"Why are you panicking!"
Seeing his men in such panic, Paxter was dissatisfied.
As Arbor Earl, he has never lost a battle in his life, and he has full confidence in his fleet.
When Robert Baratheon launched the rebellion, he besieged Storm's End for nearly a year. Although he later had to give up and surrender to Robert due to the failure of the Targaryen Security War, in Paxter's view, it was because his teammates were too incompetent and it was not a crime of war.
Later, during the Greyjoy Rebellion, the Arbor fleet completely crushed the powerful Iron Fleet in the Battle of Fairy Isle.
Although the commander-in-chief of this battle was Stannis, in Paxter's heart, the credit was completely inseparable from the strength of his own fleet.
And now, even if his eldest son is held hostage in the hands of Tywin Lannister, Paxter has never panicked.
After all, the only maritime power that Lannister can use now is the Redwin fleet.
"Don't be impatient, speak slowly."
Compared to the harsh rebuke from his rival, his son Hopper seemed much kinder.
As the second son of the family, Hobo is always maintaining his image, trying to gain the support of his vassals just like Renly Baratheon.
With a smile on his lips, he joked, "It's unlikely that Robert Baratheon came back from the dead and led an army to kill all our people."
Hearing this, the herald was stunned for a moment.
"How... how did you know, Master Hopper?"
"Huh???"
As soon as these words came out, both father and son's eyes widened.
"Elaborate!"
Paxter frowned and said sternly.
"Yes... yes, sir!"
The herald quickly straightened his back and honestly reported the information he had received in a few words: "The news came from our supervising team on the front line that the defenders organized a counterattack in the inner courtyard. The number was small but extremely fierce."
"Then it was said that some soldiers claimed to have seen a ghost", a giant wearing Antlered Helm, waving a huge Warhammer, invincible on the battlefield."
Paxter Earl always sat on the chair and listened without changing his expression.
When he heard the word "Antlered Helm", his skinny fingers tightened slightly.
"Describe the man." he interrupted the herald.
"Very... very tall, my lord."
"He is half a head taller than Hobo Ser. He wears heavy armor and wears a Antlered Helm. It is very big. Warhammer is also very scary. It can smash the shield with one hammer and flatten both the person and the armor."
"Where's the face? Do you see the face?"
The herald shook his head. "Wearing a helmet, there is only a gap in the visor, but some veterans said... that his figure is very similar... very similar..."
"Like who?"
Hearing Paxter's cold question, the herald swallowed his saliva and replied tremblingly, "Like Robert Baratheon!"
As soon as these words came out, there was a sudden silence in the cabin, the cabin was shaking, and people's breathing could almost be heard.
It was Hopper who reacted first and let out a narrow laugh, "Absurd!"
"Robert Baratheon has been dead for two years. His bones are probably rotten. How can he crawl out of the grave to fight!"
"But..." the herald said tremblingly, "The soldiers began to spread... that King Robert's spirit had returned to fight for his brother."
"And that guy looks too much like him. Already... someone in our army has begun to waver...
"No way!"
Paxter Earl stood up suddenly. "Absolutely impossible!"
He walked to the porthole with a livid face, and his back looked extremely thin in the candlelight, as if a sea breeze could blow him over.
"There is no such thing as a ghost in this world. This is Stannis's trick!"
"That guy found someone who looked exactly like Robert, maybe a bastard, maybe a hired Mercenary, and put him in armor to scare those soldiers who didn't know anything."
"I heard that Tyrion used this method to win the battle at the Blackwater River.
As he spoke, he turned around, looked at his son with sharp eyes, and said firmly, "But I have to say, this is a clever trick."
"Hopper, go there yourself, take my guards, bring enough archers, don't fight him in close combat, cover it with arrows, I want to see that Antlered Helm stuck on the tip of the gun and bring it back!"
"Yes, father!" Hobo said nothing after hearing this, grabbed his helmet and strode away with the herald.
But things developed beyond everyone's expectations.
Over the next two hours, Arbor Queen continued to receive bad news.
Hopper's troops encountered stiff resistance.
That "antler ghost" is not only brave, but also seems to have some kind of battlefield intuition. He can always appear at the weakest point of the defense line and seize the gap when Redwin's army is mobilized.
To make matters worse, the morale of the defenders of Dragonstone has undergone an incredible change.
