"I can monopolize the users of Life Resonance."
Daeron mused inwardly.
The only "mediums" available to the outside world were Valyrian steel weapons.
But he possessed an entire mine capable of dropping special weapons, not to mention the high-priced armaments he could purchase from the Adventurer's Guild via the Shipping Bin.
Meanwhile, the intense battle in the arena was causing a massive stir.
Among those attending the tourney, there were quite a few excellent knights who had mastered Vitality.
In the stands, figures stood up one after another.
"That fighting style!?"
Brynden "The Blackfish" Tully shot up from his seat, his hardened heart twinging with envy.
Aside from the two duelists, he was arguably the knight with the most seniority in using Vitality.
But after ten years of bitter accumulation, he could only use it for simple physical enhancement.
He had always felt that Vitality shouldn't be such a clumsy thing.
Seeing the battle between the two Kingsguard today, countless ideas instantly flooded his mind.
Besides him, the leaders of the STAB alliance—Robert, Brandon "The Wild Wolf" Stark, as well as Prince Lewyn and Oberyn of Dorne, and even Rhaegar and Oswell—were all staring fixatedly at the field, trying to discern new techniques for utilizing Vitality.
Daeron took it all in, thinking, "From today on, a wave of searching for Valyrian steel is going to sweep across the continent."
If Arthur Dayne mastered Life Resonance, he would inevitably teach it to Rhaegar's faction.
It didn't matter if they learned the technique; after all, there was only one sword like Dawn.
Once a warrior fought using Life Resonance, ordinary weapons wouldn't be able to withstand the intense collision of energy.
In the end, they would have to find a suitable Valyrian steel weapon.
...
Soon, the duel ended.
The victor was Barristan Selmy.
He had familiarized himself with the Life Resonance a step earlier and perfectly unleashed the power of Neptune's Great Sword. Every strike was heavy and stable, allowing him to win by a hair's breadth against Ser Arthur.
"Prince, I did not fail you!"
Barristan returned to the stands, looking visibly excited.
Ser Arthur was known for his strength and technique; normally, no one could beat him one-on-one.
Winning today was entirely due to the Life Resonance.
Daeron didn't sting on the praise. "Well done, Ser."
For the path of exploring Vitality, he needed top-tier knights like Barristan.
Next match.
Ser Jon Connington was eager and requested to fight.
Daeron calmed him down.
His talent wasn't bad, but he was still a cut below Barristan and Arthur. Even with a special weapon, it would be hard for him to learn Life Resonance in such a short time.
The following matches were the domain of ordinary knights.
Any knight who had mastered Vitality kept a low profile, studying the combat techniques of the two Kingsguard.
Unfortunately, Life Resonance wasn't just a technique; it was a genuine ascension of power.
Without guidance and a lack of a "Medium," their efforts were destined to be futile.
Daeron watched the matches, occasionally glancing at the red dragon circling in the sky.
Caraxes hadn't gone far. He hovered over the God's Eye, occasionally letting out a long, piercing shriek that made the audience break out in a cold sweat.
"Eat."
Princess Shaena peeled a tangerine and handed it over.
She had been calm the whole time. Even when Caraxes first appeared and hearts were pounding, she remained emotionally stable.
Daeron ate a slice and tossed the rest to his foolish little brothers.
Jaehaerys and Viserys ate it happily.
In their family, the four siblings had spent so much time together that they were actually closer to each other than to their parents or eldest brother.
"Prince!"
Cersei cut through the stands and sat down gracefully behind Daeron.
She had seen the Prince's heroic figure riding the dragon—it was a hundred times more captivating than Prince Rhaegar had been years ago.
If she could ride the Prince, she could ride the Prince's dragon.
It was perfect!
Daeron nodded politely and shared a tangerine with her.
As fate would have it, the back of that tangerine had a bit of mold on it.
Cersei smiled disdainfully. A rotten orange was still an orange. She peeled away the bad part and ate the rest.
While eating, she didn't forget to demonstrate her dominance to Shaena, chattering away and clinging to Daeron.
Shaena ignored her completely.
Not far away, a pair of violet eyes watched this scene.
Ashara Dayne's eyes were expressive as she quietly observed Daeron's micro-expressions, keenly noticing the distance he kept.
He didn't like the Lannister girl.
"A Dragon Prince without a betrothal... alluring as honey."
Ashara assessed the situation. Ambition naturally rose within her, but she quickly snuffed it out.
She felt a bit of regret and sighed softly in her heart.
From the moment Princess Elia married Prince Rhaegar, the path for Dornish women to marry into the royal family had been cut off.
Elia noticed her companion was distracted and asked, "What's wrong?"
Ashara shook her head gently. "Nothing, Princess."
It was just a matter of learning to curb one's desires.
---
At dusk.
A grand banquet was held at Harrenhal.
In the lively atmosphere, all the gloom seemed to be swept away.
Clop, clop—
A small man riding a pony appeared at the gates of Harrenhal.
Looking at the magnificent castle decorated with lanterns and banners, he was deeply shaken, his jaw nearly hitting the ground.
"This is Harrenhal?"
The small man found everything novel, looking for all the world like a country bumpkin.
This behavior immediately attracted the attention of some mean-spirited fellows.
Three squires, roughly teenagers, exchanged winks and surrounded the dusty little man, demanding to know where the hillbilly came from.
