Chapter 9: Night of Blood and Fire

As an island city, Braavos was teeming with seagulls. Viserys disposed of the lookout without a second thought and tossed the body into the sea. Following his predetermined route to Banergar's lair, he climbed to a high point and surveyed the surroundings.

To the northeast, near the Long Channel, the lights were bright. This area housed the Sealord's palace, several magnificent temples, and the great theater known as "The Gate. The upper reaches of the Long Channel could be considered the center of Braavos.

He then turned his gaze towards the northwest, where the Titan of Braavos stood. This iconic structure served as both the city's beacon and its first line of defense, housing an arsenal. Viserys noticed the lights there seemed unusually bright, which was advantageous. If something happened elsewhere, it would be less likely to be noticed.

After confirming his direction, Viserys continued on his way.

At Banergar's mansion:

"Carmon, did you hear the screams? This little bitch is hot. Why don't you go try her out?" The young man speaking had a lewd smile, clearly relishing the thought. He was Banergar's eldest son, Caperson. The two men looked remarkably similar.

Caperson's puffy eyes betrayed that he was overtaxing his body.

"Not interested. Isn't Father going to take on The Beggar King? His sister is the Princess of a fallen kingdom. I'll save my appetite for that." Compared to his brother, Carmon was slightly plumper, and the two brothers did not look much alike. But the obscene expression and mannerisms were identical.

"Hey, you're dreaming. That fallen bitch is a big shot in Braavos, and she's from one of the three great houses. If she's not a virgin, she's worthless." Caperson took a sip of wine and continued, "You'd better keep your pants on and not ruin Father's business."

Hearing this, Carmon put down his wine glass with some disappointment. "Hmph! Damn it, what's so great about these big shots? They just have better women than we do!" He unbuttoned his shirt and walked into the back room.

"Hey, don't go too far. You have to give her back to Old Pigskin tomorrow!"

"Oh, I know!" Carmon waved impatiently.

Caperson walked to the window, his sparse chest hair exposed, and enjoyed the sea breeze while drinking. But after a while, he didn't hear any sound from the back room.

"What's this guy up to now?" He wondered, but shrugged it off and continued enjoying the night view.

"The triennial Ten-Day Festival is about to begin. I wonder if I'll have the chance to meet Lady Falia, the Moonshadow." Caperson squinted towards the Titan of Braavos.

Every three years, Braavos held the "Masked Festival." On the last day of the festival, people removed their masks to the roar of the Titan of Braavos. The festival included three competitions: a sword-fighting competition, a music competition, and the highly anticipated beauty pageant. The prizes for each competition were generous.

Caperson reminisced about his previous participation in the festival, lost in fantasy. However, after a long time, he still didn't hear the poor girl's screams, which struck him as odd.

"Carmon? Carmon!"

Suddenly, Caperson felt a chill in his throat, his hair stood on end, and his scalp felt as if it were about to burst.

"What do you want?"

"Hand over all the money." The voice was cold and gloomy, and Caperson did not dare to think otherwise.

"Okay, okay, I'll get it. I'll get it."

He quickly went to the corner of the room, lifted a hidden floor panel, and revealed various deeds and shiny coins.

"The money is all..."

Before Caperson could finish his sentence, he felt a cold sensation at the base of his neck, and then he fell to the ground, writhing in agony, just like the swordsman Enghis.

It was Viserys. He didn't care about Caperson's miserable state but instead stuffed the coins from the secret compartment into a pocket he had prepared in advance. Two or three hundred gold coins and hundreds of silver moons were enough to support the siblings for several years.

As for the contracts and other documents, Viserys, of course, did not take them.

Suddenly, Viserys found a black dagger.

[Dragonbone Dagger: provides 1 assignable attribute point, daily assignable attribute point increase of 0.05]

The message, as if projected directly onto his retina, made him pause. The so-called Dragonbone Dagger is a dagger made from Dragonbone—light, sharp, and tough. The Dragonbone Dagger and the Dragonbone Bow are both weapons that warriors are eager to obtain.

He inserted the dagger at the back of his waist, then loaded the coins. The coins were not heavy, weighing only three or four catties. He hung them on his body, lit the candles, set the curtains on fire, and then turned around to find the poor girl in the room.

The girl was about fourteen years old. When Viserys had just entered, Carmon had been about to do something to her. The girl seemed resigned to her fate, lying motionless on the bed like a pale, dead fish.

Viserys slit Carmon's throat, comforted the girl, and then returned to kill Caperson. He chose to save her because he was wearing a mask. Plus, he could tell that the girl was being forced, so at least she wouldn't say anything if anyone asked.

When he tried to help her up, she struggled to resist.

"Kill me," the girl said weakly, her voice like a wounded oriole, sad and melodious.

Viserys was silent for a moment. He had overheard Caperson and Carmon's conversation. There seemed to be someone else behind this, someone called Old Pigskin. He could save her now, but not forever. And he was in danger himself.

"You can give me the candle, please." He knew the girl wanted to make it look like she had started the fire.

"What's your name?" he asked.

"Sissi," she replied bitterly.

"Okay, Sissi."

Viserys took her head in his arms and gently twisted it, ending her suffering.

Banergar lived in a wealthy neighborhood where the houses were spaced out. When Viserys left, his house was like a huge lampshade in the darkness, the orange glow of the fire faintly visible. Soon, the flames roared like a giant python, consuming the entire house. The fire burned for nearly three hours before it was discovered. By that time, Viserys had already returned to his courtyard.

Dany was holding a crossbow, her eyes wide with fear as she kept watch over the tied-up intruders. When she saw a figure at the door, she quickly aimed the crossbow. Realizing it was her brother, she relaxed. She was only eight years old and felt exhausted after the tension.

As soon as she stood up, she nearly fell. Fortunately, Viserys was quick and caught her.

"How is it? Have they woken up yet?" he asked.

Dany shook her head. "No, they didn't get up."

Seeing his little sister so tired made Viserys feel a pang of sadness. He carried her to bed and tucked her in.

"Dany, I didn't go anywhere tonight. Do you remember?" he said gently.

Dany looked confused but nodded, trusting her brother.

"Repeat it," Viserys insisted.

"Brother, you didn't go anywhere. You were with me the whole time."

Satisfied, Viserys covered her with the quilt. He went back to the courtyard and looked at Banergar and the others, who were still unconscious. They had come to rob him but had lost everything instead. He couldn't let them go, but he needed to plan carefully to maximize his own interests.