The Pentoshi navy had come ashore.
Navies, regardless of time or place, are always a military branch inextricably tied to the state.
An army might rebel or stage a coup, but a navy? Unless they can drive their warships onto land, they have no choice but to follow orders.
Admiral Pymber of the Pentos Fleet, having already assembled his men and anxiously awaited orders, didn't hesitate for a second after Magister Ordello's confidant promised him 4,000 Gold Dragons as a reward.
Leaving three hundred sailors behind to guard the fleet, Admiral Pymber led the remaining eight hundred sailors ashore.
His plan was to rendezvous with Magister Ordello's hundred household guards at his mansion, and then quell the rebellion together.
"Why are they leaving?"
In the alleyways of the residential district near the harbor, a group of players cosplaying Assassin's Creed in hooded cloaks crouched in the shadows. Watching the departing troops, they muttered amongst themselves.
"It's good that they're leaving. With their main force gone, it'll be easier for us brothers to seize those ships."
The speaker pulled down his hood. It was Mouse_Is_Duck, Guild Leader of the Brotherhood Without Banners.
They had fought their way here from Illyrio's estate. Seeing that the enemy was distracted by the chaos in the city and hadn't noticed them, Mouse had a flash of inspiration: capture the fleet to complete the newly issued quest.
Now that the main naval force had been deployed elsewhere, it was like the Heavens—no, wait, not here—it was like the Gods themselves were watching over the Brotherhood.
"Brothers, just charge in a bit. Once we're on those ships, this world belongs to us!"
Mouse flicked out his hidden blade. He had bought it yesterday with fifty Kingdom Coins he'd saved up for ages. He loved it and had been fiddling with it non-stop. Now, using it felt natural and satisfying.
As he finished speaking, the hundred or so Brotherhood members gathered there pulled down their hoods. Hidden blades popped from wrists, dull-looking short swords and axes appeared in hands, and grappling hooks and hand crossbows were readied. They looked remarkably professional.
"Just watch us, Boss!"
Flying_Bat and Caramel_Cotton_Candy, Mouse's right and left hands, thumped their chests, vowing success.
"Go!"
Mouse tucked the corner of his cloak into his belt. Hanging from that belt were six or seven cloth pouches filled with pepper powder, lime powder, and chili powder.
When the critical moment came, he couldn't afford any wardrobe malfunctions.
With preparations complete and Mouse's command given...
Over a hundred Brotherhood members burst from the street corners, sprinting straight for the docked Pentos fleet.
The sailors guarding the ships never expected an attack right after their main force left. Caught off guard, they scrambled in a panic, trying to steer the fleet out of the harbor.
Unfortunately, the temporary commander was incompetent. By the time the players rushed right under their noses, not a single ship had managed to leave the dock.
"We have three hundred men; they only have a hundred! The advantage is ours! For Pentos! Kill!"
In desperation, the fleet's temporary commander drew his cutlass and ordered all sailors to prepare for battle.
Grappling hooks were thrown onto the ships one by one. Players, who might be weaklings in real life, now climbed up the ropes with agility.
"Archers!"
The first mates and veteran sailors left on the ships shouted orders in a panic.
But it was futile. The players had no fear of the sparse arrows raining down on them.
After a brief standoff, players began vaulting onto the decks.
"Kill him!"
A white-bearded old sailor roared.
Four or five sailors swarmed forward, swinging cutlasses, intent on mincing the player into meat paste.
"Eat this!"
Flying_Bat flicked his wrist, and a mix of chili and pepper powder exploded in the faces of the defenseless sailors.
"Argh!"
The sailors immediately covered their eyes, retreating in agony.
Unforgiving, Flying_Bat lunged forward, using both his hidden blade and hand axe to cut down several men in moments.
The old sailor was furious and ordered crossbowmen to fire, but by now, more and more players were swarming onto the ship.
The battle at the harbor ended quickly. Facing poisoned weapons and lime powder attacks, the sailors remaining on the ships soon gave up resistance.
"Just throw them in the sea to feed the sharks."
A player kicked a red-eyed, bound sailor to the ground.
"Throw them in the sea? Who's gonna sail the ships then?" Caramel_Cotton_Candy looked at him like he was an idiot. "Are you a pig?"
"Damn, people with wings are rare, but people who can swim are everywhere," the player retorted, unconvinced.
"Alright, knock it off. Killing them won't get you extra Kingdom Coins. Why waste the energy? Besides, I'm reminding you brothers: don't get too used to killing in the game, or you won't be able to switch it off in real life!"
Seeing his subordinates about to argue, Mouse, as the Guild Leader and the team's mediator, walked over. He spoke half-seriously, half-jokingly.
"Hahahaha!"
The surrounding players burst into laughter.
The reason they acted so "kindly" and hadn't massacred the city of Pentos yet wasn't just because of Mouse's warning. The main reason was that the game was too realistic. They were afraid it would affect their mental state in reality.
Going "Dynasty Warriors" mode on enemies occasionally was fun, but killing non-stop? That was a slippery slope. After all, this wasn't a triple-A game; this was 100% realistic virtual reality.
---
Meanwhile.
Admiral Pymber of the Pentos Fleet had no idea his home base had just been raided by players. He was leading his men toward Magister Ordello's mansion.
Just as they were about to arrive, turning a street corner, they ran smack into a hundred armed men. Pymber jumped in fright, almost triggering a reflex to order his sailors to fire.
"Magister."
Pymber stepped forward and bowed to Magister Ordello, who was clad in armor.
"Admiral Pymber, please take your men and follow me. I have discovered who instigated this riot!"
Ordello's face was twisted with rage.
Just moments ago, another Magister had fled to his estate with twenty surviving guards. He personally told Ordello that the ones who started the rebellion were the long-absent Illyrio and the Targaryen remnants he had taken into his home.
Illyrio! You've done a great deed right under our noses!
Pymber didn't hesitate. He immediately merged his forces with the Magister's. Together, leading nearly a thousand men, they marched toward Illyrio's estate.
As the large group marched away, the player Laws_Cannot_Touch_Me emerged from a street corner.
---
"They're coming for me! He's coming for me!"
Viserys, seeing this through the player's perspective, was startled at first. Then, reacting quickly, he ordered Ser Jorah to gather the Unsullied in the courtyard and organize a defense line at the main gate.
Following that, Viserys rapidly issued a "King's Rescue" quest to the players. Afraid they wouldn't come, Viserys even put up the Valyrian steel longsword he had recently obtained from a chest as a personal reward, along with 100 Kingdom Coins and five Black Iron Chests per person as a group reward.