"Ah~~"
Bang!
"Oh~~ please, I beg you, don't cut me!"
The cries of anguish echoed throughout the castle hall. The noble vampire, clad in luxurious attire, had been stripped naked, its body pinned to a banquet table with four silver nails. Its long, drawn-out wail had yet to end when Garlan Tyrell swung his battle axe down onto its stomach, creating a small wound.
"Garlan, your skills have become rusty!" Hobber Redwyne remarked.
Around Garlan Tyrell, nobles from the Stepstone, Volantis, and Lys stood in a circle, watching and cheering. Outside the circle, over a hundred officers stood on the table, observing the spectacle.
"I have to admit, this thing is really tough. It's been screaming for three days straight, and it still has the breath for it!" Garlan said, awkwardly wiping the sweat from his forehead with one hand while holding his axe with the other.
"My turn, my turn!" Hobber Redwyne shouted, jumping onto the banquet table. He placed his feet on the vampire's chest and gripped his battle axe, adjusting the blade to aim at the vampire's lower body.
"Ugh~~~" With one swing, Hobber's axe landed, and the vampire's scream changed in tone.
"You're not that great either!" Garlan teased.
Hobber Redwyne's mother, Mina Tyrell, was the older sister of Lord Mace Tyrell of the Reach. Hobber and Garlan were cousins, and since they were far from their homeland, their bond was strong, with little regard for formalities in their speech.
Once mocked as Ser Slobber, Hobber Redwyne, who had been relegated to staying in the rear to help dress Wright in armor during the Siege of Tyrosh, had now grown into a competent commander of the southern navy.
Wright considered Hobber to be competent, not because he was a brilliant fleet commander—he was far from being on the level of Aurane Velaryon—but because he followed Wright's orders perfectly without making mistakes. Furthermore, with his twin brother being the heir of House Redwyne, his presence ensured that the vast Redwyne fleet would secure the southern seas of Tyrosh.
Lacking great ability but avoiding unnecessary ambition, Hobber's approach was to not make mistakes. His time in Tyrosh, along with his military training, had transformed him from a frail knight into a strong man. However, his once comfortable life was now disrupted by the monster underfoot, and in a fit of rage, Hobber vented his frustration on the vampire with each axe strike.
Standing with arms crossed and observing, the Finance Chief, Gunthor Hightower, asked the person next to him, "With the lifting of martial law today, how much tax revenue has the Stepstone lost these past three days?"
The Taxation Chief, Allard Seaworth, sighed, his face filled with worry. "All the workshops on the island were shut down, and everyone was forbidden from leaving. We can bear this loss. The real trouble comes later. After the vampires caused this chaos in Tyrosh, merchants from outside are too scared to come here. According to our estimates, it will take at least six months to return to the previous level of tax revenue."
"About the same as our calculations. Damn vampires! To eliminate the impact, let's see how Lord Wright handles it!" Gunthor cursed aloud.
The Taxation Chief collected the money, and the Finance Chief, Gunthor, was responsible for approving and distributing all expenditures in Tyrosh. Over the past two days, he had been making excuses to delay approving various budgets from officials. The second half of the year would be tough for all departments, and even the usually gentle Commercial Supervisor Garlan had grabbed his battle axe to go after the culprit.
In Tyrosh, officials, nobles, merchants, and commoners alike despised the creature on the table.
On the side facing the main entrance of the hall, two slightly shorter high-backed chairs had been finished and placed next to the Lord's seat. Tyene sat on Wright's left, with her chair unoccupied. Nymeria's chair was on Wright's right, where she was seated, discussing matters with the nobles of Dorne.
Behind the three chairs, on the high wall, hung the most prominent banners: one with a stag crowned with flames, one with Nymeria's sun-lance banner, and one with Tyene's personal heraldry—a green vine wreath on a white background, with a deadly sleeping flower at its center.
Tyene, still known as a bastard with the surname Sand, no longer cared about titles after having her son, Sauron. The top and sides of her chair were adorned with intricate carvings of flowers and vines, painted in green and the natural colors of the flowers.
