Earl Odd laughed and said, "Sir Gregor, I've given you the Chiswick you wanted, but you still have to show me some sincerity!"
Gregor said, "My Lord, speak."
"I want to open a Clegane noodle shop in one of the five major ports," Earl Odd said with a smile. "Lannis in the West, White Harbor in the North, Gulltown in the Vale, King's Landing, the capital of the Seven Kingdoms, and Oldtown in the Reach."
Count Ode has excellent taste.
"Deal!" Gregor said decisively without any hesitation.
Making money is something we absolutely must do.
The five major port cities of the seven kingdoms not only boast a large flow of people but also represent the largest concentration of population among the seven kingdoms' cities. Wealthy merchants, noble governors, princes, knights, and powerful swordsmen from all over come and go. A noodle tavern, unlike anything ever seen or tasted before, suddenly appears out of nowhere, and its business is bound to be booming.
"I have one concern, Count," Gregor said. "My reputation isn't very good. Foreign merchants and nobles won't mind using the name Clegane, but some of the local nobles might be unhappy. It's possible that it could cause some minor trouble."
Gregor said that his reputation was bad, something that some nobles would rather draw their swords against than be humiliated, but when Gregor said it, it sounded so natural.
This caused Earl Gavin, who was standing nearby, to shift his body slightly.
What the Westerling family values most is their reputation as an ancient noble family.
To maintain his reputation and preserve his vanity and extravagance, the count sold land and soil to preserve the family's prestige.
It's all because of this empty fame that I'm so tired.
However, Gregor wore shamelessness as a badge of honor. He himself said he had a bad reputation, and he was not afraid of Count Gavin's shame, nor did he care about Count Odd's ridicule.
The Earl laughed out loud, which made Earl Gavin feel a burning sensation on his face.
Earl Odd chuckled, "Sir Gregor, how about we use the name Jenny Westerling? Jenny Noodles Shop, what do you say? Hehe!"
"Use the count's name," Gregor said, his tone leaving no room for argument, "Count Auder's Noodle Shop."
Odd was a man of considerable composure. He was inwardly overjoyed, but outwardly remained calm, repeatedly declining the offer. When it came to ancient lineage and reputation, the Westerling family was undoubtedly the most deserving.
Gregor was indifferent to the family honor and personal glory that these nobles valued, but he knew they cared about them very much.
The honor of knights and nobles can be used to swear oaths with the Seven Gods. Oaths are as credible as laws and will bind the behavior of the oath-taker, which shows that personal honor in this world is a very important matter.
Since fame brings honor to the family and glory to the individual, let's give it to Count Ode.
Gregor said, "Lord Odd, it's decided then. We'll open a noodle shop in your name. The first one, of course, will be in Lannisport. Once the business is good, we'll make money and gain management experience, then we can use the profits to open a second one. The second one could be in King's Landing."
Count Aude was overjoyed. Naming the noodle shop after him was an honor for him and his family. He could almost see the day when his name would be known throughout seven kingdoms.
After tasting Clegane noodles, the Count was filled with confidence in this wonderful noodle dish he had never seen before.
His deliberate attempt to curry favor with Clegane was also significant.
If Gregor Clegane's life underwent a dramatic transformation, like Brynden Rivers of "One Thousand and One Eyes"—Brynden Rivers experiencing a theological awakening, while Gregor Clegane experienced a spiritual awakening—then it's impossible to say what wonderful and practical things Gregor might invent in the future.
Although the Count's centurion learned from Dunsen and Polliver that the noodle-making machine was made by a skilled blacksmith, Count Odd didn't believe it. He was convinced it was Gregor's story. After all, a great demon suddenly gaining sentience wasn't something everyone could happily accept.
In the old town of Xuecheng, every year a variety of inventions are announced. These inventions cover all aspects of people's lives, from architectural details to weapon innovations, from winch mechanisms for city gates to siege machinery, from astronomy to medicine, from animal husbandry to agriculture, and there are specialized scholars conducting research in each area.
However, if you want a license to use the City's new inventions, you'll have to pay a lot of money.
If an invention benefits the entire country, the royal family usually funds its implementation, and the technology is then promoted nationwide. Alternatively, a high-ranking nobleman may purchase the technology and then promote it nationwide to generate profits.
Even if Gregor's sudden awakening of intelligence ends here, his status as Tywin Lannister's son-in-law remains true. Lord Odd cannot befriend Cersei, Jaime, and Tyrion in the palace, but why not cultivate a relationship with a powerful figure like Clegane?!
Whether from a political or business perspective, this is only beneficial to the Earl, and not harmful.
The Count traded a dying prisoner for the opportunity to cooperate with Gregor, the honor of having a tavern named after him, and the goodwill of Gregor and Miss Jenny—it was an absolutely worthwhile deal.
However, the only one who felt uncomfortable was Earl Gavin Westerling. Gregor was not named after the Westerling family, which made the Earl feel rather uneasy.
Earl Gavin's displeasure wasn't obvious, but Earl Odd, being a perceptive man, was well aware of Gavin's unease. But what did it matter? The self-deprecation between Earl Odd and Gregor was merely polite rhetoric, not a genuine attempt to shirk responsibility.
Gregor continued, "The name of the noodle shop is fine, but there's still a problem with the name of the noodles. How about we change Clegane Noodles to Westerling Noodles? What do you think, Father-in-law?"
"I have no problem with that. The Westerling family is a very old and noble family!" Earl Gavin was quite surprised, but he was delighted. He didn't even bother with polite words and agreed immediately.
Thus, the name of the noodle shop was decided: Earl of Aude Noodle Shop; the name of the dried noodles was also decided: Westerling Dried Noodles.
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Everyone was happy!
Miss Jenny looked at Gregor; to think of him as a roughneck would be an insult to her intelligence.
*
"Sir, could you please take a look at your noodle-making machine before we go for drinks?"
"No!" Gray said decisively.
"Uh, okay, could I take a look at your wheat mill?"
"No, not either."
"Uh, okay, could we invite the master craftsman who makes the noodle-making machine over for a meeting? I really want to have a drink with him."
"OK!"
So the noodle maker was called in. Count Ode stared in astonishment as the man walked in, speechless.
It is absolutely true, the most renowned weapon master in King's Landing—Master Tob Mort!