章 10: Chapter 10 : Braavos
YAWN
"That's one good sleep."
I stretched lazily as I woke up in the cosy furnished room, the warmth of the morning sun seeping through the window. Just the things in the room would cost about a hundred gold dragons in value, introducing me to the meaning of luxury.
CRUNCH CRUNCH
Peering out of the window, I spotted Walder and Smallfoot in the courtyard below, their figures running with the guards of House Soleas on the gravel.
[House Soleas :
The Soleas family had risen in prominence thanks to their early recognition and subsequent dealings with Ferrego Antaryon, a minor member of House Antaryon. However, their core influence comes from the fact they married their daughter to Ferrego.
Now, they held sway in Braavos because of that decision.]
[AI Profile: Ferrego Antaryon
Born as the 3rd son of the minor branch of House Antaryon, Ferrego Antaryon was a Shrewd Merchant. He is an example of success in this world, held at an equal level with Corlys Velaryon till his marriage with the Princess.
The proof of his success is his current status-the Sealord of Braavos.]
It was a sign of this city's unique brand of power, where wealth and influence tied together. If you are rich enough, then you are powerful enough.
With the Teacher's connections to House Soleas as an occasional consultant healer, we had arranged a meeting with one of its members, an officer in Sealord Palace.
While meeting the Sealord himself was out of the question for a matter as small as ours, the Soleas officer would serve as our intermediary, conveying our intentions to the representatives of the Iron Bank.
It was a long chain of relations, but such was the reality of navigating the situation. Considering the incident with Harwin happened in Iron Bank, it is better to have the Sealord Palace Officer as an intermediary.
Otherwise, the Iron back using the proofs of the incident can increase the shares to over 10%.
Fuck that scenario, if I have to meet 100 more men, then I am ready. I will not give more shares.
-----------------
THUD
THUD
THUD
As I ran downstairs to join Teacher Bracken and the others, the sounds of lively chatter greeted me. Walder and Smallfoot were already engaged in animated conversation, their faces flushed with excitement from their morning run.
"Did you see the guards' faces when we outran them?" Smallfoot exclaimed, his eyes sparkling with mischief.
Walder grinned, a mischievous glint in his eye. "They never stood a chance against us, did they?"
I chuckled at their antics, feeling fresh from the comfort of the luxury in the guest quarters. Man, I am coming to realise that even in Westeros with enough wealth, I can live an even better life than in the Modern world.
Employing more servants is the way people resolve it. No matter what comforts the modern world has, they can do the same. Even the so-called privy. The servants can take care of it all day with no plumbing. It's just you don't go towards that shed.
Teacher Bracken looked up from his meal, a knowing smile playing on his lips as he joined the conversation. "Ah, the joys of youth," he remarked, his voice tinged with nostalgia. "Carefree and full of energy. I wish I had that time back. My joints are killing me."
TICK TICK
I watched as he made various sounds with his stiff joints. I kinda agree with him, especially while seeing the white hair strands on his head.
As I took my seat, Teacher Bracken turned to me with a thoughtful expression. "Are you ready for our meeting with the Sealord's officer from House Soleas? He is in the manor right now, at the request of Lord Soleas."
"Absolutely," I replied, my voice filled with determination. "Let's make the most of this opportunity. I can't wait for the sale of Re-quill in Braavos. I must say the sheer amount of people who can read here is incredible. Only below Oldtown, so there shouldn't be a problem with Gold raining down on us."
Teacher Hoster smirked as he said, "Gold raining on us, huh? You have some wonderful phrases, my apprentice. I am going to use that in the future."
I nodded, feeling a sense of excitement at the prospect of finally making progress in Re-quills. Just the wealth from the Re-quill sale in Oldtown is enough for me to say that I am wealthier than all the sailors.
Remembering the Arbor wine and Captain Berek, I told myself, maybe not Captain Berek. Arbor wine is a luxury item whose sale is enough to pull up a house to Great lord status.
With that, we set off towards the Main Manor of the House Soleas from the guest quarters, hopefully ending the day with excellent results, worthy of weeks' worth of effort.
It is genuine pain in the ass to come to Braavos.
---===House Soleas Manor, Braavos==--
As we approached House Soleas, the grandeur of the manse was truly a sight to behold. Its towering walls and intricately carved sculpture, marble stone flooring show their wealth on display.
Smallfoot's eyes widened in awe as he took in the decorations of various cultures of the world and the colourful paintings. "I've seen nothing like it," he whispered, his voice filled with wonder at the descriptive painting of a lion jumping out of the portrait.