Tyene's personal heraldry and chair represented her accomplishments in alchemy. Today, without considering her relationship with Wright, Tyene, as one of the most respected senior alchemists in the magical community, would always be seated at the head of the table when visiting any noble house.
Nymeria's chair was of the same style as the throne of Sunspear, but it was slightly smaller, with the high back shortened to just below the height of Wright's chair. In noble castles, the main seat usually had only one chair, but it was not uncommon to have a few, especially when one family member's bloodline was deemed more noble than the other's.
Wright had three chairs placed here for several reasons. First, because Tyrosh was now the place with the most gender equality in the world, surpassing even Dorne. Here, the number of female nobles and officials was not based on inheritance, and there were more female artisans, artists, and service workers than anywhere else.
As the highest leader, Wright set an example, encouraging more women to claim their rights. The true purpose behind this decision was that Tyrosh had a small population, and Wright needed to unlock the productivity of the female half of the population rather than limiting them to domestic roles like in other regions.
The second reason for the three chairs is to facilitate management. Since Tyene became the Alchemy Supervisor, she has had many more mages seeking her for business. Similarly, Nymeria has also become the Princess of Dorne, and wherever she goes, a few of Dorne's officials follow her. The Lord's chair represents the power of the Lord of Tyrosh, so whoever sits in that chair represents the exercise of the Lord's authority. With these three chairs in place, each has a clear purpose: whoever sits in a chair knows what task they are handling. When Wright leaves, the two women take the main seats as acting rulers of the city.
The recent vampire incident also affected Dorne. It was a time of recovery after the war, with various foodstuffs and materials needing to be shipped, and Tyrosh, as a commercial hub, was impacted first, with Dorne being the first to bear the brunt.
At this moment, Nymeria is engaged in an intense discussion with officials and nobles, not only about how to restore commerce, but also about the consequences of merchants breaching contracts and avoiding Dorne due to the vampire crisis. They are also pondering the fate of the crops, which are only a few inches high at this point. Wright has not offered any advice to Nymeria and has instructed his officials that they can only assist if she approaches them directly.
Nymeria, who once cared only for battle and bloodshed, has gradually shifted toward handling state affairs under the influence of her father Oberyn and Wright. She has also led troops to victory in battle. Now, as Princess of Dorne, Wright feels it is necessary for her to manage complex affairs on her own, only intervening when she faces significant challenges.
The castle is bustling, as is the nearby magical academy, which is as lively as ever.
The vampire, now reduced to only one leg, is brought into the School's alchemy laboratory and nailed to a wooden frame. Surrounding it, dozens of mages have started their furnaces, brewing various alchemical potions in their cauldrons. The heat is so intense that the destructive mages keep casting ice magic to cool the air.
Tyene, with her short, fluffy golden hair tied back, wearing a brown leather apron and a mask, dons the glass goggles Wright gave her. In her left hand, she holds a glass vial, and in her right hand, a sharp one-foot-long iron awl. Sunlight filters through the window, shining on her side profile. The high-quality glass lenses she wears catch the light, and she steps closer to the vampire.
Behind her is Sansa Stark, who has been studying alchemy under Tyene. She, too, is dressed in similar attire, holding a hammer. Sansa's kind heart is reserved for humans and cute, furry animals; she has no sympathy for vampires, with their greenish skin and sharp fangs.
After Wright declared that vampires could be used for medicinal purposes, this particular vampire was spared from death and excited the mages eager to study. The process of studying alchemy is highly tedious, requiring repetitive validation of formulas and ingredients. This vampire will be kept alive, nourished by the blood of animals, unable to move due to being nailed to the frame, and gagged to prevent speech. It will serve as a continuous source of material for the mages.
The navy, army, and mages have all been mobilized. After thoroughly searching the islands, no other vampires were found. The three-day martial law was lifted on time, and the two captured vampires were confined, one in the castle and the other in the magical academy.
The castle and the academy are both located within the inner city, and at this moment, Wright, in full ducal regalia, has just participated in a collective funeral in the southern city.
Tyrosh had its first large-scale casualties a few years ago during a siege. At that time, the Seven Kingdoms' coalition forces handled the bodies of the Tyrosh citizens hastily, stripping them of valuables before dumping them at the mountain's summit to be transformed by Odahviing into manure.
