Chapter 202: Cooperation

The man's footsteps were heavy, his eyes sharp. As he sat down, his gaze was fixed unabashedly on Viserys.

Viserys stared back at him, only for the man to snort and look away.

"He's one of the Magisters who harbor hostility towards you," whispered Illyrio, who had appeared behind Viserys after not accompanying the prince on his city tour.

Viserys nodded slightly.

"I can see that."

This included the Magister named Scott who had first struck up a conversation with him, clearly holding deep animosity and even undisguised threats in his tone.

When Viserys had last visited Pentos, these Magisters still wore hypocritical smiles. This time, however, their daggers were drawn, and they didn't even bother to pretend anymore.

Viserys remained seated, looking calm with one leg crossed over the other, showing no signs of panic.

Behind him stood two guards, their faces betraying no fear either.

The Magisters of Pentos could hardly conceal their intentions anymore. Even before the banquet had begun, they were already itching for action.

"Balerion," Viserys silently called out in his mind, sensing a subtle response.

Before hatching, Balerion had absorbed some black mist, resulting in golden cracks appearing on his eggshell.

Ever since Balerion's birth, Viserys and the dragon had shared a delicate bond, allowing them to sense each other.

Viserys could feel Balerion's current state, and the dragon seemed to be in a very good mood.

"Heh…"

A muffled growl echoed through the dark forest, casting a massive shadow over the land.

Sleeping animals were startled awake, their ears perking up.

They could sense danger, the smell of sulfur wafting in from afar.

Rustle…

The leaves trembled, and countless small animals began to scatter and flee.

Rabbits leaped away, monkeys swung to distant branches, herds of deer ran towards the horizon. Even a striped tiger ran alongside the deer, but it had no time to consider the prey beside it, only wanting to escape.

What a great forest exodus.

Dragon.

Its arrival brought a devastating ecological crisis to the forest.

All animals were driven to flee towards the horizon. Amidst the chaos, some unfortunate prey were caught and roasted by a burst of dragonfire before being torn apart and swallowed.

"Heh…"

Balerion sensed Viserys's summons.

The scaled, slender neck lifted slightly, and the pair of crimson eyes with golden vertical pupils emitted a dangerous glow.

Whoosh…

The black dragon spread its wings and soared into the sky, the raging wind lifting the wild grass and tree branches below.

A massive shadow was cast, flying towards the distance.

...

"Heh…"

.

Having received Balerion's response, Viserys felt much more at ease.

The Young King had prepared thoroughly for this expedition.

Not only had he made contact with the ragged Prince through Ramsay, but also his Windblown company.

The ragged Prince had a strong attachment to Pentos.

He was willing to lead the Windblown to pledge allegiance to House Targaryen, and his only demand was for Viserys to hand over Pentos to him for governance.

He had made this condition to others before, but no one had ever agreed to the ragged Prince's terms.

Viserys then sent someone to contact him, and the ragged Prince did not hesitate long before deciding to meet Viserys in person.

The Windblown consisted of more than two thousand battle-hardened mercenaries. After taking Pentos with the support of House Targaryen, they could rely on this powerful family.

Otherwise, it would be delusional to think that these two thousand men could take Pentos, and even if they could, without the backing of a powerful force, they would eventually be overthrown by other factions.

The Windblown needed the deterrence of the Young Dragon.

Andalos now had vast territories, a large population, and a large army due to its unique conscription system. It had expanded to nearly twenty thousand troops, ten times the size of the Windblown, and possessed three huge dragons.

Viserys also needed to open the gates of Pentos, and the ragged Prince's unique status provided a good excuse to legitimately control Pentos.

As a former heir to one of the forty families and even considered as a prince candidate, his claim was legally sound.

Once House Targaryen's forces were stationed in this pearl of the bay, they would have access to a massive port with a huge cargo throughput.

The enormous annual trade volume would be enough to serve as the financial engine for the kingdom, and Pentos also had a terrifying population.

Population, economy, culture.

Pentos' geographical location was also crucial, as it had previously stifled the growth of House Targaryen.

Now that the gates were open, the forces under the banner of the three-headed dragon could continue to expand to the east and south.

To the south of Pentos were the vast plains, Na's Star City, Arnon City, the Golden Fields, Chayoen, and others. The military could reach the Demir Sea and point towards Myr and the disputed lands.

The predicament of House Targaryen was suddenly resolved, and from then on, there was nothing to hinder the rise of the dragons.

Thus, Viserys and the ragged Prince conducted a mutually beneficial exchange on the unmarked black ship.

Both sides had urgent needs.

At the same time, Viserys did not fully trust the Windblown mercenaries. He knew their reputation was not very good.

They couldn't compare to the Golden Company, who followed the motto "Our word is as good as gold."

Therefore, he did not put all his eggs in one basket. He also brought along Melisandre, the Red Priestess with a lofty status in the religion of R'hllor.

Pentos had a massive number of R'hllor followers who would play a crucial role at a critical moment.

With so many supporters, Viserys' companion, Balerion, naturally followed.

He hid in the woods during the day, sleeping soundly, and concealed himself in the black night sky at night, hovering above Viserys' cavalry troop, unnoticed by anyone.

This was the Young King's last resort.

As Viserys told Oberyn, he never joked about his life, only taking action when he had a certain level of confidence in success.

Although this operation also had the potential for failure, Viserys could ensure his own safety.

If things became impossible, Balerion would swoop down from the sky at the last moment to rescue Viserys.

...

"Don't panic even if something happens later," Viserys advised Illyrio.

Illyrio, of course, had no knowledge of Viserys' arrangements.

The rotund Magister sat beside him, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

Inside his loose robe, it was apparent he had donned soft armor, and his waist bulged as if carrying weapons.

In his youth, Illyrio had been a skilled mercenary, and even after becoming a merchant and putting on weight, he was still quite capable when it came to fighting.

"Just listen to my arrangements, and I assure you, there will be no danger," Illyrio continued to whisper to Viserys.