Spellcasting Gods

Woo-woo-woo-woo

As the deep sound of horns echoed across the battlefield, the rear camp became restless. In less than ten minutes, a knight carrying a banner took the lead, leaping onto the pontoon bridge and charging towards King's Landing through the open gate, followed closely by thousands of cavalry.

In an instant, the entire earth trembled violently. The city defense soldiers who were still putting up a stubborn resistance on the city wall noticed the approaching torrent and their faces showed expressions of despair.

It is important to know that on the continent of Westeros, cavalry has always been the undisputed king of the battlefield. Apart from the dragons of House Targaryen, nothing can stop their frontal charge.

In addition, the "Golden Robe" was never an elite force to begin with, and in recent times, in order to expand its numbers, many thugs and ruffians have taken the opportunity to infiltrate, making its combat effectiveness appallingly low.

Seeing the endless cavalry, they dropped their weapons and fled without a word. Only a very small number of soldiers loyal to the Lannister family were still fighting against an enemy many times their size.

Standing at the bow of the ship, Zhang Cheng silently absorbed the atmosphere of the battlefield—an atmosphere that was both despairing and captivating. After several minutes, he turned around and ordered, "Stop the ship. From now on, no matter what you see or hear, do not make a sound, and do not disturb me, understand?"

“Understood, Sir, I will personally stay by your side.” Blanco seemed to realize what was about to happen and gave his assurance with a serious expression.

“Very good!” Zhang Cheng nodded in satisfaction, gripping the flint staff tightly in one hand and raising a runestone high in the other, loudly chanting a clumsy incantation.

Because this was not the world of Azeroth, he could only rely on his own stored arcane energy to complete this large-scale spell, so the preparation time was exceptionally long. It wasn't until nearly a quarter of the cavalry had rushed through the city gate that large patches of black clouds gathered in the sky.

At the same time, a strange cold current suddenly began to surround the battlefield, and in the blink of an eye, a thin layer of ice formed on the water.

"Oh my God!" The old mercenary shuddered involuntarily, his eyes filled with horror.

As for the sailors and mercenaries on the ship, they were so frightened that they knelt down and stared at Zhang Cheng with awe and worship.

It's likely that in their minds, only a god could do something as incredible as changing the weather.

next second...

Countless white dots rained down from the sky, smashing countless charging cavalrymen off their horses with a series of crackling sounds.

These white dots are none other than icicles, each as big as an adult's fist.

Some unlucky ones had their helmets pierced by icicles and died instantly, while others had their arms, legs, or shoulder blades broken, or their warhorses injured, making it impossible for them to continue fighting.

Clearly, the spell Zhang Cheng was casting was the famous "Blizzard" of Azeroth, one of the most popular area-of-effect spells used by mages.

He cleverly chose the opposite bank of the pontoon bridge as the release point, and in a short time, he crushed or maimed hundreds of knights.

More importantly, the sheer number of people who fell created a large natural obstacle, causing subsequent cavalrymen to stumble and fall in the same way.

The very few who tried to rein in their horses and stop were pushed into the river by the people rushing up behind them, and drowned shortly afterward.

After all, the knights wore heavy armor, and once they fell into the water, they would be like natural weights, sinking to the bottom of the river without a doubt...

Chapter 0137 Demonstrating Power

The deadly ice spikes didn't last long. When the arcane energy was completely depleted, the dark clouds that had shrouded the battlefield slowly dissipated, leaving behind only a vast expanse of white corpses covered in frost.

At this moment, both Stannis on the offensive and the Gold Robes on the defensive held their breath, staring at the unbelievable spectacle before them, unable to recover for a long time.

The once noisy battlefield fell silent for a moment, except for the rushing sound of the river and the painful groans of the wounded, as if everyone had been frozen in time.

Feeling the emptiness of magic within his body, Zhang Cheng casually tossed away the dull runestone, leaned on his flint staff, and asked in a half-joking tone, "How was it? Not bad, right?"

“Not just good! Your performance just now was simply divine! I’m sorry, I don’t know what to say right now. After tonight’s battle, you will soon become the most sought-after legendary figure in the Seven Kingdoms. Whoever sits on the Iron Throne in the future will be given the highest honors.” Blanco replied incoherently.

Due to his extreme excitement, a dark reddish tinge appeared on his slightly aged face.

As a veteran mercenary, no one knew better than him how terrifying such wide-range, long-range coverage attacks were, especially when the battle was deadlocked, a single strike could often determine who was the victor and who was the loser.

"Hehe, really? That's exactly the result I wanted." Zhang Cheng smiled mysteriously, while reaching into his waist pouch and feeling the two remaining bottles of well water inside.

Clearly, his decision to reveal his strongest side at this moment without reservation was entirely out of desperation.

