(Before anything else, a small temporal adjustment: instead of the story starting in 293 AC, it will now begin in 295 AC. Rhaenys will have been born in 281 AC and Aegon in 283 AC, while Alexander is 14 years old, Alran is 11, and Laena is 7.)
[1 month later]
"You do realize that once this is over, all eyes in the world will be on us," Geralt told me as we watched Heisenberg and several engineers working on some of my most important projects in a massive underground chamber within the research center. This area is so heavily restricted that only about twenty people, besides myself, Geralt, Elia, and Alfred, even know of its existence or the projects being built there.
"And when their eyes are on us, we'll be ready, thanks to what we're building here. They won't see it coming," I said, patting his shoulder to reassure the head of my guard. But his look told me it wasn't working. Worse, he could see that I was worried too. A lot could go wrong, the worst being that my secret project could be discovered. If that were to happen, the Seven Kingdoms would come knocking on my door and not in a friendly way.
My intelligence agency is certainly excellent, but numbers are an issue. I have around two hundred agents, most of whom are assigned to the research center, to prevent anyone from discovering this particular zone.
My army is roughly 2,000 soldiers strong, which is laughable compared to certain houses like the Lannister. This means I need to bring more people to Skagos, many more. Fortunately, that's not too difficult to accomplish.
Essos and Westeros are full of smallfolk who want very little: health, food, shelter, money... and the chance to have some fun between the sheets, literally. These smallfolk typically live in miserable conditions because their lords either lack the funds to provide them with a decent life, simply don't care, or both.
All it takes is a few rumors about Skagos being a promised land that can free them from their misery, and voilà, problem solved. However, this plan has its complications. The first issue is ignorance. People who haven't had the benefit of an academy like mine are often uneducated, and for years, Skagos has been infamous across Westeros and some cities in Essos as a cursed no man's land filled with feral beasts and lawless cannibals.
Now, yes, there were cannibals, but I dealt with them, either by showing them that animal meat is better or by killing those who had grown too fond of human flesh.
Either way, it's a reputation that will be difficult to shake off. To change it, I'll need to prove to the rest of the world that no, we don't eat babies here… at least, not anymore.
And I'll do that by trading with Westeros and Essos. For Westeros, I can use the tournament to establish trade routes thanks to several infrastructures I've just purchased:
[Vineyard] x2 [120,000 gold dragons]
[Facilities for cultivating grapes to produce various types of wine]
I'm not even sure if Skagos's current climate allows me to grow grapes for wine, but if it works, who am I to question the Almighty System? According to Elia, a spiced wine produced from one of the vineyards will sell exceptionally well in Dorne.
[Fruit Farm: apple, orange, apricot, peach, banana, pear, strawberry, plum, cacao, lemon] [100,000 gold dragons]
[Facilities for cultivating various types of fruits]
Once again, I'm pretty sure it should be impossible to grow all these fruits here simultaneously, but once more, All Hail the Almighty System.
[Confectionery Center] x3 [30,000 gold dragons]
[Facilities for producing various desserts and sweet foods]
But most importantly, the research center's invention that's going to make me unimaginably wealthy:
The Contraceptive Pill.
Once again, I have no idea how, but thank you, Almighty System.
With ships loaded with these goods, I'll have no trouble establishing myself in Westeros while growing wealthier and making enemies. But what would life be without a few challenges?
As for Essos, the alcohol I usually sell there will serve as a stepping stone to introduce my other goods without much issue, aside from the usual theft attempts, counterfeiting, spies, assassinations, and so on.
Snapping out of my thoughts, I signaled to Karl before leaving the research center with Geralt to return to the Scarlet Castle.
As Geralt and I rode toward Skagos's palace, my enhanced mind raced, analyzing the various problems I might face.
The most urgent are undoubtedly the Night King and his White Walkers, as well as Daenerys and her dragons. Though Daenerys could be dealt with swiftly thanks to Black Noir, I can't help but wonder: should I kill her or just kidnap her?
Killing her would save me a lot of trouble. Let's be honest, the Mother of Dragons may seem kind, but that bitch is bound to go crazy, and I have no desire to see Skagos burned to ash by dragons. Unfortunately, the easy option was taken off the table when Elia learned about her, her brother, and Jon Snow's true heritage by accident.
Being the only family left on their father's side of her children, she begged me to spare them. I tried to convince her that they could be a threat after all, every "pureblood" Targaryen eventually loses their mind. But she managed to persuade me with a simple argument: I am me. And even though she doesn't know it, I have a system that could likely deal with the Targaryen issue.
