In the corridor on the second floor of the main castle, Count Damon, Count Leo, and Count Gavin stood together.
The three counts listened to the sounds of training and battle around them, and watched hundreds of soldiers training desperately in the parade ground, with the various military whistles of the centurions rising and falling.
There were two chief training instructors for the entire army: Sir Rapht Clegane, the sweet-talking knight of Clegane, and Sir Lofo Spicer.
Stinky Mouth and Leonard were practicing sparring with training swords. Both moved quickly; Stinky Mouth's attacks were ruthless and merciless, while Leonard's swordsmanship was dignified and precise, making it impossible for Stinky Mouth to break through his defenses no matter how he attacked. However, once Leonard counterattacked, his swordsmanship was exquisite, and Stinky Mouth quickly fell into a disadvantageous position.
However, Leonard could only prevail in swordsmanship, but he was unable to defeat the foul-mouthed man.
In their duel, Leonard's swordsmanship was superior, but his taunts were far more ruthless. He could often force Leonard to retreat with a single strike. But no matter how ruthless Leonard was, he could always find an opportunity to counterattack and stabilize the situation through parrying and dodging.
Leonard, after all, was from a noble family and had been trained in martial arts since childhood by real swordsmanship teachers. His training progressed step by step, from speed and strength to footwork and swordsmanship, in a structured and disciplined manner. This was completely different from the crude, street-fighting tricks that his foul mouth had learned. The swordsmanship teachers' techniques were all derived from real combat, not just fancy moves.
*
Count Damon said, "Count Gavin, your son-in-law, The Mountain, is determined to build a fierce thousand-man infantry force for you, training them before dawn. I always felt that something was amiss!"
Lord Gavin said, "Lord Damon, Duke Tywin has ordered the entire West to train its troops. Haven't you received the order?"
"I received it. Our Brand City has also started training troops according to the Duke's requirements, but getting up before dawn to train and recruiting soldiers on a large scale is really unnecessary."
Count Leo said, "Lord Gregor's training of his troops gives me the feeling that he's going to the battlefield to fight to the death tomorrow. His men are all desperados, and all they care about is money. I don't have much faith in Lord Gregor's soldiers."
Count Damon chimed in, "Count Leo, the key point is that it's peacetime now. The Mountain is recruiting soldiers on a massive scale, offering tax breaks, and buying up milk. Where does his money come from? That's a question. Don't tell me that Duke Tywin will give him money; that's simply impossible."
"Secondly, who is he planning to fight with by training his troops so relentlessly?" Count Damon stared at Count Gavin. "Count Gavin, has the Mountain told you any secrets? Tell me! If there are enemies in the West, who are they? If there are no enemies at all, why is the Mountain training his troops so relentlessly? In Brand City, we follow the Duke's military orders to train our troops. We train for one hour after breakfast every day, and another hour after lunch. That's enough."
Earl Leo said, "There are no enemies in the West, the Seven Kingdoms are united, the king is our duke's son-in-law, the queen is the duke's daughter, and all the Lannister family's relatives are in the palace. If the Mountain's training is not for war, then it would not have started before dawn. This is very strange!"
Damon and Leo were no ordinary people, and after discussing it, they realized that things were indeed unusual!
Count Damon said jokingly, "If the Mountain wanted to rebel, this number of men wouldn't be enough. Even if you gave him ten thousand men, he wouldn't have the strength to rebel."
Count Leo laughed and said, "Indeed, if the Mountain dares to rebel, even if he has ten thousand elite soldiers, all the nobles in the Western Territory will rise up to fight him."
Lord Gavin said, "You two earls, please don't make fun of us. Never bring up the rebellion joke again. If Sir Gregor finds out, he may not dare to kill you two, but he certainly dares to hang you up and give you a good beating."
Damon and Leo were immediately choked, their faces turning awkward.
Earl Gavin looked helpless: "Don't think you're the only ones who fear the Mountain. Even I, as his father-in-law, fear him. He wants to recruit soldiers, buy milk, and train a thousand infantrymen. Have I ever dared to say a word against it? Although I could tell him to get lost and stop recruiting and training soldiers, my daughter Jenny is already his wife. If he harbors resentment and bullies my daughter, or beats me up in Rocky City over a disagreement, what can I do? My son Leonard and my instructor, Sir Rover, both listen to the Mountain now. The result of my discussion with Lady Sybil is to let things take their course, neither supporting nor opposing him, and not sabotaging him behind his back."
