Chapter 145: The Lysene Rebellion
Summer Sea, Lys
Like Volantis, Lys possessed an ancient and illustrious history. During the era of the Valyrian Freehold, it had been a paradise where Dragonlords often traveled to indulge in the pleasures of the famed Pleasure Gardens and their bed slaves.
As one of Valyria's oldest colonies, Lys was home to many ancient families dating back to the Freehold era.
The once-renowned Rogare family had nearly monopolized the financial industries of both the Kingdom of the Three Daughters and even the continent of Westeros.
However, wealth that became too great inevitably attracted greed.
Hidden forces eventually carved apart the Rogares' enormous fortune, causing the once-glorious family to collapse and gradually fade into obscurity among Lys's ancient bloodlines.
Lys was not merely a single city.
Rather, it was the collective name for all the cities scattered across the Lysene Isles.
As the most populous city-state within the former Kingdom of the Three Daughters, Lys was exceptionally powerful.
Due to its close proximity to Volantis, Lys possessed even more slaves than Tyrosh.
However, ever since Jon had orchestrated the slave uprising in Tyrosh, the Lysene had drastically tightened control over their slaves.
After all, no one wanted those they had trampled beneath their feet to suddenly rise up and stand above them.
Unfortunately, no wall in this world was truly airtight.
News from Tyrosh had long begun spreading secretly among the slaves.
Many had already started gathering strength in secret, waiting for the right opportunity to strike back against their arrogant masters.
At this moment, on a small island among the Lysene Isles known as the Perfumed Garden, a secret gathering was taking place.
Merchants and magisters from all across Lys had assembled there.
Standing in the hall, dressed in luxurious silk robes, Salladhor Saan looked particularly energetic.
Many of those present had once been people he could only look up to.
Yet now, when they looked at him, their eyes contained only admiration and fervent devotion.
"My dear brothers..."
"Welcome to this meeting that will determine our future."
Clap! Clap! Clap!
What greeted Salladhor Saan was thunderous applause.
This island had once belonged to the Rogare family.
After their decline, it had fallen into the hands of others.
Five years ago, a descendant of the Rogares named Ante Rogare had purchased the island back.
Precisely because the island now belonged entirely to him did Salladhor dare speak so boldly here.
"Even now, Lys remains this miserable place."
"Those people still stand above us, ordering us around and oppressing us."
"Why?"
Salladhor Saan's words carried tremendous influence, immediately stirring excitement among the marginalized merchants and magisters.
"Brothers!"
"The light of hope has already arrived."
"The great Aegon Targaryen has already drawn Myr into his sphere of influence."
"Now is the time for us to prove our own value!"
The speaker was Malta, head of the Lysene Alchemists' Guild.
He was deeply involved in this operation, and the Alchemists' Guild would play a major role in the actions to come.
"The horns of war have sounded!"
"We shall present the Lysene Isles as a gift to the great Lord Aegon!"
The final speaker was Trig Omorren.
His speech immediately ignited everyone's enthusiasm.
Voices rose together as they prepared to overthrow the magisters who had long lorded over them.
Three days later.
Lys — Main Island
The main island of Lys resembled a boot in shape.
This massive island had been transformed into an enormous fortress-city.
The northeastern opening—the "mouth" of the boot—contained the famed Palace of Delights.
The "leg," "instep," and "sole" represented districts occupied by various social classes.
Meanwhile, the "toe" of the boot housed a giant harbor known as the Golden Harbor.
Not only was it home to the Lysene fleet, but merchant ships from every region also gathered there.
As an old city-state built upon slavery, the Lysene maintained extremely strict control over slaves.
They categorized slaves according to status and frequently rewarded obedient individuals to encourage submission.
Yet regardless of what methods they employed—
slaves remained slaves.
Oppression remained oppression.
And this reality gave Salladhor Saan and the others the opportunity they needed.
"Woof! Woof! Woof!"
"Hahaha!"
"Drink!"
"I want that one!"
Nighttime Lys remained lively and bustling.
