The Mountain stood in the corridor of the main castle, with Lady Jenny beside him, who was a head shorter than him.
Jenny stood on a high stool.
However, compared to her body type, she is too slender.
Everyone downstairs looked up at Mo Shan, feeling that apart from his beast-like physique, his eyes and expression weren't as ferocious as the legends suggested.
Furthermore, he also has a nose and two eyes, with no unusual or peculiar features.
Many people's eyes inadvertently met those of the Demon Mountain, without them feeling a fierce and malevolent aura pressing down on them.
The Demon Mountain had a gentle expression and a humble smile on his face.
He spoke to Jenny in a friendly manner, and standing below the main castle, one could barely hear the Mountain's voice, which was said to be as terrifying as thunder. —Seeing is believing, and now it seems that this is not the case.
The people's fear of the Demon Mountain is fading.
After all, seeing is believing.
All the stories in the Hundred Tales are about the brutality, ferocity, bloodthirstiness, and terror of the Demon Mountain.
But when the people actually saw this enormous giant, they realized that this soft-spoken giant, who was like Lady Jenny, seemed to have nothing to do with cruelty and terror.
As the bull carried the log in, everyone's eyes were drawn to the stout and clumsy woman.
The woman carrying the log was taller than the average man, with a barrel waist, broom-shaped eyebrows, a wide face, and thick lips, lacking any of the delicate beauty of a woman.
People were talking about it.
The woman also has a pair of surprisingly large feet that are quite amusing.
Seeing people pointing and whispering about the woman carrying the log, the Mountain said to Jenny, "This woman has good courage. I think you should take her as a maid."
Jenny looked at the Mountain with disbelief.
The Mountain laughed, "You judge people by their appearance too?"
"Westlin is better off not forcing his newly returned subjects. If he really wants to take her as a handmaid, he needs her consent, not a decree from above."
"Well, you're right! If we can take her in as a maid, we can establish a sense of approachability in the hearts of our people."
The Mountain liked these simple, honest people.
To gain the trust of the people and win their hearts, it is necessary to create role models! The Westerling family has been severely weakened for two generations, and its prestige among its people has plummeted to its lowest point. To give its people the confidence to change, it is necessary to set an example and get close to them.
"Sir Gregor, your idea is good, but I will still prioritize the woman's own wishes over the decrees of the nobility," Jenny insisted.
"Alright!" the Mountain agreed.
Count Damon and Count Leo looked at the Mountain as if it were a monster.
The Mountain and Jenny spoke without any regard for the three Earls beside them: Damon, Leo, and Gavin.
To be honest, his father-in-law's abilities were rather average. If he opposed something, it wouldn't get done. Therefore, to avoid conflict, Mo Shan decided to act decisively—once he had a plan, he would do it without needing his in-laws' approval. For crucial matters, there was no need for discussion; in short, just do it!
The Mountain, through his own power, reclaimed all of the Westerling family's lands, a problem that had plagued the family for generations. Lord Gavin, though of average ability, was not foolish; he knew that Westerling's resurgence depended on the Mountain's support.
In fact, the Mountain sometimes made decisions without his consent, which gave Lord Gavin a sense of relief. However, Lord Gavin kept this feeling a secret from everyone.
People who lack their own opinions prefer to have someone by their side to make decisions. This allows them to avoid the immense psychological pressure of making choices.
Although Lord Gavin didn't know where the Mountain's money for raising his army came from, Jenny had said that the Mountain would find a way to raise the money, so Lord Gavin breathed a sigh of relief. On the surface, he was stern and displeased, but in his heart, he was happy to let the Mountain take the lead in all of this, and also to show Lord Damon that if Marble wanted to do anything to the Westerling family in the future, he would have to see who his son-in-law was—the Mountain!
If the Mountain wants to revitalize Westerling and is willing to work himself to the bone, then let him do it!
why not?
The bull carried the log to the main gate of the castle. Under Leonard's guidance, she placed the log at the main gate and stood it upright. Then, Leonard led the applause.
The guards all applauded.
The soldiers and centurions maintaining order, along with the knights at the main gate of the castle, all applauded.
Count Damon chuckled: "Lord Mountain, the farce is over, pay up."
"Of course!" Demon Mountain laughed.
Count Leo chuckled, looking on with amusement.
From the dark mass of people beneath the Mountain Fortress, he said, "Fellow citizens, I am Ser Gregor Clegane." His voice, like a booming bell, echoed across the Great Parade Ground, making the ears of his people ring.
Thousands of people looked surprised, realizing that this was the voice of the Demon Mountain. Although it was not quite as thunderous as the legends, it was still awe-inspiring.
The entire room fell silent, everyone feeling an invisible yet tangible pressure.
The Mountain surveyed the entire room, his imposing presence radiating authority: "On behalf of the Westerling family, I must announce some new decrees to all my subjects. Before that, I must first bestow upon this young lady who moved the logs the promised reward. From this day forward, any decree of the Westerling family, like today's log-moving test, will be carried out with absolute certainty, and its implementation will always yield results. It will never be changed lightly. Young lady, what is your name?"
The bull was speechless. She had no name; everyone in the village called her Bull, and her husband called her Bull too. But the woman knew that the name Bull was mocking and insulting. In this setting, facing so many nobles, the woman was speechless, and her face immediately turned bright red.
She was simple and honest, but not stupid. She knew that saying her name was Bull would definitely cause a burst of laughter.
The Mountain said, "Don't be afraid, young lady. You don't have to tell us your name." The Mountain surveyed the crowd, and everyone fell silent. There were countless rumors about this giant's cruelty and terror; would he kill this woman for her rudeness?
A nobleman can often kill an impudent commoner without a reason.
Everyone's hearts were in their throats!
"Renaard, reward the young lady with a golden dragon," said the Mountain.
"Yes, Lord Gregor!"
Leonard took out a gold dragon coin and handed it to the girl.
Bull looked at the golden dragon in her hand. This was the first time she had earned money in over twenty years, and it was a golden dragon at that. She was excited, her eyes fixed on Bernie in the crowd. Bernie was inconspicuous because of his short stature. But Bull spotted Bernie immediately.
As long as Bernie doesn't leave her, this gold dragon is really nothing to him.
The Mountain continued, "I thought it would be a man with courage to move this log from the city gate to here. Who knew that among the thousands of people in Westerling, more than two thousand men, there was not as much courage as a woman. I, the Mountain, admire and respect this young lady's courage."
The Mountain pulled a golden dragon he had forged himself from his pocket. The dragon looked as if it had been polished to a high shine, immediately catching the eye. This was due to two reasons: firstly, the dragon was very new, and secondly, some copper had been added to the gold.
In this world, no one can tell that it's a counterfeit coin just because of that.
"Girl, this gold coin is a special reward for your courage and bravery."
Whoosh!
The golden dragon in the Mountain's hand flew down and landed precisely on the Bull's hand. Caught off guard, the golden dragon bounced off her hand and fell to the ground with a soft tinkling sound.