Chapter 269: Council of the North

Two individuals were absent from the small council held at Highgarden.

One was the royal advisor, the Grand Maester, who had been executed, and his replacement had yet to arrive. The other was Stannis, who was busy transporting wildlings from beyond the Wall to Tyrosh. Due to the long voyage across Westeros, the royal fleet required his coordination as the Lord of the Admiralty, which kept him from returning to King's Landing.

Daenerys had poisoned the king, the City Watch was rife with corruption, two impostors had escaped, and Maester Maester had died as a result—these were all troubling matters. Hand of the King, Lord Rowan, had hoped to ease the tension among the council with a seemingly minor issue from the Wall, but upon hearing it, Robert, Renly, and Wright became even more agitated, and the expressions on their faces grew tense.

Seeing the reactions, Lord Rowan knew things were about to take a turn for the worse.

Robert slammed his hand down on the table. "It's definitely the White Walkers!"

As Hand of the King, Lord Rowan only knew that under Wright' guidance, many criminals had been sent to the Wall, and Robert had resumed periodic supply shipments after many years. Regarding the White Walkers of the North, he had seen the Children of the Forest in King's Landing and believed there might be only a handful of them, which posed no real threat to the Seven Kingdoms. Even if they were stronger, there were still magicians, and Wright and the dragons could handle them.

Among the council members, the only ones who truly understood the threat of the White Walkers were the Baratheon brothers and the late Grand Maester Pycelle.

The Citadel held many records about the White Walkers and the wars involving them. After the resurgence of magic, ancient books once thought to be myths were once again researched and studied at the Citadel. The Children of the Forest, traveling through various lands, had also verified the existence of these magical creatures. Today's maesters had an extensive understanding of the White Walkers, though they still didn't know when the next war with them would occur.

It was Wright who had frequently mentioned the White Walkers and even summoned a zombie or skeleton to frighten them. Over time, they had come to believe in their existence.

The one who truly knew the danger of the White Walkers was Renly. He could summon magic himself, and the thought of facing hundreds or even thousands of wights controlled by the White Walkers made him vow never to confront them directly.

"Wright!" Robert called out several times.

"Wright!" Renly's dragon, Peytvahaaz, was also in the council chamber and called out in the tongue of dragons.

When there was no response, Renly conjured a small ice ball and threw it at Wright.

Immediately alert to the attack, Varys reacted by catching the ice ball. Seeing that everyone at the table was watching him, he explained, "I was thinking about the White Walkers."

Robert responded, "You are the foremost mage in the Seven Kingdoms. With the threat of magical creatures like the White Walkers looming, you need to come up with something."

At this, Barrristan interjected, "Lord Wright, can you first explain to us what the White Walkers are really like? Most of us have only heard stories. We have no idea how to fight them."

The other members of the Kingsguard also wore expressions of curiosity.

Lord Mace Tyrell, the Minister of Coin, added, "Yes, yes, tell us exactly what the White Walkers are!"

Lord Rowan and Varys were equally eager to know more.

Seeing the interest, Wright began recounting everything he knew about the White Walkers, including his journey to the North to kill a few, and his meeting with the Green Seers.

After hearing the story, Varys sighed, "As for information beyond the Wall, apart from knowing about the wildlings, we know almost nothing."

Lord Rowan looked to Wright. "The White Walkers aren't that numerous, are they? When you were 17, you killed six of them alone. Now, with so many magicians in the Seven Kingdoms, it shouldn't be too difficult to deal with them, right?"

"Winning against the White Walkers was possible because they didn't know who I was! If I had met their leader, the Night King, back then, I doubt I would have come back."

Wright' hands glowed with a purple light, and with a gentle push, a purple magical orb appeared in front of the council table.

A Dremora Lord, traveling from another dimension, manifested. Before his body fully solidified, his voice echoed, "Dragon-blooded one, do we fight dragons again? My great blade is already thirsty for battle!"

The Dremora Lord wore no helmet and was clad in dark, menacing demonic armor. His bRowan-black skin and red facial tattoos, along with two curved horns on his head, made it clear that he was no human.

As his body became fully corporeal, the strong scent of blood and sulfur filled the room. Several members of the Kingsguard tensed up. The Dremora Lord's gaze never left the small dragon, and the dragon responded with a low growl from its throat.

