Arthur and Weiss had been waiting in Sabel Kaffi's lavishly decorated reception room for half an hour. Knowing the reason behind the delay, Arthur showed no dissatisfaction, waiting patiently for the one-eyed fat man to arrive.
When Arthur finally saw Sabel Kaffi's round figure again, he couldn't help but recall the phrase his Water Dancing master, the First Sword of Braavos, Syrio Forel, often said.
Fear cuts deeper than swords.
At this moment, Sabel Kaffi's face was as pale as paper. He wasn't wearing the sapphire in his blind eye, his clothes were disheveled, and his legs trembled uncontrollably, requiring the support of two servants to walk.
In the ensuing conversation, Sabel Kaffi displayed none of his usual shrewdness or composure. He bowed his head and agreed to Arthur's demands almost without thinking.
Before leaving, Arthur mischievously brought up his beloved dog, Claw.
"Where is your dog? Claw, if I remember correctly. You two are inseparable. Why don't I see him with you today?"
"Since the first time I saw him, he always barked at me non-stop. His snarling look was somewhat cute, I suppose. But once, he actually shat on my carpet."
"To be honest, I really didn't like him."
Hearing this, Sabel Kaffi couldn't utter a word. His fat body shook like a sieve, nearly falling off his chair if not for the quick hands of his servant.
To Kaffi's ears, Arthur's words contained not a single explicit threat, yet every syllable dripped with menace.
"Never... again. He will never... dare again," Sabel Kaffi replied tremblingly in a hoarse voice. "The 20,000 Gold Dragons will be delivered to you before dark."
Leaving the one-eyed fat man's mansion, Arthur couldn't suppress the smirk on his lips, feeling incredibly relieved.
From the first time he met that bulldog, and every time since, it had barked and snarled at him relentlessly. He had disliked it for a long time. Did it think being ugly-cute gave it a free pass to do whatever it wanted?
"That dog... how did the head feel?" Arthur rubbed his hands regretfully as he stepped onto the waiting boat. "Was it soft to the touch?"
"Soft, smooth," Weiss commented woodenly. "Not as comfortable as the Black Mamba sword you forged for me."
As the boat moved away, Arthur watched Sabel Kaffi's luxurious mansion shrinking in the distance. "Its death served a greater purpose than its life."
The one-eyed fat man paid up faster than Arthur imagined.
According to Pate's calculation, the value of the coin and goods he paid far exceeded 20,000 Gold Dragons.
After Pate led men to verify and store all the currency and goods, the loop of the Pebble War was officially closed.
Pate compared the inventory list with previous bills and reported:
"My Lord, even counting this 20,000 Gold Dragons, it doesn't completely cover our massive expenses in the Three Sisters."
"War is a money-losing business. I never expected to make a profit from it," Arthur replied, burying his head in the list of expenses Pate had compiled.
Although he was mentally prepared for the huge cost of war, seeing the itemized expenses still made Arthur suck in a cold breath.
There were two major categories of expenditure.
First, supplies.
Weapons and equipment provided by the 'Snow & Peach' Smithy: 2,300 spearheads for the Sistermen conscripts.
20 sets of Peach-mark swords, chainmail, and protective gear. 15 sets were used to hire Braavosi swordsmen, and 5 sets were used to win over the lords and nobles of the other two Sister islands.
5 sets of vine armor, used to hire Black Mamba swordsmen.
Victar's Fleet: Operational halt and stay in the Three Sisters for over two months.
Logistics supplies purchased in White Harbor, and transport losses.
Second, personnel.
Daily wages for hired Braavosi swordsmen, sailors, and oarsmen.
Promised rewards for the Sistermen conscripts.
Pensions for the fallen and settlement costs for their families.
'Ledger' Pate listed every expense clearly. In the end, the total cost and incurred losses amounted to approximately 80,000 Gold Dragons.
Besides the Gold Dragons, Arthur owed House Manderly of White Harbor a massive favor. Looking at the total expenditure of 80,000 Gold Dragons, Arthur felt increasingly indebted to the girl with the long brown braid.
