Chapter 458: Otto's cunning
Chapter 458 Otto’s cunning
The Cathedral of Stars.
The building in Old Town, second only to the Towering Tower, is the most magnificent church of the Seven in Westeros.
It has long existed as a base for the belief in the Seven Gods.
The church door is open, the high white stone steps are divided into several sections, and a large number of believers come and go every day.
Whether nobles, knights, commoners, or beggars.
They can all have equal access to the church and receive preaching from missionaries.
A roar like a bell sounded, and the gluttons circled over the old town and circled the Starry Cathedral.
“Hiss!”
“Hiss…”
Sheep Thief and Yang Yan were scattered on both sides, spreading their wings and gliding freely, as if they were guarding the largest black dragon.
This scene fell into the eyes of the people in Old Town, and they couldn't help but feel mixed emotions.
The dragon arrives, symbolizing the Targaryen royal family.
The Iron Throne believes in the Seven Gods, and even the daughter of King Renrui once joined the ranks of nuns.
But it’s a war, and the dragons should all be on the battlefield of Dorne.
Three giant dragons in a row broke into the old town without any warning, first alarming and disturbing the residents of the city, and then surrounding the Starry Temple with eager eyes.
The believers were quite nervous and spontaneously went to the church to learn about the situation.
…
at this time,
The interior of the Starry Church was on high alert, with hundreds of missionaries running out of the gate and blocking the long steps.
Looking up at the sky, the black dragon roared fiercely, and a pair of dragon wings covered the sky and the sun.
The pitch-black scales are matched with a pair of green vertical pupils, which is gloomy and terrifying, just like the **** demon recorded in the "Seven Stars Bible".
“Glutton, land!”
Rhaegar's expression was indifferent, and he slowly descended on the dragon, landing impartially on the long steps of the temple.
As soon as the sharp dragon claw hit the ground, it crushed a large stone step, like a heavy hammer breaking the spine.
The Sheep Thief and Yang Yan circled twice and landed on the bluestone floor under the long steps.
The glutton is too big, a dragon occupies most of the long steps, and its dragon wings block all roads.
The two-headed dragon can only fall further away.
ulu...
The carriage with the Hightower emblem engraved on it came at full speed. Mond and Otto endured the discomfort of the bumps and helped the attendants to get out of the carriage.
It won’t work if Mondstadt doesn’t come.
Otto came spontaneously and wanted to help his brother.
Rhaegar glanced at the group of missionaries at the door of the church, and said calmly: "I am Rhaegar of Targaryen, the eldest son of Viserys I, the legal heir to the Iron Throne, and shoulder the responsibility of regent. I call you yours." The Archbishop comes forward!"
The missionaries looked at each other with confusion and hostility.
What a long introduction prefix, worthy of being a member of the royal family.
Seeing that he didn't speak, Rhaegar looked worried: "The prince of a country is visiting, where is the archbishop?"
He has already shortened the prefix, and these missionaries are still awake.
Mond hurriedly climbed up the long steps, panting: "Prince, let me communicate."
For dragons, there are more rejecters than admirers in Westeros.
The Faith of the Seven Gods has been in conflict with the Targaryen family for more than a hundred years.
The situation improved during King Renrui's reign, and Viserys adhered to the strategy of cooperation and mutual benefit during his reign.
However, even King Renrui has never been so rude by riding a dragon and circling around the Starry Temple.
Rhaegar waved his hand, keenly aware of the rejection of the Church of the Seven Gods, and said casually: "I have only one request, to see the Archbishop."
This trip was just to settle bad debts, and I had no intention of doing anything good.
Suppressing the belief in the Seven Gods and seeking the privilege of marrying multiple people is the real purpose.
There is no need for the king to marry more than the royal family. At least he must have the right to marry more.
For the first time, the Church of the Seven Gods weakened its authority, and royal power overtook divine power.
Mond nodded his head like garlic and hurriedly communicated with the missionary.
These missionaries looked very nervous, each holding tables, chairs and benches, as if they were ready to sacrifice themselves for the Seven Gods.
Rhaegar glanced inside the church. Hundreds of nuns knelt in a row, praying to the sculptures of the Seven Gods.
More monks and silent sisters stood in the corner, spying on the black dragon outside the temple.
“The number is not small, comparable to the number of private soldiers maintained by a great nobleman in the Reach.”
Rhaegar looked at it secretly and couldn't help but think of the long-disbanded gathering of warrior sons and poor people.
