The human army split into smaller units. The infantry dug pits and set wildfire traps, while the cavalry executed flanking maneuvers, continuously depleting the number of the corpses and ghosts. If it weren't for the fact that the corpses and ghosts didn't require food and were immune to toxins, humans would have devised even more tactics.
Renly's dragon, Peytvahaaz, had dragonfire that wasn't as hot as Odahviing's, but it dropped wildfire jars, destroying both the Fairmarket and the city of Grindcorn Mill.
Wright, after just one outing, systematically destroyed the Saltpans, Lord Lychester's keep, and Raventree Hall.
The king promised compensation after the war, and Wright agreed to provide commercial support and loans. Despite their sorrow, the noble families whose castles were destroyed had to abandon their homes for the greater good of all mankind.
In fact, these nobles had already made peace with the situation. With the king's and Wright's investments, they would be considered the king's direct vassals and no longer have to live under the incompetent Edmure.
After three days away, with substantial gains, Wright removed his helmet and stood atop Odahviing. The wind was cool against his face, no longer the biting cold of the North.
In the distance, he could already see the white walls of Maidenpool. The numerous hot springs inside the town made it shrouded in mist even during winter.
Wright tapped the dragon's horn. "Fly low!"
Odahviing folded his wings and plummeted, maintaining level flight at only a hundred meters above the ground. With its large wingspan, this was the lowest altitude it could maintain during normal flight.
"Ha ha, find a place to land," Wright said in good spirits.
The dragon quickly flew over Maidenpool, the winds from its wings dispersing the mist, revealing the bathers in the hot springs, both men and women, and filling the air with their screams and curses.
Maidenpool, unharmed by the war, was bustling. It grew even livelier with the army stationed outside the city. The streets were lined with shops and swarming with people. Wright didn't stay in the Mutton family's castle but instead rented the town's largest inn as his base.
He floated down to the inn's entrance, where Balon and ten of his guards had already formed a circle on the street, waiting.
Wright walked, removing his armor as he went. Each of the guards held a dry towel to catch the scorching pieces of armor. By the time he reached the inn's doors, his armor was entirely off, leaving only his sweat-soaked shirt and pants.
The onlookers, seeing there was nothing more to watch, began to disperse. Lord Wright, the artist—his whole body had been seen many times.
Wherever there were hot springs, statues followed. Wright's statue was popular in Maidenpool. Any hot spring without one was considered subpar by the customers.
Balon stopped Wright as he was about to take a bath. "Lord Wright, there's a guest from Pentos. He says he's an important guest of yours."
"A guest from Pentos?" Wright stopped and thought. He didn't have any friends in Pentos, and the Dragon Cult and the Wind Circle were both outsiders there. "Did he say his name?"
Balon shook his head. "He wouldn't say. He's dressed in foreign clothes and wrapped his head tightly. Very mysterious."
"Have the inn's cook prepare a feast, and bring him over. I'll take a bath first." Wright preferred not to meet guests smelling of sweat.
"Princess Nymeria has already made arrangements. She's chatting with the guest."
"Good, I'll be right there!" Wright jogged to the back of the inn, jumped over the wall, and landed with a splash in the adjacent hot spring.
---
"Princess, I've heard stories of Pirate King Euron from many years ago. Haha, that's how the pirates call him. We usually call him Captain Steeltooth," the guest said.
The guest was a man, with several maidservants standing by, preparing the food on the table. Nymeria was explaining the armor on the wooden mannequin.
"Euron, relying on his Valyrian steel armor and a curved sword, tried to cause trouble for my husband, but he was defeated by Wright. Euron fled with nothing but his underpants," Nymeria said proudly, dressed in a red noble's robe, her hands clasped behind her back.
The guest looked stunned, his small mustache twitching. "Really? I've been to many cities on the Essos continent, and in every tavern at the ports, the sailors say that Euron was a match for Wright, and that's why he rose so quickly in the East to become the recognized Pirate King!"
Nymeria took a fork from the table, walked over, and tapped the chest plate of the armor. The crisp sound of Valyrian steel rang out.
"Men and their egos. Does Euron go around telling people that Wright stripped him down to his underpants? He must be bragging about it everywhere!" She tapped the jagged beast-headed shoulder plate, the sound still crisp but with an obvious echo. There was something inside the beast's head.
"Inside is Euron's jawbone! Wright said it even carries a fragment of Euron's soul. So don't be fooled by his antics in the East; he's just a man with a broken soul."