The small man was shrewd. Seeing the hostility, he immediately announced his identity, hoping to bluff them.
But all he got was ruthless mockery.
"The Lord of Greywater Watch? Have you heard of it?"
"Who cares? Just a mudman too poor to eat anything but frogs."
"Hahaha—"
The small man was furious. He drew the trident from his back, intending to make them pay.
But outnumbered, he only earned himself a beating of punches and kicks.
Someone noticed the bullying.
Lyanna Stark's beautiful eyes widened in anger. She grabbed a wooden training sword and strode toward them.
She couldn't stand the strong bullying the weak.
Moreover, the green crocodile sigil on the small man's chest marked him as a bannerman of her father.
However, someone acted before her.
A squad of Dragon Guards appeared, ruthlessly restraining the three brats.
"My Lords, we didn't offend you."
A boy with a pitchfork sigil on his chest looked terrified, declaring he belonged to House Haigh.
Jacaerys sneered. "Kid, I don't care who you are, just like you didn't care who he was."
With that, he punched the brat hard in the stomach.
The boy's body instantly went rigid, the intense pain nearly making his eyes pop out.
The other two brats peed their pants on the spot, crying and begging for mercy.
Jacaerys wasn't a villain. He waved his hand, signaling his companions to drag them away.
They were just a bunch of kids; a punch each was enough to teach them a lesson.
Such a simple and brutal solution left onlookers sighing in admiration.
"Thank you, my Lord."
Howland Reed, bruised and swollen, struggled to stand.
He thought he had met a noble savior.
Jacaerys looked him up and down and laughed. "A Crannogman. Rare sight."
"My Lord, I am from Greywater Watch. I was invited to the tourney."
Howland, afraid of being driven away, explained hastily.
Jacaerys waved his hand. "I know, Lord Reed."
"Follow me. I'll take you to get some medicine."
Howland shut his mouth. Knowing that Crannogmen were discriminated against by southerners, he smartly followed the tall, silver-haired man.
Just now, those brats had called him a Dragon Guard.
It sounded impressive. Probably the personal guard of some great lord.
Lyanna stood not far away, witnessing the Dragon Guard save Howland and take him away for treatment.
"Dragon Guard! Prince Daeron Targaryen's men?"
She had heard of them.
The existing Dragon Guards were all trained by "Daeron the Bold."
Her father had said the selection criteria for the Dragon Guard were extremely harsh, but the treatment and equipment were superior.
They existed solely to protect the dragons.
After applying the medicine, Howland was taken to the courtyard behind the Kingspyre Tower.
Skreee—!
A red dragon lay low on the ground, breathing fire onto two sheep before lifting its head to swallow the food whole.
Howland broke out in a cold sweat, his body going numb.
He thought, That silver-haired giant is a Dragon Guard... he's not going to feed me to the dragon, is he?
Jacaerys slapped him heavily on the shoulder and whispered, "Don't be afraid. The Prince wants to see you."
That was the real reason he had been saved.
Howland turned to look at the red dragon and suddenly noticed a silver-haired teenager.
Remembering the big man's instruction, he bowed frantically. "Your Grace, Howland Reed, Lord of Greywater Watch, sends you his greetings."
Daeron walked over with a smile. "No need for formalities."
"Did you send someone to save me?"
Howland was sharp; he guessed this wasn't a coincidence.
Daeron admitted it frankly. "I did. My Dragon Guards are responsible for protecting the dragons. They saw you being bullied and helped you out."
So they had been waiting for him at the gates of Harrenhal.
Howland shivered, asking nervously, "Prince, what is so special about me that you would go to such trouble to save me?"
Daeron didn't speak, but his brow furrowed.
He sensed a thick scent of the forest on Howland Reed.
But this aura wasn't pure; it had the stench of the Three-Eyed Raven.
Brief introduction to Howland Reed:
Lord of Greywater Watch, leader of the Crannogmen.
In the original story, he was beaten by three squires and saved by Lyanna.
Later, in the battle at the Tower of Joy, he stabbed Ser Arthur Dayne in the back, killing him.
His children were equally famous.
Meera and Jojen escorted Bran Stark, who was chosen by the Three-Eyed Raven, all the way north. The latter unlocked his Greenseer sight and sacrificed himself for Bran.
One could say the Reed family were the conscripts chosen by the Three-Eyed Raven.
Daeron had sought him out precisely because of the Three-Eyed Raven.
"Prince, have I offended you in some way?"
Howland was at a loss. He lifted his arm and sniffed. Beneath his ragged outer tunic, there was a pungent smell.
This only made him more embarrassed.
Daeron ordered, "Jacaerys, take Howland to wash up and change his clothes. The banquet is about to start."
The man was still naive right now; asking him anything wouldn't yield results.
Put him aside for a while.
"Yes, Prince."
Jacaerys wrapped an arm around Howland's shoulder and said generously, "Little Lord, let's go."
After they left.
Daeron mused, "Coming to Harrenhal this time, I've felt a constant sense of unease."
Caraxes crawled over. The dragon's head brushed past his rider's shoulder, nostrils jetting a stream of hot air.
Daeron chuckled, reaching up to stroke the red dragon's jaw.
He was a man with a System interface.
Once all three dragons grew up, whoever came would be burned to ash.