Bab 22: Chapter 22
By the following morning, the pirates had been dealt with, and I had earned the moniker "The Demonic Child." Understandably, a blood-soaked boy might be characterized as such.
Among the pirate ships, we found not only corpses and provisions but also a large number of slaves, both children and adults. Many of these people were Wildlings, speaking the language of the First Men among themselves. There were also two Valyrian-looking women, both with a look in their eyes typical of those who had endured terrible suffering. The spark that makes someone seem alive was missing in their gaze. Noticing marks on their bodies and their scant clothing, I realized what they had gone through.
"Poor girls," Ternesio remarked, and the crew echoed his sentiment.
Hope was evident in the eyes of all the slaves, except for the women, who displayed only despair. Wanting to offer some comfort, I said:
"If it brings you any peace, I killed all the pirates who brought you here. Every single one of them is dead..."
Though it didn't completely alleviate their suffering, my words seemed to offer the women some relief.
"Ternesio, what will you do next?"
Ternesio gave me a look that said, "Are you dumping this whole problem on me?" I just smiled and confirmed with a nod. The captain shook his head and said:
"Fellows, what kind of men would we be if we abandoned people in trouble?"
"NOT MEN AT ALL!" the crew responded.
"Exactly! So, after we rest, we'll get to work!"
After the crew's positive response, Ternesio motioned for me to follow him to his cabin. As I followed, I was increasingly aware of the difference between myself and ordinary people.
Entering the captain's cabin, I noted its minimalist style without any particular luxury. Sensing Ternesio's slight tension, I initiated a conversation:
"If you're wondering why I started the battle, the answer is clear. I sensed that the pirates wouldn't have let us go alive."
"How did you sense that?" Ternesio asked, curious yet slightly displeased.
"Have you ever thought there's something odd about me?"
Ternesio nodded instinctively, and I continued:
"I can sense people's true, or rather, deeper emotions. Want proof?"
At that moment, Ternesio was filled with skepticism, curiosity, and a touch of fear.
"Right now, you feel a distrustful, curious fear," I chuckled.
"How did you know?!"
!
"I've already mentioned this before. I can truly sense the profound emotions of living beings," I explained to Ternesio, who still harbored some skepticism. Thus, I suggested, "Why don't you test me?"
After a series of tests orchestrated by Ternesio, I managed to demonstrate my unique ability as an emotion locator.
"You indeed possess such power," Ternesio admitted, clutching his head in astonishment. "Think of the possibilities for traders! Jon, why don't you work for me?" he exclaimed, his face alight with joy and remarkable emotion, as if he had discovered a goose that lays golden eggs.
"Unfortunately, I have other plans for the future, so I must decline."
Ternesio wouldn't have achieved his current success without sheer perseverance, and he didn't give up on recruiting me. However, I remained steadfast; being a trader was not the limit of my dreams.
"Some time after, I asked him, 'How many of your people were lost? And overall, how did your team fare in that attack?' I felt the atmosphere was calm enough for such questions."
Ternesio, now composed, responded, "At least six of my people died, and about thirty were wounded. But overall, thanks to you and your actions, my team didn't suffer as badly as they could have. So, thank you, Jon," he concluded with sincere gratitude.
"Ha, no need for thanks. Aren't you my friend? Friends don't ask for anything in return for help."
Ternesio wanted to object, but after seeing my look, he simply smiled and said, "Then at least take something from the ships we captured..."
"Alright."
Ending the conversation on a good note, I walked out onto the deck. There was a modest banquet going on, and I avoided offers to drink as I headed toward the ship where, surprisingly, there was one surviving pirate.
Indeed, one survivor was found, this pirate spotted by Tun after he had ventured onto the deck and quickly retreated upon assessing the situation on the ship.
"This person might have some valuable information," I thought.
"Where did he come out from, you say?" I asked the bird who had spotted the survivor.
"The last door on the right, he should be there."
