After leaving the city, they crossed a stone bridge.
The grassland rolled in gentle hills, the terrain forming a classic upland landscape.
At midday, Daeron reached his new fief and ordered Ser Jon and the accompanying Lord Merryweather to dismount and rest.
He climbed to a high point to survey the area.
A massive ridge stretched east to west, uncultivated grassland rising and falling in waves, covered with shrubs and wild vegetation.
"Not bad. Not bad at all."
Daeron nodded as he looked around.
This part of his territory was convenient—not far from King's Landing or the eastern coast. Easy access to everywhere.
And best of all: completely uninhabited.
No one to bother him.
Lord Merryweather led his horse over, eager to explain. "My prince, this was once Blackfyre land, but Bloodraven razed it all."
Daemon Blackfyre hadn't ruled long—just enough time to build a castle and clear some fields.
After the First Blackfyre Rebellion ended, Bloodraven had erased every trace of House Blackfyre.
For a hundred years, the land had been largely forgotten.
Only near the end of his grandfather Jaehaerys II's reign had anyone remembered this Crown holding, relocating some refugees from King's Landing to settle about ten miles west.
So in a way, his grandfather really had left it for him.
"Perfect," Daeron said with satisfaction.
He and Tywin had discussed it—his father hadn't actually intended to give him a fief at all. This was meant as a backhanded slight.
Which was why the land grant was absurdly large.
North to the Blackwater Rush, east to the coast, south to the edge of the Kingswood, west to the Wendwater's end—two thousand square kilometers of territory, dumped in his lap all at once.
Land that size would rank among the more substantial holdings in the Seven Kingdoms.
Advantages: massive area, fertile soil.
Disadvantages: sparsely populated, completely uncultivated.
Without the System, five hundred gold dragons would be a drop in the bucket—nowhere near enough to develop it properly.
But Daeron's eyes had found what he was looking for: a flat hilltop with clear sightlines in all directions.
The perfect location for a farm.
After a brief rest, the three men followed a small path forward.
Soon they reached an area overgrown with weeds, dense with trees, littered with scattered stones and fallen logs.
Daeron spotted a small wooden cabin.
The cabin was obviously new, tucked beneath a canopy of green shade.
"My prince, this is the temporary shelter built according to your instructions."
Lord Merryweather wiped his brow—climbing hills didn't agree with older men.
Seeing that the prince seemed pleased with this wasteland, he swallowed the warning on his tongue, hoping the boy hadn't inherited the worst Targaryen traits.
There was a saying throughout the Seven Kingdoms: "Every time a Targaryen is born, the gods flip a coin—greatness or madness."
House Targaryen never lacked for great rulers or absolute madmen.
In his forty-odd years, Merryweather had seen too many Targaryens who defied common sense.
Daeron was inwardly thrilled but kept his expression neutral. "Lord Merryweather, I'll be staying here a few days to familiarize myself with the area. You're free to return and report to His Grace."
"Ah... well..."
Merryweather hesitated for a moment, then committed. "As you wish, my prince."
Flatterers were nothing if not accommodating. He mounted his horse and rode off.
Once he was gone, Daeron found an excuse to send Ser Jon away as well, creating time to establish the farm.
Whoosh~
Alone on the hilltop, a cool breeze brushed his face, leaving his mind crystal clear.
Daeron didn't hesitate. He opened the [Stardew Valley System] and clicked to confirm farm creation beneath the five golden characters.
[Name: Daeron Targaryen]
[Farm Name: Dragon Tongue Farm]
[Favorite Thing: CN]
[Pet Preference: Dog]
He left the appearance options at default and selected the farm type on the left: [Meadow Farm]
He'd rehearsed this in his head dozens of times. His hands moved quickly.
For the farm name, "Dragon Tongue" was his favorite after careful consideration.
Given his personality and the wars, long nights, and disasters that might lie ahead, he'd prepared several options.
