Chapter 208: Drive Out the Dothraki

"Prince, shall we see the official first, or the Dothraki?"

Viserys paused in thought before responding, "Of course, we should see our own people first. Send him to the side room."

"Yes, Prince."

After Viserys left, Young Connington turned to his father and asked, "Father, do you think the Prince will order the troops to go out?"

Connington, looking concerned, replied, "Judging from the Prince's attitude, he likely will. Moreover, the Prince has always wanted to establish a more centralized alliance. If we show weakness against the Dothraki, the alliance that we've just formed will be in jeopardy."

Young Connington, sensing his father's pessimism, inquired further, "Father, you don't seem to want the Prince to go to war with the Dothraki?"

Connington sighed deeply. "The Dothraki Sea is vast, and most of the Dothraki are united under a single Khal. The four Free Cities might be able to face the Khal with all their strength, but certainly not now. We must find a way to persuade the Prince not to act rashly."

Young Connington nodded, recalling the Silent Sister Lymere's teachings on the importance of patience.

...

Accompanied by Dany, Viserys quickly changed into his black three-headed dragon robe and arrived in the anteroom adjacent to the throne hall. The anteroom was an informal space for receiving visitors, with red three-headed dragon banners on a black background lining the walls. Four Unsullied stood guard.

The Conningtons were already waiting there, and to Viserys' surprise, so was Kambron. Having heard of Viserys' return to the military port, Kambron had come upon learning that the Prince would be receiving officials in the Great Hall. Like Connington, Kambron did not favor going to war with the Dothraki. His house was involved in the fur trade, which would suffer enormous losses if relations with the Dothraki soured.

Because it was a simple reception, only a few people were present in the Great Hall. The official who had come was named Selin, a man in his forties responsible for several villages in the northwest of the Two Lakes region. Selin's face bore fine lines around his eyes and mouth, and his clothes were dust-covered from his long journey, particularly frayed around the edges as if caught on something during his travels. He looked a bit disheveled.

Selin was one of the first officials to be promoted by Viserys. Though they had never spoken before, Selin held great respect for the young ruler. Not only had Viserys reduced the tax rate to 30%, but he had also eradicated the bandits in the Two Lakes region within a year. During that year, the people of the Two Lakes had experienced the greatest happiness and peace, with the sound of children's laughter often heard in the fields.

Now, Selin hoped that Viserys would protect them and drive the Dothraki away.

The moment Selin saw Viserys, he fell to his knees and pleaded, "Prince, I come before you bearing the blood and tears of the people of Loraine, begging for mercy and protection."

All the emotions he had been holding back suddenly erupted into sobs as he haltingly described the suffering of the common people of Loraine Town to Viserys.

"Ashes and tears now blanket the land of Lorien. These Dothraki are demons who have crawled out of hell. They rape daughters before their fathers and wives before their husbands..."

Tears streaming down his face, Selin reached into his cloak and pulled out a small shoe. Viserys gestured to the Unsullied beside him, who took the shoe and handed it over.

The tattered shoe, no bigger than a hand, drew the attention of everyone present. It was the shoe of a child, perhaps four or five years old. Made of rough hemp with a pointed toe, it was unisex, but its size clearly marked it as a child's shoe—small enough to fit in the palm of a hand.

The inside of the shoe was stained with dark red blood, a stark reminder of the tragedy its owner must have endured. Viserys could even smell the faint scent of rusted iron.

"Prince, shoes like this are scattered all over Lorraine Town, and the Dothraki are making more of them every day!"

As Viserys examined the shoe, his eyes glinted with a cold light. The soul within him, from another world, stirred up many painful memories. Yet he managed to remain composed, noting that Selin was a shrewd man who knew how to tug at the hearts of those in power.

Dany, seated nearby, had a clear view of the shoe. She could see how deeply it affected Viserys, whose violet eyes had reddened slightly.

Viserys handed the small shoe to the Unsullied beside him, instructing him to show it to Connington and Kambron. This gesture from Viserys bolstered Selin's confidence.

Connington gazed at the tiny shoe before him, filled with a strong desire to send troops immediately. However, he knew that Tyrosh's strength alone was insufficient to challenge the Horselord. The so-called "Four Daughters Alliance" was fragile at best, and a hasty attack would only invite greater retaliation, further endangering the lives of ordinary civilians.