If White Harbor hadn't helped wipe out the pirates, who knew how long this war would have dragged on and how many more Gold Dragons it would have cost?
Rubbing the mermaid pendant around his neck, Arthur wondered how he should face Wynafryd when he met her again.
After finishing the list, Arthur passed the ledger to the others gathered in the room. Once everyone had seen it, Arthur asked slowly:
"Spending these 80,000 Gold Dragons, what have we gained?"
Zaren spoke first, bowing solemnly to Arthur.
"My Lord, you fulfilled your promise to my uncle. The realm has recognized his status as Guardian of the Bite."
"I, Zaren Borrell, and the people of the Three Sisters will forever remember your kindness."
Looking at the silver crab clasp on Zaren's shoulder, Arthur recalled the words he said to Earl Godric before leaving Sweetsister.
'The only constant in the world is winter. I may indeed fail, but... what if I succeed?'
To this day, those words still rang in Arthur's ears. I guess this counts as keeping my word.
"As Zaren said, after the pirates were destroyed, his uncle, Earl Godric, gained the title of Guardian of the Bite and the allegiance of the Lords of Pebble and the Paps." Victar spoke second, stroking his white beard and speaking loudly.
"Our fleet can now open routes from White Harbor to Gulltown and even King's Landing. With Pebble and the Paps as supply bases, the fleet will have more security and ease during voyages."
"The Vale is rich in produce; their fruits and vegetables are larger than anywhere else. King's Landing is the capital, populous and with high consumption power." Zaren, who used to travel frequently between Gulltown and White Harbor, knew these ports well. He suggested:
"If we can establish routes to Gulltown and King's Landing as soon as possible, it would be best. Not just cargo—transporting passengers between these places is also profitable."
Victar nodded in agreement and continued listing the fleet's gains. "Also, we captured ten pirate ships. I have repaired the three large single-masted cogs capable of ocean travel and added them to the fleet."
"The remaining seven medium galleys will be used for fishing and cargo transport in White Harbor and the Three Sisters. Once the fleet from White Harbor to Gulltown is established, both houses have agreed to incorporate these ships into it."
Zaren and Victar chatted enthusiastically about opening routes and transporting goods and people.
Arthur let them handle it and turned his gaze to Kojja Mo.
Seeing Arthur looking at him, the Summer Islander spoke slowly:
"On the smithy side, many apprentices honed their forging skills by rushing out this large batch of weapons and equipment. Several have passed the assessment to become qualified smiths."
"Additionally, we tested the performance of the modified chainmail and vine armor. Based on feedback from Zaren and Weiss, the equipment performed well."
"The quality of our weapons goes without saying, but the price is too high." Arthur had seen the 80,000 Gold Dragon cost breakdown; one-third was for weapons and equipment from the 'Snow & Peach' smithy. And that was just the cost price.
"It can't be helped. You know Braavos forbids logging in the surrounding area. Fuel for heating is already scarce on the islands, so the price of charcoal and coal needed for forging is exorbitant." Kojja Mo explained with a bitter smile.
"Besides the higher quality of our weapons compared to other smithies, the cost of raw materials for forging is the reason we can't lower the price."
"That is indeed a problem." Arthur told Pate to note it down.
The ban on logging around Braavos and the city's massive demand for wood for shipbuilding and heating were the foundations Arthur relied on when establishing the trade fleet.
Currently, the situation aligned with Arthur's initial expectations. Ships from White Harbor to Braavos carried mostly lumber processed by the Peach Garden carpentry workshop in the Wolfswood, with only a small portion being peach wine and animal hides.
After the Summer Islander finished, others in the room spoke in turn. Victar's eldest son, Vickon, made a joke that caught Arthur's attention:
"Don't forget the raw materials Fanny provided for you to forge the Valyrian steel sword 'Zhanlu' and the Valyrian steel dagger."
"And the Lord of Pebble's skull as a souvenir."
Speaking of heads, a thought inevitably popped into Arthur's mind.
Fear cuts deeper than swords.