The Effect of Reputation

Lind, still somewhat puzzled, said, "How did I do what?"

Bain mimicked the action Lind used to execute the four soldiers. While Lind's movements had resembled a dance, Bain's attempt came off as comically clumsy, like a barrel wobbling.

Lind almost laughed but managed to hold it back, responding, "You asked me to give it my all."

"Yes, I did ask you to go all out," Bain nodded with a bitter smile. "But I never imagined your full effort would be so powerful, so ruthless. The Clegane family's guards might not rank highly among the Riverlands' lordly guards, but they are still the regular army of Red Lake. I didn't expect you to dispatch six of them so quickly. It seems I underestimated your capabilities. Had I known your true combat strength, I wouldn't have bothered with Will; I should have directly approached Lord Fossoway. Things wouldn't have escalated to this point."

Lind then asked, "Dad, what exactly happened in Red Lake? Why did a noble suddenly come to cause trouble for me today?"

Bain sighed with a trace of apology, "Ah, you got involved because of me. I didn't foresee the Clegane family's internal conflict reigniting, especially right after I had approached Will."

He then proceeded to explain the situation to Lind.

It turned out that the Clegane family had long been divided into two factions over allegiance issues.

One side believed that since the Tyrell family were the Dukes of Highgarden, the supreme lords of the Riverlands, and guardians of the south, the Clegane family naturally should align with them.

However, the other faction argued that the Tyrell family was too distant, with no intermarriages in their history, meaning siding with them brought no tangible benefits.

On the contrary, the relationship between the Florent family of Brightwater Keep and the Clegane family was strong, with multiple intermarriages, shared bloodlines, economic, and political interactions. The Florents' power was not much less than the Tyrells', making an alliance with them more beneficial for the Clegane family's development.

This internal split within the family hadn't escalated due to the Florent and Tyrell families suddenly reconciling.

However, the division within the Clegane family didn't dissolve but intensified, culminating in a recent explosion.

The outcome of this explosion was both expected and surprising. The members siding with the Tyrells were utterly defeated, and the family's power was completely seized by those aligned with the Florents, with Sir Clovis being one of this faction.

Lind, still seeking clarification, asked, "Why did those who stood with the Tyrell family lose so easily, considering you said they had been at a stalemate for decades? Shouldn't their strength be similar?"

"It's all because of the Usurper's War," Bain sighed. "The Tyrell family supported the Targaryens and sent troops to the war, as did the Clegane family members who were loyal to the Tyrells. Many of them died in the Battle of the Bells, with only a few like Fossoway Clegane surviving. Fearing retribution from the other faction, they stayed in Highgarden after the war instead of returning to Red Lake."

"And what about Will the Smiler?" Lind asked, puzzled.

"He's an idiot!" Bain cursed angrily. "The Clegane family's internal conflict had nothing to do with him. He just needed to do his job as the captain of the guard. Unfortunately, he fell for someone's bad advice and captured Lady Lianna and Miss Menedys, pledging allegiance to those traitors. Although the Clegane family's internal strife was fierce, it was merely a power struggle and never escalated to kin killing. What Will did was a taboo, and his arrest was to be expected."

Lind, concerned, asked, "Did you get involved because of Will?"

"Don't worry about me," Bain reassured. "To them, I'm just a nobody. If they truly saw me as a threat, someone other than that arrogant brat Clovis would have come here."

Lind, still worried, said, "But now it's different. I've killed six guards from Red Lake. They might..."

"No, this might actually be a good thing," Bain surprisingly laughed. "For the current Clegane family, a swordsman of your caliber is far more valuable than six ordinary guards."

"Why?" Lind didn't fully understand.

Bain explained, "Recently, Red Lake agreed to join forces with the Lannister and Oakheart families to clear out the bandits in the Red Lake forest. But due to the losses from the Usurper's War, the Clegane family could barely assemble a force of two hundred men, most of whom were farmers before taking up arms, lacking combat experience. They need skilled fighters,

which is why I asked you to go all out. I just didn't expect you to be that strong. But this is even better. I'm sure someone has already passed on your performance to Joel Flowers."

