Chapter 183: Chapter 182: Future Plans
Viserys' sudden appointment of a man named Ramsay Snow to a position within the Andalos government did not cause much of a stir.
After all, it was an organization with only a few members, although it was called the 'Internal Affairs Department,' there were still too few people in practice.
Viserys did not explain much about it.
Perhaps Viserys knew more about 'Little Flayer' Ramsay Snow than his biological father, the Dreadfort's Lord Roose Bolton.
He was a cunning and cold-blooded man, not necessarily brilliant, but still possessed some planning and manipulation skills, often resorting to unconventional tactics to achieve his goals. However, he preferred and even stubbornly indulged in sadistic behavior, making him a complete psychopath.
And the most important thing, which Viserys valued, was his ambition.
As long as Viserys made full use of this man's ambition, he could use him to do more things before his value was exhausted.
In short, it was Ramsay's self-assessment.
"A good dog."
He hoped Viserys would take him in, even if it meant being a dog crawling on the ground.
In Ramsay's view, this was a rare opportunity. Originally, within the Dreadfort, he could only live in a filthy and foul-smelling environment with other lowborn men.
If it weren't for this opportunity, when his father Roose Bolton needed a representative to go to Andalos and hedge his bets, Ramsay might not have had a chance to turn his life around.
As for Lord Bolton of the Dreadfort, he had his own legitimate heir, so sending an insignificant bastard to the Targaryens meant little.
If King Robert won, he would sacrifice this bastard son, and if the Targaryens won, Roose could still reap rewards due to his early bets.
As for Ramsay himself?
Who cared?
Perhaps Ramsay deeply understood this truth, so he desperately prostrateed, hoping to seize this opportunity and gain the favor of the young dragonlord.
If he could accompany the Targaryens in their future attack on King's Landing, at the very least, he could obtain the surname 'Bolton,' or even possibly take another surname and establish a new family.
Would such a vicious and dangerous mad dog bite back in the future?
The sound of a pen sliding gently on paper echoed in the room.
Viserys shook his head slightly, realizing that different perspectives lead to different ways of addressing problems.
As a king, he needed loyal commanders like the Dragonstone Fleet Commander and Bessie, as well as those who surrendered like Evan Pass of House Lannister.
Ramsay, a fierce and dangerous mad dog, also had a reason to exist, as sometimes he could play an extraordinary role.
He could do some things the king did not want to do himself.
If it led to serious consequences, Viserys could place all the blame on Ramsay, then add charges of bewitching the king and deceiving others, and cut him down in the name of justice.
And so, everything for "Little Flayer" depended on himself, as a single word from Viserys could end his wretched life and strip him of all he possessed.
He believed that Ramsay was well aware of this.
His only chance was to diligently complete every task given to him by Viserys, elevating his status in Viserys' heart and becoming truly useful. Only then would Viserys hesitate to kill him in the future.
Shh...
Only the sound of Viserys writing could be heard in the quiet room.
Under the gentle candlelight, half of the young boy's face was immersed in shadow. A pair of pale violet eyes sparkled as he occasionally revealed a thoughtful expression, then continued writing.
Time passed.
The night was deep and silent.
A light rain began to fall outside the window, tapping softly against the glass. Finally, Viserys put down his pen and stretched lazily.
"Mission accomplished."
Viserys had outlined a plan for the future of his kingdom, considering the rumors of winter's arrival spreading throughout the Seven Kingdoms. Naturally, he couldn't keep the news from his spies in King's Landing.
With the defeat of his fleet at Dragonstone, Viserys had suffered the greatest loss of his life thus far.
At that time, King Robert was planning a grand invasion of Andalos.
Although Viserys maintained a nonchalant demeanor, as if he were ready to face the challenge, deep down, he was anxious.
This wasn't like his encounter with Khal Drogo's khalasar, an unexpected battle where neither side had time to prepare.
Drogo had been arrogant, intending to consume Viserys in one fell swoop, but Viserys had played the fool, drawing him into a siege, and ultimately defeating him.
If Robert truly led the knights of the Seven Kingdoms across the sea to attack Andalos, Viserys could already imagine the endless fleet of ships and shining knights charging across the Andalosian plains.
Though he never spoke of it, Viserys had even considered abandoning the city and retreating to the Norvosi mountains to wage guerrilla warfare.
If the armies of the Seven Kingdoms wanted to pursue him, then let them chase him into the mountains. At that point, Viserys had confidence in wearing them down.
But now, the opportunity was rare.
With no war to fight, it was time to seize the moment and develop his own power, resolving internal conflicts.
Viserys worked late into the night on plans for growth and construction, aiming to expand his influence while Westeros endured a harsh winter.
Once, Andalos had been merely a fledgling kingdom, centered around the city of Andalos.
But now, Viserys intended to transform this fledgling kingdom into a true one, changing its military structure, establishing several legions, building a defensive system along the borders, supporting local nobles in constructing castles and towns, and more...
Naturally, a true kingdom required a capital.
Besides Andalos, Viserys had his eye on another location.
That place was...
Viserys' gaze fell upon a point on the map.
Pentos.
Outside the window, the night rain drizzled on. A breeze slipped through the cracks of the window, causing the candle to flicker. Viserys had just written down the pros and cons of Andalos and Pentos.
Andalos' strength lay in the fact that it was a city built by Viserys himself, and his prestige there was unmatched.
As for Pentos, its advantages were clear: a gem on the bay, its strategic location, economic power, population, and historical depth all far surpassed Andalos.
"Pentos..."
Viserys looked at the map spread out on the table.
At some point, unbeknownst to him, Viserys had quietly set his sights on Pentos, their neighboring city.
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