Lymon Lannister's eyebrows twitched, and he was about to tell Arthur to halt the march.
However, Arthur seemed not to hear the old man's signal. He raised his hand, pointed forward, and gestured to his retinue of Knights, saying in an undeniable tone:
"Tell them to catch up and meet me in the central army!"
The order was relayed, and the few newly arrived envoys could only spur their horses onward, whipping them as they struggled to catch up with the marching army under the gaze of thousands of soldiers.
A short while later, when they finally arrived, panting, before Arthur and Lyman's horses, their faces were etched with dismay and unease.
Most of them were Knight representatives who had previously been dispatched to support and had met outside Dins City. Now, facing Arthur again, all of them looked embarrassed. Some even had pale faces, fearing punishment on behalf of their lords for not obeying orders.
They all spoke up, bowing respectfully, their voices somewhat shaky.
"Lord Arthur, Lord Leicester."
"We are deeply sorry for our delay."
Arthur's gaze was like a winter ice cave, cold and calm. He did not look at them, nor did he slow his warhorse's pace.
His voice was not loud, yet it clearly reached every envoy's ear, as if chilling to the bone: "You all received Daedings Family's summons."
"Why have your masters still only sent you, these representatives?"
"And where are their armies?"
The envoys exchanged glances and began a new round of explanations. The reasons were largely similar to those given outside Dins City last time, but this time, they had a seemingly more substantial excuse.
"My Lord, most of our family's common folk followed Lord Balon to the front lines, and now… their lives are uncertain!"
"Yes, My Lord, the remaining common folk in our territory are barely able to defend themselves; we truly cannot spare any more reinforcements."
One Knight representative even boldly spoke up, his voice loud.
"We have fulfilled our obligations to our liege. Now, our priority is to defend our own homes."
Arthur listened to these repetitive excuses without a word, merely slowly sweeping his cold eyes over each envoy's face, one by one. Behind him, Rosso Brun, Brin, and the elite retinue of Knights also watched them with unspoken hostility.
The air seemed to solidify. Only the marching footsteps of the army and the rustling of banners could be heard, suffocating these envoys. In the stifling silence, Arthur's gaze finally fell upon the Knight representative from the Pile Family.
He spoke slowly, in a calm tone almost like casual conversation: "Other families may have valid reasons."
"But, as far as I know, Lord Monte Pile, during the previous rotation at Seaguard, has already returned to his territory with his army to rest."
Arthur's voice showed no fluctuation, yet it instantly made the Pile Family Knight's face change dramatically, turning pale in an instant. He had tried his best to lower his profile, but he didn't expect to still be noticed by the God of Slaughter.
"Last time, outside Dins City, the Pile Family responded to the summons, sending eight men."
Arthur paused, his eyes suddenly sharpening.
"This time, with Daedings Family in peril, why are you not sending troops? What is the meaning of this?"
The Pile Family Knight representative trembled. He remembered the head of Ser Kutt, sent back in a box, and fear spread from the depths of his heart.
He had been completely forced to come by the Pile Family. Last time, they had at least sent eight farmers. This time, it was just him and his two attendants. How was this different from sending him to his death? The young lord before him completely disregarded the rules; he was the epitome of terror.
But his remaining noble dignity, a slight loyalty to his liege, and a slim hope of survival spurred him to gather his last bit of courage.
Almost screaming, he shouted: "We… we… we have already fulfilled our obligations to our liege! We have no obligation to send troops again!"
His voice was particularly jarring amidst the marching army, and the soldiers all turned their heads to look.
"You're asking for death!" Brin immediately rode closer, his tall figure like a giant bear pressing against the Knight, giving him no chance to react. His fist, the size of a cooking pot, whistled through the air and slammed hard into the Knight's face.
