"Increase the number of voters? You don't want to expand the voting to include land grants, but it's the commander-in-chief of the Night's Watch Legion, not the king of the land, which is the prerogative of the Oath Watch. ”

"It's not that exciting, even if everyone agrees, I don't dare to say yes. If you do that, the winner will be the former king of the Cypriots, Mance Red. Egger laughed and shook his head: "We're just going to play the game and do it within the rules—if we want four hundred to make up less than a third of the total number of legions, as long as there are more than 1,200 Oath Brothers who have the right to vote, that is, we only need to try to get two hundred people who are willing to swear to join the Night's Watch and vote for me, and we can turn the tide." ”

Can it still be like this?

This man's tricks are beyond imagination. Dennis Mellister, the old man and Carter Pike, are rough men, what can they do with this kind of opponent? Melisandre narrowed her eyes and stared at Iger for a few seconds - she originally wanted to offer help in order to gain trust and attention, so that after Iger won the election of commander-in-chief, she would have a place at the Great Wall and enough voice in the land grant, who would want to ...... The guy in front of him doesn't seem to need her help and can get the trouble out of it himself!

"Interesting idea, two hundred people, where are you going to come from?"

"Recruited from the Night's Watch Logistics Department, recruited from the Land-Granting Residents...... There will be brave men under the reward, and that's not what worries me. "It's just a matter of getting new recruits, and they have to be recognized as Brothers of Oath in order to have the right to vote." Normally, the head of the instructor will give the list of recruits who have completed the training to the commander-in-chief, who will approve it and take the oath of oath and assign them to the department...... But at the moment the commander-in-chief cannot be chosen, then I think: this procedure can be skipped. Sam told me that there was a precedent for this. ”

"The so-called precedent is that the head of the sect directly swears to join the legion after approval?"

"That's right. Iger nodded, "There have been countless commander-in-chief elections in history, ranging from one day to two years, and the Night's Watch can wait for a new leader to be born, but the nobles who join the Night's Watch for honor, or the criminals appointed by the king and the great nobles to wear black, and the exiled losers of the political struggle can't wait—after all, only by taking an oath can they be bound in black, so that the enforcers and the victorious side can be reassured." I'm going to set up a bonus for the head coach of Castle Black: one for each recruit who completes training to become a night watchman...... The mere benefit may not be enough, and I will have to find time to talk to Sir Andrew so that he can do so. ”

"I've heard that Andrew Tus served in the Shadow Tower for many years before he was transferred to Castle Dark by Mormont, how are you going to convince him to obediently cooperate with you and your old boss in the election for Commander-in-Chief?"

"It's the trickiest part of the whole plan, but at least he's openly neutral, isn't it? I believe that there must be a road before the car reaches the mountain, and the boat arrives at the ...... Well...... There are always more solutions than difficulties. ”

"Where did the slang come from, it sounds quite interesting. Melisandre narrowed her eyes: "What's more coincidental is that this sentence is really accurate today." Your way is close at hand. ”

"Oh?" Iger asked, pretending to be confused, "what do you mean by that?" ”

"Good news - the most crucial part of your plan, Sir Andrew, the current head of Castle Black, has been enlightened by me to recognize the fact that Lahlo is the only true God, and as a member of the Red God, I can easily convince him to do this for you as long as I open my mouth. ”

Egger's heart moved, this is a good thing, he doesn't care whether Melisandre is persuasive, pajamas, or directly uses spells to control Sir Andrew's mind: "That's great, but I don't know, what price does Lady Melisandre want me to pay to help me with this?"

"No, no, no, the Chief Logistics Officer obviously didn't understand one thing: the Great Wall is at the forefront of the battle for life and death, and the choice of commander-in-chief is related to the future of mankind. We need a strong leader who can lead us through this difficult time – I believe in your abilities and think you are the most suitable commander-in-chief to come and offer to help. Melisandre stared into Egger's eyes and said, "This is a voluntary help, it doesn't cost you anything, I just hope that after being elected commander-in-chief, my lord will promise me a few small things." ”

......

