"I thought our Lannister Lion was something really special?" Mufasa remarked sarcastically.
Seeing his son dare to speak to him with such sarcasm, Jaime gritted his teeth.
"Today, we'll go straight to sparring! Mufasa, I'll show you the power of a top-tier knight."
Jaime Lannister immediately led Mufasa to the training grounds set up for simulated tourneys.
A long, extended barrier made of bamboo poles separated the two riders.
They had to ride toward each other and use their lances to either knock the opponent down or unseat them entirely. The winner would advance to the next round.
The last person remaining on horseback would be the champion.
"Come on, you brat, watch me teach you a lesson!" Jaime took the lance and shield from the attendant and looked at Mufasa with a challenging gaze.
Mufasa, meanwhile, put on his helmet. He knew he had to be cautious competing against Jaime; after all, Jaime was the only man who had dared to ride a horse straight toward a dragon!
"Charge!"
Jaime charged forward, like a lion on the hunt.
Although Mufasa's horse was as tall as Jaime's, his own height and arm reach were no match for his father's.
Therefore, in the very first pass, Jaime knocked him off his horse. He landed on his back, sustaining no serious injuries.
Mufasa got up, removed his helmet, and looked at Jaime, who was laughing heartily from atop his horse.
"Do you understand your father's power now?"
This was the first time Jaime had openly acknowledged being Mufasa's father in front of him.
"Old man, you're already over thirty years old. Do you still think you're invincible?" Mufasa challenged defiantly.
"I see you're still defiant. If you're not convinced, then keep coming! I'll beat you until you yield." Jaime's mouth curved upward, forming a razor-sharp smile.
"Bring it on, who's afraid of who?"
That day, Mufasa sparred with Jaime all afternoon, and ultimately, he had to be carried home.
He was sore all over; although he had no broken bones, bruises were inevitable.
Fortunately, Mufasa's fierce determination earned him many Popularity Points from the soldiers of House Lannister.
Combined with the rumors secretly circulating that he would participate in the upcoming tourney, Mufasa's Popularity Points had now reached 980.
"It's time for the exciting part again. Let the lottery begin! Spin!"
The wheel began to spin rapidly, and Mufasa called for it to stop after five breaths.
The pointer stopped on a kitten.
"Maneki-Neko (Lucky Cat): Can bring fortune and wealth to its owner."
An orange and white cat appeared on Mufasa's bed.
"Bringing fortune—you'll definitely be useful later on. I'll give you a name. Let's call you Kate!"
"Meow, meow, meow!" Kate nestled into Mufasa's blanket and promptly fell asleep.
"I still have 880 points. Let's do an eight-in-a-row draw."
The wheel spun again. After eight draws, Mufasa obtained the following items.
One hundred Gold Dragons (one draw), one thousand Silver Stags (one draw), two books (two draws), three necklaces (three draws), and one heart-guard breastplate (one draw).
The Gold Dragons and Silver Stags go without saying; they are merely the common currency of the continent of Westeros.
The two books were both language textbooks.
One was Valyrian and the other was Dothraki. Both included translations into the Westerosi Common Tongue, along with syllabic and phonetic annotations.
"Learning two extra languages is certainly beneficial. While I'm not sure if I can pronounce them correctly, even if I can't, I can always consult Grand Maester Pycelle!" Mufasa mused.
The three necklaces were a Valyrian steel necklace, a ruby necklace, and a sapphire necklace.
The final item, the heart-guard, was crafted from a special metal. It consisted of two pieces, one to cover the chest over the heart and one for the back. The material was very hard and extremely light. Mufasa was unsure if it was made of Valyrian steel.
After all, heart-guards didn't seem to be a popular item in this world!
Over the following days, Mufasa trained relentlessly with Jaime in the simulated arena. Sometimes Joffrey and Myrcella would also come to watch his practice.
Whenever Mufasa was harshly thrown to the ground, kicking up dust, Myrcella would show an expression of worry and fear.
"If you're worried, just say so! Ask Uncle Jaime to lighten up? He dotes on you the most!" Joffrey said, looking at Myrcella with amusement.
Myrcella had liked following Mufasa, her cousin, around since she was a child.
Because Joffrey had been too mischievous when he was little, if Mufasa hadn't been there to hold him back, Joffrey really might have committed some heinous act.
"Brother Mufasa will definitely become the champion of the tourney. If he wins, will he crown me the Queen of Love and Beauty?" Myrcella drifted into her own fantasy.
