章 459: Chapter 459: Braavos' Hope
In the north of the city of Braavos, within the Sea Lord's Palace.
The distant clamor of the armory was faint here, merely a whisper.
The Sea Lord's Palace stood upon the water, comprised of several islands, linked by stone bridges. It boasted towering stone towers, magnificent domes, and to the north lay the Purple Harbor, where part of the invincible fleet was anchored.
At that moment, hurried footsteps echoed within the palace, filled with urgency.
"Lord Kleyon."
The Sea Lord of Braavos's adviser, Kleyon Mysna, rushed in, and the guards along the way bowed quickly.
A middle-aged man in a plain grey robe, his face stern, did not return the salute but strode forward with a clatter.
He was once the city official who had been sent to Dragonstone to bring Viserys to Pentos for the first time and later continued his lobbying in Pentos due to his good personal relationship with Viserys.
Kleyon's two successful diplomatic missions, along with his considerable abilities, had elevated him from a mere city official to the Sea Lord's adviser and personal steward.
Now he had come under cover of darkness, and Quilo Valentin, the chief swordsman of Braavos, naturally stopped him, for it was late, and the Sea Lord's health could not be greatly disturbed.
However, when Quilo heard Kleyon's purpose, the usually calm and composed chief swordsman showed a look of surprise for the first time, and looked up at the sky.
Quilo Valentin knew the gravity of the matter and no longer obstructed Kleyon but personally knocked on the Sea Lord's door.
Thump, thump, thump—
The ill and frail Sea Lord of Braavos was awakened from his slumber.
"What has happened?"
He heard the distant roar, then lay pale-faced on his bed to receive Kleyon's report.
His face grew even grimmer.
A dragon had attacked Braavos under the cover of night. The current casualties were not yet known, but the numbers were growing at an alarming rate every second.
Moreover, the attacker was rational, not attacking the residential areas of Braavos with the dragon but targeting the military-industrial sector.
According to a rough estimate, nearly half of the invincible fleet had sunk into the sea, and the waters were littered with shattered planks and wreckage.
Now the dragon-riding assailant was flying toward the center of Braavos.
The dragon-riding assailant... The Sea Lord listened to Kleyon's words, his face ugly. Why not call him the Mad King's son?
He hadn't expected retribution to come so quickly. The forces sent to Pentos to steal the dragon had just returned the previous night, and now revenge had arrived.
What he found even harder to accept was that the boy who had once appeared calm, pleading for help alone in Braavos, was now riding a dragon back to Braavos, but this time bringing blood and fire with him.
"We helped him once!"
"He begged for our help like a little dog then!"
Ferego Antaryon lay on his sickbed, panting heavily, unable to control his emotions.
Braavos, as the leader of the Free Trade Cities, had never let the flames of war reach its homeland. Now he had met Viserys, who had succeeded in doing just that, destroying the Titan's statue with dragon fire and nailing Ferego Antaryon to the pillar of shame.
"He dares to do this!"
However, his words were followed by a violent cough, and he even coughed up blood.
"Sea Lord, my Lord!"
Quilo Valentin tightened at this sight and hurried forward to help Ferego, calming him down and wiping the blood from his mouth.
"Sea Lord, what must we do now?" Kleyon asked, his heart sinking at the sight but still pressing the question.
They had felt the threat of the dragons, especially when Tycho Nestoris, the Iron Bank's manager in the Seven Kingdoms, had conveyed his observations back to Braavos, further aggravating their anxiety.
His letters had praised the dragons' power, attributing the victory against the White Walkers to Viserys and his dragons. He had even described the dragons as symbols of strength and ambition, growing at an astonishing rate.
This had prompted Braavos's highest echelons to act urgently, using the Faceless Men, trying to frame the Volantenes, only to be easily discovered by their foe.
"What to do?"
"Will he spare us if we hand over the young dragon now?"
The Sea Lord's face darkened, and Kleyon was at a loss. He knew Viserys would not let this go easily.
"The young dragon is the hope of Braavos."
"It must not be handed over, unless he can find where it is hidden."
Ferego Antaryon gritted his teeth.
"Try to kill him with the scorpions, if that fails, lure him down."
He looked at Quilo Valentin, and the chief swordsman understood, nodding.
"Yes, Sea Lord."
But as the three plotted within the Sea Lord's Palace, a dragon's roar suddenly resounded above them.
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