Before, they were exhausted, hungry, and defeated soldiers who could collapse at any time, but now they seemed to have been injected with some kind of fanatical blood.
They shouted, "For Baratheon!"
"King Robert is with us!"
Launched suicide charges again and again.
There are almost no tactics, just pure crazy fighting!
And this kind of madness is spreading like a plague on Dragonstone Island!
The first group of fleeing troops appeared on the landing beach. About fifty Redwin soldiers dropped their weapons, jumped into any small boat they could find, and rowed desperately towards the fleet.
The supervising team tried to stop them and shot several deserters, but more soldiers chose to join the rout.
Panic continued to spread among Redwyne's army. Every soldier who escaped for his life looked like a madman, as if he had seen something extremely terrifying, and shouted, "King Robert's heroic spirit is back!"
"We're fighting the dead!"
"This is a curse! We are a rebellion, we are cursed!"
Rumors were passed from soldier to soldier, becoming more and more acrimonious with each pass.
Later, some people even said that they saw the "ghost" being invulnerable and that arrows would automatically bounce away if they hit him.
Some say his roar can break a person's heart.
Some people also say that his Warhammer is wrapped with green will-o'-the-wisps!
Paxter Earl stood on the podium of Arbor Queen, watching all this through Myr Lens.
He saw his soldiers fleeing.
I saw the Redwyne flags that had been raised were cut down.
Saw the Dragonstone defenders retaking a section of the city wall.
What frightened him the most was the figure he caught a glimpse of in Myr Lens.
The figure wearing Antlered Helm, standing on the broken city wall, holding Warhammer high!
Although I can't see the details clearly, the figure and posture...
It does look like.
So similar!
Even Paxter himself was shaken for a moment.
"Father!"
Dull footsteps sounded, and Hobo came back. There were a few deep scratches on his armor, his left arm was wrapped in a bandage, his face was ashen, and he looked very angry. He threw the helmet directly on the table in anger.
"We can't stop it!"
"It's not that we can't fight, it's that the soldiers... they don't dare to fight!"
"Every time I talk about charging, some people start to tremble. Archers dare not aim, saying they are afraid of being cursed. Although the knights are brave, their morale is in chaos. We cannot win the war with knights alone."
Hearing this, Paxter put down Myr Lens and remained silent for a long time.
The sea breeze blew through a few strands of orange hair on his bald head, blowing the crimson cloak high.
Three huge burgundy sails roared overhead, and golden paddles were neatly arranged on both sides of the ship.
This is the most powerful battleship among the seven the Seven Kingdoms, a symbol of the Redwin family's century-old glory.
But at this moment, it could only stop here and watch the army on the shore collapse little by little.
"Where's the guy named Vito·Corleone?"
Suddenly, Paxter asked.
Hearing this, Hobo was stunned. "What?"
"Vito·Corleone."
Paxter knocked on the window edge and his eyes began to darken. "If this is a trick, then he must be the mastermind."
"Stannis can't think of such a dramatic method. It must be that guy. I have heard rumors about him. Vito·Corleone. He is a very difficult person to deal with."
"Haha... He not only wants to win, but also wants to win beautifully, and achieve the greatest victory at the smallest cost!
As he said that, Paxter turned to look at his son, his eyes flashed with a light known as wisdom, and he analyzed with a firm look. "We have fallen into a trap!"
"That guy knew that he would be abandoned by Tywin Lannister, so from the moment he landed on Dragonstone, everything was planned by him...
"No, maybe he had already started making plans even longer ago!"
He shook his head, his eyes suddenly became excited, as if he had met his opponent in chess and was as excited as he said, "Forging such a suit of armor and hammer is not something that can be done in just a week. That guy... is really amazing!"
"He allowed Tywin to arrange for him to go to the island, and then reached an agreement and alliance with Stannis at a very fast speed, allowing us to easily break through the outer defense line, making us think that victory was in sight, and letting us disperse our troops throughout the castle...
"Then, at the most critical moment, launch this ghost" and destroy our morale in one fell swoop!"
"Hahaha, I haven't met such an interesting opponent for a long time!"
Paxter laughed loudly, but his son Hopper felt more and more numb as he listened.
If it is true, as his father said, that guy named Vito·Corleone has planned in advance to this extent, how can they defeat such an opponent?
Hobo swallowed and looked pale. "Then let's...
