Spellcasting Gods

Soon, thanks to Warrent's superb acting skills, the Night's Watch soldiers gradually lowered their guard, raised their glasses to drink and feast on delicious ham and sausages that they could never normally afford.

The rich aroma of meat filled the noisy hall, and some people even started singing at the top of their lungs.

As the banquet reached its climax, he finally couldn't help but ask, "Commander-in-Chief, I've heard many stories circulating north of the Wall, including one about a monster called the White Walkers. Do they really exist?"

“White Walkers?” Jeo Mormont frowned instinctively.

Not only him, but several other veteran Night's Watchmen also had a slight change in expression.

In particular, Jon Snow opened his mouth several times as if to say something, but then inexplicably closed it again.

For a moment, the surrounding air became a little heavy.

A full minute passed before the Commander-in-Chief took a deep breath and replied, “No! I have never seen any White Walkers. Those are just scary stories used to frighten children. Compared to White Walkers, those ferocious barbarians are the real threat. For hundreds of years, they have attacked the Wall time and time again, trying to seize our land. If you are interested, I can have someone take you for a walk outside the Wall.”

"Really? That's fantastic!" Warren feigned an excited expression.

But he was already convinced that the White Walkers were real and not just some scary story used to frighten children.

I just don't know why, but those who know the inside story are unwilling to tell the truth.

Having confirmed the White Walker threat was real, Warren joined a Ranger patrol early the next morning and began leaving the protection of the Wall, heading towards the vast ice plains.

For a whole week, he couldn't find even the slightest supernatural phenomenon. The biggest threat was nothing more than hungry predators and a dozen or so savages who looked like they hadn't eaten for days.

In this frozen land, food is so scarce that it cannot support a large population.

The cruel laws of nature have brought about the survival of the fittest, causing life forms to kill each other and obtain the resources necessary for survival from one another.

Of course, Warrent had seen these scenes in Northern Europe long ago and didn't find them particularly strange.

What's truly strange is that a savage named Castor seems to be trying his best to hide something.

He could sense an extremely strange magical energy surrounding the house.

"What, are you interested in that old guy?" Colin asked, glancing at the slightly aged Castor out of the corner of his eye.

Warren nodded seriously. "Indeed, I'm very interested! But it's not that he committed incest with his own daughter, but rather his inexplicable attitude. Don't you find it strange? According to those women, every male infant born is invariably sent to the forest as a sacrifice to the gods. Yet, to this day, no one has ever seen the bodies of those infants, not even a trace of blood or signs of wild animal attacks. It's as if someone has taken them away silently."

"So you mean the god he believes in actually exists?" Colin scoffed, curling his lip.

He may be an excellent scout and soldier, but he is by no means a clever person who is good at using his brain.

“No! What I mean is, perhaps the god he worships is the legendary White Walkers, and those male infants who were sacrificed didn’t actually die, but were taken away by the White Walkers.” Warrent said meaningfully, revealing the scene he had observed from the fragments of the future.

As someone who likes to keep secrets, he never told anyone that his ability to foresee the future is actually subject to many limitations, one of which is that he needs to obtain the corresponding triggering conditions in advance.

This condition could be something, such as the other person's blood, energy, clothing, books, etc.

Clearly, until he encounters a real White Walker or touches something they left behind, Warren has no way of clearly seeing what they look like, where they came from, or whether they will pose a threat to the human world...

Chapter 0987 Imperial Council

The Red Keep in King's Landing is the military and political center of the Seven Kingdoms, as well as the place where the royal family lives daily.

It is named for its construction entirely of light red stone. The seven massive iron-roofed drum towers stand like steadfast guards, protecting the descendants of Aegon the Conqueror at all times. Even if the entire Kingdom of King's Landing falls, the castle is strong enough to withstand any attack except from dragons.

If we consider the outer walls of King's Landing as the city's protective shield, then the Red Keep symbolizes the last vestige of royal dignity, giving them ample time to consider whether to commit suicide or surrender when faced with an invincible enemy.

