Game of Thrones: The Road to Pirate King

Chapter 119 Exclusive Title Sponsorship

The Harrenhal family steward did not sleep well that night. The next morning, with mixed feelings and the aroma of sea monster wine in his mind, he hurriedly boarded a ship and left the Iron Islands. He traveled day and night to return to Harrenhal and report this unexpected proposal to Count Heinrich in person.

Harrenhal, a massive castle built before the Wars of Conquest, is located in the Riverlands on the north bank of Lake God's Eye. It is the largest fortress in the Seven Kingdoms, but since the Wars of Conquest, it has been a dark and ravaged place.

Because of the grand martial arts tournament that was to be held in a few months, this huge and gloomy city became more bustling than ever before.

The craftsmen worked tirelessly, repairing the damaged towers and city walls, and clearing out barracks and sheds large enough to accommodate thousands of people.

On the open ground outside the castle, thousands of colorful tents are being erected, like a giant mushroom circle that suddenly appears after the rain, stretching to the distant horizon.

In the vast yet somewhat chilly study of Harrenhal, Earl Walter Horn, the patriarch of House Horn and master of Harrenhal, tapped his fingers unconsciously on the table after listening to the steward's detailed report. He did not make a decision immediately, but instead summoned his trusted scholar, who repeated Euron Greyjoy's conditions verbatim.

"The Iron Islands' purpose is obvious," the scholar said slowly after a long period of contemplation, his voice as steady as turning the pages of an ancient scroll. "They intend to use the unprecedented platform of the tournament to make a name for their—well, rather controversial—red wine, and open up the market of the Seven Kingdoms in one fell swoop."

He carefully analyzed the pros and cons: "For us, accepting it has several tangible benefits. First, the quality of the wine, as our people have personally verified, is impeccable, even far exceeding expectations, and perfectly suited to the scale of the event. We've tasted it ourselves, and it surpasses even the wines of Greentree Island. Especially the Golden Kraken! Second, we currently have an extreme need for a large quantity of high-quality wine, and the reality is that, apart from the Iron Islands, we can find almost no other source that can reliably supply such a large quantity of fine wine. Greentree Island is abandoned, and Oldtown and Lannister Port have no stock available. Third," the Maester paused, emphasizing the most crucial economic aspect, "this expense on wine is already suffocatingly large; if we can save it all, it will undoubtedly be a lifesaver for our tight finances."

"As for the downsides—" the maester's tone became cautious, "it's nothing more than a slight loss of face. We'll need to announce to all attendees during the event that the drinks are 'sponsored' by the Greyjoy family, and perhaps even mention them before each tournament—it certainly feels like we're paving the way for the Iron Islands, and in terms of demeanor, it's rather—understated."

After listening, Earl He'an remained silent for a moment, then let out a short, bitter laugh. He shook his head, his gaze sweeping across the martial arts arena outside the study window, which was being prepared at great expense.

"Face?" His voice was filled with the sarcasm of a pragmatist. "If the tournament at Harrenhal can't even provide decent drinks for the seven kingdoms, that would be a real disgrace, a laughingstock for centuries! Compared to that, what does reciting Greyjoy's name a few times matter?"

Earl of Harrenhal abruptly stood up, his well-defined knuckles slamming heavily on the table as he made his final decision. His tone was resolute and brooked no argument: "Besides, what does mere pretense of face matter compared to tens of thousands of gold dragons' worth of real gold and silver? Go! Immediately reply to Greyjoy and tell him his conditions. Harrenhal agrees!"

The family steward breathed a sigh of relief, bowed to accept the order, and was about to turn around and leave in a hurry to carry out this important decision when he was stopped by the scholar who had been silently thinking.

"Wait," the maester's voice was steady and clear. He turned to the steward, his aged eyes gleaming with caution and pragmatism. "In your reply to the Iron Islands, or in your negotiations with Lord Euron, one point must be emphasized repeatedly: this must be an unshakeable condition!"

He stepped forward, his gaze sharply fixed on the steward, and emphasized, word by word: "We must obtain their clearest guarantee—that the supply of all the drinks for the martial arts tournament will be absolutely sufficient to last for fifteen days."

The enjoyment of tens of thousands of guests must not be interrupted midway! More importantly, "his tone grew increasingly solemn," he added, "its quality must be consistently high; every barrel, every bottle must be exactly the same as the samples we've tasted. We cannot compromise on quality and ruin Harrenhal's reputation. This is of paramount importance!"

Ten days passed in the blink of an eye, like a long ship cutting through the sea.

When the weary steward of the Harrenhal family once again set foot on the docks of Park City, he found that everything was already prepared.

Euron Greyjoy seemed certain that the deal would go through. While the steward was busy traveling back and forth, the breweries and warehouses of the Iron Islands never ceased their work. Barrels of oak, branded with white, blue, purple, and gold sea monster marks, were polished to a gleaming shine, like soldiers awaiting inspection, neatly stacked in the cool, well-ventilated seaside warehouses, the air thick with a rich, complex aroma of spirits, almost completely overpowering the usual fishy smell.

Euron himself stood beside the small mountain of wine barrels, the sea breeze ruffling his dark robes. Seeing the steward return, he showed no surprise, merely nodding slightly, a knowing glint in his eyes.

"It seems Earl of Riveran has made a wise choice." Euron's tone was calm, as if stating a given fact rather than the success of a negotiation. "The first batch of wine is already prepared, awaiting only the arrival of your fleet, and can be loaded onto the wagons immediately."

Euron didn't even ask a single question about the details of the agreement; his calm confidence made it seem as if he had everything under control.

The family steward, gazing at the mountain of wine barrels already prepared before him, hesitated, a hint of unease on his face. He cautiously began, "Lord Euren, your efficiency is astonishing. However—the tournament isn't scheduled to begin for several months. Isn't it a bit premature to transport the wine back to Harrenhal now? We ourselves will likely consume a considerable amount over the next few months."

Euron, upon hearing this, waved his hand dismissively, a nearly magnanimous smile spreading across his face: "No need to fuss over such trivial matters. Since we've already secured the entire conference's beverage supply, why would the Iron Islands care about such a small expense?" His words exuded a confident magnanimity. "The sooner it arrives at Harrenhal, the sooner you can rest easy and stop worrying about it. Besides..."

He abruptly changed the subject, his eyes flashing with a frank and sharp light, as if he had already seen through all the other party's unspoken concerns: "With the drinks delivered in advance, you have ample time to carefully inspect each barrel and each bottle. I, Euron..."

Greyjoy hereby guarantees that the quality of the "Sea Monster" series will be absolutely flawless and can withstand any scrutiny.

The family steward was speechless for a moment, a sheepish smile flashing across his face. He had been instructed by Earl of He'an and the scholar to emphasize the core clause of "ensuring quantity and quality," but the other party had already anticipated this and so openly and generously brought it up, making them seem rather petty. The other party had not only thought of everything, but had also executed it flawlessly.