Kapitel 21: Chapter 21

In my situation, Essos was not the only escape route from the predicament I faced. There was also the option of the far North, but compared to Essos, it wouldn't allow me to accomplish my mission. Therefore, Essos was indeed the best way out of this situation.

To travel from Dreadfort to Essos, I chose to go through White Harbor as it seemed the safest route. There was another option via the Weeping Water, but I didn't want to tempt fate any further.

Thus, I have been on the road for three weeks now, as the journey from Dreadfort to White Harbor is not a short one. During this time, I also kept an eye on Robb, learning that he had reached Winterfell. Monitoring the situation in the Seven Kingdoms, I gauged people's reactions to the Bolton affair. The response from the entire North was as expected; having lived here most of my new life, the lords did not doubt or look for any trickery in this situation. The reactions were the same in the Stormlands and the Vale since they knew the character of the Warden of the North. However, in other regions of the Kingdom, they began to think that the Warden of the North had thus eliminated a potential future problem.

Meanwhile, the Warden of the North himself was in shock because, in his view, I too had perished. I wanted to tell him the truth, but he wouldn't have let me go to Essos. Besides, I couldn't say he would stand by my side in the battle against Baratheon. I had no doubts that this battle would occur, given the stag's well-known hatred for the Targaryens.

"I wonder what choice Lord Stark will make... I still hope he will side with the family..."

Whatever my father did, he still supported me and treated me as his own. I didn't want to see a situation where a son turned against his father, and I believed Robb would keep his word. After all, you can't deceive your own emotions.

With these thoughts and thoughts about Essos, I reached White Harbor. I had enough money for a ship to Braavos. The acquaintances I had made during the time I spent in White Harbor and with the Manderly family had not disappeared.

"Partner, are we crossing the sea to another continent?"

"Yes, and it's likely that on this continent, we can find more signs of magic than in Westeros."

"That sounds fun!" said the feathered one joyfully.

"Yes, it will be very fun."

Meanwhile, not lingering in the city, I headed to the docks where my transporter was located. I hurried for fear of getting stuck in White Harbor because I could easily be recognized.

My transporter was a Braavosi and if given enough money, he wouldn't blab about me being alive.

This transporter was Ternesio Teris, a man with whom I had built a strong friendship during my time in these parts. Now, this man was preparing to set sail, stocking up on provisions and goods for sale in Braavos.

"Hello, Ternesio Teris," I said, removing my hood and revealing my face.

Seeing my face, Ternesio literally beamed and said:

"Who do I see?! Jon Snow, how are you? How have you been?"

And a barrage of similar questions came from Ternesio in my direction, to which I, smiling, replied:

"Overall, not bad, I'd like to board your ship. You're headed to Braavos, aren't you?"

"Yes, I'm going home. My wife is due to give birth soon, and I need to be nearby," he said with joy and a hint of worry.

"That's even better, but I'd like to ask for one more thing. Could you keep my presence here a secret?" I said, handing him a bag of coins at the end.

Seeing the coins, Ternesio asked with a smile:

"Criminal?"

"No, just want to see the world."

"Hahaha, I understand, alright. Climb aboard, let's go," he said, leading the way.

The ship "Daughter of the Titan" was a trading galleon named after the gigantic statue guarding the entrance to the Braavos harbor, and its prow was adorned with a figure of a woman. One could say that Ternesio dearly loved his ship just by looking at its condition. Even I, not the most experienced sailor, could tell it was in excellent shape.

After some time, we sailed from White Harbor, and this moment was quite thrilling. In previous travels, I could say that I would return to Winterfell in any case. But now, to say so would be a difficult task, especially since the dangers of Essos are much higher than those of Westeros. From the Dothraki to slave traders and faceless men.

But at the same time, Essos offers many more interesting places where I would have safer access. I could say that there are also many interesting places in Westeros, such as the Wall with the Isle of Faces. However, reaching either of these without problems would be possible. I don't think Lord Stark would allow me to travel or wander through Westeros unaccompanied. And having another person around is indeed a significant issue as another set of eyes and a mouth means a potential source of leaked information.

Meanwhile, even though there is danger in Essos, I believe that with my abilities and my partner, I have a high chance of survival.

"So when should I start flying after you?" my friend asked.

"I think you can start flying now. And I don't think they'll notice you if you keep a decent distance during the day."

After all, Tun is an extraordinarily unusual bird, and I'd like to avoid potential battles over the desires of some rich man or the greed of a hunter. And since the ship is my friend's, I must try to minimize problems on his head to preserve our friendship.

Two weeks later

Over these two weeks, I've gotten to know many people on the ship. It's worth mentioning that Ternesio's crew has completely changed since the time I lived and studied under the patronage of other noble houses of the North.

And for a pleasant journey, it was indeed necessary to build friendships with the crew. Besides me, there was one passenger from Pentos and another man from the Vale. When I asked Ternesio why there were so few people, he simply said:

"I'm more of a trader than a transporter."

These two weeks might have passed uneventfully, but fate had other plans for me. As evening approached, Tun said:

"Partner, there are several ships ahead, and it's worth mentioning that the people there aren't just ordinary sailors. I saw a huge number of people shackled in chains."

"They had weapons as well, I assume?"

"Yes, and although I don't really see much difference between you humans... I can say they are ugly..."

"...," I had nothing to say.

"Partner?"

"Thanks, Tun, keep me updated, I'd like to avoid meeting them, but my heart tells me we'll end up encountering them."

"Alright."

And it turned out just as I expected. I was woken up later that evening by a shout:

"PIRATES!!!"

"Damn it..."

"What other pirates?!" another crew member shouted.

