The battle was over, lasting only a few short minutes from start to finish.
Seven or eight disfigured corpses lay on the ground, and the heavy smell of blood and dismembered limbs made Barna and some of the commoners, who had been shouting and cheering for the warriors fighting around them, continuously gag.
Bronn's four companions skillfully searched the bodies for money bags and any valuable items, while Bronn walked to the cart full of goods, picked up a damaged chainmail with his sword tip, examined it, and then disdainfully threw it away.
Barna's thoughts pulled away from his memories. Barna looked at Bronn beside him, swallowing, still feeling a mix of lingering fear and disbelief. It was too difficult to be born in Westeros.
It was terrifying; he watched this man and his four brothers use extremely cruel and vicious methods to torture Sir Guy, extracting information about his property stored with his mistress, his ex-wife, then killing Sir Guy, and subsequently sneaking into Seaguard to kill his ex-wife and abscond with all the money.
Barna softly answered Bronn's previous question: "Yes!"
"Just for this junk."
He touched a dented helmet on the cart, a smile on his face. No matter what, he had perfectly completed the task Lord Arthur had given him, and that was enough!
Everything was back on track, his life had restarted, and the woman who had absconded with his money had paid the price.
His remaining life should be dedicated to serving Lord Arthur until his death.
In the distance, the outline of the Lions Den Valley, though seemingly not yet in sight, was already visible.
Then, a rider galloped toward them, and Barna felt a great sense of foreboding.
"We must change our route, Lord Barna!" The rider panted, handing over a piece of paper.
Barna quickly took it, unfolded it for a glance, and his eyebrows furrowed deeply.
"What's going on?" Bronn sat on the trailer, raising an eyebrow, looking strangely at Barna, who stood upright beside him.
Barna sighed deeply, handing the parchment in his hand to Bronn. "No! Are you an idiot! Do I look like I can read!" Bronn cursed, "Read it to me!!"
Barna took back the parchment and, embarrassed, read it word by word:
"A Letter to the Lords of the Riverlands."
"I, Arthur, Lord of Wyvern's Gorge, sworn vassal of Daedings Family, swear by the Seven Gods, with reverence for peace and honor, write this declaration."
"Previously, the wildlings of the Brightmoon Mountains rampaged, invading the lands of the Riverlands, endangering the peace under Riverrun's rule. I led my farmers, in the Battle of the Weeping River Valley, to severely defeat the High Mountain Clan, lifting the siege of Deep Valley City, winning continuous victories, forcing the wildlings to retreat far away, and restoring peace and tranquility to the Riverlands."
"Thereafter, I led my people to build a fortress in this ownerless, barren, and poor valley, reclaiming land, constructing defenses, aiming to become the first line of defense guarding the Riverlands against further wildling incursions. All my actions are for the stability of the Riverlands, to protect the peaceful rule upheld by the Tully."
"However, peace and goodwill have not earned the respect of my neighbors. Lord Roger Leige of Willow Wood City has harbored unrighteous greed for my sacred fief, acting despicably."
"His crimes are threefold!"
"Crime One: Incitement and Alliance with Thieves! The Legge Family has abandoned the honor of nobility, secretly contacting mountain bandits, promising them money and weapons, inciting these scoundrels to attack my territory, killing my people, intending to create chaos. This act is no different from that of a bandit, truly a disgrace to nobility."
"Crime Two: Treachery and Surprise Attack! Undeclared War! After their plot was exposed and their messenger captured, the Legge Family not only failed to restrain themselves but still occupied my land with their soldiers. This is a blatant trampling of a lord's sacred land rights, an act of cowardice in undeclared war."
"Crime Three: Corrupting Morals! Endangering the Seven Kingdoms! The actions of the Legge Family have set a terrible precedent of using conspiracies and bandits as tools to invade friendly neighbors. If this trend is not curbed, then my fate today will be the fate of any law-abiding lord in the Seven Kingdoms tomorrow."
"The order and peace of the Seven Kingdoms will be destroyed by such schemers!"
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