenhal, frowned deeply.
He stood by the window, looking down from above at the chaotic scene inside Harrenhal.
The refugees were crowded together in the square like frightened sheep. So cried out, so cursed, and so tried to rush toward the city gates. The light of torches flickered among the crowd, illuminating their terrified faces in flashes of brightness and shadow.
Spreading false rumors to slander Luke Jaqenion and using the refugees as a "human wall"… this was the only plan he could think of.
He knew it was dishonorable, but he had no choice.
He could only hope to hold out until Lord Tywin returned.
Drag it out as long as possible.
"Ser Adam!"
A squire stumbled in, covered in sweat.
"We have successfully incited ten thousand refugees to go up onto the walls! They are holding wooden sticks, farming tools, and stones. But…"
He paused, his voice dropping.
"Even more people want to flee Harrenhal. Ser Amory has already… killed quite a few to establish authority."
Adam spun around sharply.
"That bastard is killing again!" His voice ca through gritted teeth. "If the refugees see through our sche, we will all be torn to pieces!"
The squire waved his hands hurriedly. "My lord, don't worry! Ser Amory has pinned the deaths of those refugees on Lord Luke. More and more people are beginning to believe the information we spread earlier!"
Adam's eyes brightened.
"This thod works," the corners of his mouth curved slightly. "That fellow Amory actually had a good idea. Tell him to do it more discreetly, and more bloodily. We can use the blood of those refugees to write so words."
He turned back to the window, his voice turning cold.
"I want everyone to help defend the city. That Luke Jaqenion claims to be the Son of the Seven Gods and must value his reputation. He won't want to harm ordinary people, or his image as a savior will be greatly damaged. People in high positions all care about their face!"
He clenched his fist.
"Perhaps, seeing so many refugees resisting him, he will delay his attack…"
"Oh, so all these sches were your idea."
A strange voice suddenly sounded from behind.
Ser Adam Marbrand's hair stood on end instantly.
He saw the squire's eyes bulge and mouth open wide in shock.
He whipped his head around.
In that instant, his expression beca almost identical to the squire's.
"You… you… you are Luke Jaqenion!"
His voice trembled.
"You really can fly!"
Luke slowly floated in through the window and landed lightly on the ground. He wore his golden titanium alloy armor, looking like an "armored warrior." But in the eyes of these Westerosi natives, he appeared like a god!
He ignored Adam's shock and walked casually to the other window.
From this angle, he had a clear view of the chaos inside Harrenhal: crowds surging, torches flickering, faint cries echoing.
He watched for a while, then turned around and glanced at the knight and the squire.
A red light flashed in his eyes.
"Do you believe in the Seven Gods?"
His voice was soft, yet it felt like a mountain pressing down on both n.
The squire was so frightened he wet himself.
With a thud, he dropped to his knees. Snot and tears stread down his face as he clutched his chest with both hands, his lips quivering:
"Seven Gods above! I repent! I repent! I was forced! It was all Ser Adam's orders!"
Ser Adam's face twisted, veins bulging.
His hand pressed on the hilt of his sword, wanting to draw it, but he couldn't pull it out no matter what. It was as if an invisible giant hand was holding his down… or… he had lost control of his own hand.
The next second, he suddenly felt a mountain-like pressure crash down on him.
Crack, crunch!
His knees snapped. He staggered and fell to his knees, spitting out a mouthful of blood.
"Cough, cough, cough…"
He lay on the ground, trembling all over.
"God… no, no, impossible!" His voice was hoarse and desperate. "You can't be a god! The Seven Gods are fake! Fake!"
Blood flowed from his eyes.
"My parents and wife and children were afflicted with a terrible illness! I knelt before the statues of the Seven Gods for seven days and seven nights, begging the gods to show their power! But the disease still took their lives!"
He pounded the ground fiercely, roaring hysterically.
"The Seven Gods are fake! How can you be the Son of a God? On what basis… on what basis do you possess such power! This is the power of a god!"
"Aaaahhhh… why?"
He raised his head. His blood-and-tear-stained face was full of hatred.
"Ah no! You are an evil god! The apostle of an evil god! You want to bring calamity upon the world!"
Luke rubbed his chin and murmured, "I see. No wonder you hate so much."
He was sowhat surprised.
This man could actually withstand thirty percent of his spiritual pressure. His willpower was extraordinary!
His eyes turned cold.
"Then I can't let you live."
A thin arc of light shot from his eyes and sank into Ser Adam's brow.
A few seconds later, the knight's body jerked violently.
Then, his expression changed.
He sat collapsed on the ground, crying and laughing at the sa ti. Tears and blood mixed together, streaming down his cheeks.
"I repent… the evil god rumors were all my slander against Lord Luke… they were all fabrications… this was a conspiracy I designed to defend the city… I deserve to die… I deserve to die…"
Hurried footsteps sounded outside the door.
Bang!
The door was smashed open. Seven or eight Lannister soldiers wearing red cloaks and lion-emblazoned armor rushed in.