"Retreat." Paxter sneered and ordered decisively, "Withdraw all the troops that can be withdrawn and abandon the occupied area."
"But father!"
Hearing this, Hobo felt unwilling. "We have paid so much price! And Duke Tywin's order.
"What Lord Tywin wants is for Corleone to die, not for all the elite members of the Redwyne family to be buried on Dragonstone."
Paxter's voice was cold. "If we use up all the troops today, tomorrow Arbor will become fat in the eyes of other Reach nobles. The Tyrell family, the Hightower family, the Tully family... they will pounce on us like sharks smelling blood."
As he spoke, he patted his son on the shoulder and walked to the side of the ship, looking at Dragonstone Island, with the corners of his mouth raised slightly. "Besides, who said we lost?"
The order to retreat was conveyed by semaphore and speedboat.
Redwyne's troops began to evacuate the castle in an orderly manner, returning to the landing craft and returning to the fleet.
The process was not smooth. Some troops were bitten by the defenders and suffered heavy losses. Some soldiers trampled on each other in panic, and a lot of equipment was abandoned on the shore.
But in the end, most of the troops successfully withdrew.
In Arbor Queen's command module, Paxter Earl summoned all senior officers.
The charts were spread out on the long table, and the candles on the gilded candlesticks flickered, casting the slender figure of Paxter Redwin Earl on the pearl-encrusted bulkhead.
Six senior captains and two knights stood around the table, waiting for orders.
Under the candlelight, everyone's face looked ugly. After all, what was thought to be an extremely easy conquest battle turned into an embarrassing retreat for one's own side.
"How much have we lost?" As the commander, Paxter asked in a calm tone without much frustration on his face.
A knight answered honestly, "According to statistics, about 400 people were killed or missing, and about 600 were injured."
He glanced at Hopper: "The heaviest losses... were Hopper's Ser's first landing team, with more than half of the casualties."
"In terms of equipment, about thirty ladders, components of two siege towers, and a large amount of supplies were abandoned."
"Where's the fleet?"
"The fleet is intact, only a few landing craft were sunk by the crazy defenders during the retreat.
After listening to the report from his men, Pax nodded.
This loss is completely acceptable.
The important thing is that the fleet is intact. He knows very well that the fleet is the foundation of the Redwin family. As long as the fleet is still there, the seven the Seven Kingdoms will always have their place.
"What now, my lord?"
An old captain asked, "Should we retreat back to King's Landing, or continue the attack?"
Hearing this, Paxter's finger traced across the chart and finally stopped around Dragonstone Island: "Stop the landing and withdraw all troops."
"The fleet was reorganized and three blockades were established with Dragonstone as the center."
"Any ship trying to leave or approach Dragonstone will be sunk without warning!"
As soon as these words came out, Hob Redwin couldn't help but said, "Father, we have clearly breached the outer wall. As long as we invest more troops, I promise to capture Stannis and the guy wearing the antlered helmet within three days!"
No wonder Hopper was so excited, after all, he really wanted to make progress.
Hearing this, Paxter raised his eyelids and stared at his son. "Are you going to use the blood of the Redwyne family to make a wedding dress for Tywin Lannister?"
"Even if you can capture Dragonstone within three days, have you calculated how many people and ships we will have left after that?"
Such a severe scolding in front of all the knights and captains did not save Hopper any face.
Hobo's face turned red and white, gritting his teeth and not daring to disobey his father.
At this time, an old captain quickly spoke to the rescue and said, "Siege is the safest way, Hobo Ser."
"Dragonstone's food reserves can't last more than a month. As long as we stay at sea, we can win this war without shedding a drop of blood."
"More than that." Paxter glanced at his mouth, without looking at Hopper again, and said with a slight arc at the corner of his mouth, "Tywin Lannister wants Corleone to die, and the siege can ensure that he dies on this island."
"More importantly...
He paused and glanced at everyone. "Horas is still in the Red Fort."
These words made everyone look stunned.
Everyone knows that Paxter's eldest son Horas Redwyne, as the "guest" of the Reach nobles in King's Landing, is essentially a hostage to ensure the loyalty of the Redwyne family.
"What would Tywin think if we stormed Dragonstone and suffered heavy losses but failed to capture or confirm the death of Corleone?"
"He will think that the Redwyne family is either incompetent or intends to preserve their strength and not obey the orders of the Iron Throne, but either way, it is not good news for Horas."
