He left behind the dragon-mouth plow that he had forged himself and finally got rid of the enthusiastic peasant women.
Aemon returned to the River Valley.
From the outside, the two city walls took shape.
The outer city wall stood one meter high, with blue bricks stacked six and a half meters wide, resembling a giant dragon lying on the ground.
The foundation of the inner city wall had been laid, and a thick layer of stone slabs had just been placed.
A separate, circular urban area was carved out between the inner and outer walls, incorporating the small village originally built by the people.
The west side is backed by mountains, and the east side faces the lake.
River Valley Town has gates in the north and south, as well as four towering city gates in the southeast, southwest, northeast, and northwest.
To avoid confusion, Aemon named the four city gates after the characteristics of the four giant dragons in the river valley.
The main city gate is in the southeast and is called the "Bronze Gate."
The others are called the "Silver Wing Gate," the "Harvest Gate," and the "Fishing Gate."
Copper mines have been discovered under the mountains. Once the mines are officially operational, there will be enough material for the bronze gates," Aemon explained.
Aemon smiled.
Johanna hugged the black-haired, spotted, super-fat cat and struggled to keep up. "River Valley Town is thriving. After garrison training is complete, we can build some shops and houses."
River Valley Town is not poor; it has valuable specialties.
Smelting copper, producing honeycomb coal, and burning lime are all popular activities that generate valuable goods.
Uncultivated land, the fishery of Long Lake, and clay pottery technology are all rare treasures among the recyclable resources.
Aemon was very satisfied and felt that the future was bright.
He glanced back and raised his eyebrows. "It has grown up. You don't have to hold it all the time."
"Meow!"
The fat cat drooped its head and bared its teeth in dissatisfaction.
After all, it was only two months old and still a cub.
Johanna rubbed the cat's head and gently set it down. "It sticks to me too much.
"This is a Shadow Mountain Cat, a cruel predator at the top of the food chain."
Aemon shook his head.
He had planned to raise the cat himself, but there was a rat in his bag.
He thought that raising a cat would cultivate Johanna's temperament and that she was a noble lady.
Who would have thought this cat would be ruined?
...
Blacksmith Guild.
A house with a stone roof was built at the foot of the mountain northwest of River Valley City.
"Prince."
Several people were in the stone house, and they all nodded and greeted His Royal Highness.
They were men, iron towers wielding hammers with bare upper bodies.
Aemon mingled with them and had a furnace to use alone.
Ding-dong!
He swung the hammer and hit a sword blank, producing fierce sparks.
"After forging ninety-nine times, the metal becomes harder but more brittle."
Aemon pondered this secretly.
After a month, he changed jobs and became a blacksmith.
He wanted to imitate the Bronze Shield and study the ancient runes.
Unfortunately, the current forging technology is relatively primitive.
It is difficult to forge a piece of steel a hundred times.
Unintentionally, he planted willows, which shaded the trees. He made a dragon-mouth plow with simple craftsmanship.
"The problem is still the material."
Aemon pondered this for a long time and finally came to a conclusion.
His Royal Highness remained silent, and the others did not dare interrupt.
Aemon looked around and called up the Magic Essence Panel.
[Aemon Targaryen]
Talent: Dreamer (Gold)
Bloodline: Ancient Valyrian Dragon King (41.5%)
Skills: Binding Spell "Remnant" (proficient), Archery (hit the target), Empty Hands (proficient).
Magic Cards: Strong Body (blue), Solid as a Rock (intermediate, purple), and King's Temperament (purple).
Equipment: Dual Valyrian Daggers, Sapphire Amulet (2/3), Bronze Shield
Pets: Golden-nosed Rat (blue), White Deer (auspicious beast).
Sacred Objects: Bronze Sacred Tree (Purple)
Evaluation: "The bloodline is steadily improving. You may wish to study advanced dragon-controlling skills."
There was no change, and an additional Sacred Object column appeared on the personal panel.
The bronze sacred tree has been rooted in the dragon's nest for a month, yet it has not grown. No one knows the mystery behind it.
With a thought, he turned over the card panel.
One was white, one blue, and one gray.
The white card was an ordinary iron sword, and the gray card was a gray-haired rat.
Aemon passed by and looked at the dazzling blue card.
[Mithril Bean]: A special magical material and the lost secret of the fire wizard.
Exchange price: 300 essence points.
Aemon hesitated for a moment and glanced at the golden hourglass.
[Essence Quantity: 347].
Enough, but not quite enough.
He gritted his teeth and poked it with his finger.
Pop!
The blue card shattered instantly, turning into a light blue halo of dots that shook and fell into his hand.
His palm felt cold, and a silver-gray metal ball the size of a soybean appeared.
"Is this thing worth 300 essence points?"
His eyebrows knotted together as he grabbed the mithril bean with two fingers and held it up to examine it.
He pinched it, and it felt as soft as rubber.
Clang!
The iron hammer hit the bean, which remained smooth and intact while leaving a small dent on the hammer's surface.
"That's interesting."
Aemon raised it to his eyes again, amazed.
The bean seemed like a solid liquid that produced ripples when shaken. The thickness of the metal could be seen in dim light.
Considering that a finished Bronze Armor only had 300 essence points, this bean-sized piece of mithril was precious.
"Is His Royal Highness in there?"
Suddenly, a familiar and annoying voice came from outside.
Cole, wearing silver armor and white robes, stopped a blacksmith and asked him seriously.
