Chapter 156: The Remnants of the Rhoyne River God
Standing on the walls of Pentos, Rhaegar watched the khals leading their tribes away, looking like a massive swarm of locusts.
In the grasslands outside Pentos, although Khal Balbo and his son only led a portion of their khalasar, it was still terrifying: over ten thousand Dothraki screamers, countless slaves, women, and children, and many livestock. Now that the khals had withdrawn, the palaces woven from grass were instantly empty, and the people of Pentos sighed in relief. After all, these barbarians consumed resources like mountains, eating every bit of food they saw. Even worse, they didn't like eating fish, and the Pentoshi occasionally had to send expensive cattle and sheep transported specifically for the Dothraki lords.
After taking and eating everything they could in Pentos for a while, the khal still chose to depart. The bustling Free Cities were not the home of the khals; their favorite place was the vast, boundless grassland where they could gallop freely. Since the original civilization of the Dothraki Sea vanished, only the Dothraki people remained as its masters.
The death of Khal Mago merely caused a ripple, but the turnover rate for Dothraki khals was too high. The other khals felt no sympathy for Khal Mago. Khals were only somewhat peaceful in the palaces of Pentos or their own sacred grounds; most of the time, meeting meant conflict and slaughter. Since Khal Mago had no descendants, the leaders of his sub-clans, Dothraki leaders referred to simply as kos, were already fighting fiercely for control of the tribe. The death of a khal highly likely meant the disintegration and scattering of a khalasar.
After that bloody night, Rhaegar's title resounded throughout Pentos and the Dothraki Sea. Those who liked him praised him as the victorious, the triumphant silver dragon, but for others, Rhaegar's name behind his back was already the Tyrant Silver Dragon, the Bloodthirsty Evil Dragon. Rhaegar didn't care; ill repute was still repute, and besides, no one dared to say it to his face. The black blade of the Orphan-Maker was enough to silence the gossip of many people.
"My young friend! You certainly have time for leisure!" Magister Illyrio Mopatis walked excitedly onto the city walls to find Rhaegar after seeing off Khal Balbo.
"The khal's entourage is returning to Vaes Dothrak, right?" Rhaegar watched the departing khal's party.
"Yes, after leaving Pentos, they will pass through the Flatlands and then the ruined lands near Qohor, formerly belonging to the Rhoynar people."
The Flatlands are a plain in the southern part of the lands around Pentos that sustains the people of the city. The Flatlands are rich and productive, home to many farmers and miners. Magister Illyrio Mopatis also owns large orchards, farms, and mines there, though he rarely visits. The Flatlands represent wealth, but unfortunately, they are undefended, being wide open plains.
To the east of the Flatlands is the upper Rhoyne River; to the north are the Velvet Hills; and to the southeast are the Golden Fields. The Valyrian roads, which connect Pentos and Qohor, run through it. The lands near Qohor sit along the tributaries of the Rhoyne in the region of the Velvet Hills, located north of the Flatlands and east of Pentos.
"Qohor is a good name!" Rhaegar said thoughtfully. Compared to the fertile Flatlands, Rhaegar was more interested in this dilapidated ruin, wanting to see if there were any remnants of the Rhoyne River God.
"What does the Prince want with that place? There are only ruins there, burned to ashes by dragons!" Magister Illyrio Mopatis said dismissively.
"These Dothraki people must have terrified your citizens. I heard the council of magisters doubled the city guard," Rhaegar said, as the departing entourage had completely vanished from sight.
"There's no choice! Great Pentos is also fragile Pentos. We have to prepare two funds: one for bribing the khals, and one for hiring those idle sellswords and ruffians to guard the city. This is the only recourse we have. If I hired my young friend to help guard the city, I couldn't afford the Dragon King's commission." Magister Illyrio Mopatis said helplessly.
