Encounter

Not long after passing the junction where the Kingsroad met the east-west Riverlands Road and Vale Road, about sixty kilometers from Harrenhal, with the Trident River to the north, Ian made his judgment: this was the territory of Lord Harroway's Town.

At the edge of Ian's vision stood a small Salt Mine. Beside the woods outside the mine entrance was a merchant caravan loading goods, while the foreman inside directed workers to carry sack after sack of salt onto horse-drawn carts.

And this caravan was exactly the one Ian remembered—four old horses, two carts, seven mules, four servants, and one lean young merchant.

Though he had no idea why this player had been stupid enough not to alter his starting traits, Ian knew perfectly well what it meant to encounter such a caravan here.

"Fate really is strange, isn't it?" Watching from afar, Ian's grip on his sword tightened.

The hunt Ian had envisioned involved staking out the place in advance, learning the terrain and the enemy's strength, then deceiving and ambushing them according to a plan—not fighting an unprepared encounter battle like this.

But he had no choice now. He had been traveling along the Kingsroad, naturally without concealing himself, so when he spotted the caravan, they had naturally spotted him as well.

If he continued north along the road, he could pass these people without arousing suspicion. But if he turned back after preparing himself mentally, it would look strange.

If he wanted to approach that merchant player without raising suspicion, he could only pretend to have business at the Salt Mine and ride straight over.

Luckily, my disguise is convincing enough. No one should suspect me. Ian glanced at his Crested Sword and recovered some of his confidence.

Having made up his mind, Ian put on the haughty expression of a nobleman he had often seen in British dramas in his previous life. He rode left off the Kingsroad and headed directly toward the nearby Salt Mine.

Yet before he had gone more than a few steps, his heartbeat suddenly accelerated. I absolutely can't show weakness! he hurriedly warned himself.

Ian realized he had overestimated himself. He could speak eloquently about his so-called hunting plan, but that had ultimately been nothing more than empty talk with no risks and no need to put anything into practice. When it came to arguing online, Ian, who had charged in and out of Bihu's battlefields seven times over, did not think he would lose to any keyboard warrior on the internet.

But now that he was truly facing this life-and-death gamble, he found that his reason could barely suppress the tension in his heart. For a moment, he could not even tell whether he feared killing someone or feared dying himself.

The journey was only a few dozen meters, yet Ian felt as though he had walked for an entire century.

"There are only four servants with no fighting ability, no mercenaries at his side, and he's completely unguarded. I only need to get close without arousing suspicion, then I can cut off his head with one stroke and leave." Ian kept giving himself psychological encouragement. "There's no risk at all. I don't need to be afraid."

Forcibly suppressing the fear in his heart, Ian urged his horse forward at a slow pace while observing the situation in the mine ahead.

He soon noticed something suspicious.

The salt miners and the merchant's servants loaded salt onto the carts at an unhurried pace. No one urged them on. There was clearly something wrong.

An idea struck Ian, and he came up with a plan to test them. He passed through the gates of the salt works, went around the cart convoy blocking the entrance, and arrived before the foreman and the merchant player.

"Who owns this Salt Mine?" Seeing the foreman approach, Ian assumed an arrogant expression and questioned him from on high.

"It belongs to Count Lucas Rutt, who is also the lord of Lord Harroway's Town, my lord." Seeing the sword at Ian's waist, the foreman clearly understood that this man was no ordinary person. He lowered his head and answered respectfully.

"How are the Salt Mine's current sales? Do you have any fixed long-term supply contracts?"

"No, Ser. All the salt from our mine is sold to passing merchant caravans." The miner explained respectfully on the surface, but inwardly he grumbled, What the hell does that have to do with you? This is The Riverlands. Isn't House Lannister meddling a little too much?

"Very good. I intend to buy this Salt Well. Take me to see your mine." That was Ian's plan.

This way, he could inspect the Salt Mine under the pretense of purchasing it, scout out the surrounding terrain, and force the merchant player to come deal with him voluntarily. After all, the other man wanted to buy salt, while Ian was about to become the mine's new owner.

On the other hand, if an arrogant Ser Lannister took the initiative to greet a lowly merchant, wouldn't that be far too strange?

Throughout the exchange, Ian did not spare the merchant player a single extra glance. He knew this would minimize the other man's wariness.

"This..." The foreman immediately looked troubled. "The young count is currently serving as Ser Andrey Charlton's squire and is away from his lands. Everything in town, including this Salt Mine, is managed by the mayor."

"And the mayor has no authority to decide whether this Salt Mine can be sold?" Ian raised a brow.

"Yes, Ser."

"Then I want all of their goods," Ian said, no longer pressing the matter. "Return their payment and have someone move the salt back for me." Ian pointed at the merchant player and the convoy blocking the salt works' entrance.

It doesn't matter if I can't buy the mine. Taking his goods will still force him to come find me, Ian thought to himself.

"This..." Cold sweat formed on the foreman's forehead. "Do you urgently need a large amount of salt right now? We still have some stock in the warehouse. Perhaps you could—"

"Do I need to explain myself to you?" Ian rudely cut him off. "When I want to buy the mine, you say you have no authority to decide. When I want to buy salt, you keep making excuses. Do you have some objection to House Lannister?"

The foreman was instantly terrified and could only turn to the merchant for help.

The lean merchant was also at a loss for a moment and was forced to look toward the fat attendant beside him.

Seeing this, Ian narrowed his eyes.

So that was why a merchant dared to drive around in Starting Gear and come to the Salt Mine to buy up stock, and why the mine workers were all moving so slowly. This bastard had switched clothes with one of his servants. He was fishing here!

He knew the merchant's Starting Gear traits were conspicuous, so he had deliberately exposed such a flaw and waited for other players to come hunt him.

This really was a perfect place for fishing! It was too conspicuous, located north of the Crossroads of the Kingsroad, Riverlands Road, and Vale Road, and south of the Trident River ferry. As long as players entered The Riverlands from The North, The Crownlands, or Vale—or traveled from The Riverlands to those three places—they would definitely pass through here and spot him.

But with only a few trash servants, what made him think he could kill whoever he lured in instead?