*
"Prince Rhaegor, calm down, your friend won't die."
As soon as Rhaegor finished speaking, a somewhat strange gurgling sound came from the nearby mud, seemingly urgent, as if fearing that Rhaegor would act impulsively.
After all, Rhaegor was not as experienced as his father, Dragonzel, who could maintain calmness and inhuman rationality in most situations. Sometimes, the children even felt that Dragonzel was not quite like a human.
Rhaegor looked up in the direction of the sound. A short young man with an anxious face jumped down from the tree without hesitation.
It was a small man whose height only reached Rhaegor's chest, with long arms and long legs, like four bamboo poles. His slender body was also like a long, thin bamboo pole. This short young man wore armor made of lizard-lion skin, with iron plates at key points. He carried a basket of javelins and a blowpipe on his back, a frog-catching net in one hand, and a fishing spear in the other.
The small man hopped and skipped, avoiding dangerous spots in the mud, and ran to "Kane," whose face had completely melted and was reforming into a delicate young man's face.
"Who are you?" Rhaegor cautiously raised Star Singer. "You—"
He swallowed the words "How do you know me?" and looked at the short man's back. The Faceless Man "boy" Sage, who had returned to his original appearance, stood up with pursed lips, but Rhaegor could feel the smile of his Faceless Man guard.
He was the apprentice of Dragonzel's Faceless Man guard, Qungul Potter. After being adopted at the age of two by the priest of the Many-Faced God, "the Indifferent Man," he studied for thirteen years at the House of Black and White in Braavos. After being ordered to bring death to an Andal warlord, he received an oracle from the Many-Faced God and came to Westeros to serve as the Faceless Man guard for Dragonzel's children.
"Your Highness, allow me to introduce myself. I am Jiujian Ka Lei, chieftain of Lizard-Lion Mound. Chieftain Brandon Reed is my liege lord." Jiujian Ka Lei bowed slightly, speaking with the courtesy of the Crannogmen: "Chieftain Brandon possesses the talent flowing in the bloodline of the First Men. The ancient gods have granted him greensight. He saw a Silver Dragon flying in the swamp, so he sent me to welcome you. I didn't expect to meet this—"
He sounded a bit resentful, but more so, he looked at Sage with caution: "The agent of Death, Your Highness, he asked for our help to complete the Silver Dragon Prince's test for you, so we provided the location and the poison."
Jiujian Ka Lei glanced nervously at Rhaegor's gradually calming emerald eyes, took a deep breath, and continued, "This is not a fatal poison, but the sap of the slumber tree. Compared to the sweet sleep flower, the sap of the slumber tree is more suitable as a hypnotic drug because it has weak toxicity and is not addictive. Unfortunately, this plant only grows deep in the Neck. We usually use it to prepare anesthetics or as a sleep aid."
"Are you sure?" Rhaegor confirmed again, and after receiving an affirmative reply, Ailarion, who was beside him, also secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Although he was not as meticulous and clever as Legan, his intuition for many things was much more accurate than Legan's. For example, in this attack, he almost immediately confirmed that Kane was most likely sent by Dragonzel the moment he saw Kane suddenly betray them, but he didn't expect Kane to actually be the Faceless Man Sage.
He saw Rhaegor silently pick up Legan in his arms and hurried forward to lend a hand, but Rhaegor gestured for him to take Old James, who had been killed by Legan.
The group moved to a relatively dry clearing. Rhaegor carefully leaned Legan against a tree. They didn't have enough medicine at hand, so he didn't dare to move the bone arrow in Legan's body. He could only let Legan sleep for now.
The Faceless Man Sage stood by with pursed lips. He didn't know when he had picked up the arm that had been cut off by Star Singer and pressed it back onto the smooth severed end. He didn't know what he put on the severed end, but the previously still severed end suddenly began to grow slowly, and soon, the severed arm reattached, but it still hung limply to the side.
A Valyrian steel sword, also a magic sword.
The Faceless Man Sage thought to himself.
