Game of Thrones: The Road to Pirate King

Chapter 449 Return Journey - Homecoming

The fleet began to turn westward, the waves cleaved by the bows of the ships leaving the newly conquered East behind.

This epic expedition began at the Iron Islands, passing through the Summer Islands, Thunder Isles, Qarth, and the Helicopter Islands—until it reached the Shadowlands of Asshal, and finally planted the Kraken flag on the far east of the known world—the Isle of Uth.

Now, it's time to return home.

On the deck, all the Ironborn were caught in a complex mix of emotions.

They stroked the heavy gold and jewels in their bags, a real and abundant harvest; in their minds, the wonders they had never imagined in their lives were imprinted: the Black Stone Tower of Asshal, the blind fish of the Ash River, and the alluring yet dangerous green coast of Urtes.

A surge of ecstasy and satisfaction welled up within him, but an indescribable sense of melancholy also crept in. The great adventure was drawing to a close, and the legendary chapter had turned to its return journey.

Someone whispered the first thought, and it quickly spread throughout the fleet like a sea breeze: "We—we're going home."

The voice contained weariness, anticipation, longing for loved ones and homeland, and a deep affection for this endless, unknown sea and the legend that had just been created.

The sails billowed in the west wind, carrying their wealth, their stories, and hearts completely reshaped by the sea and the distant horizon, sailing towards the Iron Islands known as home.

The massive Iron Islands fleet sailed to the waters near Thunder Island and began to slowly disperse.

Ships from each island, laden with their spoils and stories, sailed toward the Iron Islands, leaving countless intersecting wakes on the sea.

Euron's flagship "Zhiyuan" and its eight hundred core Iron Citizens temporarily broke away from the tide of returning home, like a lurking beast, quietly anchoring in the waters off Thunder Island.

There was no grand ceremony, nor a lengthy farewell.

Euron and the warrior queen Alicia boarded the dragons—the ancient thousand-year-old dragon Halsien and the agile shadow pterosaur spread their wings and carried them straight to the Isle of Women.

As the dragon's shadow swept across the shores of the Isle of Women, Alicia, surrounded by her guards, stepped steadily onto the warm, moist land of her homeland. She looked back at Euron on the dragon's back, her gaze complex.

"I will come back when the child is born." Euron's voice pierced through the wind high in the sky and clearly reached her ears.

Euron did not return to the Iron Islands with the fleet. The dragon's head turned, tracing a graceful arc, and carried him swiftly in another direction—his destination being Qarth, the city renowned for its spices and gold.

The sea breeze whirred fiercely in his ears, carrying a hint of urgency. Because there, Lisa was still waiting.

Wait for Euron to crown her with a crown.

In the palace of Qarth, forged from white jade and gold, Lisa Garfield appeared in the deepest hall. She did not come as a merchant or lobbyist, but with the Garfield family's long-sealed bloodline certificates and tokens.

The audience was a solemn and secretive affair.

The royal elders, rulers older than the city itself, examined the ancient scrolls recording bloodlines and oaths, and Lisa's emerald eyes, so like those of a forgotten princess. After days of scrutiny and silence, an echo finally resounded from the depths of the palace.

The ancient ceremony was held on the night when the stars were brightest.

Lisa stood before the royal family members and underwent a symbolic bloodline verification—not a simple blood test, but a more mystical ritual that resonated with the magical underbelly of the city. As her aura faintly harmonized with the ancient protective magic of Qarth, the head of the royal family, an elderly prince who almost never showed his face, gently touched the ground with his scepter.

"In the name of the ancient blood of Qarth and the eternal wall," his voice, though aged, carried an unquestionable authority, "we acknowledge the royal blood flowing in Lisa Garfield's veins, and her rightful status and honor."

The following day, a proclamation bearing the royal insignia was sent by messengers to every corner of the city, from the tallest spice tower to the noisiest port district.

The announcement was concise and powerful, officially informing the entire city of Qarth that Lisa Garfield had been recognized by the royal family and reinstated to the royal lineage.

This news was like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, instantly creating huge waves in Qarth's power structure.

Lisa's identity was no longer merely that of an heiress to a fortune or the companion of a conqueror; she was now shrouded in an ancient and orthodox aura originating from this city.

When the news of Lisa Garfield's royal blood spread throughout the city through official announcements, the thirteen powerful figures at the heart of Qarth's power gathered, unusually, in the council chamber of the star-studded palace in Zarona.

A heavy atmosphere, a mixture of shock and speculation, filled the air.

"This news is quite sudden." A tycoon known for his caution spoke first, his knuckles unconsciously tapping the jewel-encrusted armrest of his chair.

"No one would have guessed she was royalty!?" another person chimed in, his voice filled with disbelief. "She's been in Qarth for months, attending all sorts of banquets and parties, and has already established partnerships with many of the merchant guilds here." His gaze swept over several tycoons who had done close business with Lisa.

This was precisely the key to the confusion and unease among all the tycoons. Melanie Rogar, her indigo-nailed fingers entwining her amber beads, whispered, "She had so many opportunities—so many occasions—to easily reveal her identity. Why choose now?"

"She laid the groundwork for so long," shipping magnate Aris Dassos said in a deep voice, his eyes sharp, "using commercial cooperation to lull us into a false sense of security, using the power of the Iron Islands to intimidate us, making us think of her only as a shrewd businesswoman and the wife of a conqueror. Now that the foundation is solid and the cooperative relationship is established, she has suddenly revealed this most deeply buried trump card—"

A brief silence fell over the council chamber. Each of the leaders was rapidly considering the same question:

In this complex game she played alone, just when everything seemed to be going according to plan, she suddenly played this powerful "royal" card. What other purpose did she have? This was far more than simply recognizing her ancestry. This sudden change in identity was like a boulder thrown into calm water; the ripples it created would inevitably and completely alter Qarth's established power structure.

A story that had been deliberately buried for more than a decade resurfaced in the memories of the Qarse elites, like a shark smelling blood – the near-extinction of the Garfield family.

Whispers began to spread in every magnificent hall and dark corner.

"Garfield—that Garfield?"

"That fire, it's said, burned for three days and three nights, leaving nothing behind."

"Wasn't it said that it was because the magic experiment went out of control?"

"Hmph, such words can only fool ignorant commoners."

The atmosphere in the council chamber, where the thirteen powerful figures had been urgently summoned, was even more eerie.

When someone "inadvertently" brought up the old story, almost all the tycoons present unconsciously turned their gazes, whether quickly or slowly, directly or subtly, to one of the men sitting there—the spice magnate Sergio Carlisle.

Sergio Carlisle, his face ashen, toyed with a dragon crystal snuff bottle in his hand, seemingly oblivious to the undercurrents around him. But everyone present knew perfectly well that the fire that had utterly destroyed the once-prosperous Garfield family had not only taken lives and destroyed their mansion, but also a coveted trading license. Sergio Carlisle was one of the tycoons who had profited the most from the division of that license.

Now, the last bloodline of the Garfield family has not only returned, but also brought with it royal glory and the support of conquerors. This sudden change in status has instantly transformed that almost forgotten tragedy from a distant past into a sword hanging over the heads of certain people, about to fall.