Spellcasting Gods

In fact, under the feudal system, military discipline was practically non-existent; the only things that could restrain knights and nobles were power, authority, and wealth.

Sensing the intense longing in those eyes, Zhang Cheng suddenly realized that the army he led was essentially no different from the residents of the Iron Islands who made a living by robbing.

These people have neither moral constraints nor a life goal to strive for; they are driven solely by their inherent desires. As a result, the entire army of Westeros, from kings and nobles to pirates and bandits, will rob and rape whenever they have the chance. Even those with very strict military discipline, such as Stannis and Randyll Tarly, cannot prevent such incidents from happening.

Having figured this out, a slight smile played on his lips as he swept his playful gaze over everyone around him. Finally, with a hint of mockery, he said, "I know what you're thinking, and I understand your desire for wealth, but I must tell you that some things, once done, mean there's no going back. Are you sure you want to risk the wrath and retaliation of the Hightar family to take possession of all that looted wealth?"

“No! Of course not! Under your leadership, we have nothing to fear.” Blanco knelt on one knee, being the first to clearly express his stance.

Knowing the true purpose of this trip beforehand, he had already regarded the Hightar family as a dead fish. Since they were dead fish, what was there to be afraid of? Anyway, after today, they would cease to exist.

Yes! We have nothing to fear!

"Give the order, Your Excellency!"

"Compared to you, what is the Hightoar family!"

……

Immediately, those newly appointed nobles who had just shed their mercenary status began to pound their chests and shout loudly.

Although they didn't know exactly what their lord was planning, with Blanco leading the way, they naturally wouldn't fall behind.

Only the minor nobles who had temporarily come to join them showed hesitation. After all, most of them were nominally vassals of the Hightoar family, and if they incurred resentment, their future would likely be bleak.

However, as the saying goes, the world is never short of people who dare to take risks.

After a brief weighing of the pros and cons, Viscount Valen Bisbury from Hive City took a deep breath and asked in a serious tone, "Earl Mason, I wonder if the Asspring family is willing to accept the Bisbury family's allegiance?"

"Oh? As far as I know, the Bisbury family has always been loyal to the Hightower family, hasn't it?" Zhang Cheng blinked, feigning surprise.

“Heh, as you can see, the world is always changing. Some families perish in the long river of history, while others rise rapidly to become a powerful force. In my opinion, after this catastrophe, the Hightoar family is bound to decline, while you will become the most powerful noble family in the Reach, even overshadowing the Tyrell family. Joining you is far better than continuing to decline with the Hightoars, isn’t it?” Valen explained with a smile.

"Hahaha! You are truly a keen and decisive person. I believe that under your leadership, the Bisbury family will surely achieve great things. I accept your allegiance. From today onwards, the Bisbury family is a vassal of the Asperin family." With that, Zhang Cheng handed over the hand bearing the seal ring.

Without any hesitation, Valen immediately knelt down and kissed the signet ring in front of everyone.

This seemingly insignificant act signifies Hive City's betrayal of Hightoar and, more importantly, the rise of a new political force in the River Reef region.

With the first person to take the plunge, the remaining nobles rushed to choose sides again, and in the blink of an eye, Zhang Cheng had gained the allegiance of thirteen noble families, large and small.

Although this loyalty is rather cheap and unreliable, it's still a good start nonetheless.

He was well aware that given the current situation on the continent of Westeros, there simply weren't enough people to build a large bureaucracy to completely replace the extremely backward aristocratic feudal system. Therefore, as his sphere of influence expanded, he would inevitably have to follow Aegon the Conqueror's example and accept a portion of the nobles in order to maintain the most basic rule.

Moreover, his ultimate goal in participating in the game of power was not to build a vast empire, but to learn how to wield power and how to deal with conspiracies and intrigues.

It's important to know that in the known magical world, roughly 90% of the time, a feudal system based on nobility is in place. Laying a solid foundation now will save you a lot of energy later, allowing you to focus on collecting and learning magical knowledge.

