However, Slynt stubbornly remained standing behind Stannis. He couldn't help it; he'd noticed last night that Daenerys disliked him. Furthermore, given that he'd secretly hidden in the kitchen during the battle, most of the Night's Watch members didn't just dislike him. If he didn't cling to Stannis, he might be beaten to death by the enraged Night's Watch after the meeting.
Once everyone was seated, Stannis was the first to speak, eager to seize the initiative.
"The White Demon of the North has risen to power in order to fight against the ancient alien gods. We need to unite the strength of the entire Seven Kingdoms. As the rightful heir to the throne, I need the support of everyone present. Help me reclaim the Iron Throne. I promise that once I ascend the throne, I will unite the strength of all the Seven Kingdoms to fight against the White Demon."
Upon hearing this, Lu Xuan's first thought was that it sounded exactly like a pyramid scheme...
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Chapter 290 The Attack (Second Update)
"The Night's Watch doesn't participate in the power struggles of the Seven Kingdoms. Besides, there are only a few hundred Night's Watchmen here. Do you intend to have them help you take Winterfell?" Daenerys asked sarcastically.
Stannis did not respond directly, but instead turned to look at Manslade.
“Mansredd, if you swear allegiance to me, I promise to grant the free people new lands in the North. You may settle there.”
"A very tempting offer. But I bet your next sentence is to ask us Free People to fight for you, right?" Mansred was a shrewd man and instantly saw through Stannis's intentions.
“If you pledge allegiance to me, then you are my people. You should fight for your own king.”
"I'm sorry, Your Majesty. Free people fight only for themselves. We do not kneel before others."
"But you surrendered to Daenerys."
"That's right, because she has a dragon." The implication is clear: she has a dragon, do you?
Stannis was speechless. Mansred's blatant double standards left him speechless.
At this moment, Melisandre, who was standing nearby, spoke up.
"Your Majesty Stannis is the reincarnation of Azor Ahai, the prophesied son, and the hero who will surely defeat the White Walkers and end this winter."
Upon hearing this, Lu Xuan immediately perked up. "Good heavens, I've been waiting for so long, I can finally come!"
"Daenerys is the Queen of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men, Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea, the Breaker of Chains, Queen of Meereen, Princess of Dragonstone, the Unburnt, Mother of Dragons, Misa, Mother, Silver-haired Queen, Silver-haired Lady, Dragon Queen..."
"......"
Stannis clearly wanted to control the Night's Watch and subjugate the Wildlings to bolster his forces. Daenerys, on the other hand, was recklessly interfering. She had no interest in either, so she acted without restraint. This greatly troubled Stannis.
Lu Xuan noticed that Stannis gripped the Lightbringer tightly several times, as if he were about to draw his sword and strike Daenerys at any moment. It seemed that Stannis was becoming increasingly influenced by the Lord of Light. While Stannis wasn't a likable person, he was undoubtedly a nobleman of near-strict fairness. Logically, he shouldn't be exhibiting such drastic emotional fluctuations. This clearly showed that the Lord of Light was exerting some kind of influence on him secretly.
"His Majesty Stannis commands the Lightbringer. He is the chosen one, the destined savior."
"Savior? The Great Wall now needs two thousand well-trained knights to help defend it. It needs swords, armor, arrows, food, clothing, and blankets. Can the Savior provide them?"
The people of the seven kingdoms are starving and suffering; the nobles are killing, betraying, and degenerating among themselves. The seven gods, the old gods, the red god—not a single deity has offered even the slightest miracle to help any of these suffering people. And what has our savior done?”
Daenerys's words were utterly devastating. At that moment, Stannis was barely able to feed his own two thousand men, let alone help others. He had no energy left to spare for aiding others.
"The Son of Prophecy has only suffered a predetermined setback, but he will rise again. With the support of the Freemen, His Majesty will reclaim Winterfell and gain the support of the entire North. He will then begin the path to unifying the Seven Kingdoms."
"Is that so? Then who is the Freeman, the Child of Prophecy, or your dear Majesty?" Daenerys's sharp sarcasm left Melisandre speechless. Having been influenced by Lu Xuan, her debating skills were truly a level above these natives. Some of the wildlings nearby even burst into laughter. If it weren't for the two dragons overhead, they would probably be laughing so hard they'd be lying on the ground.
"Daenerys, you must understand. Everything I've done is for this country, for the world. Do you know what would happen if the White Walkers breached the Wall?"
"So you still remember the original purpose of the meeting." Daenerys said casually, instantly shattering the momentum Stannis had painstakingly built up.
With a whoosh, he drew Lightbringer and pointed it at Daenerys. But this time, Melisandre beside him stopped him. Their previous exchanges had already put him at a disadvantage. If he were to turn hostile now, he would lose all his dignity and face as a king.
"Daenerys, you must know that the war of the end times is coming, and this war cannot be ended by your two dragons and your sharp tongue."
"Is that so? You mean you'll rely on this prophesied son to end the impending war? Forgive my bluntness, but once you leave this castle, all the people to the south don't believe in the White Demon's existence at all. So, let's get down to business. Prophesied son who's going to save the world, how do you plan to convince the Seven Kingdoms to believe in you and follow you in resisting the White Demon?"
Throwing the question back at the other person is a basic conversational skill. Sure enough, Stannis was speechless once again. He paused for a moment, then spoke.
"Jon Snow, I now relieve you of your service as King of the Night's Watch. Pledge allegiance to me, and when I conquer Winterfell, I will bestow upon you the title of Duke of Winterfell, allowing you to inherit the glory of House Stark."
“I’m sorry, Your Majesty. But I’m afraid you can’t do this.” Before Daenerys could speak, an aged voice came from the crowd. A hunchbacked old man with thinning white hair was being helped by a young Night’s Watchman.
“Maester Aemon, you should stay inside.” Jon quickly stepped forward to support him.
“Alright, Jon, I may be old, but I’m not so old that I can’t walk.” Maester Aemon said, slowly walking up to Daenerys, staring at her long golden and silver hair for a while, then looking up at the dragon above, almost mesmerized.
Daenerys rose, took his arm, and guided him to sit beside her. This old man was Aemon Targaryen, a true Targaryen. However, years ago, to ensure his brother's smooth succession to the throne, he had exiled himself to the Citadel to study. He then joined the Night's Watch, becoming a maester.
Being able to meet the family elders here, and barring any unforeseen circumstances, this should be the last elder, Daenerys felt a pang of emotion.
"Dragons... It's been over three hundred years. The Targaryen family has finally produced a Dragon King once again. Daenerys, whether you are the Child of Prophecy or not, there is no doubt that you are the savior of the Targaryen family."
“I just did what I was supposed to do. Targaryens are still Targaryens, but sadly, the Seven Kingdoms are no longer the Seven Kingdoms they once were.” Daenerys’s words were loaded with meaning, prompting Stannis to glare at her again.
Meanwhile, Lu Xuan, who was watching the show from the sidelines, yawned in exasperation. He wasn't actually sleepy, but simply incredibly bored. This entire discussion about the fate of humanity had turned into a long, drawn-out argument between Daenerys and Stannis. They'd talked for ages without getting a single meaningful word out.
Just as he was about to give a subtle hint about what we were doing, Zhuo Geng suddenly let out a roar from the sky.
Daenerys's expression changed slightly before she entered her dragon spirit state.
“I saw them.”
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