Despite my serious doubts, I promised to try. However, that will have to wait. As I mentioned earlier, I don't have any spies in Essos due to my limited number of agents. Sure, Black Noir could probably track them down given enough time, but I'd rather keep him with me for now. Once I've expanded my spy network, I'll bring the two "dragons" to Skagos. Oh, and I'll make sure to destroy the three dragon eggs. Yes, they're powerful and could be useful against the White Walkers, but I'd rather not have those things alive in the same world as me. Besides, I'm not much of an animal person.
And frankly, I don't need them. I have a system that can rewrite the fucking reality itself.
A sudden "woah" of awe from Geralt pulls me from my thoughts as we approach Bloomhaven, the city where my castle is located, the capital of Skagos.
"No matter how many times I see it, it always leaves me speechless," Geralt says, his voice tinged with wonder as we near the city. In addition to being arguably the cleanest city in all of Westeros and Essos, Bloomhaven is surrounded by a forest of trees with peculiar leaves from my previous world:
Sakura Blossoms.
Stretching for miles, a sea of wooded pink leaves occasionally drifts from the trees, carried by the wind, giving the city's surroundings a magical appearance. The same beauty extends into the city itself, creating a calm yet vibrant atmosphere.
As Geralt and I make our way through the city toward my castle, my people greet me with respect and gratitude before returning to their daily lives.
Seeing these people, who, just a few months ago, struggled to eat and sleep on the streets, now happy and thriving fills me with a sense of pride and accomplishment. Of course, I know there are still bad apples here, but it's nothing I can't handle for the time being. So, I'll allow myself a moment to rest on my laurels.
At a leisurely pace, Geralt and I leave the city and arrive at a small plain where my castle stands: the Scarlet Castle.
I named it that because of the spider lilies that fill the plain on both sides of the road leading to the castle, making the scenery as breathtaking as Bloomhaven.
As I reach the castle gates, I spot Alfred waiting for us. Leaving the horses to rest, I walk toward my chief butler, who maintains his usual composed yet serious demeanor.
"Welcome back, Master Alexander, Master Geralt. I trust your journey went well?"
"Very well, Alfred. All the projects are progressing marvelously," I reply as we enter the castle. "Nothing happened in my absence?"
"Well, Mistress Laena and Mistress Rhaenys continue to avoid my lessons, much to my dismay and Lady Elia's amusement," he says with a small sigh as Geralt and I suppress our laughter. "At least Master Aldran and Master Aegon remain diligent students. Other than that, nothing notable has occurred. They are all gathered in the gardens if you wish to see them."
I nod in thanks and head toward the gardens, which are also filled with flowers, each more beautiful than the last. Some are even toxic, like the spider lily, but the system assures me they are safe.
After a few minutes of walking, I spot my siblings, along with the Martell family, joyfully chatting around a table and enjoying various desserts.
This simple, ordinary scene warms my heart and strengthens my resolve to protect them from a world full of fools and lunatics.
-
[One week later]
"And so, Aang finally defeated Ozai, ending the tyranny of the Fire Nation and ushering in a semblance of peace. But most importantly." I pause slightly, smiling at my audience as they glare at me with impatience, eager for the conclusion. "Aang did it without taking the Fire Lord's life, and more importantly, without betraying his nature."
I see their eyes light up as I finish telling the story of Avatar: The Last Airbender. Comfortably seated in the palace gardens, I take a sip of wine and relax, watching Rhaenys, Aegon, Aldran, and Laena chat amongst themselves while indulging in divine desserts. These desserts, courtesy of the system, are so incredible that I'm grateful I'm not diabetic.
As my hand reaches for the last cookie, a swift and nimble hand snatches it from under my grasp. My hand lingers in midair for a moment before my gaze lands on the audacious thief, who is calmly eating my cookie without a shred of shame.
"This," I say slowly, as my newfound nemesis sips her wine nonchalantly, utterly unbothered by her heinous act, "is a declaration of war, Elia Martell." She merely blinks innocently, as though she hasn't just committed the gravest sacrilege.
"I will remember this."
My eyes narrow dangerously as I watch her laugh softly, but before I can say anything, another plate of cookies is placed on the table by Alfred. He looks at me with a flat expression before speaking in an equally flat tone.
"There are still plenty of desserts, my lord. Stop acting like a child."
I pout as I munch on my delicious cookies, muttering a low "This isn't over yet," which only makes Elia laugh harder and earns a sigh from Alfred.
Unfortunately, the moment is interrupted by Geralt's arrival, clad in his guard armor, a clear sign that it's time for me to leave for King's Landing. Letting out a sigh, I rise from my chair under the worried gazes of the others. In response, I simply smile, bidding them farewell before making my way to the docks.
Boarding the Black Pearl, I set sail for Westeros's political arena. But I'm not worried—I'm ready, and the Seven Kingdoms are not prepared for what's coming.