Just like some creatures in nature that, when faced with danger, choose to inflate their bodies rapidly like a balloon in order to scare away their predators.

Although Zhang Cheng has not yet encountered any real danger, in order to avoid potential trouble and to keep those restless guys in line, he chose to show his strength at an appropriate time.

In this way, anyone who wants to do something underhanded in the future will have to think carefully about whether it is worth it to provoke a dangerous person who possesses powerful supernatural abilities for no reason.

At the same time, he could also gain more benefits after the war by virtue of his performance in turning the tide and his personal strength.

"My lord! I wonder if I am fortunate enough to be able to pledge my loyalty to you! I swear! I am willing to give you everything! Even my life!" A trembling mercenary took two steps forward, knelt on one knee, and respectfully bowed.

"I'd love to!"

"I'd love to!"

……

In the blink of an eye, the deck was filled with countless people kneeling down.

Perhaps, as the famous French social psychologist Gustave Le Bon described, the masses are often foolish, short-sighted, and utterly irrational.

Especially when it comes to things and phenomena that they simply cannot understand, they either desperately slander them or inexplicably worship them.

Looking into those pairs of eyes filled with fervor, a subtle, almost imperceptible smile curved Zhang Cheng's lips.

Just as he was about to say something, a rumbling sound suddenly came from afar, followed by countless knights charging from the rear of Stannis's camp. In just a few minutes, they trampled the camp and scattered the soldiers who had not yet crossed the river to join the battle.

Obviously!

Tywin Lannister, the "Old Lion" who had been hiding in the shadows waiting for his chance, finally couldn't resist making his move...

Amidst deafening battle cries, Stannis's army, which had fought valiantly all night, nearly collapsed at the first sign of trouble. Furthermore, the appearance of a man who looked remarkably like Renly on the battlefield instantly shattered the Stormlands lords' will to resist.

When the sun rose above the horizon once more, all the battles, both inside and outside the city, came to an end.

Stannis Baratheon, who claimed to have an army of 100,000 (in reality only 60,000 to 70,000), nearly lost his entire army and escaped the battlefield with less than 5,000 men.

"You are Ser Mason Aspen?" As soon as the battle ended, old Tywin couldn't wait to approach Zhang Cheng.

“Yes, it is me, Your Grace, the Duke.” Zhang Cheng smiled and gave a slight bow.

After a brief greeting, the two stared at each other in silence for a full minute before a rare smile appeared on Old Tywin's usually serious face: "I must admit, your performance far exceeded my expectations. I believe you understand what I mean, right?"

“Of course, Your Grace. I can understand the reaction of most ordinary people after witnessing the power of magic firsthand. But you are Tywin Lannister, surely you wouldn't react like a mere mortal?” Zhang Cheng asked knowingly, blinking his eyes.

“No! Of course not! On the contrary, I value the power you possess, especially in these times of war. Oh, by the way, if I remember correctly, you seem to be engaged to Elo Tyrell?” Old Tywin suddenly changed the subject for some reason.

Although he wasn't quite sure what the other party's purpose was, Zhang Cheng nodded: "Yes, we originally planned to hold the wedding after the martial arts tournament, but unfortunately King Robert's death disrupted everything."

Tywin stared with his pale green eyes, as if trying to read the young man's mind. After about two or three minutes, he suggested, "Forgive my bluntness, but Elo Tyrell is merely an insignificant collateral branch and is not worthy of you at all. If you don't mind, could I arrange a better marriage for you?"

"Oh? Why are you suddenly concerned about my marriage? Could it be..." Zhang Cheng deliberately dragged out the word, his face full of amusement.

It goes without saying that although the Lannisters have temporarily chosen to form an alliance with the Tyrells, this alliance is not stable. Both sides are wary of each other and are constantly making various underhanded moves.

As someone who possesses powerful supernatural abilities, he naturally becomes one of the targets that both sides vie for and try to win over.

"Don't play dumb, young man. You should understand what I mean. We don't have much time. You must give me a definite answer before we enter the city for the royal council," Tywin urged sternly.

As he said this, he even turned around and glanced at Loras, the Knight of Flowers, and his brother Garland, who was disguised as Renly, not far away.

Zhang Cheng shrugged dismissively: "Duke, if you are testing my stance, then I can assure you very clearly that as long as you live, I will always stand by the Lannisters. However, regarding the marriage to Elo Tyrell, I will never back down, because it concerns my ambitions and plans..."

Chapter 0138 Dividing the Profits

Clang—clang—clang—

As the melodious chimes resounded throughout the city, King's Landing, ravaged by war, finally ushered in the long-awaited victory.

As the nominal king, Joffrey convened a royal council in the Iron Throne Hall, intending to properly express his gratitude to his "meritorious officials."

