Read 20+ Chapter's Ahead in Patreon
Myr was one of the most advanced of the Free Cities in Essos, renowned for its exquisite paintings and the diverse and intricately crafted artifacts produced by its artisans.
Jacaerys had taken a particular liking to the telescopes and scopes for which Myr was especially famous.
At this very moment, he was toying with a bronze monocular telescope in his hands, visibly delighted.
"Oh, how clear the view is! With this thing, I could see the ground from a dragon's back with ease."
The magisters of Myr standing behind him exchanged glances. Though they remained silent, there was no mistaking the disdain in their hearts for this dragonlord who, in their eyes, had clearly never seen much of the world.
Governor Moser, however, put on a flattering smile and said, "Your Grace, what you're holding is merely the most basic kind of maritime telescope. If it pleases you, we can specially craft one using our finest lenses."
"I would like that. By the way, where exactly are these made? Is it far from the Magister's Square, where today's gladiatorial games will be held?"
Upon hearing Jacaerys's question, Magister Moser mistakenly thought that the King was so eager to obtain the custom telescope that he wanted to visit the workshop immediately.
He quickly explained, "Your Grace, the workshops that craft these are located in East Myr, which is quite far from here. Besides, making a telescope is a complex process. It cannot be completed in just a day or two."
"Far away? That's perfect."
Jacaerys nodded in response, then raised the telescope to his eye once more. Through the lens, he saw a large warship bearing a silver seahorse banner docking at the port of Myr.
His tone lightened with satisfaction. "Ah, my grandfather has arrived."
The Sea Snake, it seemed, spared no effort when it came to his own safety.
One after another, soldiers of House Velaryon, dressed in freshly polished silver-white armor, began to disembark from the great ship. At a glance, there were at least two hundred of them.
Once Lord Corlys led his men ashore, Jacaerys introduced them to the Myrish magisters briefly, then headed toward their destination for the day.
Myr did not possess a dedicated arena for gladiator fights, so today's performance would be held in the spacious Magister's Square. As its name suggested, the square was located close to the Magister's Palace.
Unlike the grand estate inhabited by the Archon of Tyrosh, the eleven magisters of Myr each lived in one of eleven white circular towers that stood in the heart of the city.
The open area beneath these towers was the Magister's Square, where elections and religious ceremonies were typically conducted.
For the sake of security during today's event, a temporary wooden wall had been built around the entire square.
As Jacaerys and his group approached the edge of the square, the streets were already teeming with citizens of Myr. Thousands pressed forward, forming a surging crowd.
Myrish soldiers, also in the thousands, were stationed outside the wooden barricades, attempting to maintain order.
Meanwhile, two hundred Unsullied stood at the various entrances of the wooden wall, tasked with ensuring the safety of the guests.
"Stone, take your men and stay here on watch. Only Coleman will come with me."
"As you command, Your Grace."
Within the Magister's Square, several spectator platforms had been erected, but most were already filled with Myr's wealthy and powerful.
A special platform had been built to provide the best view, but it could only accommodate a limited number of people.
Thus, Jacaerys chose to leave Stone's squad behind and brought only a few attendants with him into the square.
Lord Corlys ordered his captain of the guards, Leon, to remain outside with nearly two hundred soldiers to support Stone, while he entered the square with five of his personal guards.
A few of the Myrish magisters, accompanied by their own guards, followed them onto the platform.
Magister Moser, citing the need to oversee final arrangements for the gladiator event, left the platform and was gone for around half an hour.
He did not return until just before the performance began, entering the platform alone, unaccompanied by any guards.
Wooooo—wooooo—
A long, sonorous horn sounded. The gladiator event in the Magister's Square was about to begin.
Perhaps stirred by excitement, the dense crowd of Myrish citizens outside the wooden barricades began surging forward as soon as they heard the horn.
The soldiers stationed there struggled to hold them back and were soon pushed steadily backward. They were now alarmingly close to Stone and his men.
CLANG!
A single-handed axe fell from the coat of one particularly aggressive citizen in the front of the crowd, landing with a loud clatter on the ground.
Yet the Myrish soldiers acted as if they hadn't seen it at all. The citizen calmly bent down, picked up the axe, and tucked it back beneath his clothes.
