บท 164: Chapter 163: The Castle of Valyria
That night.
A piercing scream shattered the silence that had persisted on this land for many years.
"I woke up in a panic from my sleep, and a slave on night watch duty told me that he had accidentally fallen asleep, and his companion, who was also on night watch and dozing off beside him, had been dragged away by a terrifying creature."
"I rushed over when I heard the news and found a crowd had already gathered."
"I struggled my way to the center and saw a long, shocking trail of blood, extending along the scorched earth towards the pitch-black distance."
"What attacked us? Was it a wolf? A hyena? Or a shadowcat?"
The first two were pack animals, so Gillyan was more inclined to believe it was the latter.
"'We should rescue our companion!' I told everyone because since it had only attacked one of us, it must not have the courage to face all of us."
"If we want to fix the ship and return home smoothly, without being constantly on edge, we should first deal with this threat to everyone."
"I convinced the rest of the crew and the slaves, who agreed with my idea, and then we organized everyone to give chase..."
In Gillyan's account, the ruins of Valyria were not much different from ordinary desolate lands; in fact, some areas were no longer scenes of apocalyptic devastation but were sprouting weeds and trees.
This was unlike what the crew, Gillyan, and now Viserys, who read this story through the pages, had imagined.
The Valyrian ruins had begun to regain vitality under the powerful self-healing ability of nature.
Perhaps it was for this reason that all the crew and slaves, including Gillyan, had somewhat relaxed their guard.
They believed that the most dangerous things in the Valyrian ruins were the sea monsters lurking in the dark waters, and this land was no different from where they lived their daily lives.
Gillyan expressed remorse in his memoir, saying it was one of the most erroneous decisions he had made in his life.
Armed with weapons, the crew and slaves followed the trail of their companion's blood on the ground under Gillyan's encouragement and leadership, chasing after him in the dark.
The night on this ancient land was so dim that even the moonlight was faint, whether it was due to the lingering smoke over this lost continent or just because it was an overcast day.
Holding a few torches, the crew could barely illuminate a small portion of the land before them, and they didn't know how far they had gone.
It was not until some of the more timid among them proposed the idea of retreating that their path finally changed a little.
"The ground beneath our feet seemed to show faint signs of once being an ancient road, but it had been nearly destroyed by the cataclysm, leaving only a hint of what it once was."
"The trail of blood on the ground seemed to follow the broken road, and as we followed it to the end, we finally made a different discovery."
"It was a castle..."
"We could barely make out the silhouette of an ancient castle shrouded in darkness not far away, but it was clear that it had become dilapidated, with only ruins and broken walls remaining."
"The trail of blood stopped here, as if it had vanished into thin air."
"Without a doubt."
"Here lies a Valyrian noble's castle, a thrilling discovery that could contain unimaginable wealth."
"Valyrian steel swords, Valyrian steel armor, dragon eggs, ancient tomes, exquisitely crafted artifacts made with advanced magic, and so much more..."
"At this point, the people were divided into two factions."
"One faction became consumed by greed at the sight of the Valyrian noble's castle, forgetting their mission to rescue their companions and kill the monster that had attacked them."
"However, they finally remembered that they had ventured into the Valyrian ruins for riches, not to return empty-handed."
"They even forgot their terror from the day before and tied me to a stake, intending to burn me alive."
"How ironic."
To organize this fleet and venture into the ruins of Valyria, Gillyan had made a promise: his sole purpose was to find the lost Lannister family weapon, 'Bright Roar.'
Aside from Bright Roar, whoever found any treasure first could keep it, and anyone who tried to steal would be executed by the group.
As their leader, Gillyan would not take more than his fair share, vouching with his own name.
All slaves willing to follow him into the Valyrian ruins would be freed upon their return and their acquired wealth would be recognized.
Enticed by these powerful incentives, the sailors and slaves willingly followed Gillyan into the Valyrian ruins.
However...
They underestimated the horrifying cost of exploring these ruins, and they were terrified upon crossing the Smoking Sea.
But now, the prospect of vast riches lay bare before them in this untouched, genuine Valyrian castle, and many were tempted.
Having already risked so much, they knew the return journey would be equally perilous.
Might as well go all in; if they could truly find a Valyrian steel sword and bring it out... At this thought, some of their eyes turned red with greed.
Still, some remained level-headed.
They remembered the monsters lurking beneath the black waters.
They believed this land hid even more terrifying creatures, possibly the same one that had snatched their companion.
So, some of them chose to retreat.
Some sought fortune by taking risks and delving deeper into the ruins, while others opted to return to the seaside camp. With no real conflict between the two sides, they simply went their separate ways.
Those who wanted to go back formed a small group. Unable to discern directions due to the surrounding fog, they followed the bloodstains on the ground back.
The bolder group, on the other hand, readied their weapons and armor, preparing to enter the crumbling castle in search of wealth.
Gillyan Lannister was among them.
He had come to explore the Valyrian ruins to prove his own capabilities and step out of his brothers' shadows.
He couldn't just give up when opportunity presented itself.
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