Game of Thrones: The Wrath of the Sleeping Dragon

"Alright, Daenerys, stop being naughty."

"I'll make you fall again later."

Renis noticed the little girl's dangerous movements and quickly picked her up from the stool.

...

Illyrio Mopatis rode in a carriage into the legendary 'City of Wood' Andalus.

The carriage swayed along the flat road, and then a thick, jeweled finger lifted the carriage curtain.

The obese man sat upright in the carriage, curiously looking out. He had a greasy, yellow, forked beard and uneven, yellow teeth, and each finger was adorned with a gemstone ring.

He was none other than Illyrio Mopatis, the wealthy governor of Pentos. Although Pentos was not far from Andalus, traveling by land still required traversing mountains and rivers.

In his youth, Illyrio was a poor but strong assassin. Now, due to neglect of exercise and severe physical changes, he has lost the ability to ride a horse. After traveling a long distance by carriage to Andalus, he feels like his buttocks are about to break.

"I swear! This is the last time I'll ride in a carriage!"

"Abe!"

"Come and massage my back!"

Illyrio sat in the carriage, looking out at the scenery of the Wood City, and ordered his servant, Abe, to massage his aching back and abdomen.

Illyrio hummed softly a few times, adjusted his posture, and continued to gaze at the scenery outside the window with a hint of curiosity in his eyes.

Andalus was rumored to be known as the City of Wood because of its astonishing speed of rise. After Viserys Targaryen arrived on the plains of Andalus, he rallied all the Andals in the name of the Seven Apostles and the King of the Andals, and then the city was built.

Because they needed to quickly establish themselves, they had a workforce of over tens of thousands in the early stages. Even with the vast wealth the Targaryens had accumulated on Dragonstone, they couldn't withstand such extravagance.

Viserys learned for the first time that mobilizing a large army for battle, even for just one day, required astronomical amounts of money and supplies.

Therefore, upon arriving in a new city, one must quickly establish a foothold and begin production, striving to achieve self-sufficiency as much as possible.

Therefore, Andalus, a city that miraculously rose to prominence so quickly, was initially built entirely of wood, hence its nickname, the City of Wood.

However, all of this changed somewhat in the fire that occurred two years ago.

A fire, whether caused by natural disaster or human error, burned one-fifth of Andalus's city, killing thousands, though the economic losses were not particularly significant.

Although Andalus has risen rapidly, its economic level was not high to begin with, so even if there was a big fire, there was nothing to burn.

However, Viserys learned his lesson at that time, slowed down the city's expansion, and began some renovation projects, gradually demolishing some wooden houses and rebuilding them into stone houses.

And it all started in his castle.

Chapter 84 Prince Pentos

Soon after.

Gollum-

The carriage traversed the entire city and finally entered the winding mountain road paved with bluestone slabs.

Once we got here, Illyrio no longer felt any soreness in his buttocks. We had reached the foot of the castle, and the road was extremely flat, so even the carriage didn't feel any bumps.

Illyrio sat in the carriage, curiously examining the simple castle on the hill, with the Targaryen banner of a black three-headed dragon hanging above it.

Having once been an assassin and mercenary, he could tell that the castle was built primarily for defense, making it impregnable, with firing ports and battlements everywhere.

Although Andalos Fort is simple, built of mud, wood and stone, its high vantage point and panoramic views make it easy to defend and difficult to attack.

If he wanted to capture this castle, Illyrio, though he had never led a large army before, estimated that he would need at least two or three thousand men, and that half of those two or three thousand men would probably lose their lives here.

"Just who exactly is this Viserys Targaryen...?"

Illyrio developed a strong curiosity about Viserys.

As far as he knew, Viserys had only gradually come to power after the death of his mother, Queen Leila, and was still quite young.

And yet they actually managed to achieve such a level of success, building a massive city on a land where there was practically no profit to be made, which is truly astonishing.

Although Illyrio didn't understand the double-edged sword of religious belief and nationalism, he knew that Viserys had spent a lot of money.

"Can you really buy a city with money?"

Illyrio's mind raced slightly. Although he was now the governor of Pentos, there were many governorships out there, and nothing was as satisfying as being a city lord.

However, this is just a thought.

Illyrio, who rose from a mercenary assassin to the position of governor of Pentos, was certainly not a fool. He was self-aware and knew his own limitations.