"Joel Flowers? I think I've heard that name in the tavern," Lind recalled, asking, "Is that the cold Joel?"

"Yes, that's him," Bain nodded. "Lord Joel Flowers is Sir Belan Clegane's bastard son, one of the few in the Clegane family who support the Florent faction and can lead troops. He's participated in tournaments in King's Landing, admired by Lord Barristan Selmy despite losing to him, who even invited him to join the Kingsguard, an offer he declined. In the Clegane family, he's a master swordsman, on par with Lord Fossoway. He appreciates those with superior sword skills. He'll be leading the Clegane family's force of two hundred, and after seeing your swordsmanship, he's sure to send for you."

"Were there people from Lord Joel among the onlookers?"

"Yes," Bain confirmed Lind's guess. "Your reputation as the Bear Slayer and a master of dual-wielding has reached his ears, prompting him to send someone to verify. If it weren't for that fool Clovis showing up, I would have arranged a fight to showcase your skills. But the outcome now is even better."

"Isn't he worried about offending the Clegane faction that sides with the Tyrells?" Lind questioned.

"He is a well-known neutral within the Clegane family, loyal only to the lord of Red Lake. It doesn't matter to him who the lord is, so whoever controls Red Lake knows he will never betray them. They all try to maintain a good relationship with him and wouldn't easily offend him," Bain analyzed seriously. "The Clegane family needs him now more than ever to lead those two hundred new recruits in eradicating the bandits from the Red Lake forest. They wouldn't anger him over trivial matters."

He sighed again, adding, "Actually, my initial approach to Will was also because of him. I had guessed he would likely lead the anti-bandit campaign, but since I had never interacted with him or had any connection, it wasn't possible to approach him directly. Will was recommended by him as the captain of the guard, and they had some relationship. Recommending someone shouldn't have been a problem, so I went to Will. Now it seems all my efforts were in vain."

"What should I do now?" Lind asked.

"Do nothing. Just stay here for the next few days. Lord Joel will likely send someone for you," Bain advised.

Lind nodded, agreeing with Bain's suggestion, then asked, "Dad, is my sword ready?"

"It's been ready. I had planned to give it to you when you came over, but everything happened so suddenly that I forgot to bring it out. Luckily, your unarmed combat is just as impressive as your swordsmanship."

Bain gestured for Lind to follow him. They went into the backyard, with Bain entering a small hut alone and quickly returning with two long swords in hand.

He handed the swords to Lind, saying, "I crafted these hand-and-a-half swords according to your specifications, widening and thickening the blade, making it look more like an elongated broadsword, fitting its name as a bastard sword."

Lind took the wide-bladed swords, drawing them from their sheaths, then rotated his wrists and arms to swing them. They were heavier than he anticipated, but it didn't significantly affect him.

He then tested the weapons' sharpness and the material's flexibility, finding them much better than the Red Lake guard swords he had used before but still far from the weapons wielded by the Peacemaker in his memory. In terms of quality, they were just slightly better.

Considering these two wide-blade swords cost only five gold dragons, he felt he got more than his money's worth, presuming Bain also pulled some strings for him.

Over the next two days, Lind stayed in Bain's tavern's backyard, getting acquainted with his new weapons. Although the Peacemaker's dual-wielding combat experience suited a long and short weapon setup, that was only in the game. In reality, and on the battlefield, bringing a short sword was practically a death wish. His task now was to adapt the Peacemaker's experience, slightly modifying it to fit his own combat style.

During this time, Lind wasn't short of sparring partners willing to help him acclimate to combat. The mercenaries from the tavern were eager to train with Lind, as he would point out various issues they encountered in combat and teach them coordination techniques and swordsmanship skills usually reserved for the nobility.

This approach earned Lind even more respect among these mercenaries. As they departed with their caravans, stories of Lind, the Bear Slayer and master of dual-wielding, spread, gradually building his reputation in the Riverlands.

Clovis Clegane's retaliation never came. However, on the third day, Red Lake sent a squad of twelve to White Village to retrieve the bodies and equipment of the six soldiers.