"Lord Stone, does something feel off to you?"
Having witnessed the scene, Leon walked slowly to Stone's side and whispered, feigning a casual tone.
"Do you mean the axe that just fell? Most of Myr's commoners are craftsmen. It's not unusual for them to carry tools around with them," Stone replied, his words cutting off Leon's concerns before they could fully form.
Leon found himself speechless in response.
He had wanted to say more, but Stone turned his head away, clearly uninterested in continuing the conversation.
Although Leon strongly felt that something was wrong with this entire event, he couldn't simply storm the platform and drag Lord Corlys away based on a gut feeling.
Suppressing his growing unease, he led the Velaryon soldiers to hold their ground at the barricade entrances.
Inside the VIP platform, Jacaerys watched the opening act arranged by Magister Moser with great interest.
In the vast arena, a slave wearing nothing more than a crude set of leather armor fought desperately against a savage tiger, wielding only a sword and shield.
Lord Corlys paid no attention to the bloodsport unfolding before him. Instead, he was fully absorbed in animated discussions with several Myrish magisters, their conversation revolving around complex trade agreements.
Magister Moser, smiling all the while, also kept his eyes on the show. But every now and then, he would glance sideways at Jacaerys.
The entertainment segment did not last long. Amid cheers of excitement and shrieks of fear from the crowd, it ended with the tiger having feasted well.
A group of slaves, who appeared to be beast tamers, entered the arena and guided the now bloated tiger out of the square.
And now, the main event of the day was about to begin.
CLACK, CLACK, CLACK!
One squad after another of slave soldiers, cloaked entirely in black robes, began filing into the Magister's Square.
There were so many of them that it would take some time for the entire force to enter the arena.
Seizing the moment, Magister Moser turned to Jacaerys with a casual smile and asked, "Your Grace, the dragon-slaying squad has taken the field. Why hasn't your dragon made its entrance yet?"
"The main character must, of course, be the last to make his entrance."
Jacaerys turned his head and responded lightly at first, then shifted his gaze back to Magister Moser. His smile lingered between amusement and mockery as he continued speaking.
"But really, I must say, you Faceless Men truly lack imagination when it comes to assassination methods. It's nothing but face-swapping, over and over again."
He leaned in slightly, his voice calm but laced with warning.
"You know, when I returned the telescope to Magister Moser earlier, I used the dye on my little finger to leave a small mark on the web of his hand, right between his thumb and index finger."
As Jacaerys spoke, Magister Moser's smile froze mid-expression. The cheerful conversation between Lord Corlys and the Myrish magisters came to an abrupt halt, replaced by a heavy, chilling silence.
Woooooo—
That familiar signal sounded once more. The Faceless Man, impersonating Magister Moser, raised a small horn from within his sleeve and blew into it. It was the call to kill.
A deafening shout burst forth.
From all around the viewing stands, startled cries and gasps rang out. In the square below, the slave soldiers who had not yet fully entered the arena reacted instantly.
The moment they heard the horn, they reached beneath their black cloaks and pulled out specialized crossbows—uniquely crafted weapons capable of firing three bolts at once in rapid succession.
Without hesitation, they raised the crossbows and aimed straight at the VIP platform.
Outside the Magister's Square, beyond the wooden walls, the Myrish soldiers and commoners who had also heard the horn simultaneously drew weapons from their belts, sleeves, and bags.
They raised a clamor of war cries, charging fiercely toward the wooden gate where Leon, Stone, and their men were standing guard.
Woooo—wooooo—
The horn's call repeated in waves, echoing again and again, spreading farther with each blast. It became a signal that passed from one point to another, rippling outward like a stone cast into a still lake.
From all directions, within several kilometers of the Magister's Square, crowds of Myrish commoners emerged with weapons in hand, pouring forward like a rising tide. The city streets filled with their footsteps and shouting voices, forming a sea of hostility.
At that moment, it was no exaggeration to say that the entire city was filled with enemies, all of whom wanted Jacaerys dead.
..
..
[IMAGE]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Chapter End's]
🖤 Night_FrOst/ Patreon 🤍
Visit my Patreon for Early Chapter:
https://www.patreon.com/Night_FrOst
Extra Content Already Available