The secret passage was dim and damp, the dense darkness seeming to swallow the torchlight.
Soldiers had to walk with a hand on the shoulder of the person in front to move forward.
And leading the way was actually a boy no older than ten.
Beside the boy was a pure white direwolf as tall as his shoulder. The boy felt he could sense the direwolf's wet nose and warm breath on the back of his neck.
Harrion, leading the team, suddenly whispered, "Old and New Gods, I feel like I'm crawling inside a viper's belly."
"There is indeed a nest of vipers coiled beneath the Red Keep," Jon, dressed as an ordinary soldier, said.
Suddenly, everyone felt the torches in their hands flare up. The flames seemed to jump a considerable height. Soldiers who could previously only see outlines could now almost clearly see each other's features.
Jon suddenly remembered his encounter with Sheepstealer's remains at the Dragonmont.
Torches burn brighter near dragon remains! It seemed they were near a place storing dragon bones.
The soldiers didn't know what was happening and widened their eyes in surprise. Fortunately, they all had wooden gags in their mouths, so only muffled gasps came from their throats. Even Harrion was startled.
"Quiet!" Jon said to Harrion. "Torches burn brighter near dragon bones. We should be right under the Red Keep."
"Meaning we'll be inside the Red Keep soon?" Harrion leaned his large head close to Jon and asked in a suppressed voice.
"Correct. We should be going up next. Send a few more men to carry the battering ram; be careful not to slip!"
"Right!" Harrion responded and turned to pass the order to the soldiers behind him. The soldiers passed the order down the line like a relay.
"Shoulder the ram, prepare to attack!"
"Shoulder the ram, prepare to attack!"
"Shoulder the ram, prepare to attack—"
The command echoed among the soldiers. Thinking he could soon slay the false king with his own hands, Harrion clenched his jaw in excitement.
He had heard the current king was a bastard born of the Queen and the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard—Tywin's son.
Jaime killed his two brothers on the battlefield, so he would kill Jaime's son! To avenge his brothers!
Thinking of this, Harrion looked at Jon again. He was confident of victory this time because, under Jon's leadership, they had never failed.
Always moving from one victory to another.
As Harrion thought excitedly, the marching column suddenly stopped.
The boy leading the way came to him and said, "My Lord, the exit is ahead. You will emerge in the stables. Maegor's Holdfast is southwest of the stables."
Harrion signaled his squire, who placed a large hand on the boy's shoulder and took him aside.
Soon, Jon went to the front and poked his head out into the stables. Snorts of horses could be heard faintly nearby. To the west stood a "house," but this "house" had wheels—it was actually Cersei's wheelhouse.
Seeing Jon duck back into the passage, Harrion asked, "Jon, what do we do next?"
Using [God's Eye View], Jon had already basically ascertained the garrison situation inside the Red Keep.
Most soldiers were guarding the outer walls and arrow towers.
Although blocked by walls and fortresses, preventing precise numbers, it was roughly similar to the six hundred or so men Varys mentioned.
"Ignore everywhere else. Surround Maegor's Holdfast directly! Use the battering ram to smash the main gate open! Drag out Cersei and Joffrey, and victory is ours!"
"Mm!"
A coup, like a decapitation strike, relied on lightning speed. One must not covet any target other than killing the enemy leader.
On the other side, the black banner with the white wolf on the battlements had merged with the night's darkness; only the white direwolf on the banner still seemed to leap in the void.
"What time is it?" Beric asked, holding a spyglass.
"Hour of the Owl," Thoros answered, glancing at the sky.
The Hour of the Owl was part of the Westerosi division of night time.
Eel, Nightingale, Bat, Owl, Wolf, and Ghost.
The Hour of the Bat was the darkest part of the night, while the Hour of the Owl was when most people were asleep.
"Wait for that old fox Tywin to move. Thoros, go ensure our traps can be detonated in time. I'll hold here first."
"Alright, you must be careful."
As a "priest," Thoros wasn't good at fighting.
He was actually more familiar with the "temperament" of wildfire.
And their wildfire trap was also a crucial part of the plan.
Beric's defense was merely to attract more Lannister troops to siege the city.
Watching Thoros leave, Beric looked toward the Red Keep.
