Cortnay Penrose stood atop the city walls as he had the day before.
He wore no helmet, nor did he carry a sword.
He was clad in bronze-plated armor, his brown-yellow sigil bearing two crossed white quills and his family's motto – "A Contract as Witness."
A silver-white cloak with a Six-Pointed Star was fastened to his left shoulder.
A Contract as Witness. Cortnay Penrose gazed at the faint dust clouds shimmering outside the city, praying silently.
May he keep his promise.
For something he couldn't quite articulate, Cortnay Penrose had gambled everything, placing his bet on Joffrey's integrity.
For Lord Renly? For Edric?
Cortnay Penrose took a deep breath, and the salty, war-tinged wind filled his chest.
The air rumbled, and the stone slabs beneath his feet seemed to vibrate repeatedly. Was it the waves, or because of the large cavalry charge?
Probably both.
He glanced left and right. Hundreds of Ship Cannons were clearly positioned between the battlements, ready to unleash even more violent tremors than the waves and cavalry with just one command.
King Joffrey had said he wouldn't use these cannons right away. In any case, living people were more valuable than dead ones, as long as they were obedient.
Cortnay Penrose knew this was true.
The fall of Storm's End could be considered quite peaceful. Aside from the initial impact of the cannons and the chaos at the beginning of the city's breach, most of the people inside had survived.
Very, very few were disobedient.
Those who survived quickly became loyal subjects of King Joffrey, daring not to complain, much less cause trouble. Especially with the peculiar creation of "Divine Grace" as insurance.
Divine Grace.
Just one night. Cortnay Penrose had only been granted the Divine Grace Light Screen for one night, but he had already fully understood his situation.
This was another world, a new world.
He saw countless rare books, precious Knowledge.
He saw the entire history of Westeros, from the Dawn Age and Age of Heroes ten thousand years ago to a more detailed recent history, from the declining and fallen Children of the Forest and First Men to the still active Andals, Rhoynar, Valyrians, and Wildlings.
Familiar and unfamiliar names, glorious and dark stories, all shocking and captivating.
However.
Cortnay Penrose was not entirely ignorant of history. Some of the records in the Light Screen were originally controversial or vague, with little concrete evidence. Some records he had never heard of.
Was it just decided like that?
He keenly realized the terrifying nature of these records in the Light Screen.
Just one day had passed, and the stablehands, servants, maidservants, and children, everyone in Storm's End, could learn to read and write in the Divine Grace Light Screen and see the history he saw.
Most of them were still illiterate, and had no knowledge of these noble-exclusive facts, like a blank sheet of paper.
And now, the Divine Grace Light Screen could paint freely on these blank sheets.
This was just the beginning.
It was conceivable that after a series of victories, in a few years or a decade or two, the entire Seven Kingdoms would be enveloped by Divine Grace.
By then, what would be real? What would be history?
When and from whom did the prominent noble families originate?
Did the extinct families truly exist? Were the Children of the Forest and heroes merely fiction?
Did the First Men and Andals fight each other?
Were the Rhoynar friends, enemies, or did they not exist at all?
It was all up to the King's whim.
Thinking of this terrifying future that made him feel powerless, Cortnay Penrose couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine.
And this was not entirely unfounded speculation.
For each family, the Light Screen contained very detailed Information.
From every living member, the Castles, towns, and every inch of land they owned, to the titles, honors, and Property they possessed, it was all meticulously recorded.
Only one thing was excluded – the ancient origins.
Through the Light Screen, people could know the glamour, wealth, and power of each family, but they would not know why the nobles had attained such enviable status.
Yes, the common people passed down many legends and stories, and were well aware of their Liege Lord's past glorious deeds. But after all, most people knew very little about most nobles.
They were once ignorant and unable to express dissatisfaction. But Divine Grace simultaneously remedied these two shortcomings.
Cortnay Penrose already knew that the five thousand Royal Guard around the King were not all; the "Holy War Army" with similar abilities numbered tens of thousands, and that was far from the limit.
Undoubtedly, most of these people were of humble origin, and if the King ordered it, they would be happy to destroy any noble family with a thousand years of history.
Would the King give the order?
Cortnay Penrose also saw a new term – "Governor."
At first glance,
it seemed similar to his position as acting Lord, but in reality, the difference was vast.
Acting Lords served their own Liege Lords, while Governors were appointed and dismissed entirely at the King's discretion, and would only serve the King.
A massive change!
And it wasn't just a hypothetical idea; Cortnay Penrose had already seen real change.
Governor of Rain House City — Ser Garth Wylde. Note: The new Earl of Rain House City — Rychard Wylde.
When he saw this entry, Cortnay Penrose's heart was incredibly heavy.
He felt as if he could foresee the future of the Penrose family. A minor Earl, an ambitious Governor from a collateral branch. Who was the master of Paper Town?
What surprised him even more was that he could actually see the images of the "Battle of Rain House City."
It didn't resemble a battle at all; it was even more helpless than the fall of Storm's End. The entire Castle was overwhelmed by Ship Cannon shells, reduced to Ruins.
Cortnay Penrose's guess was correct. Cannons were more suitable for warships.
For thousands of years, cliffs and coastlines had been the natural strongholds of various Castles. But in the face of King Joffrey's Fleet, this stronghold had vanished like smoke in the wind, becoming the most vulnerable and fatal point.
Simply by sending a Fleet to sail along the coast, any Castle could be easily conquered.
And indeed, this was the case.
Greenstone, Weeping Town, Stonehelm, Amberly, Crow's Nest...
Cortnay Penrose reviewed the battle records in the Light Screen one by one, finally understanding King Joffrey's strategy.
It was indeed arrogant, but he had ample confidence.
Cape Wrath and the Marches had been completely conquered, and the entire southern Stormlands had changed hands.
Highgarden was the next target. Loras Tyrell had been appointed "Governor of Highgarden," and the route of advance was already very clear.
Could Highgarden successfully defend?
Cortnay Penrose dared not entertain such a thought. The only difference was whether to give up resistance from the start or surrender after the defense failed.
The outcome was already decided.
Highgarden changing sides, the North always an enemy, and the Royal Guard in the southern Stormlands watching like tigers.
Who was surrounding whom?
Cortnay Penrose's gaze was heavy, watching the countless cavalry outside the city stop their advance, hesitating. He sighed deeply in his heart.
A Contract as Witness.
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