That is the grassroots armed force that can bring down an entire kingdom when it rebels.
The cruel Maegor controlled Balerion, the black **** of death, but he did not completely crush the faith of the Seven Gods.
After a while, Mond finished communicating.
Approaching the glutton, hesitant as to what to say.
Seeing him hesitating, Rhaegar became more vigilant and said unforgivingly: "What, the Archbishop died unexpectedly?"
"No!" Mond quickly shook his head and said with a frown: "The archbishop learned of the arrival of the crown prince and entered the secret room for retreat a quarter of an hour ago. No one is allowed to disturb him."
“Retreat?”
Rhaegar was stunned and couldn't help laughing: "The Archbishop regards me as a conqueror."
At the beginning of the Targaryen dynasty, the conquerors unified the six kingdoms except Dorne and planned to enter Oldtown.
The Archbishop at that time locked himself in the inner hall of the Cathedral of Stars for seven days and seven nights. During this period, he only ate some bread and clean water and listened to the guidance of the seven gods.
Seven days later, the archbishop, who almost knelt to death, came out of seclusion tremblingly.
When the Conqueror rode Balerion to Oldtown, Lord Hightower opened the gates of Oldtown, and the people lined the streets to greet him.
It turned out that it was because of the Archbishop that he shared many insights gained from retreat.
To sum up:
The old town cannot stop the dragon. Kneel down to live and stand up to die.
The Faith of the Seven and House Hightower made a concerted effort to soften the knee.
Is Monde's committing: "Prince, the Seven Gods faith spread throughout the Visterlo continent, you may wish to wait."
“Do you know the purpose of my coming?” Rhaegar asked bluntly.
Mond was speechless for a moment.
No one in the kingdom knows that the Crown Prince is more resistant to the faith of the Seven Gods than the young King Viserys.
himself is also having an affair with Lady Jane of the Vale.
At the time of the conquest of Dorne, the crown prince came to take advantage of the general trend of unifying Westeros.
It is indispensable to suppress the belief in the Seven Gods and seek unspeakable benefits.
Rhaegar smiled slightly. Seeing him like this, he knew what he was thinking.
That's right.
Faced with the armed uprising of the Church of the Seven Gods, Queen Visenya once said to her nephew Aenys I.
“My nephew, you are an idiot and a coward. Who dares to offend your father like this?”
“You have a dragon at your side, and it’s time to fly to Oldtown and turn the Starry Sept into a second Harrenhal.”
“If you don’t have the guts, let me grill that pretentious clown for you.”
Coincidentally, Rhaegar also has a dragon under his crotch, and he has the courage to burn everything.
On this trip to Old Town, there is only one thing.
I come! I want!
Neither the Hightower family, the Faith of the Seven Gods, nor the Academy has the right to refuse. This time not only Mond was speechless, but also Otto who came over was speechless.
The Targaryen kings are mostly strong and domineering in nature.
The weak characters of Aenys I and Viserys are in the minority after all.
Rhaegar patted the dragon's back, and the glutton crawled forward slowly, saying calmly: "The archbishop will be in seclusion for seven days and seven nights. I will also give the archbishop seven days and nights."
“During this period, I will temporarily stay in the Starry Cathedral and wait for good news.”
The glutton climbed to the door of the church, raised his back so high that it was even with the dome of the church, and prostrated himself for the driver to step down.
Facing the hostile gazes of a group of missionaries, Rhaegar ignored them and got off the dragon's back.
He turned around and waved to Aegon and Aemond, and walked towards the sept hall.
The missionaries were worried and tried to block the door with a human wall.
Glutton's green eyes were sharp and he roared angrily at the Starry Temple. The hot air overturned all obstacles and penetrated his clothes and burned his skin.
In an instant, screams came one after another.
Rhaegar was calm and composed, his long silver-gold hair fluttering in the wind, and walked into the church with his hands behind his hands.
From beginning to end, I didn’t bother to look at the missionaries.
It was like a group of tiny reptiles, flying around randomly after blowing a breath, and fell to the ground in scattered pieces.
The moment his right foot stepped onto the threshold of the temple, Rhaegar's body froze.
Mond and Otto's hearts skipped a beat, thinking that this ancestor was still looking for trouble.
Rhaegar turned his head and said: "Leave the task of clearing out the Dornish invaders to Aegon and Aemond. When I meet the Archbishop, I hope to see representatives of the Cardinal Council of the City immediately."