The blacksmith was a member of the Firesmith clan who was unfamiliar with the concept of the Kingsguard.
He snorted coldly and turned around to show the other man the back of his head.
"You..."
Cole was stunned.
"Are you looking for the king?"
Aemon put away the mithril beans, clapped his hands, and walked out of the furnace.
Cole was stunned when he saw this and hurriedly saluted. "Your Highness, the king ordered me to pick up Her Highness the Princess and continue the tour."
As he spoke, he handed over a handwritten letter from the king.
Aemon nodded slightly, took the letter, and began to read it.
It was in his uncle's handwriting, and the small, yellowed piece of paper was filled with High Valyrian.
It was an encrypted letter.
After reading it once, the corners of Aemon's mouth twitched slightly.
No wonder it was written in High Valyrian.
His uncle usually had the image of a tolerant, kind, smiling old man.
When it came to letters, however, his literary skills were not to be underestimated.
The curse words were powerful, accusing Aemon and Rhaenyra of not doing their jobs and scolding them for two pages.
Just by reading it, Aemon felt a lot of blood.
If he had been scolded in person, he would have been crushed.
Seeing that the prince's face had turned pale, Cole said, "The princess has read the letter and said she will rush back as soon as possible."
According to his own eyes.
After reading the letter, the princess's face was even paler than the prince's.
After digesting it for a while, Aemon said seriously, "I know. There will be a celebration dinner in Riverdale tonight. I will discuss it with Rhaenyra."
The princess's procession is here and can leave at any time."
Cole nodded and turned to prepare.
"Tsk, tsk. Uncle has a good writing style."
Aemon glanced at the letter again, threw it into the stove, and burned it.
It made me feel uncomfortable all day.
"Before leaving, I have to give you some parting gifts."
Aemon picked up the hammer again, his gaze falling on the sword blank that had been forged ninety-nine times.
Clang! Clang!
A series of hammer blows, the clanging never stopped.
...
In the evening, the sun set, and dusk fell.
The celebration dinner was held in the newly completed third main hall, which was still unnamed.
Johanna was in charge of the decorations, and Sir Steve was in charge of welcoming the guests.
"Princess."
Johanna went forward to greet her personally.
Rhaenyra forced a smile and dragged her tired body into the venue.
Road construction was difficult to begin with, and a letter from her father was the last straw for the female dragon.
The scolding was too harsh.
She is the firstborn daughter.
"Sir."
Cole nodded when he saw his senior, Steve.
Steve came forward to greet his comrade after a long time.
Cole held his head high and chatted casually.
This senior Iron Guard, far from King's Landing, was at the bottom of the social ladder in terms of status.
He hoped to regain some of his former sense of honor through conversation.
Soon, others arrived one after another:
Jansif, Maester Muntor, Adrian, William, Gunthor, and Sir Ryan.
Even Matthew, the foreign craftsman from the Prince's Camp, and the two old men, Black Bone and Shaga, from the prisoner camp were there.
The three old men had joined the Blacksmith Guild and were supervising the construction of River Valley City and River Valley Town. They were considered core members.
The sun had completely set, and dinner was officially served.
Aemon had greeted them in advance, but he had not shown up yet.
Rhaenyra sat in a corner of the hall, sipping golden Arbor Island wine, her head lowered in a depressed mood.
"Princess, His Royal Highness may be busy."
Cole stood nearby and whispered.
Rhaenyra asked, confused, "Do you know where he is?"
Her eyes swept across the spacious hall. Jansif had invited some noble ladies and young men from the valley to celebrate with singing and dancing.
She was alone and felt a little out of place.
Cole hesitated for a moment and said, "At noon, I found the prince in the blacksmith shop. He was emotional after reading the king's letter."
He used the white robe behind him to illustrate that His Royal Highness's emotions were evident.
He wasn't lying.
Rhaenyra hesitated.
Although her father's scolding was excessive, was Aemon really such a petty person?
That's it!
Rhaenyra smiled, thinking that someone's mind was no bigger than the eye of a needle.
Then, she became sad.
The mind of a young girl is complicated, and she is always sentimental.
Half an hour passed gradually.
Rhaenyra held her chin with one hand, her elbow resting on the table. Her head became more and more confused. She was physically and mentally exhausted, and she couldn't hold on any longer.
"Dear..."
Cole suddenly spoke and then stopped immediately.
At some point, Aemon arrived and waved, interrupting his greeting.
"Wake up. Go back to the palace if you're tired."
He poked the girl's forehead with his fingers and tried to speak as softly as possible.
Rhaenyra opened her eyes and was stunned. "Aemon, why did you come just now?"
As soon as she spoke, her mind cleared instantly.
Somehow, a sense of grievance surged in her heart.
In the center of the hall, young men and women danced together, and the atmosphere was warm and jubilant.
She sat alone like an idiot until she fell asleep.
"You..."
Rhaenyra bit her lower lip, wanting to complain about the injustice.
"Are you stupid?"
Aemon interrupted the spell and said speechlessly, "I told you in advance. You're bored. Why don't you find someone to chat with?"
"I..."
Rhaenyra widened her eyes and pointed at herself.
"I've been tired all day, and you don't care about me at all."
Aemon spoke first and complained, "You two, father and daughter, are really heartless."
Then, he sat in the next seat.
She looked as if she had suffered a great injustice.
Rhaenyra: ...
"Gods, who will take care of him?"
---------------
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