Viserys's decision to pass the shoe to him was clearly a signal to prepare for military action. Kambron, too, recognized Viserys's intentions. In fact, Kambron had long harbored dissatisfaction with Viserys's capture of Tyrosh, considering the "slave uprising" strategy dishonorable. If Viserys insisted on going to war with the Horselord, the outcome would be grim. Kambron even began to contemplate leaving Tyrosh.

After a moment of silence, Viserys finally spoke:

"Lord Selin, you are a good mayor. I am aware of the situation, and I will fulfill my duties."

At this, Selin knelt and bowed once again. "On behalf of the people of Lorraine Town, I thank you! You are the sun that shines upon us all!"

After Selin departed, Connington quickly sought out Viserys to inquire about his decision. Viserys, perceiving Connington's concerns, did not answer directly. Instead, he asked how many troops and supplies would be needed to wage a full-scale war against the Dothraki.

This question reassured Connington. It meant that Viserys was still thinking clearly.

"Considering that the Dothraki are primarily cavalry and far more familiar with the vast grasslands than we are, we'd need at least three times their number—over 150,000 troops. Additionally, we would require at least 3 million gold dragons for supplies. Factoring in logistics, we would need about 200,000 laborers," Connington advised.

Viserys nodded. The estimate was sound. Connington, once the Hand of the King, had indeed thought of everything. Both Young Connington and Dany awaited Viserys's decision with anticipation. Deep down, Dany wanted to send troops to repel the Dothraki, but after hearing Connington's analysis, she realized it was reasonable. Three million gold dragons equaled Tyrosh's entire tax revenue for five years. Even with the profits from tobacco, it would take more than two years to raise the funds, and Tyrosh alone could not support an army of hundreds of thousands. The only hope would be if the "Four Daughters Alliance" united; Tyrosh couldn't handle it alone.

What Connington didn't know, however, was that Viserys had already thoroughly tracked the movements of the various Dothraki khalasars on the grasslands. He just hadn't had the chance to share this information yet. Unfortunately, he had less than 3,000 cavalrymen at his disposal. If he had 10,000 or 20,000, he wouldn't waste time negotiating with the Dothraki—he would march straight to the Horselord's tent and make him bow.

So he asked again, "If I had full control over the Dothraki, how much of an army and how many supplies would I need?"

"Full control?" Connington asked, clearly puzzled by what Viserys meant.

Viserys looked at the Conningtons and said, "As I mentioned, the age of magic is upon us. You could say that I have 'eyes' on the Dothraki Sea, and their movements are no secret to me."

"Eyes?" Connington tried to grasp Viserys's words, recalling how Aegon the Conqueror, atop the Black Dread, had kept the armies of the Seven Kingdoms in check during his conquest. But Viserys didn't have a dragon—could it be some kind of magic?

Though uncertain of how Viserys knew the Dothraki's movements, Connington relied on his experience to answer. "The Dothraki's greatest strength is the 'advantage of location' you mentioned. If we can negate the Dothraki Sea as a barrier, we would only need an army of equal or even smaller size to defeat them! As for military expenses and supplies, perhaps a million gold dragons would suffice."

Despite his excitement, Connington recognized that Tyrosh alone still lacked the necessary troops.

Viserys then pulled out a map and pointed to a location in the northwest of the Two Lakes region. "Here—this is where the Dothraki are camped. There are about 3,000 of them. If I can wipe them out, will that convince the other Free Cities to join the war against the Dothraki?"

"Three thousand..." Connington quickly calculated the impact on both sides' morale if they managed to destroy these 3,000 Dothraki.

After a brief moment, Connington said, "If we can eliminate these Dothraki with minimal losses, it will greatly boost our morale and serve as a significant deterrent to the Dothraki. It should also shift the Free Cities' stance toward them."

"Summon all officers above the rank of sergeant, all officials above the rank of foot soldier, and all nobles to the throne room. And bring the Dothraki with you," Viserys ordered. "Oh, and the ambassadors from the other Free Cities as well."

"Prince, are you certain about this?" Connington asked, despite his deep respect for Viserys's strategic mind.

"Didn't I tell you? I have my 'eyes' on the Dothraki Sea. They won't escape!" Viserys replied confidently.