Chapter 41

Solomon. Braavos.

Kirana's reply came rather quickly. By noon a messenger arrived at the temple door with a letter that included the date, time, and place. It was tomorrow evening at her mansion, which I found acceptable, though by her speed of reply Kirana showed an impatience that one would not expect from mere 'interest'.

And since I had my answer, I decided to take the time to do my usual stroll through the city and its notable sites, of which there were plenty. Today I wanted to check out the Moon Pond, which was relatively close to the Sea Lord's palace and the Iron Bank. Out of the corner of my eye, I had already seen it, but only from the outside, and it was massive.

The Moon Pond was the terminus where the Aqueduct ended. It was surrounded by a massive structure that had some semblance of a Colosseum, with two levels of arches and numerous entrances arranged around the perimeter.

I wanted to inspect it from the inside, and when I arrived at the site, a huge space with a massive pond and fountain opened up in front of me. The area was decorated with flowerbeds and trees, and there were benches set up around the perimeter where you could just sit and meditate.

There weren't many people, the Moon Pond was filled to about one-fifth of its capacity, which didn't create some stuffy and noisy atmosphere. Everything looked beautiful and aesthetically pleasing, reminiscent of someone's personal garden than a public pond.

As I had heard, at night there was a kind of duel between bravi, water dancers known for a peculiar style of fencing, something reminiscent of an Olympic sport from my world. The leading arm was placed diagonally, while the other arm was bent at the elbow and tucked behind the back. The Bravi used the lightness of their weapons and the agility of their bodies, aiming for vital body parts. They caught my eye, for they dressed brightly, making them easy to recognize.

I took a seat on a vacant bench and, as the surroundings allowed, the conversation with Oberyn replayed in my mind.

It went smoothly and ended soon enough. Of course, the Prince of Dorne's younger brother had asked me more than once to give him Gae Bolg, offering him land, money, and women, but of course I had refused.

Gae Bolg is a Noble Phantasm of Rank B+, a crystallization of the legend of Cu Chulainn and possesses tangible power with a special property. It can destroy armies with enough mana, and when activated, the spear rewrites causality, causing it to always seek to pierce the heart of its victim no matter how much they dodge and run fast.

Such a weapon is too powerful for this world, and putting it in the hands of the locals is simply not an option. Although it can't be activated by any living person of this world, there's no denying the spear's astounding sharpness, durability, and aura. This alone is enough to bow down nations in front of it.

Eventually, before leaving the temple, Oberyn promised me that he would personally advance to King's Landing to fulfill his end of the bargain. I raised an eyebrow at this, for his actions would be obvious, to say the least, with the fires of enmity burning between the Martells and the Lannisters, but Oberyn only grinned.

As he put it, he didn't care what anyone thought of him, the mere factor of his personal presence would make the Lannisters wary. And it's all too obvious that if they do anything against Ned, Dorne will have the North as an ally in no time.

Beyond that, it was unclear to me why he had asked me to heal his brother. There is a House of Scarlet Hands in Braavos, which is a kind of private hospital. There one could hire a healer and seek help, if there was enough money to do so, of course.

Though I doubt Oberyn didn't visit the House with that request. And if he did, either they failed to diagnose it or the disease was incurable. Given the level of medicine of this era, where most everything was treated with herbs or amputation, this wouldn't come as a surprise. Blood transfusions or surgeries were not yet known at this time, and the chance of catching something like tetanus in the process was high.

I frowned.

Medicine is even slower in this world than in my home dimension because of the Citadel, located in Oldtown. It is the center of science, medicine, and history, or rather their monopoly, because that is where Maesters are educated.

The Citadel is also their headquarters, where all sorts of knowledge from all over the continent is gathered. The Conclave, the governing body of the maesters that sits there, essentially dictates history.

Every study must be documented in the Citadel and enshrined by a Maester. The Maester, for only their opinion is taken into account. This means that the development of the continent is under the power of the Conclave, for it is from there that Maesters gain knowledge and utilize it in everyday life.

In the Middle Ages, when the age of the Inquisition had passed and the age of science and development had arrived, there were several organizations that promoted these factors at once. This allowed one to look at a study from different perspectives and complete the missing elements, thus completing the study.

Having just one institute in the entire continent doesn't just slow down the advancement of science, it essentially stops it. Mistakes will not be studied and corrected in a short period of time, which can drag on for years or even decades.

Valyria is far ahead in this regard. Their level of development was a century, if not two, ahead of the current Westeros. Take Aqueduct and this Moon Pond. The fountain indicates knowledge of the pump device, and the Roman equivalent of the aqueduct indicates knowledge of pressure distribution. The city also had public baths and toilets, well, and the equivalent of eating establishments other than taverns and pubs, just like the Romans.

I don't know how long it would take before there would be at least one other institution besides the Citadel to kickstart science and technology. Maybe I should step in after all.

- You're frowning, Solomon. Is something troubling you? - I heard a familiar voice and looked up.

It was Velano, followed by the familiar Matiris. The Sea Lord's son smiled politely and sat next to me while his bodyguard bowed to me in greeting and stood silently behind us.

- Velano? Hello. I didn't think I'd meet you here. You're a busy man, after all.

- Well," he smiled awkwardly, "I was looking for you. I couldn't find you at the Red Temple, and I couldn't find you at the Faceless Ones either. I even stopped by the Artist, but as soon as I mentioned your name, she reacted... violently. It was the first time I'd ever seen her in a bad mood, and to such an extent. What did you do that she hates you so much?

