Game of Thrones: The Road to Pirate King

Chapter 348 Bank Opening

Two months later in Harrenhal.

The ships of the Ice and Fire Merchant Guild brought two heavyweight exiles, Lord Owen Mariewes and Lord Jon Clinton, the Mad King's two former Hands of the King, back to Westeros from the Free Cities, and finally delivered them to Harrenhal, which was under reconstruction.

Standing on the rough stone ground of Harrenhal, Lord Jon Clinton was overwhelmed with emotion.

Jon Clinton once thought he would spend his life in a foreign land and never set foot on his homeland again.

Because during the Battle of Stonehall, Jon Clinton personally killed Ser Dennis Arryn, Jon Arryn's nephew and heir, who was known as "the Darling of the Vale."

Now, Jon Arryn is the Hand of the King, and King Robert Baratheon's most trusted and relied-upon right-hand man.

As long as the King's Hand harbors resentment about what happened back then, Jon Clinton will never return.

To his surprise, the official decree from King's Landing, bearing the royal seal, had indeed arrived. This meant that his return had been granted permission at the highest level. At that moment, Jon Clinton held the parchment, light yet incredibly heavy, and gazed towards King's Landing. After a long while, he let out a sigh mixed with emotion and reverence: "It seems—I underestimated the magnanimity of the Hand of the King."

Jon Clinton returned to his homeland alone, and then returned alone again, feeling completely at ease.

Earl Owen Marives's situation was quite different. During his exile, he moved his entire family to Rhys. There, his grandson, Orton Marives, married Tanya, a woman from Mil.

Lord Owen was overjoyed when he learned that he could return to Westeros.

But Earl Owen soon became unhappy. Apart from an empty title of earl, he had nothing left. His former territories and fiefs had long been divided up and were all in the hands of others.

If they returned to Westeros, the new Duke of Harrenhal, Euron Greyjoy, promised to take them in, but this "generosity" did not bring Owen Marives joy; instead, it added to the desolation of a world changed. Holding the decree in his hands, Owen Marives hesitated whether to go back. After all, returning would mean being a dependent, inevitably having to be mindful of others' opinions. Perhaps it would be better to stay in a foreign land and enjoy his freedom.

His grandson, Orton Marie Weiss, though plain-looking with a head of unruly reddish-orange hair and an overly prominent nose, was exceptionally calm and considerate in his dealings with others.

Orton calmly comforted his grandfather, analyzing, "Hrenburg is the largest castle in the Seven Kingdoms, and it is enough to become our new foundation."

You must know, Euron, the Lord of the Sea Monsters, has unfathomable ambition. Why do you think he was able to find us so quickly and bring us back? Because his tentacles have already silently extended to Myr, Rhys, and Tyrosy! I have a feeling that before long, he will become the true ruler of the Stone Steps, and that so-called "Kingdom of the Three Daughters" will ultimately become his possession.

Orton's tone became incredibly resolute, his eyes flashing with a sharp light that belied his appearance: "Grandfather, whether you return or not, I will return to Westeros. Now is the time when he needs men, the perfect opportunity for us to establish ourselves and restore our family's glory!"

Ultimately, Earl Owen Marie Weiss was persuaded by his grandson's insight far beyond his age and his unwavering confidence, and thus made up his mind to embark on the journey home with his family.

Euron was genuinely pleased with the arrival of these two experienced former court officials; he had finally found people in his court who could stand alone and shoulder heavy responsibilities.

Euron immediately made the appointment: Jon Clinton was promoted to second-in-command at Harrenhal. He would be in full charge of all military and political affairs while Euron was away from the castle.

Euron acknowledged that he possessed sufficient ability to manage the complexities of this vast castle, but his loyalty still needed to be tested over time. Therefore, Euron appointed Dagmore, whose loyalty was beyond question, as his lieutenant, a move that served both as assistance and surveillance.

Earl Owen Mariewes was appointed as a diplomat, responsible for Harrenhal's external liaison and negotiations. He was mediocre in domestic affairs and military matters, but he had spent many years in King's Landing, was highly respected, and almost every lord and noble in the Seven Kingdoms recognized his face. This network and reputation were precisely the intangible capital he needed at the moment.

His grandson, Orton Mariewes, was appointed magistrate to enforce the lord's decrees and adjudicate all disputes within the castle, from servants' theft and knightly duels to commoners' tax resistance, in order to maintain basic order and justice within Harrenhal.

Thus, Euron built the core management framework of Harrenhal in a precise and pragmatic manner.

Two weeks later, at dusk, a weary procession arrived at the towering gates of Harrenhal.

Instead of soldiers or craftsmen, thirty special "prisoners" and "volunteers" arrived—experienced bankers.

The origins of this group of people are quite complicated: half of them are down-on-their-luck individuals who have fallen on hard times and are now homeless, and who have voluntarily come here seeking opportunities.

The other half were "invited" by Tiemin and Lisa's intelligence agents, who put sacks over their heads.

They came from various free city-states throughout Essos, with diverse backgrounds, but all had experience working in various financial institutions.

Unable to immediately determine who among these people were the true elites and who were mere charlatans, Euron handed them all over to Tetsu Nestorus.

The former Iron Treasury manager has now returned to his old ways, and his vision has become exceptionally sharp.

Over the next week, a side hall of Harrenhal was transformed into a rigorous examination hall. Tetsu ruthlessly vetted everyone's abilities with complex accounts, tricky financial cases, and high-pressure mental arithmetic tests.

The final results were in: 20 out of the 30 people won Taichu's approval with their solid professional knowledge and sharp minds and were regarded as "qualified" backbone members. The remaining 10 people, although their level was limited and they were not suitable for major responsibilities, had sufficient basic abilities to undertake some basic auxiliary work in the large banking system.

This selected, diverse financial team is about to become Euron's first leverage in shaking up the economic landscape of Westeros.

One morning, Techo Nestorus awoke with a start, and instinctively reached for the silver coin that he had kept close to his chest day and night, tied with a red string, and found it was gone.

He sat up abruptly and groped around the bed. Strangely, he felt no panic; instead, a surge of intense heat welled up from the bottom of his heart and instantly swept through his limbs.

Yes, it was the Faceless One who took it!

According to an ancient agreement, when this token was silently retrieved, it meant that his name had been completely erased from the death list. The boulder called "fear," which had weighed on his heart since the day the golden dragon sank into the sea, vanished in that instant.

The overwhelming joy of being reborn almost made him shout out loud.

From that day on, Tetsu Nestor's enthusiasm for his work increased several times over, as if he were pouring out all the energy that had been consumed by fear.

"Your life is mine now!"

Youlun observed everything and then entrusted all matters related to the establishment of the bank to Taichu.

Two weeks later, the headquarters of Continental Bank officially opened in the magnificent main hall of Herenberg.

Apart from Dorne, which was too far away, almost all the most influential families in the Seven Kingdoms sent representatives—the Tyrells of Highgarden and the Lannisters of the Westerlands personally visited Harrenhal, giving the newly crowned Duke of Harrenhal considerable face.

During the grand banquet, Tetsu Nestorth, in his capacity as the bank's general manager, convened a small core meeting to discuss the bank's specific operations and future collaborations.

When Lord Tywin Lannister and Lady Odwin Tyrell discovered that the eloquent bank steward before them was none other than a key figure in the Iron Bank, a hint of undisguised surprise involuntarily flashed across their usually composed eyes.

They exchanged a meaningful glance—Euron Greyjoy's ability to recruit such a person to serve him clearly needed to be reassessed in terms of his methods and ambitions.