As soon as these words came out, Hobo's face turned even paler.
It was obvious that he was the son who followed his father in the war, but it turned out that in his mind, there would always be only the eldest son Hollard!
Paxter didn't notice that Hopper's expression was unusual. He drew a circle with his finger on the location of Dragonstone on the chart and continued, "We can send a battle report to King's Landing every day, saying that the fleet has been firmly blocked and not a single bird can fly out of the island."
"And explain to the Iron Throne that due to Stannis's crazy resistance, a strong attack will cause unnecessary casualties. In order to preserve the Seven Kingdoms's precious naval power, we have chosen a more secure method."
"Not only that, we can even legitimately request supplies from King's Landing!"
"Two hundred ships, thousands of Sailor, the daily food consumption is not a small amount."
He raised his head and a glimmer of light flashed in his eyes. "The Prime Minister will approve it."
"Because he needs the fleet to maintain its combat power and the Redwin family to continue to be loyal. We can not only fulfill his orders and trap Corleone to death, but also preserve our strength and let the royal treasury pay for our actions."
"When this war goes to the end, maybe we are the biggest winners!"
After listening to Paxter's plan, the cabin was quiet for a moment, and then there was a low voice of admiration.
This is the reason why the Redwin family remains standing, because they always find the most advantageous route in the storm!
"But what should I do about that ghost?" After a moment of silence, Hopper was still unwilling to give up.
"Can ghosts swim?" Paxter asked back, with a touch of sarcasm in his tone. "Let the soldiers spread the word. Let's say that the Redwyne fleet respects the heroic spirit of the late king of the Baratheon family, so it will not attack. It will only invite King Stannis in the most polite way to come out and talk with that "heroic spirit"."
"If he has the guts to come out...
As he spoke, he paused for a moment, and a cold light flashed in his eyes. "Let's contact our informants who may still be alive on the island."
"I want to know how much food is left in the castle, how many meals I eat every day, and how many arrows I pull every day!"
Paxter's tone became colder and colder. He looked out the window at the dark Dragonstone Island and murmured to himself, "Hunger is the best crowbar. It can pry open the strongest loyalty. When the first person betrays his companions for a piece of bread, the collapse... begins!"
"Ghosts may not need to eat, but living people do!"
Perfect plan.
As Paxter's order was issued, the semaphore was raised from Arbor Queen.
The huge burgundy sail slowly adjusted its angle, the golden paddles retracted, and two hundred warships began to move, surrounding Dragonstone Island in the center.
It was as if the waves and sails had been used to create an extremely exquisite cage for Stannis. At the same moment, the atmosphere in the room on the top floor of the Drum Tower on Dragonstone Island was solemn.
Stannis Baratheon turned his back to the room, looking out the window at the lights of the reorganized fleet on the sea.
Those light spots are connecting into a shining chain, extending from one end of the field of vision to the other, leaving no gaps.
His face was paler than before, and although the wound had been re-bandaged, every breath still caused stinging pain.
"They're building a blockade."
Ser Gerard's voice was hoarse. "We completely gave up landing and switched to encirclement and blockade. It's very smart and very... Redwin."
As an old knight who experienced the siege with Stannis at Storm's End more than ten years ago, Gerard is very familiar with the fighting style of the old guy Paxter Redwin.
This moment is exactly like that moment.
"Smart?"
Stannis did not look back and mocked. "This is what a coward does. He dares not fight head-on and uses hunger as a weapon."
"How long can we have food?"
Hearing this, Ser Gerard reported softly, "Rough statistics show that we have less than a thousand soldiers left who can fight."
"But because the granary was burned down, the food... according to the minimum ration, can still last for twenty days."
"If we cut it further, we might be able to survive for a month, but the soldiers would be too hungry to hold their weapons."
Hearing this, Stannis said nothing.
He just looked at the sea, at the warships circling the island like sharks.
"The good news is that Redwyne retreated." Gerard continued, "We regained control of the entire castle."
O
"The wounded have been properly placed, the gaps in the city wall are being repaired, and the morale of the soldiers is also very high. They believe that King Robert's heroic spirit is protecting us."
"That's not a heroic spirit."
Hearing this, Stannis stubbornly retorted, "That's Gendry, Gendry Baratheon."
