While Firegrass Manor's exterior was plain, its interior was elegant and tasteful. The craftsmanship of the Three Daughters was exceptionally high, and Gendry couldn't help but admire it.
The Mercenaries, led by their captain, The Handsome Man, arrived at the manor's reception hall. After ascending the steps, they saw a marble-decorated floor and beautiful Myr tapestries depicting hunting scenes on the walls. The Mercenary brothers sat on benches, while the Steward and The Handsome Man sat at the highest point.
Serving the dishes were an old cook and male and female slaves with lifeless eyes. Firegrass Manor had several layers of walls, making a siege much harder than a field battle, so slaves could certainly be used. However, the Myr people would rather trust Mercenaries than arm slaves. The Three Daughters had a ratio of three slaves to one Free Folk, and the Myr nobles had to carefully manage and use them.
A series of aromas wafted through the air: smoked chicken, sea fish, fried pork chops, mushroom soup, and specialty dishes from the Three Daughters—Tyroshi garlic sausages and Myr roast snails. The drinks were also eye-opening: Tyroshi pear brandy, Myr firewine, green wine, Pentos amber wine, and red and white wines from Lys; everything imaginable was available.
"Let's have a toast, everyone!" Steward Luv stood up and said. The slaves remained wooden and expressionless, like soulless puppets.
The courtyard was filled with the clear clinking sound of glasses. Half the men drank wine, and the other half drank juice. This was a rule of the Wolf Pack Company; someone always had to be sober.
Gendry savored the delicious food before him; the taste was truly excellent. He had never seen such a lavish feast. In King's Landing, he remembered hunger from his childhood, and although he had enough to eat and wear at the smithy, an apprentice's food would never be this delicious.
"You've really outdone yourself this time, old friend!" The Handsome Man said.
"It's nothing!" The Steward laughed heartily. Everyone ate their fill, grateful for the Steward's hospitality.
"Gentlemen, we also have some beautiful female slaves who will serve you, if you wish!" The Steward dropped another bombshell.
Cheers erupted. The Wolf Pack Company's Mercenaries were not allowed to rape, but beyond that, the company did not interfere with their interactions.
"You've really outdone yourself, old friend! It seems this mission won't be simple!"
"Besides those occasional petty thieves, there must be a greater hidden danger, right?" The Handsome Man asked softly and quickly.
"You guessed correctly!" Steward Luv whispered. "With gunpowder herb so expensive today, besides raiders, the Archon also fears another possibility: merchants hoarding gunpowder herb hiring people to destroy our manor, burn it down, and send gunpowder herb prices skyrocketing even further!"
"But what about the gunpowder herb the Archon himself is hoarding?" The Handsome Man asked.
"For the election year, the Archon has already converted his stored aged gunpowder herb into gold. He must hold firmly onto the remaining gunpowder herb."
...The Archon elections in the Three Daughters were a brutal struggle of money and power. In Tyrosh, for example, the rulers, called Archons, were elected through threats and bribery—which the Tyroshi considered legitimate: how could a candidate who couldn't even bribe his way to office be fit to rule their city?
"Alright, I hope the next few months pass peacefully!"
After eating and drinking their fill, the Mercenaries returned to their rooms. Some went to find female slaves, while others went to stand guard.
"Your Highness, while the Disputed Lands are fertile, they are not a good place to establish a foothold!" Maester Qyburn said softly as he and Gendry returned to their room.
"Tell me your thoughts, Maester Qyburn!"
"The Disputed Lands are in the middle of the Three Daughters. The Three Daughters, and Volantis, would hardly allow an independent king to exist! And there are these troublesome pirates and Mercenaries; each of them thinks highly of themselves and will not obey."
"The Ninepenny Kings once achieved it!" Gendry said softly.
"It's too difficult. Besides, the Ninepenny Kings had merchants, Mercenaries, or pirates, and the powerful Golden Company. But us!" Qyburn mused. The Ninepenny Kings' strength was formidable in its time.
"Where there's a will, there's a way. I think the Ninepenny Kings didn't unearth an even greater power!" Gendry's eyes glinted with coldness. Freeing slaves might not be a bad method; it would bring some entirely new changes to the world.
"You mean freeing slaves?"
Gendry nodded.
"That idea is too crazy, like unleashing the fires of purgatory! Slaves cannot be easily freed!" Maester Qyburn was greatly astonished. "Slavery is one of the core elements of world trade. Although for thousands of years, the Seven Kingdoms have had no slaves, and the old gods and new gods abhor slavery, no King of Westeros would dare to defy half the world that supports slavery in this way. Even the Braavosi only beat up Pentos. Opposing slavery means opposing the Three Daughters, opposing Volantis, opposing Slaver's Bay!"
"Chaos brings new life. Our only foothold is the Stepstones and the Disputed Lands. Besides, this is just an idea; the road is long."
Qyburn pondered in silence. Gendry's idea was mad, and no one had ever attempted it.
Then the Old Maester said, "I will do everything in my power to help you. I hope that one day, the world will move according to your will."
"However, you might have another path!" Maester Qyburn said mysteriously again. "There is a pair of exiled siblings who strike fear into the great figures of King's Landing."
"You mean the Beggar King and his sister?"
"Yes!" Maester Qyburn nodded. "Although House Targaryen has lost their throne, many nobles still secretly curse King Robert as a usurper and acknowledge the true dragon bloodline."
"Let's talk about it later!" Gendry thought for a moment. Strengthening himself was the main priority.
Although this idea was crazy, if a Bastard and an exiled princess could truly return to Westeros, that would stir up trouble. But Daenerys and Viserys were currently well-protected by the fat Archon of Pentos, leaving no opportunity to intervene... "Come on, lad!" The next morning, on the training ground of Firegrass Manor, The Handsome Man told Gendry to raise his weapon. The Handsome Man's longsword dance was formidable.
Gendry wielded his Iron Hammer, each strike heavy and powerful.
The two went back and forth in the training arena. Although no blood splattered, they displayed the surging beauty of power.
The blunted Iron Hammer used for training made a sharp sound. Gendry seemed to enter a berserk state, striking The Handsome Man again and again.
"Again!" Gendry roared, urging The Handsome Man to deliver faster and fiercer attacks!
The Handsome Man was drenched in sweat until his blunted longsword shattered.
Gendry stood in the arena, his armor dented by the blunted longsword, his cloak ripped to shreds.
"Surrender!" The Handsome Man uttered two words.
"It won't be long before my position might have to be yielded to you!"
Sharp cheers and praises then erupted in the square. "Iron Hammer! Iron Hammer!"
"I'm next!" Another Mercenary brother stepped forward. His nickname was Longspear, and he wielded his Longspear with uncanny skill.