Chapter 125: Blood Nourishment

After releasing his Dragon Dream, Viserys decided to keep a close eye on Euron for a while. The man had been tormenting his captives relentlessly, and the pirates' suffering was so extreme that Viserys almost felt compelled to end their misery. Watching Euron's daily acts of cruelty was a punishment for his own spirit, so he chose to focus more on the dragon egg.

Viserys discovered that he could indeed "nurture" the dragon egg through blood magic. The smaller cracks on the earth-colored egg had nearly healed, and even the deeper fissures had noticeably diminished. He retrieved the egg once more, chanting incantations until he conjured a small cup of blood. When he poured the blood onto the egg, it absorbed the liquid like a sponge, as if it were alive.

"This really is pouring my blood into it," Viserys mused with a wry smile. "I suppose I can rightfully call myself the "Father of Dragons" in the future." Despite feeling a faint, almost imperceptible life force within the egg, he still couldn't perform a 'soul binding.'

Examining the egg closely, he noticed that it was no longer entirely earth-colored; bright yellow spots had begun to emerge, growing more vivid over time. After his efforts at nurturing, the egg even showed signs of turning a golden hue. This reminded Viserys of Sunfyre, the golden dragon of House Targaryen. If he could someday ride a golden dragon, it would certainly be a sight to behold.

In fact, besides dragon eggs, Viserys also came up with two special items. One is a special arrow— the Whistling Arrow, which is similar to the 'Arrow of Father's Grief' that Modu Chanyu used to kill his own father. It can be used to make soldiers 'focus fire' on a certain target, which is very useful for creating a breach in the enemy's defense. The second item is the 'Battle Formation Whistle.' With the perspective of a golden eagle, Viserys can perform 'micro-operations,' but since there are no communication devices in this world, he wrote a whistle code to command an elite squad on the battlefield. If used well, this tactic can easily lead to capturing flags and slaying enemy generals.

After more than two months of rigorous training, the two newly established battalions, along with the "cavalry battalion" formed from the elite of the three battalions, had developed a significant level of combat effectiveness. With the whistle score and the Arrow of the Father Worryer in hand, Viserys was now equipped to execute precise battlefield maneuvers. After all, shouting commands at the top of one's lungs in the heat of battle was hardly a reliable strategy.

Viserys, who had lived as a sellsword for two lifetimes, knew that mercenaries were not much different from contract soldiers in some nations. Pay them well enough, and they would do their job. Loyalty, however, was a different matter. When faced with life or death, mercenaries were often the first to flee. The real challenge lay in dealing with the leaders of these sellswords. They might be calling you "boss" one moment and defecting to the enemy the next. The leaders were always highly attuned to shifts in power.

The Tattered Prince, who had been a mercenary longer than Viserys had been alive, was naturally one of the best. With the pirates defeated, Tyrosh was preparing to send troops to the Two Lakes region to drive out the forces of Lys once and for all.

A major battle was imminent. The old bastard was cunning—he had only expanded his army by about 600 men but had exaggerated his numbers to 1,000, intending to use this bluff to demand a higher price from Tyrosh's Archon. On this particular day, he took Viserys and Denzo to Tyrosh for a banquet hosted by the Archon.

The current Archon of Tyrosh, Kambron, hailed from a family known for their fondness for the color green. Tyroshi were known for dyeing their hair, and the men of the Kambron family not only dyed their hair green but also their beards. Dorne and Tyrosh shared a close relationship, and in the original story, Archon Kambron had sent his youngest daughter to Sunspear to be raised. However, now that his youngest daughter had just begun walking, she was still being raised at home.

Archon Kambron had heard of Viserys's victory over the pirates. With the pirates no longer a threat, Tyrosh had seized nearly all the major islands in the Stepstones and was now preparing to move against Lys, with plans to annex the Two Lakes region entirely. Kambron wanted to meet Viserys in person at the banquet, having specifically requested the Tattered Prince bring him along. The reason was obvious—the reputation Viserys had earned from beheading the pirates a few months ago was too significant to ignore.

The most striking feature of Tyrosh Palace is its 70-foot-tall clock tower, from which one can view the entire palace grounds. Another notable feature is the "Bacchus Fountain," which spans over 100 square meters. The fountain depicts a muscular male god carrying a large wine jar, from which water sprays onto his shoulders. After passing by the Bacchus Fountain, Viserys and his companions arrived at the Archon's palace.

This palace, though smaller and less grand than the Sealord's Palace or the Black Wall in Volantis, caught Viserys off guard with its guards—all of whom were Unsullied. As they rode past, the Unsullied stood rigidly at attention, their gazes fixed straight ahead like automatons. Due to the Archon's preferences, the Unsullied's armor was painted green. Unlike elsewhere, where their hair was either short or shaved, here they were permitted to grow it long and dye it green. The Archon seemed so enamored with this look that he did not issue helmets to the Unsullied, allowing them to display their vibrant hair to all.

