Chapter 85: The Scent of the Three-Eyed Crow
"I can monopolize the owners of the Life Frequency."
Daeron thought to himself secretly.
Special items that can serve as a "Medium" are only valyrian steel weapons in the outside world.
But he had an entire mine that could drop special weapons, and he could also buy high-priced weapons from the "Explorer's Guild" through the shipping bin.
Meanwhile, the changes in the fierce battle on the field caused a massive uproar.
Among those who came to participate in the tourney, there was no shortage of excellent knights who had mastered Life Force.
In the stands, figures stood up one after another at this moment.
"This way of fighting!?"
"Blackfish" Brynden stood up abruptly, his cold heart feeling a pang of shock.
On the entire tourney grounds, besides the two currently dueling, he could be said to be the most senior Life Force knight.
Yet, after ten years of painstakingly accumulating Life Force, he could only use it simply to strengthen his body.
He had always felt that Life Force shouldn't be such an inconvenient thing.
Seeing the battle between the two Kingsguard today, countless thoughts immediately arose in his mind.
Besides him, Robert and "Wild Wolf" Brandon of the The Alliance of the Four Regions, Prince Lewyn and Oberyn of Dorne, Rhaegar himself, Oswell, and others—
All stared intently at the two men below, trying to discern new techniques for using Life Force.
Seeing this, Daeron thought secretly, "From today on, a wave of searching for valyrian steel weapons will sweep across the continent."
Arthur Dayne's comprehension of the Life Frequency would inevitably be taught to Rhaegar's faction.
It didn't matter if they learned the Life Frequency; after all, there was only one greatsword "Dawn."
Once the Life Frequency was used in battle, ordinary weapons simply couldn't withstand the intense collisions.
In the end, they would still have to find suitable valyrian steel weapons... Soon, the tourney duel below ended.
The winner was Barristan.
Having become familiar with the Life Frequency a step ahead, he perfectly unleashed the power of the neptune greatsword. Every strike was heavy and steady, narrowly defeating Ser Arthur by a single move.
"Prince, I have fulfilled my mission!"
Barristan returned to the stands, looking very excited.
Ser Arthur was known for his strength and skill; no one could best him one-on-one.
Being able to win today was entirely due to the merit of the Life Frequency.
Daeron did not hold back his praise: "Well done, Ser."
For exploring the path of Life Force, a top-tier knight like Barristan was exactly what was needed.
Next match.
Ser Jon's heart was burning with eagerness as he requested to fight.
Daeron calmed him down.
The man's talent wasn't low, but he was still a notch below Barristan and Ser Arthur. Even with a special weapon, it would be difficult for him to learn the Life Frequency in a short time.
The subsequent matches were the domain of ordinary knights.
Any knights who had mastered Life Force kept a low profile, studying the fighting techniques of the two Kingsguard.
Unfortunately, the Life Frequency was not just a technique, but a genuine path of advancement.
Without guidance and lacking a "Medium," they were destined to fail.
Daeron watched the matches, occasionally glancing at the Red Dragon circling in the sky.
Caraxes had not gone far, circling above the Gods Eye, occasionally letting out a melodious and sharp screech that made the audience break into a cold sweat.
"Eat."
Shaena peeled an orange and handed it over.
She had remained very calm; even though she was a bit startled when Caraxes appeared, her emotions remained stable.
Daeron ate a segment and threw the rest to his foolish younger brothers.
Jaehaerys and Viserys ate them with relish.
Within the family, the four siblings had grown accustomed to each other's company and were not very close to their parents or eldest brother.
"Prince!"
Cersei walked through the stands and sat gracefully behind Daeron.
She had seen the Prince's heroic posture while riding the dragon; he was a hundred times more charming than Prince Rhaegar had been back then.
Once she rode the Prince, she could also ride the Prince's dragon.
Wonderful!
Daeron nodded politely and shared an orange with her.
As fate would have it, that orange had a bit of mold on the back.
Cersei smiled disdainfully; a rotten orange was just a rotten orange. She broke off the bad part and ate it anyway.
While eating, she didn't forget to show off to Shaena, pestering Daeron with her chatter.
Shaena ignored her.
Not far away, a pair of purple eyes watched this scene.
Ashara's eyes were lively as she quietly observed Daeron's micro-expressions, carefully noticing his aloofness.
He didn't like the Lannister girl.
"A dragon prince without a betrothal is as attractive as honey."
Ashara assessed the situation, a surge of ambition rising within her, but it was quickly extinguished.
She felt a bit of regret and sighed softly in her heart.
From the moment Princess Elia married Prince Rhaegar, the channel for Dornish girls to marry into the royal family had been cut off.
Elia noticed her companion was distracted and asked, "What's wrong?"
Ashara shook her head gently: "It's nothing, Princess."
It was just a matter of learning to restrain one's desires.
At dusk.
A grand banquet was held at Harrenhal.
In the lively atmosphere, all the gloom seemed to be swept away.
Clatter, clatter—
A small man riding a pony appeared before the gates of Harrenhal.
Looking at the magnificent castle decorated with lanterns and streamers, he was deeply shocked, his mouth nearly hanging open.
"This is Harrenhal?"
The small man found everything novel, looking every bit like a country bumpkin.
:
This behavior immediately attracted the attention of some ill-intentioned fellows.
