Game of Thrones: The Road to Pirate King

Chapter 439 Don't be afraid—it's just business.

Lisa Garfield stood quietly behind the high window, overlooking the labyrinthine staircases and domes of Qarth.

The subtle and cautious attitude of the city's powerful and wealthy was like ripples on a still lake, clearly reflected in her deep eyes—all of this was within her expectations.

Long before setting foot in this city of spices and gold, she had already mentally rehearsed countless times the various waves her arrival might cause. As an intelligence controller who had long remained behind the scenes, she was accustomed to breaking down every potential problem into intricate threads, and then reweaving them into a well-thought-out plan.

Whether or not to reveal her relationship with Euron was a crucial factor in all her considerations. While secrecy could facilitate her actions, sometimes a prominent identity is both the strongest shield and the sharpest spear.

However, when Euron presented her, Gwendolyn, and Evelyn with the three giant sea serpents, each powerful enough to overturn a fleet, as guardians at the moment of parting, the choice was no longer in doubt.

Such a powerful symbol is like a boulder thrown into calm water, making it impossible to conceal the connections behind it.

Since secrecy is no longer an option, then let's turn this power that cannot be hidden into our own hands.

"Since it can't be hidden," Lisa calmly weighed in her mind, "then let Euron, this most powerful pawn, be used for my purposes."

She no longer saw herself merely as Euron's appendage, but rather, she viewed the fearsome lord of the sea monsters at the ends of the earth as her fastest and most effective passport and talisman in this unfamiliar city. She would proactively use this intimidation and prestige to subtly dismantle Qarth's intricate power structure, allowing herself to establish a more rapid and stable foothold in this city of opportunity and danger, and to weave a network of intelligence and influence deep into the Jade Sea for the Iron Islands—and for herself.

The benefits that Lisa Garfield gained from openly announcing her relationship with Euron were immediate and tangible.

Ever since her statement, "Euron is my husband," spread through Qarth's power circles, the malice that had lurked in the shadows like mold in a damp corner quickly subsided. The malicious stares from the shadows that had once been felt at banquets were now few and far between; the secret plots about poisoning or arranging "accidents" that had been uncovered in the intelligence network seemed to have never existed, quietly fading into silence.

This was not because the Qarthians had suddenly become friendly, but purely due to a calculation of self-interest. It was one thing to provoke a wealthy heiress, but quite another to anger the "Lord of the Seas" behind her, who could ride dragons, burn cities and plunder territories, and control the vast seas from the Summer Sea to the Jade Sea.

That price is one that no single power in Qarth can afford, nor is willing to bear.

Thus, those potential enemies and schemers quietly left Lisa's surroundings like the receding tide, leaving her with an invisible yet incredibly safe vacuum.

Lisa Garfield's candor dispelled the venomous snakes in the shadows, but it also brought an invisible layer of frost.

The wealthy merchants and spice patrons who had once been so enthusiastic and eager to invite her now appeared unusually reserved in her presence. They still wore polite smiles, but their eyes betrayed an undisguised caution and distance. Invitations to banquets, once eagerly presented, were now few and far between, and even when she was present, they mostly only dared to offer a distant greeting, hesitant to approach her for deeper conversation.

Everyone was afraid that if they got too close to her, they would be seen as trying to curry favor with the capricious sea monster lord, which would arouse unnecessary suspicion; if they were slightly negligent, they would worry that they would offend the powerful being who was far away but could burn cities and split seas.

Between these delicate limbs, they chose the safest distance: to keep their distance with respect.

At the banquets that followed, when Lisa Garfield appeared in Qarth's magnificent drawing rooms, although the hosts maintained a facade of politeness, she could clearly sense a hint of barely concealed hatred beneath their smiles.

The root of this hatred clearly points to the islands of Mora and Great Moraque.

These two trading hubs and sources of wealth, once painstakingly controlled by the major merchants of Qarth, have now fallen into the hands of the Iron Islands and are now flying the kraken flag of the Greyjoy family. The thought of the taxes that once flowed steadily into their coffers, and the lucrative shipping routes and warehouses, now belonging to others, fills these merchants with a feeling of being repeatedly pierced by a scorpion's sting.

They dared not utter this hatred aloud, much less reveal it to Lisa. But in a secluded corner, in the private tent late at night, watching the numbers on the ledger turn crimson due to the loss of control, the piercing pain and humiliation burned within them. Their own golden dragon was now clattering and rolling into someone else's treasure chest—to say they felt no hatred whatsoever was impossible.

This suppressed resentment, like the foul smell permeating the Qarth sewers, though not visible in broad daylight, lingered persistently, becoming an undercurrent that Lisa had to deal with carefully.

Lisa saw all of this, but wasn't too surprised.

This perfectly illustrates the deep-seated nature of the Qarthians: beneath mountains of gold and fragrant spices lies their extreme caution, their timidity in seeking profit and avoiding harm, their cunning in calculation, and their fragile sense of security wrapped in endless luxury.

While her maids worried about the sudden cooling of social relationships, Lisa casually stroked a rare nightshade flower on the windowsill and said indifferently, "Since they don't come to me, I'll go to them."

In the days that followed, Lisa Garfield was frequently seen among the intricate streets and hanging gardens of Qarth. She traveled without a grand procession, accompanied only by the necessary entourage, visiting the influential merchants, guild leaders, and nobles of ancient lineage.

In each of her meetings, she skillfully drew a clear line: she never spoke of the war, nor did she use Euron's authority to intimidate. Her conversation always revolved around business.

She discussed with the Spice Prince the losses and profits from transporting precious raw materials via the new Jade Sea route; she analyzed with the Shipping Magnate the construction of larger...

The feasibility of faster merchant ships connecting East and West markets; exploring with bankers the potential benefits of establishing new credit nodes within the Iron Islands' sphere of influence.

Her speech and demeanor were those of a shrewd, pragmatic businesswoman with enormous resources.

This purely commercial approach actually eased the tension among the previously anxious Qarse elites.

When they discovered that the lady had not come to demonstrate force or demand tribute, but rather to bring real business opportunities, the door to interaction that had been closed out of fear was finally pried open a crack.