There will be this day.

Melisandre, a key plot figure with unpredictable abilities, would come uninvited and take the initiative to help in the commander-in-chief election and even deign to show up to help?

Egg suddenly recalled the time when he had just crossed over, when he had to cut back and watch the situation with his eyes wide open and his ears pricked up in order to carry out some small plans to save his life. Even when he came to King's Landing, in order to recruit some ordinary talents and employees, he had to go out in person, with words and interests...... even play the emotional card to envelop people.

Should it be said that there is a lot of help?

No, when a person climbs to a certain height and shows a certain ability and influence, just like a game character has a high prestige and charisma, there will naturally be followers and supporters. In Melisandre's eyes, Egger's qualities in fulfilling the prophecy were the most crucial factors in her coming to Cheng.

Iger nodded: "As long as it's not too demanding, I'm willing to serve." ”

"I will have the Narrow Sea Lords and their retinue who have followed me declare their membership in the Night's Watch, all of them of noble origins and trained as knights. As long as you apply, you don't need to go through a long recruit stage to directly take the oath and put on the black clothes, and no one has any reason to stop you. As soon as they become the Night Watch, they will vote for you to help you secure the victory...... Then, it's about you and the head two of you. ”

"Joining the Night's Watch means giving up everything they have in the South, and they're willing to do it in support of me?"

"All that you have?" Melisandre smiled faintly, "The Lord of Light can give them far more than their family and the king." ”

Should we lament that the power of religion should not be underestimated?

Immortality?Going to Heaven after death?How many virgins served?God knows what Melisandre promised or how many ecstasy spells she gave to the post-party people to not only abandon the opportunity to follow Stannis's legacy, but also agree to join the Night's Watch. But they are willing to make sacrifices just to send themselves to the top, and they are naturally happy.

Iger nodded, waiting for the witch to say her few small conditions.

"But you're not going to let them actually stay here forever guarding the Wall. Melisandre didn't sell much, and after a short pause, she continued, "After this battle of life and death is over, and we have once again driven the forces of the Cold God back to the land of eternal winter, you will send them to the south and their homeland to collect food and grass, just like you left Castle Black to go to King's Landing before, no problem, right?"

To summarize simply, it means that after helping, it is better to go back to a comfortable place to enjoy happiness. This would certainly not seem fair to the other night watchmen...... But the seven gods are above, at this kind of life and death juncture, how can you think about that kind of thing?

Iger nodded: "No problem, they will all join the logistics department and become logistics officers, and they will be responsible for business trips to the south after the war." ”

"After you are elected commander-in-chief, you will have to facilitate my dissemination of the teachings of the Red God on the Great Wall and the land grants. ”

Expected conditions. After all, this is not for selfish gain, and it is not harmful to the defense of the Great Wall, Iger continued to nod: "Okay. ”

Humans without the restraint of faith are savage, and it would be a good thing to let Melisandre's red god restrain the savages. But Iger also understands that those who are blinded by faith are more terrible than savages...... How to balance this will be considered after you succeed in winning the position of commander-in-chief.

......

The first two conditions were agreed to without hesitation, and in Melisandre's calculations, it was a common trick to paralyze the vigilance of the negotiator in a step-by-step manner, and Iger was not the only one who would use it: "Finally, you have to admit that you are the reincarnation of Azor Ah, the prince of prophecy." As a legendary hero, command this war against death. ”

This really made Iger a little confused, admitting that he was the child of prophecy...... Is there any benefit, the Night's Watch, the Mountain Clansmen, and the Wildlings, who cares about the broken prophecy of the three large groups that make up the land grant?