Fortunately, everyone present was well-versed in magic. They had seen various summoned elements and undead, especially those summoned by Varys, and they knew this was not an attempt to harm anyone.

Unlike the convenience of clicking a button in a game to learn a skill, magic in this world required the study of extensive theory. Summoning magic, especially, required communication with alternate dimensions. Necromancy was the only exception, as it did not require such communication. Summoning fire, ice, or storm elements all required interaction with other planes.

The Dremora Lord had a real Daedric Prince behind him, and making a pact with such a being was not something one would take lightly. To avoid causing trouble, Varys had not yet published a book on this subject. This was a spell only he knew.

Wright's summoning contract with the Dremora Lord only involves two individuals, and each time they are summoned, it's always one of them. These demons are not true Dremora Lords in their annihilation domains, but lower-level warriors. They are called Dremora Lords only because the summoning contract doesn't mention them by any other title, and no Dremora would sign a contract without that designation.

Out of respect for the situation, Wright didn't want to reveal the incident in Meereen where these two demons had, basically, given a pedicure treatment to Durnehviir. "This time it's not to kill; it's for sparring practice. Remember, just a friendly match!" he said.

"Sparring is fine. But can there be blood?" the demon licked its lips.

"As long as you don't chop off heads or limbs, I can heal them," Wright reassured the group, then turned to the Kingsguard. "The White Walkers are not just magic users; they are also incredibly strong and skilled in combat. This demon hails from another plane, and his fighting skills are similar to those of the White Walkers. You can use this to gauge their battle capabilities."

Upon hearing that it was a match with someone from another plane, the leader of the Kingsguard, Barristan, immediately stood up, eager to participate. "I'll go!"

"No, your sword would have a disadvantage against the demon's weapon. It could easily break when striking his armor. Ser Lyn Corbray, you take over," Wright pointed out.

The conference room was large, and the Dremora Lord stepped to the center, removing his massive double-edged sword from his back. Barristan carefully observed the demon's armor and the grotesque, exaggerated size of his sword before glancing at his own steel blade. After a moment's consideration, he patted Ser Lyn Corbray on the shoulder. "Give it your all. You represent the honor of the Kingsguard!"

Seeing their leader's words, the other Kingsguard members, who had been eager to join, held back and approached to pat Lyn's arm in encouragement.

Lyn nodded at the group, drawing his Valyrian steel sword, "Lady Silence," and taking a stance in front of the demon, flicking his white cloak behind him and adopting a versatile fighting posture.

The Kingsguard members were some of the best fighters in the Seven Kingdoms, so the spectators were keen to see the difference in combat prowess between Lyn and the demon, as well as between the demon and the White Walkers.

"Haha, come on!" the Dremora Lord taunted, gripping his massive sword with both hands.

Lyn charged forward, raising his sword to strike.

Clang!

The sounds of the Valyrian steel colliding with the demon's weapon rang clear and sharp, echoing far beyond the conference room. Outside, the soldiers of the Red Keep, hearing the clash, rushed in, but they were stopped by Lord Mace's hand, crowding at the door to watch.

With Wright supervising, the demon didn't slack off and exchanged several moves with Lyn.

"Ah!"

Suddenly, the demon's speed increased. His massive sword swung almost weightlessly as he delivered rapid strikes, then swiftly changed his attack, shifting from a downward cleave to a horizontal sweep. One blow ripped open Lyn's pale gold armor on his abdomen.

Thud!

Lyn blocked the strike, but the demon swiftly kicked him, sending him flying several meters.

As long as he didn't behead or dismember him, the demon knew the value of magic. Taking advantage of Lyn's moment of recovery, he leapt and used the weight of his falling body to thrust his sword into Lyn's abdomen.

"Watch out!"

Lyn quickly rolled, just as the demon's sword grazed the floor, leaving a long scratch as it swiped toward him.

Clang!

Lyn barely raised his sword in time to block the strike. The demon took the opportunity to roll over him, using his sword like a saw to cut through Lyn's shoulder armor and slice through his right collarbone.

Lyn, unable to use his right arm, immediately swapped his sword to his left hand. As he got up and turned, the demon's sword pierced the armor on his side. Just as the demon raised the sword to lift him, Lyn swiped at the demon's face with his right hand, and in the blood-soaked moment, drove his sword through the demon's throat.

