"Fine." Finally, Cersei nodded and said, "I will do my best to restrain him. But if you dare play any tricks during this time, Tyrion, I promise, even if I die, I'll take you down with me."
"A deal is a deal." Tyrion met her gaze without fear. "Now, may I go back? After all, time waits for no one, and I have no leisure to play games with you, or perhaps I should call cousin Lancel to keep you company."
"Get out now." Cersei looked at him with disgust and waved her hand as if shooing away a repulsive fly. Then she turned back to look out the window, leaving Tyrion with only a back view that would stir one's imagination.
Hearing Cersei's words, Tyrion said no more and did not linger on the beautiful scenery before him, turning and leaving Cersei's bedroom immediately.
The moment he stepped out of the room, he felt as if the burden on his shoulders had lightened slightly. Dealing with Cersei always left him physically and mentally exhausted. However, because of this, he felt a faint flicker of hope for victory in the coming war.
At least, Cersei shouldn't be an obstacle for him for the time being. But unfortunately, he didn't see Cersei's final backward glance at him, which was like looking at a dead man.
Tyrion quickened his pace; Podrick and news about the wildfire were still waiting for him in the Tower of the Hand. If wildfire was truly as powerful as the rumors claimed, it might become a trump card for defending King's Landing.
Tyrion returned to the Tower of the Hand. Podrick had been waiting outside the study and immediately came forward to meet him upon his return.
"My lord, you've returned." Podrick gave him a respectful bow.
"Mm, it's getting late. Let's go see that Alchemist you mentioned." Tyrion was now somewhat impatient to see it for himself.
Podrick responded and led Tyrion through the intricate corridors and passages of King's Landing, avoiding the patrolling Gold Cloaks.
The path they took became increasingly secluded, and the air began to fill with the pungent stench of sewers and rotting animals; they had entered King's Landing's famous Flea Bottom.
Finally, Podrick brought Tyrion to a stop before an inconspicuous heavy wooden door. Podrick stepped forward and knocked gently, and a somewhat panicked voice immediately came from inside, as if someone had been waiting. "Who is it?"
"It's me, Podrick Payne." The boy answered, "I've brought Lord Tyrion."
The door creaked open a crack, and a pair of eyes peeked out to observe. Only after the person inside confirmed their identity was the door fully opened.
A head poked out first. In the dim light, Tyrion could see it was a gaunt man with thinning grey hair and a face full of wrinkles, but his eyes were exceptionally bright, carrying a fanatical glow.
"Lord Hand." The Alchemist gave Tyrion a deep bow after ushering them in, his tone fawning. "I am Hallyne Waters, formerly an Alchemist under Aerys II Targaryen. It is my honor to serve you now. Please follow me; you are about to see something truly amazing."
Hallyne led them through a room filled with various jars and bottles, emitting a pungent odor, to an even more hidden secret door.
He took a ring of keys from his waist and unlocked the door, and a gust of air mixed with decay and a heavy scent of sulfur rushed out.
Tyrion followed Hallyne inside, and the sight before him made him catch his breath instantly.
It was a massive underground cavern, or rather, a hollowed-out cellar. There were no torches on the walls, only a few glowing stones serving as the sole source of light.
What truly shook Tyrion's soul were several large wooden racks in the middle of the cellar, holding hundreds of clay jars.
They were all the same size, and the mouth of each jar was carefully wrapped in black cloth. Each container was also marked with a flame symbol in some kind of red paint, looking exceptionally eerie under the limited light.
"These are... wildfire?" Tyrion's voice was somewhat dry.
Although he had long heard that The Mad King Aerys Targaryen had a special fondness for this dangerous substance and had even attempted to use it to turn the entire city to ash after the fall of King's Landing, he hadn't expected there to be so much.
"Yes, Lord Hand." A fanatical smile appeared on Hallyne's face as he walked to a jar and stroked it carefully, as if caressing a lover. "This substance is the result of generations of effort from our Alchemists' Guild. 'green fire,' as the commoners call it."
"Open one and show me," Tyrion commanded, though there was an imperceptible tremor in his voice.
Hallyne was stunned for a moment and seemed hesitant, but eventually chose to obey Tyrion's command.
"Very well, but we must be careful, my lord," he warned.
"wildfire is extremely unstable. Even the slightest spark can ignite it instantly. It is highly sensitive to heat and vibration." As he spoke, he picked up a long, thin wooden stick and dipped it into a jar to get a bit of the thick green liquid.
Then he stepped out of the cellar and held it against a prepared torch. With a soft "poof," a burst of eerie green flame surged up, like a viper's tongue, making a crackling sound as it burned.
Furthermore, the heat emitted by the burning flame far exceeded that of ordinary fire. Even from a distance, Tyrion could feel the heat on his face.
What unsettled him even more was that the green flame seemed to have a very strong adhesive quality. The wooden stick had long since burned away, yet the green fire continued to burn in the air for a long time before slowly extinguishing.
"How was its performance, my lord?" Hallyne said with some pride.
"And with just one small jar, it can set an entire house ablaze. If all of these..." He spread his arms wide in an exaggerated gesture and continued, "...were to be detonated, the entire Flea Bottom would turn into a sea of fire, and even stones would melt."
"Do you know how much wildfire there is in King's Landing in total?" Tyrion asked.
Hallyne thought for a moment and said, "There are about eight hundred jars here. Additionally, there should be more stockpiled in several other secret locations within King's Landing. Back then, King Aerys ordered our Alchemists' Guild to produce wildfire with all our might; he intended to burn all of King's Landing. Although most of the wildfire was destroyed later, I believe there are no less than five thousand jars remaining."
Dear Reader,
A special 60% discount offer available Don't miss this opportunity to enjoy your favorite stories at a greatly reduced price.
The offer is available for a limited time only — grab it before it ends!
Ãdvåñçé çhàptêr àvàilàble óñ pàtreøn luffy1898