Game of Thrones: The Wrath of the Sleeping Dragon

After Victarion was transported to King's Landing, the High Priestess Melisandre came to Viserys that very night and explained in detail what 'darkness and destruction' meant.

The Red God doctrine is based on a dualistic worldview, in which Allah is called the Lord of Light, the God of Heat and Life, while his mortal enemy, the God of Cold, is the God of Darkness, Coldness and Death.

Their endless struggle determined the fate of humankind.

The battle between the Crimson God and the Cold God is a war that broke out based on this world. However, there is another powerful force outside of this world that has been coveting its invasion and is constantly infiltrating it.

They were called 'destruction'.

In the headquarters of the Red Temple in Valantis, there is a wall inscribed with 'Darkness and Destruction,' which are the two great crises threatening the entire world.

The power of the God of Cold brings death, while the will of destruction will annihilate the entire world, even destroying the God of Cold himself.

According to the revelation from God, all the gods except Rahul are false gods, because they have likely been corrupted by the will to destroy, such as the god of cold and the old god of the north. Only Rahul remains clear-minded.

This is why all believers in the Crimson God Cult firmly believe that there is only one true God in the world, but the secrets of this belief are known only to the higher-ups in the Crimson God Cult.

Melisandre comes from Assassinia, a true city of magic, home to sorcerers, wizards, alchemists, moonsingers, red monks, dark sorcerers, necromancers, cloud wizards, pyromancers, blood witches, torturers, knights of judgment, poisoners, priestesses, nightwalkers, shapeshifters, and followers of the Black Goat, the Pale Child, and the Night Lion, among others.

They were all welcomed to Asshal, where there were no taboos. They could train their spells freely, without restraint or criticism. They could perform obscene rituals, have intercourse with demons, and talk about things that could not be discussed in public, as long as they wished.

The high priestess, having emerged from this place, naturally knew many things that outsiders did not, which is why the High Priest Beneiro always regarded Melisandre as a thorn in his side.

But he merely sent Machirro to Westeros to try and reap the rewards, which was naturally not so easy.

"But darkness and destruction seem to be on the verge of resurgence."

Viserys stood on the edge of the sinkhole, feeling a surge of excitement within him. His long, silver-gold hair fluttered in the wind as he clenched his fist.

Chapter 760 Archbishop

Viserys originally flew to Norfolk to find this mysterious high monk who possessed the ability to prophesy, but unfortunately, he had already passed away when Viserys set off.

However, the body in the coffin had vanished without a trace. Furthermore, given that the old monk did indeed possess the ability to prophesy, it remains unknown whether he was truly dead or feigning death to avoid seeing Viserys.

Even for the latter, Viserys did not insist that the other party come out to meet him, so he mounted the dragon and prepared to leave.

But at this moment, Viserys unexpectedly sensed the presence of the black mist, and then followed his inner calling to find the Navel of Norfolk, which was praised by Lomas the Longlegs as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient Gods.

Viserys discovered that this place shared the same origin as the bottomless pit beneath the original body of the Old Gods of the Beyond and the black hole left behind by the collapse of the Fourteen Fire Peaks in the Valyrian ruins.

This sinkhole is also a bridge to the underground world.

Viserys even had a strange urge urging him to plunge into the abyss, and this urge seemed to be growing stronger, but he managed to hold it back at the last moment.

"go!"

Finally, the young man with silver-gold hair stopped hesitating.

He gave himself no more chance to waver, then suddenly turned around, strode onto Bellerion's back, and commanded it to fly away with him.

Meanwhile, Bellerion's crimson eyes were fixed on its companion's retreating figure. Although it didn't know what had happened, it could sense Viserys's inner struggle through telepathy.

It was delighted to see that its opponent had overcome its will, and then the black dragon let out a low roar.

"Roar…"

With a sudden burst of power from its powerful hind legs, it swept up a gust of wind, knocked down trees, and carried Viserys straight into the sky, where it quickly disappeared into the horizon.

...

Meanwhile, in King's Landing.

Viserys's absence from King's Landing wasn't very long, not even as long as his so-called 'vacation' in Highgarden, yet something happened after he left.

