Buzz!
When the last marker was hung on the stage, the air seemed to still for a moment.
Sitting in a high place, the indifferent Glyn looked at the increasingly boisterous crowd, sighing that there were quite a few literate people here.
If this were Crackclaw Point, most people wouldn't be able to understand.
Glyn's secretly arranged commentators and various plants didn't come into play at all, all becoming just atmosphere enhancers.
Glyn secretly thought it a pity; if there hadn't been a lack of time, he could have opened a betting market.
...
The next day, the first challenger walked onto the stage amidst the clamor.
Glyn saw the House sigil on his body: golden cranes on a pure blue field.
Glyn's eyebrows raised slightly: House Clegane!
House Clegane is one of the Reach Houses directly loyal to House Tyrell.
Glyn remembered that when Renly Baratheon crowned himself king, he established the Rainbow Guard, and a member of House Clegane served as one of its Purple Cloaks.
...
Glyn rested the longsword at his side with one hand: "Let's begin, Ser, knight of House Clegane."
The House Clegane knight remained silent, swinging his sword at Glyn at an angle.
Clang!
Their swords clashed, making an ear-piercing sound of steel grinding.
Though Glyn appeared serious on the surface as he was competing in sword skills, he was secretly scoffing in his heart.
Another hot-blooded youth with mediocre sword skills.
...
Yesterday, Glyn generally ended his fights after a dozen rounds for the sake of the spectacle.
Today, since Glyn had already begun the first stage of mocking The Reach, he could appropriately reduce the number of rounds.
After about eight or nine rounds, Glyn's sword swing suddenly increased in power.
The House Clegane knight, who had just grown accustomed to the force of Glyn's sword swings, was so shocked by this sudden burst of power that his arm went numb, and he nearly lost his grip on the sword hilt.
Before the House Clegane knight could recover, Glyn's longsword swiftly chopped down once more.
The House Clegane knight had no choice but to brace himself, raising his sword to block.
With a clang, his sword clattered down, and Glyn's longsword was already pressed against the House Clegane knight's throat.
Glyn withdrew his sword, merely glancing indifferently at the House Clegane knight who had slumped onto the stage, then turned and left.
Today, there was no heartwarming comfort from Glyn.
The House Clegane knight, coming to his senses, picked up his longsword and left the stage silently, a gloomy expression on his face.
"Next one!"
The second challenger's fight ended in seven or eight rounds.
The third challenger's fight ended in six or seven rounds.
...
For the subsequent challengers, Glyn controlled the number of rounds to between six and seven.
At dusk, the red sun slowly slipped into the thin layer of clouds.
Glyn, standing in the center of the stage, seemed tinged with a layer of crimson-gold, a color belonging to the strong.
The crowd around the stage stood with mouths wide open, all with astonished expressions.
The stage fell into an eerie silence.
With a thump, a single swift and fierce sword strike from Glyn sent the knight they had placed high hopes on clumsily rolling off the stage.
This knight's sword skills were famous in The Reach.
They wondered: "Previous challengers were defeated, but at least they could fight back and forth... Is this person, with such a great reputation, actually so weak?"
A sense of deceived resentment brewed within the crowd.
Taking advantage of this eerie silence, Glyn said coolly, "Tomorrow we continue."
As his words fell, Glyn sighed slightly, shook his head, and left the stage surrounded by Clegane's blue robes.
...
...
King's Landing, Chataya's Brothel at the foot of Rhaenys' Hill.
The two-story Chataya's establishment featured a circular tower.
Many windows of Chataya's establishment were framed with bronze, and a splendid, gilded lantern decorated with deep red glass hung above the main door.
Clever Dik arrived at Chataya's establishment while it was still light, calling his sister out.
Dik's sister, who was usually expressionless, spotted Dik's figure from afar.
An extremely stiff smile first appeared on Dik's sister's face; as their distance closed, her smile gradually became more natural.
Dik's sister's voice carried a hint of joy: "Dik, did you come to see me?"
Although Dik had changed into new clothes, the smell on him still lingered.
Dik's sister merely furrowed her brow imperceptibly, appearing not to mind at all on the surface, and very affectionately linked arms with Dik.
"The Goldcloaks Captain you... introduced, told me to report to the City Watch tomorrow."
"Don't worry about it, I've already made arrangements."
Dik's eyes flickered: "Sister, should I add Clegane to my name tomorrow?"
Dik's sister pulled away, paused, then linked arms with Dik again, her hands trembling uncontrollably: "Brother, what are you trying to do?"
"Tomorrow, I want to write down Dik Clegane. Then the Goldcloaks won't look down on me as a newcomer. I tested the waters with that Goldcloaks Captain; no one should care about this. After all, this surname is very unfamiliar, and as long as I'm careful..."
As Dik spoke, his voice gradually grew quieter.
Dik noticed his sister was trembling quite intensely.
Clegane... Dik's sister thought she had completely forgotten this surname.
No, she had heard this surname from others recently!
...
"Sister, what's wrong with you? Are you feeling unwell somewhere?"
Dik's sister, who had been lost in thought, snapped back to reality: "Dik, have the Others claimed your mind? How dare you... You'll be hanged!"
"I... if I'm careful... Don't cry, I know, I know. I just want to make a name for myself quickly, to take you away from here sooner!"
"Waaah, I'm doing very well!"
Dik shrank back, carefully glancing around. Seeing no one was paying attention, he sighed in relief.
"Sister, don't worry, I promise not to mess around! I beg you, trust me just this once!"
Dik's sister wiped away her tears and said, "Brother, I just don't want you to die... and also..."
Dik's sister quietly glanced around, then lowered her voice and said, "Perhaps you'll have a better place to go..."
Dik was not good at hiding the expression on his face, his gaze filled with suspicion: "You're not going to tell me you've already hooked up with some big shot again, are you?"
Dik felt that his sister's looks might only be slightly better than average, and her 'business' couldn't possibly suddenly improve.
Dik's sister looked at her brother's sharp face, feeling her fists clench.
She took a deep breath and continued, "A good friend of mine, she recently hooked up with..."
Dik's sister whispered into her brother's ear: "A Lannister big shot, the Lannister Imp."
"A Lan... Lannister?!"
For Dik, the Goldcloaks Captain his sister introduced was already a big shot.
Lannister? The Lannisters who shit gold?!
"A friend of the Lannister big shot, with the surname Clegane. He should still be in King's Landing."
The words she had overheard in casual chat, never taking them to heart, she now remembered them all because of Dik's provocation.
...
...
The next day, the sky was barely light.
Another marker was added to the stage.
"The Reach Knights Are Not Men"
(end of chapter)