27 Chapter 27

I awoke to the first rays of the sun, feeling completely satisfied, with a beautiful woman contentedly lying beside me after a night filled with passion. It's not that I was a playboy or particularly experienced in sex in my previous life, especially since I died at the age of 20. Nor can I say I was a virgin; I had two unsuccessful relationships... Back then, it seemed that breakups were a major problem.

It seems my awakening somehow managed to stir Pess, as she began to frown slightly and slowly wake up.

"Ugh... Daeron, what's the matter?" she asked me after a few seconds.

To which I simply replied:

"It's time for me to go, and we did agree on this yesterday, didn't we?"

Pess pouted slightly in annoyance and said:

"Yes, yes, I understand."

I shrugged in response and began to dress, since we had discussed everything the night before. Ultimately, I managed to explain to her that I did not plan to pursue a serious relationship in the near future. It was a struggle, but I succeeded, though she extracted a promise from me to visit her again in five years and to keep in touch.

Overall, I was pleased that I managed to gather some information about the gods and the deeper workings of Braavos, especially about the Iron Bank and the Braavos aristocracy.

The Iron Bank is the largest and most influential bank in Braavos. The bank is very wealthy and often loans money to various people. Although all the Free Cities have their banks, the Iron Bank is considered more influential than all the others combined and has a quite intimidating reputation as a debt collector—it often finances political assassinations and coups in cities and states whose rulers refuse to pay their debts. New rulers tend to repay all debts promptly to avoid the fate of their predecessors.

Currently, about a thousand citizens of Braavos—descendants of the original Keyholders—bear this honorary title, which, however, does not bring any significant wealth. They have the right to attend the solemn assemblies of the bank, although possessing the keys and the right to present them has turned into a mere formality. The real power within the bank belongs to a few truly influential Keyholders and the heads of Braavos's wealthiest families, not necessarily of ancient descent; as they say, in Braavos, gold coins weigh more than iron keys. Braavos magnates own shares in the bank, sit on secret councils, and have the right to vote in the elections of its executives.

Among the ancient houses that hold great influence in Braavos, it is worth mentioning three: the Antaryons, the Otarys, and the Sreavens.

The Antaryons currently have more influence because the current Sea Lord is a member of this house. Everyone is eagerly awaiting the hour when this man will pass away, as it was well-known that he was suffering from an illness that weakened him day by day.

Regarding the gods, I managed to learn that my arrival, which sparked the growth of magic or rather breathed life into it, allowed most gods and other entities to influence this world much more strongly. And perhaps somewhere in this world, there are still many such apostles or chosen ones who receive power from their god. Pess is one of them and received her power from the Goddess of Love and Fertility.

"Quite complicated, however..." I muttered, walking through Braavos.

"Partner, you are being followed by three, one of whom carries a decent amount of magic. So be careful."

"You've just confirmed my thoughts; it seems they've been following me since I left Pess."

It's quite difficult to miss such an amount of magic, especially after I received a significant enhancement from the night with the chosen Goddess. And now my status looked like this:

--Status--

Name: Daeron Targaryen

Level: 3

Strength: 50

Agility: 65

Endurance: 43

Magic: 145

SP: 10

Talents: Arsenal, Blood of the Kings of Winter, Blood of the Dragon Lords, Blessing of War, Icy Mind, Greenseer, Empathy.

Tasks: 2

From the entire list, magic increased by about 20 points, and I felt it, and now I think I can significantly improve my temporary stats.

Meanwhile, I managed to enter a rather inconspicuous alley; overall, I did not feel any hostility from these people, but I could not deny the possibility that they might very strongly remove any hostility.

Assured that the three had indeed entered the alley, I, turning around, said:

"So, gentlemen pursuers, what do you want from humble me?"

No surprise came from these three, but rather a strengthening of resolve, thinking that this was a sign they were deciding to kill me, I began to accelerate magic just in case.

"We would like to discuss a very important situation with you. Could you come with us to the Palace of the Sea Lord?" said, as I understood, the girl who had magic.

"What? You mean to the palace?"

"I came on behalf of the Sea Lord; he would like to discuss something with you. And I assure you it will not harm you."

Not sensing any deception from her, I decided to follow her to the Sea Lord's residence, a man who holds immense power in Braavos. Unlike Pentos, where the Prince is merely a formal leader and no one competes for the position. Here in Braavos, this position is perhaps almost analogous to a King in Westeros. And I was about to meet him now, thinking they might have invited me as a candidate for his bodyguards. Otherwise, I don't even know why they would call me there.

After a relatively short time, we reached the palace; the trio answered my inquiries evasively, adding that the lord himself would explain everything.

Before me stood a majestic building that stunned with its beauty, overall, in architectural style, it was not different from the rest of the city. I would say that in appearance, it was elegant luxury, rather than anything tacky.

Upon entering and seeing quite a large number of staff who bowed at the sight of my companions and quickly disappeared, after some time, we entered an office where, as I understood, the owner of this castle was located.

Ferrego Antaryon is an elderly man whose illness ages him by adding a couple of decades to his appearance. But his gaze, yes, his gaze was what showed his strength of spirit.

"Cough My name is Ferrego Antaryon, and you, I presume, are Khah!..." -he coughed up a clot of blood, stopping a woman who was about to approach him with his hand, indicating that he was alright, and continued.- "You, I presume, are called Red?"

"Yes, I heard you wanted to meet me?"

He stared into my eyes for a long time and said:

"I have a matter that probably only you can handle..."

What I heard already made me wary, and I was ready for anything, as his emotions were in complete turmoil; I had not felt such a mixture of hope and despair in a very long time.

