Chapter 275: Stalemate

And with this I say enjoy your weekend and see you again next weekend :)

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After defeating the Dothraki, the Targaryens had clearly proven themselves to be the second most powerful force among the Free Cities.

They had surpassed distant Volantis and now had the power to challenge the leading city.

Dragons were the source of the Targaryens' confidence. Dragons could create many miracles and were something that other forces could not possess.

However, while it was satisfying to take revenge immediately, Viserys also had to consider the cost of turning against Braavos at this moment.

His dragons might not be as effective against Braavos, which had a strong military-industrial capability, unlike the traditional nomadic tribes of the Dothraki.

They truly had many giant crossbows that could threaten dragons. If faced with hundreds of these crossbows aimed at the sky, even if their aim was poor, they could still pose a threat through sheer numbers.

If fighting the Dothraki was a walk in the park for the dragons, facing the terrifying array of giant crossbows in Braavos would be a hellish challenge requiring top-notch maneuvering.

Moreover, Braavos had made more preparations to counter dragons.

As the founders of Braavos were a group of slaves who had escaped from Valyria, they had made preparations to counter dragons from the very beginning.

The entire city of Braavos was a stone city, with hundreds of islands connected together.

But there was not a single tree in the entire city, only bare stone houses.

They were connected by stone bridges, and perhaps only at the port were there numerous wooden ships.

Therefore, Braavos could stand tall and unflinching in the face of the threat of dragons, because the dragon's fire could hardly ignite the city, and the threat was naturally greatly reduced.

Meanwhile, not only was the continent of Essos in turmoil due to the rise of the Targaryens.

Westeros was also facing the winter, with tens of thousands of wildlings at the gates, and the nobles of the Seven Kingdoms forming an alliance to prevent the wildlings from crossing the Wall and fleeing to the south.

Several negotiations between the two sides had been fruitless, and it seemed that the issue would ultimately be resolved by war.

Now, it was time to accumulate strength and wait for the Baratheon dynasty and the wildlings, as well as the White Walkers, to fight each other to a standstill. That would be the best time for Viserys to send troops to reclaim Westeros.

If he turned against Braavos now, he might miss this opportunity and give the Iron Throne a chance to catch its breath.

The night outside the window was deep, and the crows were making unpleasant noises on the city wall.

Viserys sat alone in the castle room, his fingers interlocked, looking at the night outside the window for a long time without speaking, contemplating the future direction.

As for the upcoming battles, there was actually not much to consider.

Although the Dothraki's eighty thousand allied forces had only lost thirty thousand, and this was not the main battlefield. However, this loss of thirty thousand also liberated twenty thousand Targaryen soldiers.

This was a case of one side's loss being the other side's gain.

The balance of power between the two sides was no longer as unbalanced as before, but had taken a big turn, with the Targaryen army now having the upper hand.

The forces in Pentos and the Eyrie formed a pincer, perfectly trapping the remaining fifty thousand Dothraki in the middle, like a large net slowly opening.

They would rest for the night, and tomorrow they could lead the army to march. If the Dothraki's information was not well-informed, they might be able to seize the opportunity to finish them off.

Not a single one of these fifty thousand Dothraki would be allowed to escape.

After a while, the dense fog of the early morning slowly arrived.

...

Meanwhile, not too far away in Pentos.

Jon Connington got up early and was busy in his room, handling the military and political affairs of Pentos.

Despite having commanded large battles and served as the Hand of the King of the kingdom, with ample experience in command and coordination, Jon Connington still felt a bit overwhelmed recently.

He was now effectively taking on the duties of the Hand of the King of the new dynasty. There were many matters, big and small, in Pentos recently, and all of them were pressing on his shoulders.

He had to consider the defense of the city, internal affairs, and even the situation of material reserves.

Because their King was not in the city at the moment, but had ridden his dragon on a trip.

The Dothraki army outside had Pentos surrounded so tightly that not even a fly could get in.

However, Viserys seemed to be unaffected, taking his dragon out for a spin whenever he pleased.

He could even patrol over the heads of the Dothraki, scaring the three Khals into hiding among the common people's tents.

They dared not sleep in their own large tents, fearing that they would be roasted by a column of fire from the sky while they slept.

Even now, the three Khals in Pentos had already thought about retreating, but they were too embarrassed to be the first to suggest it.

Such a strong expedition, without gaining any benefits, and then running away with their tails between their legs.

This would probably become the "Shame of the Khals" in the future, looked down upon by their peers, and even their own people would gradually become disloyal.

However, the three Khals were overthinking. Viserys had not been focusing on them recently, but was looking for trouble elsewhere.

A few nights ago.

The 'pirates' who were blockading the Bay of Pentos suddenly suffered a heavy blow.

This news took two days to reach Pentos. It was said that more than a dozen ships were destroyed by the dragon.

These 'pirates' suffered heavy losses and were forced to abandon the blockade of the Bay of Pentos.

And everyone knew who these 'pirates' were.

It was understandable for Viserys to sneak out and attack these navy ships that had lowered their flags. The other side had suffered a big loss but could only swallow their anger.

What else could they do?

Admit that they were pirates?

However, Viserys had gone out two nights ago and had not returned since.

However, Jon Connington knew very well that Viserys had flown to the Eyrie.

Since the defenders of Pentos could not leave the city to fight and defeat the Dothraki, and dragging it out was not a solution, he went to resolve the battle on the other side first, and then brought those people over to relieve the siege of Pentos from both inside and outside.

At this moment.

Someone knocked on the door and then walked in.

"Sir."

"I've pried open the mouths of the prisoners we captured a few days ago." Ramsay, with his dark hair and gloomy face, sat in the chair opposite Jon Connington and spoke.