Game of Thrones: I loaded the witcher system.

Chapter 5 Eddard Stark

The contest between Clay and Jon is still going on, but as the expert Sir Roderick said, the situation is developing in a direction that is not good for Jon.

Although the weapon is short, Jon's attack is quick and tricky, but he suffers from too little strength.

Although Clay was forced into danger a few times, he was often able to stabilize the situation, but Jon found that he was starting to exhaust himself.

Every time Clay slashes or thrusts, besides dodging, he has to put in a lot of effort to resist it. It is obvious that Clay has crushed him in terms of strength.

There was another violent collision, and the two sides retreated a short distance. Jon looked at the small gaps on his dagger with distress.

As an illegitimate child, he doesn't have much savings, and he has to grit his teeth and stomp his feet to forge a dagger.

Holding the blade across his chest, Clay panted slightly and wiped the sweat hanging from his forehead. He keenly noticed the slight trembling of Jon's right hand holding the sword and the involuntary movement of his fingers.

He's bored, Clay thought.

Leaning forward, he raised his sword and charged. Just as he swung his sword down, a sword with much better workmanship than Jon's short sword stood between the two of them. Someone said:
"You win, my friend from White Harbor." The voice was equally young.

When someone blocked him, Clay withdrew his sword and retreated. It is not a wise thing to defeat his child in the master's territory, although he thinks that the Stark family's character may not mind these things.

"Rob, you don't have to do this, I can beat him!" Jon was a little dissatisfied with his brother.

Clay was a little surprised. Is this tall brown-haired young man in front of him Rob Stark?
"Okay, go and change your dirty clothes first, or mother will scold you again." The young master of the Stark family smiled and patted his brother on the shoulder.

Although Jon was a little reluctant, he was very aware of his physical condition, and he was not someone who could afford to lose. He nodded slightly to Clay, and immediately left the scene with a guard.

Seeing the end of the competition, the onlookers made unsatisfactory voices, but soon dispersed in twos and threes.

There were only two family guards left on the field, Robb and Clay standing together, and Sir Roderick who came over.

"Ser," said Rob, and so did Clay.

Roderick's gray eyes showed a look of scrutiny. He looked at Clay with a serious voice: "Lord Ed is waiting for you in the hall, come with me."

Rob wanted to keep up, but Roderick just said: "Rob, your mother is looking for Bran, and he doesn't know which tower he climbed to. I suggest you help her."

Rob smiled helplessly, gave Clay a sorry look, pulled on the wolf fur cape and left in a hurry.

Walking all the way, Clay was brought by Roderick to the hall of the Stark family.

This is probably the largest building other than the main castle where the Stark family lived. The vast hall can accommodate eight long tables, even 500 people.

On the high platform in the hall, Clay saw an ordinary-looking middle-aged man, but he knew very well that this was one of the seven most powerful people in the entire kingdom, Ed Star duke.

Before Roderick could introduce him, he stroked his chest and saluted: "Your Excellency the Duke."

Ed waved his hand, and Sir Roderick saluted and stepped aside. Clay and him were the only ones left on the empty high platform. He looked up and down at the young man who had just defeated Jon.

Instead, he inherited the tall and burly figure of the Mandalay family. After a moment of silence, he asked kindly:
"Which of White Harbor is your father?" without first asking Clay's name.

"Wendel Mandler, Your Excellency the Duke."

"Hmm... Wendell, huh? Are you Wendell's son?" As the guardian of the northern border, he naturally knew the situation of his vassals. After a little thought, he remembered who Wendell was, and immediately realized that Ke Lei's identity is confirmed, this is the third generation heir of the Mandalay family!

Roderick, who heard Clay's words, was also surprised. He had a good relationship with Wendell, but he didn't expect that the Mandalay boy he regarded as a side branch was actually the child of an old friend.

Clay took out the letter bearing the emblem of Earl Wyman from his pocket, and placed it in front of Duke Ed's desk.

Duke Ed was a little strange, but he still picked up the letter and recognized the unique emblem of Earl Wyman at a glance, and now he had a little more trust in Clay's identity.

After reading the letter, Ed Stark understood what Earl Wyman meant. He was asking him to send a letter to all the northern nobles to endorse Clay's identity.

There is nothing wrong with this. When encountering heir problems, it is very common for vassals to find their own lords to perform such operations, but this is related to the heirs of the Mandalay family, one of the most powerful princes in the northern border. Ed's sense of honor Ask him to be cautious.

"Clay Mandalay, please stay in Winterfell for a few days, I will send a raven to White Harbor to confirm your identity." It seems that the old man mentioned his name in the letter.

Is it so troublesome?Clay frowned slightly, but he had no reason to refute, so he could only nod.

Seeing Clay without any hesitation, Duke Ed's serious face pulled a little smile, and he pointed aside:
"Roderick, you have already met. Let him show you around Winterfell these few days. I heard from him that you brought your sister here? That's just right, you are familiar with Rob and Sansa. .”

Clay had a good first impression of Jon and Robb, so he naturally wouldn't refuse. He knew that his conversation with the guardian of the north was over, so he saluted and followed Roderick out of the hall .

As soon as he went out, Roderick said: "Wendel nagged me many times when he came to Winterfell, and now it seems that you have inherited your mother's appearance, but this guy is a qualified Mander." Le."

Clay looked at the already very old knight, and said to himself that what his father said seemed to be true. He really had a very good relationship with Roderick, and he remembered what his father had told him before he left.

"Sir, before I came, my father told me to give you a bottle of wine to pay off his gambling debt to you."

Roderick froze for a moment, and then laughed. Now he has no worries about Clay's identity, because the gambling debt is a secret between him and Wendell, and no one else knows about it.

He snorted and said, "It's rare that he can still remember. I thought he hid in White Harbor just because of a bottle of wine."

The old jazz was obviously in a good mood, and put an iron hand on Clay's shoulder.

"Master Ed is right. You young people should be familiar with it. Let's go, you go to have breakfast first, then bring your sister and come to the school grounds to find us."

As the chief coach of Winterfell, he is responsible for training the younger generation of the Stark family, and he taught Jon's swordsmanship.

Smiling, Clay walked towards his residence. He had to wake up Vera, the sleepy little sister.

(End of this chapter)