The Mountain of Ice and Fire

Chapter 5: Decisive Measures

Laurel's face was full of wrinkles, deep enough to plant corn or potatoes in.

He stared in bewilderment at the three flower papers in front of him. They were circular and twice the size of a Silver Stag coin, with the same crowned stag design.

Laurel had never seen such beautiful flower paper before.

But it wasn't silver; he was sure of that.

Laurel looked up at Madam Eddie, his eyes filled with confusion.

This was flower paper, something any scholar could draw. It was definitely not money. Trying to buy things with this at the market would mark you as either a madman or a fool, and you'd likely get your head bashed in.

There must be some mistake.

Or perhaps he was dreaming?!

Laurel glanced inside the counter. He saw the same designs – Golden Dragons, Silver Stags, and Copper Stars – of different sizes pasted on the wall behind Madam Eddie. The Silver Stag flower paper was identical to the one Madam Eddie had given him.

"Laurel, this is paper money, equivalent to a Silver Stag. Silver Stags are heavy and inconvenient to carry and trade. Paper money is more convenient. Remember, this is paper money protected by the laws of the Westerlands. It is a Silver Stag, it is money."

Laurel looked at Madam Eddie, not understanding a word she said. He wanted to refuse the loan, but when he turned his head slightly, he saw two soldiers standing beside her with their hands on their swords. This made him feel threatened, and his throat constricted, preventing him from refusing the loan.

He noticed a maid beside Madam Eddie watching him intently. At the entrance behind him, people were lined up, waiting expectantly for him to leave. Only when Laurel left could one of them enter; that was the rule.

Laurel pinched his arm to make sure he wasn't dreaming.

"Madam!" he stammered, "What you gave me isn't a Silver Stag."

"It's paper money with the full value of a Silver Stag, Laurel. In the future, the people of the Westerlands will use this paper money for buying and selling, and then the entire country. Don't worry, Lady Jeyne has already gathered all the merchants and shop owners in the city for a meeting. At the meeting, Lady Jeyne distributed sample paper money to them, and everyone must start accepting the Westerlands' paper money as a form of transaction," Madam Eddie explained patiently, her expression softening slightly.

Laurel couldn't understand what Madam Eddie was saying. His mouth was dry, and he didn't know what to do: leave or stay? Take these three flower papers or not? The Clegane soldiers were killers. If he didn't take the loan, would they draw their swords? Laurel was anxious, unsure of what would happen next.

No matter what Madam Eddie said, could this little flower paper really be used as a Silver Stag? Laurel didn't believe it in the slightest.

"Take the money and leave, don't delay the people behind you," Madam Eddie said, her tone devoid of warmth.

"But, Madam, this isn't money," Laurel said, gathering his courage and stammering. He thought he heard the sound of a soldier drawing his longsword, but in reality, the two soldiers beside him hadn't moved.

Laurel was just too nervous!

"This is money, old Laurel. Go to the market. If any merchant refuses to accept this money, bring these three banknotes back to the bank to exchange them for Silver Stags. If you can't use them, we'll exchange them for three Silver Stags, or you can find the Clegane soldiers in the market, and they will help you," said the maid-like woman beside Madam Eddie.

"No!" Laurel was shocked to hear himself refuse so decisively. "No, Madam, please give me three real Silver Stags."

Madam Eddie nodded to the two soldiers. One of them stepped forward, his gaze cold: "Old man, take the money and leave."

"No..."

The other soldier grabbed the three flower papers and stuffed them into Laurel's pocket: "Old man, go to the market. If you can't use them, come back and exchange them for Silver Stags. There are Clegane soldiers maintaining order in the market. If shop owners refuse to accept the paper money, find the Clegane soldiers, they will help you. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Laurel understood vaguely. He was half-pushed and half-dragged out of the bank's front door.

Standing on the street, Laurel really wanted to go back inside and exchange the flower papers for Silver Stags, but the four soldiers on either side of the door seemed to be wary of him. Laurel noticed that all four soldiers had their hands on their sword hilts. This stopped him, and he didn't dare to return to the bank to argue.

