Black Falcon Mercenaries' Camp

Night fell, and a waning crescent moon rose.

Under the cold moonlight, Ser Harrison's manor was unusually not closed off.

There were no fewer than six guards at the manor gates, fully armed and standing ready.

"Adopted Son" Dorian stepped forward and easily got the guards to let them through. Ian and the others followed him through the manor gates.

Passing through the brightly lit mercenary camp within the manor, they headed straight for Ser Harrison's castle.

People seeing a medieval landed knight's castle for the first time were often deeply disappointed, and Ian was no exception.

Though he had been mentally prepared for the circumstances of an ordinary landed knight, when Ian—who had only seen castles in films or at famous tourist sites in Europe—actually saw the small, charming "castle" in Ser Harrison's manor, he could not help wanting to laugh.

There had been a scene like this in the original story. When "Fire Kiss" Ygritte first came south of The Wall, she pointed at a mill and asked Jon Snow if it was a castle. Snow told her it was only a mill, while castles were much bigger.

Ian could not help wondering whether, if they had seen Ser Harrison's castle, Snow would still have told Fire Kiss that it was merely an oversized mill.

"Tonight is destined to be a sleepless night, Ser," Dorian whispered to Ian.

"Let's go in." Ian raised his chin, signaling for Dorian to knock.

Dorian urged his horse forward two steps, and the sharp-eyed castle guards immediately recognized him.

"Oh, little Dorian, why are you only back now? Vice Commander Kelvin arrived nearly three hours ago. He's inside discussing matters with Ser Harrison." The old guard deftly took the reins from Dorian, then called another young guard over to help lead away the horses.

"My adoptive father is dead," Dorian said quietly. Before the old guard, who had practically watched him grow up, he suddenly wanted to cry, but he knew this was not the time.

He had returned to fight for the position of Grand Commander.

If he cried here, then even if he later became the new "Black Falcon" with the Lannister family's financial backing, he would likely become a joke in the eyes of these mercenaries.

"The vice commander and the others already brought back that news." The old guard looked at Dorian, who was holding back tears, and for a moment did not know how to comfort him.

"It's fine, Uncle Kaili. I'm fine." Dorian forced a smile at him. "I'll avenge my adoptive father with my own hands." Then, as though making a declaration, he shouted, "I'll become the new 'Black Falcon'!"

"Oh, Dorian!" Even the old guard shook his head now, clearly astonished by Dorian's overestimation of himself.

"Please go in and announce us first." As Dorian spoke, he pointed at Ian behind him. "This is Ser Lucian Lannister. He is my friend, and he wishes to see Ser Harrison and the Lame—" He paused, leaving the unfriendly nickname unfinished. "And Uncle Kelvin."

"A knight of House Lannister?" The old guard glanced at Ian, nodded, then hurriedly turned and headed into the castle.

Ian and the others waited outside the castle for a long time, but the old guard never returned.

"This is taking too long," Dorian could not help complaining. "Normally, an announcement like this takes no more than two minutes! Ser Harrison must not want to see me!"

"Could Ser Harrison and the Lame be discussing something important and not want to be disturbed?" Ser Glason, the traitor, chimed in.

"If that were the case, shouldn't that old guard have come back out at least?" Ian shook his head, dismissing both their ideas. If they were in the middle of a conversation, why keep the guard who had gone in to announce them?

"Dorian, shall I go in and take a look for you?" Seeing this, the other guard hurriedly asked.

"Go." Dorian nodded, suppressing his anger.

"Ser Lucian." Roar, who had been silent all the way, suddenly urged his horse forward two steps and came to Ian's side. "I just saw a head flash past a second-floor window. It was only for an instant, but someone should have been watching us."

This gave Ian a very bad feeling, because he suddenly remembered an old question—the Black Falcon Mercenary Group had never appeared in the original story.

If the previous Black Falcon Company commander had not appeared because he had already died at the Crossroads Inn, then why had neither the mercenary company's newly selected commander nor the company itself appeared?

Could it be that, in the original timeline, the new "Black Falcon" had never been chosen at all, and the mercenary group had simply fallen apart in internal conflict?

"Dorian, Ser Lucian." The second guard to enter soon came back out, his expression somewhat unnatural. "Ser Harrison and Vice Commander Kelvin are discussing something very important, and it is already quite late. They hope to formally meet with you tomorrow." The guard's final words were directed at Ian. "Let me take you to the guest rooms to rest, all right?"

"Insolent! This is Ser Lu—" Dorian had just intended to invoke "Ser Lucian's" name to intimidate the guard when Ian directly interrupted him.

"We'll follow Ser Harrison's arrangement. I happen to be somewhat tired as well. Speaking tomorrow is indeed a good idea."

"This way, Ser." The guard visibly breathed a sigh of relief. "Ser Harrison's castle is too small and has no extra rooms, but we have excellent guest rooms in the rear courtyard."

"No need to trouble yourself." Ian raised his chin toward Dorian. "He knows the way, doesn't he?"

"Ah? Y-yes, Ser." The guard hurriedly nodded.

"Oh, of course, Ser Lucian. I'll personally take you there." Dorian was not particularly clever, but neither was he stupid. Though he did not yet know why "Ser Lucian" was doing this, he knew this man would not act without reason.

Going around Ser Harrison's castle, Ian and the others arrived at the rear courtyard.

Unlike the brightly lit camp in the front courtyard, the rear courtyard—which normally only important guests entered—was especially cold and deserted tonight. There was not even a single guard.

"You said before that you could ensure two Mercenary Captains would stand on your side." After looking around and confirming no one had followed them, Ian quietly asked Dorian, "Are they currently in this manor?"

"Yes. Their Mercenary Companies operate at the headquarters, which is why I have a good relationship with them." Dorian did not understand why Ian was asking.

"Find them. No, take us to them."

"Weren't you planning to directly persuade Ser Harrison and the Lame? Why look for them?"

"I'm worried that only one of the Lame and Ser Harrison may be left." Ian sneered, then asked, "Who does that old guard who went in to announce us belong to?"

"My father. Now he should count as belonging to either the Lame or me." Hearing Ian's suddenly stern tone, Dorian was startled, but he also began to realize that something major had happened in Ser Harrison's castle.

"What about the second guard who went in?"

"He is Harrison's confidant."

"There are rats." Roar suddenly spoke, interrupting Ian and Dorian's conversation.