Chapter 369: Chapter 369: Busy
After Viserys left the great hall, a guard quickly followed him.
"Your Majesty!"
The guard caught up to him and informed him that Petyr Baelish, the envoy of the usurper, had requested a private audience with the king.
"Oh?"
"He wants to see me alone?"
The silver-haired youth was not surprised at all. It would not be Littlefinger if he did not engage in some sort of scheming.
His best performances were never on the stage in the open, but hidden in the shadows, constantly stirring up conflicts through secret plots.
"Very well."
Viserys did not hesitate and nodded.
"Tell Littlefinger that my free time is limited. He should think carefully about what he wants to say."
He did not like playing games with the other party, as it was a waste of his time and energy. His words were a warning for Littlefinger to think carefully before meeting him.
"Understood!"
The guard nodded and then withdrew.
With a swish—
Viserys then mounted his steed, one hand holding the reins and the other gripping the saddle. His guards, along with the Unsullied commander Grey Worm, also mounted their horses, and the group left the palace for the blacksmith's workshop.
Master blacksmith Tobho Mott had been appointed by Viserys as the Master of Craftsmen. Although he had not yet attended a court meeting, it was only a matter of time. There would also be a Master of Agriculture in the future.
Viserys placed great importance on the development of productivity. In an era without mechanized production, craftsmen were the most basic industrial workforce.
Blacksmiths could forge weapons and armor, as well as everyday items like pots, knives, and hoes. Carpenters could build houses and construct large siege weapons, and so on...
Therefore, the thing Viserys valued most within the kingdom was agriculture.
This was similar to the nobles of Westeros and more in line with Viserys's own character. He wanted to transform Andalos and Pentos into an agrarian civilization, and food supply could not have any issues.
The second thing he valued was craftsmen, as they represented creativity and could support the economy and military foundation of a large country.
The third was the traditional free trade of the city-states, the prosperity and development of commerce.
Viserys believed that the prosperity of commerce should be based on strength. Without strength, everything was empty talk, and even a chest full of gold could not be protected.
Lastly, there was the issue of education. However, in this era, establishing a large number of schools and promoting education was a high-cost, low-return project.
Viserys certainly knew the benefits of education, but for this era, it was too advanced. He also wanted to undermine the role of the Citadel by disseminating knowledge, but now was not the best time.
This era only needed honest farmers and brave soldiers. The talents cultivated through universal education could not be reasonably absorbed by society and would instead become a burden.
Because the main structure of civilization in politics still relied on noble autonomy, and the education of the nobles naturally did not need his worry.
Within the new dynasty, Viserys had stripped the nobility of their military power, all of which was now held by the king. This was already a great advancement.
If he also stripped them of their governing power, Viserys feared that he might overreach.
Some of the nobles across the Narrow Sea in Westeros had made contact with him, but the vast majority were resolutely resistant, due to the new policies.
Therefore, one must eat one bite at a time. Viserys had only provided an avenue for education within the military, as he had complete control over it. Junior officers who were promoted had the opportunity to study in Pentos.
Under the guise of 'learning to become a noble', they were taught to read and write, as knighthood was the threshold of nobility.
They were also taught strategies and knowledge that could be used on the battlefield to improve the overall quality of junior officers.
The combat effectiveness of an army, in addition to daily training, weapons and equipment, and rewards for motivation, also depended heavily on the command ability of junior officers.
Because the orders that ordinary soldiers directly received were from junior officers, not from corps commanders or senior commanders.
…
"Your Majesty."
"This is the dragonscale armor custom-made for our Unsullied soldiers. Please take a look."
The white-haired master blacksmith presented a heavy suit of armor to Viserys.
Although the armor was somewhat heavy to hold, it was much lighter when worn on the body. It also had impressive defensive capabilities, with reasonable reinforcements at key points.
Chest, throat, joints, etc., injuries to these parts would likely result in death, while injuries to some parts would instantly incapacitate.
From a cruel perspective, the lives of soldiers were cheap, like leeks that could be cut and regrown.
Generals should maximize the combat power of their soldiers, ensuring that they could still kill an enemy even with their last breath.
"When crafting these armors, we also took into account the suggestions of Grey Worm, such as here at the elbow..."
When it came to his professional knowledge, Master Tobho Mott was verbose and unceasing.
Those in his line of work had to put in a lot of effort for little gain, and they were also easy scapegoats. The king's rare visits were an opportunity that must be seized, at least to avoid making mistakes.
"Very good."
Viserys, looking at the new suit of armor that was both light and incredibly sturdy, nodded in satisfaction.
The helmet still retained the design of the Unsullied's long spikes.
This must have been a suggestion from Grey Worm, as it would make it easier for the Unsullied soldiers to familiarize themselves and quickly distinguish who the commanders were on the chaotic battlefield.
Viserys flicked a piece of the dragonscale armor with his finger. The black armor had the Targaryen three-headed dragon emblem on the chest, giving off an overall intimidating aura.
He then looked up at the 5,500 suits of dragonscale armor that filled the entire warehouse. The extra suits were for replacements in case of defects or battle damage.
Then the silver-haired young man turned to Grey Worm, who had accompanied him, and said, "These armors are made for the Unsullied soldiers. Send someone to pick them up later."
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
Grey Worm, with a solemn expression, held his spear and knelt on one knee to express his gratitude to his master.
In fact, Viserys had not lied to Petyr Baelish, nor did he need to.
As a king, he became very busy once he returned to Pentos. His time outside was relatively leisure, and many of the tasks that Oberyn and Rhaenys had not handled had piled up.
After inspecting this batch of delivered armor, the silver-haired youth immediately went to the Golden Company's camp to check on the morale and training readiness of the Golden Company soldiers.
Although Viserys always said he was not in a hurry to deploy troops, it was inevitable.
Viserys could not sit idly by and watch Westeros turn into a ghost land. If the Night King became too powerful to control, the one who would suffer in the end would be himself.
Many of the commanders
of the Golden Company, many of whom were descendants of those who had participated in the Blackfyre Rebellion, now loyally served the legitimate Targaryen heir.
After leaving the Golden Company, Viserys pondered for a moment and then decided to check on the status of the Dragonstone fleet.
The Master of Naval Affairs of the new dynasty, the recently retired Hand of the King, Count Joffrey, was getting old.
The campaign to conquer Westeros could be said to be the last shining point of his life.
It was also his lifelong wish since fleeing Dragonstone, to restore the Targaryen dynasty. Therefore, the old man was working tirelessly, devoting his energy to commanding and training the new Dragonstone navy.
However, when Viserys arrived at the Dragonstone fleet's base, he heard some unexpected news.
"Hmm?"
"The old man's illegitimate son who stayed in Westeros has come?"
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