Chapter 166: The Dragon's Horn

After Gillyan Lannister returned to Volantis, he changed his appearance and his name. He secretly bought a rundown mansion and hid within it, diligently writing down his journey in a diary, recording every detail of his trip.

He hoped that one day he could reassemble a fleet and return to Valyria, with the long sword hanging in the castle's great hall, the armor, and the horn on the table all being treasures he longed for in his dreams. He wished to astonish the world with his adventures, to break free from his older brother's shadow and prove his own abilities.

Gillyan even deliberately avoided being seen by the people his brother Tywin sent to Volantis to find him, hiding away for a while. Several years passed, and Gillyan heard news of the usurper's war breaking out in Westeros. He then decided to return to his homeland.

However, the journey from Volantis back to Lannisport was long and arduous. The news had taken time to travel, and by the time Gillyan returned, the war had already ended. Robert Baratheon had overthrown the Targaryen rule, successfully claiming the Iron Throne, and subsequently married his niece, Cersei Lannister, in a political alliance.

To express his congratulations, Gillyan presented a treasure he had acquired from the ruins of Valyria as a wedding gift for her. After that, events unfolded as Varys, the 'Spider,' had written in his letter to Viserys.

Gillyan Lannister, who had been missing for many years, returned to Casterly Rock after hearing of his brother Kevan's death and swore to avenge him. He eventually replaced the maester who was supposed to go to Dragonstone, infiltrating the island unnoticed.

As Viserys finished reading Gillyan Lannister's extraordinary life story, he closed the memoir with a sigh. He hadn't expected such a formidable person to be taken down by a cup of poison.

However, his lament for Gillyan's death lasted only a few seconds. Viserys' attention was more focused on the castle mentioned in the memoir and the sword, armor, and horn that Gillyan had glimpsed back then.

Viserys agreed with Gillyan's judgment that these three items, prominently displayed in the castle, must be incredibly valuable. He boldly speculated that the sword and armor had once belonged to the castle's lord and were forged from magically imbued Valyrian steel.

And the horn...

"Could it be the Dragon's Horn?"

A daring idea flashed through Viserys' mind. Gillyan might not have known what it was, but Viserys was very familiar with the item. However, he found it hard to believe and shook his head, dismissing the notion as too coincidental.

He vaguely remembered someone else escaping from the ruins of Valyria later on – Euron Greyjoy, the younger brother of Balon Greyjoy, ruler of the Iron Islands. Euron had committed adultery with his brother Victarion's salt wife and was banished from the Iron Islands by Balon.

Afterward, Euron disappeared for a while. But when he reemerged, he possessed the legendary artifact said to command dragons. The recent Ironborn rebellion had been suppressed not long ago, with Euron still on the Iron Islands.

"Could it be that Euron obtained this information from Gillyan?"

"Or did Gillyan die somewhere unknown, with his diary and the parchment map with the correct sailing routes eventually falling into Euron's hands?"

Viserys suddenly felt that his conjecture seemed quite plausible.

Gillyan had indeed been very lucky, and could be considered a 'child of destiny.' In the past, an entire fleet dispatched by Volantis had disappeared into the Smoking Sea without a trace.

Gillyan's small fleet had managed to successfully reach the Valyrian continent through the Smoking Sea, which indicated that there weren't many sea monsters along this route.

It was highly likely that Euron had obtained the precious diary and nautical charts, then successfully entered Valyria and acquired the horn and armor.

Considering this, the horn mentioned in the records could very well be the legendary Dragon Horn.

Although there were few clues, everything seemed to fall into place when all the pieces were laid out.

Viserys remembered listening to Maester Pycelle's stories about the Dragon Horn when he was a child in the Red Keep. It was said that the Dragon Kings of Valyria could use it to control dragons.

Once the Dragon Horn was sounded, all dragons would bow down in submission.

"It seems... I must make a trip there in the future."

Viserys stared at the candlelight before him and fell silent for a long while before finally making up his mind.

He might not need the Dragon Horn to command dragons, but such a thing must not fall into the hands of outsiders, as it would pose a deadly threat to House Targaryen.

He hadn't initially wanted to take such a risk by venturing to the ruins of Valyria, but now two factors compelled him to make the journey.

First, he needed to investigate the black mist within his body and its connection to the Valyrian civilization.

Second, he had to obtain the Dragon Horn to ensure it did not fall into the hands of others.

However, as Viserys was contemplating his unexpected gains...

An elderly man with trembling steps and white hair far away had just received news about him.

At that moment, the man was wearing a thick cloak of black animal fur and standing on the battlements of the Wall, gazing into the distance.

He suddenly spoke, his voice trembling and hoarse.

"I... once heard of the fall of the kingdom, and my vows faced their greatest challenge at that time."

A tall man with graying hair joined the elderly man's side.

"I've heard you mention that before, Maester Aemon."

The newcomer was Jeor Mormont, the 997th Lord Commander of the Night's Watch.

The old man, shivering in the cold wind, was Maester Aemon, the highest-ranking member of the Night's Watch.

Even the most vicious criminals and insubordinate members of the Watch held deep respect for this elderly man.

Jeor Mormont stood side by side with Maester Aemon, both gazing at the endless Haunted Forest in the distance.

Snow was falling heavily.

Now, the forest was cloaked in a layer of silver.

Although south of the Wall it was still the warm transition between summer and autumn, snowflakes occasionally drifted down here at the Wall.

The Lord Commander of the Night's Watch turned his head and suddenly asked, "Have you received the news?"

Today, a group of smugglers had arrived at Castle Black to trade with the Night's Watch, bringing news from the outside world.

The last 'true dragon' of House Targaryen, the newly crowned Viserys Targaryen III, now had three dragons.