The western banks of the Blackwater Rush.
The difference between north and south was like night and day.
The residents of the Crownlands and the Reach to the south lived in constant fear, always on guard against accidents. They dreaded their lords suddenly dragging them to the front lines or leveling trumped-up charges against them.
To the north, however, canals were being dug. In the farmlands not far from the Blackwater Rush, the subjects of House Whent worked diligently.
They diverted water for irrigation, sprayed pesticides, performed manual weeding, and applied various fertilizers at the appropriate times according to the maesters' guidance.
Today, the Harrenhal army began its move. It was once again an all-cavalry force, but the numbers were massive: 1,500 Ironmen and 1,500 light cavalry. They set off on a rapid maneuver, carrying enough provisions for the coming days.
The residents of the Reach and Crownlands along the way watched the Harrenhal cavalry with terror, but they were not afraid of the Riverlands soldiers themselves. They had never been plundered by Harrenhal's troops.
Yet because of this, whenever other nobles saw how well-preserved the lands the Harrenhal army passed through remained, they concluded that these commoners must have received benefits from House Whent.
These people at the bottom were not looted by the enemy, but were instead victimized by their own lords and other nobles.
Because of this, rebellion began to stir in people's hearts.
"You say I'm providing intelligence to Harrenhal?"
"I wasn't doing it, but since you insist on beating me, wouldn't it be a waste of a beating if I didn't actually go and say something?"
Roman hid among his personal guards, silently observing all of this.
Many residents of the Reach were willing to provide intelligence on nearby Reach soldiers. According to them, these soldiers had previously harmed them for no reason, so they hoped the Harrenhal army would avenge them.
Even if they did not provide intelligence to Roman, these commoners from the Reach were willing to sell provisions to the Harrenhal cavalry.
Roman ordered calmly, "Send out ravens and cavalry scouts. If the intelligence is correct, pay them."
The guard nodded and bowed, then moved to give the orders, but Roman stopped him.
"Remember to use silver stags and copper stars as payment. Do not give them gold dragons. That would only bring them harm."
"Yes, my lord!"
Early on, Roman had Fili conduct thorough reconnaissance. Combined with the first-hand intelligence from the locals, the Harrenhal cavalry quickly discovered several important outposts.
By the time the soldiers of the Reach reacted, the blades of the Ironmen were already at their faces.
Harrenhal steel, forged with dragonflame and magic, formed the heads of the horse lances. With the momentum of the warhorses, they easily pierced the armor of the Reach soldiers.
These soldiers, unable to form a proper battle array due to the surprise attack, were like a flock of sheep set upon by predators. They collapsed almost instantly.
The few who tried to escape on horseback were caught by the Harrenhal light cavalry and run through with spears.
Roman commanded, "Count the casualties, handle the medical treatments, and then advance rapidly. We must take Tengshi Town before they can react!"
All along the way, Roman led his troops in high-speed raids, dealing with outposts on necessary paths, but he did not want to stop for anything else.
Fili controlled the ravens along the route. Even if any slipped through, skilled horse archers would shoot them down.
Roman was in no hurry to take to the skies. He was a strategic weapon for dealing with solid fortifications like castles. Furthermore, as long as he did not move, Lord Tarly would not dare to deploy his troops lightly. By the time news of Tengshi Town reached back, it would be too late.
At this time, Roman wore symbolic armor to hide his identity, charging alongside the Ironmen in the center of the cavalry.
The Ironmen operated in squads of several men, with several cataphracts supporting each other while maintaining their respective formations between different squads.
Westeros could rarely organize a charge of cataphracts on such a scale. Thus, although the cavalry of the Reach were well-equipped, they simply could not withstand the massed charge of the Ironmen.
However, some knights of the Reach could still deal considerable damage to the Ironmen. They were often the eldest sons or even the heads of noble houses, possessing thicker armor.
Watching the continuous losses among the Ironmen, Roman shouted to his guard, "Bring me my horse lance!"
Hearing that Roman wanted to charge, the guard hurriedly tried to dissuade him. "My lord! That won't do! You are the core of the army. If something happens to you, morale will be devastated. How will we complete the mission then? And how would we answer to Lady Helaena and the people of Harrenhal?"
Roman nodded with a smile. He was satisfied with the soldiers' first reaction, but he still said,
"I am stronger than all of you. That is an indisputable fact. How can a strong man hide behind others for protection? I should lead from the front."
"Bring the horse lance. If you dare say another word, you're going to logistics!"
Hearing this, the guard immediately shut his mouth and hurried to prepare the weapon.
If he were kicked out of the personal guard by Roman, he would never be able to hold his head up in the camp again.
Roman took the horse lance and let mana flow through his body. A slight stinging sensation followed as the scent of ash drifted from him, and dragon scales gradually covered his body beneath the armor.
The dragonization was complete. Roman moved to the very front of the formation, looking at the knights of the Reach in the distance and urging his horse forward slowly.
The other Ironmen followed behind Roman, slowly forming a wedge formation, with Roman at the tip. He would be the sharpest spearhead.
Seeing the Harrenhal cavalry ahead closing in, the cavalry of the Reach also moved forward at a slow pace.
When the two sides were within 500 meters, they began to accelerate, their horses moving at a trot.
When the distance closed to about 150 meters, the Harrenhal cavalry began a full-speed charge.
At this distance, the Harrenhal cavalry, thanks to their high-intensity training and combat experience, were already working in perfect harmony, their formation remaining largely unchanged.
But the cavalry of the Reach, lacking opportunities for large-scale unit training, had become scattered by the time they reached the charge phase, with only a few dozen riders in the lead.
Roman led the way, his nearly five-meter-long horse lance flickering with tiny bolts of lightning, with white flame enveloping the entire weapon.
20 meters, 15 meters, 10 meters, 5 meters.
The cavalry of the Reach and the Harrenhal cavalry slammed into each other. For cataphracts, only a head-on charge offered a chance of victory.
Roman's lance pierced the knight opposite him. It felt light, as if he met no resistance. The man's chest was hollowed out, and he was knocked off his horse.
"You're using all-iron lances in a cavalry charge? What use is such a short weapon?"
Roman was on the right, thrusting at a knight of the Reach on his left, when two more cataphracts lunged from his right side.
Roman smoothly raised his horse lance over his head, spinning it in a perfect arc to deflect one rider's attack before returning to a two-handed grip to impale the second knight.
Having passed the first wave of cavalry, the subsequent forces of the Reach became scattered and disorganized. Roman, leading a squad of three Ironmen, darted back and forth across the field, harvesting the lives of enemy soldiers with all his might.
Seeing Roman charging on the front line, the Harrenhal cavalry's morale soared, and they threw themselves recklessly into the fray, trading thrusts with the army of the Reach.
When the first batch of knights had all fallen, the soldiers in the rear realized something was wrong. Recognizing this as Harrenhal's elite force, they immediately lost their nerve.
At the same time, the Harrenhal light cavalry rode in from the side, throwing fire-oil jars at them.
Watching their comrades burn in the white flame and smelling the scent of charred meat in the air, fear instantly spread through the hearts of the Reach soldiers.
The Reach soldiers began to flee, but there was no chance now. The Harrenhal light cavalry had surrounded all paths of retreat.
The site of this battle was only half a day's ride from Tengshi Town, but the soldiers stationed there were completely unaware.
They had no idea what they were about to face.