Walder nodded in agreement, his gaze sweeping over the grand entrance. "Impressive, indeed," he remarked, but his tone betrayed his nonchalance. That reminds me that his father was the Lord of Twins, making his childhood home easily richer than Soleas.
All because of his bad luck, he is now a bastard acolyte trying to make a living. Otherwise, Walder would have been enjoying all that wealth as a trueborn.
As we approached the Doors, a pair of guards stepped forward to greet us, their expressions stern but not unfriendly.
"Halt," one guard commanded, his voice firm but polite. "State your business."
Teacher Bracken stepped forward, his demeanour calm and composed. "We have an appointment with Lord Soleas's representative," he replied, his voice steady despite the spears held as obstruction.
The guards exchanged a glance before nodding in acknowledgement. "Very well," the second guard said, his tone softening slightly. "Follow me."
"You are allowed inside, Maester Bracken."
I watched as the guards removed the obstructing spears for our passage.
Teacher Bracken led the way, his confident stride betraying none of the nerves that I felt fluttering in my stomach. After the brush with violence from the pirate attacks, it is common to feel nervous seeing the concentrated number of armed men with scars littering their bodies.
With that, we were escorted through the doors and into the heart of the manse. The interior was a whole new world of wealth.
Golden status, marble pillars, diamond-adorned chandeliers and all kinds of bullshit display of wealth.
THUD
Finally, we reached our destination—a spacious chamber adorned with fine furniture and seating chairs. Seated at the head of the table was a fat man dressed in Braavos robes with many gold ornaments.
"Welcome," he said, his voice deep but squeaky. "I am Rumros Soles, liaison officer to Iron Bank in Sealord's Palace. Please take a Seat."
We settled into our chairs, and he continued to talk while eating a handful of grapes. "Lord Soleas informed me about your issue. Please elaborate on the venture to me again, since my reputation depends on the success probability of the venture. If I feel it is not affordable, I will not support it."
I nodded at that reason. It is logical since the creed of Braavos is money.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
"...We have meticulously planned for every eventuality," the Teacher ended the explanation of our sales plan, his voice confident. "And we will stake the citadel's reputation on the line. The Archmaester council has signed their guarantee on the feasibility of success of this endeavour."
Rumros Soleas reclined in his chair, his hand absently scratching his chest as he considered our proposal. "There is no problem in ensuring this deal," he began, his voice tinged with confidence. "After all, this is Braavos. Not Lys. Though I believe it will be tough for this product to enter Lys since your previous representative, Harwin, insulted the magister's son."
I suppressed a sigh at the reminder of the stumbling block in our negotiations.
Harwin's blunder had undoubtedly complicated matters, but thankfully, his father's influence as an Archmaester had helped to smooth things over. After all, the Archmaester council represented the millennia-old Citadel in full rights.
Teacher Bracken explained the same thing.
"....The endorsement of the product by the Archmaester council had lent it a considerable amount of credibility, ensuring that our efforts had not been in vain. So, there shouldn't be a problem with entering Lys with this product."
With a sense of relief, I watched as the meeting drew to a close, the details of the agreement completed.
House Soleas would receive the rights to act as the trade distributor in Braavos, while Rumros Soleas committed to advancing negotiations with the representatives of the Iron Bank.
"Thank you for your cooperation," Rumros said, rising from his seat to bid us farewell. "I will ensure that your proposal receives the attention it deserves."
With a nod of gratitude, we left from the manse. As I went out of the room, I felt the air to be fresh.
I realized then that Rumros must have either not bathed for a long time or had sex in there or he simply had an awful fart.
Maybe I should recommend a ginger tea for him. It is well within my basic duty as a healer to safeguard others from this social problem (awful smell).
--------
The days had slipped away in a whirlwind of meetings and negotiations, our time divided between the Sealord's office, the Iron Bank, and the opulent guest quarters within the Soleas mansion.
Then, just as the negotiations seemed on the verge of conclusion, chaos erupted in our quarters. Rumros Soleas arrived, and a contingent of guards flanked him on both sides.
BANG
THUD THUD THUD
Seeing this sight, my heart lept to my throat in fear and nervousness, and my brain ran with multiple thoughts ranging from Rumros being greedy to us being involved in Braavosi politics. I searched the room for my crossbow and found it a jump away.
