NOVEL SIMPLE Chapter 114: Bounty as Compensation
The news that mercenaries, who claimed to have slain the world's pirate leaders, along with a descendant of the Dragonlord, was coming to visit rippled through the Black Wall like a stone tossed into a still pond. It stirred everyone within its confines. The normally idle nobles suddenly sprang to life, and under the service of their slaves, they all flocked to the Black Wall to catch a glimpse of the last remaining descendant of the Dragonlord.
These two events also alarmed the Triarchs within the Black Wall. Volantis is governed by two ruling parties and three Triarchs. Currently, one of the Triarchs belongs to the Tiger Party, while the other two are members of the Elephant Party. The Tiger Party is known for its zeal for war and expansion, whereas the Elephant Party prioritizes economic trade. Due to the war lost a hundred years ago, the people of Volantis harbor deep resentment toward the Tiger Party, which led them into that conflict. As a result, the Tiger Party has been suppressed for the past century, with Malaquo being the sole representative among the Triarchs.
Malaquo, now very old with no teeth left, spoke with his pink gums on display. “Hmph! How could a mercenary group wipe out all the world’s pirates? In my view, they’re likely frauds. Even if they did succeed, paying out 300,000 gold coins in one go would strain our finances this quarter.”
The younger, plump Triarch responded, "So, are we going to renege on the reward? Is the reputation of Volantis worth less than 300,000 gold shimmering coins?" This Triarch, named Nyessos, was one of the two Elephant Party members. Given their focus on trade, reputation was paramount to them.
Malaquo countered, “Isn’t there someone in that mercenary group who claims to be a descendant of the Targaryens? Conqueror Aegon once crushed our armies, and 300,000 gold coins is a mere pittance of compensation!” Though his proposal wasn’t outright opposed by the two Elephant Party members, a tension lingered in the air.
Volantis is arguably the most cunning of the Free Cities, and the publicity surrounding Viserys and his companions had likely reached every corner of the Free Cities by now. Anyone with sense would see that Malaquo's suggestion reeked of bullying. To dredge up an event from 200 years ago as an excuse was sheer pettiness. Furthermore, after years of the Elephant Party suppressing the Tiger Party, most people in Volantis were disgusted by that war. Now, attempting to cheat the Dragonlord's descendants out of their reward would be intolerable to many.
If Malaquo's proposal were to pass, it would only bring further scorn upon the Tiger Party and might even jeopardize Malaquo's chances of being re-elected as Triarch. Realizing his mistake, he quickly abandoned the idea. In the original plot, the Dragon Mother's actions in liberating slaves had hurt the interests of most Volantene nobles, providing the Tiger Party with an opportunity to rise. But now, with Viserys’ power too weak, making him a target would only backfire.
The Triarchs silently agreed to drop Malaquo’s suggestion. Then, the third Triarch, who had remained silent until now, spoke up. “After all, these two Targaryens are merely the descendants of a fallen house. They do not deserve to be honored as Dragonlords by us. I’ll be the one to receive them.” As he spoke, a sly glint flashed in his brown eyes. His name was Alios, and he was also an Elephant Party Triarch. However, his proposal immediately raised suspicion in his fellow party member, Nyessos.
‘What do you mean by you receiving them?’ Nyessos thought. ‘Even if the Targaryens are from a fallen dynasty, they are still pure-blooded Valyrians! If we can receive these two siblings, and if things go well, we could use them as our "mascots" for the next election.’ Nyessos then said aloud, “I believe Lord Alios’ concubine is about to give birth, isn’t she? I’ll handle this,” his gaze locking with Alios'. Both men understood each other’s intentions. After all, when two old foxes are playing the same game, it’s better to collaborate. “Let’s go together,” they tacitly agreed.
At this point, Viserys and the others had been waiting outside for nearly an hour. As more and more people began peeking out from atop the city walls, the lack of a proper greeting left everyone feeling a bit disgruntled. After all, they had traveled a great distance and hadn’t eaten yet. Viserys had also made them shout during the journey, leaving them parched and hungry, their stomachs growling.
Turning to Jorah, Viserys asked, “Ser Jorah, have you ever been to the Black Wall before?” Noticing that everyone was watching him, Jorah shook his head and replied, “No. Unless you’re invited, no outsider can enter.”
“So, you’ve been to Volantis before?” Viserys continued.
“Yes,” Jorah confirmed.
“Then tell us something interesting that happened inside the Black Wall,” Viserys said, giving him a knowing look. To the sellswords, something "interesting" naturally meant something more salacious.
At this, everyone’s spirits lifted. Jorah glanced at Dany beside him, cleared his throat, and began, “Speaking of interesting things, do you know Yunkai in Slaver's Bay? The bed slaves there are quite famous. It’s said that a nobleman from the Black Wall married one of his bed slaves. This slave is still alive and is known as the 'Widow of the waterfront' It was quite scandalous—a slave owner marrying a slave. In their eyes, slaves aren’t even considered human. This caused quite a stir in the Black Wall, comparable to a man marrying his... ‘Wine Cup.’”
As everyone laughed, the gates of the Black Wall opened, and two nobles on the backs of elephants led a procession out. These men were Nyessos and Alios. Once they dismounted, slaves immediately spread carpets on the ground for them; as Triarchs, they were not allowed to touch the ground during their term of office. The two men recognized the Viserys siblings from afar, not only because of their silver hair and purple eyes but also because, with their experience in high positions, they could instantly identify who was leading the group of mercenaries.
The peasants, having never seen such a grand procession, stood there in awe. As Nyessos and Alios approached, the carpet beneath their feet slowly extended forward. “You must be Prince Viserys of House Targaryen?” Nyessos inquired.
Viserys nodded, about to reply, but Alios couldn’t help but interject, “And this must be Daenerys, the Princess of the Targaryens?”
