Chapter 299: The Old Captain’s Final Affairs

Just as Viserys was preparing to depart, three warships with blue sails appeared in the port of Tyrosh. The ships were unmistakable. Standing proudly at the bow of the lead ship was none other than Hoyt, the old captain who had since become the Prince of Pentos.

After seeking permission, Hoyt boarded Viserys's flagship.

"Captain, why have you come?" Viserys asked, curious.

"Your Grace, of course, I've come to help you," Hoyt replied with a knowing smile.

"Help...?" Viserys began to feign innocence, but he quickly caught the glint in Hoyt's eyes. The old captain knew him too well. Whenever Viserys went on an expedition, it was never for a simple or innocent purpose. Although Hoyt didn't know Viserys's true reason for heading to Slaver's Bay, he was certain it wasn't just to purchase Unsullied.

"Your Grace, I've brought 300 good men at your disposal!" Hoyt declared proudly.

The old captain, who had just welcomed a son and daughter last year, was now ensured of an heir to his house. While he didn't dare hope his son would marry Viserys's daughter, he certainly envisioned his daughter one day marrying Viserys's son. But Hoyt was in his sixties now, his body bearing the scars of over thirty years of mercenary life. Since completing his long-sought revenge, he'd felt aimless, as though his life had lost its purpose. In another story, Hoyt might have fought in the wars for the Mother of Dragon, but now his body couldn't bear it.

To ensure his children would be cared for after his death, Hoyt chose to serve Viserys. When he heard about the upcoming voyage to Slaver's Bay, he was filled with excitement. This, he felt, would be his final expedition. Viserys understood his intentions and agreed to let him join the fleet.

Soon, they arrived in Lys. Viserys hadn't intended to stop, so he sent word to Feles not to make any preparations. But as they sailed, Hoyt approached Viserys once more.

"Your Grace, if you're truly only going to Slaver's Bay to buy Unsullied, then you can skip Lys. But if you have other plans... you should not only stop here but also make port in Volantis."

Taking Hoyt's advice to heart, Viserys immediately decided to dock in Lys. The journey from Tyrosh to Slaver's Bay would take two to three months, possibly longer. His movements would inevitably attract the attention of the slave owners of Slaver's Bay and the Warlocks of Qarth. The more leisurely and relaxed his approach, the less suspicious his enemies would be.

And so, after nearly three years, Viserys returned to Lys. The last time he had come, he was a mere mercenary. This time, he arrived as an emperor.

In a word, Lys was the Maldives of this world! The sky was crystal clear, the sun shone brightly, and the land was fertile. From his vantage point, he could see vast expanses of palm and coconut trees as his dragons flew overhead. During the Valyrian period, Lys had been the favored vacation spot of the Dragonlords. For a moment, Viserys could almost picture the Dragonlords in loose, casual garb, wearing sunglasses, lounging on the beach, sipping coconut milk.

Feles had once planned to build a palace here for Viserys, but that project had been put on hold.

After learning about the Long Night and the White Walkers, Lys actively began stockpiling food in preparation. The world didn't lack resources, especially with advanced methods for purifying sea salt. Vast quantities of salted fish were stored, ready to serve as rations during the dark days of the Long Night.

As Viserys's fleet approached, a crowd gathered at the port, where the three-headed dragon banner flew proudly.

Only a few Lysene merchants and sailors had ever seen Viserys's dragons before, but today even ordinary citizens and slaves had the rare chance to witness them. The air buzzed with excitement.

"I know that blue dragon! It's called Vyrgion!" a slave on one of the ships exclaimed to his companion.

Viserys's slave policies were well-known in both Lys and Myr, and everyone had heard tales of the dragons—especially Vyrgion.

"That one's not Vyrgion, it's Rhaelarion, the silver dragon!" a group of noble ladies corrected as they pointed to the dragons flying overhead.

"The green is Baleris, the red one is R'hlloros, and black is Nymerion..." They recited the names of the dragons with ease.

"Wait! What's the name of the biggest yellow one?" someone asked as the seven dragons landed in a clearing that Feles had prepared.

...

The nobles, led by Feles, stood nearest to greet Viserys. Feles, who had transformed his house from obscurity to prominence, was now one of Lys's most powerful figures. Once considered inconsequential, he was now Prince Feles, a Magister of Lys, sharing power with Jorah, the military leader. Two years earlier, he had married a noblewoman of Valyrian descent, and their children were now over a year old.

As Viserys and Dany disembarked, the Lysene nobles bowed deeply. "Welcome, Your Grace, Princess," they said in unison.

Although the nobles were dressed lightly for the tropical climate, they maintained a level of decorum, unlike the Dothraki, who bared large amounts of skin. Yet, the sea breeze still accentuated their figures.

The young monarch and his advisers exchanged no words; the occasion did not require it. That afternoon, Viserys attended a grand banquet that had been long prepared in his honor. The red and white wines were of the finest quality, and those served to the royal family were the best of the best.

Later that evening, Viserys met with Shiera and visited the ancient library she had carefully preserved—the "Shieras"  library. This vast, hidden collection left Viserys awestruck. Shiera had concealed the library underground, in a cavern at least four meters high. The bookshelves were directly carved from the walls, a testament to the ancient knowledge stored within.

"There are 216,718 books here, collected by our house over more than 3,000 years," Shiera explained.

"Over 200,000 books!" Dany gasped in surprise, astonished by the vastness of the collection. Despite her status as a princess, the number of books she could access was still limited.

Viserys, on the other hand, was less visibly shocked, though he was impressed. Having knowledge from his past life, he had seen libraries containing millions of books, organized like palatial archives. Yet, when he considered that this library had been amassed by "dozens of people," one book at a time over millennia, he realized the significance of the achievement.

Viserys had tasked Shiera with gathering information about the Warlocks and had originally planned to include her in his fleet. But after Hoyt's suggestion, he decided to come to her directly.

"All the information on the Warlocks is here," Shiera said. "They're actually a branch of the Valyrian alchemists."

With Shiera's help—what Viserys privately referred to as his own "Shiera GPT"—gathering secrets had become far easier. According to her, the Warlocks' power was closely tied to their mysterious House of the Undying. The House, she explained, was more than a structure—it was a living entity of sorts. The Warlocks functioned as its "spirits," or perhaps more accurately, its ghosts.

"The House not only grants them power but is also the key to their so-called 'immortality.' However, it requires life force to keep running," Shiera added.

And the most potent life force came from those with Dragonlord blood—the Valyrians being the next best source.

"So, if I destroy the House, will the Warlocks lose their power?" Viserys asked. He recalled how, in the original timeline, the Mother of Dragons had defeated the Warlocks by destroying the House of the Undying. Still, Viserys, ever cautious, wanted confirmation from Shiera before acting on it.