It's something that can't be considered a big deal, but it's not a small matter either.

That was the fat archbishop, because monks of the church must give up their family names, and the incoming archbishop must give up his secular name.

This is because people believed that the archbishop was no longer a person, but an agent of the gods in heaven. However, this custom made it difficult to distinguish between archbishops, so people could only refer to an archbishop by some characteristic descriptions.

Today, the Archbishop of St. Baelor's Cathedral is known as the 'Fat Archbishop'.

The trouble he got into wasn't actually that big; it was just that he was caught sleeping in the same bed with several women who were involved in prostitution, and they happened to be dragged out and paraded through the streets.

The people who did this were a few fanatical followers of the Seven Gods, which could even remind the people of King's Landing of the days when sparrows occupied the lower classes of King's Landing many years ago.

They used violence to oppose anything that did not conform to the doctrines of the Seven Gods. They believed that people were born sinful, and they besieged brothels, smashed taverns, and spilled drinks all over the place.

These fanatical followers of the Seven Gods claimed that they stood up to expose the truth because they could not tolerate the archbishop's greed and corruption.

However, no matter what punishment they will receive after being arrested, the archbishop's reputation will be ruined and he certainly cannot continue in his position; otherwise, the last fig leaf of the Church of the Seven Gods will be lost.

Therefore, the archbishops in various regions, through the College of Cardinals, jointly decided to remove the archbishop.

Each archbishop is responsible for the faith of a region and is equivalent to a council within the church, called the College of Cardinals. For those who live too far apart, messages are sent by ravens.

Under normal circumstances, the archbishop is elected by the archbishops, but if necessary, the archbishops can also unite to remove the archbishop.

However, the Church cannot remain without an archbishop forever, and the question of who should be the next archbishop was put on the table. Several senior archbishops were even eager to take the position.

Although there are historical precedents of kings directly appointing archbishops, the Iron Throne usually does not interfere with the appointment of archbishops, who are instead elected by the monks themselves.

Since His Majesty the Emperor was not in King's Landing at the moment, the archbishops, having no choice but to hold a meeting and hold elections instead of waiting for Viserys' return, chose not to wait for him to return.

But at this moment, one name was brought up directly: Brother Aegon.

Although Aegon gave up his surname, no one in the church would forget his original identity, especially since he still had that iconic head of silver hair.

Aegon was born into the royal family of the Empire and voluntarily joined the Church of the Seven.

Although archbishops are often chosen from among the archbishops, this is not absolute. There are many other examples in history. During the reign of Baelor I, there was an archbishop who was a stonemason, and also during the reign of Baelor I, there was an eight-year-old archbishop.

A fierce debate ensued regarding the selection of the next archbishop.

Although the empire's territory continues to expand and it has absorbed more diverse cultures, with races, religions, and so on flourishing, the influence of the Church of the Seven Gods is gradually declining, and it no longer has the ability to influence or threaten the royal power as it did at its peak.

However, although the Church of the Seven Gods was in decline, it was still a force to be reckoned with.

They remain the core of the empire, Westeros, and the dominant Andals, with the most widespread and influential religion, so it is only natural that they are valued.

Brother Aegon's name is constantly mentioned and discussed in public, including some of the 'good deeds' he has done.

For example, he donated his royal food, clothing, and daily necessities to the poor; he lived a simple life; and he was willing to share joy with the people in the poorest flea den in King's Landing.

Moreover, Aegon seems to have people backing him up. Although they have not made public appearances, they all seem to be high-ranking and powerful figures from the upper echelons of the Empire.

They could make King's Landing tremble with just a stomp of their feet. Although the archbishops of the church were considered important figures among the common people, they were naturally not to be trifled with.

Therefore, the entire process of electing a new archbishop, from the archbishop's prostitution scandal to his removal, was completed in just a few days without taking too long.

Viserys flew back to King's Landing at that time.

However, His Majesty the Emperor seems to have returned too quickly, catching some people in King's Landing off guard.

Chapter 761 Brother Aegon

"Uncle Viserys..."

In King's Landing, in the gardens of the Red Keep.

