The flag of the red dragon on a black field swayed in the breeze, and the air of Viserysgrad was filled with the scents of green fields, sour wine, river water, and sweat.
To avoid Viserysgrad becoming as foul-smelling as King's Landing, beyond ensuring proper sewer drainage and installing toilets during the city's construction, Viserysgrad even implemented a waste disposal tax.
Many farmer residents were initially unaccustomed to this, but in the end, Viserys and Bishop Umber personally intervened, declaring, "Using the toilet is the will of the gods, and relieving oneself on the roadside will invite infectious diseases," which made Viserysgrad clean and tidy.
Moreover, the total population of Viserysgrad is currently far smaller than that of King's Landing, making it easier to manage with a flatter structure.
The Andals and the rhoynar were once elegant, civilized peoples, but now that they have fallen on hard times, they require proper education.
As the most populous and currently only city in the Land of Andas, the "White City" of Viserysgrad on the eastern bank of the Upper Rhoyne River has begun to show great vitality.
The bustling flow of people makes the city very lively, consisting mainly of villagers from the settled Andal and rhoynar villages, visitors from various regions, and even adventurers and merchants from the major Free Cities.
The people of the Andalos and the Rhoyne River basin, especially those living on the eastern bank of the Upper Rhoyne River, are more willing to seek shelter behind the sturdy walls of the White City; after all, compared to a great city with massive walls, an exposed village is far too dangerous.
Thinking of those fierce and barbaric bandits and the dothraki horsemen, the White City appears so holy and beautiful.
The entire Land of Andas seems to have gained its own heart, once again emitting a low, resonant thrum.
In the town beneath the hill of Viserysgrad, the wharves, fish markets, and meat markets are arranged in orderly rows, flourishing as merchants now bring in a diverse array of goods.
Cattle and sheep from the Land of Andas, freshly caught trout from the Rhoyne River, apples and sour wine from the Andalos, commemorative statues of the Seven, and so on.
Whether they are wine merchants, silk traders, knights, blacksmiths, sailors, or fishermen, everyone can find a place for themselves in this city.
This is the new city of the Andalos and the Rhoyne River region, and it will radiate influence over the surrounding vast lands.
Inside the royal castle of Viserysgrad, Viserys was receiving a new guest: a fugitive slave who had escaped from the upper reaches of the Rhoyne River.
Viserys sat upon the throne on the dais, and at a long table below the dais, The Red Viper sat as the King's advisor.
The Red Viper had always been Doran's deputy, and could be called shrewd and capable.
"Merciful Master of the White City, descendant of the ancient Valyria dragonlords, King of the Andalos, the rhoynar, and the first men, King of the Andals, the Rhoyne River, and Westeros, His Majesty Viserys the Restorer. We beg for your White City to open its gates to us; we are willing to become your loyal servants, offering taxes and loyalty to Your Majesty." Jarak, a man from the Summer Isles and the leader of this group of fugitive slaves, knelt and pleaded.
Jarak wore a cloak of interwoven red and green feathers; his skin was as dark as night, and he bore a wheel-shaped tattoo on his face, signifying that he was a cart-slave from Volantis.
However, due to his long flight, the feather cloak appeared a bit dirty, not at all like an elegant prince of the Summer Isles.
"I will listen to your pleas," Viserys said.
"I have seen many ruins along the Upper Rhoyne River and the upper reaches of the Rhoyne River; they are dilapidated stone structures overgrown with vines, moss, and wildflowers. Beyond that, I rarely see signs of human activity," Viserys asked again.
"You do not understand that river, Your Majesty. Every stream here might be coveted by river pirates, and ruins are often the best gathering places for fugitive slaves; the slavers who hunt us rarely dare to come this far north."
Most fugitive slaves run to the banks of the river above Naath, for only slaves are so desperate for freedom.
The journey of the slaves fleeing north is a path of death, a life-or-death struggle.
Volantis or Lys would execute slaves who attempted to escape or harm their masters, hanging their heads on the Long Bridge.
Even if one were lucky enough to escape north to the Upper Rhoyne River, one would still have to face the curse of the Sorrowful Lands, the river pirates of the Dagger Lake, the occasional dothraki Khals crossing the river, and the rampant local bandits; the risks were simply too great.
Every fugitive slave who completes the path of death possesses extraordinary willpower.