"What is the matter?"

Standing before the Sea Lord and sensing his emotions, I understood this would be a problematic affair.

"You possess magical abilities, as I am aware," he began, preempting my question about his source of knowledge. "My ward helped me with this; she sensed your power. Your particular ability is needed for a task about which I wish to speak."

After awaiting my response, he continued:

"It happened ten years ago, when I had just become the Sea Lord. On that day, I needed to visit Lorath to foster relations between us. The day went relatively well, with Lorath's unusual structures captivating and their religion astonishing. The discussions were quite successful, but that night, something dreadful from the depths of the labyrinth attacked us during a nocturnal walk meant to finalize a few details. Only I and a few of Lorath's influential people survived." After coughing, he continued, "Since then, my health has rapidly deteriorated to its current state."

After a pause, and hearing no continuation, I asked the influential man, who was truthful in his recounting:

"Didn't anyone investigate this matter further?"

"Of course, I sent many, but most who went to Lorath either found nothing or never returned. However, according to my ward, you possess extraordinary power even compared to others. If you cannot help me with this task, I doubt I could find anyone who could."

Contemplating the situation, I said it was generally feasible to venture to Lorath. But what would I gain in return?

"What will I receive for these actions?"

"Anything you request within reason."

I already knew what I could ask from the Sea Lord, something Braavos is famed for.

"I would like a fleet of 100 ships for successfully completing the task."

Hope radiated from the Sea Lord, and I understood he would agree. Given the size of Braavos's fleet, 100 ships was not a significant loss.

"Agreed," said the Sea Lord.

"Then, shall we reinforce this agreement with a magical contract?" I suggested.

I had learned this skill from a grimoire I discovered in Dreadfort, among a plethora of knowledge I acquired during my readings; this skill seemed the most useful.

The purpose of this spell is to bind the parties to their obligations under the contract. Non-fulfillment results in severe penalties, up to death.

"You needn't worry about any consequences if you fulfill your part of the deal; the contract will do nothing. It works the same way in reverse," I assured the Sea Lord to calm any concerns.

Having sealed the deal with the stated goals, I began preparing for the journey to Lorath...

A week later

During this week, I augmented my knowledge about Lorath, thanks to the Sea Lord and generally through what Braavos could offer.

Lorath is one of the nine Free Cities, situated on a group of islands off the northern coast of Essos. It is the poorest, least populated, and most backward of the Free Cities, almost isolated from the others. Lorath subsists on fishing, whale, and seal hunting. The islands of Lorath are notable for their massive stone labyrinths, built by a long-extinct race.

In ancient times, a mysterious race known as the maze builders lived on the Lorath isles. They disappeared for unknown reasons, leaving behind the immense stone labyrinths that still adorn the islands. It is these labyrinths where I must hunt.

Among interesting facts, it's noted that about one and a half millennia before Aegon's Conquest, the Andal king Quarlon the Great unified the islands and built his wooden palace in the center of an ancient labyrinth on Lossarion island. Attempting to subjugate all the Andals, not just those on the Lorathian islands, he conquered neighboring kingdoms, creating a vast empire covering the northwest coast of Essos from the far west to the Secura island. Quarlon the Great waged war against the Valyrian colony of Norvos; arriving Valyrians with their dragons slaughtered the Andals, leaving Lorath deserted.

Some 1322 years before the Doom of Valyria, a Valyrian sect worshipping the Blind God Boash settled on the islands. From this long-gone sect, modern Lorathian aristocrats inherited the manner of speaking about themselves in the third person. Over time, the priests of the Blind God became greedy and corrupt, and a popular uprising overthrew their rule. In their place, Lorathians established a republic in the Valyrian style, electing three lifelong rulers: the Prince of Harvest, the Prince of Fishermen, and the Prince of Streets. The city's isolation protected it during the Century of Blood, although some Lorathians served as mercenaries in Braavos or Norvos.

Lorath has its own colony, Morosh, considered the largest port between Lorath and Port Ibben.

If we are to discuss religion, it is worth mentioning that the priests of Boash preached that life is sacred and eternal, and that all people, regardless of gender or social status, are equal before God.

The essence of the doctrine was a complete renunciation of self-identity; only by liberating oneself from human vanity could one hope to comprehend the divine. Followers of Boash even discarded their own names; speaking of themselves, they avoided pronouns like "I", "me", or "mine", and instead referred to themselves simply as "man" or "woman".

And there I had to go. I had planned to visit this region anyway, partly out of a desire to see the famous labyrinths.

Taking the works about Lorat with me, I continued studying this fascinating place as I sailed on the ship.

After three weeks, we arrived in Lorat, and before me stood the labyrinths built by the masons, extensive constructions of remarkable complexity that could be found throughout the archipelago.

On the shore, I also saw a group of people with blindfolds, apparently the priests of the Blind God.

"Ha, truly an interesting place indeed..."

"Do you feel that, Tuna?"

"Yes... An immense amount of magical power, it seems to press down and try to contain something."

"I agree... It seems the creators of the labyrinth employed an incredible amount of magic."

Many scholars and seekers of knowledge in this world still debate the purpose of the labyrinths. Were they fortifications, temples, cities? Or did they serve some other purpose? The builders of the labyrinths left no written records, so we will never know the answers to these questions. Their bones suggest that they were larger than humans but not as large as giants. Some speculate that they were the offspring of unions between ordinary men and giant women. We do not know why they disappeared, although Loratian legends suggest that they were destroyed by enemies from the sea: in some tales by mermaids, in others by were-seals or walrus-men.

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