Out of curiosity, Ser Barristan extended an invitation to Roman, wanting to see if he truly could fly and use magic as the rumors suggested.
Roman naturally wouldn't refuse such a small request; he quickly unfurled the wings from his back and soared vertically into the sky under Barristan's shocked gaze.
Then, Roman began performing maneuvers in the sky: acceleration, rolls, gliding, diving, high-angle turns, and hovering.
Considering the limits of Barristan's eyesight, Roman chose to fly at a low altitude over the Gods Eye, which also gave the nearby residents a magnificent sight to behold.
Usually, Roman flew at high altitudes for rapid reconnaissance and rarely descended to such a dangerous position.
However, in the eyes of the common folk and Barristan, Roman's agility was not something the Scorpions of Westeros could handle.
Moreover, Roman was not a beast like a dragon; he knew what high-threat targets were and what should be prioritized.
Barristan soon saw the magic Roman displayed: Jetting Fire Pillars, Blazing Magic Missiles, and lightning that ignited the very air.
Old Barristan touched the sword at his waist; this magic sword resonated because of Roman's magic, shaking with excitement as White Flame and thunder leaked out uncontrollably.
Barristan was certain the source of the magic within the sword was Roman. He had also recently followed Roman to visit the Harrenhal Special Steel Manufacturing Plant, which produced a wide variety of steel every day.
Roman also told Barristan that the weapons equipped by the elite units of the Herrenburg Army were made from that steel, though no one could use magic like Barristan.
The rest of the steel was used for critical equipment in the territory, such as large containers, boilers, and the cutting heads of Hydraulic Lathes.
By the time Roman finished his flight and landed nearby, Barristan was still deep in thought, and Fili quickly brought over a water flask.
"Ser Barristan, you look to be in deep thought. Is there something that interests you?"
"Lord Roman, I was thinking about how to combine your advantages with the formations of the Herrenburg Army. Most armies in Westeros are too primitive compared to yours; we have too many ways to deal with them!"
Barristan had been studying Roman's battle formations and tactics in Harrenhal recently, and he fell in love with these military concepts that differed from traditional Westerosi methods as soon as he encountered them.
Roman nodded. He was about to say something to Barristan, but out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Fili. The young girl's gaze was fixed on the sky, her face full of longing.
"Fili, do you want to go up to the sky and have some fun?" Roman smiled.
"Eh?! No... that's not it, Lord Roman! I didn't mean that. You have more important things to do right now, I won't disturb you!"
Roman rubbed Fili's small face, pinching the soft flesh until it was out of shape.
"Fili, your expression has already betrayed your heart. I have indeed neglected you lately, so consider this my compensation."
Roman turned to Old Barristan and said, "Ser Barristan, would you mind if Fili and I spend some time in the sky?"
Barristan smiled. "Please, go ahead, Lord Roman. I can also continue to observe your flight patterns, which can be considered gathering information for future wars."
With Roman's help, Fili carefully lay on Roman's back and wrapped her arms around his neck.
The magic dragon of Harrenhal did not use any grand maneuvers this time; instead, he soared gently through the air, while also enveloping the girl's body in White Flame to protect her from the cold wind.
Fili lay on Roman's back, her legs gripping his waist, locked onto him firmly in a riding posture.
Although the girl could usually understand what it felt like to fly through the Mouth of the Raven, she only understood this sense of exhilaration after experiencing it personally.
Fili: "Lord Roman, there are so many irrigation canals on the land below! Did we build all of these?"
"Yes, they've been under construction for a while. You've reminded me; I didn't realize the irrigation canals in the territory had already covered such a wide area. I estimate ninety percent of the farmland can benefit from irrigation."
Fili: "Lord Roman, that large patch of land doesn't seem to be planted with grain. What are those plants?"
"Those are various medicinal herbs, the raw materials for the potions prepared by Scholar Tom. Our pesticides, anesthetics, anti-inflammatories, cold medicines, and so on are all made from these herbs."
Fili: "Eh? Lord Roman, why are there several large lakes over there? I remember it wasn't like that before."
"That was originally a low-lying marsh. I had the construction teams build embankments during the dry season so it wouldn't flood during the rainy season, creating surface lakes. They can be used for fish farming and convenient irrigation. The farmland over there was reclaimed only after the embankments were built."
...
Fili was like a curious baby, asking questions non-stop in the sky, and Roman thoroughly enjoyed such happy times.
After the two landed, Barristan immediately stepped forward to support Fili, preventing any accidents.
Roman: "Thank you for your attentiveness, Ser Barristan. It's time for a meal now; let's eat and talk."
In the time that followed, Barristan presented Roman with his views on marching and formations, as well as suggestions on how Roman could play a role on the battlefield.
Only then did Roman realize that Barristan was not only exceptionally powerful individually but also a skilled commander; he could learn various tactics just by observing Harrenhal's military exercises for a while.
However, in Barristan's view, this was quite an ordinary feat.
"Lord Roman, your army can achieve absolute discipline, their equipment is standardized, and the soldiers are all professional full-time military personnel. It's not that I learn quickly, but that your army itself is a formidable force. Even if replaced by a mediocre general, it would still exert its proper strength."
With Ser Barristan's help, it was truly like adding wings to a tiger for Roman. Previously, Roman had to personally oversee everything in Harrenhal, but now he could confidently leave many military arrangements to this legendary knight.
Roman trusted Barristan very much; Old Barristan was the type of person who, once he chose an object of loyalty, would never abandon them. If the other party was incompetent, Barristan would instead blame himself for failing to correct the mistakes.
For Barristan, however, Roman's unconditional trust left him overwhelmed. He had always worried that he was someone who had broken knightly vows multiple times and was unworthy of leading Harrenhal's iron army, yet Roman had actually given him this honor.
With the lord and subject of one mind, Roman and Barristan quickly developed new tactics and used them against the Lannister army in the time that followed.
Barristan's idea was simple: he would organize the ground forces, while Roman would act as a surprise force responsible for aerial support, with both sides communicating via ravens.
With Barristan as his backup, Roman could finally let loose. What he did most often was attack the Lannister supply lines under the guidance of ravens.
Roman would usually rush over the baggage train at maximum speed, firing volleys of Jetting Fire Pillars and Magic Missiles, blowing up the Lannister convoys and using White Flame to incinerate provisions and equipment before quickly retreating.
Roman would not take the initiative to harm people, but his attacks directly caused a great famine among the Lannister soldiers on the front lines. Many soldiers began to disobey Tywin's orders, hiding the scavenged grain for themselves to eat.
Even many of the lions' soldiers, hearing that Barristan had joined the Hean Family, fled one after another to defect to Roman.
Following Tywin meant going hungry and being called a bandit by the people of the Riverlands; following Roman meant having food and drink. At worst, one would be thrown into a Labor Camp, and as long as one didn't cause trouble, it was better than waiting to die in the Lannister army.
An exasperated Tywin planned a surprise attack, wanting to learn Roman's hit-and-run style to bypass the army and giants in the Strongholds and directly strike the agricultural areas west of the Gods Eye.
As a result, the Lannister army had just set out when they were dispersed by Barristan leading the Ironmen and Light Cavalry. Halfway through the battle, Roman even attacked their rear, and they finally fled in panic, leaving behind hundreds of corpses.
After this battle, Roman excitedly grasped Barristan's hands:
"Ser Barristan! With your help, I can finally exert my full strength without any reservations! To me, you are simply what Ser Duncan was to Aegon!"
Even Barristan, who was used to great storms, had his eyes clouded with mist upon hearing Roman's words.
He had finally found a lord to whom he could mutually entrust his life.
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