With a dull thud, the Knight screamed, tumbled from his horse, and fell heavily to the ground, his face full of horror. Clasping his nose, which was instantly gushing blood, he looked at the tall, bear-like figure before him, completely unable to muster any thought of resistance. He squirmed in the dust, no longer daring to make a sound.
Arthur did not even glance at the Knight on the ground. He raised his hand and ordered Rosso beside him: "Blow the horn, assemble."
"Gather all the loyal Knights, even the mercenary Knights, who are following the allied army and belong to Daedings Family but do not have their own fiefs, to the central army."
Rosso acknowledged the order and blew the horn. A long, bright horn call echoed across the plains, and the command was swiftly relayed.
A moment later, over thirty Knights, dressed in varied armor and displaying different equipment and house sigils, gathered before Arthur's horse. They dismounted and respectfully bowed to Lymon Lannister and Arthur.
Some were young, others older. Their only commonality was the unease in their eyes regarding Arthur's summons. They completely failed to understand why this rising young lord would summon them alone.
They were Arthur's friends, outsiders to the noble system of this world, holding the title of Knight but possessing no patch of land of their own.
Arthur's voice suddenly rose, loud enough for the entire central army to hear clearly: "I! Arthur! Here! Representing the will of Daedings Family! Declare!"
He suddenly drew the longsword from his waist, its tip pointing directly at the still groaning Pile Family Knight on the ground.
"Monte Pile! In his liege's time of peril! Hoarding his troops! Betraying his oath! Is a rebel! His crime! Demands the revocation of all fiefs and titles bestowed upon his ancestors by Daedings Family!"
These words were like a clap of thunder, exploding in everyone's hearts!
The lord's envoys and that group of landless Knights! Their faces were greatly shocked! Playing such a high-stakes game!
Everyone looked at Lord Lymon Lannister, but he remained silent, clearly unwilling to interfere with Daedings Family's internal affairs.
Arthur ignored their reactions. He swept his sword around, gesturing at the thirty-plus landless Knights before him, whose eyes were widening, and threw out words that were enough to drive them into a frenzy.
His voice, to the many landless Knights, seemed filled with power and magic: "You!"
"Now! I command you! Lead Daedings Family's army! To take the Pile Family's castle! Bring Monte Pile and his kinsmen! Before the army!"
He paused, letting this insane command echo in everyone's minds.
Then, he delivered his final words, enunciating each one: "Upon success."
"I will personally recommend to Daedings Family! That you all! Jointly divide! All of the Pile Family's lands!"
Shock, madness, ecstasy—these words were insufficient to describe the feelings of these dozens of landless Knights at this moment. In Westeros, acquiring a piece of land of their own was their lifelong dream! It was a luxury they yearned for through countless sleepless nights! It was the carrot dangled by lords to manipulate and control them!
And now, this dream, this unattainable luxury, was so realistically placed before their eyes! They looked at each other, seeing the same disbelief and burning fire in each other's eyes!
After a brief, deathly silence, the crowd erupted.
"We pledge our service to you, My Lord!"
An older landless Knight was the first to react. He took off his helmet, knelt on one knee, placed his hand on his chest, and, in a hoarse but incredibly loud voice, swore his service to Arthur, indicating his acceptance of the task.
As if on cue, the rest of the landless Knights no longer hesitated, all removing their helmets and kneeling on one knee.
"We pledge our service to you, My Lord!"
"We pledge our service to you, My Lord!"
"We pledge our service to you, My Lord!"
Fervent pledges of service rose and fell, converging into a powerful wave of sound that assaulted the eardrums of everyone present. Amidst this fervent atmosphere, a discordant voice abruptly rang out.
The Pile Family Knight representative, who had been knocked to the ground by Brin's punch, struggled to his feet. Disregarding the blood and dust on his face, he stumbled forward two steps.
He looked at Arthur, surrounded by a group of fervent Knights, a fawning and eager smile on his face, and stammered out a question in a tone that shocked everyone:
"Lord Arthur… can… can you count me in?"
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