- Let's just say something happened and call it a day," I shook my head, "So why were you looking for me?

- I realize my request has already been fulfilled and it would be rude to bring it up again, but this is about my brother. And I'd like to offer you the job again.

- I'm sorry, but no. However, purely out of curiosity, what would you like me to do?

- I found out that Tarmo has a daughter. I don't know who she is, her age or her looks, but there she is. And this girl is the reason for Oris' behavior.

- You mean he just fell in love?

- I think so," Velano nodded, "The job was for you to try to find out who it is. No, I don't mind him being in a relationship with someone else, but that's no reason for him to be estranged from his family. He won't listen to me, but someone he doesn't know? I guess so.

I've been thinking.

In that case, Oris's behavior is justified. He wants his father's approval to court his daughter. It's not good to cut off ties, but the young man is just prioritizing. And besides, Oris is not a child and is aware of his actions. In that case, I'm not sure what Velano has to do with this.

- I'm sorry, but what does this have to do with you? - Let him do what he wants, as long as he doesn't overstep his bounds. He's estranged from you, yes, but no more than that. As a big brother you should just let him go, don't you think?

- Understand, Solomon, things are not as simple in this town as you think. It could be yours who's just using him. Oris is the son of a Sea Lord, even if the last one is about to be replaced. He has opportunities that most people will never get in a lifetime. And I would hate to see my brother suffer heartbreak. It would be different if I knew who this girl was, because I would be able to dig something up, however, I don't.

- I still don't see the point of your involvement in their relationship. As long as he hasn't raised his hand on you and he's alive and well, I'd say you shouldn't get involved. Just let him go. - I said calmly, to which Velano shook his head.

- I'm sorry, but I can't do that. My heart can't rest as long as the identity of this girl remains unknown," he sighed, "If you still think about it, talk to him. He comes here at night to practice. Mostly alone.

- No promises.

- That's all I ask," Velano said and got up from the bench, "I'm sorry to have taken up your time, Solomon. Have a good day.

With that, he and Matiris left me and headed toward the Sea Lord's palace. I stared after them and shook my head.

Velano was overprotective of his brother. I don't know what kind of environment their family was in, but whatever it was, that kind of attention didn't make sense anyway. Yes, I partly understand his reasoning, as Braavos is the link between Westoros and Essos, and such cities have always had a shadow comparable to their importance. However, Velano is overdoing it, and that is a fact.

I took a deep breath and pondered.

Hmm... Maybe I should visit the Artist, now that she's here. She doesn't like me, of course, but I'm sure she'd be eager to tell me all about Kieran in every color and shade. I'll have some basis for what exactly to think of this woman, and perhaps I'll be able to learn the details of their conflict. After all, to harbor that level of animosity, there must be something... significant. Though, the Artist had mentioned magic and indirectly pointed out the possibility of it being passed on to another person. I'd have to ask her what she meant by that.

And on those thoughts, I headed for the Pearl Coast.

I guess she won't rush to stab me as soon as she sees me, right?

-0-

Jon Snow. Near the Wall.

- Hey, idiot, how much longer do we have to wait? - I heard Mara's voice as our group settled down on the hides and did whatever we could, given our circumstances.

We were essentially in the Night's Watch's custody, with no way to leave the cave except for necessities. Halfhand had left as early as the morning, and the other two Black Brothers were guarding the entrance, replacing the previous ones. The food and water we had been promised came at a steady pace. However, Cid and Mara had not touched either.

The former preferred to use his supplies, and used his free time for some semblance of meditation. But, as my Origin suggested to me, his muscles, looking visibly relaxed, were ready to do battle at any second, and a blank stare followed the entrance to the cave.

Mara was just lazing around, lying on the skins or playing with Ghost, who preferred her company to mine. I wasn't much different from her, though, as I didn't want to reveal my trump card and practice my magic in front of others. But I realized that I would have to start training at the earliest opportunity.

Unfortunately, after leaving Winterfell, I didn't get a chance to experiment. The art of runes is powerful in that, knowing just a couple of them, a mage could combine them. Lord Solomon spoke highly of this section of magic, as it required very little mana while still being highly effective. It all depended on accuracy, knowledge and understanding of the runes, aided by my Origin.

- If nothing happens, the raven should arrive tonight, and already at night we will be free. - I answered calmly.

- Oh? So you admit that we were locked in a cage like some animals? - Mara asked mockingly.

- It's the lesser of two evils," I shrugged, "Besides, do you really want to run away from more than a dozen armed men? To get to the road we were planning to take stealthily, we have to cross the Twilight Tower, which is just up the road. We'll just get caught.

- And then what do you propose to do, smartass, if your plan fails? - Mara asked, at which Сid's gaze traveled to me, and I furrowed my brows.

Given the mood in the Twilight Tower and the general attitude toward the Free Folk, that could very well happen. The chance is slim, since it's commanded by a decent man, but it's still there.

In this case, when I left the cave, I managed to draw on several trees rune "Ansuz", capable of creating fire. This would provide a bit of a distraction and break up the distance between the intended pursuit. And since I've added the Othala rune, which amplifies the effect of the other, it's quite possible that if activated, the entire forest or even the Black Brothers will catch fire.

I'd hate to resort to that, but if the need arises, I'll have no choice.

- I hope that doesn't happen. I really hope not.

-0-

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