Chapter 172: Assassin Strike, Serpent Shadows Beneath the Moon
The Vale, the Bloody Gate, Great Hall
Ever since entering the Vale, Jon had never intended to govern the region according to the old ways. The Vale was a secluded corner, yet its land-based military strength was among the top tier in the Seven Kingdoms.
Were it not for the constraints of the Mountain Clans and population limits, its power could even rank in the top three; of course, dragging them out to crush the Riverlands would still be quite easy.
The reason Jon had specifically made a trip to the Mountains of the Moon was for these Mountain Clans. The North could live in peace with the mountain clansmen because they shared a common faith in the Old Gods, and House Stark had never treated those mountain clansmen as mere savages.
What these Mountain Clans sought was simply land and food. Therefore, if Jon wanted their loyalty, he had to provide those things.
To rule a place well, besides having great strength, balancing various factions is a necessary condition. Now, with the addition of these clan warriors and the interference of merchant interests, the political landscape would shift into a tripartite balance of power.
"His Majesty Aegon is right. Our two sides have fought for thousands of years; it is indeed time for a change."
Yohn Royce was clearly swayed by Jon's rhetoric. Well, since the occupied lands had nothing to do with him, he seemed quite normal and under very little pressure when saying this.
"His Majesty Aegon is a god descended to the world. We shall follow the guidance of the Old Gods and help him govern this kingdom well."
Timett's words followed immediately after Yohn Royce's, leaving the other Vale lords momentarily unsure of how to argue back.
"The new policies will continue to be implemented. As I said in Gulltown, the Seven Kingdoms are my territory, and I will not allow them to remain in constant warfare as before."
Seeing that the debate had concluded, Jon's words reached everyone's ears in a timely manner.
"I will do my utmost to ensure that everyone has bread and goat's milk. The extraordinary abilities the gods bestowed upon me are for saving the people, not for using this power to play a meaningless game of thrones here."
"Long live His Majesty Aegon!"
"Long live the true dragon!"
"Long live House Targaryen!"
...Upon hearing Jon's oath, everyone present grew excited. This was especially true for Timett and the other Mountain Clan warriors; their greatest reliance was Jon. If he were like those Vale lords, they would have no hope left.
After the day's bustle ended, night finally descended upon the fortress of the Bloody Gate. A silent darkness shrouded the entire fortress like a black cloth.
At that moment, in the direction of the stables at the rear of the Bloody Gate, a raging fire rapidly spread, devouring everything around it. The flames were like greedy pythons, cruelly consuming everything in their path.
"Put out the fire!"
"Get up, you little brats!"
"Quick, quick, quick..."
...Amidst the panicked shouts of the crowd, chaos erupted like a volcano. Soldiers who had just run out of their camps scrambled in all directions, with screams and cries for help rising one after another.
The soldiers stationed nearby rushed to grab whatever was at hand to try and extinguish the fire, but the blaze was too fierce to control. Smoke filled the air, and the entire stable seemed thick with a pungent odor that made those nearby feel as if they were suffocating.
Although the soldiers stationed outside noticed the situation, they remained at their posts on the perimeter of the Bloody Gate under the orders of the nobles and officers.
This was an order issued from the start: unless they received a command to fight, they were under no circumstances to move inward, to avoid being caught in an enemy ambush.
Jon knew very well the terrible consequences of a night raid in such an era. Due to the unique nature of the Bloody Gate, he had specifically established two large camps on the outer perimeter toward the Eyrie to prevent an attack from the rear.
It was only because of these prior arrangements that such a sudden situation didn't lead to a full-scale camp panic.
In the midst of this chaos, several dark figures silently approached the walls on both sides of the central keep. They were agile and light-footed, as if merging with the night itself.
Since it was night, the gates to the fortresses on both sides were tightly closed, but this was no problem for them.
These fellows skillfully produced various climbing tools and then used the gaps between the stones to quickly scale the walls.
