NOVEL SIMPLE Chapter 163: Since I Can’t Stay in Lys, Let’s Go to Tyrosh
Viserys made an unexpected discovery—most of the Unsullied couldn’t ride horses. It wasn’t entirely surprising when he thought about it. After all, they were trained as infantry, not cavalry. Given their lack of equestrian skills, it was impossible to assign them to the precious cavalry unit.
So, when he left Myr, Viserys had to arrange for several large carts to transport them. A caravan of ten roofed carts and several horse-drawn carriages set off for Dragon’s Flame Fortress.
Inside one of the carriages, Viserys handed Feles a small vial of dragon’s blood and instructed him, “When you arrive in Lys, a certain Lady will contact you.”
“When you return, aim for the position of a battle commander. That Lady will assist you.”
“I understand, Prince,” Feles replied, his voice tinged with excitement. He knew the significance of Viserys’ words. Not only had he secured an alliance with the prince, but if he could secure the role of commander in Lys, his influence would soar. While becoming a top noble might be out of reach, House Rogare would certainly regain its place in the Lys council chamber.
Meanwhile, Shinelli, sitting nearby, occasionally glanced at Viserys. Although she had been rejected, she couldn’t help but fantasize. In her mind, it hadn’t even felt like a rejection. 'I never truly thought of marrying him, anyway', she mused.
As the others chatted, Regis suddenly spoke up, his voice laced with concern. “My lord, a group of cavalry is approaching us.”
The siblings tensed. They had encountered bandits on the road over the past few days, but with a hundred Unsullied accompanying them, they hadn’t been truly threatened. However, cavalry was a different matter.
From the perspective of the golden eagle, Viserys knew it was Jorah and his men. But he wasn’t inclined to reveal his powers at every turn, so he simply reassured the siblings.
Unexpectedly, Regis soon added, “It’s the Windblown.”
The caravan halted, and Viserys stepped out of the carriage just in time to see Dany on her white horse.
“Brother!” Dany leaped from her horse and threw herself into his arms, clinging to him like a deer seeking comfort. She buried her face in his chest, desperate to absorb his scent.
After calming Dany, she turned to the caravan behind Viserys. Watching the Unsullied, with their spiked helmets, clamber out of the wagons one by one, she felt a mixture of curiosity and admiration. Jorah, too, couldn’t help but wonder where Viserys had been and how he had managed to return with a contingent of Unsullied.
Dany, however, was not entirely surprised, having seen Unsullied before in Tyrosh. But the next moment, her attention was drawn to a girl with silver hair, just like her own, stepping out of the carriage.
'Silver hair!' Dany thought, a flash of alarm passing through her. But when she saw Feles disembark as well, she relaxed, realizing they were likely siblings.
“Ser Jorah, you will escort Feles to Lys,” Viserys commanded.
“Yes, my lord,” Jorah responded automatically, though confusion quickly clouded his features. “Prince? Lys?”
“Don’t ask questions. Just go.”
Jorah hesitated, puzzled by the order. 'Did he go to Lys during this time? But why?' Despite his doubts, he obeyed. After all, if Viserys intended him harm, he wouldn’t have gone to such lengths. 'Anyone who wants to kill me could do it with a single glance from him.'
Not far from Dragon’s Flame Fortress, the group split up. Jorah escorted Feles to Lys, while Viserys and Dany returned to the fortress. As they departed, Shinelli couldn’t resist glancing back.
Upon arriving at Dragon’s Flame Fortress, Viserys noticed something odd. Alongside the blue and white flag of the Windblown, a new banner flew—one bearing three wolf heads.
“While you were away, a mercenary group called the ‘Wolf Pack’ came to help defend the fortress,” Dany explained. It seemed Tyrosh wasn’t confident in leaving the defense solely to the Windblown, so they had brought in the Wolf Pack as a counterbalance.
The Wolf Pack was a mercenary group formed by the “surplus population” released by the North after the Dance of the Dragons. Though they were originally from Westeros, this group had long since lost any connection to their homeland. They had lived on the continent of Essos for over a century, intermarrying with the locals. Calling them Westerosi no longer seemed appropriate.
Viserys couldn’t treat this group the same way he treated Webber and the others. These people had no interest in returning to Westeros.
"How many are there?" he asked.
"According to Lady Meris, there were about 1,000, but a large number were transferred out recently, so there are now less than 300 left," came the reply.
Viserys nodded. This was a manageable number. Although they might not be able to stop the Windblown entirely, they could certainly buy some time if trouble arose.
