The Silver Dragon spread its wings and swept across the sky.
Rhaegar bid farewell to Roberta and departed from Storms End for the Stepstones.
Sending out three magic dragons at once was impressive, but certainly also very conspicuous.
Neither Roberta nor Rhaegar shed tears; there was no need for many parting words. Young, vibrant lives believe that everything can be attained.
Rhaegar looked down at the rainy jungles, emerald hills, and moss-covered cottages of the Stormlands—a different scenery from Kings Landing. More importantly, there was the rose dancing with him, the peerless lady of the deer.
The place Rhaegar and Roberta were most reluctant to leave was Tarth; it was a beautiful place with mountains, lakes, waterfalls, alpine pastures, and shadowed valleys. The sea water there was deep blue, like a beautiful sapphire, and also like the eyes of a beautiful girl.
Wine, lust, wealth, and pride are four walls that everyone hides within. While the rose was delightful, great achievements are born of hardship, and unknown dangers still lurked between the two continents; Rhaegar could not lay down his weapons.
The magic dragons hissed happily in the wind; Rhaegar had gained much from this trip to the Stormlands.
First was the sincerity of Ser Steffon. The Stormlands fleet, permanently stationed in the sheltered waters off the western coast of sapphire Tarth, could coordinate with the Stepstones defense line to prevent new conflicts. Actually, the island of Estermont, where Lady Steffon came from, was closer, but it was small and mountainous, unsuitable for stationing troops.
Secondly, naturally, were the brand-new, vibrant runes from the legendary majestic castle of Storms End. This was perhaps the place where Rhaegar had seen the most rune roaring, covering the solid walls of the entire Storms End.
Rhaegar felt that in ancient legends, there might still exist massive magical fluctuations, and the wars were very cruel. Otherwise, it would have been impossible to build such a majestic city, let alone think of embedding rune magic into the walls to prevent enemy attacks. This method of wall-casting had slowly been lost.
A pale gray flame surged in Rhaegars palm—the new rune, "Net"!
The rune was driven by Rhaegars life fire; the rune is driven by fire, driven by blood. The more vigorous a person's fire, the stronger the rune's ability.
The pale gray stone-textured flame condensed into the shape of a grid, several identical "x"-shaped runes connected together, merging into the circle of a small city, appearing impenetrable, isolating everything.
[Explorer: Congratulations on discovering the "Net" rune surging within Storms End. Magic is woven into the city walls, which can prohibit the passage of magic.]
[Rune Combiner: Congratulations on discovering the fifth rune: Net.]
The rune color was like pale gray boulders, capable of isolating magical intrusion. Where the fire comes, magic is isolated.
The gray flame suddenly flared up violently, turning into sparks that exploded and melted into the bodies of Rhaegar and the three magic dragons.
The "Net" rune cheered, and the warmth of the fire permeated Rhaegars body. He felt as if a thread in the dark had snapped, and Rhaegar felt a kind of thorough, true freedom.
Rhaegar looked toward the vast and unpredictable North, perhaps the land of ice and snow. Sorry, he really didn't like the feeling of being watched.
In terms of generation, the Three-Eyed Crow was actually one of Rhaegars great-great-uncles. Lord Bloodraven had once exhausted his heart and blood, using any means necessary to consolidate the Iron Throne. However, the lifespan of a weirwood is too long. In the long river of time, Rhaegar could not determine how much lingering affection the old man still had for the House Targaryen. It was possible that he had abandoned humanity and chosen abstract divinity, changing from Bloodraven to the Three-Eyed Crow. The kingship of the Targaryen, after all, was just a fleeting moment in the long river of history. Perhaps he only favored those first men bloodlines that could also skinchange and fly. After all, Bloodraven himself also flowed with the blood of the first men.
The Greenseer crosses the river of time to observe all things, but all things have their own feelings. Who likes this feeling of being spied upon?
Rhaegar suddenly understood the mindset of some first men. The first men believed the Greenseer observed them through the eyes on the weirwood, which was the reason they cut down trees extensively every time they went to war with the Children of the Forest. But actually, Rhaegar felt the vision of the Greenseer was even more terrifying; apart from weirwoods, these people could observe through the vision of beasts, birds, and even in extreme cases, humans.