"Got it, thanks."
I found the door and, blade in hand, I entered, making a considerable noise as I activated my emotion radar. I immediately sensed a significant amount of fear to my right, about 50 meters away.
Scanning the area, I finally detected signs of a living person nearby.
"I see you! If you answer my questions, I can promise your safety," I called out loudly.
The pirate was overwhelmed by a mix of fear, anger, and finally hope. Realizing he was in my grasp, I continued to press: "Here's the thing, I killed most of the pirates here. If you don't come out soon, the dagger in my hands will be heading your way."
To prove my point, I threw a barrel in his direction, which shattered right next to him.
"See, I told you I found you. Are you coming out? If you don't come out by the time I count to ten, don't expect a good outcome."
The pirate's fear intensified, and just as his confidence began to grow, I decided to crush it.
"1!"
The fear grew, but his confidence was still there.
"2!"
"...10."
At the moment I reached ten and realized the man had decided to fight to the end, I had no choice but to try to subdue him without killing.
"I told you," I said, enhancing my body with magic and rapidly closing the distance between us.
"Go to hell!" the pirate, unprepared to face me, exclaimed.
And closing the gap, I disarmed him with a single swipe.
"AAAAAH!" the man screamed in pain.
After knocking the man out and bandaging his wounds, I said, "I told you it would only get worse..."
After bandaging the pirate and stopping the bleeding from his wounds, I first tied him to a table I found on this ship. Having also found a considerable amount of alcoholic drinks, I didn't wait for the man to wake up but instead splashed one of the drinks on his face. Intentionally pouring a few more drops on his wound, he quickly regained consciousness.
Initially, he didn't understand what had happened, and instinctively he blurted out, "Derrick, I'll kill you if you pour that drink on me again..." He stopped mid-sentence, realizing what had happened, and reacted quite predictably. "AAAAH! MY HANDS!!!"
"Enough with the screaming," I said and gagged him. "Now listen carefully, you have only two choices because of your decisions. First, you can try to resist me and refuse to answer my questions, and then I'll kill you slowly and with relish, tormenting your soul forever," I said, pulling out a few tools from my arsenal before his eyes. Realizing the terrible fate that awaited him, he was literally soaked in fear. "Heh, second, you answer all my questions and then you will face a quick death."
Giving him about thirty minutes to ponder his situation, I felt a mix of fear and despair from him.
"If you understand, nod, and I'll give you a chance to talk calmly."
The pirate just nodded, resigned in his heart, and I removed the gag from his mouth. Not hearing any screams or other noises, I began the conversation:
"Good. First, what's your name and where are you from?"
"My name is John, and I'm from the Iron Islands."
"Oho, that's quite a surprise, as I'm also sometimes called John. Second question, what were you doing here?" I finished in a very icy tone.
"We were transporting slaves from beyond the Wall to Pentos, as ordered by the fleet commander."
Surprised by the honesty in his words, I decided to ask something that interested me:
"Who is your commander?"
"Salladhor Saan."
After learning quite a lot, I decided to end his suffering and killed him. With his condition, survival in this world was unfortunately not viable. Mercifully ending his life was clearly the right choice, and he understood this well. His fear of my magic had him answering my questions quite honestly.
Leaving the ship and heading to my cabin, I observed the same scene, only now the sailors were joined by the former potential slaves in revelry. What I saw now was undoubtedly better than what had been. Not in the mood to join the festivities, I excused myself and went to my cabin.
Entering the cabin and gathering my thoughts, I began to process the information I had gathered. I obtained a considerable amount of data, starting with how many people were on their ship and where most of these people came from, to how Pentos is structured from the inside.
