"Should we also include Qyburn in this?" Moroa suggested, "That fellow has an astonishing talent for transformations and such."
Malohin and the others also nodded in agreement. After seeing Qyburn's Undead Warriors in Black Hollow, they were amazed by Qyburn's talent. Someone with little understanding of magic and no magical talent himself had, through his own methods, created a magical construct. Such a talent for transformation could not be explained by any words.
Lord Linde nodded and accepted their suggestion, then asked, "How is Archmaester Marwyn's research progressing?"
Moroa had been closely following Marwyn's research and quickly answered Lord Linde's question: "It is largely complete, and progress is accelerating. I believe he will finish writing 'Basic Runes for All' next year."
Ragaz and the others also eagerly inquired if they could read the already written drafts in advance.
Marwyn's practical skills were very poor, not only incomparable to anyone present but even inferior to ordinary apprentice assistants. However, his research into the theory and principles of magic far surpassed everyone else present. The mage apprentice textbooks currently used by Tranquil Court were compiled and organized by him in just one month.
Ragaz and the others believed that if they were to compile such a basic textbook, it would probably take them more than ten years, so they held Marwyn, who had no magical talent himself, in particularly high regard.
Marwyn, having joined Black Hollow, was not interested in those magical experiments. He was interested in the principles of magic, so Lord Linde handed over all the magical runes he knew that could be normally applied in this world to Marwyn for research and organization.
What he didn't expect was that Marwyn had already achieved results in just two short years.
Although Lord Linde also greatly wanted to see Marwyn's research results, he still suppressed his curiosity, telling Moroa and the others not to disturb Marwyn and to let Marwyn focus on his research. As for the book, he would read it after the final draft was complete.
In the Seven Kingdoms, apart from the North and the West, which were frequently harassed by the Iron Islands and therefore paid special attention to their affairs, the common people in other kingdoms were mostly not very concerned about the Iron Islands. They were even unaware that the Iron Islands had changed hands several years ago.
However, this time, the Iron Islands gained widespread renown throughout the Seven Kingdoms, especially Asha Greyjoy's reputation as the Sea Hag, which became almost universally known. This was because her method of dealing with the rebels was simply too incredible: she used her own castle as bait, destroying the thousand-year-old Pyke along with the rebels.
This action could no longer be described as merely cruel or extravagant; in the eyes of everyone who heard the rumor, Asha Greyjoy was an utter madwoman. Most even believed she was crazier than her uncle, Euron Greyjoy.
However, some people, observing Asha's actions after the war—her confiscation of the rebels' lands and bringing them under her control—felt that while Asha appeared incredibly mad on the surface, she was in fact very shrewd internally. By exchanging one Pyke, she gained effective control over islands such as Great Wyk and Old Wyk. One could say she made a huge profit.
From then on, the entire Iron Islands would be completely under Asha Greyjoy's control. She could even call herself the Queen of the Iron Islands at this moment.
The reason the quelling of the Iron Islands rebellion spread so widely and quickly, reaching all Seven Kingdoms in just ten days, was not only due to Asha's insane method of suppressing the rebellion but, more so, because of the Longwing Dragon Rider company Lord Linde sent to assist Asha.
Summerhall's practice of training Longwing Dragons was no longer a secret. Many people could see Dragon Riders riding Longwing Dragons flying from the Dragon Nest, patrolling the territory in Miracle Port, Ridge City, and Red Guard City. Although they knew these Longwing Dragons were far from true dragons, all of this still reminded many people of the Targaryen family.
Many lords also tried to purchase Longwing Dragons for hatching and training, with predictable results.
For a long time, the Longwing Dragon Riders had given everyone the impression of being airborne scouts, capable of using their high-altitude vantage point to provide ground forces with a winning advantage. However, no one believed that Longwing Dragons could directly participate in warfare, because Longwing Dragons were not true dragons; they lacked defensive scales against arrows and dragonfire capable of inflicting fatal damage. Once a Longwing Dragon landed, it was no different from an ordinary beast.
However, the performance of the Longwing Dragon Riders in the Iron Islands this time made everyone realize they were wrong, and terribly so. Not only could Longwing Dragon Riders directly participate in combat, but they could also play a decisive role.
No one expected that Longwing Dragons flying in the air, combined with Wildfire, could so easily destroy a sturdy castle, and destroy it so completely. According to reports, only some foundation slabs of Pyke remained, and the Dragon Riders accomplished this feat in less than the time it takes to eat a meal.
If a fortress as strong as Pyke could not withstand Cao Heyang's attack, other castles were even less likely to. Among the many people shocked by the destructive power shown by the Longwing Dragons, Tywin Lannister of Casterly Rock and Jon Arryn of Eyrie felt it most intensely, because they both realized their castles were no longer safe.
Before Lord Linde's Summerhall Castle appeared, only Eyrie and Casterly Rock were built atop high mountains, above the clouds. Their geographical advantage made their castles very secure, having only been conquered by true dragons until now. But with the emergence of the Longwing Dragon Riders, they realized their castles now looked more like coffins, offering no safety whatsoever.
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