Chapter 79: Faith and Gold

Several days later.

A long procession stretched far into the distance, as every household in the Andal village prepared their belongings for a migration of their entire clan.

"Bessy, are we really moving our entire clan?"

At that moment, another young man named Myles, who had run a considerable distance, hurriedly moved from the back to the front of the line to find his friend Bessy, whose shoulder bore the seven-pointed star tattoo, and asked.

They didn't even know what had happened, only that one day a group of fully armed soldiers had surrounded their village.

Then the village chief went out to negotiate with the other party, pleading to hand over some valuables in exchange for their mercy.

However, the distance was too great for them to know what exactly the two parties had discussed. Subsequently, they saw the noble knight on his high-headed horse command his servant to hand over a heavy package to the village chief.

Afterward, the village chief returned with a beaming smile, and the soldiers surrounding the village soon retreated.

In a few days, the village chief called for representatives from every family in the village, and the news of the Andal king's return to Andas spread.

The king was blessed by the Seven Gods and was the divine emissary in the mortal world. The Father plucked seven stars from the heavens to crown this king, and so on...

In the end, the entire clan moved to a newly established city for Andals only—Andalos City.

From then on, the Andals would no longer suffer from the oppression of the Loinna villages on both banks of the Loin River.

These two once glorious tribes had now been shattered by the grinding wheels of history. Although there were many people on the continent of Westeros, only the remnants of the great racial melting pot remained.

Only on the continent of Essos did the homelands of the Andals and the Loinna people maintain such traditional and pure-blooded descendants, but the two races were now reduced to village-level conflicts.

This heartening news quickly spread throughout the village, and under the guidance of the village chief, the whole village migrated to their long-desired homeland.

"By the Seven."

"It seems the merciful Father still loves us."

The Andals, filled with a pilgrim's heart, traveled thousands of miles to relocate their entire clan to the upper reaches of the Loin River.

Their Andal king, crowned by the Seven Gods, had built a new city here, and their devout hearts were only a step away from constant prayer.

During their migration, they encountered people from other Andal villages, who also appeared to be relocating their entire clan to Andalos City.

The two migrating groups met, maintaining vigilance but not actively interacting, silently continuing towards their destination.

Young Bessy held a dagger at his waist with one hand, while carrying a simple bow and arrow on his back, warily watching the other Andal group not far away. Many other men in the village did the same.

After confirming that the other party had no ill intentions, they finally lowered their guard and looked back at their companions.

"It seems we are indeed moving there," the young man said calmly.

"Why? Doesn't this sound like a scam?" Myles, the other young man, became worried upon hearing his friend's unwavering belief.

"The Seven Gods have long abandoned us, otherwise we wouldn't be bullied by those detestable Loinna people."

Myles' voice carried impatience, as he believed everyone in the village had gone mad, thinking himself the only sane one.

"And where on earth did a king crowned by the Seven Gods come from?"

However, Myles' words alarmed his companion, Bessie, who never expected his friend to question the Seven Gods. Bessie's eyes widened, and he scolded.

"Silence, Myles!"

"Say no more!"

He was the son of a chosen warrior from the village. Although he wasn't a knight and hadn't been anointed with holy oil, he had a robust physique and was skilled in battle, making him a worthy warrior's son to defend the will of the Seven Gods in their small village.

Bessie's arm bore the mark of the seven-pointed star, a symbol of his pride and faith. Naturally, he wouldn't allow his companion to question the existence of the Seven Gods.

Bessie's reprimanding voice was quite loud, drawing the attention of nearby villagers.

The young warrior's son took a deep breath, then waved his hand to assure the villagers that nothing was amiss; he and Myles were merely chatting.

Myles was easily frightened, and Bessie's scolding made him shrink back. The villagers' gazes only added to his unease, and his earlier anger dissipated.

"Remember, Myles, don't speak such foolishness again."

"The light of the Seven Gods is beyond doubt."

After explaining the situation to the villagers, Bessie turned to Myles, gripping his shoulder, and spoke calmly.

His anger had subsided, for he knew that Myles was impulsive and often spoke without thinking when agitated.

Myles nodded vigorously, agreeing with Bessie.

"Never mind."

Bessie's eyes flickered briefly, and he shook his head, sighing.

"I, too, find the situation strange, but there's nothing we can do. My mother is willing to move, and we're almost there."

Bessie felt somewhat helpless about it.

The decision to move the entire village wasn't forced. Many chose to stay behind, while others opted to leave.

It was difficult to part from their homeland.

Bessie initially didn't want to leave his home, but for some reason, his mother insisted on moving.

Unable to argue with his mother and with his father having recently passed away, Bessie didn't want to upset her, so he reluctantly followed.

Myles' parents were in a similar situation. After receiving a sum of money, they chose to follow the village leader to Andalos City.

Like Bessie, Myles couldn't sway his parents' decision and had been harboring resentment.

...

"Faith and gold - a potent combination."

"Your Grace is indeed skillful."

Meanwhile, in the so-called 'Andalos City,'

Viserys had been learning to ride a horse for the past few days. Now seated on a small white mare, he could manage to move back and forth while holding the reins but struggled to control the direction.

Standing beside the horse was a young man with black hair, wearing a thin maester's robe with an added cloak. Still, the wind made him shiver. He walked alongside Viserys, talking.

"Really?"

"Maester Gunther, you flatter me."

Viserys held the saddle with one hand, his cheeks slightly tense. He didn't want others to see his anxiety due to his inability to ride a horse, so he maintained a nonchalant demeanor and responded.