The Mountain of Ice and Fire

The Half-God Wizard · Mountain's Conspiracy

Daenerys stood in front of the tent of the central army. She realized that the Mountain and Arianne were going to attack the city of Qarth, and she had to stop them.

“Orderly, sound the horn, and have His Majesty the King come to the army first.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

The horn blower sounded the horn, signaling the King to come to the central army tent.

The Mountain, as the Minister of War, knew all the orders associated with the horn.

Arianne, also a military general and not just a prince dealing with political affairs, also understood that Daenerys was signaling them to come down.

Daenerys originally had the Dragon Horn, which she could use to summon dragons.

However, after the Dragon Horn was seized by the Mountain in the naval battle, it went through several hands and was never returned to Daenerys.

In the air, the Mountain and Arianne exchanged glances.

Daenerys wanted them not to go to the exquisite Qarth, but to come down to the central army tent to meet.

“Descend,” the Mountain said simply and crudely.

“Okay!” Arianne immediately agreed.

Two dragons, one large and one small, drew an arc in the sky, crossing each other. The black dragon followed the Sheepstealer, and the three dragons circled and descended in the sky.

The Dothraki cavalry erupted in deafening cheers.

“Your Majesty, they love you very much.” Arianne gave the Mountain a bright and charming smile.

When Arianne was with the Mountain, without courtiers and generals present, she freely switched between calling him 'Mountain' and 'Your Majesty,' without any awkwardness.

The Mountain could certainly feel the Dothraki’s respect for him. The overwhelming cheers said it all. Tens of thousands of soldiers looked up to the sky, banging their scimitars against their chests, making loud 'clang, clang, clang' sounds.

The sound of one person hitting their chest wouldn't be loud, but the sound of tens of thousands of people hitting together was like thunder that shook the ground. It was like the sound of tens of thousands of warhorses pounding the ground as they galloped.

In front of the central army tent, a large area had already been cleared, and small tents and warhorses had been moved away.

The giant dragon Sheepstealer was as huge as a mountain, with wings that spanned over two hundred meters, like a mobile town. Although it didn't take up much space when its wings were folded, it was still considerable.

The white dragon Viserion and the black dragon Drogon followed Sheepstealer on the left and right, like two loyal guards. Daenerys stood in front of the central army tent to welcome the Mountain and Arianne. Beside her stood the captain of the guard Jorah Mormont, her personal maid and political officer Missandei, her personal guard Missanlo, the commander of the Unsullied Grey Worm, the deputy commander of the Unsullied Hero, General Lenn, and the scholar Claude. Five Khals and their bloodriders.

Sheepstealer landed, and a strong wind rose from the ground. Everyone raised their hands to block the wind as Sheepstealer slowly descended, folding its wings.

From far and near, the Dothraki clashed their swords, making victory-like shouts.

The Mountain jumped off the dragon, and the black and white dragons also circled and landed. Compared to Sheepstealer, the two dragons seemed small, but when they landed on the ground, they were like small mountains.

The black and white dragons were growing rapidly, almost half the size of the giant dragon Sheepstealer. But when they were with Sheepstealer, they still seemed like two little ones.

Arianne jumped off the white dragon's back. She was tall and slender, and her beauty was as radiant as a flower. One couldn't tell she was a mother who had given birth.

The Mountain paused, then walked with Arianne towards Daenerys.

Daenerys knelt on one knee, bowing her head slightly.

Jorah, Missandei, Missanlo, Grey Worm, Hero, Lenn, Claude, and the others knelt on one knee, bowing their heads slightly. At the command, tens of thousands of soldiers knelt on one knee with a loud thud, a dark mass of lowered heads.

The Mountain walked to Daenerys's side and said, “Rise!” He said, raising his right hand in an upward motion.

Daenerys took the lead in rising, then Jorah and the generals rose, followed by the guards in the back row, and finally, at the command, tens of thousands of soldiers stood up, and the loud sound rippled out again, like tangible sound waves spreading around.

The military might was awe-inspiring!

*

Inside the central army tent.

A large round table, with everyone sitting around it.

The Mountain sat at the table, and everyone became half-grown teenagers.

“Your Majesty, dragon-slaying crossbows are installed on the triple walls of Qarth.” Daenerys looked grim.

“Oh?!” The Mountain now understood why Daenerys didn't want him to attack Qarth. He also understood why the black dragon didn't burn down the triple gates.

“It's the Undying Warlock Pyat Pree!” Daenerys continued.

“He saw the dragon-slaying crossbows I built in Westeros?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“We must find a way to kill Pyat Pree.”