Viserys found the sight of the green-haired Unsullied lining the road amusing. However, he had no idea that the real spectacle awaited him inside. Upon entering the hall of the Archon's palace, he was met with a scene that resembled a a fashion freak show.

While most ordinary people, no matter how flamboyant their attire, only have one hair color, the nobles of Tyrosh had the luxury and resources to indulge in elaborate hairstyles. Some young nobles sported three colors in their hair, while those who opted for the "streaked" method were considered restrained. Others flaunted layered, spiral, or mottled patterns, creating a visual effect akin to giant shuttlecocks atop their heads.

"Windblown Tatters—the Prince of Tatters is here!" Before they could enter the hall, a servant announced their arrival. Viserys, with his natural silver hair, and the old captain and Denzo, whose hair had turned white with age, stood out among the sea of vibrant colors. The colorful heads turned towards them, making them feel somewhat out of place. "Look, it's the Prince of Tatters, and Prince Viserys, who has slain pirates across the seas!"

A high-pitched voice came from a green blur swiftly approaching the three men. It was Archon Kambron of Tyrosh. His green hair, held in place by some kind of hairspray, added nearly half a foot to his height. His green beard was styled in a flamboyant flame shape, and he wore a matching green robe. There was no doubt he was the most eye-catching figure in the hall.

"Everyone! I think you all know our Tattered Prince. He has built a mercenary army from scratch and is a loyal ally of Tyrosh!" Kambron declared, taking the old captain's hand and addressing the crowd.

The old captain was accustomed to this treatment, having worked with Tyrosh many times and met at least four of its Archons. It seemed every Archon here was cut from the same mold, differing only in hair color.

Archon Kambron then introduced Viserys. "This one! The Prince of the Targaryens, Viserys! It is said that he slew dozens of notorious pirate leaders with fewer than a hundred men. In my opinion, his bravery surpasses even that of Barristan. With such a friend, Lys has no choice but to surrender! Long live Tyrosh!"

As Kambron started, the others joined in, shouting enthusiastically. "Long live Tyrosh!" "Long live the Tattered Prince!" "Long live Viserys!" "Long live the Windblown!"

The old captain glanced at Viserys, who appeared slightly stiff, and couldn't help but smile. He remembered his own reaction the first time he witnessed such a spectacle. The Tyroshians were known for their flair and love of grand displays. Combined with their colorful hair, Tyrosh was the Free City with the most ostentatious reputation. Just looking at their hair could be overwhelming.

Kambron gestured to the servants beside him, and soon two Unsullied appeared, carrying a large map before the assembly. It not only depicted the mountains and rivers but also the defenses of Tyrosh and Lys.

'No, isn't this supposed to be a serious discussion about military affairs?' Viserys was taken aback by the scene unfolding before him. But it was the reality he faced. Kambron lifted his golden scepter, pointing at the map as he addressed the assembly, "Please, look here. This is the Two Lakes region, a long-standing target of our struggle.

However, due to continuous harassment by pirates, our plans have been thwarted time and again. Now that the pirates have been dealt with, if we intend to drive the Lys out of the Two Lakes, we must first capture the fortress they've built here!"

With a decisive thump of his scepter on the map, Kambron drew the crowd's attention to a location labeled "Dragon's Flame Fortress."

It was said that this was where the Conqueror Aegon had defeated the Volantis army atop his dragon, Balerion. The Black Dread had left a scorched earth in its wake. Lys had taken advantage of the aftermath, occupying the Volantis colony and transforming it into a formidable fortress with military and logistical capabilities.

They used it as a base to contest the Two Lakes against Tyrosh. If they could dismantle this "Dragon Flame Fortress," Lys would be forced to completely withdraw from the Two Lakes region.

"I have decided to send our general Toran with 20,000 troops to lay siege to Dragon's Flame!" At this point, a nobleman with dyed red hair stepped forward. This 'general,' in his early thirties, wore a red and purple robe adorned with gold trim.

Lord Toland exuded arrogance, his chest puffed out like a rooster surveying its domain. He looked down on Viserys's mention of "beheading" strategies.

House Toland was considered a family of generals in Tyrosh, and he dismissed all "unconventional" tactics, believing a general's duty was to defeat the enemy in open combat. To him, sneak attacks and assassinations were acts of cowardice.

As he passed Viserys and the others, Toland didn't even bother to acknowledge them. Viserys was unbothered by the slight. What he found more irksome was Toland's flamboyant hairstyle. On the battlefield, it would certainly draw attention. But then again, this was Tyrosh, where such colorful hair was common, perhaps even a tactic to bewilder the enemy.

Yet what truly unsettled Viserys was still to come. Toland began discussing his battle plan openly, in front of everyone present, including merchants who had no business knowing such details. This made Viserys seriously doubt the likelihood of victory in the coming battle. Not that he particularly cared. The more Tyrosh struggled, the higher the price they would offer for his services. This arrogant Toland might just prove to be a lucrative asset in the future.

It would be ideal if the Windblown could emerge as a third force in the ongoing war between Tyrosh and Lys.