The magic of the Many-Faced God allows his acolytes to transform in countless ways, even change their bodies and reshape severed limbs, but it is powerless against bodies damaged by Valyrian steel weapons. However, for this mission, Dragonzel had given him a potion.
It just takes a lot longer to recover.
"Chieftain Jiujian, are there any Scholars in the Neck?" Rhaegor asked.
"Chieftain Brandon is bringing a Scholar here now," Jiujian Ka Lei said with an apologetic expression. "It's the thawing season, and the Neck is constantly changing. Greywater Watch is also constantly moving. If nothing unexpected happens, it should be deep in the swamp right now. I apologize, Your Highness, we cannot provide you with a warm bed."
"It's alright," Rhaegor forced a smile. He knew that Jiujian Ka Lei and Chieftain Brandon Reed were acting out of kindness, wanting to help him. Although they had indeed harmed his friend Legan, he could not bring himself to punish them.
"Legan needs medicine. I hope Chieftain Reed has enough."
"Of course, please rest assured, Your Highness. Chieftain Reed's Scholar is from Silver Crown City. He is very skilled in surgery and in using topical medications, including fire milk," Jiujian Ka Lei said respectfully.
This made Rhaegor sigh inwardly.
I can't punish them.
Because they have merits.
He suddenly completely understood his father's intention in arranging this. He wasn't trying to remind him that those around him could betray him at any time, but rather telling him.
Clear rewards and punishments, and adhering to rules, are not wrong.
What is wrong is being too rigid and inflexible.
He had indeed had the impulse to draw his sword and kill everyone just now, but after the impulse, there was immense regret for the ignorant Rhaegor.
He was a monarch who established laws, not merely one who followed them.
"Brother Sage," he walked helplessly to the Faceless Man Sage. The Faceless Man Sage was a short Braavosi with a delicate original appearance. He had Valyrian blood, and his hair was light gold, but half of it was dyed blue, which would make him very easily recognizable if he showed his original appearance.
"I know you attacked us on Father's orders for my sake," the young man said softly. "But Legan doesn't know that. He only cares about protecting me. So, Brother Sage, do you understand what I mean?"
"Prince will be very pleased with your performance," the Faceless Man Sage finally stopped pursing his lips and smiled with satisfaction. "I was waiting for you to say that. Prince has already promised, Reigen Kaawen." He looked at Ailarion beside him with his emerald eyes, and Albin, who was still shaken. "Ailarion Hoes, and Albin Rivers, will all receive their deserved rewards. And my reward will also be given to them."
Rhaegor nodded. Sage understood his meaning. He would reward the Faceless Man for helping him, but he would also punish the Faceless Man's plan for harming his friend.
"I am also at fault, Brother Sage. Please tell Father that I hope my annual allowance for this year will compensate Legan when I return." He paused, and for him, who relied solely on his annual allowance to live, a year without it would indeed be a bit difficult. However, his current small treasury was quite substantial, enough for him to live on.
Ailarion wasn't overly excited. He knew that when Legan woke up and learned that Rhaegor was fine, he would be much more excited than about receiving any reward. After all, they weren't following Rhaegor for rewards or anything else.
It was simply because they were friends.
That's all.
Ailarion squatted beside Legan, seeing that his breathing was still steady, and felt relieved. Although Legan hadn't had time to wear armor, he was wearing very thick clothes, and the wildlings' bone arrow hadn't pierced very deeply.
It just delivered the slumber tree sap into his body.
Rhaegor also knew this, and he also knew that even though his father, Dragonzel, was so rational that he didn't seem human, in front of family and old friends, he was a normal person who would laugh when he should, drink when he should, and tease and boast when he should.
He also longed for friends who were like family.
The Faceless Man nodded. He looked at the bewildered Albin. The child had just been startled by Ailarion and Rhaegor's ferocity, but he had bravely rushed forward. In short, he certainly had some skills.
"Albin Rivers—" The Faceless Man's words were cut off by Rhaegor before he finished.
