Capítulo 194: Chapter 193: Arrival
In the year 291 AC, a new year had begun.
A heavy snowfall blanketed the land.
In this vast white world, a group of heavily armored riders clad in animal pelts appeared on the main road.
The sound of hooves trampling through the deep snow echoed as they slowly approached the magnificent city looming on the horizon.
"Your Grace."
In the midst of the swirling snowstorm, a guard accompanying Viserys shielded his eyes from the falling snowflakes, squinting as he tried to see through the white expanse. He looked towards the barely visible city in the distance, then turned to Viserys, his breath visible in the cold air.
"Pentos is nearly within our reach."
Viserys, mounted on a white horse and wearing thick deerskin gloves, gripped the reins and squinted into the distance as well. Snowflakes settled on his long eyelashes.
"Yes."
He then patted his saddle and turned to address his men.
"Everyone, let's push forward. Once we reach Pentos, I promise there will be fine wine and beautiful women."
"Ha ha!"
At Viserys' words, the soldiers in the party broke into smiles, and their fatigue and cold seemed to vanish.
Of course, they knew Viserys was joking.
But such a down-to-earth young king made them feel a sense of loyalty and admiration.
His charisma was like the sun, shining brightly and drawing people to unite around him, be they Andals or Rhoynars.
And he never looked down on them like some nobles, who treated commoners as if they were pigs or dogs.
If a king could love and care for his people like a father, then why should these small nobles, who had less land than a village, hold their heads so high?
Inspired by Viserys' example, his subordinate nobles also dared not act arrogantly.
At least within the Andalos region, if any nobles dared to wreak havoc, their liege lord would hastily execute them, fearing the repercussions.
As a result, Viserys enjoyed immense prestige among the common folk, and was molded into a perfect image in the public eye.
Moreover, with the help of the Department of Internal Affairs, any news circulating in Andalos would appear on Viserys' desk the very next day.
The long line of riders, protecting their king, slowly made their way towards the northern gate of Pentos.
This time, the guards at Pentos' northern gate were not startled by the armored knights covered in snow, avoiding a scene.
For they had already received word of Viserys' arrival and cleared the way to welcome him.
However...
The underlying problems with the Pentos guards still remained unresolved.
Viserys rode atop his warhorse, which snorted and released a puff of white breath.
The guards below stood in a disheveled formation, their helmets askew, yawning constantly, and appearing sleep-deprived with dark circles under their eyes.
"Your Grace."
"The Magister had intended to greet you, but the snowstorm is too severe..."
The gate officer, a portly man with a greasy face, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and nervously explained.
While others shivered in the frigid weather, his ample fat served an important purpose.
Pentos was also buried under heavy snowfall, and the previous night's storm had caused several houses and markets to collapse, resulting in the deaths of some commoners.
Illirio had intended to greet Viserys, but on the way, the carriage wheels struggled to move through the heavy snow, causing a bit of a traffic delay.
"No matter, we can wait for Lord Illirio."
However, Viserys waved his hand, not caring whether anyone was there to greet him or not. Snow continued to fall overhead, and his breath formed white clouds in the cold air.
His gaze shifted from the distant, snow-covered bustling cityscape and landed on the gate guard and surrounding Pentos guards below him.
His eyes narrowed slightly, revealing a hint of a smile.
"Let's chat for a bit."
Viserys then gently patted the saddle and dismounted, stepping into the accumulated snow.
"Your Grace."
A lean and observant Pentos guard quickly took the reins from Viserys' hand.
"Uh..."
The portly gate guard was unsure what Viserys wanted to talk about with him.
After walking just a few steps, he was already panting, with white clouds of breath emerging and sweat rolling down his forehead. His body was clearly very weak.
Such a physique was not just unsuitable for the military, but even inferior to a common farmer's boy.
Yet, he had become a gate guard for the city of Pentos, a position of importance.
Viserys was somewhat curious, so he brushed off the snow from his deer-hide gloves and turned to ask.
"Just a casual conversation, don't be nervous."
"How is it? Being a city guard in a prosperous city-state like Pentos must be a cushy job, right?"
"Uh..."
The gate guard was still somewhat tense while conversing with Viserys.
Especially when faced with those pale purple eyes, his anxiety intensified.
"Uh... It's okay, it's okay."
"Just opening the city gates every day, collecting some 'tolls,' and then... uh..."
As a guard of Pentos' city gate, this was a plum assignment, particularly for someone in such an important position as the gate guard.
His uncle was a wealthy Magister in Pentos, so it took quite a bit of money to secure him this important post.
Countless merchant caravans passed through this gate daily, and if any contraband was discovered, these city guards had the authority to confiscate or impound the caravans.
Of course, if someone willingly paid a 'toll,' they wouldn't mind letting them through.
As a result, Pentos' defense force had become highly corrupt, even rivaling the gold cloaks in King's Landing.
However, the Pentos Magisters had no intention of replacing the current commander, as this was a compromise they had reached. The next commander might be even worse.
Realizing that he had let something slip, the gate guard's face grew even more tense. He quickly covered his mouth, and no matter what Viserys asked next, he remained silent.
Viserys didn't mind, though, merely offering a slight smile.
From his last visit to Pentos to this one, he had roughly figured out the state of the city-state's only 'regular army.'
At that moment, the Pentos Magister Illirio, who was delayed by the morning snow traffic, finally arrived in his carriage.
The obese middle-aged man climbed down from the carriage, panting heavily. He approached Viserys and shook his hand.
"I apologize, Your Grace."
"The snow was too heavy yesterday, and I couldn't make it in time."
Status de energia semanal
-- Ranking de
Poder 
-- Pedra de
Poder