Chapter 148: Lisandro's Observations in Lace Town
Candlelight's dragonflame engulfed Melisandre, but the Red Woman was not reduced to ashes by the flames. Instead, she was surprised to feel the ruby hanging around her neck regain its warmth, although the blood flowing through her body remained cold.
"Melisandre, allow the Lord of Light to tell you what you should do. He granted you immortal magic and eternal flame, but not sufficient wisdom. What a pity."
Dragonzel waved his hand, and the flames swallowed Melisandre whole.
The next moment, the fire condensed into a single point before suddenly exploding outward.
Most of the flames transformed into countless tiny sparks, passing through the castle and merging into the mountain itself.
The remaining fire—and Melisandre herself—vanished from the hall.
Candlelight blinked its large eyes, clearly confused by the astonishing scene before it.
The young dragon lowered its head and sniffed the place where Melisandre had disappeared, but found nothing.
Unable to understand what had happened, it could only turn toward Dragonzel with a puzzled expression.
"Brother, this…"
Ray quickly stepped forward to the place where Melisandre had vanished and likewise found nothing.
"I sent her below to reflect for a while. Hopefully, she will come to understand the true will of the Lord of Light."
Dragonzel shook his hand slightly, a trace of regret appearing on his face.
That ruby truly was a remarkable artifact.
It contained extraordinarily powerful fire magic.
If he was not mistaken, the enchantments within it included protective spells capable of burning away disease and poison, magic that enhanced fire sorcery, and, most importantly, resurrection and immortality magic.
The price, however, was severe.
Melisandre's soul was permanently bound to the ruby.
As long as the ruby remained intact, she would continue to live.
The moment it shattered, she would die alongside it, regardless of her true age.
"What a lunatic."
Valarr sheathed Black Widow and asked curiously,
"Brother, where exactly did you send her? I thought the Dragonpit was beneath us?"
Dragonzel glanced at his younger brother.
"It's somewhere even deeper than that. That place…"
His voice trailed off.
He seemed unwilling to continue.
Deep beneath the Red Mountains.
A flame suddenly ignited within a cavern whose age was impossible to determine.
The fire grew larger and larger until it roared fiercely.
Melisandre stumbled out of the flames and cautiously surveyed her surroundings.
Dark, smooth stone walls surrounded her.
Faint carvings seemed to cover their surfaces, but they were too worn and indistinct to make out clearly.
Not far below her feet, molten lava flowed slowly.
As it cooled, it formed a patch of solid ground large enough for a person to stand upon.
"This…"
Melisandre could make no sense of any of it.
With a confused expression, she removed the ruby from around her neck.
The moment the gem left her body, her fiery copper hair and crimson eyes immediately lost their brilliance.
Even her youthful appearance faded.
The beautiful Red Woman suddenly appeared far older and more mature.
After confirming that the magic inside the ruby still existed, Melisandre quickly put it back on.
Almost instantly, her youthful appearance returned.
She remained deeply confused by Dragonzel's actions.
Neither the mentor who had trained her nor her former master would ever have forgiven such blatant disrespect.
Yet she had openly offended Dragonzel.
Despite that, he had merely stripped away part of her magic while leaving her most precious possession untouched.
The contradiction left her filled with doubt.
She soon discovered something even more troubling.
Within this cavern, she could not travel through fire.
Nor could she cast her prized shadowbinding or fire magic.
All she could do was sit quietly and stare at the slowly flowing lava.
"Lord of Light, the One True God, please grant your faithful servant a revelation."
The Red Woman bowed her head and prayed.
Meanwhile, on the road to Dragon Nest City.
A luxurious wheelhouse rolled smoothly along the Prince's Road connecting Lace Town and Dragon Nest City.
The road was broad and level, wide enough for six wagons to travel side by side.
Seated beside a window, Lisandro Rogare observed the endless flow of people and carts outside while continuing to compose a letter destined for Lys.
To Governor Rhaendal Rhoynar,
I have arrived safely within the Principality of the Borderlands.
Praise be to the Goddess—we encountered neither Lycario nor the Ironborn fleet during our voyage.
After passing through the Stepstones, we received an escort from the Silver Fleet consisting of nine warships: one four-hundred-oared galley, one carrack, and seven two-hundred-oared galleys.
Their commander was a young knight clad in silver scale armor patterned like fish scales and wearing a helmet decorated with a serpent motif.
I swear upon my honor that the value of that young commander's armor alone could not have been less than ten gold dragons.
After speaking with his sailors, we learned that the young commander possesses his own castle and considerable lands.
More surprising still, he commands only a subordinate squadron within the Silver Fleet.
This confirms our intelligence.
The Varezes Family's Silver Fleet has not weakened after its long migration and settlement in Westeros.
On the contrary, it has grown even stronger.
Your Excellency, I firmly believe that if Lys is to survive, we must secure the support of Prince Dragonzel.
Please trust me when I say that I intend to persuade him.
After our long voyage, we arrived at Lace Town, one of Prince Dragonzel's principal ports.
To be honest, although the city lacks the grandeur, beauty, nobility, and luxury of Lys, it is nonetheless overflowing with prosperity and order.
Our vessel, Maiden of Merriment, docked on the outskirts of the harbor.
Because we had sent neither envoys nor ravens ahead, the customs officials treated us as ordinary merchants from Lys.
Goddess above, they could identify our origins simply from the design of our ship, our appearance, and the cargo we carried.
However, customs duties in Lace Town are remarkably reasonable.
This is entirely different from King's Landing, Oldtown, Gulltown, Lannisport, and even White Harbor.