As I emerged on deck, I saw the same scene Tuna had described through his vision. The same ugly-looking men with decidedly hostile intentions. I'd say they were a rather motley crew among these pirate bands.

Three ships carried fiercely malevolent men who clearly intended to kill us—a dire situation.

"Captain! What shall we do?" a crew member of the Daughter of the Titan called out.

Ternesio was visibly overwhelmed, radiating a mix of frustration and fear. We were significantly outnumbered by the pirates, my estimate being around 300 of them, compared to only about 100 on our ship—and not all of them were skilled in combat.

Ternesio, having made up his mind, announced:

"Let's try to negotiate and resolve this with money. After all, it's better to part with our money than our lives."

In this way, Ternesio slightly eased the tension aboard, and the crew began to calm down a bit. However, the air was still thick with anxiety.

As Ternesio passed by me on his way to meet the approaching pirates, I said to him:

"Ternesio, do you realize that they are unlikely to negotiate?"

Looking at me for a few seconds, the man replied:

"One can only hope for the best."

"Understood."

Sensing his agreement with my perspective, I went to gather the children on board to keep them away from the deck. Finding Ternesio's son, who was visibly nervous, I told him:

"Kid, gather all the little ones and tell them to stay quiet, alright?"

The boy just nodded and ran off to warn the others. I recalled there weren't many children, maybe around 5 to 7. After standing by for a few more minutes, I went back up to the deck.

Negotiations were just beginning as three heavily inebriated men boarded our ship. Ternesio, not wanting to prolong the tension, said in a neutral tone:

"We would like to negotiate."

The pirate, laughing overtly, responded:

"Boys! Did you hear that? They want to negotiate! Hahaha."

His laughter was joined by his presumably fellow captains, turning into a chorus of mockery.

"Tun, can you prepare your attack?"

"Yes, whom shall we target?"

"The one on the right, as I sense no innocents there."

"Alright," Tun began gathering magic in the sky.

However, my plan was thwarted as a powerful magical force also began to stir from the depths in response to Tun's actions. The tone of this force was menacing and dreadful. It was clear that whatever lurked deep in the sea possessed a magic far stronger than Tun's. The disparity in power was evident to me, as the cause of this anomaly was clear. I quickly instructed Tun:

"Stop gathering your power immediately!"

"Done!" Tun replied, and at that moment, the emanation from the depths ceased its buildup of magic.

As I suspected, it was the Drowned God; no other explanation fit. There was likely an Ironborn among the pirates, whose presence had provoked their deity to act. Fortunately for it, we were at sea, which significantly amplified the Drowned God's influence and capabilities.

"I'll have to deal with these pirates myself," I communicated to Tun. "If you intervene, whatever is in the sea might act."

"Alright," Tun responded, clearly displeased.

While Tun and I were addressing the potential issue arising from our own actions, the pirates prepared their response:

"Why should we settle for the meager sum you're offering when we can take everything and more?" their leader smirked.

Realizing the situation was escalating, I grabbed a dagger from a nearby sailor and threw it directly into the pirate leader's eye.

"Hey, what are you—?" the sailor began to shout as the dagger hit its mark.

Crash

"Wha—?" the leader couldn't finish his sentence before falling dead on the deck.

Everything went silent for a moment, and Ternesio was left with only fear and anger in his emotions. Among the pirates, initial surprise was followed by understanding and hatred directed at me.

Not waiting for others to attack, I sprinted, drew a scimitar and a saber, and leaped onto the nearest ship. Everyone was shocked, but I had no time to admire my handiwork. Without hesitation, I began my deadly dance, focusing solely on killing.

Whoosh

Thanks to Valyrian steel blades slicing through steel as if it were paper, the cutting was easy. After three swings, bodies lay around me. Realizing this quickly, the pirates shouted:

"KILL THEM ALL!"

"YES!"

In response, Ternesio shouted to his crew:

"KILL THESE DAMNED PIRATES!"

"YES!" the sailors echoed.

Given that my physical capabilities had almost reached those of an adult, it was much easier to kill others who were similarly skilled. After all, the War Blessing significantly enhanced my ability to wield and kill with various weapons.

"You're done for, you little rat!" shouted a man, likely from Pentos, swinging his axe at me.

But for me, his attack was predictable, and without much effort, I deftly decapitated the pirate with a precise strike.

"Enough with the screaming," I said, smirking provocatively.

My actions clearly had an impact, as a large number of people were visibly riled up, if not outright aggressive. These dishonorable scoundrels charged at me in a mob.

"Heh, can't even handle one kid on your own?" I taunted them with the same smirk I had used to provoke these fools.

"AAAAH! DIE!" they yelled, their cries identical.

Seeing an opportunity in their attack to penetrate deeper into the ship, I seized it.

Whoosh

The bodies falling nearby confirmed the success of my actions. Glancing around, I declared that most of the pirates were now hesitant to confront me, as I had already slain about forty of them.

"So, you're not coming at me? Hah, are you scared?" I said, maintaining my smirk.

The pirates reeked of fear like prey sensing that a predator was about to strike.

"If you won't come to me, then I'll come to you!" I finished, and ran towards where more of them were gathered.

Startled by my charge but driven by their survival instincts, they managed to ready their weapons. However, it was already too late, as even a moment's hesitation in battle could be fatal.

Haaaah Maintaining such an intense physical state for long is indeed challenging...

After dealing with one ship and thoroughly exhausted from the fight, I surveyed my surroundings. The deck was strewn with bodies, missing limbs, and scattered entrails.

"This has to end..."

Sending a surge of magic through my body to boost my strength, I moved on to the remaining ships...