Earl Damon sneered, "Earl Gavin, if you're unhappy with us, you could just use the excuse that your son-in-law has a bad temper and he finds out, then have him come and beat us up. Your earlier complaints were so hypocritical. The Mountain is indeed brutal, but I saw that he respected you a lot. All that talk about fighting at the slightest disagreement is just you trying to put us down."
Count Leo said, "Count Gavin was just pretending to complain, but he was actually threatening our two guests with the Mountain, wasn't he?"
Gavin blushed and swore, "If I, Gavin, had intentionally used words to intimidate or threaten the two earls..."
Before he could finish speaking, Damon held out his severed hand to Gavin: "Stop talking. My hand has been cut off by the Mountain, but that's all he could do. To be honest, I have no fear of him."
"I am not afraid of him either, but we are no match for him. Let's not slander him with accusations of rebellion. If he finds out about these outrageous things, he might cut off the Earl's left hand in a fit of rage…" Earl Gavin deliberately stopped talking and changed the subject, "I'm sorry, Earl Damon, I lost my temper."
Although Count Gavin may be cowardly when faced with big problems, he is absolutely incompetent in these matters.
Count Damon's face had turned bright red!
Count Leo felt a chill run down his spine. He didn't want to be hung up and beaten by the Mountain; the thought of being whipped in the parade ground would shatter his honor like a fallen leaf.
"Earl Gavin, please don't be so formal. Earl Damon and I were just joking. Those words are gone with the wind, and no one knows about them," Earl Leo said with a smile.
"Yes, those words have been blown away by the wind," Earl Gavin affirmed.
Earl Damon's face turned pale and then red as he said, "Earl Gavin, I must take my leave after breakfast and return to Brand City. Thank you for the Westerling family's hospitality!"
"No need to rush!" Count Leo said hastily. "Let's see how Lord Gregor's recruitment goes in four days."
Lord Gavin also urged, "Lord Damon, stay a few more days. We're both a bit uneasy because of the Mountain. Why don't you stay and see how the Mountain recruits? If no one volunteers, you can rest assured, and so can I!"
Count Damon had intended to do so, but he gave an awkward laugh, a dry and hoarse laugh: "Count Gavin, then I'll stay a few more days."
If the Mountain's relentless training of soldiers truly yields a thousand infantrymen, the Westerling family's power will surge. Among the northern nobles, this shift in power will make it impossible for others to challenge the Westerling family's dominance. Instead, the nobles will fear the Westerling family challenging their own interests.
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*
Four days later, on a night when he was awakened from his sleep by a strange sound, the rapid sound of horses' hooves and several sharp military whistles sounded outside the main castle.
The count was slightly puzzled, then closed his eyes and went back to sleep. However, another troop of cavalry rushed out from the barracks on the left side of the main castle, accompanied by loud shouts.
The count sat up, his heart filled with doubt and uncertainty. There was no doubt that something had happened in Cliff Rock City.
The count dressed and put on his hat, took the sword from the wall, and opened the door. A cacophony of noise rushed in. Outside the main castle, there was a cacophony of voices, and it was unclear how many unidentified people had arrived.
Look to the east, it's almost dawn, a wonderful time for a comfortable sleep.
Count Damon strode to the corridor of the main castle that overlooked the Great Parade Ground, where Count Gavin and Count Leo were already waiting!
Below the main castle, the area was brightly lit, and many torches were lit on both sides of the main road.
Under the torchlight, heads bobbed, an unknown number of people being led by cavalry and infantry into the drill ground. Meanwhile, on the main road leading out of the city, an endless stream of dark figures moved forward.
"What's wrong?" Count Damon asked in surprise.
"Today is the first day of conscription for three hundred men. It seems everyone's thinking the same thing; they all lined up before dawn. Sir Gregor had to use cavalry and infantry to maintain order. Ah, what a hassle!" Earl Gavin sighed with satisfaction. "One more soldier means one more person to feed, one more expense!"
Count Damon was speechless. He felt his stomach contract uncontrollably and painfully, and for no apparent reason, a wave of weakness spread throughout his body.
No one wanted to see their neighbor rise to power, and Count Damon was no exception.