Pyat Pree, a powerful figure like the Green Seers.

The dragon-slaying crossbow was a weapon secretly built by the Mountain in the Westerlands, specifically to deal with Daenerys's three dragons. The dragon-slaying crossbows came in fixed, folding, and chariot-mounted versions.

Years ago, to prepare for battle with Daenerys, the Mountain secretly built dragon-slaying crossbows in the Westerlands. Weapons master Tobho Mott and Gendry Clegane were responsible for building the dragon-slaying crossbows and conducting live-fire calibrations.

“How many dragon-slaying crossbows are there?”

“There are hundreds on the city walls, and hundreds more under the walls, beside the barracks, and in the large and small squares.”

“With so many dragon-slaying crossbows, it must have taken a long time to build. The warlock Pyat Pree foresaw this battle long ago and prepared in advance.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Arianne coughed and tapped the table lightly with her finger: “Your Majesty, how do you know there are so many dragon-slaying crossbows in the city? Have you been in the city? Or do we have scouts in the city?”

“I rode the dragon into the city of Qarth. When I was about to burn down the House of the Undying, the warlock Pyat Pree appeared on the roof. He showed me the three dragon-slaying crossbows on the roof and let me see that every window of the House of the Undying had a dragon-slaying crossbow pointed at me.”

The Mountain's face darkened: “The warlock Pyat Pree knew you would ride a dragon to attack the House of the Undying.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. The warlock Pyat Pree has the ability of a seer. He knows everything about the past, present, and future.”

“He can't know everything about the past, present, and future. Even gods can't know that.” The Mountain said coldly.

Daenerys was silent.

Everyone was silent, and no one spoke again.

The Mountain's words just now carried obvious anger.

The Mountain hated the Undying Warlocks and had no fondness for the Green Seers. These people, demigods, were very difficult to deal with and could always foresee many things in advance. Many complex things in the world were like open-book exams to them.

But the Mountain and his kind faced closed-book exams.

Although the Mountain could pretend to know a lot of things, that was the benefit of being a time-traveler, not true predictive ability. Like the other generals, he didn't possess mysterious magical powers.

*

“Your Majesty.” Daenerys spoke again, this time her voice was very soft, as if afraid of startling the cold-faced and silent Mountain.

The Mountain looked at Daenerys.

“I had a conversation with the warlock Pyat Pree in the House of the Undying.”

“Oh?!”

“He hopes to negotiate a peace.”

“What are the conditions?” The Mountain felt a fire rising in his heart. He felt like he was being pressed down by an invisible force, and this uncomfortable feeling was caused by the Undying Warlock Pyat Pree.

“We withdraw our troops, and both sides sign a peace agreement. Qarth supplies the Westeros royal family with four ships of spices every year, one ship every three months, followed by ten ships of rice, ten ships of wheat, ten ships of exquisite silk clothing, ten ships of ironware, and ten ships of Qartheen sour wine. If there is war, Qarth will obey Your Majesty's dispatch. But Qarth's royal power, trade, politics, military, taxation, currency system, and so on, Qarth is completely independent.”

He felt like Pyat Pree was bribing him like a corrupt official, only giving the royal family a considerable tribute, and then everything would be fine.

But the Mountain knew that Qarth's wealth was unmatched by all nine Free Cities combined. Four ships of spices were the most valuable gift, and one ship of spices was equivalent to one ship of gold.

However, compared to Qarth's super wealth and long-term, continuous profits, the Mountain only received a trivial benefit like a fly.

“Then what about my people? What about the generals? What about the courtiers? What about my Dothraki people? They get nothing?” The Mountain said lightly.

“...Qarth only pays tribute to Your Majesty...”

“What if I don't agree?”

“The warlock Pyat Pree said that we will lose this battle.”

When the Mountain heard this, he felt relieved.

If Pyat Pree really saw that the Mountain would lose, he would not seek peace.

A plan quickly formed in the Mountain's mind, but to implement this plan, he needed to first understand the Volantene legions and Lord Redwyne's navy.

“What about the elephant party Archon Ghael and his Volantene legions?”

“They were all killed in Slaver's Square.”

“When Pyat Pree was talking to you, did he say anything about handing over the murderers who killed Ghael and the Volantene warriors?”

“He didn't mention it, Your Majesty.” Daenerys saw that the Mountain's emotions were gradually calming down.

“Our navy was also completely wiped out?”

“When I received Lord Redwyne's raven and rushed to the sea to support them, the naval battle was already over. I only saw a sea full of wreckage and corpses floating on the surface.”

“Did we have any warships captured? If so, they must release the people before the peace talks.”

