Game of Thrones: The Road to Pirate King

Chapter 165 The Tournament Begins—Rega's Debut

Earl Walter Hoan took a deep breath, trying to dispel the lingering fear he had felt when facing the King, and strode to the front of the stands. He gathered his strength, and his booming voice, amplified by the terrain, echoed throughout the arena: "In the name of Harrenhal and the Hoan family, I hereby declare the ten-day tournament officially open!"

His words temporarily dispelled the oppressive atmosphere brought by Iris II, and a burst of enthusiastic cheers erupted from the crowd. After the cheers subsided briefly, he continued, "This grand event is held to celebrate my daughter's fourteenth name day. The competitions include jousting with spears,..."

The competition included six events: individual duels, seven-team duels, archery, axe throwing, and horse racing! The generous rewards for the winners have undoubtedly already spread throughout the seven kingdoms, so I need not elaborate further!

"My daughter, Ariana Hoan, Queen of Love and Beauty!"

Ariana Hoan stood up in response, her face flushed, and gave a slight bow.

"Her brothers, Quasimodo Hoan, Lane Hoan, Matthias Hoan, Benedict Hoan, and her uncle, Ser Oswell Hoan of the Kingsguard, will defend her honor!"

Quasimodo Hoan, Lane Hoan, Matthias Hoan, Benedict Hoan, and their uncle, Sir Oswell Hoan of the Kingsguard, stood up and bowed slightly to the crowd.

"Special thanks to the Greyjoy family for providing all the drinks for this tournament, sourced from the Iron Islands. We have four Kraken wines – white, blue, purple, and gold – there's bound to be one that suits your taste!"

(Upon hearing this announcement, King Coron beamed with joy. In front of so many nobles, the names of the Iron Islands and House Greyjoy were publicly proclaimed, making them famous throughout the Seven Kingdoms. This small price was well paid!)

Walter paused, his gaze sweeping over the knights below, who were already eager for battle and gleaming in their armor, before finally shouting, "Now, the first battle of glory—the jousting of lances—officially begins!"

"All knights whose names have been heard, please enter in turn and prepare!"

As his words fell, the bugler sounded the stirring horn once more, marking the official start of the contest of speed, strength, and honor.

The first to appear was Prince Rhaegar Targaryen.

His opponent was Earl Jon Royce, the Earl of Runestone and head of House Royce. Legend has it that he possessed an ancestral bronze armor, thousands of years old, engraved with magical runes that could protect the wearer from harm.

The bugle sounded, and two warhorses galloped towards each other.

In the first round, Prince Réga's lance struck Count Jorn's shield with perfect precision, causing him to stagger but not fall from his horse. The second round was similar; Réga's lance tip again lightly kissed the shield's center, as if testing rather than deciding the outcome.

It wasn't until the third round that Prince Rhaegar seemed to truly unleash his power. In the blink of an eye as the two horses passed each other, his lance transformed into a silver lightning bolt, striking Count Yorn's breastplate with an impeccable angle and overwhelming force! This strike was clean and swift, its power immense, sending the burly count flying off his horse and crashing heavily into the dust.

Euron, watching from the stands, narrowed his eyes slightly. He could clearly see that Prince Rhaegar's strength far surpassed that of Yorn Royce. If he truly wanted to end the fight, the very first exchange would likely suffice. Rhaegar's effortless control in the first two rounds was clearly a sign that he was holding back, perhaps unwilling to display a crushing victory in his first appearance, thus deliberately giving his opponent ample respect and a chance to demonstrate his abilities.

Prince Réga gracefully removed his dragon-adorned helmet, revealing a strikingly handsome face and flowing silver-gold hair. Instead of basking in the glory of victory, he immediately rode to the fallen Count Jørn Reuss, bent down, and reached out to help his formidable opponent to his feet. Then, he raised his arm in a gesture of humility and nobility towards the surrounding stands.

His handsome appearance, superb martial arts skills, and the chivalrous demeanor he displayed at that moment instantly ignited the enthusiasm of the entire audience.

The cheers from the stands and below were deafening, like a tsunami, with shouts of "Rega! Rega!" rising and falling in waves.

However, amidst this frenzied wave of celebration for the prince, King Iris II, perched atop the platform, felt no joy whatsoever for his son's victory. On the contrary, the deafening cheers pierced his eardrums like sharp needles, causing him to furrow his brow.

It was precisely because Rhaega was so popular and beloved by the people that his fear and suspicion grew wildly—he was constantly worried that this perfect son would one day overthrow his rule.

Logically, at this moment, a king should praise his son's bravery and commend his defeated opponent's tenacity and courage.

But he is "Mad King" Aerys.

He merely glanced coldly at his son, who was receiving a great deal of support in the arena, with his bloodshot eyes, and let out a disdainful snort: "Bronze Yorn"? Hmph, utterly pathetic.

Both Cavaliers teams were already in position at either end of the court, ready for the second game.

On one side is Benjen Stark from Winterfell in the North, the youngest son of Lord Rickard Stark, who, despite his youth, already displays the resilience characteristic of the North. His opponent is Quasimodo Hoan, the eldest son of the host, Lord Walter Hoan, who is also the guardian of the title "Queen of Love and Beauty"—his sister—at this tournament.

Before the battle horn sounded, Benjen Stark did not rush to charge. Instead, he rode slowly to his sister Lyanna Stark's seat in the stands, raising his lance high, the tip pointing towards her. Lyanna smiled sweetly, swiftly taking a grey and white ribbon representing House Stark from her sleeve, carefully and quickly wrapping it around her brother's lance shaft, thus bestowing upon him the blessing and strength of his family.

The bugle sounded again, and the duel officially began! The two warhorses galloped towards each other, their lances clashing violently, splinters flying everywhere. Each exchange drew gasps from the audience.

The two were evenly matched, charging and clashing for eight rounds in a fierce and protracted battle. Finally, Benjen Stark, with a precise and powerful strike, managed to knock Quasimodo Hoan off his horse and win the victory.

In the stands, Lyanna Stark cheered for her brother the entire time, so excited she barely sat down. When Benjen finally won, she jumped up excitedly, cheering and leaping with abandon.

It wasn't until her father, Duke Rickard Stark, cast a stern glance at her that she realized her lapse in decorum. She reluctantly pouted and sat back down, but her face still radiated an irrepressible joy and pride.

The third and fourth matches followed immediately—the duels proceeded one after another with astonishing efficiency, with dust kicked up by horses' hooves, the loud clang of spears breaking, and cheers from the audience rising and falling almost without pause.

Euron's match was scheduled for the eighteenth. At this moment, with the rough assistance of his brother Baron and the slightly clumsy help of his younger brother Victarion, he had already put on the tailor-made armor that gleamed with a cold, hard metallic luster.

Euron held his spear tightly, pointing it straight to the sky. His warhorse, Faruru, seemed to sense the excitement of the impending battle, shaking its adorned head and pawing the ground with its powerful hooves, spewing out puffs of white steam.

When the emcee's booming voice finally echoed throughout the arena, he deliberately raised his voice, adding a touch of amazement and emphasis, as he announced the next name: "Next, let us welcome the youngest knight in this tournament of spears, only eleven years old—Euron from the Iron Islands, House Greyjoy!"