On the city wall, a relatively clean watchtower served as Viserys Targaryen's temporary residence for the day.
Traces of last night's battle were still visible, and the blood splattered on the walls hadn't been wiped clean.
Today, however, the city wall had changed owners!
Looking at the rubble-strewn ground and the houses burned to ruins below, Viserys Targaryen frowned.
He did not want a wasteland.
However, under the formidable threat of the Dothraki tribes, he had no choice but to remove these supply points in advance.
After all, even Robert Baratheon knew that fighting the Dothraki army in the open wilderness was undoubtedly a disaster for any army!
"What do we do next?"
Ser Joffrey frowned.
Everyone knew that the current difficulties were just an appetizer; more powerful enemies were still far away, flexing their muscles and eager for a fight!
Looking around, the three large City-States of Pentos, Braavos, and Norvos formed a triangular lock, firmly holding the throat of the Targaryen Dynasty's access to the Essos Continent.
The area in between was a vacuum, not governed by any power, and this was the place Viserys Targaryen sought to occupy.
However, the flat plains meant there was no natural defense.
Whoever wished to possess this land had to pay tribute to the Dothraki warriors!
Just as Viserys Targaryen was deep in thought, a captive squatting in the corner suddenly looked up, pulled out a chain, and rushed towards Viserys!
"Die!"
The assassination happened so suddenly that even the soldiers nearby didn't have time to warn him, and the glint of metal was already within three steps of Viserys Targaryen.
However, the next moment, Viserys Targaryen's body flashed.
Not only did he easily dodge the assassin's attack, but his other hand directly gripped the assailant's throat!
"Who sent you?"
Viserys Targaryen said coldly.
The next moment, a blow dart shot from a hidden spot in the corner, instantly flying towards Viserys Targaryen.
"Clang!"
Viserys Targaryen instantly dodged the blow dart, drew his longsword, and with a backhand, severed the neck of the slave before him!
Blood spurted out, reaching over three meters high.
"Your Majesty!"
Brienne of Tarth cried out in alarm.
By the time she reacted, the headless corpse had already fallen stiffly to the ground.
"Catch the assassin!"
The surrounding soldiers were both shocked and furious, frantically chasing after the figure disappearing around the street corner.
However, Viserys Targaryen remained calm.
This was, after all, the world of Game of Thrones!
Even a king who was adored by all and wielded immense power could die at the hands of an unknown nobody at any moment.
From the very beginning, he had never intended to fully entrust his safety to the protection of the Kingsguard.
In the original story, whether it was Joffrey Baratheon, who died from poison, or Renly Baratheon, who died from a magical assassination, the Kingsguard could not protect them.
Compared to the protection of kings in his previous life on Earth, the Kingsguard system here was more like an inferior version of bodyguards!
"It's probably another trick by that fellow Robert Baratheon!"
A barely perceptible shadow crossed Viserys Targaryen's face.
Even after all this time, Robert Baratheon still couldn't forget about him as a threat, constantly trying to undermine him.
"If it were the Faceless Men from Braavos, they wouldn't use such a low-level assassination method!"
Viserys Targaryen mused inwardly.
Compared to worrying about assassinations from Robert's faction, Viserys was more concerned about the pervasive assassination organization of the House of Black and White.
He had simulated the assassination methods of the Faceless Men countless times in his dreams; this level of assassination attempt left him completely uninterested, even somewhat numb!
Despite this, the assassination still greatly alarmed Brienne of Tarth.
According to the old customs of the Targaryen Dynasty, the King's protection originally required three Kingsguard to be present simultaneously.
However, due to insufficient manpower, the other two had been dispatched by Viserys Targaryen to protect Daenerys and Rhaenys's family!
...Time flew by, in an instant!
Viserys Targaryen had grown into a sixteen-year-old young man.
The war of conquest had lasted for three whole years.
The Dothraki warriors truly lived up to their reputation as Kings of the Grasslands.
Even though Viserys Targaryen employed the wisdom from his previous life, implementing a scorched-earth policy and a carrot-and-stick approach, the effects were still limited.
Pentos was now a melting pot of various factions, and warfare was a constant occurrence!
"By my reckoning, Khal Drogo should be arriving again soon!"
Viserys Targaryen frowned.
Every autumn and winter, the Dothraki army would descend from Vaes Dothrak, raiding the lands around Pentos.
Although Viserys Targaryen had long established a foothold in the City-State of Pentos and repelled the Dothraki warriors' attacks multiple times, he remained at a loss in the open wilderness.
The reason was simple: he didn't have enough warhorses to form a cavalry!
Khal Drogo had perfected the nomadic tactics of cavalry to the extreme.
Advance when the enemy retreats, harass when the enemy is tired, flee when the enemy pursues!
Looking at these troublesome nomads, Viserys Targaryen could only sigh at the vast Dothraki.
Fortunately, on the other side of the Narrow Sea, the struggle between the two rebel kings finally had a victor.
In the shipping lanes outside Seagard, Balon Greyjoy's Iron Fleet was ambushed by Stannis Baratheon's Royal Navy.
A fierce naval battle killed Balon Greyjoy's heir, Rodrik, and completely shattered Balon Greyjoy's dream of a driftwood crown.
King Robert, accompanied by his iron-willed Hand, Tywin Lannister, personally led the campaign, finally capturing Pyke at a heavy cost.
His brother, Ned Stark, along with his cousin, Renly Baratheon, also killed Aeron Greyjoy and reclaimed Storm's End, which had been passed down through their family for generations.
When Theon Greyjoy was sent as a ward to Ned Stark to be fostered, Balon Greyjoy also agreed to surrender.
Thus, the Iron Islands rebellion finally came to an end.
Thump, thump, thump!
Viserys Targaryen was still patrolling the city on his white warhorse.
Within three years, he had grown from a naive child into an experienced knight.
Whenever there was a battle, he would personally go to the battlefield to command operations.
Even when the fighting ceased, Viserys Targaryen often attended the Small Council meetings to learn how to govern a country.
This three years of diligent study even made Maester Daniel exclaim in admiration, praising Viserys Targaryen's diligence.
"Your Majesty, your dragon is causing trouble again! It... it..."
A patrolman stepped forward, hesitating to speak.
Everyone knew that a dragon was the apple of the Targaryen Family's eye; who dared to say otherwise?
"Has Sunfyre eaten someone's sheep again? Just pay them some money!"
Viserys Targaryen replied indifferently.
His dragon had now grown to the size of a yak, its wild nature exposed; it wasn't unusual for it to eat a few of someone's sheep.
"No... no. It charged into the City-State of Pentos, and in front of everyone, it devoured a child alive!"
The patrolman answered, steeling himself.
"What?"
Upon hearing this, Viserys Targaryen's eyes widened, and he exclaimed in exasperation, "That troublesome thing!"
In the original story, the Hatchling Dragon, Drogon, of the same age, was already being used by Daenerys Targaryen in the Meereen fighting pits.
If not for Viserys Targaryen's concern that his Hatchling Dragon, Sunfyre, would be harmed by enemy spears and arrows, he would not have given it more time to develop and grow.
He never expected this troublemaker to dare to undermine him!