Harrenhal.
Two months later.
Ships from the Ice and Fire Trading Company brought two heavyweights of exile—Lord Owen Merryweather and Lord Jon Connington, former Hands of the Mad King—from the Free Cities back to the Westeros they had been away from for so long, finally delivering them to the rebuilding Harrenhal.
Standing on the rough stone ground of Harrenhal, Lord Jon Connington was filled with mixed emotions.
Jon Connington had once thought he would grow old in a foreign land, never to set foot on his homeland again.
Years ago, during the Battle of the Bells at Stoney Sept, Jon Connington had personally killed Denys Arryn, Jon Arryn's nephew and heir, known as the "Darling of the Vale."
Now, Jon Arryn was the Hand of the King, the most trusted and relied-upon arm of King Robert Baratheon.
As long as the Hand held a grudge over what happened back then, Jon Connington would never return.
To his surprise, an official decree from King's Landing, stamped with the King's seal, actually arrived. This meant his return had been approved at the highest level. At that moment, holding the parchment that felt both light as a feather and heavy as a mountain, Jon Connington looked toward King's Landing. After a long while, he let out a sigh mixed with emotion and respect. "It seems... I underestimated the magnanimity of the Hand."
Jon Connington returned alone, carrying no baggage, his spirit light.
Lord Owen Merryweather's situation was vastly different. When he went into exile, he took his entire family to Lys. During that time, his grandson Orton Merryweather even married a Myrish woman there, Taena.
When he first heard he could return to Westeros, Lord Owen had been ecstatic.
But soon, Lord Owen became unhappy—aside from a hollow title of Earl, he had nothing. His former lands and fiefs had long been carved up and given to others.
If he returned to Westeros, the new Lord of Harrenhal, Euron Greyjoy, promised to take them in. But this "generosity" did not bring joy to Owen Merryweather; instead, it added to the desolation of how things had changed. Holding the decree, Owen hesitated about going back. After all, returning meant living under someone else's roof, inevitably having to watch their moods. Perhaps it was better to stay in a foreign land and remain free.
His grandson, Orton Merryweather, though plain-looking with unruly red-orange hair and an overly prominent nose, was exceptionally steady and thoughtful in his dealings.
Orton calmly persuaded his grandfather, analyzing, "Harrenhal is the largest castle in the Seven Kingdoms, enough to become our new foundation. You must know, that 'Kraken Lord' Euron, his ambition is bottomless. Why do you think he could find us so quickly and bring us back? Because his tentacles have already quietly extended to Myr, Lys, and Tyrosh! I have a feeling that before long, he will become the true master of the Stepstones, and the so-called 'Kingdom of the Three Daughters' will eventually fall into his pocket."
Orton's tone became incredibly firm, his eyes shining with a sharp light that didn't match his appearance. "Grandfather, whether you go back or not, I will return to Westeros. He needs people right now. It is the perfect time for us to establish ourselves and restore our family's glory!"
In the end, Lord Owen Merryweather was moved by his grandson's insight, which far exceeded his age, and his unwavering confidence. He made up his mind and brought his whole family on the journey home.
The arrival of these two experienced ministers of the old dynasty made Euron genuinely satisfied. He finally had people under his command capable of standing on their own and shouldering heavy responsibilities.
Euron immediately made appointments: Jon Connington was promoted to be the deputy of Harrenhal. During Euron's absence from the castle, he would have full authority to handle all military and political affairs.
Euron acknowledged that he had the ability to navigate the complex situation of this massive castle, but his loyalty still needed time to be tested. For this reason, Euron assigned Dagmer, whose loyalty was unquestionable, as his adjutant. This move was both for assistance and surveillance.
Lord Owen Merryweather was appointed as a diplomat, responsible for Harrenhal's external liaisons and negotiations. His talents in internal affairs and military matters were average, but having spent years in King's Landing, being old and respected, his face was known to almost every lord and noble in the Seven Kingdoms. This network and prestige were the intangible capital needed right now.
His grandson, Orton Merryweather, was appointed as the Justiciar, responsible for executing the lord's decrees and adjudicating various disputes within the castle—whether it was servants stealing, knights dueling, or commoners resisting taxes—all were to be decided by him to maintain basic order and justice within Harrenhal.
With this, the skeleton of Harrenhal's core management was constructed by Euron in a precise and pragmatic manner.
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One dusk, half a month later, a travel-worn group arrived at the towering gates of Harrenhal.
They were not soldiers or craftsmen, but thirty special "captives" and "volunteers"—experienced bankers.
The origins of this group were quite complex: half were down-and-out failures living on the streets who came voluntarily seeking opportunity; the other half were "invited" by Ironborn and Lisa's intelligence agents with sacks over their heads.
They came from various Free Cities across Essos, with diverse backgrounds, but all had struggled and survived in various financial institutions.
Unable to immediately judge who among them was true elite and who was merely making up the numbers, Euron handed them all directly to Tycho Nestoris.
The former manager of the Iron Bank, now returning to his old trade, had eyes that were exceptionally sharp.
Over the next week, a side hall in Harrenhal turned into a rigorous examination room. Tycho used complex ledgers, tricky financial cases, and high-pressure mental arithmetic tests to ruthlessly screen everyone's quality.
The final results came out: of the thirty, twenty won Tycho's approval with solid professional knowledge and keen minds, deemed "qualified" core members. The remaining ten, though limited in skill and unfit for major responsibilities, had passable basic abilities, enough to handle foundational support work in the massive banking system.
This screened, complex financial team was about to become the first lever Euron used to pry open the economic landscape of Westeros.
One early morning, Tycho Nestoris woke with a start from his sleep, then subconsciously reached for his chest—the silver coin tied with a red string that he had worn day and night against his skin was gone.
He sat up abruptly, feeling around the bed. Strangely, there was no panic in his heart; instead, a hot current surged from the bottom of his heart, instantly rushing through his limbs.
Yes, the Faceless Men had taken it!
According to the ancient agreement, when this token was silently retrieved, it meant his name had been thoroughly wiped from the death list. The giant boulder named "Fear" that had weighed on his heart since the day the gold sank into the sea crumbled away in that instant.
The ecstasy of rebirth almost made him shout out loud.
From that day on, Tycho Nestoris's enthusiasm for work multiplied, as if he wanted to pour out all the energy previously consumed by fear.
"Your life is mine now!"
Euron saw everything, and subsequently handed over full responsibility for setting up the bank to Tycho.
Half a month later, the Continental Bank officially opened in the grand ground-floor hall of Harrenhal's main keep.
Except for Dorne, which was too far away, almost all the heavyweight families of the Seven Kingdoms sent representatives—House Tyrell of Highgarden and House Lannister of the Westerlands came in person to Harrenhal, giving this new Lord of Harrenhal plenty of face.
During the grand banquet, Tycho Nestoris, in his capacity as the bank manager, convened a small core meeting to communicate about the specific operations and future cooperation of the bank.
When Lord Tywin Lannister and Lady Olenna Tyrell discovered that the eloquent bank manager before them was actually a former core figure of the Iron Bank, a look of unconcealed surprise flashed across their steady eyes.
They exchanged a meaningful glance—Euron Greyjoy's ability to recruit such a figure to his service meant his methods and ambition clearly needed to be re-evaluated.
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