The Mountain of Ice and Fire

"Lord Petyr," the imp said, staring at Petyr Baelish's ramrod straight figure, "I need you to procure as much grain as possible. If the city's starving people continue to increase, we need to distribute some grain at key moments."

"What the Hand says is true. When the starving people can no longer endure it, opening the granaries to release some grain is indeed a good way to resolve their desperate emotions," Petyr said with a smile.

"Then, can you accomplish this, my lord?"

"I will try my best, my Hand. However, I can guarantee one thing: if I can't do it, no one else in King's Landing will be able to."

The imp was silent. After a long while, his tone softened, and his eyes became gentle. "Lord Petyr, the country needs your talent now. I hope you can do your best for the country and the people."

For the country and the people? The imp himself didn't believe these words. He said them while suppressing his disgust. However, as the Hand, he suddenly felt that hypocrisy had become very necessary, even though everyone understood it was for the Lannister family's… power and Littlefinger's own… dog life.

Littlefinger chuckled. "It is the Hand who is working for the country and the people. I am merely under the Hand's command, faithfully executing the Hand's orders. So, my Hand, can you…"

"I will give you four men to protect your safety."

"Thank you, my Hand," Littlefinger said with a sincere smile.

"What's that?" a child's voice asked.

"Gods, what a bright shooting star!" another child's voice exclaimed.

Littlefinger also felt it. Suddenly, the light around him became brighter. The imp felt it too. The surrounding radiance suddenly became a little brighter, which was very strange.

Everyone looked up at the sky in unison.

A fist-sized star, as red as blood, was streaking across the sky with a long, red tail of flame, like a bleeding wound cut open in the purplish-red sky by an invisible sharp knife. The blood-like tail of flame spread behind the flying star, like blood gushing from a wound.

"Gods, a comet!" the imp, who always had a book in his hand, said.

No one had ever seen such a dazzling and bright comet, let alone this terrifying color mixed with blood, flames, and the red of the setting sun.

Petyr Baelish, who was always calm, also changed color.

"My Hand, this comet is so clearly visible even during the day, which is rare. Does this foretell the end of summer and the rise of ominous signs?"

The ninth year of Westeros' long summer was about to pass, and in less than a month, the continent would usher in the tenth year of its long summer. According to the ancient seasonal laws, the longer the summer, the longer the winter; the warmer the summer, the colder the winter.

"Comets are a normal natural phenomenon, celestial movements, and have nothing to do with ominous signs," the imp said.

"But the people don't think so!" A mischievous smile appeared on Littlefinger's face. He pointed to the street, where many people were staring blankly up at the sky, while some were kneeling and kowtowing, and more were clasping their hands together, closing their eyes, and muttering something.

The imp shrugged. "People always like to attribute things they can't understand to gods or omens, but I have always believed that gods are unreliable, and omens come from people's inner thoughts rather than the external world."

Littlefinger tilted his head and looked at the imp. "My Hand, I believe most of the people in Cobblers' Square are kneeling. Are you interested in taking a look? They certainly don't think this isn't an omen."

*

The comet streaked across the sky, lingering for a long time, leaving a long red tail of flame in the sky, as if weeping blood.

Almost everyone on the continent of Westeros was looking up at this peculiar sight that appeared during the day.

In King's Landing, the capital of the Seven Kingdoms, the people in Cobblers' Square were densely packed, all looking up at the sky. Many people looked terrified, some were kneeling and kowtowing, and more were clasping their hands together in prayer.

On the city walls, the soldiers of the garrison looked up at the sky, dumbfounded.

Inside the Red Keep, in Maegor's Holdfast, Joffrey held Sansa's hand, pointing to the comet and saying something excitedly, as if saying that seeing the comet before his name day was a sign of the great prosperity of his royal family. Sansa nodded in agreement.

In the Queen Mother's room, Cersei stood by the window, looking up at the sky, her face grim; courtiers gathered on the lawn, pointing and gesticulating at the scene in the sky, discussing it.

*

At Highgarden's bridge of Bitterbridge, Renly sat on the throne, with his newlywed wife, Margaery Tyrell, beside him. She was sixteen years old, beautiful and dignified, and asserted that the comet was a good omen for Renly's ascension to the throne.

The courtiers and generals around Renly complimented the king, saying that the comet streaking across the sky was a sign that Renly Baratheon would enter King's Landing.

