Chapter 21: Bluffing

Illyrio exuded an aura of luxury, but in a more remote area, he would stand out like a fish out of water. However, his bodyguards were no amateurs. The coachman and the guards following the carriage were not to be underestimated. Especially noteworthy was the guard in the brown coat, whose broad chest and strong thighs hinted at his prowess even through his clothes.

Illyrio himself had once been an assassin, and his entourage were no slouches either. They quickly sized each other up with practiced ease.

"Prince Viserys," Illyrio called out as he descended from the carriage with the help of his escort, a smile on his lips.

"Lord Illyrio," Viserys replied.

"You are becoming more and more like Prince Rhaegar."

Illyrio knew better than to compare Viserys to his father, the Mad King. Instead, he chose to flatter Viserys by comparing him to Rhaegar, who still had a good reputation despite his flaws.

"Ha, you're joking. I'm no match for my brother. But you're in luck. The fog in Braavos has lifted a lot since you were announced to be coming."

The two exchanged pleasantries and headed towards the living room. Illyrio quickly noted that Viserys had changed. Previously, Viserys had been stiff and formal in social situations. Now, he carried himself with casual confidence. Despite living in a place that was not as grand as before, Viserys made it seem stylish with his bearing.

As they passed through the courtyard, Illyrio noticed the mannequins and weapons rack. While the clean weapons rack could be attributed to diligent servants, the densely marked dummy target told a different story. It indicated that Viserys had not neglected his martial arts training.

Soon, they arrived at the living room. The furnishings were relatively ordinary, with a reasonable number of lamps, all courtesy of Morel. However, a few chairs caught Illyrio's attention—they were a bit too wide. When Illyrio sat down, he found them to be soft and comfortable, almost like being embraced.

With the intuition of a successful businessman, he immediately recognized the value of these chairs. "Could it be a new product from Braavos? No, if Braavos had such a thing, I would have heard about it!" he thought. Could it be that the young prince had designed the chair himself?

Suppressing his curiosity for the moment, Illyrio refocused on Viserys. "I heard that the Prince has been doing some business with loans lately?"

"Ha, yes, it's just enough to support my sister," Viserys replied, generously explaining how he had entered this "industry." His unreserved attitude impressed Illyrio.

Illyrio knew that some fallen nobles could be overly ambitious yet lack practical skills, unwilling to do any real work and preferring to remain poor. As a businessman with a pragmatic instinct, Viserys' attitude resonated with him. However, if Viserys intended to live like this indefinitely without any ambition to restore his kingdom, his investment value would be significantly reduced.

"What are your plans for the future, Prince?" Illyrio asked indirectly, probing for Viserys' true ambitions.

Viserys's lips curled slightly into a knowing smile. Instead of answering Illyrio's question directly, he posed one of his own, "Do you think Robert's rule is stable?"

Illyrio's eyes widened a fraction before he replied thoughtfully, "When Robert first raised an army, he had the backing of the North, the Vale, and the Riverlands. He and Ned Stark, Lord of Winterfell, were both wards of Lord Arryn of the Vale, and the two were like brothers. Later, he gained the support of the Westerlands by marrying Cersei. Under these circumstances, Highgarden also pledged its allegiance. As for Dorne... they are somewhat isolated and weak."

Viserys nodded, understanding the implications. When the Targaryens were first overthrown, Dorne had even approached him to discuss a marriage alliance, only to later swear fealty to Robert. Their willingness to engage with Viserys had diminished as Robert's rule solidified. Illyrio's point was clear: Viserys's chances of reclaiming the throne were slim, and he wanted to gauge Viserys's reaction.

"My lord," Viserys began, "I believe the fate of Westeros may ultimately be decided by a woman."

Illyrio raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "What do you mean?"

"Take Robert, for example. The Baratheons are all black-haired and blue-eyed, yet his three children are blond and blue-eyed."

"Another example, in the early years, rumors abounded that Petyr Baelish boasted of sleeping with Catelyn Tully, but the one who was in love with him was her sister, Lysa. You know what happened to Lysa. She married Jon Arryn, a man old enough to be her father. Littlefinger's rise to power in the court is inseparable from her influence."

Illyrio, a merchant who thrived on information, leaned in, clearly fascinated by Viserys's insights. Viserys continued, "Have you heard about Ned Stark's bastard?"

Illyrio nodded, curious if there was more to the story.

"It's said that the boy might actually be Rhaegar's son with Lyanna Stark," Viserys revealed mysteriously.

Illyrio's eyes widened in surprise. The notion seemed implausible at first, but then he realized it wasn't entirely impossible. Everyone in the Seven Kingdoms knew about Rhaegar and Lyanna, and their relationship had been one of the catalysts for Robert's Rebellion. However, the implications of Viserys's statement were profound.

'This is the benefit of being a transmigrator,' Viserys thought proudly, feeling a pang of sympathy for his nephew.

But Illyrio's instinct to seek verification quickly kicked in. "Your news..."

Viserys remained enigmatic. "Varys," he said simply.

Illyrio's eyes widened in realization. It all made sense. When it came to information, no one was better than Varys. He hadn't considered that Varys might still be in contact with Viserys, even from within the Red Keep.

Illyrio looked at Viserys with newfound respect. No wonder he had recovered from the blow of the "Feast of the Crown." He had found a powerful ally. But how had Varys managed to contact him? And why hadn't Illyrio known about it?

Before he could puzzle it out, Viserys changed the subject. "I recently heard a very wise saying: good luck does not favor fools, and opportunities are reserved for those who are prepared."

He continued, "A good knight keeps his sword sharp at all times, waiting for the right moment. Practicing martial arts, studying, and even saving money—these are all things I need to do and am doing."