Samwell wondered how to salvage the situation. Though he felt bad for his brother, he needed to make a bigger fuss.
Before leaving the castle, he had to find a way for his father, Randyll, to discover their tracks.
Compared to being caught after actually taking his brother out, perhaps his punishment would be lessened.
The overly corpulent Samwell, being pulled by Dickon, was already out of breath after not walking for long.
"Di...ckon, don't...be so hasty. Baron Kleber should have just arrived; he won't leave so quickly. We'll make it, huff, huff."
Though Dickon was anxious, he slowed his pace after seeing his brother Samwell's condition.
"Brother, that's a ring challenge! Baron Green is challenging all the Riverlands swordsmen by himself! If we arrive late and he's already been defeated, we'll have come for nothing! I don't want to miss a single one of their matches!"
Baron Green challenging all the Riverlands swordsmen by himself?
Samwell felt that Baron Green's courage was truly extraordinary.
"And Sister Talla, she's coming too. She's already in the carriage, just waiting for us!"
Before Samwell could fully process Dickon's first piece of news, he was startled by another.
His sister, Talla Tarly, was coming along too?!
The worst had not yet arrived; the worst had only just begun.
Samwell felt he was doomed this time.
Before leaving, Samwell wanted to see his mother one last time.
He wouldn't stutter, nor would he be shy. He would straighten his back and boldly tell his mother that he loved her very much!
Samwell still wanted to try and salvage the situation, hastily saying, "Father...before we leave...I'll go say goodbye to Father first."
His brother dared to see Father?
Dickon had been feeling guilty for days because of him, causing his brother to be scolded by Father, and he hadn't dared to speak to Samwell.
In the past, after being scolded by Father, Samwell would carefully hide for at least a month, avoiding meeting Father.
Brother has become brave? Dickon was very happy about Samwell's change.
"Brother, have you forgotten? It's hunting season now. Father has gone into the forest with the hunters and won't be back anytime soon!"
Samwell was pulled by his brother into the carriage, and only after seeing his sister Talla did he come back to his senses.
Samwell felt that after not seeing her for a few months, his sister, who had inherited their mother's beauty, had become even more beautiful.
He wanted to praise his sister Talla's beauty like a knight in a book, but he moved his lips and never managed to speak.
Talla Tarly noticed her brother Samwell's gaze drifting over occasionally.
Kind and enthusiastic, Talla Tarly, facing her uncomfortable brother, always didn't know how to communicate well.
Dickon's excited voice broke the brief silence in the carriage.
"I heard that Baron Green offered a bounty of 2,000 gold dragons! As long as you defeat him, you can take all the gold dragons!"
Talla Tarly gasped in cooperation.
Samwell's mind was filled with Randyll's stern expression, and he didn't really hear what his brother Dickon was saying. He just saw his sister and brother happy and forced a smile.
It was only when Samwell finally calmed down that he noticed the guards accompanying the carriage both in front and behind.
It can't be me; who arranged this?
On a balcony at Horn Hill, Lady Melissa Florent (Randyll Tarly's wife) rested her hands on the railing, looking at the departing carriage with a relieved smile.
Outside Highgarden Castle.
On the day Greene left Highgarden Castle, he set up a simple wooden ring outside his camp.
Trade was prosperous in the Riverlands, and Steward Rosser quickly purchased the materials. Before sunset that day, he hired craftsmen to build the ring according to Greene's requirements.
After working late into the night, Greene arranged for several written slogans to be hung above the ring at dawn the next day.
"Baron Greene Kleber, Queen's Chief Steward"
"Crownlands' First Swordsman, Challenging Riverlands Swordsmen"
"Defeat Me, And 2,000 Gold Dragons Are Yours"
Day one of the ring challenge.
Although the ring was crudely built, Greene's slogans were very large and eye-catching.
Seeing a crowd gathered near the ring, Greene had a wooden box filled with gold dragons brought up.
Once the box was placed, Steward Rosser opened the lid, and the gold dragons glittered under the sunlight.
Taking advantage of the crowd's attention, Steward Rosser loudly announced the rules of the competition.
The rules of the competition were largely similar to usual swordsman duels, the main point being that challengers needed to pay ten gold dragons to be eligible to challenge.
If you won, you immediately took 2,000 gold dragons; if you lost, you left the ten gold dragons.
Greene's precautions, including the ringers he arranged, weren't even needed, as he welcomed his first challenger.
Greene noticed that the first challenger's sigil was a dazzling red-gold fox.
This was a swordsman from House Florent.
Greene deliberately held back his strength, engaging in a back-and-forth exchange with the Florent swordsman for a while.
After a dozen rounds, Greene felt that besides courage, this Florent swordsman's sword skills were truly lacking, and continuing the act would be too fake.
Greene casually found an opening, and with a flick of his longsword, he knocked the sword out of the challenger's hand.
Greene showed no arrogance of victory on his face and even thoughtfully found an excuse for the Florent swordsman, comforting him, "Actually, our sword skills are on par; I just had a slight advantage in arm strength."
Greene's tone was very gentle, and the Florent swordsman was indeed comforted.
Moreover, in the earlier exchange with Greene, he had actually fought very enjoyably.
The Florent swordsman felt that perhaps he hadn't performed well today. Although he was unwilling, he didn't feel much disappointment at the moment.
He would go back today, adjust his condition well, and perhaps try challenging again tomorrow.
After exchanging a few more words about sword fighting techniques with Greene, the Florent swordsman left the ring in good spirits.
Greene comforted the second challenger: "Actually, our sword skills are on par; I just had a slight advantage in speed."
Greene comforted the third challenger: "Actually, our sword skills are on par; I just had a slight advantage in height."
Greene comforted the eighth challenger: "Actually, our arm strength is on par; I just had a slight advantage in sword skill proficiency."
Greene comforted the ninth challenger: "Actually, our speed is on par; I just had a slight advantage in sword skill proficiency."
Day two of the ring challenge.
One more slogan was added to the ring.
"The Swordsmen of the Riverlands Are Too Weak"
As soon as this slogan was hung, it instantly ignited the surrounding crowd.
Today, Greene, shedding his approachable image from the previous day, sat high on the wooden platform.
Greene, with his legs crossed and leaning back in his chair, looked down at the boiling crowd with an indifferent expression, as if looking down on everything.
Another slogan appeared on the ring at the opportune moment.
"Does Anyone Still Dare to Challenge?"