Whoosh—
Aegon swung himself onto the horse, his black cloak billowing dramatically behind him.
The entire motion was so smooth and effortless that he looked every bit the gallant young commander.
A black cloak.
Silver armor.
A magnificent black warhorse.
Under the rising sun, his silver-gold hair seemed to have been coated in a layer of golden radiance.
The sight was enough to make Shamira nearly drool.
When did my master become so impressive?
Shamira pressed a hand against her chest as her heart pounded wildly, her legs almost too weak to support her.
“Well?
Do I look like a general?!”
“Yes!
You do!”
Shamira nodded shyly.
Even the servants working around Illyrio’s mansion couldn’t help turning their heads to stare.
Only after Aegon rode away did they begin whispering among themselves.
“The young master certainly looks impressive.”
“Indeed.
But that horse…
I’ve never seen it before.
When did the young master buy such a magnificent horse?”
Shamira paid no attention to the black stallion.
As she watched Aegon disappear into the distance, the infatuation in her eyes gradually gave way to worry.
Aegon was young, handsome, and good-natured.
She wanted nothing more than to remain by his side for as long as possible.
All she could do was pray that he would return safely.
Otherwise, Illyrio would undoubtedly send her away to serve someone else.
Aegon, of course, had no idea what was going through Shamira’s mind.
He urged his horse onward, heading toward the outskirts of the city.
Along the way, countless people turned to look at him.
Passing the brothels was especially amusing, as his appearance drew a wave of surprised exclamations.
As expected of high-end equipment from the System.
This is incredible.
Aegon ran a hand over the patterned silver vambrace on his arm before resting it against the finely forged steel longsword that was also part of the Skin.
He was thoroughly satisfied.
The previous night, he had summoned the armor and cloak inside his room.
The next morning, he had gone to the stables and summoned the black warhorse as well.
After all, casually pulling an entire horse out of thin air in front of other people would have been far too horrifying.
And this horse truly was extraordinary.
The moment Aegon mounted it, he felt as though their minds were somehow connected.
Every movement seemed natural, almost instinctive.
Of course, dressing himself like this also made him an obvious target on the battlefield.
But with his Level 2 Swordsmanship and reasonably strong physique, he should be able to handle most situations.
Besides, the enemy he was about to face was nothing more than a poorly equipped band of outlaws.
With armor like this protecting him, there shouldn’t be much danger.
If there was one thing Aegon regretted, it was that the longsword wasn’t the Valyrian steel blade everyone dreamed of possessing.
Speaking of which…
Is it with the Golden Company, or does Illyrio have it?
Aegon wondered about it as he continued riding.
Before long, he arrived at the military camp.
His cavalrymen had already assembled, while the guards and personal retainers Illyrio had brought along stood to one side with Connington and the others.
The moment Aegon entered the camp, every eye turned toward him.
The soldiers all looked over in unison.
They saw Aegon almost every day, but this appearance was something else entirely.
The sight was simply stunning.
Mengo was especially affected.
The moment he saw the warhorse beneath Aegon, his eyes nearly popped out of his head.
Even when he had still roamed the vast Dothraki Sea, Mengo had rarely seen a horse of such magnificent quality.
Connington naturally recognized Aegon at a glance.
Never mind whether the young man possessed any real ability.
Just this appearance alone would be enough to intimidate plenty of people.
Connington found it almost impossible to connect the man before him with the spoiled young nobleman he had encountered that day.
Instead, he found himself staring at Aegon’s face.
There was something about it that vaguely resembled someone buried deep within his memories.
Not far away, Maester Haldon couldn’t help taking several more glances at Aegon as well.
Silver-gold hair.
Violet eyes.
The appearance was unmistakably Targaryen.
Septa Lemore took only one look before hurriedly turning her eyes away.
Nearby, Young Griff was staring at Aegon with unconcealed envy.
The previous evening, Connington had shown him two sets of armor.
One was the ordinary gray plate armor he currently wore.
Its quality was beyond reproach, but it was somewhat…
plain.
