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

The sun shone on the land of Bitterbridge, on Baron Casway's white brocade robe, and even more so on Arthur's gold-and-black-patterned splendid robe.

"In accordance with King Robert's law, I have announced the judgment of Baron John Carsway of Bitterbridge. Are any of you in the court willing to accept my judgment?" Baron John Carsway rose and pondered.

If dissatisfied with the verdict, the last resort is trial by force.

Baron John Carsway the Elder also considered this option.

If the punishment is really too severe.

Big Guy Raleigh demands a trial by combat, and Bitterbridge has no sure chance of defeating his proxy knight.

As for Raleigh, aside from the big guy himself...

Arthur Hoan, who champions chivalry, is very likely to arrange for a proxy knight to be appointed.

Arthur's group has many skilled fighters, and the Bitterbridgers have almost no chance of winning.

He couldn't afford to offend Arthur Hoan, who was also the savior of his son Laurent.

Besides, if word got out that the Casway family had no chivalry whatsoever, they would truly become a laughing stock.

"Enough! Enough! Enough!" Old Baron John thought to himself, deciding to do a favor.

"I accept!" said Raleigh, the blacksmith's son, a member of the garrison, and a big guy, taking a deep breath.

He was a big guy, so the whipping was just a tickle.

This is already the best possible outcome, considering he almost seriously injured Laurent.

If Arthur hadn't been there, he would certainly have been subjected to corporal punishment.

"I accept!" Laurent Casway said, bowing his head with a heavy heart.

Although he was reprimanded, he didn't get beaten.

His two henchmen were the ones who got beaten.

However, his father, Baron John the Elder, being so stern served as a reminder for him to be more restrained in his actions.

"We accept!" The two servants cried, their faces contorted with misfortune. This was an unexpected disaster, but they couldn't escape it.

"Just Lord John!"

"A fair verdict!"

"The true knight, Arthur Hoan!"

"The light of chivalry!"

The people of Bitterbridge cheered and rejoiced, celebrating Raleigh's escape from disaster.

Raleigh's blacksmith father, in particular, breathed a sigh of relief.

Even though Laurent didn't get a beating, Old John remained neutral.

Old John glanced at the enthusiastic crowd, who were cheering for themselves, but even more so for Arthur Hoan.

Today's events have ironically made Arthur Hoan even more famous, a twist of fate indeed.

Reputation is a thing that can be both insignificant and extremely important.

Judging from his son Laurent's appearance, he'll never make a name for himself in the equestrian world.

"Then let's begin!" Baron John commanded.

The Casway family guards tied Raleigh and two of Laurent's personal servants to wooden frames.

"Snapped!"

"Snapped!"

The brown leather whip cracked crisply in the air as it struck the victim's back.

But Baron Castaway gave the order in advance.

This whipping was all bark and no bite.

The three people who were whipped only had some simple wounds, which would heal quickly with a touch of Milfire.

When the whip cracked, Raleigh stood up and embraced his father.

Then Raleigh knelt down below the platform, looking at Baron John and the others on the platform.

"Baron John, thank you for your fair judgment. I apologize for my malice towards Laurent," said Raleigh, whose clothes still bore bloodstains.

"There's no need to apologize on my behalf; I've made a fair judgment. Besides, Laurent isn't innocent in this matter," Baron John said, adopting an amiable demeanor.

"Lord Arthur, you possess the spirit of chivalry; you are a true knight." Raleigh thanked Arthur Hoan again.

Arthur intervened out of a sense of justice; otherwise, his fate today would be uncertain.

"A true knight!"

"A true knight!"

"A beacon of chivalry!" The crowd cheered and applauded Arthur Hoan on the high platform.

A true knight is not only highly skilled in martial arts, but also swears an oath to protect the weak and women, just like Baylor the Spearbreaker.

In comparison, although Sir Laurent had been knighted, he was a coward who bullied the weak and had mediocre martial arts skills, and was not worthy of being a knight at all.

On the contrary, Arthur, with his dashing good looks and superb martial arts skills, is more like a legendary knight.

"Alright, everyone disperse." Baron John waved his hand, signaling the end of the farce.

The enthusiastic onlookers didn't leave the scene until some time later.

"Let's return to the castle."

Baron John, along with Arthur, the big man Raleigh, and his son Laurent, returned to the castle at the Bridge of Bitterness.

This matter is not completely over yet, and there are many details that are not suitable to be shown to outsiders.

Inside the council chamber of the Cassway family at Bitterbridge, now sits five people: Baron John the Elder, Arthur, Sir Lucas, Raleigh, and Laurent.

The big guy Raleigh, who had been treated with Milfire spray, had recovered a lot from his wounds and could now sit up in a chair with some difficulty.

"Lorentz, I have indeed failed to keep a close watch on you. If it weren't for Master Arthur saving you, the consequences would have been unimaginable. From today onwards, you must watch your words and actions. If there is a next time, you will remain inside the castle and not leave." Old Baron John said to his son.

Laurent was indeed terrible; his knightly skills were mediocre.

If we get ambushed again, we might really be finished.

"Yes, Father!" Laurent said weakly.

"Raleigh, your situation is understandable. But seeing you reminds me of how you tried to injure my son with a hammer. Since things have come to this, Bitterbridge cannot keep you here. But you have great strength; you should seek refuge with Master Arthur River. He is a true knight, exceptionally skilled in martial arts, and he saved you," Baron John said with a sigh.

Raleigh had the potential to be a master and was the candidate he had chosen as the captain of his son's guard, but he messed it up.

"I understand, Your Excellency," Raleigh said, kneeling before Baron John, tears welling in his eyes.

He hated Laurent.

But to be fair, the old man, John, had been kind to him and had promoted him.

But Raleigh once nearly seriously injured Laurent, so Bitterbridge is definitely not a place to stay.

"Go, Lord Arthur is your new master," Baron John said resolutely.

"Then I won't stand on ceremony, Lord John." Arthur laughed heartily.

Old John was a man of principle, capable of both flexibility and resilience.

The only slightly disappointing aspect is his overindulgence of his only son.

"I pledge my loyalty to you, Lord Arthur, and I will become a true knight," Raleigh said with great gratitude.

The job change was a success, and Arthur has found another talented individual.

In this way, Raleigh wouldn't run to the other side of the Narrow Sea and join the Golden Company because of hurting people.

But Baron John's son was unharmed, and he had to thank Arthur for that too.

"Get up, big guy, take good care of yourself first," Sir Lucas laughed.

Arthur was very satisfied; his recruitment efforts were almost as successful as a meal.

Rosso, Craton, and Raleigh were respectively Littlefinger, Stannis, and Aegon Jr.'s subordinates in the original story, and all of them were poached by Arthur beforehand.

This also confirms the old saying: talent is everywhere, but the ruler simply cannot use it.

"There is one more favor to ask," Baron John interjected.

"My son, Sir Laurent, though a knight, is only so-so in martial arts. I would like to ask you to teach him a thing or two," Sir John the Elder requested.

He was deeply saddened by the fact that his son was a useless knight, which would not only be a disgrace but also put his own life in danger.

"This..." Arthur was a little surprised. It seemed that Old John's thinking was also quite meticulous, and he was also trying to build a good relationship.

"But Lord Laurent is already a knight, and this is quite inappropriate. Besides, I still need to head south to Starfall City," Arthur politely declined.