Tyrion smiled without restraint.
Nine captives knelt on the ground.
Seven men and two women, all of them had picked up weapons and killed people.
Fortunately, the bald man didn't die.
Tyrion happily pondered how to deal with this discriminatory bastard.
Yoren walked over with a string of dangling heads.
"Thanks to Your Highness, the Wild Dogs are finished. The walls of the Wall can have dozens more dog heads as decoration."
Joffrey, however, said, "There's no need to be so harsh. After all, there are two deserters from the Night's Watch among them. How can you call them Wild Dogs, right?"
He looked at the two deserters.
The limp deserters seemed to have no intention of denying it.
Benjen snorted, "Worse than dogs! I'm afraid they haven't forgotten my face yet. Your Highness, let me personally execute these two traitors!"
Tyrion interrupted, "Leave the bald one for me."
Joffrey didn't even agree. "Tell me what you know. Whoever provides more valuable information will live."
A glimmer of hope for survival ignited in the eyes of the two deserters.
They already knew Joffrey's true identity. If they could get a pardon from the Crown Prince, would the Night's Watch dare to disobey?
Their eyes met.
The bald man was the first to prostrate himself before Joffrey. "Noble Your Highness, I am indeed a man of the Night's Watch. Once, while patrolling Beyond the Wall, I encountered the Others, and only then... Becoming a Wildling was truly out of necessity."
The other thin man with gray stubble was only a step slower. "Stiv, how dare you deceive His Highness? I, Wallen, did do something wrong, but at least I dare to admit it!"
Joffrey watched them impassively as they desperately tried to establish their characters.
"Stop the nonsense! What I want is information. It doesn't matter what kind of people you are or what you've done."
"Who is that Skinchanger? How did you get together? Why were you chasing us? What happened Beyond the Wall? Have you seen any other special individuals?"
Wallen immediately said respectfully, "Your Highness is wise. That Skinchanger is called Varamyr. The Wildlings also call him 'Sixskins'. He originally had three wolves, a Snow Bear, and a Shadowcat. When he crossed the Wall, he only brought the Snow Bear."
"Mance Rayder seemed to have recruited Varamyr, foolishly trying to fight the Others or the Wall. Not many people have confidence."
Stiv snatched the words.
"Many Wildlings fled south because they were afraid of the Others, mostly in groups of a few dozen. But Varamyr used the Snow Bear to force several groups to serve him. That's how we were forced to join."
"As for why he attacked Your Highness, I swear, he didn't say a word."
"Varamyr was very quiet along the way. Except for eating, his Soul almost always stayed in the Snow Bear's body."
"Oh, right," Wallen's eyes lit up. "When Varamyr was inside the Snow Bear, his body could still speak. This has never been heard of before!"
Hearing this, Joffrey was almost certain of the mastermind behind it.
If one's mental strength is strong enough, they can control several bodies at once, but this Skinchanger is clearly not qualified. Who controlled him, or even controlled him and the Snow Bear's body simultaneously?
Joffrey could only think of the Three-Eyed Crow.
Good heavens, such hostility towards me? Truly ignorant of the immensity of heaven and earth.
Benjen took a step forward. "Speak! How did the Snow Bear cross the Wall? It can't climb the Wall or cross the sea in a Wildling's broken boat!"
The two deserters fell silent. They were not accomplices who crossed the border with Varamyr.
"My lord, I know."
The tall female Wildling suddenly spoke, raising her head and forcing a smile at Joffrey and Benjen.
Benjen frowned.
"Speak plainly, Spearwife."
A woman among the Wildlings who took up arms to fight is called a Spearwife.
Any Wildling with a weapon is an enemy. Benjen would never have even a hint of mercy.
"My lord, I have a name, Osha. Also, a word of advice, the noble Your Highness hasn't spoken yet." She knew who was in charge.
Joffrey knew her. In the original work, she was captured by Robb and later became the early protector of Bran and Rickon.
"Tell me, Osha. I'm also very curious."