The old man stood stiffly in the street, his eyes blank and helpless.

*

"Luke!" a voice called out from inside the bank.

A young man walked excitedly into the bank's front door, giving Laurel a sympathetic glance.

Laurel stood on the street outside the bank, holding the three 'flower paper coins' he had never seen before.

He slowly turned the flower paper coins over. On the back was a portrait of the late King Robert, with some numbers below the portrait. He didn't understand the meaning of the numbers.

Laurel gradually felt like he could breathe normally again. He decided to wait and see if the young man Luke, who had gone in after him, would have the same experience.

Laurel felt like he had been cheated. The Mountain had used three flower papers to make him owe three Silver Stags. When he repaid the principal in the future, he would have to return three Silver Stags that he hadn't even received.

He shouldn't have believed the rumors on the street. The Mountain's wickedness was known to everyone in the Westerlands. How could he possibly have the kindness to lend money to ordinary people without any compensation? Laurel had been deceived, and even more people would be deceived.

The Clegane soldiers were all killers. Even the Ironborn and pirates of the Iron Islands feared the Clegane soldiers.

Laurel felt like a long, long time passed before Luke came out. Luke's face looked terrible, as if he had just recovered from a serious illness.

Laurel saw a circular flower paper in Luke's palm.

The young man Luke looked gloomy. He stood on the street looking at the flower paper in his hand. He seemed to want to throw the little flower paper away, but he was unwilling to do so. Luke looked back at the four soldiers at the front door, wondering if he had assessed his own martial strength. In the end, he lowered his head, clenched the banknote tightly, and left quickly.

Laurel felt that the young man Luke's mood was as terrible as his own.

Luke and Laurel were both unwilling. They decided to try their luck at the market.

A Silver Stag was already a considerable sum of money. To be swindled out of it by the Mountain like this made Luke very unwilling, and he cursed all the way.

Laurel followed behind Luke. Because he had found someone else who had also been bullied by the Mountain's bank, his inner anxiety seemed to be effectively relieved.

"What are you following me for?" Luke stopped and asked the old man fiercely.

"I borrowed three Silver Stags," Laurel spread out his hand, revealing three banknotes with a Silver Stag design in his palm.

Luke's angry face suddenly smiled: "You're even more stupid than me!" Luke said, "I actually borrowed money to gamble and make a comeback, but... I was scammed by the Mountain's bank."

"The Mountain is evil, but Bancroft is a Grand Maester," Laurel said, still holding onto a glimmer of hope.

On the bank's front door were portraits of two people: one of the Mountain and one of Bancroft, the acting castellan of Lannisport. The bank was a lending center jointly funded by the Clegane family and the Lannister family of Lannisport. The bank's establishment had been publicized, and everyone who came to borrow or deposit money knew this.

"Grand Maesters only serve the great nobles, not ordinary commoners like us, you old fool!" Luke said contemptuously. He looked at Laurel's tattered clothes. "Old man, you probably have a family to feed, right? I'm alone. If the Mountain wants to swindle me out of a Silver Stag, heh heh, he can dream on. I won't pay back the money. I'll get on a ship and become a sailor, then leave Lannisport and go far, far away."

Laurel was silent!

*

The two arrived at the market one after the other.

At the entrance to the market, there were two soldiers with swords. Judging by their attire, one was a Clegane soldier and the other was a city guard. The two soldiers stood on the street, looking intimate, as if they belonged to the same legion.

On the streets of the market, there was a fully armed Clegane soldier every so often, which suddenly gave Luke and Laurel a sense of security.

In the bank, Madam Eddie had said that if they couldn't use the flower paper in the market, they should seek help from the Clegane soldiers or return to the bank to exchange it for Silver Stags.

