(Male protagonist's perspective)
I had memorized the path to the gate from the prisoners I had interrogated. The problem was getting through the archway connecting the Kitchen Island and the great Citadel. We had to pass through the two large gates at either end of the archway. Just then, the interrogation of the prisoners began. From them, we learned the name of the person in charge of the gate.
His name is Simon Pyke, a bastard of the House Botley, and a despicable scoundrel. As far as I know, he will punish anyone under his command severely, even for the slightest offense. Like most Ironborn, he bullies the weak and fears those stronger than him, but to everyone under his command, he is a nightmare.
After cutting the ropes, to avoid being seen, we sat on the floor, pretending to be lazy soldiers sleeping. Once the plan was approved, I released Wannian and Jilim to scout the Citadel and wipe out all the rats Citadel. One reason I was caught off guard by their reconnaissance was that I could hear them through the Wall.
The spell didn't work, but my connection did. There are two possible explanations: either the shields weren't strong enough to stop the mental connection, or because there were no Druid in this world before, the shields couldn't recognize my connection with my familiar as magic.
None of our prisoners know anyone in the kitchen, but thanks to Wannian and Jilim, I've been observing them for several days. I've chosen the most grumpy and irritable fellow and learned his name. Dagon acts like a drill sergeant, hoping everything will go perfectly. There are no nobles in the kitchen, just like elsewhere in Westeros. Among the nobility, cooks have always been considered a lowly profession.
We waited for dawn to arrive. When the time came, I dressed us all, and then we left the room. We began searching for the warehouse. When we found it, there were six guards at the entrance and a clerk recording the comings and goings, but we weren't there to fight. This was the second part of my plan. If the plan failed, we would have to kill them and burn the granary.
"Halt! Who are you?"
"We came from the gate. Captain Simon Pyke sent us. Our bucket is empty, and he wants us to bring a new one."
The clerk looked up at me with lifeless eyes. This guy must "love" his job. He was full of energy and passion. His voice was slow and weary.
"Without the proper command, I cannot give you this."
I placed my hand on the dagger and said...
"I told you, we came from the front gate; that's Simon Pyke's order. If we leave empty-handed, we'll be beaten. If that happens naturally, you'll be watching your backsides for the rest of your lives, because I'll shove this dagger up your asses whenever I get the chance."
"The guard placed his hand on his sword," the clerk said.
Are you threatening me?
"No, I assure you, I won't get beaten up over a damn bucket."
Caygan stood between us and said.
"Alright, alright! Let's all calm down. We're all on the same side. Now, we should only fight the land dwellers. Sir, we can't go back empty-handed. He said he wanted three buckets, and even if we only bring back two, he'll punish us. Today, choose friends, not enemies. Just buckets."
The clerk took a deep breath and gestured to the guard. "We've finally gotten a few buckets of water. Now we need to make two more trips, and then we'll succeed."
"We each picked up a bucket and started walking toward the archway, "Caygan said.
"Sir, I can't believe this actually worked."
"The siege has just begun. Reality hasn't hit them hard enough yet, so it's normal for the clerk to provide resources to calm the atmosphere. But when the siege lasts for a month, this bucket will be worth more than a golden dragon."
"Harrick said."
What should we do now?
"We need to use the head chef and Simon's names to get to the other side."
Why do we need the head chef's name?
"Think of it this way: based on the information we've gathered, Simon is a piece of shit, and the head chef isn't much different. You might grit your teeth and step in one piece of shit, but would you want to step in another immediately afterward? If we mention both of their names, it's more likely the guards won't want to ask us too many questions."
As we approached the archway connecting to the main Citadel, the guard asked...
"Who are you, and where are you going?"
"Chef Dogan asked us to deliver the bucket of water Captain Simon Pyke requested to the front gate."
When the guard heard those names, he was as if possessed. I could see the disgust on his face when he heard them; he seemed to be saying, "Don't let these bastards near me." He turned to look at his captain, and after they looked at the barrel, he nodded.
"Go ahead."
On the other side of the bridge, there were two guards. One was very young, and the other was an old man who was half asleep. When we arrived at the gate, a young guard stopped us.
"You don't have a pass, I can't take you to the Great Citadel. Go back and get a permit stamped by the head chef."
"Come on, why are you working so seriously? You're just a half-baked worker," another guard said, waking up from the commotion.
"Is there a problem?"
"They didn't have any stamps or entry permits?"
The old guard asked.
"Who are you? I've never seen you here before."
"We are not from Pyke. We are from Harlaw, but our lord died on Harlaw, and we were brought here. Since there is no lord, we are scattered in different parts of the Citadel."
"Then why did you enter the Great Citadel? Why stay where you were originally stationed? And what's the story with the head chef?"
"Head Chef Dogan asked us to deliver the bucket of water Captain Simon Pyke requested to the front door."
When the old guard heard these names, he gave a wry smile, which gave me hope.
"Sir, we're going to be late! Chef Dogan tells us to hurry!"
"That's what the young guard said."
"I don't care what he says, I can't let you pass."
Upon hearing the young guard's words, the old guard's eyes widened, and he slapped the young guard on the back of the head.
"Huh? What are you doing?"
"Are you crazy? Why did you have to associate me with those two lunatics? Do you want to eat rotten porridge for the rest of your life? Don't mess with the head chef."
He turned to us and said.
"Let's go."
We passed through the gate and reached the control room above it. From here, they could raise the drawbridge and fence. Before we went in, I refreshed all our Buff. From this moment on, chaos was about to erupt. We entered the room. There were 30-35 guards inside, as this was also the guard room.
Inside the large stone chamber were several tables and chairs. Around these tables, guards were playing cards. Near the outer wall, there were three handwheels connected to large iron chains. One of the handwheels was larger than the others. This must be a drawbridge; the other two must be fences.