Roman knew Cersei was a foolish and crazy woman, but he didn't expect her stupidity to have no bottom line.
"Ser Roman, we are here on the Queen's orders to invite you to The Red Keep for a conversation."
Looking at the dozens of ill-intentioned Gold Cloaks in front of him, Roman felt a headache coming on.
Originally, Roman had obtained Robert's permission before coming, and he was also troubled by the slums outside King's Landing; Roman needed them, so it worked out perfectly for him.
As a result, just after Roman came down from Blackwater Rush, Cersei's people arrived.
"May I ask what the Queen wants with me?" Roman asked, restraining his patience.
"We don't know. The Queen only told us to invite you over; she didn't say anything else."
Roman understood immediately: "It seems that woman Cersei is having one of her fits. Is it because of Jaime? I only punched him once, and he wasn't even injured. Was it really necessary?"
In fact, Roman knew clearly that when Cersei was a young girl, she had acted on a girl's whim, casually asking, "When can I marry Jaime?", and then had her killed.
Roman had now knocked Jaime unconscious with one punch; how could that stupid woman let it go?
"Apologies, I have urgent matters to attend to. Please tell the Queen that I cannot accept the invitation, but I will definitely visit to apologize in the future."
Roman's attitude was sincere, but the Gold Cloaks were likely used to being overbearing, or perhaps they thought Roman was easy to bully, as they took a step forward.
"That's not up to you!"
But before the Gold Cloaks could act, the Guard from Harrenhal, having received a gesture from Roman, instantly rushed out and surrounded the City Watch.
These soldiers were the personal Guard specially trained by Old Jessy according to Roman's instructions.
They were all strong and sturdy, wearing full suits of infantry armor. The matte silver armor plates were thick and uniform, and even the eye slits had protective plates, standing together like silver iron towers.
The personal Guard formed battle formations in squads, with shields and blades in front, long spears covering them from behind, and soldiers with heavy crossbows standing by in firing positions.
They might be okay at bullying civilians, but it was impossible for them to duel with such well-trained soldiers.
Roman's personal soldiers stared fixedly at the Gold Cloaks; at their lord's command, they would immediately tear the enemies before them to shreds.
The Gold Cloaks were covered in cold sweat, but they still did not back down; instead, they stiffened their necks and looked at Roman.
They postured in a way that seemed to say, "You wouldn't dare kill me."
Seeing this, Roman thought to himself: "Tsk, Cersei is stupid and evil, but why does she always manage to find a group of people loyal to her? Could she have some redeeming quality in this regard?"
"It couldn't possibly be that she seduces these guys with her body, right?"
While pondering, Roman took out his massive warhammer, which was as tall as a man.
He used only his right hand to swing the warhammer three times, drawing several beautiful arcs in the air.
The Gold Cloaks finally reacted; their previous vigilance against the personal Guard turned entirely into fear.
With the display Roman had just shown, if they dared to make a move, they would be turned into meat paste in a moment.
Just as the Gold Cloaks were preparing to retreat, a loud, resonant roar came from afar.
"What are you doing?!"
Roman looked up and saw Ser Barristan approaching with another squad of Gold Cloaks.
At this moment, Ser Barristan looked more spirited than he had a few months ago; his hair was shaved short, and his beard was trimmed.
The skin on his face was aged but determined; just standing there gave people a sense of immense pressure.
Seeing Old Barristan arrive, Roman quickly ordered his men to put away their weapons and informed the other party of what had happened.
Hearing this, Ser Barristan's eyes narrowed slightly: "Do you dare to arrest people at will without the King's order? Is this City Watch under the control of the iron throne or House Lannister?"
Facing this legend, Ser Barristan, the Gold Cloaks no longer had the courage to trouble Roman. They apologized one after another and then, under everyone's gaze, went to accept their punishment.
Only then did the men from Harrenhal breathe a sigh of relief. Roman wasn't afraid of a fight—they would surely win—but it would be endless trouble afterward.
