The sound of the clash of fine steel swords traveled far away, and each strike seemed to carry the power of hatred.
Three lush trees acted like three huge green umbrellas, jointly shading the boy who was working hard at practicing swordsmanship under the trees.
The boy tied his blue hair back into a neat ponytail, which bounced as he moved nimbly.
The man sparring with him looked close to fifty years old.
The man had also dyed his hair blue.
The two looked just like a father and son.
Both the boy and the man were using real weapons, with swords flashing and blows exchanged back and forth.
Beads of sweat were flung into the air with his movements, refracting a crystalline light like a translucent crystal.
Although the man’s swordsmanship could not be called fancy, it was very seasoned and ruthless, attacking the boy’s weak spots with every strike, making him pay the price of pain for every flaw.
“Pain is the best teacher.”
The man said to the boy, and the boy also approved of this kind of training.
And right beside their sparring, Illyrio wore a kind expression toward the blue-haired boy, like an old farmer looking at the crops growing sturdily in the field.
After making his fortune, Illyrio bought a piece of land in Pentos and built a mansion for himself.
But the courtyard where he used to live was not sold, and instead let Young Griff and the others live there.
In Pentos, rich people owned more than one residence, and powerful magisters had too many mansions in the city and estates outside the city to count with both hands.
Soon the two stopped, and he eagerly handed the towels in his hands to the boy and the stocky man respectively.
“Thank you for your hard work, Mr.
Griff.”
Illyrio knew that this man’s real name was Jon Connington, having once served as the Hand of the ‘Mad King’ Aerys.
However, to avoid trouble and accidents, even knowing the other party’s true identity, he addressed him as “Lord Griff.”
They had already told Young Griff that his “true” identity was the son of Crown Prince Rhaegar, but in daily life, they still called him “Young Griff.”
Because of the defeat at the Battle of the Bells, Connington was exiled from Westeros by the Mad King Aerys.
However, the defeat at the Battle of the Bells was not due to Jon Connington’s lack of ability, but because he cared too much about morality and refused to burn Stoney Sept, letting Robert escape unscathed.
Jon Connington’s subsequent service experience in the Golden Company also proved this point.
Not long after joining the Golden Company, he became part of the upper echelons.
Governing a country would be a breeze, let alone a mere Golden Company.
The Golden Company was one of the most powerful mercenary groups on the continent of Essos, boasting a full ten thousand men.
Infantry, cavalry, chariots, and even war elephants.
They would also become the greatest assistance for Young Griff to ascend to the Iron Throne in the future.
Remember our 101 Kanshu website.
“You don’t need to be so polite, Lord Illyrio.”
Connington strode forward, took the towel from Illyrio’s hand, and then very naturally passed it over to Young Griff on the side.
The period when he was exiled from Westeros by Aerys was the darkest time of his life.
Not because he was exiled, but because of the severe consequences brought about by the defeat at the Battle of the Bells.
The death of Prince Rhaegar, whom he followed from the bottom of his heart, was the biggest blow to him.
But when he learned that Prince Rhaegar still had bloodline remaining in the world, he was excited beyond measure.
Upon seeing Young Griff with his silver hair and purple eyes, he concluded that this was Rhaegar’s son.
He still remembered the scene when he first met Young Griff—at only ten years old, he was playing a harp.
Prince Rhaegar was also skilled at playing the harp.
He had observed Young Griff from various different angles; in the sunlight, his eyes were black; under the lamplight, his eyes were dark blue; and in the twilight, they carried a hint of purple.
Connington believed this was because his mother was a Dornishwoman.
Connington intended to dedicate the rest of his life just to push Young Griff onto the Iron Throne, to make up for the sins he had committed back then.
To hide the child’s true identity from outsiders, Connington became his nominal father.
“Child, go take a rest for a while.
Lord Illyrio and I have a few words to say.”
“Alright, Father.”
Young Griff gave a salute, turned and left, walking toward the nun standing not far away.
Seeing him radiate the demeanor a prince should have in every gesture made Griff feel very gratified in his heart.
His day could be called busy; the nun taught him etiquette, the maester taught him knowledge, and Jon Connington imparted martial arts and experience in commanding troops, in the hope that this child could become a true king in the future.
Now that the prince had grown up, Targaryen’s grand cause of restoration should also be put on the agenda.
“Is there any news from the Usurper’s side?”
“Robert ignores state affairs, and lets his foster father manage all government affairs.”
“Jon Arryn?
After he dies, what will Robert do then?”
“Who knows what he plans to do?
I plan to go look for the traces of that pair of Targaryen siblings; it is said they are currently in Braavos.”
“Viserys and Daenerys?”
Connington knew that back then, when the Targaryen siblings Viserys and Daenerys fled to Braavos, they were protected by Willem Darry.
Willem was the master-at-arms of the Red Keep, and House Darry was an even stauncher ‘Loyalist’ in the War of the Usurper.
At the Battle of the Ruby Ford, the males of House Darry were almost wiped out.
It’s just a pity that this master-at-arms Willem only protected the siblings for five years before passing away from illness, leaving behind the young siblings whose days must be very difficult.
“But Aegon…
but Young Griff is Prince Rhaegar’s eldest son; he is the best candidate to inherit the Iron Throne!”
“Yes, yes, correct, we all think so.
Finding the Viserys siblings is not to push Viserys onto the Iron Throne; our plan is to use the Dothraki.”
Illyrio lowered his voice, laying out the plan in full.
He said that since Robert had known about Viserys’s existence for a long time, it would be better to let the siblings take the lead.
“We will marry his sister Daenerys to the Dothraki Khal Drogo, let Drogo dispatch troops to attack Westeros, and then our prince can raise an army from Dorne with the Golden Company.
At that time, we will surely gain the support of The Reach, which is also a Loyalist.
The Reach does not lack food and soldiers.
With the support of Dorne and The Reach, Targaryen’s grand cause of restoration will be half successful!”
“Marry Daenerys to the Dothraki?
She is only twelve or thirteen years old, right?”
Once again, Connington’s strong sense of morality took the upper hand.
“A little girl can trade for an army of forty to fifty thousand men.
Isn’t this a very cost-effective deal?
For Targaryen, how many people are bleeding?
She is also a Targaryen, so what’s wrong with shedding a little blood for Targaryen?”