Chapter 62:
King's Landing, Blackwater Bay Harbor.
Winter had arrived, and heavy snow was falling.
The once-bustling docks were now covered in ice and snow, yet the shore was packed with people waiting to welcome the return.
With a deep, powerful blast of the steam whistle, the massive black steel behemoth — the Nautilus — broke through the floating ice on the sea surface and slowly glided into its dedicated berth.
Above it, the black dragon Drogon circled twice and let out a deafening roar, announcing his master's return.
Victor Pompey, wrapped in a thick black fur coat, held Daenerys's hand as they descended the gangway.
Although Daenerys wore a thick Westerosi-style dress, she could not hide her exotic charm as the Queen of the East. Her other hand instinctively protected her still-flat abdomen, where the "magitech spark" capable of changing the world was being nurtured.
"Welcome home, my lord."
At the end of the pier, the Pompey family's "Chief Stewardess" Alice had been waiting for a long time.
More than a year had passed, and Alice had long shed the youthful inexperience of a former maid. She wore a dignified and elegant deep-blue velvet gown, her hair pinned up, radiating the composed aura of a true lady of the house.
In Alice's arms was a sturdy, tiger-like toddler wearing a little tiger-fur coat.
That was the eldest son of House Pompey — Augustus Pompey.
"Come, Augustus, say 'Papa'," Alice gently coaxed the child.
Augustus stared with big, dark, sparkling eyes, curiously looking at the tall man before him.
He didn't cry or act shy like ordinary children.
Suddenly, he stretched out his chubby little hand and let out a milky, childish cry:
"Pa… pa!"
Victor's heart warmed. He strode forward and scooped the boy into his arms.
"He's heavy! So strong!"
Victor was surprised to find that this little guy, barely over one year old, weighed more than most two- or three-year-olds. And when those small hands grabbed his collar, the grip was astonishingly strong.
[System Scan:]
[Target: Augustus Pompey (Eldest Son).]
[Age: 1 year and 3 months.]
[Talent Triggered: 'Born Super Strength' (Developing). Current strength equivalent to an 8-year-old boy.]
[Evaluation: This kid will one day be able to lift a warhammer with one hand.]
"Truly my son."
Victor laughed and kissed the boy's cheek. Augustus giggled and reached for the medal on Victor's chest. With a crisp crack, the pure gold medal was yanked off and crumpled in the little boy's hand.
The surrounding guards were stunned.
Was this still a baby? This was a little monster!
At that moment, Alice's gaze fell on Daenerys standing beside Victor.
As the first woman to follow Victor, she knew her place clearly — she did not compete for favor. She simply guarded her son and the family estate.
"This must be… the Mother of Dragons?" Alice smiled and curtsied gracefully, neither humble nor arrogant. "The rooms have been prepared, and the ground dragons (heating) are already lit."
Daenerys looked at Alice, then at the sturdy, calf-like eldest son in Victor's arms.
As the later arrival, she felt an invisible pressure.
This was the weight of the "eldest son." Even though she was a queen, in this family, Alice and Augustus's positions were unshakable.
"Thank you for your hard work, Sister Alice."
Daenerys was clever. She chose to show goodwill. She touched her own belly and said, "In the future, I will need your guidance."
…
Red Keep, Tower of the Hand, Family Dinner.
The long table was laden with a sumptuous feast.
But the meal was quite "lively."
Sitting at the first seat on the left was Margaery Tyrell, her belly noticeably swollen at four months pregnant. Although her figure had grown rounder, the graceful and noble aura of pregnancy made her even more captivating.
"Victor, you were gone for two whole months."
Margaery elegantly cut her steak while speaking in a tone that was one-third resentment and seven-tenths coquettish. "The baby has kicked me several times already, probably wondering where his father went."
She deliberately stroked her belly, her eyes subtly glancing at Daenerys's still-flat abdomen.
As if to say: You may be the Mother of Dragons, but I'm already carrying a confirmed heir, and I bring Highgarden as my dowry.
Before Victor could speak, the fork in Sansa Stark's hand — sitting across from him — clattered loudly against her plate.
Sansa kept her head lowered, her face slightly pale.
At this table:
Alice had the eldest son Augustus (S-rank).
Margaery carried the second child (S-rank).
Daenerys carried the third (Mythical rank).
Only she — the Warden of the North and Victor's first noble conquest — had no movement in her belly.
The feeling of being excluded from the "mothers' circle" left her deeply unsettled.
"Ahem."
Victor keenly sensed the undercurrents flowing across the table.