Actually, Nymeria didn't fully understand the side effects of a broken soul. She had never heard of Euron going mad or acting foolish.
"I see! From what I understand, when Lord Wright made this armor, he hadn't yet mastered the art of forging Valyrian steel. To achieve such craftsmanship at that time, it truly shows he is the greatest of this age!" The guest spoke softly, continually praising Wright. Aside from his attire, his behavior and appearance were far more like a Westerosi noble than a Pantosian. He clapped his hands, and two young attendants entered the room, each carrying a long wooden box.
"Your Highness, this is a gift for our first meeting. Please, accept it." The attendants were both around ten years old, with curly brown hair and hawk-like noses, quite fitting the Pantosian appearance.
The attendants opened the box, which seemed ordinary on the outside but was filled with soft cottonwood and a layer of golden brocade. Inside the brocade lay a large red silk cloth.
The guest lifted one end of the silk and held it in front of himself. Nymeria saw that when the silk was unfurled, it was a cloak that would hang behind armor.
"This is silk from the foreign kingdom's royal family, woven from silk spun by century-old silkworms. Your Highness, please feel the texture." The guest began his praises again.
Nymeria reached out and touched it. It did seem smoother and firmer than the usual foreign silk she wore.
He turned the red cloak around and smiled, saying, "I've heard that Tyroshi nobles love single-shoulder cloaks. I found the best craftsmen to make this one, and the emblem embroidered on the back is the Martell family's sigil of the spear piercing the sun."
"Thank you, I really like it," Nymeria said as she had a servant take the box away.
Nymeria always led the charge on the battlefield, and though she carried many cloaks, they would always become torn after every battle. To her, a cloak was more of a disposable item. However, she really liked this one and planned to use it at formal events.
"We Tyroshi use single-shoulder cloaks because of the heat. A double-shoulder cloak would make your back sweat, but a single-shoulder one can be used to wipe your forehead!" Wright suddenly entered and continued the conversation.
"Wright, look, this is the cloak the guest gave me," Nymeria said, signaling for the servant to open the box and show Wright.
"Haha, our guest is very thoughtful," Wright said, patting the box to indicate the servant should put it away. He then nodded to Balon by the door, who immediately turned and left to select a suitable return gift for the guest from Wright's belongings.
Noticing the guest's height was shorter than his own, Wright motioned for him to sit, while he carefully observed him. "I still don't know your name?"
The man was only about chest height, with an ordinary build. His head was wrapped in a scarf, making it impossible to see his hair, but his gray-green eyes suggested he was in his forties. His facial scars made his smile look distorted and sinister.
"Lord Wright, my name is—"
Bang! Before he could finish, Wright slammed the table, causing the utensils to clatter loudly, startling both the guest and Nymeria.
Wright then cursed angrily, "Damn you, Varys!"
"I know Varys, but I'm not him!" The guest looked helpless.
"I know you're not Varys!" Wright pointed at his face. "You're the number one most wanted criminal in the Seven Kingdoms! Petyr Baelish!"
"It's me!" Littlefinger removed his scarf, revealing his face and the devil's mark on his forehead. At that moment, his movements were no longer calm, and his hands trembled. His expression was filled with confusion and fear. "Lord Wright, didn't you invite me here?"
Wright pointed to his chest. "I invited you?"
Nymeria, who had never seen him before, waved her hand to signal the servants to leave. Wright's safety was not a concern, and Nymeria poured herself a glass of wine, sitting at the far end of the table while she observed the well-known figure from the Seven Kingdoms.
Wright looked at Nymeria, who shrugged and spread her hands, indicating that she didn't know anything, and gave him a smirk. She probably guessed that something had gone wrong with Wright's plan, leading to this huge misunderstanding.
The Tyroshi navy had already landed in Maidenpool, so there was no need to worry about Littlefinger causing trouble. Wright steadied his emotions, not immediately turning hostile, and inquired about Littlefinger's reason for being there.
As Wright's controlled organizations infiltrated Pentos, and the demon crew that had roamed Essos and looted along the Lorne River was disbanded, Wright had previously written to Varys, asking him to deal with Littlefinger.
After considering the situation, Varys told Petyr that Wright had noticed his men had been raiding goods from other city-states and frequently harassing Pentos. He considered this a great contribution to expanding territories. Wright had persuaded the king to issue a secret amnesty for both Littlefinger and Ramsay.