During this process, no conflict occurred. Instead, the squad's captain met with Lind and sparred briefly. Predictably, the captain, likely having undergone some formal swordsmanship training and capable of handling average soldiers, could only withstand two moves against Lind before his sword was knocked away. Had they used real weapons, the captain's arm would likely have been severed.

Although defeated by Lind, the captain didn't show any anger; instead, he greatly admired Lind. Upon leaving, he hinted to Lind that Red Lake City wouldn't pursue Lind's killing of the six soldiers, but Lind still needed to pay some price, though the exact nature of the price wasn't specified.

It wasn't until the sixth day that the arrival of a troop broke the tranquility of White Village.

The troop consisted of about a hundred fully armed individuals, each clad in full leather armor, wielding spears and longswords, some even carrying bows and arrows, indicating a well-equipped military force.

Leading them were seven knights, six of whom dressed differently but all wore metal plate armor with various insignias, likely representing noble houses subordinate to House Clegane.

The leading knight, taller and more robust than the other six, rode a large warhorse, making him stand a head taller than the rest even without sitting up straight. This, coupled with his unique armor adorned with the sigil of House Gardener, hinted at ancient lineage.

In contrast to the ancient armor, the knight's helmet appeared modern, fashioned after the aggressive Firecock native to the Red Lake Forest. This bird was known for its combative nature, fearlessly battling even the most dangerous beasts to protect its territory and offspring. Perhaps the knight chose this helmet design to reflect his character.

The troop halted in front of Bain's tavern, where Bain and Lind had already emerged, joined by a crowd of onlookers.

As soon as Bain recognized the leading knight, he approached and greeted, "Lord Joel."

Joel Flowers tightened the reins, controlling his mount, and glanced at Bain, saying, "Longspear Bain, I still remember your valiant charge through enemy lines back in the day. A man of your caliber should be on the battlefield, not in a rural tavern like this."

"Not everyone shares the same ambitions as you, my lord," Bain replied with a smile. "I prefer getting drunk and sleeping in my own bed rather than dying on the battlefield, left unattended."

Upon hearing Bain's words, Joel's knights behind him showed disdainful expressions, but Joel himself remained unfazed. Instead, his gaze shifted to Lind, whom he scrutinized before asking, "You're the Bear Slayer?"

"Yes, my lord," Lind nodded slightly.

From the moment Joel appeared, Lind had been assessing his own strength against his.

Though Lind had defeated numerous opponents in recent days, dispatching six Red Lake City guards in spectacular fashion, these individuals didn't represent the true warriors of this world. Most were merely farmers wielding weapons, with only a few having learned some swordsmanship, belonging to the lower echelons of combat prowess.

In contrast, Joel Flowers was the epitome of high-level combat prowess in this world. A swordmaster admired by the fearless Balistán, he represented true strength. Even in the Riverlands, there were few who could defeat him one-on-one.

This made Lind feel an urge to challenge Joel, to understand his true strength. However, he knew now wasn't the right time to challenge Joel, so he suppressed the urge.

However, despite suppressing the urge, Joel still sensed a hint of battle intent emanating from Lind and directly asked, "Do you want to challenge me?"

"Yes, my lord," Lind nodded again.

Before Joel could respond, one of his knights' squires behind him rudely interjected, "Bold of you, you lowly peasant, what qualifications do you have to challenge Lord Joel?"

"Lowly?" Joel turned to look at the humiliated squire, asking, "Is being a bastard lower than that?"

The squire hesitated, seemingly realizing he had touched a sore spot, and hastily explained, "My lord, I didn't mean you!"

Joel gazed at him, his voice grave, "Forget it, I know you didn't mean it. But remember, since you've become my squire, don't harbor notions of nobility or inferiority. The only thing that will help you survive and achieve greatness in this world is the sword in your hand, not the blood on your body or the identity it represents."

"I understand, my lord," the squire replied, lowering his head.

Joel shook his head slightly. He didn't believe the noble-born squire truly grasped his meaning, but he didn't intend to explain further. Instead, he turned his attention to Lind and said, "I've resolved the trouble from Red Lake City for you. Next, you must join my army. Once you've earned enough merit on the battlefield, I'll recommend you to Lord Flowers as a squire."

"Understood, my lord," Lind responded promptly, without hesitation.