"Stop!" Wright called out, stepping forward to separate the two, while simultaneously casting a healing spell on Lyn.

The demon withdrew the massive sword from Lyn's abdomen and walked to one side, inspecting the hole in his throat. Though it was bleeding, it didn't seem to hinder him much, and he remained mobile. Meanwhile, Lyn sat on the floor, breathing heavily, exhausted from the strain of using all his strength and the fear of nearly dying.

"How was it?" Barristan asked Lyn, who was the only one who could accurately judge the encounter.

After a long pause, Lyn finally regained his breath. Standing up, he glanced at the demon, who was still poking at the wound on his neck, then turned to the group and said, "Their strength, speed, and reflexes far surpass those of humans. I knew I couldn't win, so I used my body as bait to gain a chance for a counterattack."

Wright said, "Lyn is at the peak of his age. Even with his skills, he could only manage a one-for-one trade in that fight. And don't forget, every White Walker has ice magic, and there are hundreds or even thousands of wights around them!"

Everyone felt a chill. Without clearing the wights, it would be impossible to kill a White Walker, and without killing the White Walker, the wights would endlessly revive. Unless one uses magic powerful enough to break through walls like Wright's, otherwise, one would have to use human lives to make a path—only for those dead soldiers to turn into wights, creating a vicious cycle.

Lord Mace wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. "It could also be that the demon's weapon and armor had an advantage?"

"The White Walkers are an intelligent species, and they also have ice armor and weapons, which are comparable in strength to this," Wright replied, forming an ice armor and spear, placing them on the table. The others gathered around, and Barristan unsheathed his steel sword to test the ice armor.

The Kingsguard began discussing tactics with Robert, while others examined the magical armor. Renly, who also knew how to create magical armor, wasn't interested and walked over to Wright, following him to the demon's side.

The demon exuded a strong odor, and Renly, who was studying the demon, quickly stepped back after holding his breath.

Wright raised his hand to cast a dispelling spell. "Today's matter is finished; it's time for you to leave."

The Dremora suddenly looked at Wright and said, "Lord Mehrunes wishes to speak with you!"

Wright's heart skipped a beat. What could there possibly be to talk about? He only needed to have contact with the lowest-ranking Dremoras in Mehrunes' domain. Wright had no desire to deal with a Daedric Prince, but now that the opportunity had come, he asked, "Are you delivering this message on his behalf?"

The Dremora Lord responded, "The Lord will speak with you directly. Summon me again tomorrow night, and you will know."

Wright didn't press further on the reason or specifics. When dealing with the scheming Daedric Princes, it was best to act more cautiously and not reveal too much. "Fine. Send my regards to him."

As Wright cast the dispelling magic, the Dremora Lord began to dissipate. From a distance, Renly asked, "Can the demon's armor be removed?"

"No!" Wright didn't speak, but the demon, now in a semi-transparent state, answered, "No one can remove it."

The Dragonborn was too greedy, and the mortals around him were just as greedy! No wonder Lord Mehrunes wanted to talk to such a person. Mehrunes' dominion was about control over transformation, power, and ambition.

Varys, not particularly interested in the armor or weaponry, saw Wright walking back to the conference table and asked, "Isn't there a Green Seer beyond the Wall who can see the past and the future? Can he provide us with information about the White Walkers?"

Wright raised a finger, shaking his head. "The most powerful among the White Walkers is their leader, known as the Night King. He has a special ability to mentally connect with all of the White Walkers. That means anything one of them sees, the Night King can know instantly."

Varys then asked, "So, why haven't the White Walkers attacked the Green Seer all this time?"

It was clear what he was implying: Could the Three-Eyed Raven and the White Walkers be working together?

Wright understood his line of thinking. "The White Walkers, the Three-Eyed Raven, and the Children of the Forest all live in the far north, where conditions are harsh, and survival is incredibly difficult. From my judgment, if it wasn't for the war, they likely reached an unspoken agreement to not interfere with each other's lives."

Varys asked, "If a war with the White Walkers breaks out, could the Three-Eyed Raven deal with them?"

Wright answered, "The current Three-Eyed Raven is so connected to a Weirwood tree that he can't even walk on his own. If war breaks out, the White Walkers will attack him as well. He can only defend with magic, but once his magical energy runs out, it's the end for him. That's why I made a deal with the Three-Eyed Raven—to help him complete his legacy!"