The Mountain of Ice and Fire

The Mountain sat before 'the missing Varys' and another large fat man.

Varys and the fat man beside him were among the most outstanding talents of the era.

However, in a 'ancient era' of semi-agricultural and semi-pastoral society without phones, WeChat, QQ, internet intelligence, or surveillance cameras, the intelligence minister Varys's abilities were exaggerated to the point of being 'omniscient,' which was a gross overestimation.

The reconnaissance capabilities of his little birds were also exaggerated by stories and TV dramas to the level of 'omnipotence,' as if he could sit in a room and know the secrets in other people's beds.

In reality, that was completely impossible!

Varys had been cautious and careful to preserve his life and make it to this day.

He didn't know many secrets. For example, he was completely ignorant of the real cause of Jon Arryn's death. Also, he was completely unaware of Littlefinger Petyr Baelish's affair with Lysa Tully.

The transmigrated Mountain looked down at Varys and his mysterious partner.

To try to explain airplanes, robots, smartphones, and atomic bombs to 'Varys and his fat partner,' these most intelligent and outstanding talents of the era, would be futile. In the Mountain's eyes, they possessed neither the 'omnipotent' intelligence capabilities depicted in stories and TV dramas, nor any foresight into the future world.

The Mountain was in an abandoned wooden hut in the woods outside King's Landing. Not far from these woods was a small river, the upper reaches of the Blackwater Rush, which connected to the endless Gods Eye lake beside the Kingsroad. Behind the Mountain stood Polliver Clegane, whose next heartbeat could trigger something terrible, the archer Anguy, his adopted daughter Jory Clegane, the mimic Bronn, and several soldiers.

Headache Chiswyck Clegane, the executioner Dunsen Clegane, and Sweetmouth Rafford Clegane led their soldiers to protect Jaime Lannister's return to the Westerlands, accompanied by Jeyne Westerling and her handmaiden, Zeliegar.

Jeyne discovered that during the time she helped her grandmother, she unintentionally learned blood magic spells that possessed unexpected medical abilities. When the Mountain severed Lord Marbrand's hand at Crakehall, a few High Valyrian syllables stopped the bleeding that medical means could not. This time, the High Valyrian syllables that repaired 'injuries on kittens and puppies during experiments' saved Zeliegar, who was on the verge of death.

This was something Jeyne had never imagined.

Jeyne's family, from her grandfather's generation to her grandchildren's generation, were ashamed to mention that her grandmother was a witch. Jeyne only helped her grandmother because she had no apprentices, but she didn't expect that a few spell syllables and some medicinal knowledge she unintentionally remembered would save Zeliegar's life this time.

Jeyne decided to return to Crakehall and continue helping her grandmother. Before, she helped without any intention, but this time she was deliberate. Given the nobility's contempt for witches, Jeyne did not intend to formally inherit witchcraft as her grandmother's apprentice. She decided to be an unofficial member of the witch tradition, as long as what she learned was useful.

The Mountain stayed behind because he had his own business to take care of: inviting Varys and his mysterious fat friend to get together.

The Mountain used a beautiful woman in Shae's brothel to lure the fat man, and then used the fat man's token to invite Varys. The process was simple and the effect was significant.

The fat man was a significant figure whose identity, status, wealth, experience, and martial arts were not to be underestimated.

Although he was very fat, he walked silently, accustomed to using his heels for force. This was the habitual footwork of narrow sword fencers who were proficient in dancing across the Narrow Sea, becoming natural and silent.

"Lord Varys, do you think you still have any secrets in front of me?" the Mountain said.

Varys was alarmed and uncertain in his heart, but there was no panic on his face. He was smiling, although cold sweat was pouring down his back.

"Lord, only those who have been stripped bare have no secrets," Varys said with a smile. He was joking. Joking could relax people, relax the Mountain, and provide himself with inspiration for quick wit.

"Do you think I can't strip you bare?" The Mountain stared at Varys with a strange look.

"No, Lord, you can strip me bare, but you won't strip me bare."

"Oh, why?"

"We are allies, Lord, just the two of us, what do you think?"

Varys had said the same thing to Eddard Stark: We are allies, just the two of us. His fat noble friend became Varys's absolute partner because of Varys's words: We are allies, just the two of us.

The Mountain's hand touched the scabbard of his greatsword, a movement that made the fat man beside Varys involuntarily change his posture. The huge fat man was nervous. He didn't want to die, and there was still too much money he hadn't had time to spend. Look, there weren't many things in this world he was attached to, one was money, and the other was beautiful women, just two things.

"We are not allies," the Mountain said, "My daughter Jory Clegane already told you the names of three people when she was in the orphanage, but I obviously know more than those three names."

Varys smiled broadly, his fat face creased with amusement: "Lord, I have also reciprocated. At the meeting of the Small Council, I mentioned Lady Jeyne's milk donations to the orphanage, and then naturally mentioned Jeyne Milk in front of the King. Lady Jeyne has gained permanent honor, and all the dairy farmers in the country are grateful to her. You have also benefited, and the King has bestowed upon you the title of Lord, which is the highest honor."

As a person's title increases, the kingdom's privileges also increase accordingly.

"Littlefinger would have mentioned it even if you didn't," the Mountain said.

"Alright, Lord, then what do you want me to do for you? My little birds serve not only the King, but also great lords and allies. Lord Mountain, how can I help you?"

"Can I kill you now?" the Mountain asked irrelevantly.

Varys was stunned. The Mountain didn't follow his topic, but he had to follow the Mountain's.

Varys avoided the Mountain's extremely threatening question.

This was a very dangerous question. If he answered no, and the Mountain got annoyed and wanted to prove Varys wrong, that would be terrible. If he answered yes, that would be even worse, it would be like begging the Mountain to kill him.

Varys smiled and said, "Lord, I think I am more useful to you if I am alive."

"You are willing to be used by me?"

"Very happy to, Lord."

"Good, can you persuade your friend to donate some blood to me?"

The fat friend's eyes showed surprise and doubt. He was skilled in swordsmanship. In his youth, he was a mercenary, and later became an assassin. After cooperating with Varys to make a fortune, he participated in the election. With the help of Varys's intelligence system and monetary bribes, he was now the Archon of Pentos across the Narrow Sea. The Grand Archon of a free trade city-state, his life was very precious.

A capable and fierce swordsman had become an unbelievably fat man after more than ten years of wealthy life as the Archon.

"A little blood from my friend, of course, no problem," Varys said with a friendly smile.

Varys's fat friend's ten fingers were covered with rings of various jewels, and he had a golden beard, thick and obscuring his chin. The beard was oiled, shiny, and he had tied many small bells to it. This kind of aristocratic embellishment was difficult for the transmigrated Mountain to understand.

The male livestock in this world basically all had thick beards, and the means of decorating the beard with golden bells to enhance their majesty was indeed very ethnic and creative.