๐ฉธ Secrets never stay buried.
โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
Option 2 (Bolton Contract Board / "bounty" style)
โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
โ ๐ฉธ HOUSE BOLTON SUPPORT CONTRACT ๐ฉธ โ
โ โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโฃ
โ Mission: Push Secrets Beneath the Dreadfort โ
โ higher on Webnovel and summon more readers. โ
โ โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโฃ
โ Review Rewards (bonus chapters): โ
โ โข โญโญโญโญโญ = +1 extra chapter โ
โ โข โญโญโญโญ + โญโญโญโญ = +1 extra chapter โ
โ โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโฃ
โ 2โ3 lines is perfect: โ
โ โข "I liked ___ becauseโฆ" โ
โ โข "Best moment wasโฆ" โ
โ โข "My theory isโฆ" โ
โ โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโฃ
โ Honest ratings only. Support becomes pages. โ
โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
Secrets Beneath the Dreadfort
Greatwood Town โ Dungeon
In broad daylight, the dungeon was as dark as night. Torchlight made the instruments of torture loom in vague, shifting outlinesโand in Roy's imagination, they became even more horrifying.
Especially the tall, handsome noble standing before him. The man's smile was viciously sly, and it sent a chill crawling up Roy's spine.
Roy was a mountain man from the Ironhearth region, so he knew well enough what House Bolton of the Dreadfort was said to be.
They were one of the North's oldestโand most infamousโfamilies, notorious for flaying their enemies alive, their sigil the flayed man in red on a pale field.
Rumor claimed the Boltons even wore their enemies' skins as cloaks.
Because they believed fear was the best weapon against an enemy.
They liked to drown their prey in the shadow of impending deathโuntil reason broke, and the victim became a prisoner forever.
"Roy Riddle, living is simple. If you're willing to lead your clansmen and submit to me, I'll let you go."
Domeric spoke with a pleasant smile. The mountain man opposite him hung from a rack, wretched and broken-looking.
"A warrior of the mountain clans doesn't surrender! If you want us to kneel, keep dreaming!" Roy bellowed, wearing the expression of someone ready to die rather than yield.
Domeric's eyes grew dangerous. He licked his lips and asked, "Are you sure?"
"Hmph. By the gods, I won't yield."
Roy sneered.
"Very wellโhave it your way."
Domeric lifted a small knife and flicked it lightly, slicing Roy's sleeve open. Then the tip hooked under the flesh near his elbow and turned in a slow half-circle.
Roy clenched his teeth so hard they ground. His eyes burned with murderous hatred as he stared at the smiling noble.
But in the next heartbeat, that hatred turned into terror.
"Don'tโdon't flay me! AahโAahโ!" Roy howled in agony. "I was wrong, I was wrong! I'll submit!"
Domeric was in no hurry at all. He said, unhurried and almost amused, "Don't be like that. I preferred you when you were defiant."
"My lord Domeric, spare meโI surrender! Please, by the gods, I'll serve you for the rest of my life!"
"You're yielding now, yesโbut I'm afraid you'll regret it later. Let's teach you a little more."
Domeric handed the rest over to his attendants.
They had come from the Dreadfort's underground interrogation chambers and were adept in every cruelty. An iron brush scraped across flesh; pale bone flashed in and out beneath the shredded meat.
Roy screamed until his voice broke. The torment ripped him apart so completely that his eyes rolled backโand he fainted.
An attendant hurried forward, clamped Roy's upper lip, and pressed hard. Roy stirred and came back to himself.
The dungeon filled with screaming againโฆ
The man before them had been beaten by fear. The moment was right.
[Secrets Excavation System Triggered!]
Square block text appeared across Domeric's retina:
Roy Riddle
Identity: Riddle Clan, the chieftain's younger brother
Title: None
Strength: 40
Agility: 25
Spirit: 20
Combat Index: 85
Note: A naive youth who accidentally fell in love with his brother's woman. It isn't his faultโonly that the woman was too enchanting!
โฆ
Fragments of memory flashed before Domeric's eyes, one after another.
After a long while, Domeric gave Roy a look full of meaning.
An affair with his sister-in-lawโan incestuous liaison?
So this thick-browed fellow wasn't as proper as he looked.
Beside them, Jorah Mormontโseeing Bolton interrogation methods for the first timeโlooked distinctly uneasy.
"My lord, what do we do with the mountain-clan prisoners? There are over four thousand. If we assign soldiers to guard them, I'm worried we won't have enough men."
"And letting them go would be such a waste."
Seeing Domeric's murderous intent, Jorah immediately advised restraint.
