GOT : Battle Royale[ An ASOIAF Fanfiction]

Upon discerning Gou's intricate scheme, Ian instantly recognized that this newfound knowledge was his most potent weapon. With this revelation, Ian's subsequent course of action became remarkably clear: he would fundamentally alter his appearance and, thus disguised, strategically position himself to ambush other players at locations most likely to be designated as allied meeting points.

Given his current location within the formidable walls of Harrenhal, the most probable rendezvous for other players was unequivocally the Crossroads Inn. This renowned establishment sat at the confluence of the north-south King's Road and the east-west River Road and Vale Road, a pivotal intersection where the North, the Riverlands, the Vale, and the Crownlands converged. Ian was convinced that a significant number of players would inevitably congregate there, whether by pre-arrangement for an alliance or simply as travelers passing through.

The immediate challenges before him were twofold: first, how to effectively disguise himself, and second, once successfully concealed and having located other players, how to definitively defeat them. Neither problem presented an easy solution.

The initial concept of modifying his starting characteristics, while appealing in theory, proved far more complex in practice. The equipment that currently defined Ian's visual identity—his weapons, armor, and even his horse—were all indispensable core components of his current build. Indeed, his very choice to begin as a hedge knight was primarily dictated by the advantages these specific items offered. With only 200 silver stags to his name, acquiring superior armor was an impossibility. This meant that any attempt to alter his image would necessitate a downgrade in equipment, a change that would unequivocally and severely diminish his combat effectiveness. Such a reduction in prowess could lead to a disastrous outcome: after identifying other players and attempting to engage or trick them, he might find himself utterly incapable of securing a victory.

Unlike Ian, who had been a civil servant in his previous life and whose combat efficacy relied entirely on the support provided by his character sheet, many of the other players drawn by the allure of substantial bonuses were, in their past lives, accomplished martial artists or masters of cold weapon combat. Their extensive experience and honed skills in real-world combat would undoubtedly allow them to unleash a level of strength far exceeding what was merely indicated on their character pages. Unless, of course, their average attribute scores were laughably low, perhaps no more than 5?

"A traveling merchant!" The idea struck Ian with sudden force. He pondered the implications: if an individual were to embody a traveling merchant, even if the soul of a mythical Mountain or an unparalleled Divine Sword were somehow transferred into their body, it would be utterly futile, wouldn't it? After all, such a person wouldn't even be able to lift their iconic weapons. He recalled the vivid example of Arya, before her arduous training with the Faceless Men, attempting to assault the Hound with her unassuming sewing needle. The Hound stood perfectly still, allowing her to prick him, yet her needle could not even pierce his hardened flesh.

This train of thought solidified in Ian's mind: could he, then, embark on a hunt for a traveling merchant? As this notion took root, a cascade of interconnected clues began to rapidly coalesce within his strategic intellect.

Firstly, it was an undeniable fact that the Traveling Merchant was a popular starting archetype, implying a significant number of players would have chosen this path. Secondly, driven by the intense pressure of the "First Blood" mission, these relatively powerless traveling merchants would almost certainly shy away from pre-arranged meetings with allies. They possessed neither the immediate means to eliminate other players nor the inherent trust required to fully commit to allied rendezvous. The only exception might be if they recruited mercenaries, a risky endeavor for them, especially since mercenaries often congregated in places that would require the merchants to venture into potentially dangerous territories. Furthermore, recruiting mercenaries was generally not considered a characteristic that would help them disguise their true nature since it was a rather common tactic.

Consequently, traveling merchants in the early stages of the game represented ideal hunting targets for Ian. They would be isolated, lacking both formal allies and hired muscle. However, the very fact that these merchants would be reluctant to join allied groups also presented a problem: Ian currently had no discernible clues to their whereabouts or typical activities.

"No," Ian immediately corrected himself, shaking his head slightly. "There are still clues to be found."

Without the ability to accrue points by slaying other players, a traveling merchant's sole prospect of gaining significant points rested squarely on the main quest. So, what exactly would the main quest for a traveling merchant entail? Ian admitted to himself that he might not be able to accurately predict the main quests designed for every other profession. However, when it came to traveling merchants, regardless of the specific design, their objectives would inevitably revolve around the fundamental act of conducting business to accumulate wealth.

Moreover, the Traveling Merchant possessed a substantial inherent advantage from the outset: unlike Mercenary Knights and other starting archetypes who began with virtually no gold, traveling merchants started with a generous 100 gold dragons! For Ian, a task like "earning 1,000 gold dragons" seemed almost an impossible fantasy. Yet, for traveling merchants, if they managed their operations skillfully, such an achievement was by no means out of reach. Therefore, it was highly probable that these business-minded players would, immediately after starting, prioritize engaging in commerce.

As for conducting business, the Riverlands, where Ian was currently situated, presented an excellent opportunity. The Riverlands were strategically connected in all directions and, crucially, were not yet plunged into the chaos that would later define the War of the Five Kings. On the contrary, under the stable governance of the Tully family, the region's public safety was considered exemplary throughout Westeros, with instances of bandits and brigands being remarkably few. This made the Riverlands an undeniably favorable location for trade.

The pressing question then became: what product would be most lucrative to trade? Northern furs? This seemed like a viable option. One could acquire furs at low prices in northern villages and then sell them for a considerable profit in the southern cities. This represented a seemingly perfect trade route, as the price of furs from the North could easily double in the major southern urban centers (and potentially even higher if one engaged in smuggling to avoid customs duties).

However, there was a significant time constraint. Westeros was simply too vast. Even commencing a journey from the North, it would take a minimum of two months to transport goods to the South. If one were to start in the South, the journey would be even more protracted. For players who faced the threat of being drawn into an assassin's crosshairs within two months, the fur trade might prove insufficiently attractive.

If furs were not the ideal commodity, then what about iron ore from the Westerlands? This commodity also promised high profitability, and the trade route was considerably shorter. The distance from the Westerlands to ideal shipping points within the Riverlands or the Reach was less than a third of the journey required for northern furs. Unfortunately, with the system backpack offering a meager 1 cubic decimeter of space, ore could only be transported in bulk via mules and wagons. If the volume of this commodity was too small for personal inventory, it seemed unlikely to yield significant profit. Moreover, iron ore might very well be a state-controlled commodity. According to Westeros's feudal system, it was almost inconceivable for any commodity to be state-controlled. Wait… state-controlled?!

"Salt!" A jolt of excitement coursed through Ian. In the ancient dynasties of his previous life's Great Celestial Empire, commodities like salt and iron had always been state monopolies. However, due to the decentralized feudal system in Westeros, the administrative rights over countless large and small territories were fragmented, scattered among hundreds of lords. The royal family possessed no means to establish a monopoly over the salt and iron trade, leaving it instead to individual lords and merchants to conduct their own business. Converting salt for personal use was a crime punishable by decapitation in his former world, yet it failed to deter countless individuals from flocking to the trade. The sheer magnitude of the profits involved was, as Ian knew, immense. He asked himself: among all the merchant players who had started in or near the Riverlands, who could possibly resist the irresistible temptation of salt?

"If they intend to engage in the salt trade," Ian mused aloud, his fingers tracing the familiar contours of the Westeros map he had long ago committed to memory.