Chapter 727: The Decisive Civil War

The imperial fleet had been anchored at Volantis for several days. Due to an unexpected monster attack, it seemed they would need to stay a few more days at the Red Temple.

Firstly, they needed to tend to the injuries of Uncle Victarion. Secondly, as the High Septon had mentioned, they hoped to lure out the creature that could move freely underwater. Otherwise, it would be troublesome if they were attacked again while sailing towards Naath.

Asha had taken up residence in the Red Temple. She penned down the recent events in a letter, which she then sent to Pentos for the governor, Viserys, to read. It had become a habit for Asha to write a letter before leaving any port.

After all, before setting sail, Viserys had discussed with her that this voyage was to expand the empire's influence, extending the Iron Throne's reach to Volantis, the Summer Isles, and even Slaver's Bay, Yunkai, Meereen, and the distant Qarth.

However, due to the Smoking Sea uprising, there were now many challenges in the east-west communication. Ships had to navigate the deep sea, eliminating many weaker fleets and effectively cutting off communication between the east and west.

Viserys, seated on the Iron Throne, had heard that the Dothraki, who had ventured eastward beyond the Bone Mountains, had encountered a powerful eastern nation and were forced to retreat.

Viserys never hid his curiosity about the east. He even mentioned to Jon Connington that, in the future, once everything was settled, he wanted to ride Balerion from Westeros, flying towards the Sunset Sea, to the very edge of the world.

He speculated that it might be the legendary Mountains of Dawn, the Shadow Lands, the Saffron Straits, or even the continent of Ulthos.

However, these were just Viserys' speculations. Even though the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, this world might not necessarily be spherical. It could have a stranger shape.

After all, this world has gods and magic, so anything is possible.

Until these matters were fully resolved, Viserys had to suppress his curiosity and focus on managing the vast empire he had built, ensuring that it didn't crumble halfway and waste all the previous efforts.

These tasks could only be accomplished after defeating the enemies from the Land of Always Winter and unraveling the mysteries of the Valyrian ruins.

Meanwhile, inside a room, the scratch of a quill on paper could be heard. A woman with high cheekbones and short black hair was writing the letter. This might be the only imperfection on Asha's face. She should have been a beauty, but her hands were rougher than most women's. However, her smile made up for everything.

"Larls."

"Come here."

...

Elsewhere, over the Narrow Sea, the final battle of the Three Daughters' civil war was erupting.

Both sides had lined up their formations on land and sea. On land, the mercenaries of Tyrosh were ready, facing the combined forces of Myr and Lys, along with the Cat's Company hired by the Pirate Prince.

On the sea, the pirates under Salladhor Saan were the main naval force of the alliance, supplemented by a large number of ships provided by the magisters of Lys, many of which were merchant ships hastily converted into warships.

The two sides were now locked in fierce combat. In less than a month of warfare, tens of thousands of troops and hundreds of warships had been deployed near the Disputed Lands and the Stepstones.

Over a hundred warships had been sunk, and countless soldiers had been killed or wounded.

The magisters of Lys hadn't initially planned to invest so much in this war. However, the Archon of Tyrosh seemed determined to conquer both Lys and Myr in one fell swoop, aiming to unify the Three Daughters. Thus, the magisters of Lys had no choice but to resist.

Now, in the sky above the battlefield, an eagle, which shouldn't have been over the sea, soared. Its sharp eyes surveyed the battle below, and the images it saw were relayed to Viserys' eyes.

The Stepstones were at the limit of Viserys' influence. If the eagle flew any further east, it might lose connection with Viserys, as the power of the Old Gods was effective only in Westeros.

Viserys had anticipated this world-renowned war. Initially, he hadn't focused on this region, leaving it to Ramsay to handle. However, Ramsay's disruptive tactics had thrown the Three Daughters into chaos, leading to the outbreak of civil war.

Ramsay's methods were simple. He was adept at exploiting people's desires, similar to Littlefinger, and used the empire's influence to support proxies and deal with those who resisted.

Now, the final battle had begun. The ground echoed with war cries, and the sea was filled with roaring warships.

"All men!"

"Prepare the trebuchets!"

"Fire!"

Boom, boom, boom—

Flaming boulders, trailing long tails of fire, flew into the enemy's fleet. The sea was littered with shattered ships and struggling soldiers.

The Pirate Prince Salladhor Saan personally commanded the naval battle. This was the final showdown, and there was no room for error. The magisters of Lys and the Archon of Tyrosh were also present on the battlefield, though they stayed at the rear.

"Charge!"

The battle raged for an entire day, with both sides fighting fiercely.

However, in the end, the Tyroshi forces were the first to retreat.

The exhausted allied forces of Lys and Myr didn't have the strength to pursue and could only watch as the defeated army withdrew.

Both sides left the battlefield, leaving behind thick smoke and countless shipwrecks and bodies.

The alliance of Lys and Myr had won the final battle, successfully defeating Tyrosh and shattering its ambition to unify the Three Daughters.

Elsewhere, with the victory in the war, celebrations were in order. The entire camp of Lys was immersed in a sea of joy.

The magisters of Lys, including Humpfrey Hightower and Trystane Ormollen, gathered together.

However, during the feast, an unexpected event occurred. Salladhor Saan and his pirates suddenly surrounded the place where the magisters were celebrating.

The young magister, Humpfrey Hightower, suddenly drew his sword and stood up.