However, talking about how terrifying the Greenseer is, Rhaegar felt it was just so-so. If the Greenseer's ability were truly that terrifying, they wouldn't have been driven into hiding. The key lies in mystery and low profile; many people don't even know of the existence of the Greenseer.
Isolating the vision of the Greenseer, and having the Net rune, magic could not intrude upon Rhaegar either. He did not need to fear those terrifying or strange things.
"Rise!" A more violent flame burst from Rhaegars palm. The flame changed into various shapes and different colors in his palm. A triumphant and resolute shield, a war hammer that shatters everything, a sharp sword piercing the long sky, a lush big tree, a circular net in the shape of Storms End.
Like cutting and polishing, like carving and grinding. Constantly polishing and applying; the more runes acquired, the more Rhaegar could feel the wonder of the runes.
The Rune of the Shield represents protection, avoiding close-quarters damage. The Net rune also represents a kind of defense, which can resist magical intrusion. Moreover, Rhaegar felt that this rune should also have great power when applied to the construction of wonders. Perhaps the Wall of ice and Winterfell also had traces of this magic, reinforcing the city and isolating magic. The Rune of the Hammer represents strength, majestic power, breaking all laws with force. The sword rune represents exquisiteness and affinity; in battle, weapons and moves will emit attack power beyond ordinary people. The Rune of the Tree represents vitality and youth; life is like a tree, lush and green.
The five runes condensed into one, forming the shape of a crown. A strange crown, composed of five sides: the net with pale gray stone texture, the obsidian hammer, the bright and clear sword, the verdant tree, and the bronze shield.
[Rune Crown: The runes crave fire and dance with joy for your flame.]
Joy filled Rhaegar's heart. The five-sided Rune Crown dispersed back into flames and merged into his body once again.
Rhaegar felt his physical strength, vitality, agility, and defense had all been improved again.
Rhaegar summoned fire magic again, driving the runes into the flame at his fingertips. His flame would not fear magic; the azure flame was lush, and it also carried power and attack effects. This was the most dangerous and terrifying flame. If he could, Rhaegar could even add a bit of a curse to the flame.
"I am the King of Fire, the Mage of Fire," Rhaegar thought. A brute cannot be considered a true Dragonlord; only a Dragonlord proficient in magic is a true Dragonlord.
The three magic dragons felt their master's joy and also began to hiss, their voices shaking the heavens and earth.
Rhaegar led the magic dragons across the sea, aiming for Dragons Roar Fortress on Bloodstone.
Bloodstone had been renovated; banners were like a forest, and soldiers were strictly disciplined.
The magic dragons rested on Bloodstone. After greeting some commanders and soldiers, Rhaegar stepped into his study at the top of the castle. The top of Dragons Roar Fortress was a flat ground for dragons to rest.
Rhaegar entered his study. On the grand map of the known world, two places already had special marks.
One was the Iron Islands, and the other was Tyrosh.
Rhaegar looked at these two places. According to his intelligence sources, neither Tyrosh nor the Iron Islands were peaceful.
Tyrosh was stuck between Lys and Myr, making the Two Daughters very uncomfortable. The Lysene and the Myrish had already launched a monetary offensive, hoping to bribe and persuade the Tyroshi to exchange for an alliance with Tyrosh or to keep Tyrosh neutral, avoiding being attacked from both sides.
And in the Iron Islands, the Old Kraken's sons, who were gradually growing up, were clamoring every day to restore the Old Way. The old man would eventually be persuaded one day.
"There are no eternal friends, only eternal interests," Rhaegar thought. "To bear the filth of the country is to be the master of the world." The Iron Throne established by the House Targaryen would inevitably harm the interests of others.
The House Targaryen had many friends, but even more enemies. Some were old hatreds, and some were new grudges. The new grudges came from Westeros, and the old hatreds came from Essos.
This stemmed from the extortion and plundering of the Valyrian Dragonlords on the continent of Essos. Now, apart from Volantis, many city-states on the continent of Essos had been tossed and destroyed by magic dragons and Dragonlords. Once Old Valyria perished, the Tyroshi and Lysene immediately revolted and wiped out the remaining Dragonlords of the city-states. With this mass base, even if it wasn't notorious, it was close enough. In fact, the House Targaryen wasn't wronged either; the small and medium Dragonlord families were also Dragonlords. Back when the Dragonlords were living high, the House Targaryen had also shared the soup. Now that the Free Cities, merchants, and priests were in power, no one would want to see the Dragonlords rise again.
