Spellcasting Gods

Chapter 0127 Alliance

red!

A vibrant, fiery red!

Even from several meters away, you can feel the heat wave hitting you!

In less than a minute, a small pit with a diameter of more than 80 centimeters appeared on the living room floor, filled with lava formed from the melting marble.

Tyrion Lannister waited with two horrified eyes before carefully pouring a little of the remaining wine from his glass into the pit.

moment!

laugh!!!!!!!!

With a piercing sound, the liquor was immediately evaporated into white mist, which slowly drifted out of the window.

"Oh my god! What is this thing? Even wildfire probably couldn't reach such a high temperature, right?" the little devil asked, dumbfounded.

He simply couldn't believe that a mere small bottle of unknown substance could cause such terrifying destruction, even melting hard marble. If it were to drip onto a person, the consequences would be unimaginable; perhaps not even a partially intact corpse could be preserved.

As for Bronn, he had long been frightened and retreated to the doorway. If he sensed that things were not going well, he would turn around and run away without saying a word.

As a mercenary who had killed someone when he was twelve, he could face blood and death with equanimity, but he could not face mysterious forces that were far beyond his comprehension.

"Hmph! Don't compare my dragonfire to something as low-level as wildfire; I would consider it an insult. As you can see, upon contact with air, it can produce intense flames hot enough to melt steel and rock, just like the dragonfire spewed by a legendary dragon. Any protection is useless in front of it. Imagine if an important enemy figure were burned to death on the battlefield; how would his army react?" Zhang Cheng explained with a playful expression.

Undoubtedly, this thing, temporarily named "Dragon Flame," was the first byproduct of his study of the dragon's internal structure.

The principle is even simpler: it uses a small amount of young dragon blood to inject a large amount of mysterious energy that permeates the air.

Once a certain critical point is reached, the energy will activate a certain substance in the dragon's blood, thereby generating terrifying high-temperature flames, almost identical to the dragon flames spewed from the dragon's mouth.

Perhaps the only difference is that dragons can control the temperature and range of their dragonfire, but this man-made thing is uncontrollable and will never stop unless it burns out completely.

Although the method of making dragonfire is not complicated, it requires dragon blood, so currently only he and Daenerys, who is far away on the other side of the sea, can make it in the entire world of Ice and Fire.

Given that Daenerys' control over dragons is far inferior to Zhang Cheng's, and given that she lacks professional talent in this area, it's unlikely she'll be able to develop something similar even by the time the White Walkers march south.

Tyrion stroked his thick stubble, seemingly seriously considering the practical uses of this new contraption.

After a long pause, he asked uncertainly, "May I ask how much dragon flame is produced? If I want to use it, do I need to pay gold dragons or any other additional conditions?"

Zhang Cheng waved his hand with a smile: "Don't rush, dear Tyrion, don't rush. Before that, I'd like to hear your opinion on the current situation. You know, I've dealt with your self-righteous idiot sister before, and to be honest, if it weren't for Lord Tywin, I would have snapped her neck and thrown her body into the latrine."

"Hahahaha! I'm glad you feel exactly the same way I do. Don't worry, Father sent me to King's Landing this time to properly discipline my annoying sister and unruly nephew." The little devil was not angry at all, but laughed happily instead.

"Oh? You must have had a tough time. As far as I know, neither your sister nor your nephew are people who like to be controlled," Zhang Cheng hinted meaningfully.

Tyrion shrugged dismissively. "It's alright. I came prepared. Besides, with the war in the north at a stalemate, how to defend against the Baratheon brothers in the south has become a huge problem. At such a critical moment, any troublemaker will be severely punished, whether he is the king or the queen."

Zhang Cheng nodded thoughtfully: "I see. Also, you haven't answered my question yet: what are your thoughts on the current situation?"

“It’s very simple. Both Renly and Stannis claim the right to the Iron Throne. Therefore, I think a civil war will break out between them before the siege of King’s Landing begins. I hope this civil war lasts as long as possible.” Tyrion made no attempt to hide his malice toward the enemy.

As he described, if the civil war between the Baratheon brothers had lasted long enough, they would have exhausted their own war potential and would not have posed as great a threat even if they had marched north.

Unfortunately, the ideal state is destined to be unrealistic.

No one knew that it wouldn't be long before Stannis would have Melisandre use shadow magic to kill her own brother, and then unite the supporters of House Baratheon to launch an unprecedented campaign.

“A very accurate prediction. It seems you are much smarter than your sister. You know, I like dealing with smart people, so I solemnly promise again that as long as you are Prime Minister, I will unconditionally support your decisions.” With that, Zhang Cheng raised the wine glass he had just filled.

Tyrion quickly raised his glass and replied with a smile, "I also promise that all your efforts will be richly rewarded."

“Heh heh! After all, the Lannisters always pay their debts, don’t they?” Bronn chimed in, raising his glass as well.

"That's right! To the great Lannisters! Cheers!" Zhang Cheng's eyes flashed with a hint of amusement as he tilted his head back and drank it all in one gulp.