Although the lower districts could not compare with the upper districts, among neighborhoods controlled by the lower classes, ordinary Lysene still found their own entertainment.
This area was known as Red Robe Street.
Because it lay close to the slave pits, many slave overseers and handlers frequently came here to relax.
Over time, this gave rise to a distorted sort of prosperity.
Although their lives were better than those slaves laboring beneath the city, the pressure they faced daily was far greater than that of ordinary citizens.
Naturally, their spending habits were also extravagant.
Inside a tavern known as Dream of Desire, a grand celebration was taking place.
A merchant from Westeros was entertaining numerous slave overseers.
The reason was simple:
He intended to sell slaves here.
The laws of the Seven Kingdoms strictly forbade slave trading.
Many doctrines of the Faith of the Seven considered depriving another person of freedom an offense against the gods.
Therefore, unless driven into desperation, nobles rarely engaged in such business openly.
Yet slave trading offered astonishing profits.
A healthy and powerful slave could sell for tremendous prices within slave cities.
As a result, many admired this bold Westerosi merchant.
Curiosity drew many overseer bosses to this gathering.
Most Lysene worshiped the Goddess of Love.
Thus many banquets often became nude parties where guests indulged themselves freely.
People naturally gathered into small circles throughout the celebration.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Just as everyone was immersed in revelry, the sound of a wooden cup striking a table suddenly echoed through the tavern.
When everyone looked over, they saw a middle-aged man dressed in luxurious robes.
His appearance was plain and forgettable.
Yet everyone knew him.
Because tonight's honored guest—
the man calling himself Vances of Oldtown—
was standing before them.
"I am very pleased tonight."
"Because all of you came."
"Even for those friends who couldn't attend, I have already sent gifts."
"So tonight..."
"Enjoy yourselves to the fullest."
"I want this night to become unforgettable."
"Ohhhh!"
"Long live!"
"A toast to our dear friend Vances!"
While the overseers and slave bosses celebrated wildly—
a large group of mercenaries suddenly appeared outside the tavern.
Under the command of their leader, the building was immediately surrounded.
At the same time—
inside a corner of the Lys slave pits, a slave pretending to sleep quietly removed a thin wire hidden in his mouth after the guards departed.
The nearby slaves silently retrieved crude daggers and short swords hidden in the tunnel walls.
Some had prepared them long ago.
Others had only recently obtained them.
Everything had been for one purpose:
Tonight's uprising.
Jon's organization—the Chainbreakers—had long prepared for events in Lys.
The operation was led by Salladhor Saan, supported by insiders like Trig Omorren, while intelligence had been organized by Narses.
Among the slaves hiding within the pits were many members of the Sons of Aegon from Tyrosh.
These people worshiped Jon with fanatical devotion.
Many eagerly volunteered for such a mission to liberate their fellow slaves.
Click.
As chains struck the ground, iron doors throughout the slave pits suddenly opened.
"What are you doing?!"
The guards rushed toward the noise—
only to discover slaves holding weapons.
Because of arrangements made beforehand, security throughout the pits tonight had been unusually weak.
Many locations possessed only a single guard.
"Long live the Chainbreakers!"
"Kill!"
With cries echoing through the tunnels, the slaves charged at the men who had oppressed them for years.
The guards carried only short swords.
Against slaves who outnumbered them several times over, their combat strength meant almost nothing.
Thus the uprising erupted instantly.
Led by members of the Sons of Aegon, the slave pits quickly fell.
Dong! Dong! Dong!
As the scale of the rebellion increased, warning bells rang throughout the lower districts of Lys.
Members of the Lys City Watch had sounded the alarm.
The bells spread like signal fires.
One after another, bells across the city began ringing.
Standing troops and mercenary forces stationed throughout Lys immediately started assembling under their officers' commands.
War—
was about to begin.
Slave uprisings had occurred before.
The response system had been built through countless years of experience.
And when those bells rang—
many figures hiding in darkness and waiting for this moment slowly revealed faint smiles.
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