Three months later, Marco and his group finally returned to Skagos Island. As they entered Seal Bay, they happened to run into Gaud, who had just come back from Braavos.
But at this moment, Gaud looked quite disheveled, and part of his fleet seemed to have been lost. Marco had originally sent Gaud to Braavos to gather intelligence about the dragon eggs and to investigate the city's structure and power network. Judging by his appearance now, things had not gone smoothly.
"My lord! I… I've been exposed!"
Gaud's first words made Marco frown. Then, after hearing his account, Marco finally understood what had happened.
After returning to Braavos, Gaud had been diligently gathering information related to the dragon eggs.
During the reign of King Jaehaerys I, Alissa Farman of the Fair Isle House Farman in the Westerlands had stolen three dragon eggs from Dragonstone and sold them to the Sea Lord of Braavos. Later, the Targaryens had tried to reclaim them, but Braavos refused. These were exactly the eggs Marco had sent Gaud to investigate.
Gaud was a cautious man. To avoid being hindered by personal concerns, he had sent his family away before beginning his mission, remaining in Braavos alone. Then, about three months ago, while reviewing accounts with one of his clerks, he discovered something suspicious.
Probing carefully, he realized the man was actually a Faceless Man in disguise. Sensing danger, Gaud immediately summoned his stone spear and killed him on the spot.
That same night, Gaud gathered his most trusted subordinates and fled Braavos. Many of his crew were slaves he had freed during past voyages to the Summer Sea; they were deeply loyal to him, so most followed without hesitation.
While navigating the Shivering Sea route, Gaud's fleet was attacked by unknown ships. Fortunately, he had a few armed merchant vessels, and his sailors fought desperately, managing to repel the attackers. Without wasting time or taking prisoners, Gaud ordered his fleet to flee north.
"It seems you were exposed somewhere, giving them a chance to move against you. But you did well—very well! To abandon everything immediately and escape here was the right call."
After listening to Gaud's account, Marco gave his assessment and even praised Gaud's handling of the situation. Still, a faint sense of wariness toward Braavos rose in his heart.
As one of the most powerful forces in the known world, Marco realized he had underestimated Braavos. After all, this city-state had survived since the days of the Valyrian Freehold—a remnant power of an ancient age.
His disregard came largely from his memories of his previous life. In the TV series, Braavos had mostly served as a backdrop, and his attention had always been consumed by the affairs of Westeros. As a result, he had never taken the time to fully study Braavos.
Ultimately, it was Marco's own neglect of intelligence gathering that left him ignorant of many key details. So now, he forced himself to search his memory for everything he knew about Braavos.
Only then did he realize how terrifyingly influential Braavos truly was—especially in the Seven Kingdoms. Even Robert Baratheon's crown owed the Iron Bank of Braavos three million gold dragons. Some of that debt might have been embezzled by Littlefinger, but the sheer wealth of the Iron Bank was undeniable—and that was only a fraction of its external loans.
"The Iron Bank will have its due."That saying echoed across the world, its reputation rivaling even House Lannister's "A Lannister always pays his debts."
If Braavos ever desired world domination, it could easily become a "sun-never-sets" empire. In the world of Thrones, it was like the eagle of another continent—immensely wealthy, with an unmatched navy to match.
"My lord, I'm truly sorry," Gaud said, his voice full of guilt. "It's my fault for disrupting your plans."
He had just begun uncovering clues about the dragon eggs when he was discovered, and now self-doubt clouded his mind.
Seeing this, Marco gently patted his shoulder and said,
"Braavos survived the conquests and plunder of the Valyrian Freehold for a reason. It was one of the few places that suffered little from the Doom. If there's still magic left on the continent of Essos, I believe it's in Braavos."
Gaud's mood lightened considerably after hearing this. Soon after, Marco introduced Yueying and the others to Gaud's family.
Gaud's wife was named Luna, carrying traces of Valyrian blood. Together, they had four children—the eldest an eighteen-year-old boy, and the youngest only four.
Guided by the Snow Bear, the fleet passed through the mist and entered the waters of Griffon's Roost. The Braavosi sailors aboard were awed by the fortress's grandeur. Though smaller than Braavos, many found it even more beautiful than King's Landing—without the latter's foul stench.
From above came a chorus of piercing eagle cries, and enormous griffons began circling the fleet. Startled screams rose from the women and timid sailors aboard.
Spotting its kin, Siwang the griffon let out a proud call and took to the air. Moments later, several griffons landed on the decks. After confirming their identities, soldiers began registering the passengers.
This was a rule Marco had established before leaving—every ship entering Griffon's Roost waters must be registered and inspected. For now, only their own vessels could pass through the mists, but Marco wanted a proper system in place early.
