Chapter 211: Littlefinger Appears
East of the Blackwater Rush, on the southern bank of King's Landing, a cluster of newly constructed pink buildings began rising proudly from the ground. The pink stone was the same material as the pale red stone used on the exterior of the Red Keep, but this was not a palace.
It was a school.
The Royal Military Academy of King's Landing was nearing completion. Construction was still underway, while recruitment and organizational planning had already begun simultaneously.
Above the Royal Military Academy, banners already fluttered in the wind: a roaring red dragon upon a black field, and a roaring silver dragon upon a black field.
Standing within the academy grounds and looking across the Blackwater Rush, one could clearly see King's Landing and the seven towering keeps of the Red Keep.
"A defining characteristic of this era is that the land is vast and the population sparse. The greatest city in history, Valyria, has long since become ash. At present, the largest cities in the known world are probably Qarth, or perhaps the great cities within the Golden Empire of Yi Ti."
Rhaegar looked around the southern bank of King's Landing.
The population density of Westeros remained extremely low. Vast forests and wilderness still covered enormous stretches of the continent.
Apart from major port cities such as Gulltown, King's Landing, Oldtown, and Lannisport, most of Westeros remained empty and undeveloped.
Even in prosperous King's Landing, one only needed to cross the river to encounter the endless forests of the Kingswood.
Sparse populations and underdeveloped lands—this was the general appearance of a late medieval world.
The only major difference was the unique climate of the world of ice and fire, where winters or summers could last for years.
Whether this was due to lingering magic or the eternal struggle between the Great Other and the Lord of Light remained unknown.
These unpredictable climatic shifts made the Seven Kingdoms highly dependent upon the grain reserves of the Reach, while the Riverlands also served as one of Westeros's primary breadbaskets.
"Perhaps King's Landing should gradually develop into something similar to Volantis, with a New City and an Old City."
Rhaegar pondered silently.
The military academy he was constructing on the southern bank of the Blackwater Rush marked the beginning of large-scale development south of the river.
Once enough people gathered there, the southern bank would gradually flourish.
Eventually, a massive bridge could even be built across the Blackwater Rush, similar to the great bridge of Volantis, permanently linking both sides of the capital.
Of course, such ambitions required enormous expenditures and could only be pursued gradually.
After all, every piece of infrastructure required vast quantities of gold.
Without Gold Dragons, nothing moved forward.
As Rhaegar considered the future development of the southern bank, several projects came to mind.
First would be the Royal Military Academy.
Later could come a royal hunting lodge.
Then new residences for the great lords of Westeros could be constructed, encouraging them to spend more time in King's Landing whenever they attended court.
In truth, many Crownlands lords and great lords from other regions already maintained residences in King's Landing.
But that was nowhere near sufficient.
The centrifugal pull of the North and Dorne remained especially strong.
Among the Seven Kingdoms, these two regions were the most unique.
Their peoples were not primarily descended from the Andals.
The North remained the land of the First Men.
Dorne, meanwhile, consisted of three major groups: the Salt Dornish, the Sand Dornish, and the Stone Dornish.
Among them, the Salt Dornish, whose blood carried the strongest Rhoynar influence, were likely the most numerous.
Rhaegar Targaryen toured the Royal Military Academy accompanied by Ser Barristan Selmy and several attendants.
The academy's grounds were paved with large black stone bricks, giving the entire complex a solemn and imposing atmosphere while also making maintenance easier.
Following Rhaegar's instructions, the interior included an auditorium, dormitories, classroom buildings, a dining hall, an armory, administrative offices, gardens, and both indoor and outdoor training grounds.
The entire complex was designed around the sacred number seven, honoring the glory of the Seven.
Institutional reform often formed the greatest component of dynastic transformation.
"Your Grace, once a military academy like this is established, the traditional system of knighthood may begin to loosen."
Ser Barristan spoke with some concern.
Barristan belonged to an older generation.
Many of the sweeping changes occurring before him were difficult for him to fully embrace.
Yet even he could sense that a new era was approaching.
Ser Barristan himself was the eldest son of Lord Lyonel Selmy of Harvest Hall.
As a youth, he had served as a squire to Ser Manfred Swann.
Through that traditional path of mentorship and service, he had gradually become a famous knight before eventually earning a white cloak and becoming one of the greatest knights in the realm.
"Professional soldiers and the institution of knighthood are fundamentally different. For now, neither system can completely replace the other. But this is something new. The greatest difference lies in scale and specialization."
Rhaegar looked around with satisfaction.
Today it was a military academy.
Tomorrow there would be a university.
After that, a bank.
One thing he could not openly discuss was the struggle for control over discourse and influence, both military and intellectual.
Rhaegar never believed that creating an institution could instantly overturn traditions that had existed for thousands of years.
Under the feudal order, knighthood functioned largely through a master-apprentice model.
A knight trained a squire.
Knowledge passed from one individual to another.
It was essentially a small workshop system.
The academy, however, emphasized scale and professional education.
It was far broader than the traditional knight-squire structure.
People would need time to accept such changes.
Still, change itself was valuable.
