35 Chapter 35 Black Falcon

  Fifteen years after the failure of the first Blackfire rebellion, specifically in the year 211 of the Aegon calendar, a grand celebration was held in Whitewall City, owned by Lord Ambrose Butteraway. The celebration took the form of a grand tourney, where the champion's prize was a dragon egg. This particular dragon egg had an intriguing origin, resulting from a union between three Earls of Whitewall City and King Aegon IV, who had once been a guest in the city. It was a gift from their daughter to their family or perhaps seen as compensation.

  On the surface, the tourney was to commemorate the marriage of Ambrose Butteraway, the Earl of Whitewall City, to the Freys of the Twins. However, in reality, it concealed a conspiracy carefully crafted by the Earl of Whitewall City and other Blackfire supporters.

  The participants included individuals who had lost in the First Blackfyre Rebellion and others who were discontented with Brynden Rivers' repressive rule as the Hand of the King at that time. They secretly brought Daemon II, the son of Daemon I, who concealed his identity to compete in the tourney.

  Their plan was to rig the tournament in favor of Daemon Blackfyre II, with the intention of revealing his identity during the event. This would serve as an opportunity to launch a second Blackfyre Rebellion.

  However, the outcome took an unexpected turn. Daemon Blackfyre II, unlike his father, known as the "Warrior," proved to be a disappointment, unable to secure victory in any of the rigged matches. He became the subject of ridicule among the nobles.

  In a twist of fate, the Hand of the King, Blood Crow, received news from an unknown source and swiftly led his army to Whitewall City before the tournament's conclusion.

  Daemon II, unable to garner the support of the nobles, ventured out of the city alone and challenged Blood Crow to a duel. However, Blood Crow disregarded martial ethics and ordered his men to apprehend him.

  This marked the end of the second Blackfire Rebellion, ending in farcical fashion.

  Under Blood Crow's command, Whitewall City was razed to the ground, and the land it once occupied was salted.

  Today, the ruins of Whitewall City are a mere memory. While people may associate it with the Black Fire Rebellion, labeling a group of bandits as related to the rebellion merely because they operate in the city's ruins would be a baseless assertion.

  "I don't know," Denzel shook his head, "When I was hired for the anti bandit mission, I was not invited inside the castle. Sir Grantham might have more information." Denzel gestured toward Grantham.

  Noticing Ian's inquisitive gaze, Grantham reluctantly explained, "The person who initially connected the bandit group to the Black Fire Rebellion was Sir Wilder Gray, the leader of the local alliance of landed knights. During a confrontation with a knight from the Ghost Thieves, he managed to cut open the opponent's robe and discovered the Black Fire Rebellion's coat of arms on the knight's breastplate."

  "A black dragon on a red background?" Ian inquired.

  "Yes, a black dragon on a red background," Grantham confirmed. "Many of us were skeptical at first and questioned whether Sir Wilder might have been mistaken. However, he swore on his honor that the coat of arms displayed a black dragon on a red background."

  "In regards to the Blackfire Restoration treasure," Grantham continued, "I lack specific details. But since Sir Wilder and Boss Morgan are actively pursuing it, they must possess some knowledge. You can inquire with Boss Morgan himself later."

  Ian was briefly taken aback and couldn't help but wonder, "What am I doing here? I came to the Crossroads Hotel to hunt players. With my current strength, I'm ill equipped to get involved in the competition for the so called Black Fire Treasure. Expressing interest in it might even draw hostility from Black Falcon and others, jeopardizing my plan to hunt players here."

  "No need, I'm not interested in the Black Fire Treasure," Ian stated, shaking his head. "I'm here for different purposes."

  Upon hearing Ian's response, Denzel displayed a hint of disappointment. He had hoped that the influential Lord of House Lannister might be interested in the matter, providing an opportunity for Denzel to participate and gain a share of the rewards. However, Ian's disinterest left him with a different perspective.

  After a brief silence, Denzel inquired, "By the way, did you hear that commotion?"

  Ian listened attentively and discerned a noisy uproar originating from downstairs, accompanied by sounds of conflict.

  "Who's going down to investigate?" Ian asked. He had no intention of venturing downstairs personally. Engaging in a brawl could jeopardize his plan.

  At that moment, Jenny burst into Ian's room, her face pale, and swiftly locked the door behind her.

  "What happened?" Ian inquired.

  "Oh, sir, I... I..." Jenny stammered.

  "Calm down, my friend, take a deep breath," Ian reassured her, offering a glass of wine.

  Jenny accepted the glass, gulped it down, and then coughed due to the sudden intake of alcohol.

  "Take your time, you're safe here. Now, tell me, what's happening downstairs?" Ian prompted.

  "Morgan... cough, cough, cough... Boss Morgan is dead, and his men are saying they intend to ransack our establishment!" Jenny finally managed to speak.

  "Black Falcon is dead?" Ian was momentarily taken aback. The leader of the mercenaries, whom he had intended to approach, had met an untimely demise. He couldn't help but ponder, "Am I cursed or something, causing people around me to die?"

  "Who did it?" Grantson, no longer concerned with maintaining a subordinate demeanor, interjected. Then, realizing his abruptness, he added, "I'm worried that my subordinates might have acted rashly under the influence of alcohol."

  "No, I don't know," Jenny shook her head, trembling. "I don't know."

  "I have to go downstairs and assess the situation," Grantham declared.

  "I'll join you," Denzel concurred.

  "Go ahead, but please try to avoid any confrontations," Ian advised, waving them off.

  Ian recognized that a major disturbance resulting from Black Falcon's death could disrupt his plan to recruit players at the Crossroads Hotel.

  After the two mercenaries departed, Ian instructed Rohr to lock the door once more and turned his attention back to Jenny.

  "Relax, no one can harm you here," Ian reassured her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "If you're having trouble forming complete sentences, I'll ask you questions that you can answer with a simple 'yes' or 'no.'"

  Jenny nodded quickly.

  "Did you witness Black Falcon's death personally?"

  "Yes."

  "Did you see the murderer?"

  "No, no."

  "Where did Black Falcon die?" Ian soon realized that this question couldn't be answered with a simple 'yes' or 'no.'

  "I'm sorry, Sir, I'm much better now," Jenny said, her pallor improving slightly. "I can answer your questions. Black Falcon died in the room of a knight bearing a yellow tower on his coat of arms."

  "???"

  Upon hearing Jenny's response, Rohr couldn't help but recall Ian's earlier comment to Martha, "did those two go to sleep together?" It appeared that Ian's intuition was eerily accurate.

  He truly possessed a remarkable ability to predict events.