Three teenagers dressed as squires exchanged glances and surrounded the travel-worn small man, questioning where this hillbilly came from.
The small man was shrewd; seeing their hostility, he immediately announced his house, hoping to intimidate them.
But he was met with heartless ridicule.
"The Lord of Greywater Watch, have you heard of him?"
"Who cares? Just a mud-man so poor he eats frogs."
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"Hahaha—"
The small man was greatly annoyed and pulled out the frog-spear from his back, wanting to make them pay.
But against the numbers, he only received a beating.
Someone noticed this bullying.
Lyanna Stark's beautiful eyes widened in anger as she picked up a wooden training sword and strode toward them.
She couldn't stand the strong bullying the weak.
Moreover, the green crocodile sigil on the small man's chest belonged to her father's vassal.
However, someone acted before she did.
A squad of Dragon Guards appeared and sternly restrained the three rascals.
"My lord, we haven't offended you."
The boy with a pitchfork sigil on his chest was terrified, identifying himself as belonging to House Haigh.
Jacaerys was dismissive: "Kid, I don't care who you are, just as you didn't care who he was."
After saying that, he punched the rascal hard in the stomach.
The rascal's body instantly stiffened, the intense pain nearly making his eyes pop out.
The other two rascals were scared witless on the spot, crying and begging for mercy.
Jacaerys wasn't a truly evil man; he waved his hand, telling his companions to take them away.
They were all just teenagers; a punch each to teach them a lesson would suffice.
Such a simple and crude way of solving the problem was amazing to behold.
"Thank you, my lord."
Howland Reed, beaten black and blue, struggled to get up.
He thought he had encountered a benefactor.
Jacaerys looked him up and down and smiled: "A crannogman, how rare."
"My lord, I am from Greywater Watch, invited to participate in the tourney."
Fearing expulsion, Howland explained quickly.
Jacaerys waved a hand: "I know, Lord Howland."
"Come with me, I'll take you to get some medicine."
Howland shut his mouth, knowing that crannogman were discriminated against by southerners, and intelligently followed the tall silver-haired man.
Those three rascals had just called the other party a Dragon Guard.
It sounded very impressive, likely the personal guard of some great lord.
Lyanna stood not far away, witnessing the Dragon Guards save Howland and take him away to be bandaged.
"Dragon Guards! Daeron Targaryen's subordinates?"
She had heard of the Dragon Guards.
The existing Dragon Guards were all trained by "Daeron the Daring."
Her father had once said that the selection criteria for Dragon Guards were extremely harsh, and their treatment and equipment were superior.
They existed specifically to protect dragons.
After applying the medicine, Howland was taken to the courtyard behind the Kingspyre Tower.
"Screee—!"
A Red Dragon crouched on the ground, breathing Dragonfire onto two sheep, then raised its head to swallow the food.
Cold sweat broke out on Howland's forehead, and his body went numb.
He thought to himself, that tall silver-haired man is a Dragon Guard; he wouldn't be feeding him to the dragon, would he?
Jacaerys patted his shoulder heavily and said in a low voice, "Don't be afraid, the Prince wants to see you."
This was the real reason the other party had been saved.
Howland turned to look at the Red Dragon and suddenly noticed a silver-haired youth.
Remembering the tall man's instructions, he hurriedly bowed: "Noble Prince, Lord Howland Reed of Greywater Watch sends his greetings."
:
Daeron walked over with a smile: "No need for such formality."
"Was it you who sent people to save me?"
Howland was very clever and guessed this was no coincidence.
Daeron said candidly: "It was me. My Dragon Guards are responsible for protecting the dragon; they saw you being bullied and helped you."
That meant they had been waiting for him at the gates of Harrenhal.
Howland shuddered and asked nervously, "Prince, what is so special about me that you would go to the trouble of saving me?"
Daeron said nothing, his brow furrowed.
He felt a thick scent of the forest on Howland Reed.
But this scent wasn't pure; it had a scent of the Three-Eyed Crow.
A brief introduction to Howland Reed.
Lord of Greywater Watch, head of Neck.
In the original story, he was beaten by three teenage squires and Lyanna saved him.
And in the battle at the Tower of Joy, he sneaked up on Ser Arthur Dayne from behind and killed him.
His two children were equally famous.
Meera and Jojen escorted Bran Stark, who was chosen by the Three-Eyed Crow, all the way north; the latter awakened Greensight and sacrificed himself for Bran.
It could be said that House Reed was the labor force chosen by the Three-Eyed Crow.
Daeron sought him out specifically for the Three-Eyed Crow.
"Prince, have I offended you in some way?"
Howland was at a loss, raising his arm to sniff; under his tattered outer garment, there was a pungent odor.
This immediately made him even more embarrassed.
Daeron: "Jacaerys, take Howland to wash up and change his clothes; the banquet is about to begin."
The other party was still very naive and couldn't provide any answers.
Put it aside for now.
"Yes, Prince."
Jacaerys put his arm around Howland's shoulder and said generously, "Come, little lord."
After they left.
Daeron mused, "Coming to Harrenhal this time, I always have a sense of unease."
Caraxes crawled over, its dragon head brushing past its rider's shoulder, its nostrils snorting a blast of hot air.
Daeron chuckled and reached out to stroke the Red Dragon's lower jaw.
He was a man with a system panel.
When all three dragons grew up, anyone who came would be burned to ashes.
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