Game of Thrones: The Road to Pirate King

Chapter 446 Lord of Shadows - The Deal

Dr. Marvin straightened his academic robe, which was stained with some unknown substance, and said in a low voice, "I will lead you all to meet the Lord of Shadows."

"Lord of Shadows—" Euron repeated the title softly, as if savoring the weight of the word on his tongue.

Euron didn't press for details, but instead turned his gaze to Marwyn, saying calmly, "Quillslizard mentioned you to me. If you intend to return to Westeros this time, the Iron Islands fleet can reserve a place for you."

Marvin's face, covered in white beard, revealed little expression. Following Westeros etiquette, he bowed solemnly and said, "Thank you for your generosity, Lord of the Sea Beasts."

Euron nodded slightly, then revealed his true intentions directly and frankly: "So, would you be willing to serve me? The Greyjoy family needs a maester."

Marvin responded almost without hesitation, his voice loud and clear: "It would be a great honor." He bowed again, delighted, and said: "This is exactly what I wished for, but I just didn't dare to ask for it myself."

In that deep hall, illuminated only by floating orbs of light, the Lord of Shadows sat enthroned on a large chair carved from a single block of obsidian.

He wore a pointed mage's hat that almost touched the low dome of the roof, the shadow cast by the brim completely covering the upper half of his face. A long white beard cascaded down like a waterfall, almost touching the back of his hands clasped in front of him; those hands were withered but unusually steady.

Dr. Marvin was extremely respectful in his presence, standing to the side with his head bowed and holding his breath.

Euron stepped forward, a perfectly timed smile on his face, breaking the silence: "Lord of Shadows, it's a pleasure to meet you. My name is—"

"Euron Greyjoy." An old, calm voice, which seemed to resonate directly in everyone's hearts, interrupted him.

The Lord of Shadows slightly raised his head, and two faint lights seemed to flash and disappear in the darkness beneath his hat brim. He slowly said, "Lord of the Sea Beasts. Your name, along with the dragons and fleets you ride, has long been carried by the eastern winds to my ears."

Euron's eyebrows twitched almost imperceptibly, then his smile widened as he cut to the chase: "It saves me a lot of introductions to speak with you, sir. I've come here on behalf of our fleet anchored outside the harbor. I wonder, according to the customs here, how much—'protection money'—is required?"

He spoke the words "protection fee" clearly and calmly, acknowledging the rules of the place without showing the slightest cowardice.

The Lord of Shadows let out a low laugh: "If it were merely to pay that fee, I wouldn't have needed to personally appear. This time, I specifically wanted to see you."

"Oh? You want to see me?" A hint of a smile flashed in Euron's eyes.

"Of course." The eerie light beneath the Lord of Shadows' hat seemed to brighten slightly as he spoke slowly, "You are the only known person in the world to ride a colossal sea king. Going back further, only the Gray Sea King, who supposedly mated with a mermaid and ruled the deep sea during the Age of Heroes, possessed this ability." His voice carried the weight of history as he continued, "After the Gray Sea King's bloodline lay dormant for thousands of years, a new awakening has appeared. To not witness it would be a lifelong regret."

Euron raised an eyebrow, a smile of arrogance and mockery spreading across his face: "Now that you've seen it, aren't you disappointed? I don't have an extra hand, and my head is still the same."

"No," the Lord of Shadows' voice suddenly became solemn and clear, even carrying a hint of barely perceptible admiration, "far beyond my imagination. The realm you have touched, the power that resonates with ancient behemoths and commands the deep sea—is already a height I cannot reach."

Euron did not relax despite the other party's praise. His gaze was piercing, pointing straight to the core: "I wonder what else the Lord of Shadows has summoned me for besides witnessing my so-called bloodline?"

A faint, eerie light flickered beneath the brim of the Shadow Lord's hat as he spoke calmly, "I've heard that Lord Euron not only subdued a Shadow Wyvern at the Wyvern Horn, but also obtained dozens of dragon eggs. Would you be so kind as to part with three of them?"

