Riverlands, Harrenhal
A dwarf, protected by a group of guards, arrived at a local tavern.
This dwarf had a hideous and ugly appearance, and initially, the tavern server was unwilling to approach him. However, after the dwarf slapped a few silver stags onto the table, the server was in front of him the very next second.
"Greetings, my lord, how should I address you? What would you like?"
"Cut the useless pleasantries, bring me one of every signature dish in your shop!"
"All... all of them?!"
Tyrion: "Can't this money buy them?"
Server: "Yes, yes, it's more than enough! But ordering one of every signature dish is a bit too much, you see..."
The Imp waved his hand and said with a smile: "Look at the fellows with me; if I can't finish it, can't they?"
But soon, he couldn't smile anymore, because the server brought out several large platters of stew and various fruits and vegetables, which gave Tyrion quite a shock.
"I didn't order this much?!"
"My lord, this is exactly what you ordered!"
Tyrion: "But I only paid a few silver stags!"
The server had a look of sudden realization and said: "My lord, you must be new to Harrenhal. Things here are cheaper than outside; your money can buy portions you can't get anywhere else!"
In the end, Tyrion had no choice but to pull his guards in to help finish the meal, but half of it still remained.
"Check, please. We can't eat anymore. Give the rest to the beggars nearby!"
"My lord, have you seen any beggars here?"
"Uh..." The Imp was reminded by the server, and after carefully recalling, he realized he truly hadn't seen anyone begging in the Hean Family territory.
The server took the opportunity to remind him: "My lord, our Lord Roman has a massive amount of construction projects underway. There aren't enough locals to go around now. If it weren't for Lord Roman strictly prohibiting child labor, many people would have wanted to send their children there."
Tyrion was helpless and ultimately could only distribute the remaining food to those in the shop who needed it.
He walked out of the tavern, originally intending to find Tywin after eating, but now he had other ideas.
He decided to first see what the territory under the Hean Family's rule was actually like.
It was funny to think about: Robb had originally wanted to hold Tyrion hostage at Winterfell to coerce Tywin into retreating.
The Young Wolf threatened Tywin in letters, saying that if the Lannister forces didn't retreat, then Tyrion would face severe punishment.
But after several letters were sent, it was as if Tywin hadn't received any of them; he showed no reaction at all, as if he didn't have such a son.
In the end, Robb even began to pity Tyrion, looking at him with a gaze of compassion every time they met, which left Tyrion feeling both angry and hurt.
Eventually, Eddard and Tyrion made a deal: Winterfell would let Tyrion go, but Tyrion had to swear to the gods that he would go to the Westerlands to convince Tywin to negotiate peace.
Eddard didn't force Tyrion to succeed, so Tyrion happily agreed.
However, news soon spread throughout the Riverlands that Tyrion was going to convince Tywin on behalf of the Stark and Tully houses.
The Imp immediately realized that this was likely the work of that fellow, Roman.
"Ser Roman, your habit of gossiping whenever you have nothing better to do has truly caused me so much suffering!"
Tyrion walked aimlessly through the territory of Harrenhal, feeling how different it was from other places.
The first thing he felt was a sense of ease; the smiles Tyrion saw on the faces of the residents here were more than he had seen in King's Landing and Casterly Rock combined.
Yet in Casterly Rock, that vault of gold, despair and numbness were still visible everywhere on the faces of the commoners.
At the same time, the residents here had physical fitness far superior to people in other regions; most were sturdy and well-fed, which made Tyrion even more curious about what allowed the people of Harrenhal to have such treatment.
The Imp found a farmer and asked him about his living conditions and the policies of Harrenhal.
Once this was brought up, the farmer immediately became excited. Seeing that Tyrion was an outsider, he detailed Roman's various policies and the earth-shaking changes that had taken place in Harrenhal over the past few years.
The more Tyrion listened, the more shocked he became. Eventually, he dismissed the rambling farmer and began riding through the Harrenhal territory himself.
As The Imp continued his exploration, he saw developed road networks, convenient water conservancy systems, powerful mechanical manufacturing industries, and loyal subjects.
The devotion of the Hean Family's subjects to their lord far exceeded Tyrion's imagination; he saw more than once people who were rejected when trying to enlist in the army because they didn't meet the physical standards sit on the ground and cry.
Tyrion: "How could there be people scrambling to join the army?!"
For The Imp, Harrenhal was becoming more and more frightening the more he explored; even in the most minute details, he could see Roman's care for the common people.
Especially with Roman's restrictions on officials in various places; Tyrion often saw people in black cloaks and armor escorting prisoners to Harrenhal, and upon asking, he learned they were corrupt officials.
Just as Tyrion was dazzled by all of this, the people around him erupted into thunderous cheers.
Everyone shouted "Long live Roman!!", and waved toward the sky.
The Imp followed the people's gaze toward the sky, and what greeted his eyes was a rapidly flying ball of white light streaking across the heavens.
Tyrion: "What is that?!"
Passerby: "That is Lord Roman! He has returned to Harrenhal! Why are you so calm?!"
At this moment, Tyrion understood that those legends about Roman were likely all true.
"No! If this is the case, I must make Father retreat! We cannot win!"
————
Roman was currently in the sky testing his limits, constantly increasing his speed and casting magic.
He could now fly at full speed for several hours, and his speed could keep up with swift birds.
In terms of magical attainment, Roman had passed the primary stage of only being able to cast fire and lightning. He could now condense mana into a sphere, which manifested as balls of white flame and lightning around him.
Compared to pillars of fire, these Magic Missiles lacked sustained effect but were extremely fast. Roman could fly over enemy lines at high speed to launch attacks without worrying about lingering too long and being shot down by scorpion bolts.
After a series of high-mobility maneuvers, Roman cut into the field at an eerie angle and smashed the Magic Missiles into the pre-set targets.
After roughly assessing the damage from the air, Roman landed directly; he was satisfied with the accuracy he had displayed.
Once he landed, Fili came running over with a water bottle.
"Lord Roman, you've worked hard! All the targets were destroyed, not a single one missed. In the future, we can use this method to strike the logistics of the Lannister army!"
Fili immediately thought of the role Roman's high mobility and combat capability could play. At the same time, deep down, she didn't want Roman to charge directly onto the front lines; that was too dangerous.
Roman: "I would actually prefer to tear through the enemy's formation directly; that would greatly reduce the danger the soldiers face."
"Fili, it is impossible for me to watch soldiers die for me and remain indifferent. You know what kind of person I am."
The young girl knew that Roman would never back down on matters of principle. She could only stare intently into Roman's eyes before finally throwing herself into his arms.
"Then you must promise me that you won't put yourself in danger!"
Roman chuckled and stroked Fili's back, indicating that he wasn't stupid and wouldn't repeat the mistakes of Meraxes.