"Yes, Your Majesty, but in the eyes of the soldiers, he is a symbol of King Robert, and that is enough."
Stannis turned around and stared at Gerard with his dark blue eyes, seemingly dissatisfied. "Where is Ser Corleone?"
"In the armory, with Gendry, he said he wanted to teach the kid some... fighting skills."
"Skill." Stannis repeated the word with a hint of irony in his tone, "He used a blacksmith's apprentice to repel an army. This wasn't skill, it was Magic."
"You also used Magic, didn't you?"
Just at this time, the voice of Corleone came from the door.
He walked into the room, still wearing the blood-stained leather armor, and his face seemed to always be so calm.
His black hair was soaked with sweat and stuck to his forehead, but his eyes were bright and sharp.
"People believe what they want to believe."
Corleone walked to the window and stood side by side with Stannis: "The soldiers are willing to believe that King Robert is back, because it gives them hope."
"Redwyne's soldiers were willing to believe that it was a ghost, because it explained that their failure was not due to lack of bravery."
"So this is all part of your plan," Stannis said.
"Part of it is."
Corleone said calmly, "The other part is luck."
"Gendry is more talented than I thought. Whether it's combat talent or acting talent, he seems to be born knowing how to be the center of attention on the battlefield."
"With all due respect, I have never met King Robert, but according to the rumors I have heard, that boy has perfectly inherited his father's talent. To be honest, you Baratheon family should all be the type who are suitable for working in the theater troupe."
"Redwyne is besieging the island." Stannis looked at the sea and seemed to think that the joke Corleone was not funny. He asked coldly, "Can your Magic turn into food?"
"Can't."
"That's great." Such a frank answer made Stannis snort coldly, "In twenty days, we will all starve to death."
"It won't take twenty days."
Corleone raised his eyebrows. "I just took inventory again, and some of the grain has become damp and moldy in the warehouse. If you eat that stuff, you will die faster than starvation."
"In ten days at most, we will face a food crisis."
Hearing this, the expression on Stannis's face became more solemn.
The crisis at the siege of Dragonstone this time even made him feel more difficult than the previous one at Storm's End.
The sea breeze blows in through the window, bringing a salty and chilly taste.
In the distance, the lights of the Redwyne fleet formed a band of light, locking Dragonstone like a chain.
"Shireen is at your place, right?"
After an unknown amount of time, Stannis took a long breath and asked.
But before Corleone could answer, he spoke to himself again, "I will arrange for Davos...
... Send you out, if the channel is still usable."
"Take care of her for me."
Hearing that Stannis was being left alone, Corleone stared at this guy for a long time before shaking his head. "Save it for yourself."
"Pexter won't even let you transport food in, and you still want to transport people out?"
Hearing this, Stannis fell silent.
He knew that Corleone was telling the truth, but as the king of Dragonstone Island, he had nothing to do about it.
Just like Corleone saw those sleeping husbands in movies in his previous life, there was nothing he could do..
The two stood side by side, with similar heights, but completely different temperaments.
Stannis is like a taut bow that may break at any time, while Corleone is like water in a deep pool, calm on the surface but with an undercurrent surging underneath.
"Your Majesty, have you ever hunted?" Corleone suddenly asked.
"What do you want to say?"
"The smartest hunter will not chase his prey all over the mountains. He will find the path that the prey must pass, set a trap, and then wait patiently."
Corleone looked at the fire on the sea, the corner of his mouth raised slightly. "Paxter Earl is the hunter now. He set a trap on the sea, a trap that looks perfect."
"Then?"
"Then, he will definitely focus all his attention on this trap." Corleone's voice was very soft, as if he was talking to himself. "Check whether the net is strong enough, see if there are any fish hitting the net, and calculate how long it takes to wait. He will forget one thing... The hunter himself may also step into someone else's trap!"
As soon as these words came out, Stannis immediately narrowed his eyes and stared at him. "Speak clearly."
Corleone turned around, and the firelight from the fireplace danced on his face, casting half of his face into shadow.
At that moment, Stannis saw in Corleone's eyes a bottomless calmness, as if he regarded the whole world as a chessboard.
"Isn't Paxter planning to invite us out for peace talks?"
Corleone raised his arm and closed his fingers slightly, as if he wanted to put the firelight into his palm. "Then agree to him."
O
"But the time, place, and people selected by both parties for the meeting... are up to us!"