"Homage to the great Lannisters!"

"Homage to the great Lannisters!"

……

The other two, completely oblivious to anything amiss, raised their glasses and drank heartily, enjoying a sumptuous meal while chatting about all sorts of raunchy and violent anecdotes.

Before we knew it, more than three hours had passed.

By the time Tyrion realized he had lingered too long, he was already starting to stagger. He managed to slip the letter into Zhang Cheng's hand with great difficulty before heading towards the Red Keep at the top of the mountain with Bronn.

In any case, as the incoming prime minister, he had to greet Cersei and Joffrey and, incidentally, secure his own power.

Watching them disappear at the end of the street, Zhang Cheng calmly broke the seal, glanced at the contents, and a graceful smile quickly curved his lips as he murmured in a low voice, "Earl of Brightwater, this is exactly what I wanted. Once the marriage alliance with House Tyrell is complete, I will rise to become a significant force in the Reach..."

Chapter 0128 Good News and Bad News

After officially becoming political allies with Tyrion, Zhang Cheng was free to act, ordering Blanco to expand his mercenary force without limit.

In just about a month, the number of mercenaries swelled from two or three hundred to eight hundred.

In addition, there were 1,500 newly recruited city garrison soldiers who were nominally directly under King Joffrey but actually held military power in his hands, bringing his total army to over 2,200 men.

Do not underestimate this point. These two thousand two hundred men are not a hastily assembled rabble, nor are they farmers who go to war with pitchforks. They are a professional army, and almost every soldier has several lives on his hands.

Many people may be dismissive of the military power in the world of A Song of Ice and Fire, thinking that a continent the size of South America could only have tens of thousands of people in a single battle, which is far weaker than the battles in ancient China that often involved hundreds of thousands or even millions of people.

In fact, behind this phenomenon lies, on the one hand, the huge gap in mobilization capacity between the feudal system and the centralized political system, and on the other hand, the difference between professional and non-professional armies.

Soldiers in the Westeros army often do not need to engage in productive labor. From the moment they join a family, they are constantly engaged in various kinds of training and combat. In terms of both experience and mental fortitude, they are hundreds of times better than those temporarily conscripted farmers.

Therefore, when Robb Stark led an army of 20,000 south, these 20,000 men were not peasants temporarily conscripted, but fully armed professional warriors.

It could be said that the wars on the continent of Westeros were more like clashes between elite forces than a total war.

Once a family's main force suffers a devastating blow, it is very difficult to recruit an army of the same quality in a short period of time.

What does Zhang Cheng's army of over two thousand men mean right now?

To give a simple example, even the prestigious House of Florent of Brightwater, a powerful family in the Reach, could only afford to maintain a professional army of over two thousand men. With this army, they even dared to openly complain about and question the Tyrell family's dominance in the Reach on several occasions.

Unfortunately, this family clearly did not learn the Tyrell family's ability to adapt to changing circumstances.

As the plot unfolds, after Renly's death, the economic queen Olenna Redwynn will immediately choose to join forces with the Lannisters, while they choose to side with Stannis, ultimately being labeled traitors and losing their lands and noble titles.

Even more unfortunately, Zhang Cheng saw this opportunity and made a deal with Tywin Lannister in advance: if he contributed enough to the defense of King's Landing, he would become the new Earl of Brightwater after the victory.

Interestingly, this clandestine transaction was conducted without the consent of the Florent family, the owners of Brightwater City…

With Tyrion appointed Hand of the King, he began to exercise his rights and duties, racing against time to build King's Landing's defenses, hoping to transform the chaotic city into an impregnable fortress before war broke out.

However, he clearly overlooked one point: as the shadow of war loomed, the prices of various daily necessities began to soar.

Especially the food we depend on for survival, its price is being refreshed almost every day.

After all, once Renly married Margaery Tyrell, the Tyrell family completely sided with the young man who had declared himself king, and naturally they would no longer continue to provide King's Landing with a steady stream of cheap food, fruits, and vegetables.

"Damn it! This is the fourth riot of the poor this week! We have to find a way to get them some food! Otherwise, we'll be scrambling to catch up before the enemy even comes knocking." Tyrion complained through gritted teeth as he sat in his chair.

“Don’t worry, they’re just a bunch of unarmed poor people. I’ve already suppressed them for you. But seriously, you really should get them something to eat, even if it’s just a bowl of gruel.” With that, Bronn, ignoring the large amount of bloodstains on his armor, raised the bottle and took a swig of wine.

Just as the little devil was about to say something, Zhang Cheng suddenly pushed open the door and barged in, greeting him with a smile: "Good morning, Your Excellency Prime Minister. I have just received some good news and some bad news. Which would you like to hear first?"

"Good morning, Ser Mason. I'm already at my wit's end, so stop beating around the bush and just tell me what happened," Tyrion said self-deprecatingly, rubbing his dry eyes.

