While Lancelot was exterminating locusts in the Reach, Daenerys Targaryen, accompanied by a few dozen followers, arrived at the ruins of Valyria, also approaching by land.
They came here to try their luck, hoping to find some treasure like Lancelot had.
Although she had no map, she had dragons—three small dragons.
Relying on the dragons' instincts, Daenerys Targaryen actually managed to find a small cache of treasure.
It contained a complete suit of armor forged from Valyrian steel.
There were also many ancient coins and gemstones.
"Ser Jorah, you have served me for so long; this suit of Valyrian steel armor is yours!" Daenerys announced.
She then rewarded the others with appropriate treasures.
Just as everyone was preparing to leave with their pockets full of jewels, they spotted a ship approaching from the sea.
"A ship in the Smoking Sea? Are they even human?" Jon Snow watched warily as the ship gradually neared the shore.
"That's the Silence!" Jorah Mormont was equally wary of the incoming vessel.
"The Silence? Who is the captain?" Daenerys asked.
"The terrifying Euron Crow's Eye. His crew are all mutes. To think he could sail here unharmed from the sea... impressive indeed, but we must leave!" Ser Jorah urged.
He had no desire to greet Euron Crow's Eye. He knew the man well; Euron was an Ironborn from the Iron Islands, while Ser Jorah was from Bear Island.
The first thing a Bear Islander learned from childhood was how to defend against Ironborn raids.
Bear Island had spent many years under Ironborn rule in the past.
"Khaleesi, our numbers are few. If we don't leave, we could be in danger. Let's get out of here!" Ser Jorah advised.
"He's right, Khaleesi. There must be hundreds of pirates on that ship. We're no match for them," Jon Snow also counselled.
Looking at the anchored ship with its dark red hull and black sails emblazoned with a golden kraken, Daenerys finally gave the order to retreat.
Shortly after they left, a group of people disembarked from the Silence. They came from all over the world: some were jet-black Summer Islanders, others were the ape-like men of Sothoryos.
Their leader was none other than Euron Crow's Eye, wearing an eyepatch over one eye and a tricorne hat.
"The ruins of Valyria... finally, I am here. But someone else was just here. It seems the horror stories about this place aren't all true."
"They say that Lancelot found priceless treasures here. I wonder if I can find something even better."
Euron Crow's Eye ordered his crew to begin a thorough search.
Finally, after losing eighteen crew members, Euron found a large cache of gold antiques and a mysterious horn.
Euron knew his goods; he could tell the horn was the most valuable item.
"This trip wasn't in vain! But the writing on this horn seems to be Valyrian glyphs. I need to find someone who can read it. Where to go? Volantis, or Slaver's Bay?"
After much thought, Euron decided on Slaver's Bay.
Daenerys and her group, having left earlier, also planned to go to Slaver's Bay to sell all the antiques and gems they had found. They intended to use the money to purchase an army: the Unsullied.
Daenerys even considered hiring a few mercenary companies! However, she estimated that her funds were insufficient unless she stumbled upon another windfall.
Coincidentally, both Daenerys and Euron headed for Slaver's Bay.
Meereen, Yunkai, Astapor—how would these three cities respond to their arrivals?
Oldtown, the Hightower.
House Hightower had invited Lancelot for a magical exchange.
It was well known that their family secretly studied magic; some even whispered they dabbled in terrifying necromancy.
Lancelot, Margaery Tyrell, and her mother, Alerie Hightower, traveled together to Oldtown along the Roseroad.
Along the way, they saw people affected by the locust plague beginning to return to their normal lives. Although they had lost a season's harvest, crops in the Reach could be harvested three times a year, so as long as they sowed in time, they could reap another harvest.
"Lancelot, is this your first time in Oldtown?" Margaery asked, sitting opposite him.
They were currently in a carriage, only half a day's journey from Oldtown.
"Yes, it's my first time!" Lancelot replied.
"When we get to Oldtown, I can show you the famous sights!" she said with a grin.
"What famous sights does Oldtown have?" Lancelot asked.
"The Hightower, seat of House Hightower. It stands eight hundred feet tall, significantly higher than the Wall."
"The Starry Sept, a sept rivaled only by the Great Sept of Baelor in King's Landing."
"The Citadel, where countless maesters and archmaesters live, study, and conduct experiments."
"And many foreign temples: the Sailor's Sept, the Lord's Sept, the Motherhouse, and so on!" Margaery listed.
For her, this was her mother's home, so she had visited often since childhood and knew it well. She was also familiar with her uncles and aunts.
"Is there an Archmaester named Marwyn at the Citadel?" Lancelot asked.
He really wanted to meet this Archmaester. Both Qyburn and Grand Maester Pycelle spoke highly of him, yet Lancelot had never had the chance to meet him.
"You'll see him when we get to the Citadel. Trust me, Lancelot! Since he's an Archmaester, he's naturally a member of the Conclave and holds a high status in the Citadel. He'll be easy to find," Margaery said.
They arrived in Oldtown, a port city even larger than King's Landing. Yet, it was much cleaner and tidier, without a hint of the smell of horse manure. The air even seemed to carry a sweet scent, perhaps because this was the mouth of the Honeywine River.
Lancelot first accompanied Margaery and her mother to visit Lord Leyton Hightower, then Margaery took Lancelot to the Citadel to find Archmaester Marwyn.
When Lancelot met Marwyn, he found the man had a thick neck like a bull and a jaw like a slab of stone.
He was short and squat, but his chest and shoulders were solid, accompanied by a round beer belly. Stiff white hairs sprouted from his ears and nostrils.
Lancelot could tell his nose had been broken more than once. When he introduced himself, he revealed teeth stained red from sourleaf.
Around his neck hung a chain link of Valyrian steel, signifying his profound mastery of magic and the occult.