Chapter 15 First Encounter With Another Player

  "On the Kingdom Road, not far from the intersection with the east west River Road and the Valley Road, lies a location approximately 60 kilometers away from Harrenhal. To the north flows the Trident River, marking the boundary of Earl Harroway's town. Ian made a judgment.

  At the edge of Ian's field of vision, a small salt mine was visible. Next to the woods near the mine, a caravan was busy loading goods.

  The mine's foreman directed the workers, instructing them to move bags of salt onto horse drawn carts.

  This caravan matched Ian's memory precisely four aging horses, two carts, seven mules, four servants, and a slim young businessman.

  Ian couldn't fathom why this player would be foolish enough not to alter his initial characteristics. However, it was quite evident to Ian what encountering such a caravan here meant.

  "Is this a trap or is my lucky finally willing to smile at me?" Ian couldn't help but tighten his grip on the sword as he observed the scene from a distance.

  Ian had initially envisioned a different scenario for his hunting expedition. It involved camping out in advance, carefully assessing the terrain and the opponent's strength, and then executing a well planned deceptive attack.

  However, in the current moment, he had no other option. Traveling on the King's Road meant he couldn't conceal his presence, and when he spotted the caravan, it was clear that they had also noticed him.

  While he could have continued north on the highway to avoid the group without raising suspicion, attempting to turn back after mentally preparing himself would seem odd.

  To approach the merchant player without arousing suspicion, Ian needed to pretend he was heading to the salt mine for business, heading there directly.

  Fortunately, his disguise was convincing enough to avoid suspicion. Ian glanced at his heraldic sword, regaining some confidence.

  Ian resolved to proceed, adopting the haughty demeanor often seen in British dramas from his previous life. He rode his horse to the left, leaving the King's Road and heading directly toward the nearby salt mine.

  Nevertheless, as he took a few steps, he sensed his heart rate accelerating. "You mustn't show fear!" he warned himself mentally.

  Ian realized he had overestimated his own readiness. While he could confidently discuss hunting plans from the safety of his keyboard, facing a real life adventure brought forth a different level of tension.

  For a moment, he couldn't discern whether his fear stemmed from the act of killing or the fear of death itself.

  In just a few dozen meters, Ian felt as if he had walked through an entire century.

  "With only four powerless servants and no mercenaries by his side, he's vulnerable. If I can approach him without raising suspicion, I can swiftly end his life with a single strike of my sword and make my escape," Ian reminded himself.

  He gave himself these psychological cues to quell his fear.

  Suppressing his fear, Ian advanced slowly on his horse, observing the situation ahead at the mine.

  Soon, he noticed a significant detail. The salt miners and the merchant's servants were loading salt onto carts in a leisurely manner, without any sense of urgency. This was clearly unusual.

  Ian conceived a test plan. He passed through the salt mine's entrance gate, bypassed the carts blocking the gate, and approached the foreman and the merchant player.

  "Who is the owner of this salt mine?" Ian asked the foreman condescendingly, wearing an arrogant expression.

  "It's Count Lucas Root. He's also the lord of Earl of Harroway, my lord," replied the foreman, who noticed Ian's sword and spoke respectfully.

  "What's the current trade arrangement for your salt mine? Do you have a fixed long term supply contract?"

  "No, sir. All the salt from our mine is sold to passing caravans," the miner explained, maintaining an outward show of respect but cursing under his breath. "It's none of your concern! The Riverlands aren't under the Lannister family rule, why are the Lannister sticking their noses everywhere?"

  "Very well, I intend to purchase this salt mine. Show me around your mine," Ian declared.

  This plan would allow him to inspect the salt mine, survey the surrounding area, and also compel the merchant player to interact with him.

  After all, the merchant wanted to buy and sell salt, and Ian was on the verge of becoming the new owner of the salt mine.

  Ian deliberately ignored the businessman player throughout this process, believing that minimizing his attention would reduce the player's wariness.

  "This..." the foreman hesitated, "The young Earl is currently serving as Sir Andre Charlton's attendant. He is not in the fief at the moment. All matters in the town are overseen by the mayor, including the salt mine."

  "The mayor can't decide whether to sell this salt mine?" Ian raised an eyebrow.

  "No, sir."

  "In that case, I want all your goods now," Ian insisted. "Return their payments to the merchants and have someone transfer the salt back to me." Ian pointed towards the merchant player and the caravan blocked at the salt mine's gate.

  Ian thought to himself that if he couldn't buy the mine, at least robbing the goods would force the merchant player to come to him.

  "This..." the foreman stammered, sweating, "Are you urgently in need of a large quantity of salt? We still have some stock in the warehouse; take a look."

  "Do I need to explain myself to you?" Ian interrupted the foreman rudely. "i mentioned to you that i wanted to buy the mine. You refused me saying you don't have the authority to make that decision, yet you refused me once again when I attempt to buy salt. Do you have something against the Lannister family?"

  The foreman was frightened, and he glanced at the businessman player for assistance.

  The slender businessman appeared momentarily perplexed and then turned to the plump follower beside him.

  Observing this, Ian narrowed his eyes. He had questioned why a businessman with basic equipment would come to a salt mine to conduct business, especially when the miners seemed unbothered by the situation.

  The reason became clear: the rider on the horse had altered his attire and that of his servants to appear as though they were the actual salt buyers. They were baiting potential attackers.

  This was indeed an ideal spot for such fishing. Their conspicuousness, coupled with the location at the junction of the King's Road, the River Road, and the Valley Road, made it highly likely that passing players from the North, King's Landing, Vale, or the Riverlands would spot them and be lured into an ambush.

  However, with just a few mediocre servants, did they really think they could successfully  ambush and kill other player when the time came?"