The next morning, as dawn broke, Viserys entered Pentos accompanied by Aggo, Hugo, and a hundred black-armored knights.
Pentos was bustling, truly a city of prosperity, a pearl in the harbor.
However, Pentos was also a city without natural defenses. Aside from its thick, sturdy walls, it had few means of protection.
These Free Cities typically consisted of a massive port metropolis surrounded by vast vassal lands, relying on trade and agriculture to feed their enormous populations.
Though Pentos was no stranger to assassins and sellswords, a troop of elite knights of this magnitude still drew the eyes of the populace.
They could guess that this was a prince or lord from some civilized kingdom.
Some sharp-eyed observers recognized the red dragon on Viserys's surcoat—the sigil of House Targaryen.
Dothraki Khals were also considered distinguished guests, but to avoid panicking the city, they were usually kept in the manses outside the walls.
In the morning light, the square brick towers of Pentos looked holy and imposing.
Like in Braavos, these towers represented power, belonging to the influential Magisters, wealthy merchants, and ancient nobility.
The spice merchants sent their ships to distant lands to trade for saffron and peppers. The vintners oversaw the production of the pale amber wine for which Pentos was famous.
Outside the red temple, red priests lit fires and began their prayers to the Lord of Light, while children laughed and played in the streets.
They seemed to be playing a game similar to "hawk and chicken," but here it was "Khal and slaves."
"The horselords are coming!" shouted a boy playing the Dothraki.
The other children scattered, screaming in mock terror, afraid of being caught by the "Khal."
The fear of Dothraki savagery was deeply ingrained in the hearts of the Pentoshi.
"A weak city," Viserys concluded.
Even though its economy and population were that of a great metropolis, wealthy and lavish, it was a city without courage or blood.
"A rich but weak city, occupied by these incompetent Magisters. What a pity," Viserys thought. "Such a fat piece of meat... truly tempting."
The Free Cities were all swimming in oil, but Viserys reckoned the wealthiest were Braavos and Qarth.
Qarth was a massive and incredibly wealthy city in the southeast of Essos, the city of warlocks and merchant princes. The Qartheen called themselves the center of the world, the gateway between north and south, the bridge between east and west. Their wealth was legendary.
Illyrio was completely oblivious to Viserys's ambition. In his mind, Viserys was still an arrogant, unruly adolescent, not a calculating conqueror.
"King Viserys, I can accompany you anywhere in this great city. The Magisters' manses, the houses of pleasure with beautiful maidens, the finest cooks, the jewelers..." Illyrio offered.
"No need," Viserys waved his hand. "I only wish to visit the markets of Pentos. I have no interest in other places."
Illyrio found it odd. A King who disliked feasting and women but loved browsing markets?
But considering Viserys was looking for dragonbone and fish bone, it made some sense. Targaryens were always obsessed with dragons and fire.
Illyrio pondered whether to present the three fossilized dragon eggs. He decided to hold off and observe a bit longer.
Those three eggs had undergone countless experiments and had shown no reaction; they were dead stone, useful only as art. Still, giving them away felt a bit reluctant. He would watch and wait.
Viserys had a reason for choosing the markets. He had activated his new class, "Hydromancer," and the talent "Water Affinity."
Now, he didn't have to randomly consume bones and food like buying lottery tickets. While that worked, it wasted too much time and energy.
With his Water Affinity, he could sense places or items rich in water essence.
As a Hydromancer, he could find treasures with half the effort—just as he had found the relics of Garin the Grey.
Viserys arrived at the Pentos market, a scene of prosperity that Viserys Fort could not yet match.
The citizens of Pentos dyed, oiled, and forked their beards, looking incredibly greasy.
The market was crowded with people. Merchants traded spices, gems, dragonbone, and even "dragon eggs."
People from all over the world were here. Myrish merchants with olive skin and dark eyes peddled art and crafts. Tyroshi in brightly colored clothes and blue or purple hair sold bizarre armor and helmets shaped like birds and beasts. Lyseni with fair skin and seductive eyes offered short swords and love potions. Hairy Ibbenese sold whale oil products—they looked fearsome but were excellent fishermen. There were also Volantenes, Qartheen, and more.
"Dragon eggs! Ancient eggs from the ruins of Valyria! Hatch a demon dragon and become master of the world! Only one hundred gold dragons! A steal!"
"Saffron! The finest spices from Qarth! Cloves, nutmeg, pepper!"
"Fine wine! The best vintage!"
"Gems! Sapphires, cat's eyes, jade, tiger's eye! Everything you desire!"
Of course, there were no real dragon eggs here. The "eggs" Viserys saw were just painted stones designed to trick gullible foreigners.
Viserys wandered through the market, specifically seeking items containing water essence.
Finally, he found a stall selling art pieces. There were many bone carvings: white fish bone hairpins, bone swords.
Viserys examined them closely. The greasy-bearded Pentoshi stall owner recognized Viserys as a wealthy patron and began his pitch enthusiastically.
"I'll take this, this, and this," Viserys pointed. The stall owner nearly fainted with joy; this was a real big spender.
"Magister!" The owner recognized Illyrio and became obsequious.
"This is my honored guest. Give him a price," Illyrio said.
The trinkets Viserys bought weren't expensive, which puzzled Illyrio, but as long as the King was happy, he would pay. Viserys's interests were truly unique.
Viserys went on a shopping spree in Pentos.
The merchants quickly realized this young man was a fountain of gold and began aggressively peddling their wares.
Many fish bone sculptures contained fluctuations of water essence, as did some high-quality dried seafood like golden thread fish and yellow croaker.
Finally, Viserys chose a broken sword inlaid with sapphires—seemingly of Rhoynar style—and two ancient statues of Rhoynar warriors.
It was a fruitful trip.
The Pentoshi loved art; ancient statues of the Seven reportedly fetched high prices here.
The sapphire contained residual water magic. Viserys guessed that magic needed a carrier. Gems could store magic, automatically absorbing elemental power. Like Melisandre's ruby, the hardness and stability of a gem ensured it could hold and channel magical fluctuations.
All of Viserys's expenses were, naturally, paid by Magister Illyrio.
Viserys returned fully loaded. The items he acquired would be very helpful in improving his Hydromancy.
As Viserys and Illyrio chatted idly, the great bells of Pentos began to toll.
Such a commotion could only mean one thing: a new, uninvited guest had arrived.
A city watch officer hurriedly pushed through the crowd and whispered in Illyrio's ear.
Illyrio's face changed slightly.
"What happened?" Viserys asked.
"A guest. A small Khal from the Dothraki Sea, Khal Jhiqui, has come to... visit," Illyrio explained.
Viserys listened with interest. A Khal delivering himself to the doorstep?
It seemed this minor Khal was crafty. Resisting the escalating slaughter and annexation in the Dothraki Sea, he had wits enough to seek refuge under the walls of Pentos for a while.
"Noble King Viserys, I hope you can forgive my sudden departure. My Unsullied guards will escort you back to the manse. As a Magister of this city, I am responsible for these diplomatic affairs. It is truly tiresome," Illyrio apologized.