Ser Barristan stayed at Sows Corner for a short while before setting off for Harrenhal.
Since the northern part of The Crownlands was already completely under Roman's control, Roman had thoroughly renovated the Kings Road in this area.
Not only did he use the latest cement slurry developed by Scholar Tom and other scholars as material, but he also established relay stations along the way.
To facilitate the transport of personnel, goods, and troops, Roman connected the main road with large castles like Antler Keep and Sows Corner and built relay stations.
This greatly facilitated Ser Barristan's travel; after riding for a while, he could find a relay station for supplies, and there were even stations near the Kings Road where one could bathe and stay overnight.
This allowed Ser Barristan to reach Harrenhal in less than a week.
When Ser Barristan arrived at Harrenhal, he suddenly found that he couldn't find the entrance to the castle, so he had to ask a passerby.
"Hello, excuse me, is this Harrenhal?"
A traveling merchant was a bit dazed by Ser Barristan's question. After looking closely at the old man, he showed an expression of realization.
"You must be from out of town, sir? This is Harrenhal."
Ser Barristan: "Harrenhal? But Harrenhal didn't look like this; I still remember its walls."
"Of course, of course. This isn't the castle of Harrenhal; this is the Town below the castle. Westeros is in a massive free-for-all now, and Harrenhal is one of the few safe and prosperous places that's easy to reach, so many people choose to come here to seek refuge with Lord Roman."
"Harrenhal was filled up long ago, so everyone built shanties outside the walls. Lord Roman is kind-hearted; he spent money and sent people to build brick houses for everyone. What you see is the newly built area; the main keep of Harrenhal is in the distance."
The merchant pointed out the way for Ser Barristan and told him what facilities were in the town and how to get to Harrenhal.
After thanking the merchant, Ser Barristan didn't rush to Harrenhal immediately. Instead, he first explored the local conditions. Whether a place is good or not, the local residents know best; Ser Barristan, having been stationed in King's Landing for a long time, understood this truth best.
However, today all the young and middle-aged people of Harrenhal were running towards one place, and Ser Barristan followed out of curiosity.
When Old Barristan arrived at the scene, he realized the army was recruiting. The crowd of people coming for testing was already a dense, dark mass, surging like the waves of Blackwater Bay.
In all his years, this was the first time Ser Barristan had seen people so interested in joining the army. He even saw many strong young men wailing by the roadside.
Upon asking, he learned they were rejected for failing to meet the standards. This shocked Ser Barristan; in his eyes, such young men would be welcomed anywhere they went to serve, yet Harrenhal actually rejected them.
However, after Ser Barristan carefully understood Roman's recruitment requirements and soldier benefits, he understood the reason. He also understood why Roman's army could always win with fewer numbers, even on battlefields where Roman himself was not present.
"Equality between officers and soldiers, tax and labor reductions, disability compensation, retirement care, legal protection..."
"I see, I see! No wonder the people of Harrenhal are willing to risk their lives for Ser Roman, and no wonder Ser Roman could achieve such success. If those few in King's Landing had half the awareness of Ser Roman, the common folk of Westeros wouldn't have fallen to this state today!"
Ser Barristan suddenly felt a surge of resentment leave his heart; he couldn't wait to meet Roman.
In his view, Roman was the only true king in Westeros now, and only he could bring justice and peace to the people of Westeros.
Ser Barristan left the scene and almost ran through the town to reach Harrenhal.
When he arrived before the milky-white gates of Harrenhal, Roman, Fili, and Lady Helaena had already been waiting for a long time.
Lady Helaena: "Ser Barristan, your arrival at Harrenhal is an honor for our Hean Family! We have come specifically to welcome you; please come inside for a talk."
Roman also nodded to Ser Barristan, and the group then entered the interior of Harrenhal.
As soon as Ser Barristan entered the gates, he saw a square crowded with people. However, he was no longer surprised by this sight; such miracles were everywhere in Roman's territory, and Harrenhal ought to be doing even better.
But Old Barristan was still puzzled: "Ser Roman, how did you know I was coming to Harrenhal?"
Hearing this, Roman smiled and pointed to Fili: "It was my personal Attendant, Miss Fili, who first found your trail. Thinking you would come here to find me, we prepared in advance."
Ser Barristan looked at Fili; seeing this, the young girl shyly hid behind Roman.
Old Barristan had an impression of Fili. According to Varys's intelligence, this blonde girl controlled the group of ravens in Westeros that could speak human speech.
Such intelligence capabilities made even Varys marvel, and The Red Keep thus called her the 'Lord of Ravens.'
If the person House Lannister wanted to kill most was Roman, the second was Fili.
Without Fili, many dark secrets and Lannister troop deployments would be impossible to uncover.
Ser Barristan had recently heard that the people of King's Landing had started rioting again, attacking Lannister men because of the assault on him after his exile.
Now there was a Joffrey on the iron throne and a Roman in Harrenhal. Along the way, Ser Barristan had seen too many people die because of The Red Keep's absurd orders, and he had witnessed the prosperity under the rule of the Hean Family.
Ser Barristan understood that Roman was exactly the lord worth serving that he had been searching for.
So, before the banquet, Ser Barristan stopped Roman and Lady Helaena and drew the greatsword Roman had gifted him in front of them.
The guards around Lady Helaena immediately gripped their sword hilts, but they were all interrupted by a gesture from Roman.
Ser Barristan held the sword with both hands and knelt on one knee, the tip of the sword touching the marble floor. The old man said in a sincere tone:
"Lady Helaena, Ser Roman, I once served Robert and served as a Kingsguard in King's Landing alongside Jaime Lannister. I worked with other bastards; this is my stain, and I do not intend to make excuses."
"After I was stripped of my status as a Kingsguard and hunted by the Lannisters, the mist before my eyes seemed to suddenly clear. I realized I must find a true leader and die for him!"
Ser Barristan paused, his old yet still robust body trembling involuntarily.
The old man said with tears in his eyes: "I implore Lady Helaena and Ser Roman to give me a chance. I wish to stay here and serve you!"
As soon as Ser Barristan finished speaking, Roman had already rushed to him and helped him up.
"To receive the appreciation of Ser Barristan is my honor! Currently, the Hean Family has taken in refugees from all over, and we are in dire need of all kinds of talent to help the people through these difficult times. That Ser Barristan can walk with me will be a great blessing for the people of Westeros."
"I, Roman, hereby swear to the new and old gods! I will remember today's pact and walk together with Ser Barristan, fighting for the people of Westeros!"
Ser Barristan wanted to weep several times, but he forced it back. The old man did not want tears to ruin this solemn occasion.
After helping Ser Barristan up, Roman laughed heartily and then gave the legendary Kingsguard a heavy hug.
In the following week, the news that Ser Barristan had appeared in Harrenhal and pledged loyalty to the Hean Family spread throughout Westeros.
All the nobles were shocked by Ser Barristan's choice, while the commoners began to wonder if Joffrey, sitting on the iron throne, was qualified to be king.
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