Dany, who was lying on the windowsill, watched the entire confrontation unfold. Seeing her brother, Viserys, display his dragon-like might with his purple eyes shining, she momentarily forgot about the wounds on her arm—wounds inflicted by Viserys not long ago.
Under the threat of the sharp blade, Helbo instructed the three men to wait outside the door, leaving him alone with Viserys to negotiate.
"Pri... Prince, we are only here to settle the outstanding payments with you. We really have no other intentions," Helbo said with a servile smile, his gold teeth twinkling and making his words even less credible.
"Do you think I'm stupid? Do you smell your own farts?" Viserys retorted, delivering each word with a staccato slap to Helbo's fat face, humiliating him with every strike. He suspected that the man before him was not a nobleman at all, but a street thug.
Dany, watching from behind the window, felt very satisfied. This thug had often appeared when Viserys was drunk, stealing things from their home and looking at her with ill intent, even attempting to touch her.
To Helbo's surprise, Viserys began discussing the debt after humiliating him. If Helbo were in control, he would have demanded an unreasonable sum. But now, he had to tread carefully.
"You owe us 132 gold coins, 26 silver moons, and some change."
Viserys glanced at his neck, and Helbo quickly revised his statement.
"One hundred and thirty gold coins. You give us one hundred and thirty gold coins, and we'll call it even."
Viserys couldn't even come up with three gold coins, let alone 130.
"Actually, it's all negotiable. We can give you a discount on the rest of the debt. Or... 125?"
Viserys remained silent, and Helbo, increasingly desperate, continued to haggle with himself.
"It can't be less than 120. I can't give you a lower price."
Viserys still didn't respond.
"One hundred and twenty! I'll find a way to get you the rest! One hundred and twenty! What do you think?"
Viserys still didn't say anything.
"It really can't be less, Prince. Would you like to name a price?" Helbo said, his respectful tone barely masking his desperation.
Viserys smacked his lips and then looked Helbo in the eye. "I don't have a single gold coin right now."
Helbo's expression froze.
"But I have other repayment options."
"Other?" Helbo's eyes shifted toward the house.
Sensing his gaze, Dany gasped and quickly hid under the window.
"Watch your eyes, or I'll pluck them out!" Viserys threatened coldly, his expression full of menace, as if he might bite Helbo's throat at any moment.
Helbo shivered and quickly apologized, "I-I-I didn't mean it that way. I thought you were talking about the house. You said, you said that."
Ignoring his flawed reasoning, Viserys asked, "Let me ask you a question first. If you receive 130 gold coins from me this time, how much will you get?"
"Huh?" Helbo, though he had a hunch about Viserys' intention, answered honestly, "Well, I can get about forty."
The debt collection industry is indeed highly profitable! Viserys' eyes lit up. This figure aligned with what he knew from his previous life. Depending on the difficulty of the collection, the debt collector might receive half or even more of the total amount owed. Some creditors were only interested in recouping a fraction or causing trouble for their debtors.
If he joined the industry, he could quickly earn enough to take care of his health and Dany. After recovering, he would join the mercenaries, maximizing his talents.
Viserys said, "Braavos is a big city. I'm sure I'm not the only one who owes money, right?"
Helbo was cautious, "What you mean is..."
"Yes, that's what I meant."
Helbo lowered his head, reaching for his beard before thinking better of it and touching his face instead. He had not come here for gold but for Dany. He had assumed Viserys was an easy target but realized he was wrong. The original plan had to be abandoned, making it difficult to explain to his employer.
Seeing his hesitation, Viserys added, "Selling people in Braavos, I think it's ten years of hard labor, right?" He pinched Helbo's neck, still smiling, but the gesture was menacing.
Helbo felt his soul being squeezed. He had made all the preparations, yet here he was, the passive party. The reward for capturing Dany was two hundred gold dragons, but now that money seemed too risky. Viserys' proposal had merit. Compared to ordinary teenagers, Viserys dared to fight and had martial arts skills. If he joined Helbo's "team," it could be beneficial. Helbo had several "businesses" lined up.
"Yes! I accept your offer. In a few days, I'll come to see you. How about we go together to help people who need to pay off their debts?" Helbo suggested with a smile.
"No problem. Then you can lend me some money first, and I'll deduct it from my salary, I mean, my compensation."
Helbo swallowed hard, feeling suffocated. When had he become a debt collector who not only couldn't collect money but also had to leave some behind? "Okay, okay, okay."
He took a heavy purse from his bosom and handed it to Viserys.
"Well, thank you. From now on, I'll call you 'Ser.'"
"No, no, you don't have to."
Helbo bowed slightly and turned to leave. Seeing a crowd of onlookers gathered outside, his face fell. Today's business trip was a failure, severely damaging his reputation. He put on a fierce look, trying to regain some dignity.
But he had not taken two steps when Viserys stopped him. "Wait."
Helbo felt a bitter taste in his mouth and quickly squeezed out another smile, the rapid changes in expression causing his facial muscles to twitch slightly. "Is there anything else, Prince?"
Viserys pointed to the broken door and said, "The door is worth two gold coins. Take it out of there."
...
Dany was overjoyed. Every time Helbo came, he always took something away. But this time, not only did he leave empty-handed, he also left a significant amount of money. The money would be enough for the two siblings to live on for a long time—assuming her brother Viserys didn't drink it all away.
Suddenly, a distant roar echoed through the air. It was the Titan of Braavos, the colossal statue that signaled the start of the city's day. The people of Braavos began their work with the roar of the Titan.
"Let's go! Let's get something to eat!" Viserys said.
"Okay~" Dany followed cheerfully.
Unlike the little girl's excitement, Viserys knew that their troubles were far from over. He remembered that the man who had lent him the money seemed to be a shipowner with three or five ships under his command. In those days, good sailors were hard to come by, and any shipowner capable of managing them was naturally formidable.
If the shipowner couldn't get Dany, he might try something else. Helbo had proven useless, so the shipowner would probably find someone more competent. The two of them were already at each other's throats.
Considering the laws of Braavos, if a creditor died, the debtor would also be suspected. Viserys decided it was crucial to pay off the debt first and then find an opportunity to eliminate the threat.