*

On Dragonstone, in the sea, Old Maester Cressen, who was never superstitious, couldn't help but fall into deep unease and wild thoughts. He believed this was an ominous sign for the people of Dragonstone. Since a red priestess, Melisandre, came to Dragonstone, the people on the island had never been quiet again, and the king and queen were both bewitched by this witch, abandoning the Seven Gods and turning to worship some red god. This was a blasphemy that Grand Maester Cressen could not accept.

Grand Maester Cressen decided to see King Stannis Baratheon and take the opportunity to advise him to drive away Melisandre and abandon the evil red god faith. Then, he would send someone to the king's brother Renly to persuade the two brothers to put aside their differences and deal with the Lannisters in King's Landing together.

*

In the Riverlands, Duke Tywin, whose soldiers had been reduced due to forced marches, also looked up at the strange phenomenon in the sky, his heart filled with suspicion and uncertainty. He didn't know whether this march would be auspicious or ominous. He ordered the army to stop and camp on the spot, and then personally came to the rear to visit the witch in the carriage.

Hundreds of miles away from Tywin, in Riverrun, all the soldiers in the city looked up at the red comet in the sky; and Robb Stark and his suicide squad, who were traveling on the mountain roads of the Westerlands, stopped marching, all looking up at the sky, with strange expressions on everyone's faces.

*

As soon as the comet appeared, the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros were alarmed. The Iron Islands in the sea, the Eyrie in the Vale, the people of the North, the Night's Watch on the Wall, the free folk in the Haunted Forest and the Thenn Mountains, the southernmost Dorne, and the farthest Summer Isles, whether they were kings, nobles, generals, or mountain villagers, all looked up at the sky, some in surprise, some in fear, some in prayer, and some in unease…

In Harrenhal, the Mountain and his soldiers were no exception, all looking up at the sky. The soldiers were talking about it, they were only surprised, not fearful or uneasy.

The Mountain was calm and composed. He knew what this meant. This meant that Princess Daenerys Targaryen, across the Narrow Sea, had sent away her beloved man, Drogo, and the witch who was determined to put Drogo to death in the fire. After the fire, Daenerys, who emerged from the fire, hatched three dragons.

In this world, dragons that had disappeared for more than a hundred years had returned.

The Mountain, through Varys and Illyrio, wanted to form an alliance with the Mother of Dragons—Daenerys Targaryen, who had since opened the cheat mode—the three dragons she hatched would help her conquer the continent of Essos and become the most powerful queen of her generation.

And the Mountain, because he raised the butcher knife against the Targaryen family in the royal palace massacre sixteen years ago, blood feuds connected the two people thousands of miles away in some invisible form: the Mountain and Daenerys, would they be enemies or friends in the future?!

*

Chapter 334-2 Dragon Hunting Ballista

The Mountain's overtures to Daenerys through Varys and Pentos Governor Illyrio Mopatis, the outcome is unknown. To prepare for the worst, the Mountain is also preparing his new weapon: the Dragon Hunting Ballista!

Dragons are also flesh and blood, not invincible!

Where there are dragons, there are dragon-hunting warriors.

For giant beasts flying in the sky, the best weapon is naturally bows and arrows.

Bows and arrows are effective for long-range attacks, and armor-piercing arrows can break through the protection of armor. Dragon scales are not as hard as steel.

Ordinary bows and arrows can also cause damage to dragons, but the damage is not great, and the range is also very limited.

However, the Dragon Hunting Ballista can solve the problems of short range and weak lethality of ordinary bows and arrows.

The Mountain led troops out to fight, and the secret construction of the Dragon Hunting Ballista was entrusted to his wife, Jeyne Westerling.

*

When the Mountain looked up at the comet streaking across the sky, Jeyne Westerling also looked up at this rare spectacle in the sky.

Different people have different views on comets streaking across the sky.

Beside Jeyne Westerling were Maester Botley, Stewardess Alayne, Weapons Master Tobho Mott, and blacksmith apprentice Gendry.

"Madam, what is that in the sky…?" Alayne asked. Alayne believed that Lady Jeyne's knowledge and insights were above those of the young Maester Botley, and she asked Jeyne about everything.

"It's a comet!" Maester Botley replied, "This is a natural phenomenon, like the flowers of spring and the fruits of autumn, a natural phenomenon."

Jeyne said, "I don't know much about astronomy. Please ask the maester to explain."

Maester Botley's approval from Lady Jeyne gave him the confidence to show off his knowledge. "Those who believe in the Seven Gods will think this is some kind of omen. But it is actually a celestial movement."