With the nobles' allegiance secured, the last destabilizing factor was eliminated. Zhang Cheng quickly ordered his troops to split into two groups: one led by Viscount Valen Bisbury to clear out the remaining Iron People in the city, and the other led by himself to head straight for the location of the Tower of Babel.

With Kuro Kerba's aerial support, any unfortunate souls who attempt to resist will be reduced to charred corpses by the scorching dragon flames.

In less than half an hour, the "reinforcements" had crossed most of the city and encountered Victalion, who was trying to stop his men from fleeing.

The tall man, who had previously exuded confidence, was now shouting angrily, but his efforts were ultimately futile.

After all, this massive fleet included not only residents of the Iron Islands, but also a large number of pirates recruited by Euron Greyjoy.

Perhaps under normal circumstances, Victalion could use the power of the Ironborn to suppress the less docile pirates.

But once the defeat occurred, the pirates, now free from restraint, immediately revealed their true nature, with some even starting to kill each other simply because the other side had blocked their retreat route.

They simply didn't understand that even if a giant beast like a dragon, capable of soaring freely in the sky, returned to the ship, it would still be doomed to die...

Chapter 205 The Dragon Above the Old Town (Part 2)

"You! It's you! You despicable scoundrel! I'll kill you!" Victorion kicked aside his fleeing subordinate and charged forward, wielding his giant axe.

Unlike his cunning and mad brother, he preferred to be straightforward and tended to express his anger and dissatisfaction through actions.

However, he clearly forgot one thing: the young man in front of him was not an ordinary person, and there was also a ferocious and terrifying dragon in the sky.

Before he could take more than a few steps, a huge shadow descended from the sky, blocking his path with a loud bang.

Kuro Kerba raised his strong forepaw and swung it lightly. Victarion, like a pitiful rag doll, was lifted into the air and crashed heavily into the outer wall of the tower. He opened his mouth and spat out a mouthful of scarlet blood before falling back to the ground.

Severely injured, he had lost his weapon and tried to get up several times, but ultimately failed.

The massive, dented claw mark on the armor was a testament to the insurmountable gap in strength between mortals and dragons.

Seeing this, the Iron Clan and the pirates not only did not rush to the rescue, but instead sped up their escape. Some ships in the port did not even have all their crew members on board before they weighed anchor, raised their sails, and slowly headed towards the deep sea.

Gazing at the faces filled with fear and despair, Zhang Cheng stepped past the dragon's wing, bent down, and whispered to the coughing blood-stirring Victalion, "Relax, don't let anger control your reason and emotions. Believe me, doing so will only make you suffer more before you die, and won't help at all."

"What exactly do you want? To use us to gain the friendship of the Hightoar family?" Victalion asked, his two blood-red eyes wide.

He knew that his fleet was doomed. None of the ships could escape far before the dragon caught up with them and burned them to ashes. The only thing he could do before he died was to find out why he had been used.

"Friendship? Heh..." Zhang Cheng glanced at the towering pagoda, a contemptuous smile playing on his lips. "No, quite the opposite, I'm going to eliminate them."

"Eliminate the Hightoar family?! Are you crazy?" Viktorion's jaw dropped in astonishment.

It's important to understand that in Westeros, wiping out an ancient noble family with a long history often comes at a great cost.

Despite the Lannisters' seemingly invincible power and near-annihilation of the Starks in the North and the Tullys in the Riverlands during the War of the Five Kings, they had actually aroused the vigilance and hostility of many nobles.

This is why the Tyrells were able to quickly gain political influence comparable to the Lannisters after they moved into King's Landing.

Rather than the Tyrells' reputation and wealth playing a role, it was more that the other nobles wanted a leader to guide them in challenging the Lannisters.

As an observer, Zhang Cheng naturally understood the delicate political situation within King's Landing. He smiled and nodded nonchalantly: "Yes! Because they were blocking my way, isn't it only natural to kick away the stumbling blocks in my path? Besides, if I simply regretfully announce to the public that it was you and your men who slaughtered the Hightoar family, will the nobles of the Seven Kingdoms believe me, or will they believe you who looted Old Town?"

