Chapter 108: New Plan
These ownerless lands all had claimants, however. Building a few small manors might go unnoticed, but any real sign of growth would inevitably be crushed by the might of Braavos or Volantis.
The only lands truly without claimants lay further east, deep within the territory of the Dothraki.
If this were some simple tale, a story of one man against the world, Ian was certain he could contend with the natives and carve out a domain for himself, just like the heroes of a thousand other stories.
But he was not alone in this world. Facing so many other players, establishing a fixed territory—a place to build and grow—would make him an obvious and vulnerable target.
The crucial point, he realized, was time. It was simply too late to begin building a holding from nothing. Following the rhythm of the original history, the Long Night would fall in just over four years, at most.
In such a short span, a reformer might still have hope of strengthening an existing city.
But to seek out a wasteland and try to make it bloom? How could one grow a garden from dust without some preternatural gift for cultivation?
And what of the notion that the Long Night might not fall upon Essos? He could not afford to entertain such foolish hopes.
Legends of the Long Night and the hero 'Lightbringer' were scattered across this entire world. The very first Long Night in human history was said to have been unleashed by the Bloodstone Emperor from the Great Empire of the Dawn, here on the continent of Essos, in the lands of Yi Ti.
There was no reason to believe Essos would be spared this time.
So, the most logical path was to seize a city that was already built. A city like Astapor.
This thought plunged Ian back into his dilemma. The path of following the Dragon Mother, Daenerys, offered a speed of development that seemed far superior to any plan he could devise on his own. It was a path that could grant him a major city and an entire legion of Unsullied in just over a year—a pace no other player could possibly match. And that was without even factoring in the dragons.
Of course, taking Astapor would shatter his reputation and instantly create two powerful enemies in Yunkai and Meereen. Yet, if he could spend the intervening time acting as a senior advisor, a 'teacher' to Daenerys, he might be able to shape her thinking. He could steer her away from the immediate, total abolition of slavery.
If he succeeded, he could avoid antagonizing New Ghis, Qarth, and Volantis all at once. That would buy him the time he desperately needed to conquer and digest Slaver's Bay, rather than getting bogged down in the infamous Meereenese Knot, just as she did in the histories.
Alternatively, if Daenerys proved to be utterly stubborn, impossible to sway from her crusade… well, why couldn't he prepare for that eventuality in advance?
Who, he asked himself, would be the happiest if someone began a vigorous campaign to abolish slavery throughout Slaver's Bay?
The answer was unquestionably Braavos and the Iron Bank.
First, Braavos was a city-state founded by escaped Valyrian slaves. They despised the institution of slavery more than anyone in the world; they dreamed of its utter extinction. This was the sentiment of the Braavosi citizenry.
Moreover, the greatest rival to Braavos was Volantis, a city-state whose entire economy was built upon slavery. An abolitionist movement in the region would shake the very foundations of the Volantene state.
If someone were to abolish slavery in Slaver's Bay, Volantis would likely be drawn into a war there. This would give Braavos the perfect opportunity to defeat Volantis's proxies in the ongoing civil strife among the Three Daughters, completely expelling Volantene influence from the western coast of Essos. This was the interest of the Braavosi politicians.
Finally, ending slavery would free up immense productivity in Slaver's Bay, and eventually in a defeated Volantis. The Iron Bank and the merchant guilds of Braavos would only need to sweep in and invest heavily, just as they had after forcing Pentos to abolish slavery, to make an obscene fortune. This was the interest of the Iron Bank.
Therefore, if the abolition of slavery was inevitable, he should already be working to build a relationship with the Braavosi ambassador and the representative of the Iron Bank here in Pentos. He needed to find an acquaintance, a connection, to convey his willingness to cooperate with Braavos as soon as possible.
At that, Ian completely abandoned all thought of running away. Not only could he not flee, but he also had to work diligently to eliminate any interference from other players, ensuring that events unfolded according to the original plot.
No, not completely according to the original plot, a new thought suddenly struck him.
After Khal Drogo's death, Daenerys and her followers could have been spared months of torturous travel through the red waste to Qarth. That journey, after all, had brought her no tangible benefit—nothing more than a few cryptic prophecies before she was unceremoniously driven away.
In some tellings, Daenerys sacked Qarth before she left, but that would have weakened the great city far too much. In the true history, Qarth was the hub of trade between East and West, situated on the straits between the Summer and Jade Seas. In real terms, it was a power on the level of Constantinople.
If the Dragon Mother had truly plundered Qarth, she would never have been ridiculed by the slave traders in Astapor. She would have had the wealth to purchase not just eight thousand Unsullied, but eighty thousand.
Therefore, he only needed to ensure the original timeline progressed until Daenerys hatched her dragons. After that, they should proceed immediately to Astapor.
But that would mean crossing the entirety of Lhazar, a land whose people despised the Dothraki. How could that be managed?
After a few minutes, a rough plan began to form in Ian's mind.
First, he would swear his allegiance to Viserys and receive the rewards for completing the second stage of the main questline. Then, he would spend twenty of his accrued points to acquire two more A-level NPCs. He would entrust them with his wealth and send them to Slaver's Bay in advance.
Their mission would be to purchase a small contingent of Unsullied and a company of common slave-soldiers from Meereen. With this force, they would travel north into Lhazar, occupy a small town, and wait.
When Drogo's khalasar rode into Lhazar to plunder, and the Khal was subsequently killed by the witch Mirri Maz Duur, the great horde would disintegrate on the spot, abandoning Daenerys and her followers.
At that precise moment, the forces Ian had positioned in Lhazar could sweep in and retrieve him, Daenerys, and her few loyalists.
With a full military escort, the Lhazareen—those timid shepherds known as 'goat-men'—would not dare to attack them. They could then march directly to Astapor and seize the city using the same strategy as the original timeline.
Ultimately, Daenerys had relied on the Unsullied to conquer Astapor; the dragons were merely a flourish, an awe-inspiring bonus. A one-month-old dragon versus a five-month-old one would have no material impact on the battle. But for Ian, this change in plans would save him several precious months in his own race for power.
With that, Ian finalized his new strategy.
For the next two months, while he remained in Pentos, he had three critical tasks.
First, he must further cement his trust with Magister Illyrio, ensuring he could remain safely at the side of Viserys and his sister.
Second, he had to find a way to meet the ambassador of Braavos and the representative of the Iron Bank. It would be best if he could establish a genuine friendship with them.
Third, he needed to use this downtime to thoroughly master the arcane data of his system and elevate his own strength.
***
"This is a poor decision, Talobane. You have made a mistake." Prince Hazan parted his lips, accepting a peeled grape from the woman lounging beside him. He swallowed slowly, his eyes fixed on the cheese merchant standing before him.
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