The Red Crab's Loyalty

The siege tower slowly advanced, carving two deep ruts in the ground.

Although it had already been hit by two slingshots, it luckily avoided a fatal blow and was still relentlessly pushed by the soldiers toward the walls of King's Landing.

Adrian Setiga stood behind the field, cheering them on.

He was once a brave warrior, charging into battle with a giant axe and beheading many.

But that was when I was young.

These days, let's leave the spotlight job to those who are more eager to become famous.

He had also seen what truly brave people looked like.

For example, Prince Rhaegar.

It's a pity he died.

There was also the tyrant; this kid was lucky enough to escape with his life several times.

Back then, as a member of the Kingsguard, he actually slit King Iris's throat with a single sword stroke and sat on that iron chair that Adrian wouldn't even dare to dream of.

Stannis considered this behavior utterly shameful and outrageous, deserving at least to be stripped of his white robe and sent to the Wall.

well.

Adrian thought the idea was quite good.

But the usurper simply let the matter drop.

He said the regicide was just a big boy, and killing a king was no easy task; he needed to find a place to rest.

However, the tyrant was not grateful to him.

After all, it was the usurper who spearheaded the spread of this nickname at the coronation banquet.

Of course, no one dared to address King Robert and Ser Jaime in such a way in front of Stannis.

But that woman dared.

The woman who burned the statues of the seven gods and gained magical powers from it told Stannis.

"Those who kill their ruler will inevitably be defeated and flee down this path after being ambushed."

So they set sail under the cover of night and rushed to the north of Dusk Valley, where they formed a fortress with shields and spears.

Before long, the king-killer's troops arrived.

He didn't notice.

The ambushing crossbowmen unleashed a volley of fire, instantly killing more than a hundred people.

But the woman only explained how to set up the ambush, not how to kill.

Adrian couldn't stop them; the lordslayer used the remaining cavalry to break through their formation and let them escape.

"boom--"

The siege tower eventually collapsed.

The boulder struck the middle of the tower, sending wood chips flying, and the entire tower was snapped in half.

But the other one was still built with the outer city wall.

Like ants that have found food, the soldiers frantically climbed up the tower ladder, scrambling to get to the top.

Some wanted to be the first hero to breach the city, while others feared that arriving late would mean missing out on the first taste of the spoils.

Adrian remembered what it was like the last time King's Landing fell.

That time, they surrendered.

As a result, the Lannisters continued their burning, killing, and looting, taking hundreds of lives.

This time, however, the defending troops remained stubborn and insisted on resisting to the death.

As a result, dubious rumors began to circulate among the soldiers.

After capturing King's Landing, they plundered for three days.

But what good would plundering a city do him?

Adrian shook his head.

Rumors circulated that the Earl of Crab Island was very wealthy.

It is said that he filled his castle on Crab Island with precious Mill carpets, as well as various gold and silver utensils, jeweled wine glasses.

There was also a magnificent falcon, a Valyrian steel axe, a horn that could awaken sea monsters, countless chests of rubies, and an endless supply of wine.

However, they were almost entirely right.

Except for the fake horn, everything else was real.

So Adrian is not short of money.

He only lacks power and land.

This wealth was accumulated by our ancestors through centuries of trade, and the current market conditions are far from what they used to be.

Crab Island is too small to develop any other businesses.

The Setiga family should have had control over the Crab Claw Peninsula, and successive heads of the family wanted to expand westward.

But the local residents refused to acknowledge the debt, and the tax collectors sent to collect it killed several of them.

The crab people, relying on their assistance to Visenia Targaryen during the Conquest, declared that they would not obey any lord but would pledge allegiance directly to the Iron Throne.

But the Iron Throne has changed hands; to whom are they now loyal?

"It is everyone's duty to be loyal to the rightful king, even more so than to one's lord," Stannis said.

Tsk.

Adrian has a different opinion on this statement.

When the usurpers rose up in rebellion, why didn't you pledge allegiance to King Aerys?

But of course he wouldn't say that.

All he can say is "very good".

"Count Setiga, go and have dinner with Davos," Stannis said.

smuggler?

"very good."

"Lord Setiga, take a look at this letter that reveals Joffrey's true parentage," Stannis said.

It's quite a believable story.

"very good."

"Count Setiga, I need you to lead the infantry to attack the Iron Gate. Your warships are not needed for the time being, so I'll take them with me," Stannis said.

My Red Crab!

"very good."

Very good, very good, very good.

So everyone thought he was a spoilsport old man.

But what's the use of humor?

Adrian felt his days were numbered, and his sons were not very promising.

After his death, the Setiga family may be trapped on this small island, slowly declining and eventually disappearing into history.

"grown ups!"

A messenger arrived in haste.

"The King orders you to launch an immediate and forceful attack, regardless of losses, to capture these two city gates!"

"After conquering King's Landing, he will give away all the gold in the kingdom's treasury!"

Enticed by the generous reward, the soldiers fearlessly climbed the city wall.

The foolish boy from the Valerian family charged ahead, wielding his sword and cutting down several guards wielding spears.

Encouraged by him, the attacking troops actually managed to capture a section of the outer city wall.

Some soldiers, seeing this, were eager to move forward, but Adrian quickly stopped them.

King Aerys is dead, and the fate of the usurper is unknown.

The three stags fought each other for the Iron Throne.

Why are we in such a hurry to risk our lives for them?

Alas, King Aerys, what a wise man he was in his youth!

Ser Barristan once said that King Aerys only began to become senile after Varys arrived.

That eunuch's mind was so meticulous that it was impossible to fathom.

Adrian recalled the day he returned to Crab Island to mobilize troops.

As soon as he entered his living room, he saw a mysterious man sitting in a chair waiting for him.

"Someone came here looking for something, and the spider sent someone to deliver a message."

"good!"

A sudden cheer erupted from the city wall, pulling Adrian back to reality.

The fiery red heart and the silver seahorse flag of the Valerian family fluttered high above the Dragon Gate.

Adrian shook his head again.

Red Keep and Maeger Tower are the last line of defense.

As a city within a city, its walls are higher and thicker than those of King's Landing, and it would take months to conquer it.

They don't think that by occupying the outer city and raising their voices, the other lords will obediently surrender, do they?

Moreover, their time is very limited; the reinforcements from the north will arrive soon—

"Awoooooo..."

A wolf howl suddenly echoed from the north.

Adrian suddenly turned around.

On the hillside, an enormous gray wolf, unlike anything seen before, held its head high towards the sky.

Then came a knight riding a fine horse.

Then came rows of fully armed knights riding fine horses.

The rising sun pierced their armor, flashing dazzling rays of light.

The sound of horses' hooves rolled across the land like muffled thunder, and the iron torrent surged forth, while the gray-white wolf flag of the ice plains stretched straight in the wind.

At that moment, Adrian almost forgot to breathe.

"Reinforcements have arrived!"

"Enemy reinforcements have arrived!"

The messenger screamed and ran around in all directions.

Adrian chopped down the one who was yelling the loudest with a single axe blow.

"Form up!"

"gather!"

The Setiga family's soldiers quickly assembled, but they did not commit too many troops to the steel gate.

Because the man offered Adrian a condition he couldn't refuse.

The only price is loyalty.

"Raise the flag!"

The fiery red heart was ripped off and trampled underfoot.

A crowned stag, already embroidered, unfolds in the wind.

"Our reinforcements have arrived."

Adrian, feeling disappointed, laughed.

As for me, Red Crab, I've actually been King Joffrey's man for a long time!