Casterly Rock Changes Hands-Taking Casterly Rock

The crimson banners with golden lions have fallen, and now Jon's black White Wolf Banner soars over Casterly Rock.

The castle, predominantly bright yellow, paired with a black flag, appears all the more majestic.

Of course, to express their gratitude, Tyrell's green banner with gold flowers and Redwyne's blue banner with purple grapes also accompanied them.

The city's garrison has been completely identified. Officers and others with significant interests or even blood ties to the Lannister are under strict surveillance, while the ordinary soldiers who surrendered are being questioned.

Those who wish to go home may do so; those who wish to stay will be incorporated into Jon's army.

Jon believes that the Westerlands will need to maintain a standing army of at least 20,000 men in the future. Putting everything else aside, Euron is expected to be heading to the Iron Islands.

In the original timeline, Redwyne diverted his fleet away from Arbor to attack Dragonstone, which gave Euron an opening.

Euron led the Iron Islands fleet to attack Arbor first, and then the Shield Islands, which were very close to Highgarden.

Now that Redwyne Fleet is stationed in the Reach, Euron's choice may very well change, ending up either in the Westerlands or the North.

Furthermore, Euron is truly an uncanny fellow. He's been to the ruins of Valyria, possesses Valyrian steel armor, and is someone who uses Sacrificial Magic without any scruples. Jon must be cautious.

It wasn't just Euron; Jon even considered "replacing" the entire Iron Islands so they couldn't threaten the Sunset Sea's shipping lanes.

At this time, Redwyne's fleet was anchored in the shipyard below Casterly Rock, and preparations for the victory celebration were in full swing.

The soldiers' laughter and shouts could be heard throughout the castle, but rape and plunder were still forbidden.

The maids and artisans in the city were immediately protected. Jon said that if they wanted women, there was no problem; he would organize a matchmaking event for them.

But anyone who dared to commit violence on the spot would only face beheading. The soldiers knew Jon's past achievements, and his magic to stop the rain was deeply ingrained in their hearts, so no one dared to disobey his orders.

At this moment, Jon was touring Casterly Rock with Adam. Not long ago, he had brought to him the heads of Tywin, Damion, and Damon, wrapped in the Lannister banner.

His first words were. "My lord, Casterly Rock is yours."

After some discussion, Adam returned to Casterly Rock with his promise: all the soldiers in the city would surrender unconditionally, and Jon would guarantee their safety.

Soon after, more than 10,000 soldiers from Casterly Rock left the fortress, Jon sent Martin to take over.

Once Casterly Rock was under their control, Jon, Paxter, Garlan, Loras, Brynden, Black Walder, and the others entered Casterly Rock as victors.

But the deeper they went into Casterly Rock, the more apprehensive they became.

First, there were the giant crossbows and catapults, not only positioned on the platforms they were meant to be used for, but also with spare parts available for replenishment.

Jon personally tested a shot from the giant crossbow; the sound of the bowstring snapping was deafening.

As the group passed through Casterly Rock's fortresses, traps, arrow towers, and defenses, even though they knew perfectly well that those fortresses had been occupied by their own people, they still felt apprehensive.

The feeling was like walking through a jungle teeming with venomous snakes and lurking tigers all around.

Such formidable fortifications would require countless lives to be lost in an attack.

Faced with such a fortified stronghold, Brynden was truly helpless; "if it weren't for Jon's Rain Spell," Casterly Rock would truly never have fallen.

Although Jon showed the world how he breached Casterly Rock, it would still be very difficult for anyone to replicate it.

First, it is necessary to be able to penetrate into the Westerlands, and to do Westerlands quickly. In addition, a considerable number of naval fleets are required; otherwise, it will be impossible to intercept the enemy during the rainstorm.

"Jon, you grew up in the North, but I still suggest you build a sufficiently powerful fleet," Brynden said, approaching Jon.

After this battle, he realized that the fleet was Casterly Rock's last weakness. Only by addressing this weakness could Casterly Rock truly be invincible.

"Yes, I will, but building a fleet is a long process, and we have more important things to do." Jon certainly had the same plan.

Whether it's attacking the Iron Islands or dealing with the White Walkers, we'll need a formidable fleet.

The timber needed to build a single ship would take five years just to dry. If Jon wanted to build a fleet comparable to Redwyne Fleet's before winter arrived, perhaps only Braavos, who was known for building a ship a day, could meet his requirements.

And it also requires an astronomical sum of gold.

"My lord, the Twins has a group of excellent shipbuilding craftsmen. If you need them, you can have them come to the Westerlands to serve you," said Black Walder from the side.

"Thank you for your kind offer, Sir House Frey. If needed, I will certainly give priority to the Twins."