Because the rear of the Bloody Gate had never been designed with the expectation of an invasion, its construction wasn't as meticulous as the front. The fifteen-meter-high tower fort was soon infiltrated by these men.
The Bloody Gate was somewhat like a key with an opening in the middle; the front was the incredibly sturdy Bloody Gate itself, while the rear consisted of two integrated castles that served as both passages and barracks.
These men were all dressed in uniform black cloaks. Under the cover of shadows, they quickly blended into their surroundings.
"Clack... tap, tap, tap..."
Amidst rhythmic metallic clanking, a group of dark figures approached from a distant tower. Their pace was perfectly synchronized, as if they had trained for a long time.
"Prepare to move!"
The assassins, who had remained silent until now, finally reacted. Their leader seemed to have sensed something; his alertness was extremely high, and he remained constantly sensitive to his environment.
He noticed that the figures walking toward them didn't seem to be breathing. Recalling certain rumors about their target, a sense of alarm rose in his heart.
"Clack..."
As the sounds drew closer, a thin layer of sweat appeared on his palms. He had decided that no matter what the opponent was, he had to eliminate them quickly, or their mission would fail.
"Prepare to attack!"
After whispering the command, the assassin leader quietly led his men toward the dark figures. Their movements were light and agile, without making a sound.
Just then, the sound of armor and weapons clashing reached the leader's ears. He knew the enemy was very close.
"Clack..."
"Shing, shing..."
At that moment, the rhythmic sounds seemed to stop, quickly followed by the sound of swords being unsheathed.
Realizing his group might have been exposed, the assassin leader immediately ordered his subordinates to attack.
"Slash..."
"Ugh... what is this thing?"
"Mon... monster!"
...Amidst cries of inexplicable horror, the assassins discovered that they weren't attacking humans, but skeletons.
While they were momentarily dazed, the skeletons launched an attack. Broken or jagged longswords easily pierced the unarmored bodies of three assassins.
"Go for their heads!"
Using his superior combat skills, the assassin leader managed to knock off a skeleton's head during the chaos. The skeleton he had found so terrifying crumbled into several pieces.
Ignoring the risk of further exposure, the leader shouted to his remaining men. The assassins quickly found the weakness and eliminated the terrifying creatures.
"Move quickly, we may have been exposed!"
After a quick headcount, the assassin leader urgently commanded those around him.
The assassins quickly ran toward the castle tower on the north side. That was Jon's temporary residence. Because of the distraction they had caused, there were few guards left; now was their chance.
"Hiss, hiss, hiss..."
As the assassins drew near the tower where Jon was staying, a series of strange hissing sounds reached their ears.
"Quick, quick, quick..."
Sensing that things might be going south, the assassin leader shouted again. They were equipped with special wrist crossbows loaded with poisoned bolts capable of killing a knight instantly.
They only needed this one chance. As long as they spotted the target and fired a concentrated volley, even a dragon would be poisoned to death instantly.
"Whir, whir, whir..."
As the assassins rushed forward, a series of strange noises came from the walls around them. Immediately after, the assassins felt their bodies stiffen, followed by a sensation of being drained of strength.
"Crack..."
"Wha—what is this?!"
"My foot..."
"My hand..."
...While the assassins were terrified by this horrific situation, several terrifying creatures slithering like snakes appeared beneath the moonlight.
Their bodies had undergone various degrees of petrification. Because they had been moving fast, their bodies simply collapsed to the ground due to the sudden stiffness.
Soon, these fellows were captured by the terrifying monsters under Jon's command. To prevent them from committing suicide, the intelligent Gorgons directly cast petrification magic on their necks, turning them into living statues.
Thus, when the patrolling soldiers arrived the next morning, they only saw the corpses of three slain assassins; nothing else remained.
As for the assassins who came to kill Jon, after he finished questioning them, they were handed over to the Gorgons. These beautiful yet wicked creatures were somewhat like vampires, draining the blood of living beings to replenish the power required for their petrification magic.
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