"Albin, you know my identity now, don't you?" "Prince Rhaegor Varese?" Albin murmured, then suddenly jumped up in excitement.
I'm rich!
This was the only thought in Albin's mind.
They had traveled with a prince for so long, and a dragon knight prince at that.
Boys always think too much.
After the excitement, what remained was an unspeakable fear.
The excitement on Albin's face gradually faded, replaced by a trace of fear. He looked at them with some apprehension: "Your Highness, I... I admit I did want to steal your money at first, and I... I also wanted to..."
"I know," Rhaegor smiled. "Your eyes never left my sword and armor from the beginning. Do you think I don't know what you're thinking?"
Albin scratched his head awkwardly: "But... I heard..."
"Am I an unreasonable person?" Rhaegor's smile faded. "However, Albin, what you said earlier during camping, that you once robbed a caravan with Ser Robert from Walnut Wood Village when you were a child, is that true?"
Albin shook his head: "Ser Robert was a drunkard. Although he liked to hit me and call me a stupid kid, he was a very upright knight. It was because he refused to earn ill-gotten gains like other wandering knights that he died so... sloppily."
The Faceless Man Sage nodded behind him, telling Rhaegor that Albin had not lied to him.
"Didn't you realize Kane was fake?"
Albin continued to shake his head, honestly saying, "He tricked me, and I even had to count his money for him, Your Highness. I really didn't recognize that guy was a fake." He glanced at the Faceless Man Sage with some dissatisfaction.
Seven Hells, the real Kane tricked me, and you tricked me too.
Ser Robert, I really am that stupid kid from Walnut Wood Village.
This is bad, this is bad. Could Prince Rhaegor be angry?
"That's good," Rhaegor secretly breathed a sigh of relief. If Albin had really done the things he boasted about, he would have to cut off a few of his fingers, or half a palm, to feel at ease in rewarding this still loyal young man.
But now, this young man, whose character was still decent, had passed the test.
"Albin, I will reward your honesty, loyalty, and service on this journey." Rhaegor gently patted Albin's shoulder: "Are you interested in serving as a sworn knight of the Varezes family? The Varezes family will grant you an annual allowance, and you can choose between guarding the Varezes family's cities and castles, or serving in a military position in the Silver Blood Army, as your mission."
Albin didn't immediately react to what Rhaegor was saying.
Sworn knight?
He didn't mishear, did he?
Those were knights without land, but their lord would support their families and grant them key positions.
"I am willing, I am willing."
Albin quickly knelt on one knee, swearing allegiance to Rhaegor, to the old and new gods, and to Ser Robert of Walnut Wood Village.
"Very good, Albin." Rhaegor drew Star Singer and tapped Albin's shoulder.
"Now, you are a sworn knight of the Varezes family."
"Your Highness, as my punishment," the Faceless Man Sage suddenly said. He walked to Albin's side and slowly recounted Albin's background. "I need to inform Ser Albin of his surname."
"Ah?" Albin had no concept of this. He only knew that his father was a merchant from who-knows-where, and his mother had not married his father but had him after a one-night stand.
That irresponsible man had also disappeared after that night.
So he had the bastard surname "Rivers."
"Your father was a lost Fairman, so, Albin, your name can be changed now," the Faceless Man Sage said with a smile. "Your name is Albin Fairman."
Albin didn't know the meaning of this name; he was just excited again to have a surname.
Ailarion was bad at history, so he didn't quite understand what this meant either.
But Rhaegor knew very well what Fairman meant.
A royal family descended from the First Men and Andals.
Even after centuries of bloodline dilution, it was unknown how much Fairman blood still flowed in Albin, but he still had the blood of a king.
He couldn't help but look at the Faceless Man Sage.
This guy must be hiding something else from him.
Just then, a small boat slowly emerged from the woods.
A Scholar in gray stood on the boat, and beside him was a short man with deep green eyes and a gray beard.
Brandon Reed.
The Lord of the Crannogmen, Chieftain of Greywater Watch, and wielder of greensight.
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