Chapter 102: The Imp is Coming!
Tyrosh, Purple Palace, Throne Room
"Yes, Your Grace!"
Upon hearing Jon's question, Garo immediately stood up. Under Jon's military-style discipline, Garo reflexively straightened his body.
Then, Garo took a scroll from Kapo's hand, which contained military data specifically recorded by the maesters of Tyrosh.
Maester organizations also exist on the continent of Essos, but these maesters are different from those of the Citadel in Oldtown on the continent of Westeros; their influence and authority are much smaller.
Normally, they are just small organizations attached to the major city-states, and in many of the Nine Free Cities, religious forces have already replaced much of the maesters' roles.
Jon still valued such professionals, so after he captured the Purple Palace, the maesters of Tyrosh were incorporated into The Chainbreakers, serving as scribes and advisors for some of the organization's leaders.
This was also a way of cultivating a force to counterbalance the Tyroshi nobility. Although Jon had seized control of the upper echelons of power, the middle and lower levels were still firmly in the hands of the Tyroshi people.
The reason why "Silver Tongue" Alequo Adarys, one of the so-called "Nine Copper Kings," failed and was ultimately killed was because he mishandled his relationship with the middle and lower classes of Tyrosh, eventually being poisoned by his own politically married wife.
To deal with the nobles of the Nine Free Cities, one must dismantle their foundational power in order to truly overthrow their rule. The foundation of slavery was Jon's greatest weapon against the slave-owning class of the Free Cities.
With the assistance of the maesters, Garo had already reviewed most of the information. After receiving an encouraging look from Jon, this captain from Dorne began his report before the Round Table Council.
"Our infantry currently numbers approximately 20,000 men. Of course, most of them are composed of former slaves. While discipline is lacking, their morale is extremely high…"
As he focused on the scroll, Garo gradually lost his initial nervousness, and his speech became increasingly fluent.
"Our fleet consists of roughly 2,000 ships of various sizes, among which the war galleys are…"
Jon's navy itself did not originally possess many warships. This time, the allied fleet never engaged the Tyroshi Purple Fleet sent for reinforcement. Upon discovering the fall of the Purple Palace while preparing to attack, the enemy withdrew in advance.
Now that Jon controlled an island city, rapidly building a strong navy was of utmost importance. Though pirates were undisciplined, if properly integrated, they could become a formidable force under Jon's command.
Moreover, many of Tyrosh's former slaves possessed seafaring experience. The future navy of The Chainbreakers would primarily recruit suitable candidates from among these freedmen.
"Our armaments are relatively sufficient. Many nobles from Westeros place weapon orders in Tyrosh…"
Tyrosh's military industry ranked in the middle among the so-called Kingdom of the Three Daughters—stronger than Lys, but weaker than Myr. While it could not rival Myr in certain areas of weapons manufacturing, it was still capable of equipping an army of around 30,000 men. Unfortunately, Jon did not yet have enough suitable soldiers to fill such ranks.
Now that The Chainbreakers had taken control of Tyrosh, they required time to fully digest this massive acquisition. Expanding too quickly could easily lead to collapse from overextension.
Therefore, Jon's current priority was to implement military reforms and train suitable former slaves into disciplined and capable soldiers, preparing for future challenges.
"Good. You may sit down, Garo. Your report today was excellent—keep it up next time."
"Yes, Your Grace!"
Receiving Jon's praise, Garo sat down with visible satisfaction.
Jon had now acquired a prosperous city, and those who had followed him from the beginning had gained status and power in return.
However, Garo and the others clearly understood that Jon's future held limitless potential. If they failed to improve themselves now, they would eventually become insignificant minor nobles beneath him.
"I have already written the military reform plan into a document. Everyone may review it. It also includes my restructuring plan for the Tyrosh City Watch."
As Sarene, acting as Jon's secretary, distributed the documents, copies were handed to each member of the Round Table Council.
The current system of governance in this world resembled the feudal structures of ancient times. Even the supposedly unified Seven Kingdoms were ruled by various great and minor lords, with the authority of the Iron Throne being relatively limited.
Although factors such as transportation and communication played a role, the fundamental issue was the excessive strength of local powers.
Thus, to strengthen central authority in the future, Jon intended to test a centralized administrative system in Tyrosh.
With the support of the freed slaves as his base, Jon possessed a unique advantage in implementing such reforms.
"The City Watch will be divided into three separate branches? All under the authority of the Master of Laws…"
After reading the document, Ser Barristan Selmy voiced his observation.
"Your Grace, we do not have enough literate nobles to staff such a structure. And an organization like the City Watch may not require such complexity."
"No," Jon replied calmly. "The security of a city is paramount. I will not tolerate a situation where I walk the streets and see my subjects robbed or murdered without recourse to justice."
Jon had risen through the support of the common people. Though the freed slaves had their flaws, their limited ambitions made them easier to govern. As long as their basic needs were met, Jon's rule would remain stable.
"And here, Your Grace—does this mean we are establishing two separate military forces?"
"Yes. The Guards will serve as our primary army, while the navy will function as support and will not engage in large-scale land warfare. This will reduce our overall expenditure."
Jon firmly believed in the principle that quality outweighed quantity. The famed Golden Company had built its reputation on elite troops, not sheer numbers.
Jon's Guards were planned to consist of 10,000 core soldiers and 20,000 logistical personnel. The remaining manpower would form a Tuntian-style force—farming during peacetime, training during idle periods, and reinforcing the army during war.
This system appeared highly innovative to those present. Traditionally, lords maintained small standing armies and conscripted peasants during wartime, often supplementing their forces with mercenaries.
Such systems relied heavily on elite standing troops. Once these were lost, the lord's power collapsed.
This limitation stemmed from low agricultural productivity—forcing nobles to prioritize elite soldiers over large armies.
But Jon was different. His ambitions were vast. Drawing upon knowledge from another world, he had devised a development path uniquely suited to his circumstances.
Combined with the advantages granted by his system, Jon was determined to establish a strong foundation for future rule.
"Does anyone else have anything to add? For now, these proposals will be implemented. Adjustments will be made as necessary. Our system is unprecedented, so I hope everyone will work together to build a future unlike any before!"
"Yes, Your Grace!"
"Yes, Prince Aegon!"
After Jon's declaration, the council members rose in excitement. Though uncertain of the outcome, Jon's past achievements had already earned their trust.
"Report!"
Just as Jon prepared to proceed, a soldier's voice rang from the entrance.
"Enter!"
The soldier quickly approached Ser Barristan Selmy and handed him a message before withdrawing.
"Your Grace."
Unlike others, Ser Barristan consistently addressed Jon with royal honorifics after learning of his identity.
Though Jon claimed that "Aegon" was merely one of his identities, the old knight firmly believed it was a title worthy of him—especially with so few Targaryens remaining.
"…Hmm?"
As Jon read the message, his expression turned peculiar.
The report came from The Chainbreakers stationed in King's Landing. While it mentioned the emergence of several powerful figures, one piece of news stood out above all:
Tyrion Lannister had publicly renounced House Lannister and declared that he would establish a new sigil—the Black Lion.
He had proclaimed his intention to seize Casterly Rock by his own means and claim the title of Lord of Casterly Rock.
Most astonishingly, after making this declaration, he had immediately boarded a merchant ship bound for Tyrosh.
"It seems this 'Imp' intends to use my strength to help him claim Casterly Rock."....
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