Chapter 159: Motives and Techniques (Part 2)
"At first, I believed this tournament was the work of Ander Poole, the player who acts as Suda's shadow. But after I understood Hazan's true purpose, I realized things were not so simple."
"This contest was designed to push the conflict between Hazan and Suda to a life-or-death level, dragging the whole of Pentos to the brink of civil war. This is precisely the opportunity Hazan and his allies needed—a crisis that would allow them to mobilize their troops at will, without raising Illyrio's suspicions."
"Coincidentally, the tourney was scheduled for just before the Khal's wedding. If Hazan planned to use it to deal with Illyrio, then the timing perfectly matched my own conclusion: that Illyrio would be eliminated before I left Pentos."
"So, I asked Illyrio's steward to learn more about the situation in the city. I was not prepared for what I discovered. The truth was shocking."
"It turns out that Prince Hazan and Governor Tetrus had already approached Illyrio, claiming they 'did not want a civil war to happen.' Under the pretext of 'separating the armies of both sides to avoid conflict,' they convinced him to transfer the new mercenary companies under his command to the DC district—which just so happens to separate them from the XC district, Illyrio's traditional sphere of influence."
"This maneuver left the XC district incredibly vulnerable, creating the perfect opportunity for Hazan and his allies to strike."
"The next question was the identity of Hazan's ally. Was it Governor Tetrus, who had gathered his army in the North City? Or was it the old Governor Rotalus, who will be sending the First Banner Guard from the Prince's Palace to maintain order at the contest tomorrow? Either of their forces could combine with Hazan's troops in the South City to attack the XC district."
"I favor the former. After all, old Rotalus was not given command of any new mercenaries, nor has he been permitted to bring his family's private soldiers into the city. The force at his command is less than half of what Governor Tetrus wields."
"In terms of winning odds, an alliance between Hazan and Governor Tetrus is far more likely."
"Furthermore, tomorrow's contest was proposed by the Tetrus family. If the contest itself is a key part of a conspiracy against Governor Illyrio, then the family who initiated it is almost certainly involved."
"With that theory in mind, more evidence began to surface in my memory."
"For example, when I told Hazan that two of Suda's water dancers were planning to betray him on the spot, he replied that he already knew. I was stunned at the time. A betrayal by two prized fighters could decide the entire outcome. Would Suda tell anyone such a secret? I doubt he would even trust his own brother. So how could Hazan's mole possibly have learned of it?"
"But if Governor Tetrus has indeed allied with Hazan, it all makes sense—Governor Tetrus betrayed his own son."
"From the information I gathered earlier, Governor Tetrus is an old stallion with dozens of illegitimate sons. It is entirely plausible that he would be willing to sacrifice one to dispel Illyrio's suspicions. Besides, Hazan may not even intend to take Suda's life tomorrow."
"Once I had this guess, I conducted reconnaissance over Pentos in the form of a falcon, and I soon found more evidence."
"The Qoma Inn, nicknamed the 'Mercenary Guild,' which belongs to the Tetrus family, and the Liberty Street Arena, where both sides have been recruiting fighters for the past month, are both located at the junction of the two southwest districts."
"The inn itself is always teeming with mercenaries, and the arena has seen a massive influx of sellswords and slave warriors due to Hazan and Suda's recruitment efforts. Between these two locations, Hazan and Governor Tetrus could temporarily muster hundreds of men."
"This brings their total strength to nearly three times that of Illyrio's, giving them an overwhelming advantage."
"At this point, Hazan's method for dealing with Illyrio was completely clear."
"Only the final question remained: *why* did Governor Tetrus ally with Hazan? When did they reconcile their differences and reach an agreement?"
"I continued to search for answers in my memory, and soon I found a clue—on the morning that Hazan and Delif announced their engagement, Prince Hazan, Governor Howcott, and Governor Tetrus held a failed peace negotiation at the Red Temple."
"The Red Temple," Ian finished, his eyes fixed on Celia. "That is your domain. I suspect it was then that you used some kind of magic to forge their alliance, wasn't it?"
"That's right," Celia admitted without hesitation. "I used intermediate Red God magic and potions to hypnotize them. I made them believe they saw a vision in the flames—Illyrio at Drogo's wedding, begging the Khal to help him seize Pentos. They saw Drogo readily agree, and then they saw his cavalry pour through the gates held by Illyrio's army, a vision of Pentos being put to the sword."
She stood and moved to relight an incense burner that had just gone out. "After that, the two governors and Prince Hazan decided to put aside their grudges. Under my guidance and suggestion, they formulated the plan to eliminate Illyrio."
"Wait, what are you doing?" Ian stepped forward and grabbed her hand. "We are allies now. Are you trying to drug me so we can die together?"
"No," Celia said, shaking her head gently. "The potion is still in the stove. I haven't changed it."
"Then what are you doing?"
"I was thinking," she said, her voice soft, "that if I were pregnant with your child, perhaps you would show me mercy when I am no longer of any use to you."
"I am talking business with you," Ian said, though he released her hand, allowing her to light the incense.
"This is business, is it not? Isn't this what we spoke of when we first met?"
"First, tell me Hazan's complete plan," Ian said, deciding not to resist. "I want to know what else I've missed."
"Before the attack," Celia began, "we will first lure Illyrio into the Parliament Palace. This will effectively prevent him from escaping through the port. Only a few of us know the plan: Prince Hazan, Governor Howcott, Governor Tetrus, Delif Howcott, and myself."
"Once we give the order to attack, the armies will need time to react. In that time, Illyrio's intelligence network will certainly get the news, and he could escape by sea long before we surround his manse. So, we must trap him in the Palace first, and only then can we eradicate his power base."
"Then why not just kill Illyrio in the Parliament Palace?" Ian frowned.
"Because the guards of the Palace belong to the Grand Council itself. No single person has the right to command them, and we could never attack the Palace directly. That would offend every noble in Pentos. This is why the trap is certain to work. The interior of the Parliament Palace is an absolutely safe place. Blood has never been spilt there since the founding of the city. Illyrio will have no reason to be suspicious."
"So your plan is to blockade the Palace after Illyrio enters, then attack the west city, and finally intercept and kill Illyrio when he emerges?"
"Yes, that is the essence of it," Celia finished, then looked at him expectantly. "So, which side will you stand on? My suggestion is that you follow my plan. We kill Illyrio, ally with Hazan, and then you follow Daenerys along her original path, at least until she captures the cities in Astapor."
"I am going to stand on my own side," Ian chuckled. He leaned in close and whispered his own plan into Celia's ear.
---
⭐ $5 Tier – Early Access!
Stay 50 chapters ahead of public releases on RoyalRoad, Webnovel, and Scribble Hub.
Latest available chapter: 209.
⭐ $10 Tier – Super Early Access!
Stay 110 chapters ahead of public releases on RoyalRoad, Webnovel, and Scribble Hub.
Latest available chapter: 269.
📖 Chapters are uploaded as soon as they're completed, so you'll always stay ahead of the curve.
💖 By joining, you'll be directly supporting the story while enjoying exclusive early access.
🔗 Patreon link is in My Profile/About.
⚠️ Please select your membership carefully, as I have multiple novels ongoing.
🍎 If you're on Apple, consider subscribing through your browser instead — it's cheaper for you, and I'll receive payments faster.