Chapter 724

At its core, this was about eliminating entrenched elites to make way for new powers and policies. The redistribution of power and wealth meant that this revolution could never be a polite affair—it would be a bloody, violent struggle, rife with collateral damage and unintended casualties.

So, rather than persuading or negotiating with the new High Septon, Aegor had chosen to ignite the revolution first.

But by the time warnings or protests could be raised, it was already too late. This was a fait accompli, a blade already in motion—by morning, orders had been sent out via ravens, just like military commands, declaring the judgment of the former High Septon and ordering a "self-purification" of the Faith’s clergy across Westeros. The afternoon’s public trial was nothing more than a formality, a public declaration of decisions that had already been made.

No one—no matter who they were or what means they employed—could stop this religious revolution from unfolding.

Simply put: Revolution first, reforms later.

Aegor had hesitated, considering the potential backlash. But in the end, he chose to strike while the iron was hot—to seize the momentum in Oldtown rather than let chaos fester and spill into tomorrow.
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But at this moment, Aegor had no time for the petty gossip of the common folk.

Those harmed by this "Religious Revolution" might very well have been more moral than the average man, and those who benefited from it were certainly not all paragons of virtue. The difference in their fates had little to do with justice or righteousness and everything to do with their position in Westeros' transformation—whether they were lucky enough to be riding the carriage of change, or unfortunate enough to be crushed beneath its wheels.

Aside from the rare zealots who had forsaken all worldly possessions, nearly every clergyman in the Faith had access to some wealth. What counted as "legitimate income"? If one defined it strictly as the Faith’s official stipends, then 99% of septons and septas were guilty.

And as for trials and purges—the room for interpretation was immense. All it took was a few well-placed provocations, and soon the flames would consume everything.
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The assassination attempt had taken place in broad daylight, in the heart of a bustling market. The brutality of the attack had been shocking enough, but it was the spectacle of the dragon’s intervention that had captivated the public’s imagination.

Mace Tyrell—and the forces backing him, namely Aegor—had launched this so-called "Self-Purification", which was nothing short of an all-out attack on the Faith.

The moment the trial concluded—before the condemned had even been taken away—Duke Mace Tyrell, standing in for the Hand of the Queen, stepped forward and announced a new decree:

Let the verdict be proclaimed across the Seven Kingdoms, that all may be warned! A full-scale purification shall commence—churches and clergy lodgings shall be searched, the private wealth of septons and septas audited, and those whose holdings exceed their rightful stipends shall face trial and purging! The parasites within the Faith must be cast out, and the Seven shall be honored in a land of purity and devotion!

The moment these words left his lips, the crowd erupted—some cheering, others shouting objections, while the representatives of the Faith leapt from their seats in outrage.

The goal of this "Faith Reform" was to shatter the Faith’s spine, forcing it to kneel. Only then could it be remolded, reshaped to accept Aegor’s new doctrine—the Unification of the Seven into One, the merging of R’hllor’s faith with the Faith of the Seven.
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News of Aegor’s assassination attempt spread like wildfire, shaking all of Westeros. And as his struggle against the assassins was recounted, the tale only grew in legend.

Soon, people spoke not of two assassins, but of dozens. In half of Oldtown, men swore on their lives that they had seen it with their own eyes—Aegor single-handedly slaying a dozen killers.

Compared to "slaying a White Walker beyond the Wall" or "driving back the undead in the North", this story felt far more real.

This—this was the true wheel of history, crushing all in its path, heedless of morality or protest.

Aegor’s doctrine was simple: The Seven are merely seven faces of R’hllor.

Under this banner, he would absorb and consume the Faith of the Seven, subsuming its influence into the Red God’s religion, forging a single, unified faith—one under his complete control.

This was religious reform—the same process that had piqued Myrcella’s curiosity before.
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Upon hearing that the Queen had changed her plans in time and that no attack had occurred in King’s Landing, Aegor finally relaxed.

At the same time, he directed efforts to hunt down those responsible for the assassination attempt.

And, as an additional precaution, he began developing something Westeros had never seen before:

Bomb-sniffing dogs.
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In any other era, such an onslaught by royal power against religious authority would have ignited a fierce backlash.

But now?

Winter had just passed. The war had just ended. Half the population of Westeros was dead, and the realm lay in ruins. The Queen’s tax exemptions had just won her unprecedented public support, and the High Septon’s corruption had already left the Faith in disgrace.

Every possible condition for a flawless religious purge had aligned perfectly.

No obstacles. No resistance. No turning back.

Thus, the "Bravest in the Realm" legend—nearly forgotten—was once again dusted off and revived, adding yet another glorious aura to Aegor’s growing myth.
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In theory, it would have been better to wait until after the Anti-Dragon Queen Alliance was defeated and the war was truly over.

But two days after the gunpowder assassination attempt, the courts of Oldtown held a public trial for the former High Septon, charging him with heresy and embezzlement of Faith assets. He was sentenced to exile beyond the Wall, to live out his days in penitence and reformation.
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It was obvious that the new High Septon, Luchen Frey, would never voluntarily weaken his own power. Even if he wanted to, as a last-minute appointee with no real influence, he lacked the authority to command the entire Faith to dismantle itself.

Aegor had anticipated this.

And so, he had installed Luchen Frey as High Septon only to fulfill his political promises—to keep his word to allies.

But from the moment the man took office, Aegor’s plans had nothing to do with him.

His first step was to cripple the Faith of the Seven.

Utterly.
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In this single attack, Aegor had lost over a dozen of his closest, most trusted guards—men he knew by name, men whose faces he recognized.

The number itself wasn’t high.

But given how small his personal retinue was, his losses here were greater than in the legendary battle outside Highgarden.

Yet even as he carefully selected and replenished his elite guards, still wounded from the attack, he refused to slow down.

Gritting his teeth against the pain, he pressed on, moving to the next phase of his grand transformation of Westeros.
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One of the Faith’s bishops rushed to Mace Tyrell, desperately attempting to reason with him.

Another fled the chamber outright, racing back to the Starry Sept to warn the clergy.

But it was too late.

By the time they understood what was happening, the machine of revolution had already begun to turn.

And it would crush them all.