"Bastard! You've been using us from the very beginning! I curse you! I curse your family and your descendants!" Realizing what had happened, Victalion gritted his teeth and uttered the most vicious curse.

"I'm sorry, but curses are a very complex form of magic, and you clearly lack the power to do so. By the way, do you know why I killed Euron and spared you? Because Euron was too clever and insane; he certainly wouldn't follow my plan completely. But you're different. You're both foolish and arrogant, an easily manipulated pawn. Alright, enough said. It's time to send you on your way. Don't worry, after wiping out the Hightower family, I'll use the pretext of avenging them to land on the Iron Islands and end the Greyjoy family's rule. You won't be alone on your journey to the world of the dead."

As the last word fell, Zhang Cheng raised his hand and snapped his fingers.

Upon receiving the order, Kuro Kerba opened his mouth full of sharp teeth and spewed out a scorching flame that completely engulfed Victarion.

When the flames subsided, only a black, unidentified substance remained, along with the reddish armor, seemingly forged from Valyrian steel, standing in place...

The impactful visuals and the pungent smell of burning stimulated everyone's nerves, causing them to involuntarily hold their breath. The battlefield, which had been filled with shouts and curses, immediately fell into a deathly silence.

Dull!

Suppressed!

fear!

Although Zhang Cheng has not yet shown his true power, the newly surrendered nobles have no doubt that he will become the ruler of the Reach, and it is only a matter of time before he replaces the Tyrells, thanks to Kuro Kerbal's outstanding performance.

Just as the soldiers were filled with awe and stared at the dragon's enormous body, a series of footsteps suddenly came from the direction of the tower entrance, followed by more than two hundred fully armed soldiers of the Hightar family filing out.

Following behind them was an elderly man with a white beard and hair, and next to him was a woman with pale skin whose age was hard to tell.

It goes without saying that these two people are Layton Hightower and his daughter, Morroya Hightower.

Upon discovering that her father's killer was right in front of her, Beth, hiding in the crowd, instinctively gripped the hilt of her sword, wanting to rush out and cut off his head.

But before she could take any action, the quick-witted Blanco stopped her and whispered a reminder: "Darling, if I were you, I wouldn't be in such a hurry. Remember, never disrupt the adults' plans, or I guarantee you'll suffer a terrible fate."

"Damn it! I hate waiting! Especially now!" Beth cursed under her breath, releasing her grip on the sword with her right hand.

She wasn't a fool; she knew that rushing forward now would most likely result not in piercing Moroa's heart with her sword, but in being burned alive by the dragon's flames.

As the executor of the plan to overthrow the Hightar family, she knew better than outsiders how cold and ruthless the seemingly polite and friendly man was inside. Her old tricks of using sexiness and beauty to get away were completely useless against him.

Zhang Cheng undoubtedly noticed the little incident that happened behind him, but he didn't pay too much attention to it, focusing all his attention on Layton Hightower.

Similarly, the "Old Man of the Old Town" also looked him up and down, as well as Kuro Kerba, who was crawling at his feet.

The two men stared at each other for about a minute or two before Layton Hightower finally managed a smile, stepped forward, and bowed with one hand on his chest: "It is a great pleasure to meet you, Earl Mason. Although I have heard a lot about you, I only realized today that you yourself are even more legendary than those stories suggest. Finally, thank you for lending a helping hand at a crucial moment; the Hightower family will remember it."

Chapter 206 The Tower to the Sky (Part 1)

"Hehe, please don't be so polite. Whether from the perspective of a fellow noble family in the River Bend region or from the perspective of a neighbor, I will not stand idly by while a group of lawless pirates plunder the old town. Besides, I have long wanted to visit the famous Hightower family and, by the way, admire this tallest man-made structure in the known world up close." After saying this, Zhang Cheng looked up at the raging flames rising from the top of the towering tower.

