Buzz!
When the last slogan was hung on the arena, it felt as if the air had solidified for a moment.
Sitting high up, Green, with an indifferent expression, watched the even more boisterous crowd, yet he marveled at how many people here were literate.
If it were Crab Claw Point, most people wouldn't understand.
The explainers and various shills Green secretly arranged were all useless; they just became part of the atmosphere.
Green secretly lamented the missed opportunity; if not for the lack of time, he could have opened an off-site betting market.
...
The first challenger of the second day stepped onto the arena amidst the clamor.
Green saw the family crest on his body: a group of golden cranes on a pure blue background.
Green's eyebrows slightly raised, Kleene Family?
The Kleene Family is one of the Riverlands families that directly pledges allegiance to House Tyrell.
Green remembered that a member of the Kleene Family served as the Purple Cloak in the Rainbow Guard established by Renly Baratheon after he declared himself king.
...
Green held his longsword by his side with one hand: "Let's begin, Sir Swordsman of the Kleene Family."
The Kleene Family Swordsman said nothing and swung his sword diagonally towards Green.
Clang!
Green parried with his sword, and the clanging of their swords echoed as they struggled in a test of strength.
Green, appearing serious on the surface as they dueled with their swords, was inwardly picking flaws.
Another hot-blooded youth with poor sword skills.
...
Yesterday, for the sake of entertainment, Green usually ended the battles after a dozen or so rounds.
Today, since Green had already initiated the first stage of mocking the Riverlands, he could appropriately reduce the number of rounds.
After about eight or nine rounds, Green's sword swing suddenly increased in power.
The Kleene Family Swordsman, who had just gotten used to the force of Green's sword swings, felt his arm go numb from the sudden power, almost losing his grip on the hilt.
Before the Kleene Family Swordsman could recover, Green's longsword swiftly chopped down again.
The Kleene Family Swordsman had no choice but to brace himself and raise his sword to block.
With a clang, his sword was knocked down, and Green's longsword was already pressed against the Kleene Family Swordsman's neck.
Green withdrew his sword, merely glancing coldly at the Kleene Family Swordsman who had fallen to the arena, then turned and left.
There was no comforting word from Green today.
The Kleene Family Swordsman, having come to his senses, picked up his longsword and left the arena dejectedly, his face full of disappointment.
"Next!"
The second challenger's battle ended in seven or eight rounds.
The third challenger's battle ended in six or seven rounds.
...
For the subsequent challengers, Green controlled the number of rounds to between six and seven.
At dusk, the red sun slowly burrowed into the thin clouds.
Green, standing in the center of the arena, seemed to be tinged with a reddish-gold hue, a color belonging to the strong.
The crowd around the arena stood with their mouths agape, all with astonished expressions.
The arena fell into an eerie silence.
With a thud, the swordsman in whom they had placed high hopes was sent sprawling off the arena by Green with a single swift sword strike.
This swordsman was well-known for his sword skills in the Riverlands.
They wondered, although the previous challengers had all been defeated, they at least had some back-and-forth... Was this person, with such a great reputation, really so weak?
A sense of being deceived brewed within the crowd.
Taking advantage of this eerie silence, Green said coldly: "Continue tomorrow."
As his voice fell, Green sighed slightly, shook his head, and left the arena surrounded by Cleber's Blue Cloaks.
...
...
King's Landing, Shataya Brothel at the foot of Rhaenys's Hill.
The two-story Shataya Brothel featured a circular tower.
Many of the Shataya Brothel's windows were leaded, and the main door bore an ornate, gilded lantern adorned with deep red glass.
Clever Dick arrived at the Shataya Brothel before dark and called out his sister.
Dick's Sister, who had always been expressionless, spotted Dick's figure from afar.
A very stiff smile first appeared on Dick's Sister's face, and as she approached Dick, her smile gradually became natural.
Dick's Sister's voice was filled with joy: "Dick, did you come to see me?"
Although Dick had changed into new clothes, the stench on him remained.
Dick's Sister merely furrowed her brow imperceptibly, appearing not to mind at all on the surface, and even affectionately linked her arm through Dick's.
"The Gold Cloaks captain you... introduced told me to report to the City Watch tomorrow."
"Don't worry, just go. I've already made arrangements."
Dick's gaze flickered: "You say, should I add my surname tomorrow?"
Dick's Sister pulled away, paused, then re-linked her arm with Dick's, her hands trembling uncontrollably: "Brother, what do you want to do?"
"Tomorrow I want to write Dick Cleboe, and the Gold Cloaks won't look down on me for being new. I've probed that Gold Cloaks captain, and it seems no one will care about this, after all, this surname is very unfamiliar, as long as I'm careful..."
As Dick spoke, his voice gradually faded.
Dick noticed his sister was trembling quite badly.
Kleber... Dick's Sister thought she had completely forgotten this surname.
No, she had even heard this surname from a customer recently!
...
"Sister? What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell somewhere?"
Dick's Sister, lost in thought, snapped back: "Dick, have you had your brain eaten by a wight? How dare you... You'll be hanged!"
"I... if I'm careful... Don't cry, I know, I know, I just want to get ahead quickly and take you out of here sooner!"
"Wuwu, I'm doing very well!"
Dick shrank his neck, carefully glanced around, and seeing no one paying attention, he breathed a sigh of relief.
"Sister, don't worry, I promise not to mess around! Please, just trust me this once!"
Dick's Sister wiped away her tears and said: "Brother, I just don't want you to die... And..."
Dick's Sister quietly looked around, then lowered her voice and said: "Maybe you'll have a better place to go..."
Dick was not good at hiding his expressions, his eyes full of suspicion: "You're not going to tell me you've already latched onto some big shot again, are you?"
Dick felt that his sister's looks were only a little better than average, and her "business" couldn't suddenly get better.
Dick's Sister looked at her brother's sharp, pointed face and felt her fists clench a little.
She took a deep breath and continued: "A good friend of mine, she recently latched onto..."
Dick's Sister whispered into her brother's ear: "A Lannister lord, it's the Lannister's Little Devil."
"Lan... Lannister?"
To Dick, the Gold Cloaks captain his sister introduced was already a big shot!
Lannister, the Lannister that turns everything into gold?
"A friend of the Lannister lord has the surname Kleber, he should still be in King's Landing."
Words heard in casual conversation... words she had never paid attention to, she now remembered them all because of Dickon's prompting.
...
...