Chapter 41: Rumors in the Stepstones
The Stepstones, Bloodstone Isle
"What did you say? Hahaha... Did you hear that? He's talking to me about dragons! Ah... hahaha!"
Salladhor Saan, who was busy fondling a naked black beauty in his arms, asked these words with some amusement, and the pirates around him were much the same.
"Hahaha, are you still dreaming?"
"Hahaha, did that idiot Letho run into a storm!"
"Hahaha, if you said you encountered a sea monster, I might believe you, 'Bloodwitch'..."
"Hahaha, you're killing me..."
The pirates in this hall were currently laughing unrestrainedly at several panicked pirates.
Their faces were still filled with shock, as if they hadn't yet recovered from that terrifying event, though they didn't look like they were faking it.
But what these guys described was simply too incredible. It was like someone on the streets of Westeros running up to tell you that extinct dragons had reappeared and were about to devour people.
Although these well-traveled pirates had seen many strange things, the reappearance of giant dragons was still somewhat unacceptable to them.
"While I sympathize with Letho's situation, what you're saying is too far-fetched. I suspect you've turned into chameleons, so I won't be going to rescue him."
Salladhor Saan said this with a look of feigned heartache, appearing to others as if he were distressed by the behavior of the pirates below.
In reality, Salladhor Saan was inwardly overjoyed. His original goal was to have Blackfox Lena and Cutthroat Isle wear each other down.
Although Salladhor Saan wasn't entirely sure what had happened at Cutthroat Isle, he subconsciously blamed it on the other pirate lords.
What Salladhor Saan hadn't expected was that Blackfox Lena was so incompetent that his entire fleet was wiped out as soon as they engaged.
However, this could also be false intelligence deliberately released by Blackfox Lena. After all, there is no honor among pirates, only profit.
"We really aren't lying to you! Lord Salladhor Saan, my ship was burned by that dragon, I... I..."
The leading pirate in the hall below immediately began to explain excitedly upon hearing Salladhor Saan's words.
"Even if what you say is true, I don't have the energy to deal with your affairs. An old friend is coming to visit soon, so I can't look after Cutthroat Isle for now!"
"This... what should we do? The guys back at the base won't believe me; they'll just kill me and seize the stronghold. Lord Letho's hard work cannot be destroyed in my hands!"
This pirate was Blackfox Lena's steward and his most trusted confidant. He had been prepared to pay a heavy price, but Salladhor Saan simply wouldn't take the bait.
In fact, from the beginning, this steward of Blackfox Lena had been advising him not to go to Cutthroat Isle, but Blackfox Lena had been very eager for that choice piece of meat.
After all, the Stepstones were only so large, and there weren't many islands that could serve as strongholds. A place like Cutthroat Isle was one in ten thousand.
Cutthroat Isle was easy to defend and hard to attack. Although resources weren't abundant, as long as other strongholds supplied it, it could become a thorn in the enemy's side.
"However, I can introduce you to someone. She might be able to solve this problem?"
"She?! You... you mean Bloodwitch Mary? She's a lunatic, and her crew are lunatics too. There's no way I'm going to her!"
Hearing Salladhor Saan say "she" instead of "he," the old man guessed the person's identity.
Consequently, the old man shouted loudly at Salladhor Saan, as if that person were an extremely terrifying and foul existence.
Bloodwitch Mary was a witch from Thunder Isle. Rumor had it she possessed the blood of Asshai and Yi Ti.
The reason Bloodwitch Mary came to the Stepstones was entirely because the ship she was on was slaughtered by pirates. Left with no choice, the terrifying witch used necromancy to resurrect the companions who had come with her.
Since then, Bloodwitch Mary's name had become famous in the Stepstones. No one knew why she became a pirate, nor why she stayed in the Stepstones.
The pirates only knew that this terrifying witch would come out to plunder the seas every now and then, never leaving any survivors. Many said this fearsome female pirate had a man-eating sea monster under her command.