Euron's brows furrowed instantly. He didn't answer immediately, but silently scrutinized the other person with cold eyes, his aura becoming dangerous and chilling.

The temperature in the entire hall seemed to drop as a result.

The Lord of Shadows felt the silent pressure. He raised a withered hand in a reassuring gesture: "Don't misunderstand. This is not coercion, nor is it a demand," he emphasized, "it's merely a—transaction."

"A deal?" Euron's voice held a scrutinizing tone. "You're interested in dragons?"

The Lord of Shadows let out a long, meaningful chuckle, a laugh tinged with complexity and melancholy: "Of course I'm interested. Many years ago, we even possessed them. But now—" His voice deepened, carrying an undisguised sense of loss, as he sighed, "The magical tides of the world have receded, and our power is far less than before. Capturing and taming these magical creations is now an unattainable dream. Dragons are symbols of power, and the decline of power is always particularly poignant."

Euron's fingertips tapped lightly on the hilt of his sword, producing a rhythmic sound. He gazed at the Lord of Shadows and slowly spoke, "You surely know the value of a dragon. What do you intend to offer in exchange for these three dragon eggs?"

The Lord of Shadows' wide mage robes fluttered slightly as he said, "Gold and gems are common things that naturally don't catch the eye of the Lord of Sea Beasts. What I'm offering you in exchange is something far more precious—knowledge."

"Oh?" Euron leaned forward slightly, revealing genuine interest. "What kind of knowledge is it?"

The Lord of Shadows flipped his withered hand and produced several thick books bound in some kind of black leather from who-knows-where, gently pushing them in front of Euron.

The book covers are branded with ancient text in some shimmering metal: "The Secrets of Dragon Hatching and Raising," "The Chronicles of Dragons: From the Dawn Era to the Present," and "An Introduction to Known Dragon Species, Habits, and Taming."

Euron picked up the top book and flipped through it casually.

The pages were not ordinary paper; they were warm to the touch, and the text and illustrations were more exquisite than one could imagine. They detailed the temperature range for preserving dragon eggs, the key signs of hatchlings breaking out of their shells, the food preferences of different dragon species, and the ancient rituals for establishing a preliminary spiritual connection—these were the core secrets he had been eager to explore but could not find anywhere since he had the dragon egg in his hands!

Dragon eggs are rare, but not unique to him. Euron can enter and exit the horns of pterosaurs at any time; what others cannot fight, pterosaurs are nothing more than that to him. But the systems, profound and unheard-of knowledge that the Lord of Shadows has presented means that he can transform the dragon eggs in his hands from precious spoils of war into a real force that can be hatched, nurtured, and even scaled up!

Euron closed the book, looked up, and without any hesitation, answered decisively, "I agree."

The Lord of Shadows nodded slightly and smiled, "Besides, there are many vacant mansions here. The Iron Islands can choose one that suits their taste as a permanent base for their future caravans in Asia. With such a base, the flow of goods and information will be much more convenient."

Euron's eyes flashed with a glint of light; this was undoubtedly an unexpected delight, tantamount to driving a wedge into this mysterious land. He readily replied, "Thank you for your kind offer!"

He then changed the subject, returning to the initial topic in a frank tone: "By the way, that—the protection fee for the fleet outside the harbor—should be paid. Since we need your assistance in maintaining security, we certainly can't let you all work for nothing."

The Lord of Shadows let out a low, pleasant laugh and casually waved his sleeve: "The protection fee for your fleet during its stay in Asia shall be ten barrels of clean water, five boxes of fresh fruit, and three boxes of bar."

This price might seem ridiculous in an ordinary port, but in this shadowy place where fresh water is more precious than gold and the land cannot bear fruit, it is the most real and sincere form of hard currency.

Upon hearing this, Euron smiled knowingly: "Alright. The required items will be delivered shortly."