Belated Fireworks

After Ramsay released the four men, Sam and the others each found a handy short blade in the interrogation room.

"Lord Ramsay, how should we proceed? We'll do whatever you say."

Sam was completely unfamiliar with the Dreadfort's layout, so he addressed Ramsay sincerely.

"I'll show you the way to the stables later. As for what to do after that, I don't need to spell it out, do I?"

"We understand. We just hope you can give us a little more time to avoid detection, Lord Ramsay."

"Don't worry. Lord Robb specifically instructed me to do my best to ensure your safety."

"Then we'll be counting on you!"

After a brief exchange, Ramsay and the five men confirmed that no one was outside before opening the door and leaving.

With Ramsay leading the way, they avoided the patrolling guards and made it there without incident.

The interrogation room was beneath a military bastion inside the castle, not too far from the stables.

A few minutes later, Ramsay pointed out the route to the stables from a window. Then he whistled and leisurely headed toward the walls above.

The four men carefully made their way to the stables and spotted two soldiers from House Bolton standing guard at the entrance, speaking in low voices.

On the wall opposite the stables, an archer stood beside a burning brazier, keeping watch.

The four men observed the area more closely and discovered that the stables had two entrances, both guarded. The other entrance was near the castle gate, where even more archers were stationed on the walls.

As Sam racked his brains for a way to slip inside, one of the Wolf Guard members looked toward the wall and patted him on the shoulder.

Following his gaze, Sam looked over. Ramsay was standing beside the archer's post on the wall, smiling and waving at them.

With the problem on the wall solved, Sam pointed toward the two guards at the stable entrance. The two Wolf Guard members nodded and silently crept toward them.

Sam was clever enough to know his own limitations. He knew he wasn't much of a fighter, so this sort of work was best left to professionals.

Sure enough, the guards at the stable entrance never had time to react before the two Wolf Guard members slit their throats from behind.

After dragging the two motionless guards into a corner of the stables, the two Wolf Guard members changed into their uniforms. Moments later, they emerged and stood guard at the entrance.

Sam exchanged a glance with the other Wolf Guard member, and the two of them quickly ran into the stables.

The moment they entered, a foul stench hit them head-on. With hundreds of warhorses eating, drinking, and relieving themselves inside, there was no way it could smell pleasant.

Sam and the other man frowned and covered their noses as they searched for their target. A few minutes later, they found the three conspicuous transport wagons.

The two immediately went over and began feeling along the barrels of the wagons. Sam's right hand was lightly tracing the lower half of one barrel when his fingertip suddenly touched a triangular, raised mark.

"Found it. This is my wagon. Keep a close eye on it. I'm going out to notify Ramsay."

Sam raised his head and whispered to the Wolf Guard member, then immediately turned and walked toward the stable entrance.

After taking a few steps, Sam reached the entrance and lightly knocked on the door. Once the two Wolf Guard members guarding it confirmed that no one was outside, he walked straight out.

On the opposite wall, Ramsay was making a minor modification to the arrow in his hand while keeping an eye on the stable entrance.

When Sam emerged and nodded to signal that everything had gone smoothly, Ramsay smiled and pointed toward the castle gate.

A few minutes later, one Wolf Guard member drove the transport wagon, while Sam and two other Wolf Guard members dressed as guards walked closely alongside it toward the castle gate.

As the wagon advanced, the archers keeping watch on the walls noticed it as well. However, questioning and searching vehicles was the job of the guards beneath the walls, so all they did was continue watching it.

At the castle gate, the guards who had been lazily leaning to one side had clearly spotted the wagon too. They straightened up and waited to question it as it approached.

Having deliberately chosen the right position, Sam pretended to steady the wagon while quietly prying open the triangular mark on a wine barrel with his left hand. At once, a pungent, emerald-green liquid began to pour out.

After opening the mark on the barrel, Sam turned his head to look back at the wall on his left.

Ramsay had clearly seen what he did. Standing atop the wall, he smiled and nodded at Sam.

"Ramsay, I've been looking all over for you. Come down—I have something to tell you!"

Just then, Roose arrived from the direction of the stables with the cavalryman. The moment he raised his head, he spotted Ramsay on the wall.

Roose was far too shrewd to simply shout for the guards to seize him. Instead, he maintained his usual tone and called out loudly.

Ramsay glanced at the familiar-looking cavalryman beside Roose. One corner of his mouth curled up as he laughed loudly. "Father, Lord Robb sends you his most sincere regards!"

As soon as Ramsay finished speaking, he raised a specially made arrow that he had already lit over the brazier, drew his bow, and fired.

Whoosh...

When the guards at the gate were distracted by Roose's shout from behind them, Sam and the others did not stop the wagon. They merely continued forward at a slow pace.

Sam had been watching Ramsay the whole time. The instant he saw Ramsay draw his bow, he pulled the short blade from his sleeve and plunged it into the thick rump of the horse pulling the wagon, shouting at the same time, "Run!"

Neigh!

The horse cried out in pain and charged toward the castle gate.

The tightly secured barrels did not fall off, but the barrel leaking emerald-green liquid spilled even more violently as the horse ran.

At the same time, the three Wolf Guard members, including the driver, heard Sam's shout and immediately scattered to either side, rolling and crawling toward places with solid cover.

Roose, Ramsay, the cavalryman, the archers on the walls, and the guards at the gate all stared skyward in unison at the flaming arrow tracing a perfect arc.

Whoosh!

The burning arrow struck the green liquid on the ground with pinpoint accuracy.

An emerald flame erupted, resembling a winding venomous snake as it raced along the trail toward the transport wagon nearing the castle gate.

Boom!

When the emerald serpent followed the trail across the ground and caught up with the transport wagon, entering the barrel that was still leaking green liquid, a violent explosion erupted.

An emerald mushroom cloud rapidly spread in every direction, centered on the wagon that had been blown to pieces in an instant.

The guards at the gate bore the brunt of it. Their flesh and most of their bones melted directly in the extreme heat.

The flames clung like a curse, igniting anything they touched and proving incredibly difficult to extinguish.

On the right-hand wall, an archer who had been standing relatively close was unlucky enough to have a spark of green fire land on his face.

No matter how desperately he screamed and slapped at it, the spark continued stubbornly burning through his flesh. Only after burning a hole straight through his face did it gradually go out.

The Dreadfort's gate was made of extremely thick oak wrapped in an outer layer of steel, with countless huge rivets driven into it.

Yet this gate, which had once held back countless enemies, was first blasted into pieces by the violent explosion of the wine barrels, then fiercely burned by the emerald flames until nothing remained.

Outside the Dreadfort, in the pitch-black night.

Robb stood quietly in the darkness with all the cavalry, waiting. Suddenly, an explosion came from the distant Dreadfort, and an emerald mushroom-shaped flame rose into the sky.

Watching the beautiful yet deadly emerald fireworks in the distance, Robb murmured, "They should have gone up over Winterfell long ago. Seeing them only now, I suppose they count as belated fireworks."

Thanks to Lazy Someone Who Can't Be Helped for the monthly ticket, and thanks to all the wonderful readers for your votes and continued support.

P.S. I didn't go out to have fun during May Day. I'm specifically staying home to write. Please continue to support this book. Thank you!