In the heavy breathing of Rain and Snowball, Joffrey opened his eyes in the darkness.
It was time for the truth to be revealed.
"Begin the operation," The Hound heard Prince Joffrey's voice say.
The Hound silently climbed out of bed, put on his armor, strapped on his sword, and pushed open the creaking wooden door of the inn room, reeking of alcohol.
The narrow corridor, where you couldn't see your hand in front of your face, was filled with the putrid smell of drunkenness and vomit. From various rooms came abrupt, meaningless roars and shouts, all from incorrigible drunkards.
Thump~ Clank~ Creak~
The Hound tried his best to tread lightly, but the stairs leading down to the first-floor tavern were more fragile than an old man's waist. Every step made one worry about how much longer they could hold up.
Fortunately, he finally made it down safely.
"Hey!" He nudged the young attendant who was sleeping like a dead pig behind the bar.
"I'm going out on business, hurry up and open that damn door! Are you supposed to be guarding the door like this?!"
The attendant used all his strength to barely open his eyelids.
This small tavern wasn't prosperous enough to stay open all night. Like most of King's Landing, it rested in the darkness.
Click. The iron lock on the main door was smoothly undone.
"Have a safe journey, sir, and be sure not to get caught by the patrolling Gold Cloaks."
The attendant, whose sweet dreams had been disturbed, didn't dare to directly curse the fierce-looking strong man, so he could only vent his resentment indirectly.
According to the King's law, no pedestrians were allowed in King's Landing at night. Although the night patrol Gold Cloaks were few in number and often lazy, if caught by these greedy Wild Dogs, getting off with just a layer of skin peeled off would be getting off lightly.
The Hound couldn't be bothered to argue with this little thing and strode into the cool air. Damn it, there was still the stench of living people.
He discerned the direction and headed straight for the Dragon Gate, where the Gold Cloaks' barracks were located.
Today's task was heavy, but he knew he had become much, much stronger, while these Gold Cloaks were only good at bullying people. As for fighting with real knives and swords? The Mountain alone could make them all cry for their mothers.
Why was he thinking about that guy again? The Hound irritably shook his head, but still couldn't control his active thoughts.
Now, he's probably no match for me.
The Hound turned into an alleyway.
A small figure in the shadows followed dozens of steps behind but didn't find the tall target.
Swish~
The short dark figure subconsciously blinked, then belatedly covered his bleeding throat. He couldn't move at all, only watching the target ahead become smaller and smaller, darker and darker...
The Hound thought this might be a "Little Bird". The Spider was good at finding orphans who weren't afraid of death. Damn it.
A few months ago, The Hound couldn't have guaranteed that he would discover the mouse behind him, but now it was different. He had the power of Fire and light, the wonderful Magic Energy, and a mental strength that surpassed his physical body.
He even felt he could kill all seven hundred Gold Cloaks stationed at the Dragon Gate.
It just depended on whether these pieces of trash were smart enough.
Blocked ahead were a thin man and seven mercenaries with shining blades. The Hound stopped.
Again?
The Hound didn't waste any more time than he had before.
He stepped over the steaming, semi-dried bloodstains and charred remains and continued forward. Damn it, there was a hint of meat, but even more of a disgusting stench, just like that time when he was a child.
He decided it was better to use Fire as little as possible.
After dealing with a few more waves of mice, when the sky above began to show a faint blue hue, The Hound finally arrived at the main gate of the Gold Cloaks' barracks.
The unextinguished bonfires allowed him to see the world within dozens of meters with his naked eyes.
But The Hound had a better "eye".
Just like before, the gate was tightly shut, the solid, tall stone wall had no openings, and the wall, wide enough for two horses to walk side by side, was equipped with guard posts, a dozen large crossbows, and countless firing slits.
An inconspicuous man quietly appeared beside The Hound.
Just a few breaths later.
The seven Gold Cloaks in the guard posts walked out, descended the stairs along the wall without a word, getting closer and closer to the gate.
The plan seemed to be going very smoothly.
But through the stone wall, The Hound saw the three Gold Cloaks walking behind drawing their Daggers.
"Damn it!"
The Hound cursed, simply drew two short knives and stuck them into the stone wall, pulling himself up the wall one knife at a time.
As soon as he climbed up, he jumped down without thinking, landing right in a pool of fresh blood.
The three traitors had finished off their companions.
The Hound drew his Longsword.
The three trembled simultaneously, "Enemy attack! Someone..."
His head was already flying.
"Brothers, wake up quickly, save..."
"Spare..."
The gate fell silent, but the entire military camp gradually grew noisier.
The Hound forcefully pulled open the gate.
The man immediately rushed in, "Don't be impulsive, guard the gate and don't let anyone slip away. I'll help you distinguish between enemies and allies."
The Hound grinned, "That's all nonsense! You think I don't understand?"
The military camp was now completely chaotic.
This was the smaller of the two Gold Cloaks' military camps, with about seven hundred men.
The camp's steward was only responsible for logistics. The seven Centurions were not subordinate to each other, and beneath them were eighty-one Squad Leaders and over six hundred Soldiers. It was a mixed bag, with countless shady dealings and corruption.
The atmosphere in the camp had been subtly strange these past few days. The smart ones had long since not dared to sleep soundly, fearing death in their dreams.
Now, it had indeed come true.
The officers and Soldiers who had received orders from the Royal Family and the Lannisters made the first move. However, those who had been coerced and bribed by the Spider and the Mockingbird's factions were also well-prepared.
Both sides erupted almost simultaneously, and those who were unaware suffered the heaviest casualties.
The sounds of clashing swords and painful screams rose and fell. Bonfires tipped over and spread, and figures ran back and forth, making it seem almost like a battlefield with two armies facing off.
The Hound heard the man beside him, his voice full of worry and panic.
"It shouldn't be like this. Our people are much more numerous than the rebels. Five of the seven Centurions are our own, and one isn't an enemy either. How could this happen?"
The Hound snorted.
"What else could it be? You've been played! In my opinion, only by showing these greedy bastards our swords will they obediently listen!"
The Hound wasn't panicked.
There were no other passages out of the camp. As long as they guarded the gate and killed a few to establish dominance, were the Gold Cloaks still going to dare to bare their teeth?
After an unknown amount of time, the vast military camp was finally left with only the crackling sound of burning wood.
Officers adorned with four golden discs on their black breastplates walked over. Behind them were over a hundred Soldiers in black armor and gold cloaks, holding spears.
"Hound, quickly clear the way. There's trouble in the Red Keep, we must rush to support immediately!"
The leading officer looked impassioned, as if he were the righteous party. Speaking of which, in a coup, where was the righteousness?
The Hound sighed. He still needed to use fire.
"Long live the King!" The Hound raised his Longsword high. The dense Magic Energy blinded everyone's eyes. "Fight for the King!"
He charged towards the army in front, who were covering their eyes, weeping, and wailing.
Flames burned fiercely.
Like a Lava Hell.
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