The Council of Cardinals—the highest body of the city composed of doctors, has the power to appoint and remove the post of Grand Bachelor.
Then he entered the church, picked a corner and sat on the floor.
A huge black dragon was left alone, lying at the door of the church, staring at it with its pale green vertical pupils.
Mond and Hightower clenched their palms tightly, and suddenly found that sweat had already appeared on their palms.
In just a short period of contact, they have already identified many potential problems.
Especially Otto, whose eyes were deep and full of surprise, and his hands and feet were numb.
When the crown prince entered the temple, he thought that King Renrui had returned from the dead.
He clearly understood that the other party was expressing his position.
Meet his requirements and everything will be safe.
They can choose to refuse, but the dragon flames cannot escape.
"Roar…"
The glutton roared with a long breath, and his vertical pupils gradually closed, like a patron saint.
“Let’s go.”
Otto came back to his senses and said with an ugly face: "Go back and discuss it carefully. All previous plans will be overthrown."
Mond nodded hastily, and the two brothers climbed back into the carriage in dejection.
…
At night.
Towering tower, lord's bedroom.
Mond took a milk bath and sat on the edge of the bed dejectedly.
The Faith of the Seven and the Old City are allies of House Hightower, and they were often proud of themselves, highlighting the Old Town's prosperity and knowledge.
Both are big problems these days.
——
The door opened and Otto, who had changed into green uniform, walked in.
Mond glanced sideways and lowered his head.
“Aegon and his companions will ride on dragons tomorrow to hunt down the Dornish invaders.”
Otto kept his grace and opened up the topic.
Mond was unhappy.
Otto saw this and said deeply: "My two grandsons have grown up and have their own ideas."
"I knew it."
Mond is sickly.
After the dinner, he asked Otto to try to win over his two great-nephews.
Obviously, it failed.
“Brother, don’t get discouraged so easily.”
Otto stepped forward and sat down next to Mond, and said thoughtfully: "The Crown Prince suppressed the Church of the Seven Gods and the Academy, but it has not affected the family for the time being."
The sword is not on him, the Hightower family is honest, and the other party has no clue.
Mond frowned and heard the implication: "For the time being?"
Otto sighed softly: "The Crown Prince has tried his best to suppress the forces in Old Town. If something unexpected happens to His Majesty, he will inevitably cause trouble to the Hightower family after he ascends the throne."
“Your Majesty is just in a coma.”
Mond knew what was going on and was not that worried.
"Viserys has always been in poor health, and being unconscious for a long time is not a good sign for anyone." Otto replied.
Mond thought about it carefully and found out that this was the truth. He hesitated and said, "Do you have a way to avoid the crown prince making trouble?"
Otto’s question was unanswered: “What would you do if pirates intercepted your trade routes?”
“We can still do it, and we’ll clean it up if we need to…”
Mond's words paused and he couldn't believe it.
“Wrong.”
Fortunately, Otto denied it in time and provided guidance: "What should we do if we face an enemy that is several times more powerful?"
Mond thought about it and hesitated: "Strengthen allies and suppress the prestige of pirates in order to fight against each other."
When the pirates in the Three Women Kingdom were raging, he united with the Lannister and Arbor Island fleets to do this.
“That’s right.”
Otto smiled: "The crown prince has won the battle, and the limelight is unparalleled for a while. Let's stay away from the edge for a while and concentrate on the power in our hands."
"Alison is weak and it is difficult for her children to be effective."
Mond had no hope.
Otto shook his head and affirmed: "We were wrong before, we wanted the Targaryen bloodline to fight within itself."
“What really needs to be done is to strengthen the recognition of Hightower among the children, and to gather closely around their mother and the queen or queen mother.”
As long as the children are not distracted from their mother, they will always protect her from harm.
Mond was greatly shocked and exclaimed: "Yes, there is no child in the world who doesn't feel sorry for his mother."
Otto stood up and patted him on the shoulder, saying: "Don't think so much, let the crown prince take what he wants. The real battlefield is always in King's Landing."
Mond drew inferences from one example: "The crown prince wants to compete with the Seven Gods for power. We can use this to weaken his prestige."
“Haha, maybe.”
Otto's eyes were deep and he turned his back to his brother and left the bedroom.
…
The Cathedral of Stars.
The bright moon hangs high and the stars shine brightly.
Rhaegar was sitting in the temple hall, with a huge sword as white as glass placed in front of him.
(End of this chapter)