"Then what is the force that drives its movement? Where does it come from, how is it formed, and why is it red?" Gendry asked, still holding a hammer in his hand.

"Uh… it's like a meteor… just bigger than a meteor… of course, meteors don't leave a red tail of flame," the young maester said.

"This is an omen, an omen of some kind of disaster or some kind of opportunity, but it needs a green seer to interpret it," Tobho Mott asserted, brooking no argument.

"Uh… this is comet movement…"

"Comets are also miracles, and comet movements must be prophecies of God, but we are foolish and mortal, so naturally we cannot interpret them," Master Tobho Mott insisted on his opinion, and his eyes glanced at the young maester, obviously disdainful.

The young maester's knowledge of astronomy was indeed limited. Although he knew it was a comet, he could not explain the reason for this celestial movement. The maester's face turned red.

Jeyne smiled slightly. "Science has a scientific understanding of comets, mysticism has a mystical saying about comets, and dark magic has a different explanation for comets. I believe in the Seven Gods…" But Jeyne was unconsciously influenced by her grandmother, the witch, and had already unknowingly believed in the witch god, but she could not express her belief in a group of people who believed in the Seven Gods. "I personally think that the blood-like color of the comet probably represents war."

Gendry nodded. "I always agree with madam's views the most!" he said loudly, as if afraid that others would not know his point of view.

Gendry forges weapons in Clegane's Keep, and the person he admires most is not the Mountain, not his master, but only Jeyne.

Jeyne is beautiful and kind, without the airs of a great noble. She respects people like Gendry as if they were generals. This is why Gendry stands by Jeyne regardless of whether she is right or wrong.

He really thinks Jeyne is such a good person, one in a million!

"I agree with madam's point of view. Isn't there a war going on now? The red color of the comet represents blood, the blood of the enemy and our own blood," Master Tobho Mott said affirmatively.

"Hearing what the master said, I also agree with madam's view," Alayne said.

The young Maester Botley opened his mouth, but finally closed it. He didn't think that the red comet represented war and blood, but he couldn't explain why the comet's tail of flame dragged across the sky like blood, long and lingering.

Tobho unfolded the mechanical drawing in his hand and said, "The comet is weeping blood. It looks like this war will take some time. Alas, I don't know how many people will die—madam, is this the revised drawing?"

"Yes, I thought the Dragon Hunting Ballista that I tested a few days ago was very good. The range and power are very strong. I thought about it for a few days and felt that there were two shortcomings, so I revised the drawing. Please Master Tobho take a look first to see if it will work."

"Master, madam has hardly slept these past few nights?" Alayne said, her tone full of loving reproach.

Tobho Mott squinted at Botley. "This mechanical knowledge should be known by the maesters, right?"

"I am more proficient in medicine, writing, mathematics, planting, and breeding," Maester Botley coughed to cover up his… embarrassment.

Jeyne smiled. "Master Tobho, don't embarrass our maester."

Gendry stood beside his master and glanced at the drawing. "Uh, added a gear design, like the gears of a noodle machine?"

"Yes. I saw you trying to shoot the crossbow a few days ago, and it took a lot of effort to pull the bowstring into position. I thought of the gears of a noodle machine. The noodle machine is driven by gears, and children can make noodles by turning the hand crank. If the Dragon Hunting Ballista can also use gears and add a hand crank, it would be easy to pull the bowstring into position."

"This is feasible! Madam!" Tobho Mott said after looking at the drawing, "But single-sided shaking of the handle will be a bit unbalanced and also requires a certain amount of strength. If you want children or ladies to be able to fire the crossbow, you can install a gear handle on each side of the crossbow bed. This will reduce the force required to pull the bowstring by half."

"That's great," Jeyne said with great joy.

The range of the Dragon Hunting Ballista is several times longer than that of ordinary bows and arrows, and the two-meter crossbow bolts are made of iron spears. If children can pull the bowstring by turning the handle, this would be a technological innovation in the history of weapons, and once put into the battlefield, it will play a decisive role at a critical moment.

Gendry leaned over again to look at the drawing and said, "Madam, what are these two dashed lines on the crossbow bed for?"

Folding is like a door hinge. The dragon-hunting crossbow's frame is very wide, like a carriage. If it's not in use, it can be folded up. Firstly, it's easier to store, and secondly, it's easier to transport when folded. Whether on plains, hills, or mountains, a single ox cart can carry several dragon-hunting crossbows.

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