Chapter 149: Otto’s Appointment
The transportation of goods was completed, and Rhaegar and Rhaenyra arrived with dozens of slaves in tow.
Rhaenyra looked exhausted, holding her forehead. "We left behind many elderly, women, and young men. The rest are mainly children and craftsmen."
Driftmark, being relatively prosperous, offered opportunities for the elderly and women to engage in handicrafts and for the young men to find work lifting and carrying at the pier.
However, the children could not fend for themselves, and with no orphanage on Driftmark, they would have to follow the larger ships back to King's Landing.
The craftsmen, on the other hand, had a choice: stay on Driftmark or follow the Dragonlord who had saved them. With their skills, they wouldn't lack work anywhere.
"Thank you for your hard work. Let's leave as soon as everyone is on board," Rhaegar said warmly, squeezing Rhaenyra's shoulders appreciatively.
"Hmph, go find Aegon. Who knows whose bed he's in tonight," Rhaenyra retorted, clearly irritated by Aegon's infamous behavior.
Rhaegar's expression darkened slightly, reflecting his distaste for Aegon's indiscretions. The thought of his brother's questionable taste in women cast a shadow over his mood.
...
With all preparations complete, the Sea Snake boarded the great ship and set sail. Meanwhile, the dragon riders mounted their dragons and flew ahead to King's Landing.
As the day wore on, the dragons arrived at the Dragonpit. Maynard, the Dragonpit Maester, led the Dragonkeepers forward, greeting them joyfully, "Prince, we are happy for your safe return." "Nothing happened recently, right?" Rhaegar asked casually as he dismounted from the dragon.
Maynard glanced at the listless Aegon and cautiously replied, "The king has appointed the former Hand of the King, Otto Hightower, as the Master of Civil Affairs, a new advisor position. He will return to King's Landing to take up his post in the next few days."
"A good thing, I expected it," Rhaegar said with a playful smile. He had delayed asking about the street-cleaning program, anticipating Otto would take the lead and relieve some pressure from him. Now it seemed his plan was falling into place. Alicent's influence on the king was certainly effective.
Rhaenyra, stretching and looking weary, interrupted, "Are you done talking? It's been cold all day, and I need to go back and take a hot shower."
"It's not my fault. You and Aegon's dragons are too slow. If I hadn't waited for you, I would have been back as early as Aunt Rhaenys," Rhaegar teased, taking her hand. They left Aegon, who was struggling with fatigue, to take the carriage back to the Red Keep.
...
The next day, the Sea Snake's fleet crossed Blackwater Bay and arrived at the harbor of King's Landing.
As the heir, Rhaegar personally went to meet them. The Sea Snake commanded the sailors to unload the royal supplies from the ship, one box after another, and explained, "Several dozen slaves also disembarked. You can take them away."
With that, the sailors brought out the slaves. Rhaegar nodded appreciatively, "Thank you, Lord Corlys."
Erryk, one of the guards, stepped forward to lead the group away. The children would be nurtured as future citizens of the kingdom, and the artisans, whose skills were invaluable, would be put to good use.
After leaving the harbor, the Sea Snake, accompanied by his wife and eldest son, made their way to the Red Keep in grand fashion. Along the way, Rhaenys informed him about Laena's situation. She was safe and well-cared-for in the Red Keep, with several maids and nannies under Alicent's personal supervision.
In the Red Keep, King Viserys had prepared a grand feast to welcome House Velaryon. In fact, the Red Keep had been hosting banquets for the past few days. First, they welcomed Laena and Rhaenys, followed by Laenor and his family.
At the banquet, all the advisers raised their glasses and celebrated with great enthusiasm. No one brought up the matter of the Stepstones, ensuring the feast concluded smoothly and joyfully.
...
Nightfall.
Rhaegar left the banquet early and returned to his room alone. He sat at the round table, took out the Valyrian steel heavy sword, and began to habitually stroke it, his mind filled with anticipation.
He summoned his system interface and checked the records of the previous day's exploration.
[Lost Valyrian Steel Heavy Sword]
Exploration Progress: 100%
"This exploration is complete. Please pick up the lost treasure."
"Relic retrieved successfully. Checking..."
"Detection successful. Judged to be an excellent grade relic: Sword of the Nameless."
The small letters at the bottom of the screen prompted, "An ancient relic returned to the hands of the an ancient bloodline. It needs a resounding name."
Rhaegar's fingers traced the bumpy blade as he mused, "The heavy sword is made of Valyrian steel, but it isn't as prestigious a relic as Dark Sister?"
He pondered the difference. Dark Sister had been a Targaryen House sword for generations, steeped in legendary history.
Its storied past elevated its status. The Valyrian steel heavy sword, while of excellent material, lacked such a background and a legendary name. This, he concluded, was why it was deemed inferior in the system's exploration hierarchy.
Over the years, Rhaegar tried numerous explorations within the Red Keep.
He had examined the remains of Meraxes and Quicksilver, just like he did with Balerion's skull.
He had even sat on the Iron Throne, wearing Aegon the Conqueror's black iron crown. Yet, none of these triggered an Explorer's Quest.
Rhaegar theorized that Meraxes and Quicksilver had died too young to became a relic.
The Iron Throne and the black iron crown, though significant, had been cast for over a century and lacked the ancient resonance needed for a exploration trigger.
He realized there was only one item in the Red Keep that could truly trigger an Exploration Quest: Blackfyre, the Targaryen House sword carried by his father, Viserys.
When he asked for it under the pretext of observation, his father said it was too early and promised to hand it over when Rhaegar came of age.
Rhaegar had been disappointed but decided not to push the matter. In the meantime, he had collected exotic treasures and antiques from Westeros and the Free Cities.
Despite his efforts and expenses, only a few of these items had triggered exploration quests. He had almost depleted his mushroom caravan funds in the process.
Knock, knock...
A soft knocking came from the door, followed by Rhaenyra's voice.
"Rhaegar, I'm coming in."
Creak...
The door opened, and Rhaenyra, wearing a striking red dress, strode into the room. Rhaegar looked up with a smile. "The banquet is over. I thought you would still be dancing."
"Helping Alicent organize the banquet was exhausting enough. I had no energy left to dance," Rhaenyra replied, collapsing onto the bed.
She glanced at the Valyrian steel heavy sword in Rhaegar's hands and asked curiously, "I heard you asked the Sea Snake to invite skilled craftsmen from Qohor. Are you planning to recast this sword?"
The production process of Valyrian steel had been lost, but the master blacksmiths of Qohor were known for their ability to recast Valyrian steel.
"Yes, the blade is blunt, and it's too heavy," Rhaegar said, swinging the heavy sword twice. Its weight was impractical for continuous battlefield fighting.
He had decided it would be better to recast it into a hand-and-a-half sword of the right weight, then give the newly forged Valyrian steel sword a fitting name as the system hinted and collect it as a relic.
Rhaenyra tapped her lips thoughtfully but showed little interest. As a woman, she had no place on the battlefield and wouldn't need the best weapon.
After a moment, she said, "There will be a council meeting tomorrow to discuss the alliance between the Crown and House Velaryon."
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