The last infiltration by House Bolton's Bloodhand troops was still fresh in his mind, and he had no intention of letting that happen again. The inspectors saluted Marco before beginning their thorough checks—inside and out.
Once the registration was complete, they mounted their griffons and flew to the next ship. These inspectors were all wargs, though their animal partners were relatively weak, so they handled minor duties like this.
While they couldn't control powerful beasts, they were learning to communicate with animals instead. Marco encouraged this innovation, and he found that their abilities had significantly improved since he last saw them.
After docking the Snow Bear at the pier, Marco and his companions disembarked. Brynden Rivers and Jon Snow were waiting among the welcoming party.
They had returned over a month earlier. Jon, unable to contain his excitement, rushed forward clutching his ice dragon egg.
"My lord! I've completed your trial! This is the ice dragon egg—I have—"
But Marco raised a hand, cutting him off.
"The dragon eggs aren't as rare as you think. And who told you I didn't have any? I don't just have eggs… I have this."
Hissss—
As soon as Marco spoke, a palm-sized dragon appeared on his shoulder. Its delicate hiss wasn't loud, but in the quiet crowd, it rang out crystal clear.
Its body gleamed bright silver, with three violet ridges along its back. Its tiny wings were like translucent crystal, and faint purple veins pulsed beneath the surface.
Sensing a kindred presence, the hatchling leapt from Marco's shoulder, glided briefly, and landed neatly atop Jon's ice dragon egg.
Hissss—
Marco quickly snatched it back and said, "You'll have more kin in the future, little one. But not yet. The others aren't like you—they'll need many conditions to hatch. Be patient."
Then he gestured for everyone to follow him toward the keep. Along the way, people bowed and cheered from both sides of the street.
Dany walked beside him, her face glowing with pride as she waved back. Maeve's cheeks flushed as she realized she was no longer a guard but a lady of the castle. Yueying greeted familiar faces warmly—she had often mingled with the townsfolk, gifting honey and fruit to the children, and was much beloved by them.
Once inside, Marco ordered the kitchens to prepare a grand feast to celebrate his return.
In the council chamber, he listened to reports from his officers, rewarding those who had performed exceptionally. When the meeting ended, he sent everyone to wait in the Great Hall upstairs for the banquet while he finally opened a long-neglected interface.
Thanks to his heroes' tireless efforts, Marco's gold reserves had surpassed 100,000. Especially with Bloodhand Blackstone's "Will of the People" skill, which had doubled his income.
Suppressing his excitement, Marco turned his attention to the tomes and scrolls he had collected. In two months, it would be 298 A.C.—the year the Red Comet would appear over Westeros.
His goal was to draw it down from the sky—or at least capture a fragment of it. After months of research and study, he had formed a bold hypothesis:
The Red Comet was likely connected to the Doom of Valyria. Records described a force so terrible it could kill dragons themselves. To Marco, it sounded like a magical catastrophe—power gone wildly out of control.
Piecing together various texts, he theorized that Valyrian dragonlords had mined a mysterious magical mineral beneath the Fourteen Flames until it was depleted. Obsessed with magic, they turned their gaze further afield, establishing an outpost on Dragonstone to explore Westeros.
At that time, an astrologer had discovered the Red Comet in the heavens. The dragonlords then poured immense resources into constructing a colossal magical array, designed to summon or bind a "star" from the sky.
Perhaps the array was too vast—or flawed—for when it activated, a cataclysmic surge of energy tore the Valyrian Freehold apart, reducing it to ruins.
Marco lacked the power to replicate such a massive spell formation, but with the advanced magical knowledge of the Yashan world, he was confident he could build one even stronger and more efficient.
Knock knock knock—
A rapid knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. Maeve, ever attentive, hurried to open it—and found the visitor was none other than the Three-Eyed Raven.
Marco stood and said, "Ah, you're here! My apologies, I've been buried in work here. I meant to come see you in a few days, but right now, this—" he pushed a scroll toward him—"this is my top priority."
The Three-Eyed Raven nodded in understanding and took the scroll. But as he read, his expression grew increasingly grave, eyes widening in disbelief. After a long pause, he finally said,
"Lord Marco… this magical array of yours is utterly insane. Are you trying to pull down the moon itself?"
"No," Marco replied calmly. "I want the star that fell from the heavens. I believe it's connected to the dragons. I want to study it—and from it, forge the ultimate source of magic."
The Three-Eyed Raven's heart trembled. He had thought Marco's design was already mad, but now he realized—this was madness beyond imagination.
"Oh, right!" Marco suddenly said. "Three-Eyed Raven, I almost forgot—how did that matter I asked you about go?"