Chapter 368: Waiter, Bring the Wine

"Good, very good! Your Majesty has made the right decision. The Long Night is the common enemy of all. The one who ends it should be king—this is the most straightforward way to settle the dispute over the Iron Throne and better unite the forces of the Seven Kingdoms to fight the White Walkers together."

Amidst the silence, the old crab suddenly jumped to his feet, waving his arms and loudly cheering. His excitement was completely genuine, without the slightest hint of pretense.

Father, have you lost your mind?

Sneaky tricks are your usual style—since when did saving the world become your business?

Crab Jr. stared wide-eyed at his father in disbelief.

But the old crab pretended not to notice his son's bewildered gaze and sang praises for the Dragon Queen on his own:"Her Majesty is wise and benevolent, a true symbol of sacrifice. She is a role model for all the nobles of the Seven Kingdoms and an example for all kings to emulate.

I believe that once the nobles of the Seven Kingdoms see the Queen's determination and sincerity, they will surely let go of their prejudices and unite to endure this Long Night together."

"Father, are you… are you okay?" Crab Jr. stammered, panic flashing in his eyes.

Dad's gone mad!

"I'm perfectly fine," the old crab said loudly, sweeping his gaze across the nobles seated at the same table. "King's Landing is overrun with jesters, rites are crumbling, and we've always longed for a virtuous ruler to step forward, restore the old order, cleanse the world, and give Westeros a fresh start."

Some knights nodded silently, some were visibly stirred, while others offered half-hearted words of agreement. The rest looked around, unsure, waiting to follow the majority.

"Your Majesty, I will carry out your will without question," said Bronn with a deep breath.

At least there's a fallback plan—could be worse.

"I'll follow the Queen in everything," said young Lord Monterys.

With the Dragon Party's three leaders and a group of knights and lords all in agreement, the strategic direction for the Long Night campaign was now unified.

"Then let's move on to the next item—how to take Dragonstone."

Two hours later, the first Dragon Party assembly came to a close, having completed three major objectives:First, they established the ideological core of the Dragon Party.Second, they planned the assault on Dragonstone and its subsequent defense.Third, they allocated key positions.

Regarding positions, Daenerys didn't follow the traditional Seven Kingdoms' council structure—that is, Hand of the King, Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, Master of Coin, Master of Laws (Justice), Master of Whisperers, Master of Ships, and Grand Maester.

It wasn't that she lacked enough people to fill those roles, but because her main focus was still in Slaver's Bay, she couldn't maintain a full court on Dragonstone.

Instead, based purely on available personnel and future military needs, she created five military positions:

Admiral of the First Fleet

Admiral of the Second Fleet

Commander of the First Glorious Knights

Commander of the Second Glorious Knights

Dragonstone Garrison Commander

The position of First Fleet Admiral was given to the old crab. He had plenty of ships, and enough sons, brothers, and sailors to barely piece together the structure of a fleet.

The First Fleet's main duty was to secure naval supremacy in Blackwater Bay and ensure the safety of the Dragon Party's "Three Isles"—Dragonstone, Tides, and Crab Isle.

The Second Fleet, currently existing only on paper, was placed under the command of Big Crab. Daenerys would later purchase ships to fill it out.

Big Crab had extensive sailing experience and was particularly familiar with the Narrow Sea's conditions.

He was the best choice to handle grain transportation and the pickup of wildlings from the Wall.

The title of Commander of the First Glorious Knights nominally went to young Lord Monterys, but actual command was held by his vassal, Ser Sothoros Bush.

This gap-toothed, middle-aged knight had originally served as High Tide's garrison commander, tasked with protecting House Velaryon. His loyalty and capabilities were beyond doubt.

The Commander of the Second Glorious Knights was none other than Bronn.

The defense of Dragonstone—and by extension, the Queen's safety—naturally fell under the command of the White Knight.

By the way, "Glorious Knights" was a new term coined by Daenerys, intended to distinguish her knights from the traditional ones and from hired swords in the Seven Kingdoms.

She renamed the knights under her banner, much like the White Knights, and redefined their entire role.

Glorious Knights differed from the anointed knights of the Seven Kingdoms in two main ways: their oaths and their promotion system.

As long as someone swore to the eight tenets laid out by the Knight King Daenerys (a version of "Eight Honors and Eight Shames"), and upheld those vows through action, they could become a Glorious Knight—no need for anointment, no need for a warhorse or knightly skills.

It might seem childish, but it was the fastest way to spread her ideals.

Daenerys aimed to rapidly seize a share of the "knight market."

But this didn't mean the quality of Glorious Knights couldn't be ensured.

If a Glorious Knight violated the oath—and if that violation became known and confirmed—local septons had the authority to strip them of their title.

It might sound convoluted and unnecessary, like putting on pants just to fart. Or maybe there'd be too many Glorious Knights to effectively monitor?

Daenerys didn't intend to build a perfect, utopian world. She was simply promoting her values and vision.

In other words, Daenerys wanted to turn Westerosi knight culture into a martial-arts-inspired code of chivalry.

Yes—replacing "glory" with "righteousness," and creating a class of "Chivalrous Knights"—essentially, heroes on horseback.

At present, the promotion system for knights in Westeros looked like this:Peasant (works hard to earn money) → Slightly richer peasant (arms his son) → Peasant with horse and sword (trains) → Hedge Knight (seeks employers) → Hired Knight (serves a noble) → Landed Knight (earns rewards) → Knight with a title.

