Chapter 60: Departure

...

After meeting with the envoy from Braavos at Dragonstone, a few days passed.

During this time, Viserys arranged for the subsequent affairs on Dragonstone.

Then, after dressing up, his silver-gold hair was dyed blue, and his usually enviable appearance was made more modest, no longer as eye-catching.

However, his purple eyes could not be concealed, still carrying a calmness and steadiness that was the opposite of what one would expect from a boy. Within those eyes was a breathtaking beauty, like a pale purple gemstone.

Hidden deep within his eyes were complex runes unseen by ordinary people. Looking into the eyes of this boy, one would feel an intangible pressure.

This was a fear that originated from the soul, regardless of how strong his body might be.

A small change brought about by Viserys' mental power surpassing that of ordinary people and reaching another realm.

If one were to only see Viserys as he was now, they might simply admire him as a beautiful boy. However, after making eye contact, their thoughts would be completely overturned.

A boy from an ordinary wealthy family would not possess such an intangible aura, which seemed to radiate from within.

Viserys was not traveling alone; he was accompanied by two carefully selected guards who would protect the young king's safety along the way.

The master-at-arms had originally wanted to personally escort Viserys to Braavos.

However, his body was weak, and his old injuries had been acting up, even causing a minor illness. In the end, Viserys reluctantly asked him to stay on Dragonstone to recover.

In this era of subpar medical care, the injury that had pierced his ribs and the lack of timely treatment, which had dragged on for a day and a night, had left the knight with a stubborn ailment.

The once robust body had rapidly withered away in less than a year, and even his former armor seemed somewhat oversized.

Viserys couldn't bear to have the master-at-arms follow him on another long journey, so he insisted that he stay on Dragonstone.

Soon after,

Under the arrangement of the Braavosi envoy, Viserys discreetly boarded a merchant ship returning to Braavos from King's Landing.

He left Dragonstone for the distant and mysterious Braavos.

...

Splash—

The massive double-masted oar-driven merchant ship sailed through the waves on the open sea.

Waves continually crashed against the colossal hull, yet it felt like a gentle breeze, not shaking the ship's steadfast progress in the slightest.

At this moment, the young king sat quietly by the cabin window, gazing at the turbulent sea in the distance, feeling a slight sense of envy.

Braavos was truly the center of world trade, possessing countless riches.

Even a random merchant ship had a tonnage second only to the Targaryen fleet's flagship, the Black Dread. It was clear that with some modifications, such as adding a ram and weapons, this merchant ship could be transformed into a warship at any moment.

Not long ago, Viserys had personally accompanied Ser Joffrey on an expedition to Storm's End, destroying the Baratheon fleet in Shipbreaker Bay.

At that time, Viserys had closely followed the old knight, learning and asking many questions. As a result, he had some understanding of naval warfare, at least enough not to be completely unfamiliar.

Viserys could see the terrifying war potential of this massive city-state, the leader of the Nine Free Cities.

If war were to truly break out, Braavos might be able to assemble an invincible fleet of hundreds of double-masted oar-driven warships in a short time.

In other city-states, their fleets used longships and small sailboats as vanguard units to protect the main ships. However, their main ships were merely ordinary vessels compared to those of Braavos.

The invincible fleet of Braavos could easily blockade an enemy's maritime trade supply routes, significantly reducing their war capabilities.

However, the invincible fleet's deterrent effect on the nobility of Westeros was not particularly significant.

No matter how massive the invincible fleet's scale, it could not surround the entire continent of Westeros.

Furthermore, the great nobles would not overly rely on trade, as a small-scale agricultural economy could be entirely self-sufficient. Cutting off sea routes would only inflict minor losses on them, not enough to cripple them.

This was evident in the usurper's war when the Targaryen royal fleet could not be utilized effectively.

What truly concerned the Seven Kingdoms and even the Iron Throne was another weapon wielded by Braavos.

That weapon was gold.

The staggering wealth of the Iron Bank could make the throne under a king's posterior bristle with thorns.

When kings or nobles defaulted on their debts or foolishly disrespected their contracts with the Iron Bank, new kings or nobles would emerge, backed by the bank's financial aid.

These new nobles had to acknowledge previous debts and repay the money they borrowed from the Iron Bank to win their positions, lest they suffer the same fate as their predecessors.

This was why the Iron Bank had loaned out so much money and yet no one dared to renege on their debts.

As the people of Braavos say in a proverb, "The Iron Bank does not tolerate default."

Viserys gazed at the waves on the sea, lost in thought, pondering these complicated matters.

He had some knowledge of Braavos based on his memories and impressions, but these were not comprehensive. The rest was information about Braavos, its customs, and traditions that he had quickly absorbed before setting off.

A soldier sitting nearby observed the young king's expression and seemed to take it for granted.

After several incidents, including the planned assassination of a mercenary and the battle at the Broken Bay, Viserys' reputation had gradually spread among the soldiers.

People said that Viserys possessed a talent equal to his older brother Rhaegar, and now the soldier believed it to be true.

What was he doing at the age of eight?

It seemed like he was still playing with mud and urine.

In reality, Viserys' mind was blank at the moment, unsure of what he was thinking. He was merely staring at the sea, lost in thought.

Although he had disguised himself somewhat, he had remained hidden in the cabin all day, just to be cautious.

After all, this was the first time Viserys had stepped out of the protective circles that had always surrounded him and entered a completely unfamiliar environment.

Even when he had hastily fled King's Landing, he had been escorted by more than fifty soldiers, but now he only had two people by his side.

At that moment, there was a knock on the cabin door.

Knock, knock, knock...

"Young master, it's me."

A deliberately lowered male voice came from outside the door.

...