Game of Thrones: The Black Dragon King

In Meereen, the council chamber of the Great Pyramid was brightly lit. The chandeliers were hung with spiced beeswax candles, and the flames on the lampstands emitted the fragrance of whale oil and laurel oil. The light was diffused throughout the room by the reflection of bronze mirrors, and olive wood and laurel wood burned in the fireplaces around the room.

Despite the firelight and the scent of fine spices trying to create a warm and comfortable atmosphere, the council chamber was far from cozy. Servants waiting for orders tried to lower their breathing, and passing slaves tried to walk as quietly as possible; only the patrolling Unsullied continued to clatter their footsteps in unison.

The heads of prominent families such as Daznak, the Kalal family, Graza, and Hazaka sat in the hall. Many of their faces, and even half of their bodies, were shrouded in shadow, making it impossible to see their features or expressions.

At the head of the table, Kratz Daznak, the patriarch of the Daznak family, said grimly, "Let's talk about the losses first."

The clerk, bowing low, reported: "As you command, my sir, under your wise command and with the strong support of all the holy lords, the city's defense forces fought bravely..."

"Bang!" A wine glass smashed directly onto his door.

"Numbers!" the cold voice commanded without room for argument.

The clerk slave showed no dissatisfaction, not even a groan, letting the blood mixed with wine slowly flow down his forehead: "Yes, my Light, Daznak family: your two nephews and one daughter are dead, and 12 family members are injured; the underground vault has been completely looted, with losses of no less than 400 million gold coins; the first and second levels of the pyramid and the first basement level have been completely destroyed by fire, and half of the third level has been burned down; 15 shops and warehouses on the street have been destroyed; 235 Unsullied have been lost, 254 guards have been lost, and 389 slaves of various kinds have been lost. This is the current death toll. Considering that there may be more wounded who succumb to their injuries later, the death toll will increase. In summary, the conservative estimate of the losses is no less than 500 million gold coins."

"The Karal family..." Spicy liquor mixed with viscous blood slowly flowed into his eyes, the stinging burning sensation making the clerk slave extremely uncomfortable, and his vision became increasingly blurry. However, under the pressure of the great master's majesty, he dared not wipe it away, but instead tried to continue recounting the losses of each family by relying on his blurred vision and previous work memories.

"The Kalal family: A corner of the pyramid was burned, seven shops and warehouses on the street were burned, 17 Immaculates were lost, 69 guards were lost, and 193 slaves of various kinds were lost. The loss is approximately 250,000 gold coins."

"The Graza family: Three shops and warehouses on the street were burned down, a gladiator school was burned down, 35 Unsullied were lost, 69 guards were lost, 72 gladiators were lost, and 193 slaves of various kinds were lost. The estimated loss is 310,000 gold coins."

"The Hazaka family's shops and warehouses were burned down..."

"Furthermore, the heinous acts of arson and the rampage of the dragons in the streets have instilled panic among merchants, and so far, 30% of the merchant ships that were originally scheduled to trade in Meereen have left port..."

"In conclusion, this robbery, arson, killing, dragon escape, and slave revolt have caused no less than 800 million gold coins in direct losses and no less than 200 million gold coins in indirect trade losses to the great Meereen and its great lords. In addition, it has caused great damage to the prestige and reputation of the great Meereen..."

After the report was completed, the clerk knelt down and presented the loss statistics with both hands.

The hall remained silent for a long time.

"Have you found out who it is?"

"There's a suspect, the mercenary leader known as the Iron Wall and the Liberator."

Are you sure?

"Uncertain, but suspect!"

"Tell me about the suspicions?"

"The heavily armored soldiers and archers who raided the Great Pyramid were dressed in peculiar attire, all wearing spiral helmets, chainmail, and small plates pieced together at vital points. The weapons they used were also similar: the scimitars they had previously displayed in the arena, and very short but powerful bows. Half of his cavalry were dressed in this style."

The head of the Hazaka family questioned, "Nearly a thousand people attacked us, but the Black Dragon Gang's numbers haven't changed. On the day of the incident, half of them were still out partying in the city's taverns, brothels, and gambling dens!..."

"He had a quarrel with Pardara, the steward of the Daznak family, in the arena. He does not approve of our customs and does not respect our traditions."

"This can be considered evidence?" The head of the Graza family sneered. "Many outsiders come and go from Meereen every day, and not everyone can appreciate the grandeur of the Grand Arena."

"The servant reported that that fool Pardara boasted about his family's wealth in front of him. He even provided specific amounts and locations!"

"That idiot gets as excited as a dog in heat when he's drunk or watching sports, and he's bragged about it to a lot of people!"

Kratz Daznak broke another cup.

"As the hunting dogs followed the scent, several of them found their way to the camp."

"It could be a supply convoy, or a group of ruffians returning to camp. With so many people, even the Hound could make a mistake."

"It cannot be ruled out that a small group of people broke away and escaped into the camp."

"Pardala hired them to hunt down the escaped group. During this time, our informants took the opportunity to investigate their camp. There were no clues about the whereabouts of the people or the gold. Nearly 12 pounds of gold and silver could not have been hidden so well."