Luke and Laurel entered the market with trepidation. The market was bustling with activity, people coming and going, buying and selling goods. They paid with Copper Stars and Silver Stags, receiving the corresponding goods in return. No one was using the paper money with the Silver Stag design or the Copper Star with the seven-pointed star design that they had borrowed from the bank.

Luke and Laurel, with ulterior motives, squatted in front of a silk shop, watching the wealthy merchants trade using bags of gold coins. No one was using flower paper gold coins, and no merchant was using flower paper Copper Stars to make change. Everyone in the market was still using Golden Dragons, Silver Stags, and Copper Stars in their transactions.

Luke and Laurel lost all confidence! The two walked through the bustling market, seemingly aimlessly.

"I'm going to try it," the old man Laurel suddenly said. At home, there were still children waiting for flour to return. Bread was a luxury for them. Three Silver Stags would have been enough for the old man to use sparingly for three months, but now he was holding three small flower papers in his hand.

"Boss, I want a bag of flour," the old man Laurel said, pointing to the flour on the shelf.

The shop assistant looked at the old man with contempt. The old man's clothes were tattered, and he was barefoot. Could he afford this white flour? The shop assistant and the boss looked at the old man across the counter, and no one answered the customer.

The merchant's inherent nature of looking down on the poor was on full display!

"This is a Silver Stag!" The old man took out a flower paper and slapped it on the counter. He heard a trace of panic in his trembling voice.

"Get out!" the boss said in a low voice, frowning and his eyes flashing with cold light, as if he wanted to bite someone. But the old man Laurel and Luke behind him noticed that the boss's expression was tense and his eyes were flickering, glancing outside.

What was it outside that the flour boss feared?

Clegane soldiers?!

Suddenly, many more Clegane soldiers had been added to the market, something that had never happened before.

Luke suddenly smiled in a rogueish way: "Boss, you don't accept paper money issued by the Clegane Bank? Then I'll have to go find the Clegane soldiers outside."

"It's no use looking for them, I've never heard of any paper money," the boss said sharply, but his voice was not loud.

"Is that so? Old man, you wait for me, I'll be right back," Luke shouted loudly.

"Brother!" the flour boss said, "This is none of your business." He flicked his hand, and a Copper Star flew out, flying towards Luke. "Take it and have a drink, let's be friends."

Clap!

Luke reached out and grabbed the Copper Star. He walked to the counter and placed the Copper Star on the old man Laurel's flower paper: "Boss, sell the old man a bag of flour, and I won't report it to Lady Jeyne."

"Brother, I have people outside too, don't cause trouble for yourself," the boss's face changed, and a fierce light appeared in his eyes.

"Oh, I'm also very familiar with their captain!" Luke smiled, as if he was going all out. "Boss, I'll give you a chance to call in the Clegane soldier captain who manages this street and see if you're more familiar with him or I am."

The boss and several shop assistants were all stunned!

This poor kid was a tough nut to crack!

"Since you insist on seeking death, I'll grant your wish," the boss suddenly drew a dagger and rushed over the counter straight for Luke.

Behind Luke, there were five daggers pointed at him.

"Stop, boss, it's my fault, I won't buy it," the old man Laurel heard his voice say in a panic. Suddenly, a flash of red light appeared before his eyes, and something warm sprayed on the old man's neck. The old man turned back in horror, only to see that a shop assistant's neck had been pierced by a short sword, and the hilt of the short sword was actually held in Luke's hand.

In Luke's other hand, he was actually holding another short sword, pointing at the horrified flour boss.

The remaining four shop assistants all stood in shock. None of them had seen clearly how this kid, who was seeking death, suddenly had two short swords in his hands and pierced the neck of the colleague who was attacking him.

"You bastard, I am Luke, Lady Jeyne's personal guard. All those who do not accept the bank's paper money will be severely punished by the Lady. You doomed fool, I'll give you one last chance. The old man Laurel wants to buy a bag of flour from you. Will you sell it or not?"

Luke pulled out the short sword that had pierced the shop assistant's neck with a whoosh, not dodging or evading, letting the hot blood spray on his face and body.

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