Ten gold dragons—an absolute fortune for a miner.
Gregor knew that most ordinary people in this world had never used a golden dragon in their entire lives.
Those who build houses have never had houses to live in, and those who mine gold have never had gold to spend. — This was also true in this agrarian civilization.
Ten gold dragons were equivalent to three hundred silver deer and two thousand one hundred bronze stars. These were distributed to his subjects in this way, and even Maester Harry refused to believe it was true!
But that's the truth!
Since Lord Gregor left Casterly Rock and returned to Clegane Keep, he has become very different from before, but Maester Harry couldn't quite put his finger on what was different.
Maester Harry was one of Tywin Lannister's eyes looking into Ser Gregor's, and now that eye clearly indicated it was becoming increasingly difficult to understand.
Of all the nobles on the continent, only the Stark family of the North would act so generously towards commoners. The Lannister family, whose wealth far surpasses that of the entire kingdom, would never do such a thing. Lord Tywin Lannister would only punish and whip disobedient subjects, while disobedient nobles would have the song "The Rains of Castamere" played in their halls.
Maester Harry recalled Gregor's promise, announced a few days earlier, to compensate his subjects with a gold dragon every year. At the time, Maester Harry and Sweet-Talking Ruff and the others thought it was a completely unfunny joke. A lord can be the subject of any joke, let alone Lord Mountain.
Watching the eleven new miners ride off on warhorses, clad in armor, carrying swords and salt, leaving Clegane Castle, Maester Harry felt as if he were dreaming. As an ordinary citizen, there was no lord more generous and magnanimous than Gregor. Gregor was a nouveau riche who had just extorted a great nobleman, but his true nature was quite poor. Maester Harry couldn't comprehend, nor could he possibly understand, the way he offered so many golden dragons to his people.
Nobles have never treated their subjects in this way before.
However, the Mountain does whatever pleases him, without needing a reason. Although Maester Harry is somewhat of a strategist, he dares not offer the Mountain any advice.
The Mountain could simply bestow ten golden dragons upon his people, or he could kick Harry to death if he didn't like him.
This is the Magic Mountain!
The Mountain has always been synonymous with terror and brutality. Maester Harry envied Sweetmouth and the others who had always been by the Mountain's side. How did they survive? And thrive so well? Maester Harry felt their loyalty to the Mountain was unwavering; everyone feared the Mountain, he was as ferocious as a beast, so why did he possess the absolute loyalty of these ruthless killers?
Harry Mortensen was an intelligent young man, but lacking in life experience, and the more he thought about it, the more confused he became. He was also going through a process of transformation in his notebook's feelings towards the Mountain, from fear, terror, and hatred to submission, pandering, gratitude, love, worship, and finally, a kind of brainless loyalty. To draw an analogy with a phenomenon in Earth's civilization: it fits the pattern of Stockholm syndrome.
"The notebook!" Gregor ordered. "Bring out forty gold dragons."
So the notebook counted out forty more golden dragons.
"Give Thomas Mann ten gold dragons."
The notebook counted out ten gold dragons for Thomas Mann.
Thomas Mann took the golden dragon, his hands trembling.
"Thomas Mann, you're on leave today. Take the money back with you. This is compensation for the losses you've suffered over the past ten years of growing poppies in your fields."
"Yes, sir."
Thomas Mann felt a special kind of gratitude toward Lord Gregor, with little Julie by his side.
Maester Harry watched as Thomas Mann nearly knelt before Gregor. The old soldier was so grateful to the Mountain that he couldn't speak, only staring at him with the same reverence one would show to an icon of the Seven. His face twitched slightly, as if he were having a spasm.
Maester Harry realized that if Gregor asked Thomas Mann to do anything in the future, the old man would do it without hesitation.
A sudden thought struck Harry: the Mountain's ability to captivate people was truly terrifying, something he had never noticed before. He had to secretly write to Lord Tywin Lannister.
In the Seven Kingdoms, maesters are the sole personnel in charge of the lord's ravens. Gregor's family is not wealthy enough to keep ravens himself; the ravens of Clegane Keep were brought from Casterly Rock by Maester Harry, and belong to Lord Tywin Lannister, to facilitate communication between Lord Gregor and Lord Tywin.
"Let's take Julie back too... Who else is in the family?"
As a lord, Gregor knew very little about the situation of his mere eleven subjects. He had never cared about the life or death of his subjects before.
"My mother is still at home. My older sisters all got married early because they were afraid you would rape them. My two older brothers died in the mines," little Julie said, skipping along.
Gregor looked at this fake adopted daughter, Julie, who spoke of her two deceased brothers as if they were two dead kittens or puppies, without any sadness.
Why didn't she show any of the... grief or sadness she should have?
Is Jolie's coldness innate or a lack of humanity?
Gregor didn't want to think about it too much; he knew that things like questioning the soul were not easy to understand.
Although he felt somewhat uncomfortable with Julie's coldness and indifference, he found himself somewhat fond of this kind of... straightforwardness and ruthlessness in girls.
It's clear the little girl has no affection for her two brothers. They are a family, yet there's no sibling warmth between them; at least, Gregor sees absolutely none in Julie.
"Julie, take the salt. I'll allow you to take an extra bag," Gregor said. "Go back and see your mother. Starting tomorrow, I'm going to put lead in your training sword. Your arms are too thin; you don't have enough strength."
"Yes, Father!"
Julie ran up, opened her arms, and tried to hug the Mountain.
But the Mountain stared at her with wide eyes, looking like he was about to crush Julie's head at any moment, which made Maester Harry's heart clench.
However, Julie nimbly climbed up the Mountain's arm, just like a monkey climbing a big tree. In the shocked gazes of everyone, in the suffocating atmosphere, she met the Mountain's glaring eyes, wrapped her arms around his neck, and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.
"Thump!"
Thomas Mann was so frightened that he knelt on the ground, opened his mouth to beg for the Mountain's forgiveness, but the old man's mouth opened but he could not speak.
Fear choked him!
Julie jumped off the Mountain, winked playfully at him with her right eye, and giggled. Everyone else, including the Mountain himself, couldn't believe their eyes.
Maester Harry closed his eyes in fear, knowing that the Mountain would crush the little girl's head in the next second.
The Mountain is an absolute demon, not a benevolent one.
"Don't do this. This is the last time." The Mountain said in a very stern tone.
"Yes, Father!" The little girl's drawn-out voice showed that she hadn't taken Gregor's warning to heart at all.