Warships bearing the Black Three-Headed Dragon, the golden enraged lion, and the purple grape sigil drifted quietly outside the sea of Myr, arranged in a relatively neat formation.
Five dragons of varying sizes spread their huge wings, constantly circling high above the city of Myr.
The massive shadows they cast on the ground had long since struck fear into the hearts of Myr's defenders.
Loren Zein, the new governor of Myr, stood on the city walls, his heart also filled with awe and fear.
But publicly, he was a member of the Zein family of Braavos, and the family's high command had long since strictly adhered to the divine oracle, being irreconcilable with Jacaerys Targaryen, the claw of the evil god.
Privately, Nya, who died in King's Landing, was his daughter, and there was no way he would open the gates and surrender just like that.
A thought of the trump card he held flashed through his mind, and he called for his attendant, giving a low-voiced command.
On the deck of the Conqueror's flagship, Jacaerys was observing the city of Myr with a specially made telescope.
Seeing that the enemy had not raised a white flag as he had expected, his brow immediately furrowed.
Taking the city was easy for him now.
But as the Seven Kingdoms' first stronghold in Essos, Jacaerys wanted to keep it as intact as possible.
Especially the eastern city's workshop district in Myr, where the artisans could roughly restore some of the technology from his previous life.
"Your Majesty, a small gate in the enemy's city wall has opened, and several cavalrymen carrying white flags are coming towards us.
It looks like they're here to negotiate!"
As Jacaerys was quietly contemplating how to capture the city without losses, Lucerys, who had noticed something, suddenly spoke.
The envoys sent by the city of Myr quickly arrived at the port that had been easily occupied by King Jacaerys.
After being thoroughly searched by the Frey Family soldiers, these envoys from Myr boarded the flagship where Jacaerys was located.
They spoke in a low valyrian with a strong Braavosi accent, and Jacaerys only understood a few words.
After sending someone to find a sailor who understood Braavosi to translate, he finally understood the purpose of these envoys' visit.
Almost as soon as the sailor finished translating, Jacaerys directly drew Blackfyre and vigilance from his waist and chopped these envoys into pieces of varying sizes, as if cutting melons and vegetables.
"These scums actually dare to order us to retreat?
Someone, throw their bodies into the sea to feed the fish!"
Lucerys looked at his furious brother and asked with a puzzled expression, "Your Majesty, you just killed them.
Do you not believe what they just said, that there is enough wildfire stored in Myr to destroy the entire city?"
"No, according to Uld's statement, they have enough wildfire to destroy five cities of Myr!
But I'm a person who responds well to softness but not to hardness, and I'm never one to be threatened.
That Loren Zein is still too naive; he might have enough prestige and control in Braavos.
But the other governors of Myr will absolutely not let themselves and the entire city be buried with him.
Tch, I should have left one envoy to go back and deliver the message!"
Jacaerys heard his brother's question, shook his head slightly, and then spoke his analysis.
Duke Forrest, who was listening quietly nearby, immediately stepped forward upon hearing this and said, "Your Majesty, I am willing to act as an envoy and go deliver the message!"
In the previous naval battle of Bloodstone Island, the Frey Family suffered heavy losses but did not gain much merit; at most, they could be considered to have endured hardship.
Duke Forrest acting as the vanguard this time was originally to strive for a bright future for the Frey Family again.
Seeing an opportunity to gain merit, he naturally would not let it go easily.
"Duke Forrest, have you thought this through? I just killed their envoys.
And the words I'm sending are not pleasant; they might lay hands on you."
Jacaerys's words did not shake Duke Forrest; he nodded with a determined expression and replied, "Your Majesty, I have already thought it through.
Whether it is me or the Frey Family, we are ready to die for you at any time!"
"Very well, then this task is entrusted to you.
You must convey my words to Loren Zein exactly as they are!"
"As you command!"
About ten minutes later, Loren Zein on the walls of Myr did not wait for his envoys to return, but instead waited for Duke Forrest.
Out of caution, he did not open the small gate to welcome these enemies.
Instead, he ordered the defending soldiers beside him to drop a few baskets and pull Duke Forrest and his companions up onto the city wall.
After being searched and confirmed to have no weapons, Duke Forrest finally met Loren Zein in person.
