Read 20+ Chapter's Ahead in Patreon
Sitting atop his dragon, Vermax, Jacaerys silently nodded in approval as he observed the governor's careful compliance.
It was fortunate for him that it was thanks to Archon Pachek that he was able to secure such an important island with ease.
Of course, Jacaerys was not naive enough to believe the words that Archon Pachek had so conveniently delivered to him.
At the time, he had immediately understood that Pachek's intentions were twofold. Either he wanted Jacaerys to fall into a well-laid trap on Bandy Island, or he sought to lure him away from the Bloodstone, drawing him into a more precarious position.
However, those very words from Archon Pachek had revealed two vital pieces of information.
The first was that the Kingdom of the Three Daughters had planned to set numerous traps on Bandy Island, necessitating a substantial redeployment of their military forces from their territories.
The second was that, in order to threaten Bloodstone, they would also need to divert large amounts of manpower. As a result, apart from Lys, Myr, and Tyrosh—the three principal Free Cities of the region—most other settlements remained largely undefended.
For Jacaerys, Bloodstone was not of paramount importance. He had previously maintained control over the island primarily to blockade the naval routes between Lys and Myr.
But now, with war officially igniting, the situation was far more pressing.
If the Kingdom of the Three Daughters truly mobilized thousands of soldiers to attack Bloodstone, his modest force of a thousand men would stand little chance of holding it for long.
Anticipating this inevitability, Jacaerys had already instructed Stone to send the plundered food supplies to Driftmark. This way, when the time came to abandon Bloodstone, his losses would be minimal.
Although Lord Corlys had withdrawn his support due to succession disputes, there was little objection to Jacaerys temporarily overseeing the food stores.
As for the gold and silver treasures, they had already been taken by Rudy to Astapor, to be used for the purchase of Unsullied.
"If you want my home, you can have it," Jacaerys thought cynically. "I'll simply abandon my own house and move into yours, and I'll wreak havoc as I please."
This was the essence of Jacaerys' "occupy the nest" strategy—taking what was not rightfully his with calculated audacity.
After the soldiers of Bloodstone had completely seized control of the inner city of Lanark, Jacaerys casually dismounted from Vermax's back.
He walked toward the dark-skinned governor, only to be immediately assailed by the foul odor of urine. His brow furrowed, and he instinctively took a step back.
"I trust you know why I'm not killing you," Jacaerys remarked coldly. "Now, where is it?"
"In the cellar, Your Majesty," the governor replied with a bow, trying to conceal his nervousness. "Please, allow me to guide you."
Jacaerys nodded, signaling the governor to lead the way.
With a slight creak, the governor bent low and led Jacaerys and Stone's party into the cellar. There, he eagerly approached a large sealed ceramic jar and removed the lid, presenting the contents.
A pungent, herbal scent wafted into the air as a faint green liquid glistened inside the jar. It was unlike anything Jacaerys had expected.
"Your Majesty," the governor said with a flourish, "this is Myrish fire, the most effective salve for treating wounds in Essos!"
Myrish fire was a medicinal ointment crafted on the island of Lanark, renowned for its alchemists and apothecaries. It was highly prized among the military officers of the Free Cities.
When wounded by blades or swords, soldiers could apply it to their injuries, where the salve would burn the wound, purging it of impurities and preventing infection.
Jacaerys vividly recalled the assassination attempt on Bloodstone, when Baela had shielded him from a fatal strike. By sheer fortune, she had escaped infection or fever—an outcome that could have easily turned tragic.
That incident had sparked his interest in medicinal treatments, leading him to investigate the properties of a particular ointment.
Despite the enhanced protection granted by the Iron Wall strategist's buff—rendering him largely impervious to slashes and strikes—his defenses were not absolute. A well-aimed thrust or a volley of arrows could still pierce his defenses and inflict serious harm.
What if, by some misfortune, a weapon with an enchanted tetanus-inducing property merely grazed his skin? What if an infection took hold, festering and leading to fever?
These unsettling thoughts drove Jacaerys to seek answers, and in his search, he uncovered a potent remedy—Myrish fire.
This discovery spurred him to delve deeper into the salve's origins and composition. While analyzing the spoils from recent raids, he stumbled upon a crucial lead—one that led him to the powerful properties of Myrish fire.