Mufasa was once again knocked off his horse by Jaime, but this time he landed headfirst, twisting his neck—though it wasn't broken.
"Brother Mufasa!"
Seeing this, Myrcella immediately rushed onto the training ground, and Joffrey and Jaime quickly hurried over as well.
"Are you alright, Brother Mufasa?"
Myrcella asked, her voice laced with tears.
"Are you alright, Mufasa? I used too much force just now!" Jaime asked, sounding somewhat frightened.
Because Mufasa's skill had improved so rapidly over the past few days, Jaime couldn't resist using his full strength just once. Consequently, Mufasa nearly broke his neck.
"I'm fine. I'm still alive!"
Mufasa struggled to pull off the deformed helmet, revealing a bloody face. His head had been split open. Two streaks of blood ran down his cheek and along his nose, dripping toward his neck.
"Quick, call a maester! Mufasa! You must be alright!"
Even Joffrey looked frightened; it was the first time he had seen someone bleed so badly.
Finally, Mufasa was taken to Grand Maester Pycelle for treatment.
Grand Maester Pycelle was already over ninety, making him one of the oldest maesters alive.
However, his skill had not diminished. He stopped Mufasa's bleeding and bandaged the wound.
"Mufasa, you didn't lose much blood, and the cut is minor, but your cervical spine may have suffered a shock. I advise you not to train for the next few days, and it would be best if you skipped the tourney altogether!"
Out of professional duty, Grand Maester Pycelle offered his advice.
"Thank you for treating me, Grand Maester, but I will still participate in the tourney. If you wish to help me, please spread the word that I am competing while injured! I would be extremely grateful!"
Although he didn't know why Mufasa would make such a strange request, Pycelle did as Mufasa asked.
Before Mufasa went to sleep that night, he first fed Kate some dried fish, then checked his data.
"Name: Mufasa Lannister"
"Identity: Grandson of Tywin Lannister, Warden of the West; Biological Son of Jaime Lannister, the Kingslayer; Adopted Son of Tyrion Lannister, the Imp."
"Occupation: Quasi-Knight"
"Strength: 10"
"Speed: 10"
"Intelligence: 10"
"Spirit: 10"
"Magic Power: 10"
"Talent: Warg"
"Popularity Points: 800"
"It seems taking a beating really does help. The more I spar, the faster I improve. Now my strength and speed have reached the peak limit of an ordinary adult."
"Tomorrow is the tourney. I still have eight hundred Popularity Points. I should use them all!"
Before Mufasa started the draw, he held up the Maneki-Neko, Kate, and bowed to the Seven Gods.
"May the Seven Gods bless me, may the Lord of Light bless me! I must draw something good!"
The wheel slowly turned, then gradually sped up. After ten breaths, Mufasa called for it to stop.
The final eight draws yielded the following eight items.
Five hundred Gold Dragons (one draw), five thousand Silver Stags (one draw), one Scripture of the Red God (one draw), one Scripture of the Seven (one draw), one Fire Sorcerer's Manual (one draw), one Water Sorcerer's Manual (one draw), one Shadow Sorcerer's Manual (one draw), and one Blood-Sweating Horse (one draw).
The first two were Gold Dragons and Silver Stags, the same as the last draw, only in larger quantities.
The Scripture of the Red God and the Scripture of the Seven were just ordinary books. Every septon possessed a copy of the Scripture of the Seven, making it common and useless. As for the Scripture of the Red God, it was written in Asshai'i, which Mufasa could not read.
However, the next three items—the Fire Sorcerer's, Water Sorcerer's, and Shadow Sorcerer's Manuals—were different. Only those with Magic Power could harness the strength of fire, water, and shadow.
But Mufasa only had ten Magic Power points, which was insufficient for him to master magic on his own. Nevertheless, he kept the manuals for future use.
The final item, the Blood-Sweating Horse, was the biggest surprise of all.
It was currently just outside Mufasa's door, its neighing sounding as if it were calling Mufasa to come out.
Mufasa immediately dressed and stepped outside, where he saw a horse eight feet tall, entirely red, and utterly majestic.
"A Horse King! This is absolutely a Horse King! Hahaha, with this, my chances of winning tomorrow are much more secure!" Mufasa happily patted the Blood-Sweating Horse's mane. He then leaped onto its back.
"Hah!"