"I am the head of the Zein family of Braavos, son of Loren Zein, acting governor of Myr, Loren Zein.
What is your name? What is the purpose of your visit this time? Also, where are the envoys I sent?"
Hearing Loren Zein's self-introduction and questions, Duke Forrest did not hide anything,
Instead, he directly replied loudly, "I am the governor of the Trident River, Duke of Twin River City, Forrest Frey.
I have come to deliver a message for Jacaerys.
As for the envoys you sent, they have been executed by our Your Majesty!"
"What did you say? Damn Westerosi savages!"
Loren Zein was immediately enraged upon hearing this; he had not expected the other party to not only kill the envoys in a dishonorable manner.
But also to send an envoy so brazenly to inform him.
This behavior could be considered a blatant public slap in the face.
But Loren Zein had good composure; he suppressed his anger and asked, "What message did that evil dragon ask you to convey?"
"Listen carefully! Your Majesty's exact words are, 'These words are not for the certain-to-die Loren Zein, but for the other governors and soldiers within the city of Myr!
The Zein family is in Braavos, so the destruction or survival of Myr has nothing to do with them.
Loren Zein's threat is useless to me; I give you three days to consider whether to open the city gates and surrender.
If you open the gates and surrender on the first day, I will only kill Loren Zein and the loyal military officers and soldiers under him.
If you open the gates and surrender on the second day, I will additionally kill twenty percent of the population of Myr.
If you open the gates and surrender on the third day, I will additionally kill fifty percent of the population of Myr.
If you do not surrender, I will slaughter all living creatures and burn Myr to ruins, just like Tyrosh before!
Also, if you kill the envoy who delivers my message.
That is equivalent to not surrendering!'"
After Duke Forrest conveyed Jacaerys's words verbatim, he continued speaking to the other lords of Myr behind the ashen-faced Loren Zein,
"Loren Zein is currently making a big gamble.
If he loses, he will only lose his life and the lives of some family soldiers.
But if you, who have been forcibly tied together with him, lose the gamble, you will lose everything.
So for yourselves, for your loved ones and families, think carefully!"
"Damn it, quickly! Behead them for me, and then send their heads to that evil dragon!"
Loren Zein turned his head and saw that the other lords of Myr behind him all had thoughtful expressions, and immediately ordered his family soldiers to kill Duke Forrest and the others.
"Wait, Governor, you aren't really going to tie us together like the other party said, are you?
You are only the acting governor now; before making a decision, it needs to be decided by a vote of everyone."
"Hmph, coward, when my Braavosi army was at the city gates, why didn't you proactively suggest voting on whether to surrender?"
"You..."
"Gentlemen, don't argue, don't argue. Don't let it affect our harmony.
However, Governor Loren.
Look at those five dragons in the sky; are you sure you want to execute the enemy envoys?
Perhaps if we hold out a little longer, reinforcements from Braavos, Pentos, Lys, and Volantis will arrive.
Therefore, my suggestion is to first take this Duke Forrest as a hostage and detain him.
After we vote, we will handle it according to the majority result!"
"Yes, yes, yes! I also agree with this statement."
"Hmm, I second that!"
Just as Loren Zein was about to completely fall out with a governor of Myr who strongly opposed him, the other governors of Myr spoke up to mediate.
After careful consideration, to avoid incurring the wrath of the majority, Loren Zein compromised and agreed to first detain Duke Forrest.
But if he didn't kill Duke Forrest, couldn't he still torture him?
After giving his personal guard captain a look, Loren Zein assigned him the task of detention.
And the governor of Myr who strongly opposed him wanted to guard Duke Forrest together, but Loren Zein flatly refused.
He ultimately assigned the governor of Myr who had remained neutral and suggested detention earlier to assist his personal guards in watching Duke Forrest.
Night gradually fell, and Lucerys, seeing that Duke Forrest had not returned for a long time, began to worry that something had happened to him.
Jacaerys, however, calmly reassured him and said a famous line from his previous life, 'Let the bullets fly for a while!'.
Lucerys naturally didn't know what 'bullets' were, but he understood that his brother meant for him to wait patiently.
So he suppressed the idea of riding a dragon to the rescue and waited silently.
The city walls of Myr were bustling with people; it was time for the changing of the guard.
