Chapter 167: Father of Dragons, Father of Slaves
On the Rhoyne River, aboard a pirate ship.
Rhaegar looked at the slaves. They might have brown skin, or perhaps black skin. Olive skin represented the Rhoynar people, black skin might be from the Summer Isles, and brown skin was likely from Slaver's Bay. Some slaves even had tattoos of fire and feces on their cheeks, proving they came from Volantis. But without exception, the slaves were all sickly and emaciated. Slave owners would not let them starve, but they would not let them become too strong either.
There were more youths than elders on the ship, and more boys than girls. This was because the latter two categories of weak individuals were more troublesome, and it was easier to simply throw them overboard. The river pirates would not treat the slaves' illnesses; if they found someone too troublesome, they would toss them into the river.
"You are free!" Rhaegar signaled to them. The shackles had been removed, the slave traders had been burned to death, and the slaves could now embrace a new life.
"Father!" A Rhoynar man with olive skin, a refugee, shouted loudly in a modified form of High Valyrian. He knelt down and kissed Rhaegar's boots.
Rhaegar shook his head, helped him up, and raised his own palm. "No one can call himself the father of others! And no one can call himself the master of others! Enslaving people is a tragic act. Your freedom must be earned through individual effort!"
But the other slaves also started shouting "Father" in different languages. They smiled at Rhaegar, knelt before him, and paid no heed to his words.
Rhaegar could basically understand them all. There are two main types of languages prevalent in the world: one is the Common Tongue of the Seven Kingdoms, and the other is Valyrian dialects. The Nine Free Cities each have their own dialects, and each dialect has its own derived vocabulary. The slave cities of Yunkai, Meereen, and Astapor have their own Valyrian dialects, mainly influenced by the Ghiscari language.
[Achievement: Language Mastery: The Ring of Wisdom flashes. You are a gifted individual in language learning, the Dragonlord who understands the languages of the known civilized world.]
Rhaegar was secretly delighted. This achievement was truly powerful. He was indeed talented at studying, but not to the extent of mastering multiple languages so completely. After all, High Valyrian and the Common Tongue were learned from childhood. The languages of the known civilized world are mainly the Common Tongue and Valyrian, but Valyrian has too many variations and inconsistent customs, making it easy to mix up when learning. The Dothraki language is also one of them, and now he could understand it too. This language ability should be kept low-key.
Rhaegar saw the slaves' voices gradually grow stronger. He heard every word; the sound began to spread. They encouraged each other, like a wave. Dozens of faces shared one smile, dozens of mouths shouted one meaningful word.
"Father!"
"Father!"
The slaves shouted in various languages. They surged forward, pushing and shoving, stumbling, kissing Rhaegar's boots or ankles. The poor Unsullied eunuch could not stop them, and Chester grumbled curses.
"Freedom! Freedom!" Rhaegar muttered to himself. If it is for the sake of freedom, everything can be cast aside. In that instant of newfound liberty, the slaves began to radiate immense vitality. The smiles of the slaves had never been so sincere.
The slaves surrounded him, shouting praises in unison, their voices echoing through the sky, startling flocks of birds.
"Father!"
"Father!"
The entire ship, the entire world, the entire river—only one sound remained:
Father.
Father of Dragons, Father of Slaves.
Chester, the Unsullied eunuch, and the Merses couple all looked in awe at the young man before them—the Dragonlord reborn who conquers all.
"My little sister, I seem to have taken your place," Rhaegar thought to himself, remembering Daenerys, who had not yet been born.
Never mind. This is the era I dominate, and freeing slaves is a supreme virtue. If you are still to be born, your elder brother hopes you will live in happiness and stability, rather than in the desperate state of a beggar. You should be a carefree princess, not a scheming ruler. Let the men accomplish the task of protecting civilization and prosperity in the Dragonlord's world with swords and dragons!
[The Liberator: The Dragonlord who opposes slavery, the herald of doom to slave masters, the leader who frees the enslaved.]
"Father!"
"Father!"
Rhaegar received much praise, and naturally, the slave masters would harbor much hatred in return. But none of that mattered.
Rhaegar began directing the slaves to clean up the mess. The corpses of the dead river pirates were piled together—some killed by Rhaegar's sword, others burned by dragonfire. These bodies needed to be dealt with quickly; the Rhoyne would not welcome corpses floating along its waters.
"Dragonfire!"
All the river pirate corpses were burned to ash, ensuring no plague would spread.
Rhaegar instructed Chester to search the ship for supplies. The slaves should not eat too much at once, lest it harm their weakened bodies. Those who were injured also needed immediate treatment.
The slaves cleaned, ate, and regained their freedom. Some knew how to sail, and now they could take control of the pirate ship. Once the blood was washed away, it would become a new vessel.
Rhaegar's journey, however, had to continue.
"You may follow me," Rhaegar said, "but I am heading downstream—to Volantis."
The road ahead was long and dangerous. What the slaves needed most now was rest.
At the mention of Volantis, fear spread among them. Many had fled from that city. Volantis, like Meereen and Yunkai, was a city where slaves far outnumbered free men. There, slaves were treated worse than livestock.
"Go to Qohor," Rhaegar instructed. "Tell them you were freed by the silver-haired, purple-eyed prince. There, you will find a place to live."
The rebuilding of Qohor required labor. For these homeless slaves, it was also the safest destination.
"Father!"
"Dragonlord!"
The slaves expressed their gratitude, then began their journey toward Qohor. Day travel was safer, and the distance was not too great.
"We will fight for the honor of House Targaryen and Prince Rhaegar!"
"We swear by the gods—we will fight for House Targaryen and Prince Rhaegar until the end!"
As they departed, they swore their oaths.
Every gain has its cost. He had earned the hatred of slave masters—but also the loyalty of the freed.
The two ships parted ways—one heading upstream, the other downstream.
"The old gods and the new will praise your compassion, Your Highness," Chester and the Merses couple said.
"It was nothing more than a simple act," Rhaegar replied.
The true difficulty was not freeing a single ship of slaves—but confronting the entire system of slavery.
Without strength, Westeros could not challenge the slave cities. This was a dangerous path—one that would anger the Free Cities. Even Braavos, powerful as it was, dared only oppose weaker targets like Pentos.
Rhaegar stood at the bow, watching the vast river stretch into the horizon.
A painting—but who would hold the brush?
"Your Highness," Chester said seriously, "you cannot save all slaves unless you wage war against the entire system. Once Qohor becomes a refuge for runaway slaves, war will follow. Even Braavos fears confronting Volantis, Myr, and Slaver's Bay together."
"Can we see suffering and remain indifferent?" Rhaegar replied.
"We cannot save everyone—but those we save gain freedom. Where there is will, there is a way."
To overturn the old order, one must stand with those it oppresses—not those who benefit from it.
Slave masters would never yield willingly.
But slaves would fight for their liberator.
Qohor's future—and Volantis's reaction—would decide everything.
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