Just a few days ago, there was a sea monster sighting at the Broken Arm of Dorne. Many pirates rumored that Bloodwitch Mary was the one behind it.
"Bloodfang Bay isn't some terrifying place. Many female pirates go there seeking her protection. I believe that as long as the profit is sufficient, even gods might strike a deal."
This sentence from Salladhor Saan became the straw that broke the camel's back. After thinking for a moment, the old man gritted his teeth and resolved to find the Bloodwitch.
In the old man's view, only magic could counter magic. Since the enemy could summon a giant dragon, he just needed to find someone who could summon a sea monster to oppose it.
"My lord! Do you think that terrifying witch will take action?"
Watching the old man lead his men away, a pirate captain to the right of Salladhor Saan asked.
"That's not for me to consider. They can fight however they want; I just need to pick them off one by one."
Salladhor Saan said this after picking up a wine cup in front of him and draining the golden wine within.
"Alright, next, send someone to contact Letho's subordinates. Coin, ships, men—I'll give them whatever they want, provided they swear fealty to me!"
Feeling that another enemy had fallen to his schemes, Salladhor Saan was full of ambition.
At this moment, Salladhor Saan seemed to have already envisioned the scene of himself becoming the King of the Narrow Sea, so he quickly issued orders to contact Blackfox Lena's men.
"Hahaha..."
"My lord, you will surely become the King of the Narrow Sea. Long live!"
"Long live..."
Hearing the flattery of his subordinates, a satisfied smile appeared on Salladhor Saan's face. In his view, problems that could be solved with coin were not problems at all.
Many people said the pirates of the Stepstones were difficult to deal with, but Salladhor Saan didn't think so. And now, he had already resolved nearly half of the problem.
The Stepstones — Tyrosh
Tyrosh is a massive port city, one of the Nine Free Cities of Essos, and was once part of the Kingdom of the Daughters.
The island of Tyrosh is located on a large archipelago north of the Stepstones, not far from the coast of the Disputed Lands.
Tyrosh is a fortress city, nearly a third larger than Sunspear in Dorne. Its walls are made of black stone left over from the era of the Valyrian Freehold.
This black stone architecture is a hallmark of Valyria. Of course, some say this material was shaped through sorcery. Black stone structures exist on both the eastern and western continents.
Within the Purple Palace of Tyrosh, the current Archon of Tyrosh, Adolf Moses, was reading intelligence reports from the Stepstones. Standing before him was his Master of Whisperers, Canaris Guy.
"A dragon has appeared in the Stepstones? My dear Lord Guy, are you certain this is not a jest?"
After placing the report upon his desk, Adolf Moses raised his question.
Adolf Moses was a middle-aged man with green hair and dark brown eyes, his thick beard dyed purple.
Most Tyroshi favored bright colors, and many dyed their hair or beards accordingly.
"Honorable Archon, our informants all report the same, as do several pirates who fled back. If this were mere rumor, their descriptions would not align so closely."
"Then you believe this matter may be true?"
After listening to Canaris Guy's explanation, Adolf Moses asked again.
"I cannot be certain, my honorable Archon. Such occurrences have appeared before in the histories of Westeros, involving dragons or sorcery. I cannot confirm the truth."
Though Canaris Guy understood the importance of this intelligence, he truly lacked certainty.
"Very well. Regardless of who they are, I doubt they would refuse gold dragons and women. Send an envoy to make contact first."
"Yes, honorable Archon. I will ensure the one hiding behind the scenes becomes a strength of Tyrosh."
Canaris Guy replied respectfully.
Adolf Moses, Archon of Tyrosh, was an ambitious man. He sought to change the Archon system into a lifelong position.
Because the Archon was elected by merchant princes and nobles, re-election required enormous bribery.
Adolf Moses had spent a fortune securing his position. Even after ascending the Archon's seat, the illicit wealth he gathered was still insufficient.
Thus, this ambitious Archon continued to search for an opportunity—
An opportunity to change his fate.
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