As a mage with an extreme sensitivity to energy, he could clearly sense the magical energy faintly emanating from inside the walls.

Without a doubt, the Tower of Ascension is not merely a lighthouse and fortress as rumored. Its builders may have also endowed it with the ability to study mystical powers, much like the Mage Towers in the Forgotten Realms and Azeroth.

After all, although A Song of Ice and Fire appears to be a completely low-magic world on the surface, in reality, long, long ago, whether it was the glorious Valyria, the free-spirited Children of the Forest, or the Rhoynar who once fought Valyria to the death, they all frequently used magical power, not to mention the deep-sea races whose existence remains unproven to this day.

The more Zhang Cheng learned, the more he felt that countless secrets were hidden beneath the calm surface of this world.

Perhaps, like the dragon from another world—Kronada—behind every belief system worshipped by humans, there should be something real supporting it. It could be some incredibly powerful magical creature, or it could be a mysterious race that hides itself. Otherwise, how can we explain these buildings and ruins that far exceed the current level of magical technology?

“Oh? You’re also interested in the history of the Tower of Heights?” Morroia Hightower, dressed in a black and gray long dress, stepped forward and gave an elegant bow.

Despite her aged appearance, Layton Hightower should be at least over thirty years old, but for some reason, she looks unusually young. The only thing that proves the passage of time is her wise and weathered eyes.

Most importantly, Zhang Cheng sensed a magical aura emanating from the other party. Although it was extremely faint, it was enough to prove that the rumors of the Hightar family's involvement in alchemy, necromancy, and other mysterious powers were not unfounded.

Upon realizing this, he curled up the corners of his mouth into a playful smile, then gently shook his head: "No, what interests me is not history, but the function of the Tower of Heaven itself."

"Effect?" Morroia trembled slightly as if she had been stimulated by something.

“Yes! Its function!” Zhang Cheng ignored the other party’s unusual reaction and explained to himself, “As we all know, magic is a powerful and unfathomable force that can do many incredible things. Ignorant people think it is a gift from the gods, wise people think it is an innate talent, and very few people are willing to believe that it is a kind of knowledge, a kind of ability that can be learned.”

"What are you trying to say?" Morroia seemed to realize something, and her expression gradually became serious.

Zhang Cheng chuckled and shrugged. "It's nothing. I was just a little amazed that after such a long period of magical decline, there's still a family on Westeros that has preserved the tradition of learning magic. Of course, this is mainly thanks to..."

Before he could finish speaking, Layton Hightoar interrupted him, saying, "Excuse me, Earl Mason, it is not in the Hightoar family's hospitality to have you standing at the door. Please come inside and we can talk slowly. I can also accompany you on a tour to satisfy your curiosity."

It goes without saying that his comments about magic had touched a nerve.

To be precise, the Hightower family did not want too many people to know about their secret of magic, especially not to be revealed in public.

Although the reason is unclear, they have been trying to use the combined power of the Citadel and the Church to eliminate all supernatural forces, including dragons and magic, within the Seven Kingdoms. Once the fact that they are secretly studying and researching magical powers is exposed, it will inevitably trigger a series of crises.

The Hightoar family, having just survived a catastrophe, currently lacks the strength to cope with such a crisis.

As the mastermind behind the entire conspiracy, Zhang Cheng clearly understood the enemy's weaknesses and vulnerabilities, so he forced the other party to make concessions with just a few words.

It should be noted that, according to historical records compiled by scholars, very few outsiders were invited by the Hightower family to enter the Tower of Heaven.

But today, Layton had to suppress his anger and break with tradition once again.

He understood that his family's current situation was almost no different from that during the War of the Conquerors, and that the young man before him was even more terrifying than Aegon the Dragon King. If he chose to refuse, then what followed would likely be annihilation.

Seeing the fleeting anger in the old man's eyes, Zhang Cheng smiled nonchalantly and bowed slightly: "Thank you very much! Please lead the way, I can't wait to see what the inside is like."