Chapter 198: Inspection

The next day.

Outside the city of Pentos.

Several men dressed as hunters, with bows and arrows on their backs, were talking to the guards outside the city gate.

The reason was still the unfortunate Magister who died not long ago. Pentos was still strictly scrutinizing mercenaries, trade caravan guards, and hunters who tried to enter the city with weapons and armor.

However, Viserys and his guards, who entered the city yesterday, did not receive such treatment.

"My lord, we are all hunters from the nearby villages."

One of the men, a thin figure with a headscarf, patted the dead stag on the back of his horse and tried to speak nicely to the guards.

The stag seemed to have been dead for a while, its blood drained. The hunters wanted to sell it in the market of Pentos and exchange it for some food to take home.

The guards of Pentos, however, impatiently waved their hands.

"Get lost, get lost!"

"We've told you several times, people can go in, but throw away all the weapons you have."

But the hunters still clung to the guards, unwilling to give up their weapons.

After all, these were their tools for making a living, and the surroundings of Pentos were not peaceful.

Pentos had no power to deal with bandits and outlaws beyond its borders. Its soldiers were few and poorly trained, so they relied on mercenaries or large trade caravans to deal with them. Smaller caravans and ordinary farmers and hunters had to fend for themselves.

In such chaotic times, farmers and hunters would carry a dagger or a short sword when going far away from home, just in case they encountered bandits, so they could at least put up a fight.

At least they could die bravely.

Therefore, the hunters were unwilling to give up their weapons, stubbornly sticking to the guards and refusing to leave.

Just then.

Rumble, rumble—

A long caravan approached the city gate of Pentos from afar, the wheels crushing the thin layer of snow on the ground, making a noise.

It seemed another large-scale trade caravan had arrived.

Seeing the arrival of the caravan, the eyes of the guards at the city gate of Pentos lit up, knowing that another opportunity to make money had come.

"Quick, quick, quick!"

"Gather around, let's give them a good inspection."

Yesterday, after receiving Viserys, the portly city gate warden straightened the crooked helmet on his head and called his brothers over to "catch fish."

Usually, trade caravans took the nearby port route, rarely entering from the direction of the north city gate.

And without trade caravans coming from the north gate, the "tolls" were naturally much less.

They had spent so much money on bribes to get their jobs in the guard, naturally to make a fortune. Ordinary families might not even have this much savings in several years, or even decades.

However, after joining the guard, following their boss, enjoying the life of eating, drinking, and gambling, and collecting tolls for a year—minus what they had to give to the commander—dividing the rest among their brothers...

In at most two years, the heavy bribes spent by their families would have been fully recovered, and the rest would be pure profit.

In Pentos, some small trade caravans or middle-class families lined up with large amounts of gold coins, trying their best to send their incompetent children to work in the guard.

It was both safe and profitable, so who wouldn't want to come?

Hearing the conversation of these city gate guards, the hunters who had just been clinging to them exchanged glances, seeing the tension in each other's eyes.

Then the tall, thin hunter carrying the stag on his horse glanced at the mercenaries who were also being stopped outside the city gate not far away.

The eyes of both parties seemed to share an unspoken understanding, and they nodded to each other.

...

Rumble, rumble—

The wheels of the carriage made a continuous rumble, and the long convoy finally arrived at the city gate of Pentos.

"Halt!"

"Where did your merchant caravan come from?"

The guard at the city gate adjusted his helmet, which was almost too small for him, and then strutted over, his round belly leading the way.

Over a hundred city guards at the gate were also drawn to the scene.

The leader of the caravan was an elderly man with gray hair, appearing to be around sixty years old and dressed quite plainly.

He rode a tall gray warhorse, whose fur was matted and dirty, as if it hadn't been bathed in a long time.

"This is my hometown, my lord..."

The old man's voice was low as he sat on the dirty horse, speaking in impeccably standard Valyrian.

He gazed at the prosperous city-state beyond the gate, his eyes filled with deep nostalgia.

He had left this place half his life ago and only dared to return today in disguise.

"Don't give me that nonsense. I'm asking you where your caravan is from!"

The portly city gate guard naturally understood Valyrian, but his attitude was far from the fearful demeanor he had shown yesterday when facing Viserys. Instead, he was extremely impatient.

"I come from Tyrosh, my lord."

The old man on the gray horse didn't seem angered, only giving the guard a deep look.

He then dismounted and spoke.

"I rented a merchant ship from Tyrosh to sell goods in Braavos, then purchased some goods from Braavos to bring to Pentos."

"Pentos is so lovely that I don't plan on leaving this time."

The old man's voice was full of vigor; despite his age, he still maintained a lively spirit, his eyes sharp.

The leader of the Pentoshi city guards couldn't help but shrink his neck, and his impatient attitude became somewhat restrained.

"Braavos."

Pentoshi people held deep hostility towards Braavos, and the guard snorted, intentionally drawing out the word.

"What kind of goods are you all selling? Are there any prohibited items?"

"If there are, bring them out now. If I find them myself...hmmph..."

The portly guard deliberately drew out his words, sounding like a grunting pig.

His tone carried both a threat and a hint.

He then lifted a hand and pulled back the tattered cloth covering the carriage, revealing various spices and even several large crates.

"Hm? What's this?"

The fat officer's eyes were immediately drawn to the neatly arranged large crates.

According to his years of experience, these black, inconspicuous crates at the bottom usually hid contraband.

"Our main trade is in spices, my lord."

"As for those black crates, they contain walrus ivory from Lorath, which we also purchased."

The gray-haired old man appeared calm and collected, speaking evenly.

Braavos collected goods from all over the world, and the prices of spices were slightly lower than in Pentos. Therefore, transporting spices from Braavos to Pentos was a common trade route, with the opportunity to sell some goods in Andalos along the way.

The old man then opened one of the black crates, revealing the valuable walrus ivory from Lorath inside.

This expensive commodity might be desired by some wealthy merchants or nobles for their collections.

At this moment.

"My lord, what is this?"

A Pentoshi guard seemed to have discovered something unusual and called out loudly. .