The situation in Myr was getting worse, as The Handsome Man's expression grew increasingly grim when Gendry looked at him!
The Bandit Mercenaries who were harassing them were now only in small numbers, not as numerous as the Bandit Knights. Furthermore, Firegrass Manor, with the cooperation of the Wolf Pack Company Mercenaries and slaves, had dug deeper and wider moats, but The Handsome Man couldn't be happy.
Governor Kasu's troubles were not limited to this manor, but extended to the city of Myr itself. The competition for the Governor's seat in the Free Cities was barely orderly, occasionally mixed with a bloody melody: assassination and poisoning.
"The Wolf Pack Company might be too closely tied to Governor Kasu!" Standing on the high wall of the manor, with the vast and beautiful landscape in the distance, The Handsome Man quietly said to Gendry. Gendry was also a man of culture within the Mercenary group, both brave and resourceful. Gendry's bravery had earned the admiration of his Mercenary brothers, as not everyone had the ability to bludgeon a Meereen Gladiator to death.
"We are just Mercenaries? Have we also gotten involved in the game of the people of Myr!"
"Hired swords lack loyalty, and Free Knights are undisciplined, but the Wolf Pack Company is different. We have a long history of cooperation with Governor Kasu's family! We have a long-term and close contract!"
Gendry understood The Handsome Man's meaning: Governor Kasu and the Wolf Pack Company supported each other. Out of blood and friendship, the Wolf Pack Company would not easily abandon the Governor. Coupled with their long-standing cooperative relationship, the Governor's enemies would also eliminate the Wolf Pack Company.
"But it's no big deal; dying in battle is a Mercenary's destiny. Riding fine horses with swords, fighting and adventuring in the Free Cities, enjoying song and dance in brothels, and finally dying in some inexplicable war – that's our life. But you are different, Child, you don't need to perish with the Wolf Pack Company!" The Handsome Man gave Gendry a heads-up.
"You are a good Child, with a great future, handsome and fearless. The Wolf Pack Company is just your first stop. Normally, a Mercenary would belong to many Mercenary groups. But we are different; Northern blood flows in our veins, and we don't want to move again!"
"Has the situation truly reached this point?" Gendry pondered. The Handsome Man's words carried a sense of entrusting a Child.
"Greybeard sent a message. This election year is not easy. Those merchants who usually supported the Governor seem to have received some hint, refusing to lend money, and the Myr bank also refused to help. That's why the Governor urgently needs gunpowder herb to exchange for gold!" The Handsome Man thought for a moment. "Without money, there's no ability to bribe or please voters."
Gendry knew the situation in the Free Cities; money was the bond of power. The most famous was the election in Volantis, but those of the Three Daughters were generally similar.
The Volantis election lasted ten days, and these ten days were also days of enjoyment for the voters. Candidates would use various methods to please the voters. During these ten days of revelry, there were torchlight parades and speeches everywhere, with many mimes, Singers, and dancers performing. Assassins would duel for the candidates they supported, and the names of candidates were written on Elephants. Some candidates even allowed their slaves to sleep with voters, doing anything just to win their votes.
"Forget it, don't think about Myr beyond our capabilities! Because Firegrass Manor is under attack, the enemy is powerful and mysterious. Plus, it's an election year, so the Governor also needs to strengthen his defenses. A group of the Wolf Pack Company will go to protect him, and another part will come to reinforce us!"
"I hope the Governor wins this time!" Gendry could only fantasize. This election scam in Myr could only be played by the local Free Folk; it wasn't something that could be solved by mere force.
"I hope so too. Go train, Little Gen!" The Handsome Man smiled and let Gendry get busy with his own affairs.
Gendry walked down the high wall of the manor and saw the beautiful, Rust-colored gunpowder herb, burning like flames. Slaves were busy everywhere. The gunpowder herb was about to mature and would be sent to Myr after being dried and roasted.
"Red! The color of the world is red!" Gendry thought. The world would end in fire, or in ice. They were already involved in the chaos of Myr.
