Game of Thrones: I am Dothraki, not a barbarian

Chapter 150 Trends from all parties
For a century, the Iron Treasury had suppressed the Royal Bank, almost squeezing it out of the financial markets of the nine free cities.

Now, this supposedly dying opponent has actually sided with Lajalo. The conservatives have all died out overnight, and the radicals have taken over and chosen to side with Lajalo. This is simply the greatest humiliation since the founding of the Iron Bank.

Besaro said coldly, "What you promised has not happened. On the contrary, Lajalo now has more funds and stronger public support."

Before Tormo could defend himself, the council chamber door was suddenly pushed open, and a messenger rushed in, his face pale.

He whispered a few words in Besaro's ear, and Besaro's expression gradually changed from surprise to shock, and finally to anger.

“Speak it out, let everyone hear it,” Besaro commanded.

The messenger looked around and took a deep breath: "My lords, we have just received news that the entire army of 30,000 cavalrymen of the five divisions of Kadoc and 10,000 wolf riders of Kohor has been wiped out. Zhekokao and his 20,000 cavalrymen have sworn allegiance to Laharo!"

These words were like a heavy hammer blow, shattering the last vestige of peace in the conference hall. The audience members stood up and began to hurl insults at Tormo.

"Zeko surrendered?" Thormo felt a wave of dizziness. "How is that possible? We just promised him 40,000 gold dragons!"

"It is said that Rahalo defeated him in a duel and formed a blood pact with him," the messenger added tremblingly. "Then Zheko and Rahalo joined forces and annihilated the wolf riders in a single charge!"

The news of the complete annihilation of the Kohor wolf riders was shocking enough, but the news of Dzeko's surrender plunged the Iron Bank into panic.

Dzeko controlled the Saen River basin, and his surrender meant that several small towns in the Saen River basin would be under great threat, and the Iron Treasury's influence on the Dothraki steppe would be greatly weakened.

Thormo was on the verge of collapse, and his meticulously planned military operation had come to naught!

He invested a lot of money, but not only did he not get any return, he also risked losing his shares!
Just then, the meeting room door was pushed open again.

"My lords!" the messenger cried breathlessly, "Kohor...Kohor has been occupied by Lahalo! The High Priest is in exile and will soon arrive in Braavos!"

These words struck like a bolt from the blue, and the conference hall fell into a deathly silence. Everyone was stunned, unable to believe their ears.

"What?" Even Besaro was shocked. "This is impossible! Kohol had three thousand Unsullied, and they defeated a Slark army of over fifty thousand back then!"

The messenger said in a trembling voice, "Rahalo led 15,000 men disguised as wolf riders and breached the city gates. Cassio, the High Priest's assistant, surrendered to Rahalo and was appointed the new High Priest."

"Where are our branches?"

"The Kohol branch was raided, all assets were confiscated, 300,000 gold dragons fell into the hands of Lahalo, and all the moneylenders were expelled."

“What’s worse,” he swallowed, his voice lowering, “is that representatives from Rogers Bank have arrived in Cohol and announced that they are taking over all of Cohol’s financial operations. Lajalo has publicly announced that Cohol and Pentos will only accept financial services from Rogers Bank.”

Thormo's knees buckled, and he slumped into a chair.

Kohol, with a population of 200,000, is a vital commercial hub among the nine free cities. The Iron Treasury's operations there bring them millions of gold dragons in revenue annually.

Now, all of that is gone.

A furious roar suddenly erupted in the conference room, and everyone turned their anger towards Thormo.

"This is an unprecedented defeat!" Bellamy roared. "We've lost the cities of Pentos and Kohol in a single month! Not only have we lost millions of gold dragons, but letting others know that we can leave the Iron Treasury unpaid will trigger a chain reaction!"

Rebecca screamed, her voice piercing, "Tormo, it's all your fault! You underestimated us! You're incompetent!"

"Gentlemen," Besaro tapped his iron cup, producing a crisp metallic clang that silenced the commotion, "the loss of Kohol is the greatest setback the Iron Treasury has suffered in a century. It is not only a loss of money, but also a loss of prestige, and those responsible should be severely punished."

Rebecca immediately chimed in: "I propose that Thormo Frega be stripped of all his shares immediately!"

"Seconded!" the voices rang out in unison.

Thormo looked around in despair; no one was willing to speak up for him. The sixteen percent stake he had accumulated over most of his life, worth over ten million gold dragons, was simply wiped out.

His family's future and glory, as well as his position in the Iron Vault, were all destroyed in an instant.

Thormo's voice trembled, "At least give me one chance to make amends! My last chance!"

The council chamber fell silent, all eyes fixed on Besaro, waiting for him to make a decision.

"Gentlemen," Besaro said slowly, "who is willing to take on the task of dealing with Lahalo? This barbarian now controls two cities, has over fifty thousand Slark cavalry, and has allied with the Roger Bank. Does anyone think they can handle him?"

No one responded.

The people looked at each other, fear flickering in their eyes. Lahalo had transformed from a savage warrior they had looked down upon into a threat capable of defeating them in their most proficient areas, and no one wanted to risk it.

A mocking smile played on Besaro's lips. "Lord Tormo, this task is still yours. I suggest you give your personal property to Laharo as compensation, or personally kneel down and beg for his forgiveness—it doesn't matter."

In short, you must clean up this mess and regain the lost market share.

Pentos was the most populous and had the largest business volume among the nine free states. With the fall of Kohol, Norfos also became a dead end. The combined losses of the three city-states were extremely heavy.

If Tormo fails again, he will face a fate even worse than losing his shares.

Thormo lowered his head and closed his eyes in anguish.

Besaro glanced at him, then tapped the table. "Meeting adjourned!"

...

In just a few months, Dothraki Kaolaharo conquered the free city-states of Pentos and Kohor, shocking both known continents.

From the coastal ports of Essos to the courts of Westeros, from the summer sea to the flowing gardens of Dorne, everyone was talking about this unprecedented feat.

In Mil, the Governor's Council held an emergency meeting, the number of guards on the city walls was doubled, and construction teams worked day and night to repair the damaged walls.

However, since Tyroth, like Rhys, was on an island, he was not sensitive to the situation on land. Tyroth sent envoys with generous gifts to Pentos, hoping to reach a cooperation agreement with this emerging conqueror.

In Valantis, the Supreme Council of the Tiger and Elephant parties remained closed to the public and reportedly argued for seven days and seven nights.

Rumors spread like wildfire through the streets and alleys, and an order was quietly issued: all retired Tiger Guard members were recalled to the army, doubling the number of slave patrols.

Despite still openly referring to Rahalo as a centaur with disdain, the nobles within the Black Walls, who pride themselves on their ancient lineage, have begun to purchase large numbers of private guards.

The arms race has caused mercenary groups to skyrocket in value, earning them so much gold that contracts have been signed for ten years into the future.

The Iron Bank headquarters remained closed for three days. When the doors reopened, the Iron Bank announced an increase in interest rates for all types of loans, reportedly in response to a financial crisis caused by market competition.

The news crossed the Narrow Sea and caused varying reactions throughout Westeros.

...

King's Landing, the Red Keep.

Littlefinger sat at his desk, placing a parchment letter into the brazier. He watched the letter curl and turn black in the flames, eventually turning to ashes. His cynical smile remained on his lips, but his back was soaked with cold sweat.

Lahalo had already guessed his identity!
(End of this chapter)