"As you wish." Osha was full of survival instinct. "I saw it with my own eyes. Varamyr's Snow Bear came in through a certain abandoned secret passage in the Wall."
Benjen was immediately anxious. "This is impossible! Do you dare to point out that secret passage?"
Osha smiled. "My lord, I am more than willing, as long as Your Highness grants me permission to walk to the Wall alive, Osha will definitely find it for you."
Joffrey's gaze swept over the other Wildlings. "Does anyone else have anything to say? This is the last chance."
The Wildlings panicked.
Having fled their homes Beyond the Wall, kneeling here quietly as captives, they were no longer independent and untamed Free Folk.
They scrambled to kowtow and beg for mercy.
"Your Grace, Your Highness, spare me! I can do anything for you!"
"I know Beyond the Wall best, Your Grace, Lord Benjen, I'm willing to guide The Night's Watch and provide all assistance!"
"I've seen Mance Rayder, The Night's Watch needs me!"
"..."
"Your Highness, please have mercy, I'm willing to swear loyalty to you."
Joffrey shook his head regretfully.
He probably wouldn't be able to dig out any more valuable information.
Despite this, he still collected over thirty items of clothing and weapons from the Wildlings.
Although Recollection Runes couldn't directly probe the past of people and animals, many scenes could be seen through these personal belongings, and perhaps something could be discovered.
And that Snow Bear.
Although the Snow Bear was saved by him, it couldn't speak for itself. He could only give the Snow Bear an Information Rune Mirror Image, hoping the fellow could learn how to use it.
Joffrey tried to communicate with the Snow Bear through the Information Rune again, but only fear and resistance were transmitted back.
"Uncle, this big stupid bear is yours. Talk to it more, and look forward to your harvest."
Tyrion immediately understood. "Don't worry, my good nephew, with my guidance, I guarantee it will even remember how many sips of milk it had when it was a cub."
Tyrion excitedly ran towards the Snow Bear, finally having a mount of his own.
Joffrey gave Benjen and Yoren a look. "Get up, Osha, you can help us now."
The six Wildlings watched in terror as they were roughly tied up by The Night's Watch and made to kneel in a row.
The two deserters nervously awaited their final judgment.
Joffrey's mind replayed the various clues he had noticed over the past few months. It was time to verify this conjecture.
"Stiv, Wallen, I regret this is the last time I will call your names. You shouldn't have betrayed The Night's Watch, and even less should you have lied to me."
The two deserters instantly collapsed, mumbling something incoherently.
Did they lie? Joffrey knew the answer.
Benjen finally got his wish and dragged the two traitors into the Wildling queue, one in each hand.
"Be thankful, you get such a clean and quick death, without a trace of pain, much better than your companions, right?"
Joffrey drew Dragonflame, and the sword's blade ignited with a scorching red light.
"These three Wildlings are mine. You each take one. When I count to one, everyone act together."
Tyrion quickly stood behind the bald man.
Joffrey raised Dragonflame high and declared loudly, "In the name of Robert I of the House Baratheon, King of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm, I, Joffrey of the House Baratheon, Heir to the Iron Throne and Prince of Dragonstone, hereby sentence you to death."
"Three, two, one!"
Dragonflame and the other five swords and knives swung down together!
Hot blood spurted several meters from the headless necks, steaming. Eight heads rolled a few times along the bloodstains, their despairing eyes fixing almost simultaneously.
The consciousness of eight humans fell into eternal silence.
An invisible sensation appeared, then vanished in an instant. The light of Dragonflame also seemed to brighten a little.
The invisible sensation was Source Energy.
Joffrey took out the ruby hanging around his neck. Upon careful sensing, the Source Energy in the gemstone indeed showed an abnormal increase.
He had found the answer.
Source Energy is difficult to survive in the material world, but it can be stored by mediums such as gemstones, and can be absorbed by Runes and converted into Magic Energy.
More importantly.
It can also be brought into this world by a person's Soul or consciousness, even if only for an instant.
The Weave's profit model was established.
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