Since Aegon left the Red Keep to join the Great Sept of Baelor, he has rarely returned to the Red Keep. Apart from his sister Reyne and his uncle Oberyn occasionally visiting him, he spends the rest of his time in asceticism within the Sept.

His former dreams and ambitions were gradually worn away during his ascetic practices in the sanctuary.

As Eigon grew up, he came to understand his situation and also abandoned some unrealistic fantasies, becoming more composed and capable.

However, when he saw his powerful second uncle again, his heart still couldn't help but pound faster, and his hands inside the sleeves of his gray robe clenched tightly, his palms full of sweat.

There are many reasons why Aegon might be nervous. Sometimes it's because a child who has done something wrong feels guilty when he sees his parents, while other times it's because the authority and respect he has always been given make him involuntarily lower his head.

Viserys was Aegon's idol. Although Aegon never said it publicly, in his heart his uncle was more powerful than his father, Rhaegar.

His father, Rhaegar, was also renowned and known as the 'Silver Prince,' enjoying widespread popularity and adoration. However, despite his popularity, he ultimately suffered a defeat and lost the Iron Throne of House Targaryen, which was won back by his uncle Viserys.

Because Aegon received the education of a royal heir from a young age, he began learning how to be a good ruler even before he could walk. Therefore, when Viserys had no heir for a long time, Aegon harbored an ambition in his heart.

However, these ambitions ultimately led him to remove his crown and become a monk who was forced to abandon his surname.

Ultimately, it wasn't until his sister Rhaenys gave birth to a son for Viserys that the last vestige of ambition hidden within Aegon's heart was shattered.

However, fortune and misfortune are intertwined, and destruction is necessary for construction. This indirectly led to Aegon being able to let go of the burden he had been carrying, and his mindset became more open and clear, which may not ultimately be a bad thing.

But ultimately, Aegon's shadow is behind the Archbishop's affairs, and he still can't help but feel nervous when facing his uncle.

To Aegon's surprise, Viserys did not blame him.

"Aegon, you want to be the Archbishop?"

Viserys stood on the walls behind the Red Keep, overlooking the vast Blackwater Bay in the distance. Ships lined up to enter the harbor, their ships jostling shoulder to shoulder, while the harbor of King's Landing was bustling with activity and prosperity.

Upon hearing his uncle's question, Aegon hesitated slightly, took a deep breath to calm his heartbeat, and then, looking at Viserys's back, nodded and spoke, choosing not to lie.

"Yes, Uncle."

“I want to be the archbishop.”

From childhood, Aegon was always exposed for lying in front of Viserys, which cast a deep psychological shadow over the child from a young age.

However, one learns from one's mistakes.

As Aegon grew older, he faced Viserys's habit of telling countless lies within the church, but ultimately swallowed the words back and chose to admit it directly.

Viserys, upon hearing that Aegon did not choose to lie but instead directly admitted that the outbreak of the Archbishop's scandal was his doing, realized that Viserys had not lied.

She immediately turned her head slightly to look at the other person.

As Aegon faced the gaze of the High Emperor of the Empire, his heart, which had just calmed down, raced again, and his breathing became rapid.

Yes, he was the one who orchestrated the archbishop's scandal.

He recruited several fanatical followers. Aegon had lived with the 'sparrows' before, even communicating directly with the 'Great Sparrow' and living in the 'Sparrow's Nest'. Coupled with his innate intelligence, Aegon could immediately tell which naive young men could be exploited.

If the 'sparrows' hadn't perished, these people would definitely be excellent 'sparrow' candidates.

Because these are mindless people, Aegon casually 'accidentally' revealed a few words and sighed a few times, and they became tools for Aegon to use, even without hesitation.

All of this is because Aegon was no longer satisfied with simply continuing to gain seniority within the Church.

Although Aegon was born into royalty and was practically born in Rome, in a place like the Church, one still had to work one's way up through seniority, even if he had some experience and status that destined him to become an archbishop.

However, Aegon still had to wait until his teacher, the 'Fat Archbishop,' died of old age before he could become Archbishop, and then wait until the next Archbishop died before he could advance further as Archbishop.

But Aegon couldn't wait any longer, and he really couldn't stand the way things were going on in the church, so he sped up the process a bit and used his position to build relationships and create momentum.