“As far as I know, no... Perhaps some warships escaped. In a few days, we will get feedback. If the warships escaped west, they will go to the ports of Slaver's Bay.”

Slaver's Bay was Daenerys's territory.

“Did you see the city of Qarth full of dragon-slaying crossbows?”

“Pyat Pree took me to see them. The dragon-slaying crossbows are hidden in stone houses and under tarpaulins. There are many of them. Our dragons cannot descend from the sky.”

The Mountain stood up and walked back and forth in the tent.

He had already made up his mind, but he couldn't say it so quickly. He had to pretend that it was a decision made after a long time of deliberation. This was not a decision made in a moment of passion, but as the saying goes, all warfare is based on deception. It was just that the people in this world were a little rigid, emphasizing honor and oaths at every turn. This was an advantage, but also a weakness that could be exploited.

However, if the other party really wanted to negotiate peace, they would not have killed the Volantene legions in Slaver's Square. Capturing the fifteen hundred people as hostages was the most important bargaining chip for peace talks.

However, perhaps the warlock Pyat Pree hoped for peace, while other forces were unwilling. Or perhaps the other forces had not yet negotiated with the warlock Pyat Pree. In Qarth, the Undying Warlock Pyat Pree of the House of the Undying was a demigod. The five major forces—the royal family, the Thirteen, the Tourmaline Brotherhood, the Ancient Guild of Spicers, and the Sorrowful Men—did not dare to underestimate the warlock Pyat Pree. In many matters, as long as the warlock Pyat Pree stood up and made a decision, that was Qarth's final decision.

*

The Mountain stopped and looked around at everyone, slowly saying: “Who is willing to negotiate peace?”

The participants in the meeting included five Khals, Daenerys, Arianne, Missandei, Scholar Claude, Jorah Mormont, Grey Worm, and Hero.

No one raised their hand.

“Who supports fighting?”

The five Khals raised their hands together, in unison. They looked fierce and barbaric. They were here to rob and make a fortune. Qarth was right there, and money and women were behind those triple walls, within easy reach.

If the Mountain wasn't here, the five Khals would have been shouting and yelling, which was their style.

“Daenerys, what is your opinion?”

“Your Majesty, the walls and the city are full of dragon-slaying crossbows. If we lose the support of the dragons, the Dothraki cavalry will not be able to break through the triple walls.”

Khal Gomes was nonchalant and chuckled: “Your Majesty is invincible. Your Majesty is here, and he will surely lead us to victory.”

“We can sneak in through the city's drainage channels.” Khal Yuniskai Wice almost shouted.

“The warlock Pyat Pree told me that soldiers are stationed in all the drainage channels in the city. As soon as we show our heads, countless spears will stab down.”

“Your Majesty, do you want to make peace with the milk drinkers?” Khal Yuniskai Wice laughed.

“Not make peace, but we need a thorough military plan.”

Khal Sane said coldly: “Your Majesty, we already have three dragons. The three dragons will sneak attack the north gate tonight. The dragon-slaying crossbows on the wall will not have time to fire, and the city gate will be burned down. Once the city gate is burned down, leave the rest of the battle to us.”

“Qarth has triple walls, Sane.” Daenerys's eyes were sharp as swords. “None of us are afraid of fighting, but the other side has an all-knowing Undying Warlock. We need to be calm and formulate the best tactics. The Dothraki cannot lose, His Majesty the King cannot lose, and the warriors of Slaver's Bay cannot.”

“Dig a tunnel to enter.” The tall and thin Khal Aman slowly said, “I can personally be responsible for digging into the city from underground.”

“The warlock Pyat Pree can know our plan to enter the city through underground drainage channels, so our tactic of digging tunnels can only be tried carefully. If he foresees it, we will encounter failure.” Daenerys said.

“Bombard the city with artillery.” Arianne said slowly, “Our artillery is invincible. We only need to transport two artillery ships from Westeros and set them up under the city walls, and then fire shells one by one to open the city gates and collapse the walls. If the Qartheen dare to charge out, then that's exactly what we want. If they don't dare to come out, then we will slowly blast a passage through the walls.”

The five Khals, Jorah, Grey Worm, Hero, and other generals cheered together.

The Mountain said: “It will take more than three months to transport two artillery ships from Westeros, and we can't encounter storms along the way. I have thought of a faster way.”

Everyone looked at Demon Mountain, the five Khals especially filled with anticipation. The gleam in their eyes seemed to say triumphantly, "See, I knew His Majesty the King would have a brilliant idea! I knew it all along, haha! Hahaha!"