Roman stuck his warhammer into the ground and thanked Ser Barristan: "Thank you for your help, Ser Barristan. How did you think to come here?"
"My Lord, His Majesty asked me to come and assist you in transporting the commoners, but I didn't expect this to happen. This is my oversight."
"No need to blame yourself! This is not your responsibility; after all, there are always people who don't follow the rules."
Ser Barristan knew exactly who Roman was talking about.
He had no affection for either Robert or House Lannister.
Robert was still being protected by Ser Barristan dutifully because of the lord-subject relationship and the fact that Robert had spared his life.
But House Lannister was a different story: Tywin's betrayal, Cersei's stupidity, Jaime's kingslaying and oath-breaking.
These most powerful lions were not good people, and Ser Barristan also looked impatient whenever he mentioned them.
Taking advantage of Ser Barristan's presence, Roman invited him to spar.
Ser Barristan couldn't refuse and agreed: "Let's keep it light, my Lord."
Roman nodded happily, and then the two set their stances. Unlike the last sparring session, this time both were in full armor, engaging in a real fight with real weapons.
As the whistle blew, Roman began to exert force.
He didn't rush in instantly like he had against Jaime, but deliberately kept his distance.
Firstly, he didn't want to hurt Ser Barristan, and secondly, he needed to Guard against Ser Barristan's follow-up moves.
Sure enough, Ser Barristan didn't arrogantly force a head-on collision like Jaime; instead, he quickly retreated to open up space.
Although Roman's warhammer was long, it was nowhere near as long as the great spears used in battle formations; for combat, he still had to get close.
Ser Barristan knew he couldn't beat Roman in raw strength, so he used footwork to widen the gap, forcing Roman to attack and reveal a flaw.
But Roman was no longer the green lad he once was; he swung his hammer with restraint, never giving Ser Barristan an opening.
The two feinted and probed for quite a while; Roman's giant hammer swung like a light sword, while Ser Barristan's longsword and shield were perfectly coordinated.
The surrounding Harrenhal soldiers and Gold Cloaks watched with wide eyes; being able to see a battle between such powerhouses made the trip worthwhile.
Finally, Roman feigned a flaw, deliberately swinging his hammer high. Ser Barristan seized the opportunity to crouch and brace his shield, preparing to strike.
But Roman hadn't used any real force; the moment Ser Barristan got close, Roman fiercely slammed his shoulder armor into Ser Barristan.
This blow sent Ser Barristan flying more than a meter, and the weapon in his hand was knocked loose by the impact.
Ser Barristan had lost.
"Ser!"
Roman didn't cheer but immediately helped Ser Barristan up.
"I'm fine, Lord Roman. Your martial arts have improved again! It seems the Seven Kingdoms will see another top-tier warrior!"
"We'll talk about the future later; let me check your injuries."
"I told you I'm fine!"
...
The Red Keep, iron throne.
Robert was sitting with a gloomy face, listening to his subordinate's report.
Ever since he was provoked by Roman last time, he still drank, but rarely got dead drunk, and his spirit and energy had improved significantly.
"So, that woman sent the City Watch to trouble Roman just to vent for Jaime?"
"Yes... yes! Your Majesty, the Queen found Lord Janos and took a squad to Lord Roman's camp. Fortunately, Ser Barristan arrived just in time to save the situation, so no conflict was triggered."
Listening to the report, even in his sober state, Robert couldn't help but get angry.
"Did her brother get disfigured or lose his balls? Does she need to do this to Roman? Does she know how much trouble this will cause?"
"Your Majesty, Lord Roman didn't pursue the matter!"
"It's not about whether he pursues it or not." Old Arryn added from the side, "This behavior shows that the iron throne cannot manage the City Watch. As long as there is money, anyone can get them to risk their lives."
Whenever Robert thought of Cersei's annoying face, he couldn't help but recall Lyanna Stark.
"If only it were her, but it has to be the lions!"