"My lord, if you kill them, you'll earn the hatred of a dozen clans. Those mountain men who come and go like ghosts will become our nightmareโฆ"
"Hatred? Then don't give it a target.
And as for killing themโwe don't necessarily have to do it with our own hands."
โฆ
"Roy, why are we here?"
"Is the lord going to let us go home?"
"By the godsโprotect us!"
โฆ
These men were all direct blood of their respective clans.
Some were a chief's second son. Some were the chief's brotherโฆ the ones closest to power, yet never the ones who would truly hold it.
Now, they had been gathered togetherโdeliberately.
To their questions, Roy gave no response. He only stood by the window, expressionless, staring outside.
The dancing firelight painted his face in flickering reds, making that handsome visage look almost savage.
In a daze, Roy remembered the words Domeric had spoken to him earlierโ
"I hear your brother Riddle has a wife known as the 'most beautiful woman of the mountains.'"
"What a pity. If he learned what happened between his wife and his own brotherโฆ what do you think he would do?"
"I gave those mountain clans a chance to submit, and they still chose rebellion. So I won't give a second chance."
"You're a man who understands the times. If you want your brother's woman to belong to you forever, you know what you need to do."
"In the North's faith, kinslaying and enslaving others are offenses against the godsโฆ"
"Since you've already betrayed the gods' faith, you won't mind betraying it once more."
โฆ
Roy still remembered the shock and furyโhow the secret he had buried deepest in his heart had been named aloud by a stranger.
Surprise. Fear. Then an incredible, suffocating dread.
So the Bolton devil truly could peer into men's hearts.
In the end, Roy lowered his head and chose submission.
Because he knew that once his affair with his sister-in-law was exposed, not only would his brother kill himโhis entire clan would never spare him.
A man who betrayed the gods' faith did not deserve to live in this world.
"I'll do as you said. But remember your promise."
"Of course."
โฆ
He had thought he'd already made his decision. Yet here and now, a trace of hesitation still passed through Roy's eyes.
It did not last.
When he turned back, Roy wore a cold expression, and in his eyes danced a crazed, bloodthirsty light.
"Men of the Flint Clanโhaven't you always hated your father and your elder brother? They took the woman you loved mostโฆ"
"And you, of the Wull Clanโhaven't you long since grown sick of your incompetent brother, jealous of your talent?"
"And the Burley Clanโthink carefully. If your father diedโฆ wouldn't you become the new chieftain?"
โฆ
Roy stared at them and, one by one, exposed the shameful secrets they could never speak aloud.
And those secretsโones they believed buried deepโhad already been seen by the Bolton devil.
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๐ฉธ Secrets never stay buried.
โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
Option 2 (Bolton Contract Board / "bounty" style)
โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
โ ๐ฉธ HOUSE BOLTON SUPPORT CONTRACT ๐ฉธ โ
โ โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโฃ
โ Mission: Push Secrets Beneath the Dreadfort โ
โ higher on Webnovel and summon more readers. โ
โ โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโฃ
โ Review Rewards (bonus chapters): โ
โ โข โญโญโญโญโญ = +1 extra chapter โ
โ โข โญโญโญโญ + โญโญโญโญ = +1 extra chapter โ
โ โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโฃ
โ 2โ3 lines is perfect: โ
โ โข "I liked ___ becauseโฆ" โ
โ โข "Best moment wasโฆ" โ
โ โข "My theory isโฆ" โ
โ โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโฃ
โ Honest ratings only. Support becomes pages. โ
โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
Secrets Beneath the Dreadfort
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๐ฐ Game of Thrones: Secrets Beneath the Dreadfort
๐ข Dark Secrets Await in the North! ๐ข
Game of Thrones: Secrets Beneath the Dreadfort now has 30 chapters ahead available on Patreon! ๐ฉธ๐บ
Uncover the secrets buried beneath the Dreadfort and the dark legacy of House Bolton before anyone else.
๐ Also on Patreon, you can find exclusive novels not available anywhere else, including:
R18: Reincarnated in Her World
Cyberpunk: Lucy Adopted Me and I Got a System
Cyberpunk: The Relentless
My Girlfriend's a CyberpsychoโWho Knew?
My Cyberpunk 2077 Simulator
The Rebirth of Harry Potter
Dragon King of Ice and Fire
Star Wars: Relics of the Past
๐ www.patreon.com/c/MrMagnus๐ค Patreon name: SrMagnus๐ฆ Twitter/X: https://x.com/SrMagnusBook
โ ๏ธ Remember: I'll always post more chapters of the novel that gets the most Power Stones!