Of course, the content had already been drafted by Tywin Lannister and given to his daughter Cersei, who then relayed it to her son in a veiled manner.

All Joffrey had to do was divide the spoils among the winners of the game of power according to the list.

It has to be said that it is truly tragic for a king to have fallen to this state, as he does not even have command of the remaining city defense forces in his own hands, but rather in the hands of the Lannister family.

However, he himself seemed to have no objection to this, and with a smug smile on his face, he said to old Tywin, "My maternal grandfather, Shield of Lannisport and Warden of the West, Duke of Casterly Rock, thank you for destroying the rebels at a crucial moment. In the name of the King, I appoint you as Hand of the King and bestow upon you the honor of Savior of King's Landing."

“Thank you very much, Your Majesty.” Tywin, mounted on his horse, gave a slight bow.

"And you, dear Sir Mason, you displayed extraordinary courage and wisdom in the battle last night, even holding off the rebel cavalry at one point. I now formally strip the Florentine family of all titles, fiefs, and incomes for their involvement in the rebellion, and transfer them to you, hoping that you will continue to serve the King in the future."

When he said this, Joffrey's tone was clearly ingratiating.

Because he was very clear that the power possessed by the person standing before him had nothing to do with authority, and therefore was not bound by any rights.

"Thank you for your generosity, Your Majesty." Zhang Cheng also bowed.

Although in his eyes Joffrey was basically a pile of dog shit, as long as this pile of dog shit could bring enough benefits, he didn't mind cooperating with the other party to play his acting skills.

"Wait! Your Majesty!"

Just as Joffrey was about to announce the reward for the next hero, Loras Tyrell suddenly spoke up to stop him.

"Hmm? Sir Loras, do you have any objections?" A hint of displeasure flashed across Joffrey's face.

Loras Tyrell quickly shook his head: "No, Your Majesty, I just feel that this is far from enough to honor Ser Mason's achievements. All the lands at the source of the Mead River should also be added. After all, the Florent family and his vassals have all betrayed you and the kingdom. They should be stripped of their lands and property to reward this meritorious man."

“That’s right! Your Majesty! The Florentine family has always been arrogant and has often openly or secretly disobeyed the kingdom’s leadership. I’ve even heard that they recently abandoned the Seven Gods and converted to the Lord of Light, R'hllor. If such blatant betrayal is not severely punished, then soon more ambitious individuals will follow suit.” Garan Tyrell echoed.

It goes without saying that the brothers were working together to take this opportunity to eradicate the Florentine family and its affiliated forces, who had always been their adversaries.

It should be noted that the feud between the two families has not been a recent development, but has lasted for hundreds of years and has long become irreconcilable.

Now that one side has been swept into the ranks of the losers, the other side will naturally take advantage of the situation to completely drive them out of the River Bend region and consolidate its own leadership.

Tywin Lannister glanced out of the corner of his eye at Olenna Redwin, the true ruler of Highgarden, known as the "Queen of Thorns," trying to discern from her expression whether this ruthless act was a spur-of-the-moment decision or premeditated.

Unfortunately, the thin and aged Olenna Redwin was no pushover either; aside from offering a smile, she showed absolutely no inner turmoil.

“But…won’t this provoke a desperate resistance from the local lords?” Joffrey asked uncertainly.

He may have had huge flaws in his character, but that doesn’t mean he was a clueless fool who understood the serious consequences of stripping a large number of nobles of their lands.

“Please do not worry, Your Majesty. As the supreme rulers of the Reach, House Tyrell will take care of wiping out any who dare to rebel,” Loras assured him confidently.

Joffrey hesitated for a few seconds, then finally nodded slightly: "Very well, then strip the Florent family and all their vassals of all their lands and bestow them upon Sir Mason. Sir Mason, you have no objections to this, do you?"

"Hehe, no, of course not. There's no need to trouble Duke Mason about any potential rebellion; I can handle it myself." With that, Zhang Cheng slightly raised the flint staff he was holding, the implication being clear.

“Don’t be shy. Once you marry Elo, we’ll be family. If you don’t need an army, we can provide other things, such as food supplies and armor and weapons,” Loras Tyrell said with a smile.

"In that case, I shall accept your offer without hesitation." Zhang Cheng readily accepted the other party's offer to win him over.

In any case, the Tyrell family has ruled the Reach for hundreds of years and accumulated countless riches, which will belong to them sooner or later, so it makes no difference whether they take over sooner or later.

Seeing that Zhang Cheng no longer refused him, Loras Tyrell was very happy. He turned around and bowed to Joffrey: "Your Majesty, I have another request."

“Oh? Please speak! You and your family defeated the rebels, so whatever your request is, I can grant it,” Joffrey replied, feigning generosity.