Chapter 174: Pentos Rhapsody (Part 7)
"Where is this?" Viserys alighted from the carriage, lifting his red hood. The setting sun's rays were somewhat blinding, and he shielded his eyes with his hand, complaining to Ian. "You said you'd help me be rid of Illyrio and find me a place. But you brought me to the streets! And we're surrounded by Illyrio's Unsullied. What sort of mummery is this?"
Seeing Viserys about to erupt in anger, Ian remained expressionless, ignoring him.
"Ian? Are you even listening to me?" Ian's coldness offended Viserys.
"Oh, yes, Your Grace, we're still being watched by a group of Unsullied, but soon, you'll be rid of them." Ian said, squinting.
"Is that so? What are you going to do?"
"Do you know why I brought you here?" Ian whispered in Viserys's ear.
"Why?" Viserys was somewhat displeased with Ian's tone, but thinking of possessing his sister soon, he held back.
"Because before I set off, I conducted a very detailed reconnaissance of the surrounding area with my falcon, and discovered that Hazan and his men had deployed four sentry posts outside Illyrio's manse, and this one is located at the crossroads leading to the port and the mountaintop temple. Once we take them out, Hazan will lose track of my movements for a short time."
"What are you talking about?" Viserys looked completely bewildered.
"Look up, Your Grace, look up. To your left, there's a small building. See what's on the roof?" Ian continued to whisper in Viserys's ear, then moved away.
Viserys was still confused, but he still looked up in the direction Ian indicated, and then his expression turned to shock.
Because in the place Ian had described, he saw a crossbowman aiming at him, and the man was no more than ten yards away—a distance even a child wouldn't miss. Moreover, Viserys recognized the man with the crossbow—Denzel the Dornishman, Ian's squire.
"Farewell, Your Grace, you are free." Viserys heard Ian's whisper behind him, and then a crossbow bolt struck him squarely in the chest.
Blood soaked Viserys's red robes, and before he could even ask why, he fell backward to the ground.
"Assassins!" Ian roared immediately, throwing himself before Viserys, seemingly trying to shield him from any further bolts.
"Dovaogedys!" The Unsullied squad leader with two spikes on his helm shouted in High Valyrian to the soldiers around him, urging them on. "Aderi!"
Soon, fifty Unsullied split into two groups, quickly forming a shield wall around Ian and the carriage.
"What happened?" Daenerys heard the commotion outside the carriage and lifted the curtain in confusion, only to see her brother lying on the ground covered in blood, with Ian guarding him.
Then, a scream came from inside the carriage.
"Get down! Your Highness." Celia, who was also in the carriage, quickly reached out and lowered the curtain. "The Usurper's assassins are nearby, and you're one of their targets."
"The Usurper's assassins? How could that be?" Daenerys was clearly shocked, tears streaming down her face uncontrollably. "Viserys, how is Viserys?" she asked anxiously.
"His Grace..." Celia wanted to say something to comfort Daenerys, but the words wouldn't come out.
Ian hadn't told her about this part of his plan beforehand, so when Viserys was struck down, Celia herself was startled. However, she quickly realized that it was all Ian's arrangement. Ian only intended to take Daenerys—this capricious beggar king was no longer of any value to him.
So, was there any hope for Viserys's survival?
No hope. So Celia suddenly didn't want to say anything that would give Daenerys false hope—it would only add to her sorrow.
"No," Daenerys seemed to realize something from Celia's expression, and in an instant, an extremely complex emotion welled up in her heart.
Was it sadness? Or shock? Perhaps even a touch of relief mixed with guilt?
She herself didn't know. More than anything, it was confusion—the confusion of losing one's anchor, the confusion of being utterly alone.
Celia didn't speak again, deciding to give the girl some time to grieve alone. She turned her gaze out the window again and saw that Ian had already carried Viserys's body to the carriage and loaded it inside.
"Unsullied, heed my command!" After doing this, Ian turned and pointed to the building adjacent to the assassin's location—the sellsword stronghold of Hazan's men. "Clear that building! Kill all the assassins! Avenge His Grace!"
Upon receiving Ian's order, the Unsullied immediately split into two groups. One group remained on guard around Ian and the others, while the other group rushed toward Hazan's outpost without hesitation.
"We have to go," Ian explained to Daenerys in the carriage, then lowered the curtain and mounted his horse.
"To the port." He didn't wait for the departing Unsullied, directly ordering the remaining men.
Marte Tetrus, the eldest son of Magister Tetrus, led his house's elite cavalry, quickly breaking through the disorganized resistance of the merchant guild militia, and arrived outside Illyrio's largest manse.
The plan was to meet Hazan here and then jointly command the army to divide and annihilate Illyrio's forces.
However, to his surprise, he had been waiting for a long time, even commanding thousands of men to surround Illyrio's manse, but Hazan's army had yet to appear.
Worse still, he received troubling news.
A scout returning from the Council Palace reported that the palace was sealed. This puzzled him, as the sealing of the Council Palace was a sign that the Grand Council was conducting a trial. To prevent any external interference or the transmission of information during the trial, the guards of the Council Palace would take such action.
However, according to the plan his father had told him that morning, their actions today did not include initiating a trial in the Council Palace. After all, they could not possibly sentence Illyrio to death by vote, and initiating a trial would be a waste of time.
This variable made Marte Tetrus restless and vaguely uneasy.
Especially the rumors circulating throughout Pentos today about 'the Prince having allied with Illyrio,' which only amplified his unease.
Fortunately, Hazan didn't keep him waiting any longer. About ten minutes later, Hazan and his cavalry arrived outside the gates of Illyrio's manse.
"Why not attack immediately?" Hazan's first words upon arrival were a question.
"Attack immediately?" Marte Tetrus chuckled. "Everyone knows that Illyrio's manse houses his most elite Unsullied. How could I possibly attack alone without your help?"
"We were delayed on the way, and my assault encountered considerable resistance. Illyrio's merchant militia, with the help of the Unsullied, built barricades to block our advance," Hazan explained patiently, somewhat displeased. "Many of my men haven't broken through their lines yet."
"Is that so? Then why didn't my assault encounter any resistance at all?" Marte was skeptical of Hazan's words, but the soldiers around Hazan were indeed covered in blood, so he didn't question him further. Instead, he asked, "By the way, the Council Palace is sealed. This is a signal that a trial is taking place in the Grand Council. Can you explain what's going on?"
"A trial? The Council Palace is sealed?" Hazan frowned and shook his head. "I haven't received any such news. Since entering the western district, we've been embroiled in fighting with Illyrio's merchant militia, and I haven't received any new information since."
"So, that wasn't your plan?" Marte asked immediately.
Then, both Marte and Hazan's expressions turned grim.
Clearly, things had taken an unexpected turn.
(End of Chapter)
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