There was also a part of the new grudges caused since the House Targaryen moved west. Establishing a dynasty in Westeros, the enemies provoked were mainly House Martell, and those unruly Ironborn who always took advantage of a crisis. As for the internal strife of the Red Dragon and Black Dragon created by family misfortune, that was even more shameful to speak of.
Rhaegar placed his focus on Tyrosh. It was time to go see the situation in Tyrosh.
Just at this moment, Ser Barristan, Ser Brynden, Ser Lucerys, and Bronze Yohn knocked on the door together. After greeting him, they walked in. They needed to report the progress of their work to the prince.
Rhaegar first presented the necklace given by Kings Landing to the savior of the Stepstones to Brynden; this was the honor he deserved.
Ser Brynden was still a bit flattered. "Prince, the Stepstones defense line is basically built! With the support of Dorne and Storms End, it will surely be impregnable!"
"I'm afraid the situation is not as optimistic as you think, Ser!" Barristan said. "I heard that the Lysene and the Myrish have already begun to bribe the Tyroshi, with the goal of dragging Tyrosh back into the water and restoring the Third Daughter system."
"Impregnable! We also need to be fully prepared!"
"The armies of the Westerlands, Dorne, The Reach, and the Stormlands have mostly been taken back for rest. Currently, our army numbers have decreased, but to maintain the combat effectiveness of the army, there is no other way but to rest!" said Ser Lucerys. He was the fleet commander in charge and knew the most about maritime affairs.
"How is that kid I asked you to bring last time?" Rhaegar asked.
"The Prince's judgment of people is indeed too accurate. Although this kid is not old, he is indeed good steel at sea, material for a sailor. This small boat technique, smuggling is indeed first-class. His boss was just slaughtered by the Nights Watch, and now he is not getting enough to eat in Kings Landing, so I brought him here very easily."
Rhaegar nodded. Power should flow from the bottom up. Without intervening in the battlefield, he was nothing more than a blank slate prince. As a power holder, a tremor of his will had changed the fate of the Onion Knight, Davos Seaworth. The Onion Knight was a rare, noble person among a pile of scum, and his skill in driving a small black boat was quite remarkable.
This kid was currently at a low point in his life, born in Flea Bottom and constantly lacking food and clothing. Davos began to learn smuggling when he was very young, first as a crew member of the "Pebble Cat," but his captain had already been executed by the Nights Watch.
The process of the matter was also very direct: the Onion Knight's captain, the Tyroshi pirate Roro, was engaged in unprincipled business, and the kind with high risk. He sailed the "Pebble Cat" around the Wall, heading to various bays to sell weapons to the wildlings, in exchange for furs and other valuable goods. The result was predictable: on the return journey, the Pebble Cat was intercepted by a Nights Watch fleet, which forced him to dock at Eastwatch-by-the-Sea. Roro was executed on the deck of the Pebble Cat on charges of selling weapons to the wildlings, and all the goods he carried were confiscated.
Davos and the pirates had some connections, which could be utilized, Rhaegar thought.
"I need to go to Tyrosh once!" Rhaegar said sonorously, his voice like steel. "The Third Daughter was once a great enemy of the kingdom; we cannot let them recombine."
Everyone heard the words and remained silent. The Prince's orders were always as firm as a military order.
"The next step is to advance east and defend the west. The Old Kraken of the Iron Islands is still healthy and can manage his sons. We only need to be vigilant about any unusual movements in the Iron Islands. The biggest strategic focus is still on the Stepstones. After I go to Tyrosh, the Stepstones will be temporarily under the command of you few. Ser Barristan as the interim commander of the Stepstones, Ser Brynden as deputy. Ser Lucerys is responsible for leading the navy to patrol, and Bronze Yohn is responsible for drilling the army." Rhaegar ordered Brynden, Ser Barristan, and the others.
Tyrosh was not far from the Stepstones, and it was time to see how deep the muddy water was inside.
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