Oberyn finally felt like he had spotted a flaw in Viserys, and he spoke with a hint of triumph in his voice.
All this time, the young king had exerted immense pressure on him intellectually.
This realization gave Oberyn a rare sense of relief, like he could finally take a breath.
But Viserys didn't even glance at him. Instead, he pointed south and said,
"Downstream along the Rhoyne River lies the territory of the Volantenes. Why haven't they occupied the middle and upper reaches? Is it because they don't want to?"
"It's… because of Chroyane!" Oberyn suddenly remembered. Chroyane was plagued by the dreaded greyscale.
The septons of Westeros claimed that only penance could save the infected — which, of course, was utter nonsense.
The maesters believed only axes and knives could help — effective, but terrifying.
Chroyane had once been a city of the Rhoynar, but the Valyrians had destroyed it.
Legend had it that Chroyane's rulers used a curse to drown the invaders.
The Valyrians and Volantenes who attacked Chroyane were said to have sunk into the waters, and their dying breaths filled the ruins with grey mist.
In short, it was the plague that stopped the Volantenes from advancing.
"Yes, Chroyane. And if they choose to avoid water routes and go overland instead, the price of grain will remain high," Viserys continued, now pointing west.
"Beyond the Rhoyne, you'll find the Dothraki Sea. That land belongs to the Dothraki. Do you think they'll have surplus grain to share?"
Oberyn shook his head. He didn't know much about the horsemen, but he knew enough — they were like wildlings, struggling to feed themselves, often raiding others just to eat.
The grain-starved Rhoynar would only grow weaker.
"As for the east and the north," Viserys said, "as long as I'm here, not a single grain gets through. At least, the Pentoshi won't be selling to them."
As Viserys laid out his strategy, the smug expression gradually faded from Oberyn's face.
Then Viserys added, "I'll also build a fortress in the north to ensure the Norvosi sell grain only to me."
Of course, Viserys had no plans to challenge Norvos directly. After all, Oberyn's sister-in-law, Lady Meralia, was a noblewoman of Norvos.
That connection would prevent Norvos from interfering — at the very least.
They didn't export much grain annually anyway. Viserys wouldn't demand more than he needed. If necessary, he could simply "consume" whatever came.
Oberyn was left speechless.
He picked up a spyglass and looked down at the Rhoynar laborers building a wall for Viserys.
It was no longer a wall — it was a cage they were constructing for themselves.
Oberyn had always prided himself as the "Red Viper." But compared to Viserys's schemes, his own poisons were nothing more than dessert.
Truly an evil dragon.
Even Arthur felt uncomfortable with Viserys's strategy.
Because it affected civilians.
Still, he wouldn't oppose Viserys. After all, this was war.
Jon, Hand of the King under Aerys, had once failed to find Robert hiding beneath a whore's bed out of mercy.
Arthur wouldn't make the same mistake.
However, Viserys had also told him that those Rhoynar who couldn't afford grain would be offered aid — if they agreed to abandon their homelands and pledge loyalty to House Targaryen.
Knowing the full scope of the plan, Arthur felt a bit more at ease.
The truth was, in the region of Gohor, both the Andals and the Rhoynar lived miserable lives.
The Andals suffered under the double oppression of the Pentoshi and local bandits. The Rhoynar were buried under heavy taxes.
Their elder councils invented endless excuses to extract more from them.
Viserys had learned that even the so-called "Great Elder," Lothan, had spent an enormous sum on some secret project.
To fund it, he was forced to levy crushing taxes on the Rhoynar under his rule.
His purpose seemed to be the pursuit of something — though Viserys hadn't yet discovered what.
In the meantime, Davos had been sent back by Viserys to bring over the next group of people.
This second wave would include not only soldiers but also the families of the farmers and troops already relocated — totaling around 8,000 people, with an additional 2,000 soldiers.
With that, Viserys's usable forces would exceed 6,000.
This second relocation would be more than twice the size of the first.
Thankfully, this time, they'd land in Pentos — the voyage was shorter.
As per Viserys's orders, the next member of the Kingsguard to arrive would be Oswell.
The Old Crab and his family would be coming too.
Viserys needed someone to manage his treasury — and the Old Crab, who never let go of a single coin, was the ideal candidate.
As for Rhaella, Elia, and the others, they would remain on the island for now.
At least until the earthen walls were complete — then he'd bring them over.
Now that Viserys had secured a foothold in Gohor, the next pressing task was to take control of the Andal villages that had once been dominated by bandits.
The bandits had controlled nearly 100,000 Andals.
After the recent battle, around 60,000 to 70,000 of them were poised to become Viserys's subjects.
The rest could no longer organize a proper resistance.
Even so, the ordinary farmers remained uneasy — they had no idea what kind of ruler Viserys would be.
The bandits had done more than levy taxes on them.
Even first night rights were child's play compared to the horrors they endured.
Most farming households had no surplus food. They had to go to great lengths to hide their grain.
Viserys ordered his men to find and gather the village leaders the Andals had chosen.
He planned to explain to them the new policies, tax system, and the rights and duties that would be enforced.
After all, the goal from Dragonstone was clear — population.
Population was the top priority.
Even more important than building his own city.
With four or five thousand troops, his forces were already a heavy burden compared to the number of people he ruled.
And he didn't dare convert those who had surrendered after the Battle of the Gullet into regular troops.
Even if the Golden Company — the largest mercenary group in Essos, founded by House Blackfyre — came to serve him, Viserys couldn't afford it.
He needed more than just military might — he needed a stable foundation.
The Rhoynar strategy would take time.
So for now, he would start with the Andals. They shared his culture and faith, making integration easier.
The Andal villages were scattered. It took Viserys a month to gather them. When they heard they were to meet a king, they washed their clothes again and again.
But when they learned that the so-called king still lived in a tent, they couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed.
A village chief in his thirties, with flaxen hair, spoke up:
"I'd say this so-called Targ-something king probably won't stay here long. He'll be gone before you know it."
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