"They entered first through the east gate, and that mercenary's camp was also outside the east gate. Whether our attackers were entering or leaving the city, they all passed by his camp. With such a commotion that night, he couldn't have missed it. You know, we're never stingy with generosity towards those who show us friendship! A mercenary might let his guard down, but he won't lose his sense of the bounty!"

"His reaction to the gladiatorial contest with the Blood Alliance Guards was as if he had been humiliated. Later, lured by the bounty, he joined the fight, but afterwards he meticulously documented every family that mocked him or bribed him. Coincidentally, these were also the families that suffered the most!"

"!"

"I have a feeling it's him!"

"Regardless of whether he is or not, before being caught red-handed, he was a merchant. I solemnly remind everyone here that as the most important trading city-state on the continent of Essos, commercial reputation is the lifeline upon which our city survives. Acting rashly without solid evidence will greatly hinder our commerce. You don't want to lose trade and for your city to decline, do you?"

"You're speaking up for that arsonist and robber."

"A suspect, or a suspect for whom there is no conclusive evidence to prove he committed a crime."

"Favoritism!"

"So this is favoritism? We're competitors! My family didn't suffer any losses, and they even helped my relative before!"

"traitor!"

"Watch your tone! The Lorac family's strength surpasses that of your Pal family!"

"Enough! Quiet!"

······

"I understand your concerns, but I also feel it necessary to remind you, my esteemed lords, that as long as the sinner remains at large, as long as he is still at large, the shame of incompetence and weakness will forever haunt us. The dignity and reputation of the great Meereen will continue to erode with the fermentation of rumors. This immense shame is like an ugly wound that never heals, constantly amplifying our direct and indirect losses. The final loss may far exceed 1000 million gold coins, and such a huge price has left us with no room to consider 'procedural justice'! We need a criminal! My lords!"

"In times of crisis, we need everyone's decisiveness. Let's vote, everyone."

"Daznak, I agree!"

"Kalal, I agree!"

"Graza, I agree!"

"Hazaka, I agree!"

"Kantak, I agree!"

"Lorak, I object!"

"Marik, I agree!"

"Naqian objects!"

"Par, I agree!"

······

Twenty pyramids, twenty representatives of the Great Lord's family, 16 votes in favor, 4 votes against.

"Then it's settled. Pardara took that mercenary leader out of the city to pursue them. It's already the second day, so there's probably no result. Whether he's really helping to catch the thief or he's crying wolf, he's bought us time. We need to be prepared now."

"First and foremost, we need manpower. The city defense troops are a bunch of good-for-nothings; we need more Unsullied!"

"What quantity is appropriate?"

"He was able to hold off and defeat more than three thousand Dothraki with five hundred infantrymen and a small cavalry force. Now he has fourteen hundred men under his command, and to be on the safe side, he would need twice that number of Unsullied to capture them."

"We don't need that many. The Black Dragon Legion only has a little over four hundred veterans left, the rest are slaves he recruited in the wasteland. A thousand Unsullied will be enough."

"Three thousand, I suppose. This incident has exposed the inadequacy of Meereen's defenses, and we need to strengthen the city's defenses."

"Then three thousand?"

"agree!"

"agree!"

"agree!"

······

This was beneficial to all members of the ruling class, and the proposal passed unanimously.

"The Daznak family has purchased 800 Unsullied."

"The Caraller family has purchased 500 Unsullied."

"The Graza family has purchased 300 Immaculates."

"The Hazaka family has purchased 200 Immaculate Ones."

······

"All families should gather the agreed amount of gold and silver at the dock as quickly as possible to load onto the ship. The messenger shall depart today! Bring the Unsullied back before that man returns to the city."

"Leave it to me. Our family and the Graztan family of Astapo have been related by marriage for generations, so we have a say in the purchase of the Unsullied."

"agree!"

······

"Secondly, we need to make arrests. We must ensure that no one is missed; we must capture or kill them all. This is crucial for the next step of the plan."

"Setting up an ambush on their return journey would be a good option."

"Should we contact Pardara and have him and his mercenaries stall in the wasteland for a while longer?"

"That works, let's do it!"

"An army cannot be leaderless; we need a military commander."

"The Caraller family recommended my nephew."

"That's a pig! The eldest son of the Hazaka family is a much better choice!"

"That kid's swordsmanship is quite good, but has he ever touched anything made of iron?"

"Recommended by the Caraller family..."

"Quiet! This concerns the safety of Meereen and the common interest of everyone here. We need someone with genuine military talent! Same as always, vote!"

······

"Finally, there is the evidence, which is a crucial step. We need solid, irrefutable proof to convince everyone that Reed Seris committed the crime, so as to effectively stop the situation from escalating."

"I believe that the whip and the branding iron will make him confess."

"Just in case, we can pool together some gold coins and stamp them with Daznak's logo."

"No need. Mercenaries can change their tune at any time, and even a single hair on our head is more valuable than the legs of a small merchant or a mercenary leader!"

"What about his business partner, that businessman from Pentos? If he's willing to make accusations, it would be very weighty testimony."

"That works. We can send someone to try and bribe him. If he refuses, we can punish him as well."

······

Parliamentary systems are often described as chaotic and inefficient, but the high efficiency they can generate under the dual pressure of self-interest and external forces is astonishing.

A large net was quickly cast to target Reed.