Of course, like all the world's most fortified defenses, the Red Fort was breached several times not because of external factors, but because of internal problems.

Seated on the Iron Throne, forged from countless swords, Daenerys gazed with an air of majesty at her newly appointed prime minister.

The short, middle-aged man carefully recounted the important events that had recently occurred in the kingdom, not daring to add even the slightest bit of his own subjective thoughts or ideas.

The reason is simple: the previous prime minister who was dismissed not only lost his immense power instantly, but was also severely reprimanded, to the point that his vassals began to disobey his orders, and even his family inevitably declined.

The drawbacks of feudalism are fully exposed at this moment.

Those seemingly stable pyramid-shaped power structures actually rely entirely on the prestige built up by high-ranking nobles over many years, as well as on personal relationships.

If both of these things go wrong at the same time, it will immediately cause the vassal's ambition to swell rapidly, start challenging the lord's position, and eventually achieve a comeback.

"Your Majesty! In conclusion, Petyr Baelish has lost control of the Vale. The nobles who have been loyal to House Arryn for generations have formed an alliance to drive him out and then renew their oath of allegiance to King's Landing."

After spouting a lot of meaningless flattery, the Prime Minister finally gave a summary in a melodious and rhythmic tone.

In short, the Lannister family was uprooted, and the historic Casterly Rock was reduced to ruins in a single day. This greatly intimidated the Vale nobles who considered themselves powerful, fearing that they might also be treated as rebels.

"Oh? What did these Vale nobles tell you?" Daenerys didn't rush to answer, but instead asked the most crucial part with a blank expression.

The Prime Minister quickly bowed and explained softly, “It’s simple! They want you to strip Petyr Baelish of his noble titles and status, and declare him a remnant of the Lannisters. This will give the nobles of the Vale an excuse to wage war. After all, Petyr Baelish has long secretly controlled the Eyrie thanks to his excellent political skills. Only when he becomes a traitor will the knights loyal to House Arryn be forced to make a choice.”

"Since the nobles of the Vale have offered their terms, I'm sure Petyr Baelish, with his intelligence, has also offered quite generous terms, hasn't he?"

Zhang Cheng, who had been sitting with his eyes closed and resting beside the Iron Throne, suddenly opened his eyes and interjected with a meaningful remark.

“Yes, Your Excellency! Petyr Baelish’s offer is to make him the Duke of the Eyrie. In return, he not only agrees to swear allegiance to King’s Landing, but also to help the royal family keep the North in check, ensuring that the Boltons can never hold the throne of King in the North.” The Prime Minister nodded slightly, his eyes revealing deep awe and apprehension.

It should be noted that the dragon Kuro Kerba, which was considered invincible by countless people, was as obedient as a well-trained hunting dog under the control of this young man who looked to be no more than twenty years old. Moreover, the lords of the entire Reach region still firmly supported his every decision, and if needed, he could quickly raise an elite army of more than 100,000 men.

Most importantly, Queen Daenerys Targaryen was completely subservient to her only "legitimate" husband.

It can be said that within the Seven Kingdoms, no one can rival him in terms of politics, military, or power.

Even Oberyn, the long-standing representative of the Dornish royal family, is one of its staunchest allies, showing absolutely no intention of replacing it or confronting it.

Zhang Cheng squinted at the somewhat slick middle-aged man, and asked with a half-smile, "Dear Prime Minister, do you think it is more advantageous for the royal family to cooperate with the nobles of the Vale, or to cooperate with Count Petyr Baelish?"

“I believe that supporting the Vale nobles is more in the royal family’s interest! After all, they represent the legitimate power, while Petyr Baelish is nothing but a nouveau riche, a despicable scoundrel who climbed to a high position through betrayal and treachery.”

This time, the Prime Minister did not act cautiously as usual, and directly stated his position.

However, this was clearly not just his opinion, but the view of the vast majority of nobles.

It must be said that although Littlefinger considered himself extremely intelligent and even regarded the chaotic situation in Westeros as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, he never understood that he never had a chance to climb the Iron Throne.