Meanwhile, in the prison below the city walls, Loren Zein's personal guard captain was whipping Duke Forrest, who was tied to a cross-shaped rack, with a long whip.
The guard captain struck mercilessly, and long, thick bloody welts had been drawn on Duke Forrest's body.
"That's enough; we'll stop here for today!
You've been working hard for so long; go back and rest first; we will take over the watch!"
The governor of Myr who had remained neutral that afternoon entered the prison, flipping through the blood-stained torture tools laid out on the prison table with his left hand while speaking to the personal guard captain.
"Uh, Governor Loren told us that we must personally guard him all the time, so..."
The personal guard captain stopped whipping upon hearing the governor of Myr's words and replied with a troubled expression.
The governor of Myr raised an eyebrow upon hearing this, glanced at the other three personal guards in the cell, and nodded, saying, "Alright then! You and your men can rest for a while.
Let my men have some fun too."
"Okay, did you hear that? Come over and rest for a while!"
The other three personal guards immediately nodded and walked towards the personal guard captain upon hearing his shout.
And the four personal guards behind the governor of Myr stepped forward and exchanged positions with them.
"Oh, by the way, you've probably never seen a dragon slaughtering humans with your own eyes, have you?"
The governor of Myr picked up a sharp iron skewer from the many torture tools on the table, about the length of a dagger and as thick as a chopstick, and then suddenly asked the personal guard captain beside him.
"Uh, I really haven't... Mmm, mmm!"
The personal guard captain was just about to answer.
The governor of Myr suddenly opened his left hand and reached out, pinching his mouth into an '8' shape, and then with his right hand, he fiercely stabbed the sharp iron skewer towards the guard's neck.
"Uh, uh!!!"
The personal guard captain instinctively grabbed the governor of Myr's left hand with both hands, trying to break free and shout.
But as the sharp iron skewer stabbed terrifying bloody holes one after another in his neck, the pupils in his terrified eyes gradually widened, his hands slowly dropped powerlessly, and the mouth pinched into an '8' shape could not make any sound.
As for the other three personal guards, they were swiftly and cleanly killed by the four personal guards who were close to them at the same time the governor of Myr made his move.
"So, you just don't know the terror of dragons, which is why you dare to confront that evil dragon head-on so recklessly!"
The governor of Myr stabbed the sharp iron skewer into his neck, which was like a honeycomb full of terrifying bloody holes, one last time and then did not pull it out.
He grabbed the personal guard captain's white undershirt with both hands, wiping the blood on his hands with the white clothing while explaining the meaning of his previous words to the corpse in front of him in a heartfelt tone.
Although Duke Forrest and his companions were tightly bound hand and foot and had a large cloth stuffed in their mouths.
They clearly saw the entire process of the enemy's internal conflict.
After roughly wiping the blood from his hands, the governor of Myr smiled at Duke Forrest and said, "Gentlemen from Westeros, my name is Edmund.
I had the honor of serving Jacaerys a year ago, and now, I request to return to His command."
Duke Forrest, whose ropes were untied by Edmund's personal guards, pulled the large cloth stuffed in his mouth and said, "Cough, cough, welcome, Lord Edmund, for turning from darkness to light.
If it weren't for you, I would surely have been whipped to death by these scums.
I will relay what happened today to Your Majesty!"
Edmund's smile became even brighter upon hearing this; he nodded and replied, "Thank you, Duke Forrest; the guards outside are basically under the command of our other friends.
We can open the city gates now and welcome Jacaerys into the city.
Oh, by the way, calculating the time, today is the first day of surrender, right?"
"Of course!"
Afterwards, there was a small accident when opening the city gates; perhaps due to unease, Loren Zein actually personally led men to patrol late at night.
He happened to run into the traitors opening the gate and immediately ordered his subordinates to attack the sealed barrels containing Wildfire placed inside the city with flaming arrows.
But these sealed barrels had already been replaced with sand by the governors, so King Jacaerys entered the city without any hindrance.
Thus, Jacaerys effectively utilized the knowledge left by his ancestors from his previous life, 'The inferior strategy is to attack the city; the superior strategy is to attack the heart.'
Facing the city of Myr, which was filled with wildfire, he took it down completely without losing a single soldier.