When there were no combat missions, Gendry liked to train and learn to fight various weapons in the training ground.
The Longspear of the Longspear-man was elusive, and it used to leave Gendry's gambeson covered in scars and bumps, but Gendry had gradually become familiar with his rhythm. There was also the strange flail, which had given Gendry a lot of trouble. A flail usually consisted of a stick connected to a chain, somewhat similar to a Morningstar. The end of the chain was fitted with a metal head, with a blunt head like a hammer, or a spiked head like a Morningstar.
"Longspear! Morningstar! Flail! I'm familiar with the construction of many weapons, but the mace is still my most proficient!" A knight should be skilled in various weapons, also to adapt to battlefield situations.
Gendry only had time to rest after half a day of intense sparring. He would train late and hard; his strength and resilience earned the admiration of all the Mercenaries. Maester Qyburn came to find him again, seemingly with an urgent matter.
"Your Highness, two things. The first is that the Beggar King and his guardian have made some moves; they are hiding in Pentos," Qyburn said in a low voice. "Ever since he sold his mother's crown to sustain his life, the Beggar King has nothing left to sell. Now, perhaps only his sister remains. It would be very difficult to trade his sister for a large army; few people are interested in directly challenging the iron throne. However, our time is also very pressing."
"It is very pressing! But we need a good time to intervene. It's a bit difficult to snatch food from shrewd merchants. What's the second thing?" Gendry knew that in Pentos, the fat Governor protected and controlled the fleeing Targaryen siblings. The fat Governor was looking for a spouse for Daenerys, someone with a powerful army and the willingness to cross the sea to attack Westeros. Such a candidate was hard to find, and Khal was eventually chosen. Snatching her away required an opportune moment, not just benefiting the fat Governor for nothing.
"There's one more thing! According to smugglers, our employer seems to be having a tough time. The wealthy merchants of the Seafarers' Guild are planning to unite and oust him!"
"The Seafarers' Guild, they're pirates, aren't they!" Gendry scoffed.
"Seafarers are also pirates; they don't delay. We also need to consider getting out!" Qyburn stated his plan.
"The captain has already told me this information! We can leave at any time! But I want to wait and see; the Wolf Pack Company is, after all, the first army we've encountered."
"So you already had a plan! That's good!" Qyburn felt very secure. "Actually, there's no shortage of wealth in these nearby gunpowder herb manors, mines, and the Disputed Lands."
Gendry looked at Qyburn. If absolutely necessary, they might indeed have to rally the slaves and raid the Disputed Lands. The population was already there.
"Your Highness. King Robert was able to achieve victory with his warhammer, and there's no reason why we can't! However, besides courage, we might also need a patron. Even the exiled Targaryen descendants have patrons, and your status won't lack them." Qyburn had witnessed the stag's fearlessness on the battlefield. From bastard to king, though perilous, it was not impossible. Once the information that the King's legitimate Children were born of adultery was exposed, wealthy merchants and bankers would come sniffing around to invest in Gendry.
"Patrons are insatiably greedy, and we have too few cards. The King won the War of the Usurper but didn't fully enjoy the fruits of victory; Dorne was angry, and House Lannister was brought in through marriage." Gendry disliked achieving victory through compromise. Overall, the degree of royal centralization was not strong to begin with, and King Robert's mind wasn't focused on the throne. A House Baratheon divided into three—such a suffocating maneuver is hard to evaluate.
"You're right, but politics is always like this; it requires weighing and choosing, considering pros and cons. King Robert didn't consider using his brain; most of his alliances and compromise strategies came from Old Jon."
"The pivot and core of the throne seemed to be the King, but in reality, it was that diligent Old Jon." Gendry thought for a moment, the great alliance of the eagle, fish, wolf, and stag. The eagle was the lubricant and facilitator, even in later reconciliation with Dorne and marriage with House Lannister.
"Yes, Your Highness! The heavy burden rests on one man, but how old is Old Jon? He can't always clean up after our King. We are in Essos, and we can't afford chaos; we also need allies and supporters."