Seeing Daenerys's puzzled look, Barristan introduced, "Your Majesty, this is Earl Darren Reylle. He served Prince Rhaegar, your brother, and fought alongside me at the Battle of the Trident."
Hearing that this man had been a loyal subject of her brother Rhaegar, Daenerys quickly helped him to his feet. "Earl Darren, why are you in Yunkai?"
Though Darren was an earl, his attire resembled that of a vagrant.
Glancing at Barristan, who looked equally puzzled, Darren smiled wryly. "I was gravely wounded at the Battle of the Trident and fell into the Green Fork during the chaos. When I awoke, I learned that Prince Rhaegar had fallen. Unwilling to swear fealty to Robert, yet fearing to implicate my family, I have wandered abroad ever since."
Barristan knew Robert's deep-seated hatred for Rhaegar, whom he accused of "defiling" his betrothed, Lyanna Stark. Though Robert had pardoned him, a former Kingsguard to King Aerys, he would surely not spare Rhaegar's loyal minister. Darren's flight abroad had been a necessary choice.
"Earl Darren, the Academy desperately needs scholars like you. Please keep these books for your own use—no need to donate them to the Academy," Daenerys said warmly, pleased to hear of his connection to her brother.
Though Darren looked utterly destitute, his books were meticulously clean, a testament to how cherished they were. Daenerys naturally wouldn't take what he clearly loved.
"Your Majesty, I wish to voluntarily donate these books to the Academy as a small contribution. Please accept them."
He had observed the book collection point earlier; only a few books had been gathered. His own volumes, which he had read countless times, he would gladly donate to the Academy, especially now that it was being established.
Hearing Darren's words, Daenerys no longer refused. She instructed Eli to wrap the books carefully to prevent damage.
"Darren! I thought you were dead! I never expected you to go abroad," Barristan said, his face lighting up at the reunion with an old friend.
Knowing they would have much to discuss, Daenerys asked Barristan to accompany Darren temporarily. With Drogon by her side, she felt no need for concern.
As she walked away, Daenerys pondered how to accommodate Darren. Barristan, who knew him well, would be the perfect person to consult.
With the addition of her brother's former retainer, Daenerys's confidence in the Academy's establishment grew.
The registration of applicants continued until dusk. That evening, Missandei, along with Eli and others, began tallying the registered personnel from the lists.
Looking at the collected books, Daenerys remembered Drogon's thoughts from earlier that day. She turned to Missandei, who had just finished her work, and said, "Missandei, you know dozens of languages. Could you compile your own language learning books for the Academy's future teaching?"
"Compile my own language books?" Missandei, exhausted, immediately widened her eyes at Daenerys's words. She had never considered such a task before.
From childhood, she had possessed a natural talent for languages. Several Wise Masters had kept her by their side as a translator. She learned all her languages through oral communication, only gradually learning to read and write them later.
For some obscure dialects, she didn't even know how to write them, only how to speak them. She had never heard of books specifically designed for language learning. If she could create such books herself, it would greatly benefit students learning new languages.
The idea of the future Academy using her own books for teaching filled her with a sense of profound satisfaction.
As Missandei pondered this, her excitement grew. She never imagined that her "seemingly trivial" talent for languages could one day be used to create books. For someone who had once been a slave, this was an almost unimaginable prospect.
"Your... Your Majesty, I'm willing to write a language learning book and teach others with it!" Missandei's eyes shone with excitement as she eagerly agreed, looking at Daenerys.
Just as I suspected! Drogon watched the excited Missandei, trying to remain calm, but he couldn't stay put any longer. With a flap of his wings, he left Daenerys's shoulder and soared into the sky.
Daenerys was puzzled by Drogon's sudden departure. Just before he left, he seemed to say "Just as I suspected"—what could that mean?
Not dwelling on it, Daenerys turned her attention back to the enthusiastic Missandei, and they began planning how to write the language learning book.
---
The Dragon Mother really knows what I'm thinking! I've been manipulated all this time and only just realized it.
No wonder I haven't gotten any decent transmigration benefits. Turns out I'm just a supporting male character—the Dragon Mother is the real protagonist.
As expected of an acting queen, she's been fooling me for so long!
I can't stand it anymore. This is worse than being stripped naked and thrown before the Dragon Mother, even though I don't have clothes to be stripped of.
Drogon's mind raced with complaints, and he couldn't help but let out a long, mournful sigh at the sky. "This is such a scam!"
Being tricked by King's Glory's truly atrocious skill into a dragon's lair was one thing, but to have the Dragon Mother secretly know his inner thoughts? That was just the pits.
He instantly felt like he couldn't live or stay near the Dragon Mother anymore. Even a son shouldn't let his mother casually read his mind, let alone someone who wasn't even his mother.
After a wave of frustration, he gradually calmed down. He carefully reviewed his interactions with the Dragon Mother, recalling her several peculiar decisions. Slowly, he realized that while she knew some of his thoughts, she didn't know most of them. Things weren't as bad as he'd imagined.
Not all his thoughts were accessible to the Dragon Mother, or perhaps some barrier prevented her from prying into his mind.
But which thoughts remained hidden, and what was this barrier?
After much contemplation, Drogon couldn't figure it out. He decided to test the Dragon Mother to discover what was limiting her ability to read his mind.
Of course, this test couldn't be discovered by the Dragon Mother, or how would he ever be able to interact with her again?
Another sleepless night followed. Drogon spent the entire night on a tree branch, practicing entering... meditation.
The next day, book registration and acquisition continued, but the crowds of onlookers and applicants had dwindled significantly.
After tallying the results, Daenerys decided to conduct face-to-face assessments—interviews—today for those who had registered yesterday. The goal was to evaluate their true capabilities, determine their eligibility for the Academy, and assess their suitability as teachers or administrators.
Of course, the interviews could only provide a rough assessment. They were unable to evaluate subjects like agriculture, construction, or music, as the interviewers were all laymen. They could only observe the proceedings with interest, unable to discern the true expertise of the candidates.
Darren had already arranged accommodations the previous night. When Daenerys inquired about his academic qualifications, Barristan suggested he be appointed as a teacher.
With the army soon to march on Meereen, Darren could be stationed in Yunkai. His considerable learning, combined with a garrison of troops, would allow him to manage the city effectively for Daenerys.
Darren was also listed as one of the lead assessors for the interviews. The other official assessors included Daenerys, Missandei, and Jorah and Barristan, who were reluctantly pulled into the role.
Though primarily skilled in combat, their extensive experience allowed them to judge the general level of the candidates, even in areas where they lacked specialized knowledge.
Neither of them had ever imagined they would one day be sitting at a table assessing others, finding the experience utterly novel. The others felt much the same, having never undergone such an undertaking before.
-----------------------
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