Sweet Apple, Bounty, Long Summer...
But ultimately he'd chosen Dragon Tongue Farm because he hoped to one day claim a dragon—to live up to the gift in his blood.
"A fresh start. Here we go."
He clicked confirm.
A soft white light flashed. Daeron closed his eyes gently, hearing the tap-tap-tap of hammers and construction.
A few seconds later, the sounds stopped abruptly.
When Daeron opened his eyes again, the clearing had transformed dramatically.
First, his cabin looked weathered now—as if it had been here for years.
A chimney protruded from the roof, firewood was stacked by the door, and the window showed signs of past repairs.
All fine.
The real miracle was the changed terrain.
The farm's northern passage had become a dirt road. A ring of log fencing now enclosed the farm's perimeter.
Daeron stepped over a tuft of newly sprouted blue grass and walked west. The rocky hillsides had been hollowed out, creating a western passage lined with dirt.
Beside the passage, a waterfall now cascaded down where none had existed before, and a fenced wooden coop stood ready.
The coop was completely covered in blue and green grass reaching waist-high—a sea of blue-green vegetation.
"Yes! It really is the Meadow Farm layout!"
Before he could explore the farm's full extent, Daeron felt his attention pulled—like the game forcing his focus.
Once chosen, a farm type couldn't be changed.
As a veteran player who'd sunk countless hours into this, he knew the pros and cons of all eight Stardew Valley farm types intimately.
Standard Farm: Largest tillable area, regular layout.
Hilltop Farm: Smaller tillable area, built-in quarry.
Forest Farm: Smaller tillable area, hardwood and foraging resources.
Beach Farm...
Among them, the Meadow Farm added in version 1.6 was definitely hardcore.
While the tillable area was only two-thirds that of the Standard Farm, it had one irreplaceable advantage:
It started with a coop and two baby chickens.
Building a coop required: 4,000 gold, 300 wood, 100 stone.
One baby chicken cost 800 gold to purchase. Two made 1,600 gold.
Adding up all the conditions and time costs, you'd need a minimum of 6,000-8,000 gold.
By choosing Meadow Farm, Daeron had essentially saved 10,000 gold, give or take.
Stonks.
The only question was whether the in-game gold converted to gold dragons at a 1:1 ratio.
As Daeron searched for the two baby chickens, he pulled up his panel.
[Farmer: Daeron Targaryen]
Farming: Level 0
Mining: Level 0
Foraging: Level 0
Fishing: Level 0
Combat: Level 0
These were the five skill categories, with smaller text and icons below.
Shrine Offerings: 0
House Upgrades: 0
Mine Floors: 0
Starfruit Collected: 0
In the upper right corner, he found the familiar calendar, time, weather, and gold display.
It showed: Spring, Day 1, Monday, Clear Weather, 13:32
Gold: 500
"Comprehensive. This is going to be incredible."
Daeron could barely contain his excitement—years of patience erupting all at once.
How could he not be amazed?
Beyond what he'd already seen, there was so much more to explore in the System.
He quickly familiarized himself with the basics.
The inventory, map, crafting menu, animals, special items/abilities, and collection tabs were all preserved from the game.
Currently, the map only showed the farm area. Everything beyond was shrouded in fog—he'd need to explore to reveal it.
"Bawk bawk bawk..."
Two palm-sized chicks bobbed their heads as they emerged from the blue-green grass, waddling up to the fence with their little wings held out.
One brown, named Grape.
One white, named Coconut.
The two bonus chickens that came with the coop.
Chicks matured in three days, then produced one egg daily thereafter.
"Well hello there, you two."
Daeron's smile reached his eyes as he crouched by the fence, petting each chick in turn.
These weren't just ordinary chickens—they were his startup capital on legs.
In that moment, everything became clear.
The red comet's influence on the continent had synced perfectly with the System. Dragon Tongue Farm would become the largest producer of special crops in Westeros.