You could tell from the tired look on his face that he hadn't had a good night's sleep for several days.

"Heh, the good news is that Balon Greyjoy of the Iron Islands has once again declared himself king and has begun sweeping across the entire North by sea. Our invincible Robb Stark will now face a difficult choice: whether to return to protect his homeland or continue south to approach King's Landing." Zhang Cheng keenly sensed the other party's fatigue, so he stated the first piece of news directly.

Upon hearing this, Tyrion's eyes lit up, and he clapped his hands with a loud laugh: "Hahaha! That's fantastic! This is the first good news I've heard since becoming Prime Minister! Cheers! Bronn! Quick, pour me a glass of wine!"

"As you wish, my lord." The mercenary leader smiled, raised the bottle, and filled the empty glass on the table.

Without a word, the little devil picked it up and gulped it down, then wiped his mouth, his expression quickly turning extremely serious: "Tell me, what's the bad news? I'm mentally prepared."

Zhang Cheng's lips curled slightly as he replied in a somewhat somber tone, "The bad news is that Renly was assassinated in his own tent and died on the spot. Now his brother Stannis Baratheon, having taken almost all of his men, is leading an army of nearly 100,000 men toward King's Landing. My dear friend, a formidable opponent has arrived..."

"Ten...hundred thousand?!!!"

Upon learning the exact number of enemies, Bronn's face contorted in pain.

It's impossible not to distort the truth, considering that the entire population of King's Landing, including men, women, and children, is only around 500,000.

"Is your information accurate?" Compared to his men's panic, Tyrion was relatively calm, except that his legs were trembling slightly.

“Absolutely accurate! And I can also tell you! Renly’s death was caused by a priestess with magical powers who worked for Stannis, so you’d better be careful.”

After saying this, Zhang Cheng didn't care whether the other person understood or not, turned around and left the room, disappearing into the chaotic street...

Chapter 0129 Assassination

In the deepest cellar of the Red Keep, Varys, the "Eight-Clawed Spider," stood silently before a table, hunched over, allowing Zhang Cheng to peruse the messages that should have been kept strictly confidential.

Unfortunately, since the last "friendly" meeting, he has lost control of these little secrets and cannot even destroy them, otherwise the ever-present necromancer would have appeared immediately.

Under this 24/7 surveillance, all he could do was hope that his "old friend" would deliver the message to the designated person, and then use that person's power to eliminate the enemy.

Of course, Zhang Cheng was unaware of the eunuch's little scheme. He read through the densely packed notes on the table, then looked up and asked with a smile, "Varys, my dear friend, how much do you know about Melisandre?"

“My lord, as far as I know, Melisandre comes from the continent of Essos and is a priestess who worships R'hllor, the Lord of Light. Oh, by the way, R'hllor, the Lord of Light, is also known as the Red God in the Seven Kingdoms. Like you, she also possesses some kind of incredible power,” Varys replied, reciting the script.

"Oh? Please elaborate. What is this incredible power you're referring to? Also, why did Lanli suddenly and inexplicably die in his own tent?" Zhang Cheng narrowed his eyes and continued to press for details.

He wasn't one of those fools who could be easily fooled with a few words; he knew perfectly well that the other party actually had an extremely close relationship with the King of Light.

During his childhood, the fat man's "little bird" was cut off and sacrificed to the King of Light, and it is said that he also heard some kind of incredible sound.

Although Zhang Cheng did not believe that there were any true "gods" in the world of A Song of Ice and Fire, the so-called Lord of Light was at most just a method of using mysterious energy.

What truly interested him was the necklace Melisandre wore around her neck and her ability to bring the dead back to life.

Varys clearly sensed something, and instinctively shuddered. He quickly explained in a low voice, "I'm sorry, Ser, I'm not entirely sure what kind of power Melisandre possesses either. But a few seconds before Renly died, it seems someone discovered a huge shadow in his tent. Also, Melisandre has been loudly proclaiming that Stannis is the rebirth of Azor Ahai; I think she might be trying to use this opportunity to spread her teachings."

"Really?" Zhang Cheng slightly curled the corners of his mouth, revealing a playful smile, but quickly shrugged indifferently. "Forget it, no matter who she is or what power she wields, she can never be my match in the end. As for you, continue with that interesting Targaryen family restoration plan."

After saying this, he pushed open the door and walked out of the dark and gloomy cellar, leaving the castle along the narrow passage and strolling through the streets filled with chaos and panic.

With news spreading that Stannis was about to arrive in King's Landing with an army of 100,000, all the residents realized that a fierce siege was likely to begin. So they took out their savings and began to frantically hoard food. In just two or three days, prices increased more than tenfold, and the whole city exuded an atmosphere of madness and despair.

"Sir! Please buy my daughters! Look how beautiful they are! They'll surely serve you well! Just two bags of flour!" A middle-aged woman saw someone passing by and immediately grabbed two girls, no more than fourteen years old, and pleaded loudly.

"Sir! Please also look at my daughter!"

"And mine too!"