They saw Ser Adam kneeling on the ground and the stranger standing by the window. They imdiately drew their swords.
"Who are you!"
Luke didn't even turn his head. He waved his hand.
A gust of wind rose from the ground. The soldiers felt an invisible giant force slam into them. They were all sent flying — so crashed into the wall, so flew out the door, their weapons clattering to the ground.
"Seven Gods above…"
Soone murmured.
The next second, a bald, ugly brute charged in with a sword.
The mont his figure rushed through the door, he froze. The n behind him couldn't stop in ti and crashed into him, all tumbling to the ground.
They looked up, their eyes filled with terror.
Because in the air above this spacious pavilion… yes, floating in the air, was a "golden-armored knight."
He stood imposingly, looking down at them from above like a god!
The golden-armored knight raised his right hand. Ser Adam, who had been kneeling on the ground crying and repenting, was lifted into the air as if grabbed by an invisible giant hand.
"God… Son of God!"
The bald, ugly brute pushed away the n on top of him with difficulty, crawled to his feet, and knelt forward a few steps, his voice trembling yet fanatical.
"You are the Son of God! King… King Luke!"
Luke raised an eyebrow. "And who are you?"
"Replying to Your Grace! I… I am the leader of the Brave Companions, Vargo Hoat!" His voice was hurried and urgent. "I was previously bewitched and coerced by Tywin, so I had no choice but to join the Westerlands. But our Brave Companions have absolutely no intention of opposing the Son of the Seven Gods! I… I was originally planning to send an envoy to submit to Your Grace and open the gates to offer the city tonight!"
Luke looked at this bald, noseless, ear-missing ugly brute and used "Insight Eye" and spiritual pressure to judge his true intentions and sincerity.
He was surprised to find that the man was not lying.
"rcenaries also believe in the Seven Gods?" he asked. In his impression, rcenaries only had one faith — "gold dragons"!
Vargo Hoat hurriedly pulled out an exquisite copy of The Seven Gods Bible from his chest, his eyes filled with zeal.
"Your Grace! I am a believer of the Seven Gods. I have been since childhood. The gods protected — even after half my face was cut off, I still survived. This is the will of the Seven Gods!"
"Ever since I received the holy book, I have strictly followed its teachings in every word and deed! Joining Tywin was only to wait for this day… to contribute my strength to the Son of God's unification of Westeros!"
He piously held up The Seven Gods Bible with both hands above his head.
Luke looked at this rcenary leader, the corners of his mouth curving upward slightly.
"Very good, Vargo Hoat. I have felt your piety. I will rember your rit. The Seven Gods bless you. Draco will not forget you!"
He pointed to the Lannister soldiers sitting collapsed outside the door.
"Now, take your n and imdiately tell the ignorant refugees on the walls: the evil god rumors were all the conspiracy of that villain Adam."
With a wave of his hand, the necks of those Lannister soldiers were as if gripped by invisible hands and dragged before him.
They knelt automatically, trembling as they kowtowed repeatedly.
"Your Grace! I am also a believer of the Seven Gods!"
"We surrender! We surrender!"
"Please, Son of God, forgive our mistakes!"
Luke nodded.
"Very good. Then obey Vargo Hoat. He will be your temporary commander."
Then, carrying Ser Adam, who was lifted in mid-air by spiritual power, he flew out of the pavilion window and headed toward the central grand square of Harrenhal.
At this mont, a fierce debate was taking place in Harrenhal's grand square.
The light of torches illuminated the entire square as bright as day. The crowd was divided into several "arenas," each split into two groups.
One group consisted of Adam's hired rumor-mongers or misled refugees, slandering and defaming Luke.
"Luke Jaqenion has already sold his soul to an evil god! He wants to sacrifice boys and girls to the evil god! He will rcilessly kill your sons and daughters, even those still in their mothers' wombs!"
"Draco is hell. The people there are all raised livestock!"
The other group consisted of Luke's supporters or the few clear-headed refugees.
"You're talking shit!" Soone raised a copy of The Seven Gods Bible and shouted hoarsely. "Lord Luke is a good man! The true representative of the Seven Gods! He possesses divine power and is omnipotent! He can fly, create food, heal diseases, and bless children! The Seven Gods Bible says: The Seven Gods love the world!"
"I don't care who is telling the truth and who is lying!"
A bearded man stood in the crowd, waving his fist.
"We want to leave Harrenhal! This is a cursed castle! The murderers are the dogs of the Lannisters! They trapped us here and are forcing us to resist Draco's divinely blessed army!"
"Yes!" soone echoed.
"The Lannisters shouldn't treat everyone like fools!"
"We are unard. We won't stupidly help you fight Draco's army!"
Both sides argued until their faces were red. Neither could convince the other.
Soone shouted, "Get them! Beat these ignorant fools to death!"
The two sides started fighting.
Fists, wooden sticks, stones, and even torches beca weapons. The scene descended into complete chaos. So were beaten to the ground, so clutched bleeding heads and scread. A few unlucky ones who caught fire ran wildly through the crowd, letting out shrill cries.
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