"I don't understand why I'm pretending to be someone else? That prophecy is well known and well known, but believe me - there are very few people who really take him to heart. I will be elected commander-in-chief by strength, and I will be convinced by what I do, and I don't need such means. Egg shook his head, and suddenly raised his eyebrows: "Wait, do you need someone to pretend to be this character, or do you really think I'm the prophesied prince?"

"By all indications, you are the one who fulfilled the prophecy. Melisandre shook her head, "I saw Dragonstone from the Holy Fire a few years ago...... I interpreted it at the time as 'The Son of Prophecy is the Prince of Dragonstone'. Sadly, King Stannis, seated on the Iron Throne, refused to be at the forefront of the battle between ice and fire to match the prophesied next step. I was confused for a while, and then it occurred to me that what the Lord of Light wanted to tell me was probably not that the Child of Prophecy was the owner of Dragonstone, but that I would meet the object of prophecy on Dragonstone. ”

"Well, I did meet you on Dragonstone. In fact, there was a twist and turn, and Egg interrupted Melisandre with a wave of his hand: "Let me sort it out - you, in the fire, saw Dragonstone and then the Wall, and I happened to be in both places at the same time as you, so you think I'm the prophesied prince? ”

"It's not that simple. Don't forget, when we met, you had already killed a stranger, had a confrontation with another false god, and had two heretic scents on you. I should have realized that you were different, but I was too confident to see you as an ordinary night watchman - in addition to the hurried glimpse of the two scenes in the fire, I also saw the prophesied prince commanding thousands of troops against the terrifying darkness. Once you're elected Commander-in-Chief of the Night's Watch, won't you match the third one? There are no lies in the flames...... In addition to these three conditions, some of the qualities you have displayed are the real reasons for my judgment. ”

......

(If you had known the means and intentions I used to get to King's Landing on a business trip, and even the way back to defect to the other side of the Narrow Sea, I am afraid you wouldn't say so.) Iger said in his heart.

＊＊＊

The Lord of Light made Melisandre see Dragonstone in the fire, perhaps referring to Daenerys Targaryen's birth on the island, or simply implying that Dragonstone has the Dragonstone, a key weapon against the Wraiths...... Oh my God, there are 10,000 reasons for Rahlo to let his priests see the Wall, and as for the commander of a thousand troops, a thousand night watchmen, and forty thousand land-givers cobbled together from a motley of sources—can they be counted as "thousands of troops"?

Iger didn't say these words.

Melisandre judged herself to be the child of prophecy, and from the point of view of logic and the actual situation at hand, it was not in her favor.

There is no doubt that his performance was a success. The book "The Fantastic Adventures of the Night Watch", several good performances in public, helped him successfully portray Egger West, a brave and fearless but also clear-minded, courageous adventurer, entrepreneur and cold-fighting hero, so much so that it had an impact on the Red Robe's interpretation of the prophecy. To be honest, the feeling of being mistaken for a child of prophecy is like having a crush on a girl he likes, which is quite delightful, but after much thought, Iger decides: not to admit it.

In addition to the fear that Melisandre will find out that she has recognized the wrong person in the future and become angry and take her resentment on herself, there are many considerations that she can't explain clearly in a few words.

The favored one always has no fear, and now that he knows that Melisandre really thinks of himself as the child of prophecy, Iger takes the initiative - he can be a little "proud". Just as a mother does not love a child because she is rebellious, as a priest of the Red God, Melisandre will never give up on helping and supporting her because of her denial or non-cooperation.

"No, excuse me, I refuse this request. Egger said with a firm expression, "I respect your beliefs, and I believe that you have some abilities that I can't understand. But I'm who I am, not anyone's reincarnation or substitute - if being named a child of prophecy would be of great help in the fight against the Strangers, I might be able to endure it. But the truth is, it's useless, it doesn't make me happy, I can't accept it. ”

"Don't deny it subconsciously, think about it, is there anyone better than you to live up to the prophecy?" Melisandre stood up, the large ruby in her throat pulsating rhythmically in the candlelight. She walked around the desk to Egger, leaned down, and pointed her thin, white fingers at Egger's chest, as if to feel his thoughts through flesh, wool, and leather. "Do you feel it, your heart is burning and pulsating with the light of Rahlo, you are the prince of prophecy, you must face up to yourself!"