See? No need for virtue or morality. Two things mattered most: wealth and ruthlessness.

With money came good gear, and good gear meant survival. Ruthlessness meant killing, and killing meant merit. Merit led to nobility.

The whole process was steeped in blood and betrayal—Bronn being the classic example.

But what about under Daenerys's system of Glorious Knights?Peasant (holds noble ideals and a heart for justice) → Glorious Knight (highly skilled and virtuous) → Famous Glorious Knight → Hired Glorious Knight (if exposed doing evil) → Disgraced peasantOr, Hired Glorious Knight (does good or hides evil) → Landed Knight.

Have you noticed how closely this mirrors the journey of a martial arts hero in Wuxia stories?

A commoner (longing for the thrill and justice of the Jianghu) → a man of the Jianghu (possessing martial skill and virtue) → a great hero → a renowned hero who uses his fame to build wealth and influence (caught doing bad deeds) → a disgraced and ruined man.

A great hero (whose good deeds are discovered—or bad ones go unnoticed) → a legendary figure of great wealth and a legacy passed down through generations.

In today's Westeros, knights committing evil deeds no longer fear being discovered. In fact, they openly oppress the innocent, plundering and killing with impunity.

—Isn't it only natural for nobles to bully commoners?

After all, a knight's title is granted by the nobility and the Faith. Even if the common folk curse them loudly, they cannot revoke a knight's title. And even if the people sing praises, they cannot crown a truly chivalrous man with the title of "knight."

But things are different with the Honor Knight. Their status and honor or disgrace are defined entirely by the moral standards of the people.

Anyone who vows to live by the knightly spirit (based on the Eight Honors and Eight Disgraces) can immediately become an Honor Knight.

Anyone who fulfills the Knight-King's chivalric oath can earn the praise and admiration of the people, becoming a widely celebrated Honor Knight—a true hero.

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No matter who it is—even a king—if they break their sworn oath, they will be scorned by both nobles and commoners. Even if they insist on calling themselves an Honor Knight, it will be meaningless.

In this chivalric civilization modeled after Wuxia, no noble will dare to seize women or commit murder and mayhem in broad daylight ever again.

At most, they'll do it quietly—and Westeros will evolve into a land filled with hypocrites like Yue Buqun.

Tidehead Isle, High|Tide City, Driftwood Hall – inside the newly constructed sept.

Beneath the statues of the Seven, Knight-Queen Daenerys stood solemnly. The evening sun poured through mosaic glass, casting a holy, majestic aura upon her.

It was much like the day Stannis converted to the Red God's faith, summoning his vassals to Dragonstone to witness the burning of the Seven's statues by the Red Woman.

Now, the Knight-Queen had restored the old sanctity of the Driftwood Hall sept and gathered over a thousand mounted followers to redefine what it means to be a knight.

The three heads of House Targaryen knelt before her, followed by their loyal knights and sworn swords, then came Bronn's two hundred sellsword knights, the young earl's hundreds of household guards, and more than four hundred sailors led by the Old Crab.

The sept wasn't large enough, and many had to kneel on the steps and in the courtyard.

In her dual-dragon-spirited form, the Knight-Queen Daenerys radiated power and declared in a loud voice:"I swear to protect the weak!"

"I swear to protect the weak!" the knights before her roared in unison.

"I swear to bravely resist tyranny!"

"I swear to oppose wrongdoing and injustice!"

"I swear to wield my sword for all the people of the world!"

"I swear not to harm children and infants!"

"I swear to aid my fellow knights!"

"I swear to be honest and trustworthy, to uphold the basic laws of the realm and the traditions of all peoples!"

"I swear to be ashamed of ignorance, idleness, and indulgence!"

The Knight-Queen nodded in satisfaction and said,"Very well. You are the first Honor Knights of Westeros. Remember your vows and hold fast to them. The Seven, the dragons, and I—all bear witness to you."

Night.

In the tower of Count Celtigar, inside the Old Crab's chamber.

"Father, this is another Saint Baelor," Second Son Crab sighed.

The Old Crab chuckled and shook his head."Though she clings to justice, even calling herself a High Septon, she's far more clever and reasonable than Baelor ever was.In truth, I'm glad to see a queen who devoutly worships the Seven."

When Stannis burned the statues of the Seven on Dragonstone, the Old Crab had been there too. He'd covered his face with linen to protest—those nobles who openly defied the Red God were burned alive.

Second Son Crab said with urgency,"The Seven Kingdoms are in turmoil, the kings are at war. Only the cunning survive and triumph. The Queen is far too kind—almost saintly. It troubles me deeply!"

Elder Son Crab said sternly,"To serve a kind and just queen should make us proud."

"The Long Night is treacherous. The nobles of Westeros are shameless and deceitful. A single misstep—" He paused, then said gravely,"Brother, you must understand the importance of knowing one's limits. Though the Queen seems to hold the upper hand, she's clearly determined to confront the White Walkers. And dragons... are not invincible!"

He then turned to the Old Crab and asked,"Father, do you believe the White Walkers are real?"

"Of course they are. Would Her Majesty lie?" Elder Brother answered immediately.

Second Son ignored him and looked intently at their wise father.

"Very likely," the Old Crab said after a pause, his expression clouded with worry.

(End of chapter)

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