Chapter 310: The Expedition

The expedition was set to embark in half a month.

During this time, Viserys naturally had nothing to do, so he followed Mia around Volantis.

He observed the city once hailed as the 'City of Flowers and Fountains' in its current state.

The girl seemed to share some similarities with Rhaenys in style. Both were striking figures, but Mia was much older than Rhaenys, even two years older than Viserys.

Her fiery red hair was tied back in a ponytail, revealing her fair neck. She wore a clean, earth-toned linen dress.

Two daggers were strapped to her thigh, and Viserys knew that she also had a miniature rapier hidden in her sleeve. That was her real weapon.

She had killed more than a few people.

Viserys watched the girl's retreating figure, his eyes narrowing slightly.

Mia was a local of Volantis. As she had said, on average, every free citizen of Volantis owned more than five slaves.

Yet, she owned none.

Her parents had died a long time ago, but fortunately, she was a 'noble' free citizen of Volantis, not a lowly slave.

So, even if she was poor, as long as she didn't degrade herself, she wouldn't be forced to do disgusting jobs.

Mia became a mercenary through her own efforts. She had served in the Band of Cats and later joined other small mercenary groups.

She established her unique position within the mercenary group by killing a high-ranking member who had tried to take advantage of her, feeding his 'thing' to the dogs.

From then on, men dared not provoke her easily, and she no longer had to fight on the front lines.

However, for some reason, she suddenly took a great risk and joined the expedition to explore the ruins of Valyria.

For money?

Mia didn't think Viserys was a man in need of money. His posture, etiquette, and other aspects revealed that he had received a good noble education.

And Viserys also felt that Mia probably didn't join for that reason either.

The reason for money was just an unspoken excuse they both found.

The ultimate reason lay in the lost civilization shrouded in fog.

Then, several more days passed.

Viserys had been in Volantis for a long time. Balerion, unable to hide its form, had retreated to a deserted island in the sea, waiting to be called when needed.

The silver-haired young man had been freely wandering around the city during this time, openly visiting the once-prosperous city-state.

Although it was now in decline, it had a somewhat desolate feel.

The numerous wars during the Tiger party's rule had drained them, especially since they had lost. This directly led to the collapse of Volantis's economy and a sharp decrease in population, which has not fully recovered to this day.

Viserys had only undergone a simple disguise, making himself look less attractive.

Otherwise, with one of the most recognizable faces on the continent of Essos, he wouldn't dare to stroll around Volantis so openly.

However, his silver-gold hair, which was particularly noticeable in Pentos, was not so special here.

Volantis has a large population of silver-haired, purple-eyed people. These people are mostly descendants of the survivors who escaped the crisis of the Doom of Valyria.

They possess the noble and sacred bloodline of the Freehold, which even brought Viserys some unexpected conveniences in this city-state.

When Viserys wandered around Volantis, all the slaves, free citizens, and even the guards of Volantis showed him a look of awe.

And mercenaries from

other lands, upon seeing a person with silver hair and purple eyes, would keep their distance out of respect.

Such distinct Valyrian features often come from ancient family bloodlines, which hold great power in Volantis.

Only those whose ancestors can be traced back to Valyria can become ruling officials in Volantis.

"Give me a sword."

Viserys arrived at a blacksmith's shop.

In his hand, he held a coin engraved with a skull on the back, and he spoke to the dark-skinned, muscular shopkeeper.

He spoke in very orthodox Valyrian, albeit slightly different from the local dialect in Volantis.

The Valyrian language varies slightly across the Free Cities.

The blacksmith shopkeeper initially thought he was a foreigner, but upon seeing his silver hair, he lowered his tone.

"Please choose, honorable guest."

Many swords of different sizes and materials hung in the blacksmith's shop. There were long swords, short swords, and even hand-and-a-half swords and greatswords.

If there was no need for custom-made, these were enough to meet the needs of ordinary mercenaries.

Viserys wasn't that picky either. His own sword, Twilight, forged from a star's heart, naturally couldn't be brought here.

The sword's characteristics were too obvious. Almost anyone could recognize who he was with that sword.

When he joined the expedition and underwent the test, Viserys even defeated a mercenary codenamed 'Butcher' barehanded.

The Butcher was not brave at all, but rather clumsy in front of Viserys.

Viserys dodged his three slashes, then seized the opportunity to disarm him, placing the blade at his throat. He won the applause of the crowd, and Mia, who had recommended him, was also present.

The 'Butcher,' however, blushed with shame, feeling humiliated. His gaze towards Viserys held a hint of resentment.

But Viserys didn't care about the resentment a small mercenary might harbor for the sake of 'face.' Such people usually didn't even have the chance to lick the soles of his shoes on ordinary days.

Viserys hadn't deliberately humiliated him, just normally passed the test and defeated him. If Viserys had to consider these things, he would be too tired.

If he revealed his identity, the man would probably not only not resent him but would also beg His Majesty the King to forgive his rudeness.

"This one will do."

Whoosh—

Viserys picked up a sword, drew it to take a look. He didn't choose too carefully, just picked a long sword that seemed decent.

Then he wore it on his waist and paid for it.

Although he didn't bring his own sword, Viserys did bring a portable Valyrian steel dagger. If necessary, this dagger would play its role.

As for armor, Viserys wore a set of light leather armor. With the ability to turn into black mist, the role of armor was greatly reduced for him. It was better to improve some agility.

Then, a long time passed.

Finally, it was time for the expedition to assemble and prepare to set sail.