Now, however, the dead are Wright's own subjects, and as their lord, Wright takes this very seriously. Standing at the base of the southern wall, on the grand plaza in front of the largest temple in the city, Wright delivers a passionate speech, condemning the vampires for their cruelty and demeaning their kind, labeling them as talking, magical beasts. He expresses deep regret over not protecting his people better and assures everyone that he will cover the costs for the coffins of the deceased.
The funeral procession moves along the main street to the north of the plaza, with dozens of bands playing different tunes as they accompany the mourners. Over five hundred boat-shaped coffins are placed on carts, slowly making their way past the massive theater building and toward the northernmost port of the city.
Balon holds a large flag, surrounded by his guards, all holding battle axes and standing in a row at the military port. The last rays of sunlight reflect off their dull golden armor, casting an orange hue. The antlered helmets sparkle in the light.
Each coffin is pushed into the sea by the mourners, and Wright fires the smallest fireball to ignite the candles on each boat.
During the ceremony, Wright notices one coffin that is not surrounded by nobles or commoners, but only by a few city guards pushing a cart.
Wright calls over Ashara: "Little apprentice, what's going on with that one?"
Following Wright's gaze, Ashara sees the cart and responds, "That's the coffin of a new recruit, Ingo, twelve years old. His entire family and squad were killed by the vampires, and he's the only one who survived."
Wright says, "Make sure to take extra care of him."
Ashara said, "Everything is fine in the city guard, but I don't think Ingo will stay there for long. Yesterday, he reported to the new squad leader that he wants to try out for the Dragon Guards selection."
Wright noticed the word she used. "He's only twelve. How can you be so sure he'll pass the selection? Is he a genius?"
Ashara shook her head. "No, he's just an ordinary person with average talent. He only awakened his inner magic at twelve. But I've noticed that he's very clear-headed and determined. People like him easily achieve the goals they set for themselves."
Wright chuckled. "When did you, Ashara, start thinking so critically? Analyzing all these things?"
"Hahaha," Ashara laughed awkwardly, not revealing her friend's secret.
Ashara was a powerful mage and a Lady, and she had reached the age where she could get married. Wright was too lazy to interfere with her and had even taken the initiative to send her away on various assignments to get more experience.
Wright instructed Balon, "Sound the horn!"
Balon Swann planted the flagpole of the Crowned Stag banner into the ground, holding the middle of the pole with his right hand, and with his free left hand, he took a horn from his waist, raised his head, and took a deep breath.
Woo~~~
It wasn't a charge or assembly call, but a solemn rhythm signaling rest for the dead.
Woo~~~
The officers at the naval port heard Balon's horn and followed suit, blowing their own horns. Soon, the warships moored at the port joined in, and their large horns sounded even louder, their echoes spreading throughout the city of Tyrosh.
After the funeral, Wright overheard people from Tyrosh talking about the vampire procession and trial the next day. He saw hatred in their eyes, not just from a few, but from most of the people. Satisfied, Wright left the port. When people were bullied, they either swallowed their anger or sought revenge. Now the people of Tyrosh, composed of immigrants from various places, had a common enemy, uniting them against the vampires. Wright thought that, in a way, the vampire disturbance had done some good.
Tyrosh's entertainment industry was divided into two types. One was visual and mental entertainment, including dance, theater, sculpture, and painting. The completion of the massive grand theater marked Tyrosh's great emphasis on these industries, which had gradually become one of the pillar sectors of the city.
The other was physical entertainment, a key method to maintain the population and public order. This industry was tightly regulated, and Wright used a multi-departmental management system to strictly prevent any criminal activities hiding within.
Across from the grand theater stood a newly built structure, which was huge, almost half the size of the theater. While the grand theater was for the best plays and dances, this new building was the best place for physical entertainment in Tyrosh. On both sides of the street, there was one of each type of establishment.
When they passed by, Wright told Balon to return first, as he still had some business to attend to.
Balon looked at Wright and the nearby building, then quickly pulled Ashara away, whispering to her, "If anyone asks where Lord Wright is when we return to the castle, we'll both say he's consoling the families of the deceased. Remember!"