His lineage and background were too low, and he had no military talent. He could neither win the war nor gain the trust of his soldiers, so he could only hide in the shadows and constantly plot and scheme.

Despite seemingly giving the least and gaining the most, he has unknowingly become the target of everyone's hatred. Almost no traditional nobles are willing to be his staunch ally, and no army is truly willing to fight for him.

“An interesting point of view. Let’s adjourn today’s royal meeting. Her Majesty the Queen will announce her decision at this time tomorrow.” Zhang Cheng slightly curled the corners of his mouth and announced the adjournment to the ministers.

After all these people had left, Daenerys couldn't help but ask, "What, do you disagree with the Prime Minister's point of view?"

“No, of course not.” Zhang Cheng chuckled and shook his head. “You need to understand that in this matter, choosing the Vale nobles or Petyr Baelish is essentially the same. The only crucial point is what kind of country you want to build. Is it like before, letting the great nobles turn their fiefdoms into private kingdoms, or is it to strengthen the power of the royal family and directly or indirectly intervene in the Seven Kingdoms? If it's the former, then supporting the Vale nobles and ensuring that the power structure within their territories remains stable is definitely a wise choice. But if it's the latter, then you must make good use of Petyr Baelish as a pawn, completely dismantle the Vale's original power structure, seize the opportunity to install your own confidants, and ensure that power does not fall into the hands of any one side…”

Chapter 0988 The Heir

“I don’t understand what you mean. Is there any difference between these two ways of ruling a country?” Daenerys frowned subconsciously.

Because she spent her childhood in constant displacement and never received even the slightest royal elite education, coupled with her limited perspective, she was completely unable to understand the huge difference between feudalism and centralized power, let alone the enormous and astonishing potential that could be unleashed when power is highly centralized.

"how to say?"

Zhang Cheng stroked his chin, gathering his thoughts briefly before casually explaining, "Allowing the great nobles to wield unchecked power within their territories means they are essentially independent kingdoms. Their relationship with the royal family is less that of ruler and subject and more that of collaborators, sharing power and ruling the entire country. As Queen, your power is effectively limited; you can't truly intervene in the affairs of the various territories. Although on the surface this might seem to greatly reduce the cost and difficulty of governance, it increases the risk of rebellion. Remember how your father lost the throne? Robert Baratheon initiated a war for personal reasons! If he weren't the Lord of Storm's End, without an army completely loyal to him, would this have happened?"

"So you think I should weaken the power of traditional nobles like Martell and Arryn, so that they can no longer establish a strong prestige and power in their territories as before?" Daenerys was clearly not stupid and immediately realized the crux of the problem.

Zhang Cheng nodded slightly: "That's right! Although you can't take back all the power from a political perspective right now, it's still no problem to cause them some trouble. Especially since the entire Seven Kingdoms have just experienced a war, and noble families like the Starks, Tyrells, Lannisters, and Tully have been severely damaged or even wiped out, it's a good opportunity to redistribute interests. You can promote some new nobles from among the commoners and let them confront the old nobles, while you act as an arbitrator to ensure a fragile balance between the two sides. Over time, they will gradually develop a sense of awe for the royal authority, and they won't be able to easily raise an army and start a rebellion like before."

"I see! I understand now! This is why you eliminated the two oldest and most influential noble families in the River Reach, while simultaneously promoting your mercenary leaders to new noble status." Daenerys's face immediately showed a look of sudden realization.

After so many days of study, she has gradually begun to deeply understand the essence of politics and monarchy, and also understands how many conflicts of interest are hidden behind many phenomena that she could not understand before.

“Yes! Very effective, isn’t it? Look at the River Bend now, there isn’t a single powerful family that can truly dominate the entire region. Everyone has to obey me, or else they will face annihilation.” Zhang Cheng smiled as he revealed the true purpose behind his previous massacre of the traditional nobles of the River Bend.

