Chapter 54: The Sealord’s Palace

The actions of House Zalyne came as a significant surprise to Tormo. The Moonshadow, which had remained silent for most of the month, had suddenly made a strong comeback. They had managed to keep a major secret from everyone.

There were two key factors in the competition for the position of Sealord among the three great houses. The first was the attitude of the current Sealord. If he were to support one house over the others, either explicitly or implicitly, the likelihood of that house being elected would increase. The second factor was the opinions of the many merchants in Braavos, which the three families had to consider.

Previously, House Fregar had been determined to secure the next Sealord position. However, both the current Sealord and the merchants had been somewhat aggressive in their attitudes and methods. Now, with House Zalyne choosing to stand up and fight, many variables had been introduced. If the Zalyne and Antaryon families joined forces, it could shift the sentiments of other merchant groups.

Tormo, realizing the potential shift in power dynamics, ordered his bodyguard, "Prepare the carriage. I'm going to see that old bastard Roth!" Roth was the current leader of House Zalyne.

...

Purple Harbor, Braavos: The Sealord's Palace

The Sealord's Palace, one of Braavos's most iconic landmarks, boasts a design of extraordinary luxury. The entire building is painted a deep sea blue, and about a meter above the ground, the corners are inlaid with shells, conch, and coral. Through the blue gate, the orderly guards stand as a testament to the strictness of the place.

As the "bastard daughter of Valyria," the palace also incorporates dragon elements. A dragon statue lies at the center of the Sealord's Palace, but this dragon has a tail as thick as a fish's fin and webbed claws. It is a fusion of dragon and fish, fitting the "bastard daughter" theme perfectly.

The Sealord's palace has a lake connected to the outer waterways, where the Sealord's sail boat is moored. From bow to stern, blue smiling face masks hang in a long row, resembling a 'flower skirt' that adorns the yacht. On ordinary days, Sealord is often on the boat.

A middle-aged man with brown eyes and a serious expression walked into the palace. He was the Sealord's First Sword, Qarro Volentin. Handing a small scroll to the Sealord, took it and looked at it, a distinct smile spreading across his face, even adding a hint of red to his pale complexion.

Qarro read the note, and his already shiny forehead, which had receded significantly, seemed to shine even more. "Lord, it seems that all of this is because of that Viserys."

"I thought that after the Coronation Banquet, he would be hit hard and might not recover for the rest of his life. I never thought that... this Targaryen is quite something," Ferrego said with a smile.

In just six months, Ferrego had heard about Viserys Targaryen three times. The first was when Banergar of the Fierce Fish Company came to him. The second was when he heard about the production of soap. And now, the third time.

When the "invention" of soap first emerged, Ferrego thought that House Fregar would definitely be involved. But he never imagined that Viserys would not only remain unafraid but also manage to contact House Zalyne. He had even sent someone to find out about Viserys's condition. Since House Fregar came knocking, it seemed Viserys had withdrawn into seclusion. Ferrego thought he had given in, but he had actually been planning a big move.

"But how did he convince House Zalyne to help him against House Fregar in just one month?" Ferrego wondered, frowning as he thought it over.

Unable to find an answer, he decided to put the matter aside for the time being. As the Sealord, he always had the initiative, so he would wait and see what happened.

Although Ferrego was not in the best of health at the moment, he was confident he would remain the Sealord for at least another six or seven years.

At that moment, another official entered, carrying a wooden tray adorned with a dozen white shells.

"Lord, it's time to choose the topic for the poem."

"Hmm," Ferrego responded, noting that three of the shells had been carefully placed in a more prominent position. His eyes flashed with understanding, but then, as if making a sudden decision, he shuffled the shells like playing a game. After a moment, he picked out three and threw them onto the table.

He opened the shells to reveal a few words in Valyrian...

...

When Helbo realized that House Fregar didn't seem to care about him, he returned to his own residence.Learning about the dire situation of Morel and his son, he felt proud of his decision to cut ties with Viserys. Compared to their devastation, he had only lost some money. The one percent he had invested in the workshop now seemed like life insurance.

Taking a sip of Arbor wine, he sighed, "Damn, this wine is really expensive!" As the celebration approached, wine prices in Braavos had skyrocketed. Sellswords alone had increased the city's wine consumption by 40%, not to mention the influx of other tourists. What Helbo once drank casually was now a luxury.

At least he could still sit and drink. Just then, Helbo's servant entered, carrying a heavy box. "M'lord, this is your 'bonus' from the workshop."

"What?" Helbo exclaimed, bewildered. "The Morel workshop?"

The servant nodded. "Yes, M'lord. The Morel workshop."

"But... How is this possible?" Helbo took the box, finding it unexpectedly heavy. Opening it, he discovered it was full of gold dragons—at least 400 of them. "How is this possible?!"

Helbo was stunned. He had visited the workshop, seen the workers fleeing, the raw materials gone, and the Morel father and son facing ruin. "How did they deliver the goods?"

"I heard that the House Zalyne's carriage brought the Moonshadows to the workshop. After that... I don't know much more," the servant admitted, puzzled.

"Zalyne, Zalyne, Zalyne..." Helbo muttered agitatedly, repeating the name. "Could it be Viserys? How could he... this..."

A figure quickly formed in his mind, but he didn't want to believe it. Yet, the gold dragons before him were undeniable. If Viserys had indeed secured the support of House Zalyne, the production of soap would remain unaffected, and Helbo should have been profiting from dividends.

Realizing he hadn't just lost a few gold dragons but potentially thousands, he felt a sharp pain in his chest. "Hurry up and prepare a carriage for me! I'm going to see Lord Viserys!"