I watched, my nerves on edge, as Rumros's booming voice filled the room, addressing Teacher Bracken directly. "Maester Bracken, there's an emergency," he exclaimed, his tone urgent. "We need your help immediately."
Relief flooded through me at the realization that we weren't in trouble.
Without hesitation, Teacher Bracken sprang into action, his eyes meeting mine briefly before he issued a silent command for us to gather our medical supplies.
As we scrambled to gather the supplies, I couldn't help but overhear the details of the emergency. "The Sealord's son has collapsed in excruciating pain," the fat guy explained, his voice grave. "He's been screaming in agony before losing consciousness. The Sealord has called for every renowned healer in the city to attend to his son's bedside. The Sealord has dispatched dozens of carriages to ensure their swift arrival at the palace."
As I thought about the significance of the collapsed child being the sole heir of the Sealord, my mind drifted to the tragic story of the Sealord's wife- the lucky girl from house Soleas.
[Sealord love:
It was a tale whispered in hushed tones among the nobles of Braavos—a love story on a par with Romeo and Juliet to them.
Rumours had it that the Sealord's wife was a woman of unparalleled beauty and grace, a vision of loveliness that captured the heart of the Sealord from the moment they met. Their love was the stuff of ballads and epic tales, the envy of all who saw it.
But tragedy struck when the Sealord's wife fell gravely ill, her health rapidly deteriorating despite the best efforts of the city's healers.
In her last moments, she made her husband promise to love and cherish their son above all else, to protect him with his very life.
And so, the Sealord swore an oath to his beloved wife, vowing to raise their son with the same love and devotion that he had for her. It was a promise he had kept with unwavering dedication, forsaking all other women and devoting himself entirely to his son's upbringing.
To the point, they say he threw the famous Blackpearl and many other world-famous courtesans out of his palace for daring to try it.
The Sealord's unwavering loyalty, a rare display of true love in a world filled with betrayal and deceit, shocked nobility and people in power across the world.
Even great lords like Corly Velaryon, and the great king Jahearys Targaryen, announced Sealord Fereggo Antaryoan as the epitome of True Love.]
---====Sealord's palace, Healing chamber===----
As we entered the grand halls of the Sealord's palace, the atmosphere was tense enough to give a man with a weak heart, the Stranger's love.
[Westeros reference: Stranger's love = Heart attack]
Dozens of healers from various corners of the Braavos bustled about, their faces etched with concern and fear as they tended to the bedridden child.
The teacher exchanged nods of greeting with a few of them, recognizing familiar faces from past encounters.
This situation could represent power, as within a day, a diverse array of expertise comes together in one place. Especially in this primitive society, where the Healers ratio might not be even 1 in thousands.
"It started with the screams, then we had to bring him to the Healing chamber."
"I see. Any kind of trauma?"
"None."
"Maybe, It's mind fever."
Teacher Bracken wasted no time in joining the discussions, his years of experience and known passion lending credibility to his opinions, " No. He had no drip from his eyes or ears. Much less any injuries to the face or spine."
"It appears to be a case of burst belly," one healer concluded, his brow furrowed in concentration.
In modern terms, we would call it appendicitis.
The diagnosis sent a ripple of concern through the room as the seriousness of the situation became apparent. Burst belly was a life-threatening condition, requiring immediate intervention to prevent further complications.
THUD THUD
" THE SEA LORD IS ENTERING."
The murmurs that were rippling through the room fell silent as the Sealord entered. He was a fair young man in his twenties, with a trimmed beard and hair tied back in a ponytail. Though not built like a warrior, his medium frame exuded an air of authority that silenced everyone.
GULP
The personal healer of the child, an old man with white hair, approached the Sealord with a dull tone. "The burst belly is a life-threatening condition," he explained, his voice heavy with gravity. "Just like the name suggests, Part of the belly is bulging out, and while there are remedies such as various herbs and juices, the chances of relief are slim. Eventually, it will burst, taking the child's life."
SLAP
I watched as he slapped the old man in anger and looked at everyone with red eyes.
The Sealord's frustration boiled overseeing the hesitant looks on everyone's faces, his voice echoing with anger as he cursed the incompetence of those gathered, "Useless piece of shit. Where is the so-called superiority you people hold as healers? Aren't always saying this and that?"
SLAM
"Is there no other way?' he demanded, his eyes ablaze with intensity.
Teacher Bracken stepped forward, his expression calm but determined. "There are other methods," he explained, his voice steady. "We could attempt to cut away the bulging portion, but the survival rate is very low."
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