Never allow your subordinates to grow too powerful, escape control, or develop unwarranted ambitions. This is the essence of rule and the game of power.

Unfortunately, the natives of Westeros clearly did not understand such a simple and easy-to-understand principle, including Aegon the Conqueror.

They repeatedly bestowed titles upon nobles, entrusting all the rule over a vast region to a particular family for hereditary rule, believing that loyalty could be ensured to last forever through oaths and good personal relationships.

As expected, the internal strife never stopped from beginning to end. Whether it was the battle for the right to the throne or the counterattack launched by the ministers after the decline of the royal family, it showed how ridiculous this childish politics was.

Daenerys sat solemnly on the Iron Throne for more than ten minutes before raising her head and saying, "The original seven kingdoms are divided into smaller territories, which are then distributed among more nobles. No family is given the right to manage the region anymore. They are made to swear allegiance directly to King's Landing. Is that the suggestion you want to make?"

“Absolutely right! I admit that doing so would greatly increase the pressure on management, so I also suggest that you establish an academy, like the ruined academy city, specifically to train the corresponding management talents for the royal family, grant them the corresponding rights, but not noble titles, making them a completely new political force capable of counterbalancing the noble group. In this way, the royal power, the old and new nobles, and the bureaucracy will constitute a stable and mutually competitive power system. Before this system loses its balance, you will never have to worry about losing your power.” Zhang Cheng said, while picking up his glass and taking a sip of the slightly sour wine.

Undoubtedly, training a young and beautiful queen from scratch is a very interesting thing, and it even gives him the feeling of playing a simulation game.

“I understand! Mason, you really are a genius, to have built a completely new structure of governance from scratch. But now, we have a more serious problem to solve.”

Having said that, Daenerys stood up, walked gracefully closer, and whispered in Zhang Cheng's ear, "My dear, I think you should immediately fulfill your duties as a husband. As Queen, I need a healthy heir, otherwise all of this is just a beautiful illusion."

“Of course! Your Majesty! It is my honor…” Zhang Cheng slightly curled the corners of his mouth, put down his wine cup and began to undo the other’s belt.

Before long, enticing sounds rang out from the tightly closed conference room.

The Imperial Guard maids standing guard at the door exchanged glances, then quickly pretended not to have heard anything and continued to perform their duties.

However, no one knew that Zhang Cheng had actually lost the ability to reproduce, even in this cloned body.

fortunately!

For a Titan who is proficient in magical powers, creating life is not a difficult task.

While Daenerys was engrossed in her primal instincts and desires, he silently injected the seed of life into her body, which quickly condensed into a healthy embryo.

Before long, this embryo will slowly grow into a healthy fetus, becoming the legitimate heir of the iron net, and also the only hero in the future capable of fighting against the undead army of the far north.

In the already written script, Zhang Cheng had assigned roles to everyone, and all that was left was for Warrent to make up his mind to stay in this world...

Chapter 0989 Encounter

The biting winds from the far north are a recurring nightmare for the Night's Watch.

Recently, many people have noticed an incredible phenomenon: the days are getting shorter and the nights are getting longer, and the temperature in the surrounding environment is getting lower day by day.

It was as if everything was foreshadowing the end of the long summer and the coming of a terrible winter.

You have to understand that the seasons in A Song of Ice and Fire are not like those on Earth, which are divided into three-month periods and change over very quickly.

The seasons here usually last for a long time, especially after a long summer that lasts for several years, followed by two or three, or even four or five, cold winters.

During this process, food production will be severely reduced due to insufficient ambient temperature and sunlight. Many civilians will starve or freeze to death due to food shortages or lack of adequate clothing and fuel.

For the inhabitants of Westeros, especially the North, winter is like a white death, devoid of any of the beauty described by poets, and each appearance is accompanied by terrible disaster.

However, as an outsider, Warrent was not as worried about the coming of winter as the other Night's Watchmen were; instead, he devoted himself entirely to finding traces of the White Walkers.

Because he understands that the more time he wastes in this world, the fewer choices he has left.