(Being able to say the heartbeat so literarily is really the ability of these gods.) With this thought, the heat and the breath of the opposite sex rushed to the face.

If this woman wanted to mess herself up and reluctantly admit it, then she almost did it. Egg snorted secretly, but his face was still the same, he also stood up and brushed the witch's hand away: "Lady Melisandre, you have two choices now, one is to continue to try to convince me, but I promise you won't succeed, and the other is to give up the boring matter of arguing, whether it is a child of prophecy or not, I will do my best to preside over the defense of the Great Wall against our common enemy, right?" ”

Melisandre withdrew her arm and stared at Egg for a moment to make sure the other man insisted on this, sighed regretfully, and turned back to the table.

She didn't feel defeated.

It took far more tongue and energy to convince Stannis Baratheon that he was the prophesied prince. However, the situation of the two is different, and Melisandre must convince Stannis of her prophesied prince because she will use it to convince him to compete for the throne in the future, and even persuade him to rush to the Great Wall to fight the fire herself.

Sadly, the Iron Throne's appeal is clearly higher than prophesied.

And what about Egger, at least one thing is true—he is already on the Wall, and with his own help, he is about to be elected commander-in-chief of the Night's Watch, and whether he recognizes it or not, it will have little effect on the outcome of this battle of life and death.

"Well, since you insist, that's it...... Take a step back, and I want you to openly admit that you believe in the Lord of Light, a devout follower of the Red God. ”

Everyone took a step back, and it seemed like a fair deal, but Egger's answer was still no.

Once you are the commander-in-chief and openly declare your belief in the Red God, you will be hindered in doing many things in the future...... This is not the most troublesome, Egg mainly does not want to be like Stannis, and in the future, he will do something casually, and he will be said to be instructed by Melisandre and the credit of "that witch".

......

He suddenly felt a little ironic: before he became the commander-in-chief, he began to think about these things first, should he say that infighting and power struggle are the bad nature of human beings?

But Iger didn't want to start thinking about a solution when something went wrong.

"In order to resist the impending crisis, we have to unite all the forces that we can muster. In order to do this, I even plan to build a statue of the gods of every major religion around Houguan Town in the future, and to build a place of pilgrimage or prayer for people of all faiths who have gathered on the Great Wall for the same purpose. Speaking of which, when he was hunted down by that strange ghost, he swore that he would do this in the future, and now that he has made this plan, it can be regarded as a wish: "In this case, I think it is most appropriate for the Commander-in-Chief of the Night's Watch, as the supreme commander of the garrison of the Great Wall and the land grant, to remain neutral or conceal his true tendencies in his own beliefs. ”

"Rahlo is the source of all goodness, one of the only two true gods in the world who can project power, and you have chosen to fight against the enemies of all living beings, but you will not join the other side?"

"I believe that Rahlo is the source of goodness. Actually, Iger was very suspicious of this, "I've seen the power you wield...... Unfortunately, in Westeros, people who are not followers of the Red God make up the majority. Among the great nobles who held important resources, only King Stannis's family openly changed their faith. I don't think a man as intelligent and extraordinary as Lady Melisandre would be extreme or stupid enough to think that pagan help and support is dirty and disdainful to accept it, right?"

Melisandre smiled, noncommittal. She also has all sorts of means or rhetoric for unbelievers, but some of them are not easy to use against the children of prophecy, and the rest ...... He looked at Egg's face, which was also smiling, and suddenly had a premonition that even a diehard like Stannis had never had in front of him: there was no way he could convince him to change his mind about what this guy had decided.

Perhaps, strong-willedness - and the true prophetic prince, one of the things that sets ordinary people apart?

——