It also showed that the ‘paralysis tactics’ he and the old captain had used were very effective. Tyrosh had nearly handed the Dragon’s Flame Fortress over to the Windblown. 'This gives me a better chance,' he thought.
Viserys winked at Dany and said, "I’ll go find the captain first. I brought you a gift."
"Huh?" Although she had much to say, Dany simply watched Viserys leave.
...
The closer Viserys got to returning, the more uneasy the old captain Hoyt became. When he heard that Viserys was coming back, he almost wished he could go and greet him in person. However, to avoid revealing his whereabouts, and because he couldn’t leave the Mercenary Group as its leader, they sent Jorah instead, along with some of their personal guards, to welcome Viserys.
As soon as Viserys returned to the Dragon’s Flame Fortress, he went straight to Hoyt’s room.
"How is it?" Hoyt asked hurriedly when he saw Viserys. His eyes were wide open, with red-tinged eye bags, and his neck stretched out as if trying to reach the answer faster.
Viserys smiled and said, "It’s done!" He then presented the alliance, which set the date for the joint expedition, just over a month away.
Hoyt looked at the alliance, with its gold-threaded seal, as if he were dreaming. In less than a month, such a massive alliance had been formed, and he no longer had to worry. Though Hoyt didn’t ask many questions, Viserys knew he was eager to hear about the current situation, so he began recounting his trip to Pentos.
"That bastard," Hoster muttered, his eyes showing disdain yet also amazement at Viserys’s understanding of human nature. 'He’s still the same after all these years.'
In truth, Hoster had already figured it out. 'How could Pentos be so easy to conquer? But if Viserys can form an alliance with Sunspear, then it might not be long before he attacks Westeros. Even if Pentos can’t be taken down for now, the Windblown can make use of it first.'
"We'll have a meeting in a while to pass on the news of the alliance. How about a month from now? This way, it won't be easy for the news to leak, and it will also allow the sergeants and soldiers below to prepare in advance."
Viserys looked at Hoyt and tentatively said, "Commander, I have an idea."
Hoyt was already a little shocked by Viserys's bold moves. The first time was when he had just joined the Windblown and challenged all the sergeants with his Valyrian steel sword. 'A storm. It’s over.'
Then there was the beheading of the pirates. Then came the Dragon's Flame Fortress, when Tyrosh was nearly defeated, and Viserys had managed to turn the tide. Now, he had just accomplished another diplomatic feat.
Hoyt thought he had become immune to surprises when it came to Viserys. Yet, when Viserys finally revealed his plan, Hoyt couldn't help but fall into deep thought. He got up and paced around the room, his mind racing. Suddenly, Hoyt turned, his eyes sharp as a sword piercing the fog.
"Viserys, can you tell me why you are so desperate? Is it just for revenge?"
In truth, Hoyt was starting to doubt himself. 'Could it be that the reason I haven't achieved revenge after thirty years of effort is because I haven't tried hard enough?' he wondered. 'Do I need to take the same risks as this young man to have a chance?'
The plan Viserys shared was audacious: he intended to start a slave uprising in Tyrosh and then join forces with the coalition to seize the city. Such a move was undoubtedly fraught with peril. An ordinary person might have dismissed Viserys's repeated risky behavior as reckless, but Hoyt was a wise old man. His years of experience told him that Viserys's actions might be part of a larger strategy.
Viserys met Hoyt's gaze and could only acknowledge that his old leader was indeed no ordinary man. Yet, he didn't know how to begin explaining, so he simply admitted he couldn't say anything for now. Fortunately, Hoyt didn't press the matter.
Since Viserys had joined the Windblown, the group had made remarkable progress. During Viserys's absence, Hoyt had expanded the company to include an additional battalion, bringing their numbers to 3,000 men. Now, having decided to take another risk, Hoyt resolved to gamble alongside him. He decided to replace the mercenaries currently stationed in Tyrosh with the best men from the entire Windblown. While it might be an exaggeration to say these men could fight ten enemies each, they could certainly take on three times their number. Hoyt even placed Caggo and Dick in Tyrosh.
Meanwhile, Lys was overjoyed at the conclusion of the alliance. Feles was being treated like a hero. The only one displeased was Rovi, whose influence had been halved, and who had almost lost his right to enter the council chamber.
'Since I can't stay in Lys, let's go to Tyrosh!' Rovi thought as he gazed at the lights in the council chamber. He decided to betray Lys's interests in exchange for the prosperity of his house.