Given that they had already offended too many people, the amnesty was secret at first. Wright also planned to offer them legitimate business ventures, such as cargo transport along the Lorne River. This would allow them to enter and exit Tyroshi territory under an official identity, becoming legitimate merchants.
"This Varys!" Wright didn't know what to say.
Should he praise him? The two leaders of the Demon Squad, Ramsay would continue leading the group, and Littlefinger would become a legitimate merchant. Both would continue to dominate the region around the Lorne River, one in the shadows and the other in the light. Varys's approach had effectively divided the group—those bandits would listen only to Ramsay now, and Littlefinger had completely stepped down from his leadership role.
Should he say he messed it up? Wright had clearly ordered Littlefinger to be killed, but Varys had talked him into it, getting Littlefinger to bring a few attendants to Maidenpool. If Wright wanted to kill him or make him pay, he could have done it himself, no need to make it so convenient.
Wright stared at Baelish. "Littlefinger, do you really trust what Varys says?"
Baelish forced out a wretched smile. "I trust Lord Wright!"
"Balon! Come in!"
Wright shouted at the door, then fell silent. Baelish didn't dare to speak, not even daring to wipe the sweat running down his face.
"Lord Wright!" Balon, who had been standing nearby, entered with the gift box for the guest.
"Place the box here, and lock this man up in the dungeon!" Wright pointed at Littlefinger.
Balon moved swiftly without questioning who the man was. He placed the box on the table, then immediately lunged at Littlefinger with both hands.
Littlefinger, who was small in stature, was no match for Balon's imposing figure. Without even drawing his weapon, a few punches sent him to the ground. Balon quickly grabbed his arms and hoisted him up.
Having lived through years of danger, Littlefinger regained consciousness by the time they reached the door. He shouted desperately: "Lord Wright! I've done dirty work for the King! I've expanded the Kingdom's borders! My merits are enough to atone for my sins!"
"Balon! Gag him!"
Wright shouted again. Balon grabbed a handful of dirt from a flowerpot in the corridor and shoved it into Littlefinger's mouth.
"What is this?" After watching the scene unfold, Nymeria noticed a black clump on the floor. She nudged it with her foot, but it wouldn't budge.
Wright glanced down. "It's Littlefinger's fake beard!"
---
Several key strongholds of the human alliance: Maidenpool on the east, Riverrun on the west, Harrenhal in the center, and King's Landing as an important supply center.
After handling military affairs in Harrenhal, Renly took some time to ride his dragon back to Red Keep.
He was nearly falling asleep in the bath when Queen Margaery and a maid holding a fruit platter walked in.
"Leave us," Margaery instructed the maid, who placed the platter by Renly.
Margaery was always polite to those around her, even the servants. Regardless of how she acted privately, in public she maintained a perfect image, and the guards and maids at Red Keep treated her with the utmost respect.
Margaery stroked Renly's hair from behind. "Why did you cut your hair so short again? Are you Wright or Renly?"
Renly closed his eyes, enjoying Margaery's touch. "If I were Wright, you'd be soaking in the water right now."
Margaery continued to gently massage his head. "My brother and the members of the Hand of the King's family have clashed. How did you handle it?"
Renly replied slowly, "I handled it according to military law. The knights of House Rowan were beheaded in public, and so were the knights of House Tyrell."
Margaery frowned. "Everyone in King's Landing is talking about it. House Rowan's people shouldn't use the excuse of losing the Vampire War years ago to ignore Willas orders!"
"Margaery, was it Lord Mace who sent you?" Renly, still submerged in the hot water, didn't open his eyes. "Not speaking means you're agreeing with me. You've completed your mission now. Go back and tell your father to control his house's knights, and keep family feuds off the battlefield. This time, it's just a warning. Next time, even Willas won't be able to escape punishment!"
"Renly, war has changed you," Margaery said, a little dismayed. She felt that the Renly she knew didn't have such a cold heart. Only Wright would do something so ruthless.
"If we lose the war, here!" Renly opened his eyes, pointing at the ceiling. "The Night King will sit on the Iron Throne and watch our corpses dance for him!"
The door to the bath opened, and a few guards, with their backs turned to the door, entered. One maid carrying several letters walked up to Renly. "Your Majesty, urgent military news. The letters are from Maidenpool."
"It must be from Wright," Margaery said, knowing that Wright had stationed troops there.
Renly opened the letter, his face showing confusion as he stood up from the water. "Wright wants me to go to the Isle of Faces in the middle of the God's Eye!"