Over forty Lannister soldiers, divided into six teams, galloped on horseback, intending to surround the fierce prey hidden in this patch of woods.
Jaime, who was directing from the side, was displeased.
For Joffrey's capricious request, he had already sacrificed two brave and loyal soldiers.
"Joffrey, success or not, we're continuing our journey tomorrow morning. Not even if you beg your mother again."
Joffrey was in a good mood.
"With the capabilities of these brave men, I believe it won't take that long at all. Besides, isn't hunting such a fierce beast a great honor?"
Excellent hunters can track their prey's movements, and well-trained professional soldiers are enough to pose a threat.
It couldn't run away.
Thinking of the brief glimpse he'd had of the massive beast earlier, Jaime naturally understood how big a sensation it would cause if they succeeded.
"Hmph!"
He drew his Golden Sword. "Honor is earned by oneself. I won't watch soldiers die."
Jaime charged forward on his warhorse.
Joffrey didn't move. Unable to openly use magic, he was not only not a help but would also distract the soldiers.
"Sandor, do you want to go too?"
The Hound moved his Stranger to Joffrey's side.
"Your Highness. That monster might break through the encirclement. My position is here."
Joffrey smiled and continued to look at the deep woods ahead. Between the calm green trees, he seemed to see a bloody struggle between beast and men gambling with their lives.
Mountain Giant Lion, don't die...
The atmosphere in the woods was almost stagnant. Beasts and birds had long since fled this arena.
The majestic giant lion, born in the mountains of the Westerlands, roared loudly, unleashing the wrath of the King of the Mountains upon all enemies who dared to offend.
It was a born king.
It was born with fire accompanying it, and its body was twice as large as ordinary cubs. The mother lion had exhausted her life fire to give birth to it.
Fortunately, the pride did not abandon it, even though its appetite was equivalent to six or seven siblings.
It also lived up to this treatment.
In just one year, its size surpassed the strongest lion king.
After a duel with no suspense, it became the new leader of the pride, and from then on, the pride was invincible.
Fire was very useful.
It wanted to breed several offspring as powerful as itself, but the cubs born to the mother lions were all very ordinary.
Later, it never had the chance to try again.
Damned monkeys! Returning from a hunt one time, it saw its pride lying bloody and mangled on the ground, all their fur gone, and even a few of its younger ones had lost the heads on their necks!
Hairless monkeys wearing shiny hard stones!
It quickly found them.
With sharp claws, with sharp fangs, with fire, it tasted their blood and fear in the mountains and forests.
It had its revenge.
But for the next ten years or so, it never found another companion.
It hadn't expected that the "kindred spirit" it found this time by following its senses would actually be a monkey. It wanted to return to the mountains, but was again surrounded by monkeys.
Over forty monkeys riding horses, unlike last time.
It seized the opportunity and swatted two monkeys to death, but this did not deter these monkeys. Instead, three branches with hard stones were inserted into its body.
It roared and scanned its surroundings.
Soldiers in bright armor gradually closed in.
They exerted all their strength to control their mounts, circling the lion according to plan, constantly interfering with its judgment.
It had been bleeding for most of the day and wouldn't be in good condition.
Despite this, a distance of nearly a hundred meters still only took it one or two breaths. Once it got close, the roles of prey and hunter could swap at any moment.
But Ser Jaime wasn't afraid at all. Battle, battle, battle, this was true life.
"Aim!"
Two teams of cavalry immediately drew their arrows and bows. A hundred pounds of draw weight was enough to shoot through enemies a hundred meters away.
The other four teams of soldiers also raised their cocked crossbows in readiness.
The giant lion felt the danger. The enraged beast king charged out, pouncing on the most conspicuous Jaime Lannister.
"Shoot!"
With a swing of the longbow, over a dozen long arrows cut through the air and pierced towards the giant lion. Three of them deeply embedded themselves in its body.
The two adjacent squads of soldiers also fired their crossbows, and seven arrows hit their mark.
The enraged Giant Lion paid no heed and in the blink of an eye pounced in front of Jaime.
Roar~
It leaped high, actually clearing Jaime's raised longsword.
Just as Jaime turned around, a massive paw carrying a腥风 came towards him. He quickly ducked, but his tall warhorse's head was almost split in two by the lion's claws. Before it could even let out a whimper, it crashed to the ground.
Jaime jumped off the horse's back and rolled a few times. Getting up, he immediately faced the giant beast and raised his sword.
Another volley of arrows flew down, and the arrows in the Giant Lion's body more than doubled.
"Come on!" Jaime shouted fanatically, his eyes incredibly calm. "Let's see who's stronger now!"
The cavalrymen closed in.
Who would let Ser Jaime bear the danger alone? Who would want to be seen as a coward?
The Giant Lion realized its predicament.
If a few more of those shining stones were shot into its body, it would be finished.
The Giant Lion immediately abandoned Jaime, who posed the least threat, and instead pounced on the cavalrymen who were drawing their bows and aiming not far away.
In two breaths, five men were swept off their horses.
The other soldiers hastily attacked, but only six arrows and crossbow bolts hit.
Roar~
A red glow appeared on the Giant Lion's body. The heat seemed to dispel its pain and injuries. It caught up to two enemies, bit off the head of one, and pounced on the other hairless monkey.
Flames visible to the naked eye spewed from the lion's mouth. The soldier only howled for a few breaths before being burned to a crisp.
Jaime almost couldn't resist charging forward to fight.
"Shoot quickly! No one else is allowed to die! Keep shooting! Shoot until this guy can't take another step!"
The pain overcame the power of the flames, and the Lion didn't catch another monkey.
Another dozen arrows and crossbow bolts pierced its body.
It finally couldn't hold on any longer and collapsed to the ground, letting out heavy, sorrowful breaths.
The hunters waited patiently.
After an unknown amount of time, flies began to land brazenly on the Lion's wounds. The soldiers finally smiled, excited but with a hint of bitterness.
Six lives, four seriously injured, and a dozen precious warhorses were successfully exchanged for a Mountain Giant Lion that could breathe fire.
"Warriors, this Giant Lion is our shared glory. You are all excellent!"
Ser Jaime was very generous.
"I will personally pay ten Gold Dragons to each person, and an additional ten Gold Dragons for those who sacrificed their lives, to be given to their families."
The somber atmosphere was swept away, and the soldiers cheered.
This was worth several years of their income. Coupled with the Queen and Crown Prince's rewards, no one could ask for more.
The Giant Lion was escorted back to the convoy and locked in the newly modified cage.
Seeing the Giant Lion firmly locked in the cage with chains, Joffrey breathed a sigh of relief. As long as the Lion wasn't dead, a Maester's surgery and Magic Energy recovery would be enough to save it.
"Haha, take it to Winterfell and let the Starks see my mount! How does it compare to a Direwolf?!"
They were close to King's Landing, and Joffrey began to display his unlikable personality everywhere, even when there weren't many people around.
Hannah came over and took his arm.
"Congratulations, Your Highness. This big fellow is quite majestic. I really want to see it run again."
Joffrey smiled and tapped the little maid's forehead.
"Going around in circles like this, aren't you just trying to go to Winterfell with me? Didn't I say yesterday that you're better off in King's Landing?"
Once the action starts across the Narrow Sea, Varys the Spider will definitely be alerted. King's Landing must have someone of their own.
He emphasized again, "Stay in the Red Keep, and be sure to keep an eye on them."
"Believe in your abilities. If necessary, act directly in my name. King's Landing cannot fall into chaos."
Hannah could only assent.
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