Grain receives the lowest tariffs, while certain imported luxury goods may be taxed as high as one-fifth of their value.
Goddess above, I guarantee that the Myrish would despise these tariffs, as many of their products directly compete with goods produced by the Varezes Family—and are of noticeably inferior quality.
Based on the observations made by myself and my sons, I can confidently estimate that this port alone generates at least two hundred thousand gold dragons annually in customs revenue.
Should the Rogare Family and your own establish a bank here, I am convinced we would reap immense profits.
At present, I have only discovered a single banking institution operating within the city.
The harbor district features a massive square paved entirely in marble.
At its center stands a statue of a Dragonrider.
I cannot determine whether it depicts Prince Dragonzel himself, as the dragon is clearly the focal point of the sculpture.
To be frank, however, the craftsmanship is unremarkable compared to that of Lysene artisans.
Should we successfully conclude an alliance, I believe we could present several masterfully crafted statues as diplomatic gifts.
Goddess above, I long to see a living dragon with my own eyes.
Such a sight remains the dream of every remnant of Valyria.
To the east of the square stand countless warehouses.
Time did not permit a full survey, but judging from the endless stream of wagons entering and leaving them, they contain enormous quantities of spices, silk, and wine.
At this point, Lisandro paused and sniffed his sleeve.
Even now, the aroma of wine that permeated Lace Town clung stubbornly to his clothing.
He dipped his quill and continued writing.
To the west of the square lies the sailors' temple district.
Countless shrines dedicated to Essosi gods stand there, reminding me of the temple districts of Lys and Braavos.
From their architecture, I identified temples dedicated to R'hllor, the High Shepherd, and the Moonsingers.
I even saw a temple devoted to the Many-Faced God.
Yet the most prominent structure among them all was a grand sept dedicated to the Faith of the Seven.
I am told that an even larger and more magnificent sept exists within the inner city, though time did not permit us to visit it.
Merchants informed me that Lace Town's outer city possesses thirteen gates, while the inner city has seven.
Because of our schedule, we did not enter the inner city and only viewed its towering walls from afar.
I can assure you those fortifications were constructed with warfare in mind.
Even at a distance, I could see scorpions and trebuchets mounted atop the walls.
It is said that the master brewers, master smiths, and master weavers trained by Cleos Varezes all reside within the inner city.
Based on our observations, the entire city was built around the hill upon which the inner city stands.
Atop that hill rises a castle crowned by three towering keeps.
Even from the harbor, the fortress was clearly visible.
At first, I suspected the castle also served as a lighthouse.
However, I saw no beacon lit during my stay, so I must have been mistaken.
The outer city is divided into districts by roads and canals.
I am pleased to report that I found no slums comparable to Flea Bottom in King's Landing.
Every street was clean and orderly.
Perhaps because the city contains so many breweries, the scent of wine lingers everywhere.
Drazeko and the younger members of our party were delighted by this.
Lisandro even began wagering with Moredo over who could identify more varieties of wine by scent alone.
Only my dear little Lara disliked the smell and begged me to find accommodations as quickly as possible.
The city's population is remarkably diverse.
While searching for lodging, I encountered many silver-haired, purple-eyed Valyrians, as well as even larger numbers of local Westerosi.
Although they coexist peacefully, I can still sense the barbarism in the blood of the Westerosi.
Fundamentally, they remain different from us Valyrians.
It is difficult to imagine how our compatriots from Volantis have adapted so harmoniously to life among these barbarians.
We stayed in a four-story inn.
The second floor housed an excellent tavern.
They served Lysene sweet wines, reds, and whites there.
We were even able to enjoy foods unique to Lys at prices lower than those found in Lys itself.
According to Drazeko, even dockworkers occasionally enjoy imported delicacies and are able to drink wine once every seven days.
The only thing missing was the company of the lovely girls and boys from my perfume gardens, as well as the fragrances of Lys that make wine taste even sweeter.
Drazeko spent much of his time in the underground taverns frequented by commoners.
As a result, we gathered a considerable amount of information.
King Aegon, who currently resides in Dragon Nest City, is selecting members of his Kingsguard.
At the same time, Prince Dragonzel has recently completed the replenishment of his Bloodsworn Brothers.
The people of Lace Town are celebrating both events enthusiastically.
Goddess above, Drazeko could scarcely believe his eyes.
He witnessed a Dothraki warrior purchasing drinks for an entire tavern using a belt made of pure gold, simply to celebrate one of his khals becoming one of Prince Dragonzel's Bloodsworn Brothers.
We also learned from these drunkards that Prince Dragonzel and King Aegon are preparing to tour their territories.
We must therefore conclude all alliance negotiations before they depart Dragon Nest City.
The greatest shock, however, was discovering that the city maintains a dedicated watch responsible for curfews, law enforcement, and public order.
Only a few designated streets are permitted to operate throughout the night, including the district where we currently reside.
I personally witnessed a thief lose his right hand.
I also saw a criminal castrated before being publicly executed.
Judges accompany the city watch and deliver sentences on the spot, ensuring swift enforcement of the law.
The result is a city of extraordinary order.
Governor, for all these reasons, I strongly recommend strengthening our alliance with Westeros—particularly with House Varezes.
Only through such cooperation can Lys hope to withstand the depredations of the Red Sea Monster and the wars that may erupt at any moment.
May the Goddess bless both you and me.
Lisandro Rogare
One of the Three Governors of the Governing Council of Lys
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you like the story please give it some power stones and reviews. And if you want to read 40+ advance chapters or just want to support me please join my patreon at [email protected]/Translatingfanfics