"Ah, this is fantastic!" Jacaerys exclaimed, his voice brimming with satisfaction. "With Myrish fire, the survival rate of my soldiers will greatly improve."
He paused thoughtfully. "By the way, what exactly is this Myrish fire made from? Let me see it!"
Upon hearing Jacaerys' command, the governor hesitated briefly before nodding, knowing refusal was not an option. He quickly made his way to the deepest part of the cellar, where numerous small clay jars were buried in the sand. He motioned for the torchbearers, including Stone, to stop.
"Please, my lords, do not come any closer," the governor cautioned, "The oil used to make Myrish fire is highly flammable."
With great care, the governor retrieved one of the clay jars and opened the lid. Immediately, Jacaerys detected an even more pungent odor than that of Myrish fire itself.
He stepped forward, eager to inspect, and saw the jar contained a thick, greenish paste.
Jacaerys' interest in Myrish fire seemed primarily focused on improving the survival rate of his soldiers. But in truth, his true objective lay beyond its immediate use. He sought the raw ingredient behind its creation—the pitch.
After careful comparison with his own memories and a thorough discussion with the governor regarding its properties, Jacaerys reached a definitive conclusion.
This was no ordinary alchemical concoction. This was the very precursor to the wildfire Tyrion Lannister had unleashed upon Stannis Baratheon's fleet during the Battle of the Blackwater.
In previous battles, Jacaerys had ridden Vermax and used bundles of barrels filled with flammable liquid to devastating effect. Naturally, he had thought of wildfire, the most explosive substance in the world of ASong of Ice and Fire.
But the timeline he had arrived in was far earlier than that of the events he knew. In this era, not only was wildfire not yet known, but King's Landing didn't even have an Alchemist's Guild capable of manufacturing it.
However, in the Free Cities of Essos, there existed a group of people known as "Pyromancers (Fire Mages)," who shared many similarities with the alchemists of later generations.
According to certain rumors and obscure sources, Myrish fire was developed with the involvement of these Fire Mages in its research.
It is no wonder, then, that over a century later, the Fire Mages gradually made their way to King's Landing, where they became known as the Alchemists.
However, unlike them, Thoros of Myr, who followed the Lightning Lord, was still able to coat his longsword with wildfire and wield it in battle.
As it turns out, the key ingredient in the production of wildfire—the thick, flammable pitch used as a base—originates from none other than Lanark Island.
"How much of this pitch can be produced?" Jacaerys inquired.
The governor, in a low voice, replied, "Your Majesty, the pitch can only harvest three small jars a day from the anointing pitch caves of Lanark Island."
Jacaerys studied the small jar the governor held in his hands, estimating it to weigh no more than five pounds. Fortunately, there seemed to be an ample supply in the cellar, which should suffice for the time being.
Of course, Jacaerys was not naive enough to think he could concoct wildfire from scratch. His plan was to use the raw salve directly.
It might not be as powerful as the true wildfire, but it would certainly be far more effective than the explosive barrel bombs he had used previously!
---
On the summer seas, countless warships were ablaze, floating amid the wreckage of charred vessels and drifting bodies.
Bathed in blood, Baelor swung his axe and cleaved a captain of the Lys fleet in two. Turning to his men, he shouted, "Brothers, we have triumphed! Volantis will surely reclaim the disputed lands!"
The roar of victory rang out from the fleet of ships flying the banners of the Roaring Tiger head, echoing across the waves.
That day, upon receiving word from Jacaerys, the Volantene fleet took the initiative and launched an attack.
With the loss of more than twenty large warships—nearly a third of their total forces—the fleet of the Kingdom of the Three Daughters stood no chance.
In less than a day, their defense collapsed completely. After losing over ten of their largest ships, they retreated to Lys, their lines broken.
The balance that had endured for nearly twenty or thirty years was shattered, and a bloody storm was about to engulf the disputed lands.
..
..
[IMAGE]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Chapter End's]
🖤 Night_FrOst/ Patreon 🤍
Visit my Patreon for Early Chapter:
https://www.patreon.com/Night_FrOst
Extra Content Already Available