NOVEL SIMPLE Chapter 5: Dance of Water
According to Viserys's judgment, Braavos might have once been a massive meteor crater. Its outer perimeter consists of a series of long, narrow mountain islands, resembling protective walls encircling the 'city of a thousand islands'. Not long after leaving the house, Viserys could see the statue of the Titan of Braavos, which had just roared. This nearly 300-meter-tall statue is one of the “Nine Wonders of the World.” Every corner of Braavos offers a view of this magnificent statue.
“It may have been carved into the mountain, but it could also be magic...” Viserys mused. After all, magic existed in this world, and it was present in his own panel, so the assumption was not far-fetched.
Danglar lived in the wealthy district. Early in the morning, water vendors delivered “sweet water” to the area. To access this sweet water, the Braavosi built a waterway running through the city, called the Long Waterway. Wealthy families who lived farther from the Long Canal relied on water vendors to pull the water and sell it. To fetch a good price, these vendors dressed very cleanly.
When Viserys and Dany first left home, their somewhat shabby clothes didn’t stand out. But compared to the well-dressed people around them, their attire was conspicuous. Viserys resolved to buy Dany a clean, well-fitting dress once he had some money left after paying off the gold coin Helbo had left him. As for himself, he would have to make do for now.
Following his memory, Viserys led Dany to the house of Danglar. It was a house with a courtyard, almost a mansion. As they arrived, a servant of the Danglar family was running out to buy water. Upon seeing the Viserys siblings, he instinctively tried to drive them away. But recognizing their silver hair, he sneered, "When will you pay me back, Beggar King?"
His voice carried, attracting the attention of passersby who turned to look. In Braavos, it was a great shame to be in debt, and this was a wealthy area where many had heard of the “Beggar King.”
“He's the Beggar King?”
“Look at his clothes, he really is a beggar.”
“Hey, he's even got a little beggar with him!”
Feeling the stares of the crowd, Dany hid behind Viserys' back. Viserys glanced at the people still talking and, with a cold gaze, made them choose to shut up.
“Now!” Viserys called out, pulling out his money bag and making a clattering sound with the coins inside. The metal coins produced a beautiful chime as they bounced around in the silk purse.
The servant reached out to take it, but Viserys quickly dodged. “Tell your master to come out with my debt note, and we'll be even.”
Danglar, with his extensive experience as a sailor, appeared. He had lost an ear on a ship in his early years, leaving an unpleasant black hole on his left cheek. He couldn't fathom how Viserys had managed to gather the money. According to his plan, Dany should have been captured by Helbo and taken to his ship. But now, he saw the brother and sister standing before him, unharmed.
Viserys had a long sword on his back and was looking at him with cold eyes. "This kid, he's different," Danglar thought to himself, narrowing his brown eyes. Viserys, once a spirit on the verge of collapse, had been tricked into owing a large sum of money. But now, he was like a blade unsheathed, exuding a chilling presence.
“Count it. One hundred and thirty-five,” Viserys said, tossing the money bag to Danglar.
Danglar didn’t bother counting the coins; he simply weighed the bag in his hand, then took out Viserys's debt note. Viserys crumpled the note and gave Danglar a meaningful look. “Now we are even. Whatever misfortune befalls you in the future has nothing to do with me.”
Hearing this, Danglar's heart sank. Viserys knew he couldn't appear weak. A proper display of intimidation might actually buy him more time.
As the siblings left, Danglar turned to his servant and ordered, “Go ask that Helbo guy what the hell he's doing!”
His face darkened. He wasn’t just a small shipowner trying to get Dany; he was merely the white glove of a much larger and more powerful man.
...
“Black belly fish! Fresh black belly fish!”
“Onions, just in from the mainland!”
After leaving Danglar’s, the siblings headed to the market. Unlike the wealthy district, the roads here were riddled with puddles and hidden ‘mines’ underfoot. The two walked through the market, with Dany trailing behind Viserys like a duckling after its mother.
Braavos, a sprawling city, was divided into seven or eight smaller towns. Viserys and Dany lived in Bitterwell Town, aptly named for its poor-quality drinking water but cheaper vegetables. The staple food for the common people in Braavos was fish, and vegetables were a rare commodity.
Viserys had previously avoided places like this market. But now, this place, devoid of industrial civilization, felt novel to him. Although he used to be a commoner who often begged for money, his targets were usually the upper class of Braavos. Among the common people, he wasn’t well known. Additionally, while Braavos had its own descendants of Valyria, white hair and purple eyes were rare but not sensational.
His handsome face, however, still brought him some advantages. “Hey, sister, how much is this fish?” Viserys asked, a smile on his lips, his good looks evident.
The female stall owner, wearing a dark green vest, blushed slightly. “Uh, five. I mean three iron coins for one.”
Three coins—a reasonable price. “Okay, please pick me out a few.”
“Okay~” The stall owner’s voice softened, almost like a whisper.
Somehow, the fish today were particularly slippery, and the woman was a little flustered. Even so, she picked out the fattest sea fish for Viserys. Under the guise of handing the fish to Dany, she slipped a few extra oysters into the bundle.
As the brother and sister left, the woman felt a surprising sense of loss, so much so that she didn't hear her customers calling out to her.
“Boss! Are you still open for business?”
A grumble pulled her back to reality, and her previously cheerful expression turned sour. “What are you yelling about? Pick what you want!”
After leaving the market, Viserys bought two more daggers. With these, his close combat killing power would reach a new level. Additionally, he anticipated needing more tools next time, so he found some elastic rope at the market and planned to make two simple crossbows.
He then bought Dany a linen dress. Although the material and color were not as fine as her blue dress, it was clean, suitable, and Dany liked it very much.
Just as the siblings were about to leave, a commotion arose around the market.
“There’s a duel between two swordsmen in the square!” A boy in a yellow long-sleeved shirt shouted as he ran, drawing everyone's attention.
Instantly, many people paused their activities. Idle chatter ceased, leisurely strollers stopped, and even young lovers were momentarily distracted.
“Let’s go, wait for me.”
“Hurry up! This time it’s Kells, the Swordsman under Lady Lida! He’s a master of the Water Dance!”
'Dance of the Water! Isn’t that the famous skill of the little wolf girl Arya Stark?'
Intrigued, Viserys decided to take Dany over to watch.