Chapter 109: The Magic System
"Why?" Tarobyne asked, puzzled. "Daeron Grafton and his men are going to serve Illyrio. If they kill the 'Spearbreaker' Silva, as long as we submit the evidence to Envoy Ornato..."
"Have they made their move yet?" Hazan chuckled.
"Not yet, but I believe they will. That Ser Ian gave me his word, and I looked him in the eye—I know he's telling the truth."
"Ser Ian?"
"Daeron Grafton acts like a servant around him. He's a... very capable young man," Tarobyne said after a moment's consideration.
"You think highly of him?"
"He's remarkably clever. He saw through my little scheme immediately, and he has that kind of assured, grounded confidence. I can tell that someone like him wouldn't choose to deceive me."
"But have you considered that the greatest flaw in your plan is Illyrio himself?" Prince Hazan laughed.
"As long as Ian doesn't inform Illyrio, how will the magister learn of this?"
"The invitations they used to attend Illyrio's feast came from you, and given your reputation in Pentos... do you truly think Illyrio won't be curious why you gave them those invitations?"
"Well..." Tarobyne hesitated for a moment, then argued, "Even if he is curious, what can he discover? That story was fabricated—the supposed slave ship doesn't exist!"
"That's true, but you sent Ser Ian to kill the 'Spearbreaker.' What is the Spearbreaker doing right now?"
"Helping Magister Hankoro track down slave traders operating in Pentos. Of course, I know that Magister Illyrio will come looking for me after Ian and his men make their move. I'm prepared to leave the city before they act.
Since I don't actually own any slave ships, Illyrio will only suspect there are other traitors within the guild, and then waste considerable effort searching for a vessel that doesn't exist."
"After they make their move? No, right now. Illyrio already knows what you've done. The moment you return to Pentos proper, he'll have you seized immediately."
"How is that possible?"
"Ser Ian and his companions came to Pentos to seek refuge with the Beggar King. Once Illyrio meets them, he'll swiftly investigate their every action since landing in Pentos.
And you said Ser Ian wasn't lying—he genuinely intended to help you deal with the Spearbreaker. So what would they do after leaving the Merchant's Hall?"
"Gather information about the 'Spearbreaker,'" Tarobyne guessed.
"And once Illyrio discovered that Ser Ian left your establishment and immediately began asking questions about the 'Spearbreaker,' what would he associate that with? Slave trading.
After that, he'd only need to subtly test your young man—for instance, by saying," Hazan paused, then mimicked Illyrio's manner of speech, "'Tarobyne nearly caused me considerable trouble by engaging in the slave trade behind my back, and you chose to protect him?' Do you think your Ser Ian could keep your secret then?"
Tarobyne's face went deathly pale.
"I must flee. I must leave immediately," he said urgently.
"Don't panic. I've already made arrangements. You should depart with my caravan now—a ship will be waiting for you to the north, and it will take you to Braavos."
"Yes, Your Highness." Tarobyne rose, bowed slightly, and quickly departed.
"He's ruined our plans. This will put Illyrio on alert," whispered Delilah, who sat beside Hazan, after Tarobyne had gone some distance.
"I think quite the opposite," Hazan shook his head. "When it comes to framing the Illyrio Merchant Guild for slave trafficking, whose motive is most obvious?"
"The Volantene faction. If Illyrio is accused of slave trading, he'll be shunned by the Braavosi envoy, giving the Volantenes an opportunity to win him over." Delilah paused.
"You mean, since the slave ship incident was entirely fabricated by Tarobyne, even if Illyrio investigates thoroughly, he won't find any evidence. In the end, he can only conclude by examining who benefits that the Volantene faction orchestrated it?"
"Regardless of his final judgment, as long as he believes any of us are attempting to court his favor through such methods, our initial objective will be achieved. I've said from the beginning that the best way to deal with Illyrio is to make all our actions transparent, but cause him to misjudge our intentions."
"Perhaps you're right."
"Look into this Ser Ian that Tarobyne mentioned."
"You've taken an interest in him?"
"Tarobyne rarely speaks so highly of anyone, especially someone he's only met once. But," Hazan tossed aside his cup and licked his lips, "at this moment, I'm interested in no one but you."
The next morning, Ian almost didn't recognize Daeron Grafton when he encountered him in the dining hall.
Daeron was pale as parchment, had dark circles under his eyes, and walked with an unsteady gait. This made Ian wonder if the man had truly experienced an excessively... eventful night.
Illyrio didn't join them for breakfast. Ian inquired with the steward and learned that Illyrio's private chambers were on the opposite side of the manse.
After breaking his fast, having not seen Illyrio, Ian returned to his room, prepared to properly examine the new item he'd acquired some time ago—the so-called "Basic Skill Selection Scroll."
He closed his eyes, accessed the system interface, and activated the item.
A lengthy selection menu immediately appeared before Ian:
[Archery, Throwing, Sprint, Mounted Archery, Wine Appreciation, Poetry, Musical Instruments, Magic, Fishing, Smithing, Woodcraft, Medicine, Surgery]
Among the many skills, Magic immediately caught Ian's attention.
"Explain this Magic option," Ian thought at the system.
"The 'Magic' option provided by the scroll is merely a general category. Players must first select a magical tradition, then choose a specific ability," came Annie's mechanical voice in response.
Hearing this, Ian selected [Magic] from the options.
[Old Gods System - requires First Men bloodline - currently available]
[Faith of the Seven System - requires Andal bloodline - currently available]
[Drowned God System - requires Ironborn bloodline - currently unavailable]
[R'hllor System - no bloodline requirement - currently available]
[Water Magic - requires Rhoynar bloodline - currently unavailable]
[Many-Faced God System - no bloodline requirement - requires membership in the House of Black and White - currently unavailable]
[Valyrian Sorcery System - requires Valyrian Dragonlord bloodline - currently unavailable]
[Asshai Shadow Magic System - no bloodline requirement - requires entering the city of Asshai - currently unavailable]
[Note: Subject to meeting prerequisites, players may learn multiple magical traditions through the 'Basic Skill Selection Scroll']
(End of Chapter)
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