"The academy is responsible for education and training, and it will eventually be paired with regulations and official appointments. For now, the Military Academy will primarily recruit personnel from the Narrow Sea Fleet, the City Watch of King's Landing, and even members of the Kingsguard for regular instruction. Later, we can expand recruitment to include the sons of both minor and great lords throughout Westeros, and eventually even commoners."
Rhaegar outlined his future plans.
Graduates of the academy would naturally become ideal candidates to fill vacancies throughout the military.
There was one point he did not say aloud.
Those who ate the Iron Throne's food and received the Iron Throne's education would naturally carry the ideological imprint of King's Landing.
They would become a valuable force in the future.
"Then this is indeed a benevolent policy. Compared to existing customs, it is extremely difficult for commoners to transcend their station."
Barristan nodded.
The academy remained mostly empty for now.
However, it was destined to prosper.
Even if it only provided a narrow path upward for common-born people, that alone could already be considered an act of goodwill.
"A world of universal opportunity remains a goal for the future. For now, the Kingsguard, the Military Academy, and even the future university will inevitably favor the children of noble houses."
Rhaegar complained lightly to Barristan.
Institutions such as the Military Academy and the future university would initially be dominated by nobles.
Only gradually would they expand to include all social classes.
In terms of information, wealth, and connections, the nobility still possessed overwhelming advantages.
In fact, shortly after news of the Royal Military Academy spread throughout the realm, numerous recommendation letters had already begun arriving.
Many people were eager to exploit every available connection.
"Favors are always difficult to refuse."
Rhaegar sighed.
Many recommendations came from acquaintances.
Wealthy merchants and famous figures from King's Landing and Gulltown were among his supporters and had contributed considerable resources toward his projects.
Others came from Crownlands lords loyal to the Iron Throne.
Still more arrived from officials within the treasury and customs administration.
There were even letters from great lords in distant regions recommending sons, grandsons, nephews, and other relatives, all under the banner of promoting talent.
"Too many people are coming. There are some requests I simply cannot reject. Therefore, you will oversee the selection process."
Rhaegar handed the responsibility to Barristan.
Student selection was a thankless task.
No matter what standards were established, someone would inevitably feel offended.
Still, standards had to exist.
The academy could not simply accept every applicant.
Barristan the Bold lived for honor and duty.
He was the perfect choice.
"Making money is the central strategy, but I still feel as though there is never enough."
Rhaegar gazed at the completed buildings and spacious courtyards.
He needed money.
The more Gold Dragons, the better.
The Military Academy was merely the first step.
The second and third steps would be the university and the bank.
Those two projects represented a much more direct challenge to existing interests.
Both would inevitably offend House Hightower and the Braavosi.
However, if either force eventually gathered a suitable anti-Targaryen coalition, that would simply provide an opportunity to draw the snake from its hole and eliminate the threat entirely.
"The office of Master of Coin is important, but it is also extremely difficult."
Although Barristan knew little about finances, he understood the importance of the position and how rare true financial talent was.
Managing the wealth of King's Landing was no easy matter.
Barristan wisely refrained from asking whether Prince Rhaegar was dissatisfied with Lord Tywin Lannister's performance.
"The Master of Coin and managing a bank are two entirely different matters. They require different talents. You cannot place all your eggs in one basket."
The true difficulty lay in finding capable bankers and financial experts.
Tywin was an outstanding traditional Master of Coin.
However, Rhaegar doubted that Tywin necessarily possessed the skills required to establish and operate a modern banking system.
Nor should one man hold both positions.
The financial sector required specialists.
Such people were most likely to be found in economically developed cities.
Within Westeros, that meant King's Landing, Gulltown, and Oldtown.
Across the Narrow Sea, it meant Myr, Lys, Tyrosh, Pentos, and Braavos.
"Finding qualified bankers is even harder."
Rhaegar recalled the precedent set during the reign of King Jaehaerys I Targaryen.
After reaching adulthood, the Conciliator had recruited Rego Draz, a wealthy Pentoshi merchant and moneylender, to serve as Master of Coin.
"But Westeros isn't completely lacking in financial talent."
Rhaegar remembered a recent letter sent by Lord Hoster Tully.
The old trout had apparently learned how to lobby.
Interestingly, the recommendation was not for one of his own children.
Instead, it was for Petyr Baelish.
Petyr's family came from the Fingers.
He had likely heard about the opportunities being offered to the sons of wealthy merchants in Gulltown under Rhaegar's patronage.
Then he learned about the establishment of the Royal Military Academy in King's Landing.
Compared to remaining at Riverrun, King's Landing undoubtedly appeared more attractive.
So he had sought an opportunity.
"That's not impossible."
After all, Petyr Baelish could not remain under Lord Hoster's protection forever.
As for Hoster's ability as a father...
Rhaegar honestly felt it was not much better than Tywin Lannister's.
His two daughters and his son all possessed serious flaws.
When it came to intelligence, judgment, and life choices, the three often seemed to stumble from one disaster into another.
The elder daughter was consumed by ambition and desire.
The younger daughter was impulsive and unreasonable.
And Hoster Tully himself had never been particularly skilled at raising children.
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