Upon hearing Jon's words, even the usually stern-faced Black Walder broke into a smile. The House Frey had previously lost the opportunity to marry Roslin to Jon due to their indecisiveness; this time, they couldn't afford to hesitate any longer and had to show their sincerity in advance.

Adam led Jon and the others up for less than a quarter of an hour before finally arriving at the gates of Casterly Rock.

The gates of Casterly Rock also have a plaza, and on both sides of the road leading into the gates are rows of fully armed knight statues.

These knight statues are all over three meters tall, each standing there with its hand on its sword hilt, and the Lannister even had the money to paint and color all of them.

Jon even noticed that the paint was still quite conspicuous, which just goes to show that they really had too much money to burn.

Upon seeing these statues, everyone realized why the House Lannister were known as the wealthiest family in Westeros.

These statues even used a lot of purple paint, clearly indicating they were high-end goods imported from Braavos.

From this road lined with stone statues, one can walk towards the gates of Casterly Rock, where there are over a hundred steps, each sixteen feet high.

Above the gate is a relief of a standing lion.

For thousands of years, the Lannister have meticulously crafted every part of the castle, adding reliefs here and statues there, turning Casterly Rock into a work of art.

There are scenic views to be seen at almost every location.

After entering the gate, one can truly see the entire interior of Casterly Rock, with towers of all sizes standing side by side, making the whole castle resemble a palace.

"My lords, do you see that stone building in the very center? That building, or rather that area, is what Casterly Rock looked like in its original form; for a time, it was called Casterly Palace."

"Casterly Palace," Jon muttered, but it made sense. After all, the Lannister ' ancestors called themselves Rock King, so it was only natural for a king to have his own palace.

Adam kept introducing the sights of Casterly Rock to everyone, but his main attention was on Jon, his fawning manner making him want to wipe the path under Jon's feet clean with his own skin.

Jon was also somewhat overwhelmed by the sights: fountains, flowing water, gardens; he could even hear the calls of peacocks.

What interested him most, of course, was Casterly Rock's sewer system. The canals lining the roads reminded him of the world before he transmigrated. The small ditches were covered with stone slabs, which did not affect the appearance at all.

It is said that Tyrion was the one who most recently repaired the sewers of Casterly Rock.

"This place is indeed nice, but Highgarden is the most beautiful castle in the world." A sullen, slightly jealous voice came from the corner.

It was Loras who, although he had fully acknowledged Jon's abilities and skills, was unwilling to admit that Highgarden was inferior to any other castle due to his competitive nature.

Most people simply didn't hear his mutterings.

"My lord, let's go take a look at the Hall of Heroes first."

"Is the Hall of Heroes a place where the Lannister commemorate their ancestors?"

"Your Excellency is learned and knowledgeable," Adam flattered, making Sandor, who was standing nearby, a little jealous.

Unfortunately, he wasn't very cultured and couldn't use such refined language.

Arriving at the Hall of Heroes, where the Lannister kept their ancestral armor, hundreds of suits of armor stood in the hall.

These armored figures were roughly divided into two parts, standing on either side of the hall, leaving the middle area empty.

The gold used to repair dents on the armor shimmered in the setting sun.

Those who came with Jon were all warriors, and they were momentarily captivated by the luxurious and imposing armor.

"My lord, this is the Hall of Heroes, not only a place where the Lannister worship their ancestors, but also where they often discuss matters." Adam casually removed a helmet carved with a lion's head and bowed to present it to Jon.

Jon took the helmet, turned to Brynden, Black Walder, and the others, and said, "Gentlemen, we were able to capture Casterly Rock thanks to your help. Although this will be my home from now on, I'm new here and don't know what's here. Everyone, please pick a suit of armor first, and we'll see what else is there and then divide it up. As for those statues we just saw, anyone who's interested can take them home and put them on their bed to sleep with tonight."

Jon joked with the crowd, his hearty laughter echoing through the hall.

Jon knew this was not the time to be petty. Standing before him were representatives from the Twins, the Tyrell brothers from Highgarden, Brynden from Riverlands, and Rickard from the North guarding Golden Tooth for him.

These people will all be part of my foundation in the future.

Why was the Targaryen Dynasty overthrown? Wasn't it precisely because of the combined efforts of the Deerhawk, Wolf, and Fish?

Politics is about making as many friends as possible and as few enemies as possible.

Although everyone initially declined, Jon insisted that each person choose a suit of armor for themselves.

Jon glanced at Sandor standing beside him; Sandor, feeling his status was insufficient, hadn't moved. Jon compared the helmet in his hand to his own head and found it seemed to fit perfectly.

"This armor is yours from now on." Jon smiled and stuffed the helmet into Sandor's arms, and Sandor quickly bowed in gratitude.

Then Jon looked at Adam, but he didn't move.