This was the side effect of the Many Children, Many Blessings System — harem balance management.
He put down his wine glass and stood up.
"Tonight, besides celebrating my safe return, I have a gift for this family — and for this city."
He walked to the wall, where a strange glass bulb was installed, containing a thin tungsten filament.
This was a trial product created by the newly established [Royal Magitech Academy] (led by Marwyn), using the insulated rubber and generators from previous rewards — a truly epoch-making invention.
"Augustus, come here."
Victor picked up his eldest son, took the boy's small hand, and placed it on the brass switch on the wall.
"Son, this historic moment will be started by you."
"Press it."
Though Augustus didn't understand, he loved pressing things.
His little hand slapped down hard.
Click!
Hummmm—
Electricity surged.
In that instant, the tungsten filament inside the glass bulb lit up brilliantly!
A soft, steady, bright warm yellow light instantly banished the dim candlelight in the dining hall.
Then, one by one, street lamps in the courtyard outside lit up in sequence, illuminating the entire Pompey Castle as bright as day!
"Gods above…"
Margaery covered her mouth. "You… put the sun in a bottle?"
Daenerys stared at the light bulb in shock. "No magical fluctuation… purely… technology?"
"This is electricity."
Victor held his son proudly and announced:
"From today onward, House Pompey bids farewell to darkness."
"And this…" He looked at the women gathered around the table. "This is the world I will create for our children."
Under the bright electric light, everyone's eyes sparkled.
Margaery saw enormous commercial value.
Daenerys saw the crushing power of civilization.
Alice saw convenience in daily life.
Only Sansa.
She watched Victor holding the child, surrounded by admiration, and the longing in her heart reached its peak.
After the dinner ended, she did not return to her room. Instead, she quietly put on a cloak and headed toward an isolated tower in a corner of the castle.
There lived the red priestess Melisandre, whom Victor had recently brought back from Harrenhal.
…
Top floor of the isolated tower.
"What do you wish to ask, little wolf of the North?"
Melisandre stood before a brazier, her red eyes seeming to see through everything.
Sansa bit her lip and knelt before the fire.
"Lady Priestess… why?"
"Why can Alice bear children? Why can Margaery? Even the newly arrived Mother of Dragons is pregnant… but not me?"
"My body is healthy. The maesters found no problems. Is it because… I am unworthy of bearing my lord's child?"
Melisandre gazed into the flames, her voice distant.
"It is not that you are unworthy. It is that your bloodline is dormant."
"Lord Pompey's bloodline is too dominant (enhanced by the system). Ordinary soil struggles to bear it."
"Alice took the marrow-cleansing pill. Margaery has the blessing of the Golden Laws. Daenerys is true dragon blood."
"As for you…"
Melisandre reached out and stroked Sansa's red hair.
"You need to awaken the ancient blood of the First Men within you."
"The wolves of the North can only awaken on the coldest ice fields."
"What must I do?" Sansa asked urgently.
"If you truly want a child…"
Melisandre took out a small bottle of blue liquid that radiated cold air from her sleeve.
"This is the extract of the [Winter's Flower]. Drink it, and on the next full moon night, bring Lord Pompey to the godswood in Winterfell."
"Unite under the gaze of the Old Gods."
"You will get what you desire… a true King of the Ice Wolves."
Sansa took the potion, a look of determination flashing in her eyes.
"As long as I can bear my lord's child… I am willing to do anything."
…
Meanwhile, in the master bedroom.
Victor had just put Augustus to sleep and was preparing to rest.
Ding!
A system notification sounded.
[Family Status Report Updated:]
[Harem Dynamics: Sansa Stark is seeking "Bloodline Awakening."]
[Side Quest Triggered: The Call of the North.]
[Quest Description: Sansa's anxiety has reached its peak. Please fulfill her wish and complete the "ritual" in the godswood of Winterfell.]
[Expected Rewards: Fourth Child (Ice/Snow Talent) + Technology Unlock: [Internal Combustion Engine Technology] (needed to drive cars on the ice fields).]
Victor looked at the system panel and shook his head with a wry smile.
"Even the donkeys on the production team aren't as busy as I am."
"Just finished handling fire (Daenerys), now I have to handle ice (Sansa)."
But for the sake of the internal combustion engine…
Victor glanced at the snowflakes falling outside the window.
"Looks like even though this winter is cold, the beds in House Pompey are destined to be burning hot."
Early access to upcoming chapters is available on Patreon.
Support the translator and binge ahead! patreon.com/arthursink Means a lot – thank you! ✍️