He was a complete mess in managing the city, let alone building it from scratch.

Then.

The carriage's identity has been checked.

Rumbling--

The gates of Andalusburg were opened wide, allowing the convoy to drive in.

Illyrio's carriage was in the middle of the procession, accompanied by fifty soldiers and gifts for Viserys, including various gold and silver treasures, Pantostet wines, and 'white amber wine,' filling ten large carriages.

The carriage drove into the castle and stopped. Soldiers came forward to load and unload the goods, and also brought out several men and women in shackles. These were slaves to be given to Viserys.

Although Pentos explicitly prohibited the slave trade, everyone knew that it was impossible to stop it.

Illyrio, supported by his servants, laboriously stepped down from the carriage.

"Your Excellency."

At that moment, a guard from the castle came over to lead the way for Governor Pentos.

"His Majesty is waiting for you in the hall."

...

Governor Illyrio Mopatis of Pentos followed the guards into the castle hall, where he sat down in a chair, and soon a maid brought him tea.

The castle’s main hall looks simple but is not shabby. Windows open on both sides of the walls, and sunlight shines directly in, making the hall brighter. Two rows of carved stone pillars support the ceiling, and the floor is paved with patterned marble.

At the far end of the hall, atop the steps, stood a heavy, black throne. On either side of the throne were two exquisitely crafted black and gold brocades, the surface of which was embroidered with the Targaryen family's black three-headed dragon crest.

As Illyrio was examining the hall, a series of rapid footsteps came from the back of the hall.

"His Majesty."

The guards' respectful voices.

"Ah."

There was also a calm and steady voice.

Then the back door of the hall was opened, and a figure emerged from one of the two passageways behind the throne, surrounded by a throng of people.

Illyrio put down his teacup, quickly stood up from his chair, and gave a slight bow.

"His Majesty."

Viserys had just removed his armor and changed into more formal attire.

His squire, Knight Bessie, removed his armor, which had been dented by the impact, and put on a lighter, more decorative suit of armor. He then followed Viserys over.

"Your Excellency, please have a seat."

Viserys sat on his throne and then gestured to Illyrio, the wealthy governor of Pentos, who then sat back down in his chair, which creaked under the weight of the weight.

Viserys's guard, Bessie, stood behind the throne with one hand on the hilt of his sword and the other behind his back.

"I have heard of Your Majesty's name for a long time, and it is an honor to meet you this time."

Illyrio sat back down in his chair and then looked at the silver-haired boy sitting on the throne before speaking.

This is Viserys III, the young king of the Targaryens.

When Viserys led his guards in, he did catch Illyrio's eye. Although Illyrio was heterosexual and loved beautiful women, Viserys's appearance was so handsome that even men couldn't help but admire him.

Viserys's brother Rhaegar once bewitched countless women throughout the Seven Kingdoms, and from a young age, Viserys bore a striking resemblance to Rhaegar.

Viserys sat on his throne and listened to Illyrio's flattery with a calm expression. He had heard such words countless times and was no longer moved by them. He then nodded slightly.

"Your Excellency is too kind."

"So, may I ask what brings Your Excellency to Andalus this time?"

Viserys didn't beat around the bush with Illyrio, but asked directly.

"Naturally, it's to present His Majesty with a generous gift and to make friends with him."

Illyrio sat in his chair and spoke confidently.

"Want to be friends?"

How do I make friends?

Viserys raised an eyebrow slightly upon hearing the other's words.

"of course."

"By accepting the gift, you've made a friend."

Illyrio laughed heartily, his fat trembling, and the chair beneath him groaning.

"A grand gift?"

However, Viserys remained unmoved and continued to ask questions.

"That's a wonderful gift!"

clap clap-

Then Governor Pentos clapped his hands, and his retinue of servants entered carrying a dazzling array of gold and silver jewels.

...

Chapter 85 Invitation

As one of the nine free trade city-states, it's not surprising that the governor of Pentos would send gifts to Viserys.

Andalus is a newly built city, only five years old, yet it has attracted a large number of Andals to join it, and now Andalus has a population of 80,000.

Although Andalus has not solved the problem of poverty and still has a large impoverished population, its main exports rely on traditional animal husbandry and agriculture. The vast plains and mild climate are suitable for growing crops and raising livestock.