Chapter 210: The Mountain

On the upper level of the palace, a row of Pentos soldiers, each brandishing a crossbow, had appeared at some point.

They raised their crossbows, aiming at the conservative Magisters' guards below, including Viserys and Illyrio.

Then, they pulled the triggers.

The next second.

Thwack, thwack, thwack —

The strings of their crossbows were released.

Bolts flew out under the illumination of the palace's candlelight, their cold gleam flashing as they hurtled towards the crowd below.

The radical Magisters had suddenly made a deadly move. The conservative Magisters were instantly hit hard, assassinated at their desks without any preparation.

Their intent was to nip things in the bud, so that once the palace doors opened, they could pin the whole incident on Viserys.

Therefore, the guards of these conservative Magisters were also in a terrible predicament; they were not allowed to survive.

Thud, thud, thud —

One after another, those trying to hide or plead for mercy were shot and fell into puddles of blood.

Illyrio, who had been the first to flip the table, naturally reacted quickly. Although he was somewhat overweight, in his younger days Illyrio had been a good hand among mercenaries.

Using the cover of the desk, the portly Magister ducked behind a stone column inside the hall, right in the blind spot of the shooting angle.

Clang, clang...

Several bolts aimed at him hit the palace's stone column and were deflected.

Viserys, too, reacted quickly. He had just killed the assassin who had suddenly attacked him, then in the blink of an eye saw a group of Pentos soldiers on the second floor of the palace, raising their crossbows.

So Viserys responded swiftly, clutching the body of the assassin in front of him to use as a shield.

Thud, thud —

Two bolts drilled directly into the body of the assassin, splattering blood. Two more bolts nailed themselves into the ground at Viserys's feet.

Then Viserys discarded the body he had used as a shield, and with a roll, hid behind another stone column.

Boom —

Pentos soldiers, who had been lying in ambush outside for some time, broke in at this moment.

The large hall was instantly filled with soldiers in earthen-colored armor, armed and ready.

They set upon the conservative Magisters and their guards who were shot but not yet dead, struggling to survive, and finished them off.

Pleading for mercy was futile; these soldiers didn't even blink at the sight. Coldly, they raised their weapons and ended their victims' lives.

A few guards, upon seeing this, angrily drew their swords to resist, but after only a few exchanges were completely overwhelmed by the crowd.

Among these invading Pentos soldiers, one man stood out. He was exceptionally tall, nearly eight feet, and stood out amongst the crowd like a crane among chickens.

His shoulders were broad, his arms as thick as small tree trunks. Wearing heavy armor and wielding a huge sword in one hand — a sword that would be hard for an ordinary man to swing with both hands — he was like an unstoppable tank.

At this moment, he lifted a resisting conservative Magister's guard with one hand. The guard kicked frantically, trying to pry open his arm, but couldn't budge it an inch.

"Spare...spare me."

.

The Magister's guard showed an expression of sheer terror on his face, almost wetting his pants in fear, his voice trembling as he tried to beg for mercy from this horrifying knight.

However, the knight's eyes revealed a cruel demeanor, and with a snap, he crushed the guard's neck.

Then, he tossed the lifeless body like a rag against the nearby wall.

Bang—

In an instant, blood and gore splattered out.

The surrounding Pentos soldiers retreated, not daring to provoke this man.

…

Not too far away.

By now, all the radical Magisters had distanced themselves, watching the one-sided massacre unfold with cold indifference.

Yet witnessing this brutal scene, they couldn't help but frown.

"This guy…"

"No wonder they call him the 'Most Evil Man in the Seven Kingdoms' across the Narrow Sea."

The Magisters whispered to one another.

"Lord Tywin said that with this man on our side, Viserys wouldn't stand a chance."

"Indeed, it seems he was right."

This man was sent by Lord Tywin of Casterly Rock, from across the Narrow Sea. Standing nearly eight feet tall and weighing about thirty stone, he was a true monstrous human.

Although the young Targaryen king had a reputation for his bravery, he seemed no match for this monster.

The difference between them was like night and day.

They couldn't imagine any way Viserys could escape from this creature's grasp.

…

"What is…"

On the chaotic battlefield.

Viserys' pupils constricted when he saw this man, and he couldn't help but feel a chill down his spine.

This was an innate sense of danger felt by any living creature.

At that moment, he had already drawn Dusk, the single-handed sword forged from the heart of a fallen star. As soon as it was unsheathed, the temperature around them dropped noticeably.

Around Viserys lay the bodies of several Pentos soldiers.

They had just been struck down by Viserys, and now the young king's blade was stained with blood. Under the flickering firelight within the hall, it looked even more eerie.

During the battle, Illyrio's thigh had been accidentally struck by a sword, and blood flowed without stopping.

Now, pale-faced, he followed Viserys, having also drawn his sword and slain a few Pentos guards.

The two of them were now surrounded by the Pentos soldiers, facing the terrifying monster.

The massive figure was clad in heavy armor, leaving only his eyes and a small opening for his nose and mouth exposed.

At that moment, the monstrous man was drenched in blood, looking like a demon. He held a great two-handed sword in his hand, his gaze coldly fixed on Viserys.

An empty space had been cleared in the center, leaving only Viserys and the monster. Pale-faced Illyrio retreated to the wall, one hand clutching his wounded thigh.

"Hey!"

At that moment, a Pentos officer shouted a reminder.

"By the Magister's orders, capture the Mad King's son alive, and be careful not to…"

But before the Pentos officer could finish, a cold, terrifying gaze fell upon him.

In that instant, the Pentos officer felt a chill running from his head to his toes, his face turning slightly pale, and he dared not say anything more.

Standing alone in the center, Viserys faced the monster, his eyes fixed intently on his opponent, cautiously maintaining his distance.

"Ser Gregor Clegane…"

Splatter…

He tightly gripped the hilt of Dusk, drawing the sword from the back of a fallen Pentos soldier beside him.

Blood dripped onto the ground.

Due to the force of his grip, his nails were turning slightly white as they clutched the hilt of the sword.

"So you're 'The Mountain'?"

...