Regarding the secret passage, although he trusted Jon, he still felt somewhat unsure.
Although he didn't know Varys well, he didn't have a good impression of him either.
He couldn't figure out why Varys would cooperate with Jon.
Even without the secret passage, food stocks in the Red Keep should be ample, lasting a few months at least.
Although he didn't know the situation at the Red Keep, Beric knew Jon was likely about to enter it.
He could only pray silently that Jon successfully took Joffrey's head.
"My Lord, the Tyrells have launched an attack," a squire reported.
"Understood." Beric looked solemn.
Jon had told him the Tyrell army was just a feint to attract attention; the real main attack would come from Tywin's side.
The wall couldn't be lost too early, or Tywin would get suspicious.
Best to hold as long as possible.
Beric looked at the soldiers from the North, Riverlands, and mountain clans around him.
He knew that to lure Tywin into the trap, many would sacrifice themselves tonight.
He was prepared to sacrifice himself too.
All for that goal—bring the chaotic kingdom back on track!
---
"Tonight is the end for your bastard brother."
Sansa looked at the face that had fascinated her not long ago, feeling only fear and nauseating disgust.
Joffrey circled Sansa with a crossbow, excitedly describing how he would execute Jon.
"What do you think about sticking his head next to your father's?
"Or maybe skewering them together? Hahaha~"
Joffrey laughed triumphantly, his shadow cast on the ceiling like a clawing monster.
Before, Sansa would have been terrified, but now she felt courage rising in her chest.
She looked at Joffrey with her sunken blue eyes and retorted, "My brothers are invincible!"
"What did you say?!"
Seeing Sansa dare to talk back, Joffrey immediately aimed the crossbow at her.
His action startled Cersei.
Cersei stood up abruptly and warned hurriedly, "Joffrey! Your brother and sister are still in her bastard brother's hands!"
"She dares defy me!" Joffrey turned to look at Cersei, but the crossbow still pointed at Sansa.
"You are the King, Your Grace. Punishing a little girl does not display your majesty." A soft voice spoke; it was Varys.
He nodded slightly to Cersei, then came to Joffrey's side, persuading gently.
"Do you remember the late King? As a King, he disdained getting angry at such a little girl.
"Your body holds the blood of both Lion and Stag; what is such a small offense?"
Smoothed over by Varys, Joffrey finally lowered the crossbow.
He saw Cersei sigh in relief too.
Having handled this conflict, Varys returned to the window.
What Cersei and her son didn't know was that even the news of Tywin preparing to siege was deliberately leaked to them by Varys on Jon's orders.
Even if they couldn't run, hiding would make finding them troublesome. Only this way would they stay put in the castle obediently.
Thinking of Jon's instructions, Varys couldn't help but ponder this young man who had just come of age.
Suddenly, an absurd thought popped into his head: Will Jon personally come to attack the Red Keep?
Judging by Jon's do-or-die attitude, he probably would.
After all, he revealed that if revenge succeeded, he would return to the Wall.
If revenge failed, death would be the end.
Such a reckless attitude left Varys somewhat at a loss.
But the strategy he displayed showed he was no simple person.
Being able to capture King's Landing first showed he foresaw the potential alliance between Tyrell and Lannister early on.
And Varys saw Dreadfort soldiers in Jon's army.
As far as he knew, Roose Bolton was the Commander-in-Chief of the Northern Eastern Army.
That Jon took his elite soldiers away wasn't hard to guess what happened.
Varys didn't want Jon to come to the Red Keep.
If he really came, it meant he only had revenge in his eyes.
To ensure his position in Stannis's new dynasty through Jon, Varys might have to pay a higher price.
If he didn't come, it meant Jon's talk of returning to the Wall after revenge was just a cover, and he still wanted titles and lands.
In that case, he would be a long-term partner.
Just as Varys was thinking, he saw a light flicker outside the window.
It was a stable boy, one of his informants.
This signal meant Jon had entered the Red Keep.
Varys watched the scene silently, found an excuse, and slipped away quietly. He had to guard against Jon "silencing witnesses."
Just as he did when Tywin sacked the Red Keep back then, he would wait until the situation stabilized before showing himself.