"Where did you escape from to get here?" Viserys asked.
"The outer city of Volantis, Your Majesty," Jarak replied, bowing his head. "I was captured as a slave in the Summer Isles, served as a cart-slave in Volantis for two and a half years, and finally killed my master before fleeing north."
"What kind of slaves are the people in your group?" Viserys asked.
"There are elephant cart slaves, shipbuilder slaves, and so on," Jarak replied.
"You have traveled a long and arduous road," Viserys said, looking at Jarak. "When you arrive at Viserysgrad, it signifies a new life. The Andalos will provide sanctuary for fugitive slaves, under the light of the New Gods, the Old Gods, and the Rhoyne River."
"Thank you, Your Majesty." Jarak of the Summer Isles knelt and thanked him hurriedly; thank the heavens, he finally wouldn't have to stay in ruins every day.
Living with mosquitoes and bedbugs is not a good life.
"Are you willing to obey my commands, pay taxes to me, and take up arms for the White City of Viserysgrad?" Viserys asked.
"We are willing, we pray. We offer our lives to Your Majesty, from this day until all the days that follow."
Jarak promised in a high-pitched voice.
Afterward, Jarak left, offering a thousand thanks, his joyful figure like a deer released from a cage.
"Do you really intend to accept these fugitive slaves, Your Majesty?" The Red Viper asked, frowning.
The Red Viper pitied those fugitive slaves, but he also reminded him of the risks involved.
Viserys nodded: "Why not?"
"According to the faith, one should accept slaves. But to open the gates wide like this will, in time, turn a trickle into a river, and the slave-owning city-states will hate us to the bone. Moreover, Braavos is further north, while the Andalos are barely in a middle position."
"That is why this is an opportunity; we can absorb the population that Braavos cannot accommodate," Viserys said.
"It is indeed an opportunity, but it is also a danger," The Red Viper thought it was a double-edged sword.
"Besides this population, there is another important point: we need a large number of technical talents," Viserys explained. "We cannot cultivate this group of people in the Andalos and the Rhoyne River in the short term, but many fugitive slaves possess skills and are exactly the right technical talents—after all, the Triarchy and Volantis both rely on slaves for construction."
This was also the basis for Viserys's interest in accepting slaves; cities like Volantis rely entirely on slaves.
Slaves produce food for citizens, clean the streets, and educate children; it is also slaves who guard the walls, captain warships, and charge into battle for the citizens.
And among these fugitive slaves, many are craftsmen that Viserys urgently needs; it is very difficult for him to poach people from Westeros, but poaching these fugitive slaves from the Rhoyne River is effortless.
"It is a grand feat, but also a gamble," The Red Viper nodded.
"Do you know the ratio of citizens to slaves in the Free Cities?" Viserys asked The Red Viper.
The Red Viper spoke of these figures as if they were his own treasures, "In Tyrosh, the ratio of free men to slaves is 1:3, and Lys and Myr are about the same. But in Volantis, it reaches an exaggerated 1:5."
"Since accepting fugitive slaves has already made the slave owners very dissatisfied, what if someone intended to completely liberate all slaves?" A cold, sharp glint appeared in Viserys's eyes.
"That is too crazy, it is impossible to accomplish," The Red Viper emphasized, his eyes widening; Viserys was truly too insane.
"Even as wealthy and powerful as Braavos, they can only constrain their vassal city-state of Lorath and defeat Pentos," The Red Viper rubbed his palms together. "They only forbid the existence of slavery and do not trade with Slavers Bay... but you, you are going to make an enemy of the entire world."
The slave trade is a major pillar of world trade, and slave-owning nations are numerous and powerful. This is no idle statement.
At the very top of the stream are the dothraki bandits, the ironborn pirates, and the pirates of the Basilisk Isles, who are responsible for capturing people, and the slave owners of Tyrosh are also known for being warlike. They even sail as far as beyond the Wall to capture wildlings as slaves.
The city-states of Slavers Bay are responsible for training, with great craftsmanship. Yunkai trains bed-slaves, Meereen trains gladiators, and Astapor trains the Unsullied.
And other downstream city-states use slaves in large numbers.
"This is an unprecedented undertaking," Viserys said.
"It is also unprecedented madness," The Red Viper retorted.
"It seems you really are a Targaryen; greatness and madness are two sides of the same coin," The Red Viper scrutinized Viserys.