"Why haven't you considered concentrating your forces to wipe out a khalasar and kill a khal? As long as you kill one khal, the remaining khals wouldn't dare cross the Rhoyne so casually! Otherwise, your current bribery policy will be endless. As long as the khals are alive, they will keep coming to Pentos for a living," Rhaegar asked. Gold alone cannot win wars. Pentos currently has only gold and no iron, which is why many Westerosi lords look down on the Free Cities; they are useless except for their navy. Funding the enemy with gold and silver only makes the enemy stronger.
"Isn't it more cost-effective to buy off the enemy with food and gifts? Those ruffians who fight for money are no match for the Dothraki screamers. Sellswords value their lives, but the Dothraki do not." Magister Illyrio Mopatis began to explain.
"There is another issue, my young friend, which I would not tell just anyone. The Sealord of Braavos, like your grandfather, the King of Westeros, is ultimately constrained by the great families and lords, but you only have one crown and one throne, allowing you to speak with one voice. However, in Pentos, and even Myr and Lys, when so many magisters gather, the final consensus is usually no consensus, leading to stagnation. You cannot pull a dozen horses onto the same racetrack. No strong figure has ever been able to rise above the rest and launch a war! So, over time, everyone has gotten used to giving gifts to the khals." Magister Illyrio Mopatis spread his hands.
The sun shone brightly. Rhaegar looked at the portly figure of Magister Illyrio Mopatis, concluding that the magister was quite intelligent. Perhaps the views on warfare differed between Westeros and the Free Cities.
"My fat friend, I still owe you an apology for drawing my sword on you at the feast last time. So many people died, and it was a waste of a room full of good food." Rhaegar stroked the hilt of the Orphan-Maker.
"You mustn't say that, my young friend. A khal dies, and that's that. Khal Mago is dead, and his khalasar has now fallen apart, the tribe scattered. In that regard, I should thank my young friend. However, my young friend should be mindful of his murderous aura; it is quickly rivaling your handsomeness and beauty. Still, the beautiful Pentoshi serving girls are even more interested in you. People are constantly trying to meet you through me!" Magister Illyrio Mopatis laughed.
"I naturally like beautiful women, but now is not the time for romance." Rhaegar certainly noticed the flirtatious glances of the Pentoshi women, but this was not the time for revelry.
"I know that, of course. My young friend is, after all, the most dazzling silver dragon of today, a magnificent and mysterious silver flash. You wouldn't even look at a girl unless she was the most beautiful and noble." Magister Illyrio Mopatis flattered him profusely.
"Young friend, I have a simple question I'd like to ask you." Magister Illyrio Mopatis changed the subject, looking directly at Rhaegar. "What is your view on the Valyrian Freehold?"
"The Valyrian Freehold is completely destroyed, my fat friend. It is a ruin now. Old Valyria was powerful and mysterious, but it is utterly ruined. I don't want to shoulder the reputation and responsibility of restoring Valyria; that would crush my shoulders. Moreover, the Free Cities would likely raise arms against me just by hearing the name Valyria!" Rhaegar replied. Valyria is destroyed, and the ancient Valyrian Freehold cannot be resurrected, and its reputation is utterly notorious. However, Rhaegar was not opposed to establishing a modified Valyrian empire.
"Indeed, the past cannot be revisited. Valyria is truly a ruin. But you have drawn a lot of attention, my young friend. Many eyes are watching you, watching the movements of the dragons. There are always some people who link the Dragon King and the restoration of Valyria, suffering from persecution paranoia."
"My fat friend always overthinks things. The Dragon King, magic, the Black Wall, the Valyrian roads, glass candles, and volcanoes, plus at least five hundred dragons, binding spells, and the dragon horn—in short, the restoration of the Valyrian Freehold would require at least this many great components, wouldn't it?" Rhaegar said with a smile. The restoration of Old Valyria requires infrastructure, and House Targaryen's current foundation is far too lacking.
"But I still want to entrust one matter to my fat friend: books concerning the Rhoyne River and the Rhoynar people. I've become particularly interested in these things recently."
"That is certainly no problem."
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