"I can't complete the task, Father," Gregor said coolly.
He was eager to use this opportunity to expand his forces. He didn't need five hundred cavalry, three hundred would suffice. And since the order came directly from Lord Tywin, it would be perfectly legitimate. No need to worry about criticism from the other nobles.
Besides, war would break out in less than a year.
Still, stalling for now seemed more appropriate.
"You find your own funding. I'll give you the men," Lord Tywin replied coldly. He had just paid the witch seven hundred gold dragons.
No bannerman dared to defy Tywin Lannister's commands, except Gregor Clegane.
"And what men are you giving me, Father?" Gregor asked, tone firm. "The Casterly Rock Honor Guard? The city garrison? I refuse."
What, help train Tywin's personal guard? Absolutely not. After all his hard work, Tywin could simply recall them with a word. If he was going to train an elite cavalry force, it had to be made up of his own men, men who bore the name Clegane.
Tywin's expression grew colder. "I'll grant you an additional hundred households."
"A hundred households won't generate much tax revenue," Gregor said flatly. "Not to mention recruitment would be limited. Common peasants can't handle high-intensity training."
A hundred households? That was a pauper's gift. Lord Auren of Lannisport ruled over more than ten thousand.
The maester, knights, centurions, and even Ser Kevan all watched Gregor with cold eyes.
Kevan had never liked Gregor, much less a Gregor commanding troops of his own. The stronger Gregor became, the more hostility Kevan felt. He could never bring himself to trust the man, never mind like him.
You couldn't let a wild beast sharpen its claws too much. If it broke loose, it would tear people apart.
Especially now, in peacetime, when the king was Tywin's son-in-law, the queen his daughter, and the royal household entirely surrounded by Lannisters. With their high standing and wealth, there was no need to strengthen a monster like Gregor.
Because wild beasts bite.
But Tywin clearly didn't think that way.
Kevan felt Tywin had lost direction lately, perhaps because of all of Gregor's inventions. A nagging sense told him Tywin was preparing for war.
The thought seemed absurd to Kevan.
Who knew what the Lord and that witch whispered about behind closed doors? Frankly, that charlatan should've been executed long ago.
Tywin stared coldly at Gregor. "Qyburn has regrouped his former men in Lannisport. He'll have at least a thousand."
Kevan began, "My lord, Ser Gregor, "
But one sharp look from Tywin silenced him instantly.
"Father, Qyburn is gathering his old troops to form the Clegane Mercenaries. It's a business venture. The five hundred cavalry I'm training for our house are professional soldiers. They produce nothing, they require two horses per man. That's a thousand horses. And without a war, we can't sustain them through plunder. I'm sorry, Father, but I can't carry out your order."
No war?
Tywin already knew from the witch's mouth: war was coming, and soon.
Of course, Gregor also wanted five hundred cavalry. But at the moment, the burden would be too great. He still needed to hoard gold dragons for emergencies.
So he would start with a hundred cavalry, a special force within a special forces unit.
Back in China before he crossed over, a regular soldier earned two thousand yuan a month. Special forces earned four. Elite commandos earned over ten. His goal was to train that elite unit. A hundred hand-picked men, highly skilled, highly disciplined, highly lethal. When war came, they'd handle scouting, raids, mobility, and close protection. For that, a hundred was just right.
In battlefield assaults, they'd be the tip of the spear, and he, the point of that tip.
Yes, five hundred would be even better. But that meant far more than just four hundred more gold dragons in monthly pay. It meant eight hundred more horses. More fodder, more food, more armor, weapons, cloaks, tents, everything.
Though he was secretly minting gold dragons, mass production hadn't begun. And Tywin took the lion's share anyway.
"I want you to complete the task," Tywin said, staring him down. "What support do you need? Speak."
The Lord had made up his mind: a shock force of elite cavalry must be created, and Gregor was the only one who could do it.
When war came, Tywin planned to strike before the enemy had time to breathe. The Westerlands would land a crushing blow.
Kevan glanced at Maester Harry, silently pleading with him to remind the Lord this was peacetime. Raising a monster like Gregor was dangerous. If he succeeded in training five hundred such cavalry, his power could rival the Four Great Houses of the Westerlands.
If Gregor's cruelty and bloodlust ever went unchecked, and he had the military strength to back it up, it would be catastrophic. If he killed a few nobles, it could plunge the entire Westerlands into chaos.
But Maester Harry didn't even acknowledge Kevan's look.
Gregor hesitated briefly. He did want to expand his forces. Like Tywin, he knew war was less than a year away. Time for the Westerlands to prepare was running out. And given his infamy and long list of enemies, he needed military strength, fast.
Since he personally oversaw the illegal minting of gold dragons, skimming a bit off the top wouldn't be a problem. Tywin knew how expensive soldiers were. And since this was his order, why pretend to be reluctant?
"Very well, Father. I want to select my own soldiers."
"Approved."
"I want access to the prisons of all the major Westerland houses. If that's not enough, then give me serious offenders, especially those with mercenary backgrounds or swordsmanship skills. But ultimately, my captains will decide who gets chosen."
This time, Tywin didn't even speak. He simply nodded.
"After screening, however many we end up with is how many we'll train. No cap at five hundred."
"Hmph," Tywin snorted through his nose.
Tywin Lannister's political prowess was something Gregor genuinely admired. Policies that other Lords would debate for days, Tywin enacted instantly. When he saw Gregor's redesigned armor and shields, he gave the order without hesitation, and ravens were sent out that same hour. Not a second of doubt or delay.
In all the historical records Gregor could recall, he had never read about anyone so decisive, so ruthless, so efficient.
Tywin Lannister's absolute authority, iron will, cold pragmatism, and piercing insight made him a rare breed, a born statesman.
Still, no matter how brilliant, he was bound by the limitations of his age. Compared to Gregor, his strategic vision, cultural understanding, foresight, and grasp of global trends all fell short.
In his memory of Earth's history, the warlord Cao Cao had ruled the Han emperor to command the lords.
And now, Gregor Clegane followed that same model,
In the world of Ice and Fire, he would use the witch to drive Tywin.
⚔────────
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