Pentos is a trading port city on the western coast of Essos, one of the nine Free Cities. It is the Free City closest to King's Landing, and its ties with Westeros are the most extensive. The lands vassal to Pentos stretch from the sea to the Velvet Hills and the Little Rhoyne and include the ancient land of Andalos, from where the Andals came to Westeros. As a result of ancient wars with Braavos, Pentos has banned slavery and has no army. Formally, the city is headed by an elected prince, but the real power belongs to the wealthy magistrates.
Unlike the nobles of Westeros, who travel on horseback or in carriages, the magnates of Pentos prefer palanquins. The shore is lined with many ships, and the bay is dotted with the sails of fishing boats. Almost every day, ships from Pentos sail to Westeros or return.
Slavery existed in Pentos for much of its history. The slave trade—as well as the fertile borderlands—has often been a cause for war between Pentos and its northern neighbor Braavos, founded by runaway slaves and which has banned slavery. To circumvent this agreement, captains from Pentos use the flags of Lys and Tyrosh, but in Pentos itself, there are tens of thousands of "free servants"—slaves in all but name, wearing bronze collars and brands, and subjected to the same harsh punishments as slaves from the southern Free Cities. Formally they are free, but they can leave only if they have no debts to their master, and almost all are in debt—their labor's pay is so low it does not cover the cost of lodging and food.
I also recalled that in ancient times, where Pentos now stands was the holy site of Andalos, from which the Faith of the Seven originated, along with the Andals who came to Westeros.
Governance in Pentos turned out to be far more intriguing than I had previously assumed. They have a formal title for their ruler—a prince. This title is for life but is not hereditary; instead, it is elected from among forty aristocratic families by the magistrates.
The prince organizes balls and feasts and travels around the city in a palanquin made of bone and gold, guarded by stately guardsmen. Three heralds always precede the prince, bearing sacred symbols of authority: the golden scales of commerce, the iron sword of war, and the silver sword of justice. On the first day of each year, he must deflower two maidens—a "maiden of the fields" and a "maiden of the seas"—in a prescribed ritual. It is believed that this brings prosperity to the fields and success at sea for the republic throughout the year. Should a crop failure or a defeat in war occur, the prince is sacrificed—his throat slit—and a new aristocrat is chosen to replace him, without asking for his consent.
However, not all princes accept such fate; for example, one prince who refused to be killed fled to become a mercenary. Rumor has it that he is now known as the Ragged Prince, though he is much older than when he was a prince.
As for what I learned about the fleet owner under whose flag these pirates sailed, he bore a notorious reputation. Salladhor Saan, a well-known pirate from the House of Saan of Lys, was described by the pirate in rather flamboyant terms. This pirate wears dozens of rings and one of his outfits includes a shimmering silver fabric with pointed sleeves that trail along the floor. His buttons are carved jade monkeys, and atop his thin white curls sits a merry green hat adorned with a fan of peacock feathers.
Under his command is a fleet of thirty war galleys, not to mention numerous merchant ships that trade fearlessly and without risk in King's Landing, maintaining their immunity.
The house from which this man hails has an equally fascinating history, as the Saans are one of the noble houses of Lys. This infamous pirate family boasts its own formidable fleet.
The members of this house carry the blood of Valyria, which is clearly reflected in their appearance. According to the chronicles I studied back in Winterfell, the history of the Saan family dates back almost to the times of Aegon the Conqueror.
During the reign of Aegon the Conqueror, Sargoso Saan was a pirate king of the Stepstones.
Saatos Saan led the most infamous expedition of the Free Cities' fleet to the Basilisk Isles; the Lysene captain, who commanded the fleet sent to destroy pirate strongholds, decided to take up piracy himself, proclaimed himself king of the Basilisk Isles, and ruled there for thirty years. Samarro Saan was one of the Ninepenny Kings, nicknamed The Last Valyrian.
In summary, it seems I have earned myself a formidable enemy.
PERTIMBANGAN PENCIPTA 
Arcane_Eso
Arcane_Eso Stones for the God of Stones! Souls for the Throne of Souls!
Creation is hard, cheer me up!
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone