"Are you here to give me my acceptance letter?"
The owl tilted its head inquisitively, its eyes gleaming with curiosity.
Perhaps it was due to the siblings' shared aura, but Dany's owl was also particularly affectionate with Viserys.
"Brother!" Dany called out warmly.
She had grown considerably over the past three months. A small satchel, designed by Viserys, hung over her back, and her hair was neatly tied in a bun.
"My lord," Kyla greeted as she followed closely behind.
During this time, Dany had been learning interrogation techniques from Meris, a skilled interrogator whose expertise extended far beyond physical torture to psychological methods. However, since Dany was still in her teens and Hogwarts hadn't accepted her, Viserys refrained from teaching her any physical interrogation techniques. Instead, she continued to focus on swordsmanship and general education. Viserys believed that one day Dany would assist him in ruling, and understanding psychological tactics could help her "govern the people." Physical torture, on the other hand, was harmful not just for a child, but for any person in the long run.
Dany smiled as she approached Viserys. "How have you been practicing soul binding?"
After upgrading his warging abilities to soul binding, Viserys had encouraged her to make the switch as well. In the process, he had become a rather demanding teacher.
"Not very well," Dany admitted, a hint of embarrassment coloring her cheeks.
"Let me see."
Dany's expression turned blank as her violet pupils began to roll back. Unlike warging, soul binding still allowed her some control over her body.
"Brother, look."
As the screech owl flew around her, Dany managed to speak. After about three minutes, she broke the soul binding.
"Not bad, worth encouraging," Viserys remarked. In his eyes, Dany was progressing well—especially considering she hadn't taken any shortcuts. Her modest assessment of her skills stemmed from comparing herself to Viserys.
The two of them chatted while sitting on the bed. Thanks to Viserys's reputation, Dany had gained considerable freedom within the barracks. Not only Viserys, but also the old captain and his friend Denzo enjoyed conversing with her whenever she visited. With such a powerful "background," no one dared to harbor any improper thoughts.
"Viserys, we should go to the meeting," Dick and Meris announced as they entered the tent.
"Alright," Viserys replied, turning to Dany. "I'll go first."
"Okay," Dany said, reluctant to see him leave. Since joining the Windblown, their time together had diminished.
After leaving the tent, Viserys and Meris discussed the recent attack on Shield Lake. Thankfully, Baqq's caution had prevented any major casualties.
"Damn those pirates!" Dick cursed.
Viserys had analyzed the situation. Lys maintained a strategic balance between the two lakes and Tyrosh by relying on pirate intelligence. If they could find a way to eliminate these pirates, Tyrosh would gain an advantage over Shield Lake and launch a coastal attack. Once Tyrosh controlled the Disputed Lands, it would likely aim to control the Stepstones, thereby dominating the passage from the Summer Sea to the Narrow Sea. This could elevate Tyrosh's status, allowing it to compete with Braavos.
However, this hinged on the elimination of the pirates, whose main base was not the Disputed Lands but the Rhoyne River Basin—territory controlled by Volantis. Even Volantis, the acknowledged strongest, had failed to deal with these pirates. Tyrosh would face the same challenge.
This time, the Tattered Prince had called a meeting to discuss how to reduce or prevent pirate harassment. Would they need to send more troops or take other measures?
When the two arrived at the main tent, they found it already filled with people. Upon seeing Viserys, several of them greeted him.
"Lord Viserys."
"Gerrold, you look pale. Take care of yourself."
"Lord Viserys."
"Ah, I hear you've visited the Lust Garden three times this month. Better hold off until your next paycheck."
Viserys had become more approachable to many within the camp. First, he had demonstrated his strength on the very first day. Second, the 7th Battalion had flourished under his command. However, some still harbored doubts, as he had yet to prove himself in battle. As a sergeant major, it wasn't enough just to fight; he had to lead others effectively in combat. If his abilities ended there, he wouldn't be considered a truly capable sergeant major.
Not long after, the Tattered Prince entered the tent, accompanied by Denzo and Caggo. After their last encounter, Caggo seemed to regard Viserys with more respect—or at least, that's what Viserys perceived.
The old captain took his seat as usual, then surveyed the room, cleared his throat, and began the meeting. To Viserys's surprise, the Tattered Prince addressed him first.
"Viserys."
"Lord Captain," Viserys responded, standing.
"The rebuilding of the 7th Battalion appears to be complete. I'll allocate the additional manpower shortly."
"Thank you, Commander."
The old captain was clearly pleased with Viserys's work. Although he didn't fully understand some of Viserys's training methods, he was considering adopting a few of them—such as the "insurance system" Viserys had introduced. However, after weighing the costs, the old commander decided against it. In his view, the 7th Battalion could afford these benefits because it was relatively small and because Viserys had the funds. Additionally, the 7th Battalion consisted largely of Westerosi, many of whom were driven by the hope of "fighting back," creating a unity that other battalions lacked. So, for now, the commander put aside the idea.
After briefly discussing the 7th Battalion, the meeting shifted to its main topic.
"I'm considering sending another battalion to Shield Lake. Who is willing to go?"
The captain had no better solution to the ongoing pirate raids and was reluctant to send more troops unless necessary. Sellswords were primarily in it for profit, and deploying more men increased costs significantly. The expenses of maintaining an army at home were not the same as those incurred by sending it out, and actual combat operations further escalated the costs.
"Captain, I'll go," Dick said, sitting next to Viserys.
As the old captain prepared to respond, Viserys signaled his desire to speak.
"You may go ahead," the captain allowed.
"Captain, I've heard that the pirates gather annually to trade their stolen goods. Could we organize a small force to carry out a 'decapitation operation' against them?"
As expected, no sooner had Viserys finished speaking than someone sneered at the suggestion.