Game of Thrones: King of Harrenhal, starting with a blue hand stat panel

In the courtyard of the Steel Inn.

The bugle sounded, and the battle began.

"Let's begin!" Arthur Hoan, wearing a yellow cloak, sat on a bench, watching the mercenary knights fight.

Arthur believed that "Apple Eater" Rosso Brun and "Flying Pig Rider" Clayton Songer could win, as both of them had fought their way up from the flea den and the common people in the original story.

Later, one followed Littlefinger, and the other followed Stannis.

Littlefinger is cunning, and Stannis is cold and hard; both are discerning.

The fact that both of the mercenary knights survived until the later stages of the War of the Five Kings speaks volumes about their strength.

They might be a bit lacking in spear combat skills, but they'd be absolutely fine in real battles.

"Bang!" "Bang!" "Bang!"

The shield and steel clashed together, producing a powerful, resounding sound.

Warriors advance and flank, sometimes feigning an attack and then retreating.

The clash of weapons produced a sharp whistling sound as people fought, retreated, and then used their shields to suppress their opponents.

The battles fought by the mercenary knights are close to real combat, and many of them have extensive combat experience.

Unlike some aristocratic gentlemen who never worried about making a living and ended up with just a showy display of skill.

When there are no battles or tournaments, escorting merchants, eliminating bandits, and protecting shops are also the duties of hired knights.

Only the strongest and most ruthless can easily defeat their opponents.

"That knight with the Bren and the Flying Pig Shield is quite good," Sir Lucas commented.

Arthur nodded.

Rosso and Clattenburg performed admirably.

They were strong and cunning, constantly circling and wearing down their opponents while launching fierce counterattacks, and thus quickly distinguished themselves.

"That's Bronn's style of play too," Arthur thought.

Daring mercenaries don't live long; only clever mercenaries survive to the end.

To Arthur's surprise, a young man named Tritimon was also quite skilled.

The hired knights and mercenaries fought each other in pairs, eliminating one-on-one opponents.

In the end, these three people made it to the final round.

The other hired knights were essentially eliminated contestants, and they stood rather forlornly on the other side.

For those who were eliminated, there was no resentment; they were simply less skilled than others.

Moreover, it's normal for hired knights and mercenaries to not know where their next meal is coming from.

In the battlefield of the courtyard, only three outstanding individuals remained, standing in a triangle, wary of each other.

This time, there are only two positions available, so one of them will definitely have to be eliminated.

The three hired knights were waiting for Arthur's order to begin the final competition.

Arthur gave Veri a few instructions, and Veri nodded.

"Rosso Brun, Clayton Jung, Tritimon, I want all three of you," Arthur said, standing up.

They were destitute and had no affection for the Lannisters.

The people of the royal domain or the eastern river valleys hate lions, otherwise they would sell themselves to them.

The three hired knights also breathed a sigh of relief.

Although they were all very confident in their martial arts skills, none of them were sure that they would be the winner of the final battle royale.

After all, for first- and second-rate knights, the difference between them isn't actually that big.

"Thank you all for your cooperation. Even though Master Arthur can't use that many people this time, he has prepared some small gifts for everyone. The hired knights who came this time will not have come for nothing," Veri said.

Veri pulled out some silver coins from his pocket. Each of the eliminated mercenary knights would receive a few silver deer, which would allow them to enjoy themselves for quite some time.

"They're really rich!"

Rosso Brun, Clayton Jung, and Tritimon looked at the gleaming silver coins; even losers get money.

Giving such a lot of silver to those second- or third-rate knights is such a waste.

But then again, following Arthur River was definitely the right choice.

After all, even these scraps got paid, let alone the three winners.

"Young Master Arthur, you are such a kind person."

"Young Master Arthur, please remind us next time there's work to be done."

Even the dismissed mercenary knights received a fortune, which was a considerable unexpected bonus.

"Generous young master Arthur!" So the eliminated mercenary knights or soldiers left the Iron Inn with great satisfaction, expressing their gratitude on the way back.

These knights are also like loudspeakers, and they will do more to promote Arthur's reputation.

"Congratulations to the three of you! Welcome to my squire team, the Dark Knight's team!" Arthur smiled brightly and then shook hands with the three of them in succession.

"We pledge our loyalty to you, Master Arthur!" Cratton and Tritimon exclaimed excitedly. Dinner was almost ready.

"Yes, don't let our clothes fool you, we're all top-notch knights," Rosso said sheepishly.

All three of them looked like they were short of money.

After all, wealthy knights wouldn't wear patched brown breeches, weathered leather vests, and ill-fitting second-rate armor like Rosso.

"You are all good knights, quite skilled," Sir Lucas said.

Arthur sized up the three hired knights.

They were all very strong, but not that tall.

The top fighters in Westeros are all built to be bulky; they must be tall, muscular, and have excellent coordination.

Typical examples are Robert Baratheon and Arthur Dayne, the Sword of the Morning, both over 1.9 meters tall, with upright postures and long legs.

With his powerful and energetic style, he could easily become a top-tier knight.

The hired knights and mercenaries lacked proper nutrition and good horses.

Therefore, it is difficult for them to stand out like knights from noble families.

Limited by their height and the availability of good horses, these three guys have already endured a great deal of hardship to reach the level of top-class riders.

Arthur has struck gold this time, and besides, the combat experience of mercenaries is incomparable to that of those fancy knights.

"Those who join my team are all my friends," Arthur said. "Viri, go and get them some cloaks."

The three Vili went and got several fine yellow-based black bat cloaks, and then quickly dressed the three mercenaries in them.

With the arrival of the yellow cloak, the three of them also acquired the bat-woven fabric of the He'an family.

But Arthur's "money power" performance wasn't over yet; Arthur looked at the three mercenaries.

"You don't have suits of armor. I came in a hurry and didn't bring many suits of armor from Harrenhal. Here are ten gold dragons for each of you. Go to the blacksmith in Tob and buy a suit of armor. Just say you're my guards, and he'll take care of it. The extras can be your operating expenses for the early stages, and you can use them as you see fit." Arthur handed out ten gold dragons to each of you.

"Ten, ten golden dragons?" Rosso gasped.

I have never seen such a lavish client before.

Ten golden dragons already represent a considerable expense, and that's just the initial funding.

This is an ordinary-looking, ordinary-family-born hired knight.

If you don't meet a good customer who's a big spender, you'll never get ahead in your life.

The hired knight was dizzy and disoriented when the golden dragon's light blasted him into the dust.

I'm terrified of being poor.

"Young Master, you don't want to take that armor back, do you?" Craton asked cautiously.

A good set of armor can be left to one's descendants.

Tob's blacksmith shop is known for having the most expensive prices in King's Landing, but good things only have one drawback: they're expensive.

"Young Master Arthur, just say the word, and I'm willing to brave wind and rain, and remain loyal forever!" Rosso assured him, this was a secure job.

"These are just a small gift for you guys," Arthur said casually. "The Dark Knights' team, to say the least, will provide plenty of perks for the brothers."

"This is incredibly generous!" Rosso, Craton, and Tritimon exchanged glances, wishing they could kneel down before Arthur on the spot.

I've drifted through half my life, only regretting that I haven't met a wise ruler!