The other set was far more magnificent.
Not only was it decorated with intricate dragon motifs, but rubies had even been set into the armor as embellishments.
Yet Young Griff knew that this was armor meant to be worn when the time came to reclaim the throne and avenge the Targaryen dynasty.
It was absolutely not something he could wear now.
By all rights, Illyrio had been a handsome man in his younger days, while Young Griff’s mother, Serra, was descended from the Blackfyres and therefore carried Valyrian blood as well.
Young Griff himself was undeniably handsome.
But when it came to sheer presence and appearance, Aegon currently towered over everyone.
And with his Charm attribute on the verge of reaching C-rank, he had become the undisputed center of attention.
Even Illyrio was momentarily stunned when he saw Aegon.
He had never imagined that this spoiled young master could look so…
impressive.
Could it be because he’s Rhaegar’s son?
No!
It’s just because the armor looks good.
Illyrio quickly dismissed the thought.
Aegon swept his gaze across the assembled group, and there was no denying that he was pleased with himself.
He looked at the people standing beside Illyrio.
Connington was using the alias Griffon and pretending to be a Tyroshi.
The so-called maester wasn’t actually a maester at all, since he had failed the Citadel’s examinations.
if he remembered correctly, she had even given birth to a child before.
And Young Griff didn’t need any explanation.
A false prince.
All in all, what an interesting little collection of people.
Aegon calmly walked toward the group and noticed a stranger dressed like a military officer speaking with Illyrio.
From the man’s clothing, Aegon immediately recognized him.
He was Galeri, the nominal commander-in-chief of the Pentoshi army.
Why did this fellow come here personally?
I’m merely going to wipe out a band of outlaws.
Is this really necessary?
When Galeri saw Aegon approaching, he stepped forward.
“So you’re Silas?”
“Yes, my lord.”
Aegon dismounted and respectfully answered him.
“Not bad.”
Galeri looked Aegon up and down, taking in his armor, physique, and handsome appearance before glancing at the magnificent black warhorse beneath him.
Then he smiled.
“At a glance, you certainly look like a man destined to win battles.
Lord Illyrio, allow me to congratulate you in advance on your son’s victory.”
“I only ask that he return safely,” Illyrio replied modestly.
At that moment, Galeri handed Aegon a letter.
“When you reach the Toksor estate, give this to them.
They’ll arrange sufficient military provisions and supplies for you.”
“Thank you, my lord.”
Aegon inclined his head with a smile.
If this campaign succeeded, the Toksor family would naturally be the greatest beneficiary.
Their estates had suffered terribly from the bandits’ constant raids, so it was only reasonable that they contribute something toward supplying the troops.
“If you succeed in suppressing these bandits, I have an even more important assignment for you.”
“I’ll be honored to serve, my lord.”
After a few more polite exchanges, Aegon understood what Galeri was really getting at.
He wanted Aegon to persuade Illyrio to choose a side as soon as possible.
And, naturally, that side was the Toksor family.
Once their conversation ended, Aegon was just about to give the order to march when a blue screen suddenly unfolded before his eyes.
[Challenge Quest — Eliminate the Bandits]
[By any means necessary, ensure that the bandits of Ghoyan Drohe can no longer harass the estates around Pentos.]
[Quest Reward 1: 1 C-rank Charm Fragment, 3 B-rank Physique Fragments]
[Quest Reward 2: +5 Rulership]
[Quest Reward 3: 2 Level 3 Skill Cards]
Looking at the generous rewards displayed by the System, Aegon couldn’t help feeling tempted.
Then a gust of wind swept across the camp.
His black cloak billowed dramatically behind him.
Aegon pulled sharply on the reins.
The black warhorse reared, its front hooves rising high into the air, while Aegon sat firmly atop its back, his figure standing like a banner in the wind.
He drew his longsword and raised it toward the assembled soldiers.
“March!!”
The roar of his command rang across the camp.
The cavalrymen mounted their horses.
Then, with Aegon at their head, the army began its march toward Ghoyan Drohe.