Chapter 268: The Old Man of Oldtown

"You're quite clever," Dany sneered.

The old man of Oldtown knelt on the polished mahogany floor, bowing his head as he respectfully said,

"Archmaester Marwyn told me that the sorcerer Syquay is a young lady who has inherited some Valyrian magical traditions.

Last night, fireballs rained from the sky, a phenomenon strikingly similar to the magic used by the great Valyrian sorcerers to control dragonflame. Very few supernatural beings ever visit Oldtown.

Moreover, we waited at the docks all evening today, but Syquay never showed. This string of coincidences points to only one truth—Your Grace, you are Syquay."

"Don't call me 'Your Grace.' No noble violates the guest right by assassinating their own king," Dany said coldly.

"This…" The old man glanced left and right, then turned to his daughter. "Moroa, take our two guests downstairs for some tea. I need a private word with Her Grace."

As he spoke, he cast a look toward Marwyn and Rhaella.

Marwyn frowned and looked at Dany. Seeing her nod slightly, he led his assistant and the so-called "Madwoman" Moroa out of the room.

"Your Grace, I've been wronged!" As soon as the three disappeared down the stairwell, the white-bearded old man wailed.

"Don't take me for a fool. This is Oldtown. Without the Hightower family's permission, could the Citadel have found over a hundred dragon-killing scorpions and nearly five hundred elite soldiers?"

"Your Grace, you're right that the Citadel is in Oldtown, and that I am its guardian. But the Citadel today is no longer something the Hightowers can control, just like the Faith of the Seven in its prime."

"Enough. If that's all you have to say, then there's no point in continuing this conversation," Dany said impatiently.

There was no doubt the Citadel was the mastermind. The Hightower family had no intention of supporting the concept of a "real world," otherwise the old man and the "Madwoman" Moroa wouldn't be so obsessed with magic.

But the Hightowers were definitely involved in the assassination attempt—and deeply so. If Dany had died then and there, the old man would've likely held a celebration banquet, toasting with the Citadel's archmaesters and dragon-slaying captains. He wouldn't have shed a single tear for "Queen Dany."

But the assassination failed, and the dragon's wrath must follow.

The old man feared Dany's vengeance—which she absolutely promised would come. That's why he kept calling her "Your Grace," pleading and making excuses.

"Your Grace, House Hightower is willing to serve you faithfully. Just give the word, and I'll lead men to bathe the Citadel in blood," the old man said through gritted teeth, face twisted with malice.

Dany responded coolly, "Count, I must say, you've miscalculated—and underestimated me. I won't kill a single one of those scholars and archmaesters who conspired to murder me. Nor will I destroy the Citadel. They will be punished, but I will not dismantle the greatest and most legitimate academic institution in the world."

The old man breathed a sigh of relief and exclaimed loudly, "Your Grace is merciful! Your Grace is magnanimous!"

But this had nothing to do with mercy.

Those scholars were unwavering in their beliefs, their minds stubborn as stone. They were unafraid of death for the sake of their ideals. If Dany had unleashed her fury and burned the Citadel to ash last night, they would've only seen themselves as martyrs, dying for a noble cause. They wouldn't have felt regret or pain. Instead, they'd righteously proclaim: Look, this is why we pursue the 'real world'—supernatural power only corrupts the soul and brings no benefit to the people or the realm.

True vengeance means destroying what your enemy values most.

For the maesters, that's their sacred belief in the "real world"—a concept they've fought for, worked toward, and taken pride in for centuries.

And to shatter that belief? It's almost too easy. When the White Walkers come, who will still dare claim that dragons are a curse or that magic is useless to mankind?

Dany couldn't wait for the day the White Walkers descend upon Oldtown—when the maesters' entire worldview, their values, their faith, all come crashing down.

So she would let them live. They must live until the Long Night arrives.

But these were things she couldn't tell anyone—certainly not the old man of Oldtown.

"Heh, the Citadel has value to human civilization. That's the only reason I show it some measure of care. But as for you Hightowers… perhaps it's time Oldtown found new masters," Dany said with a cold smile.

She wasn't lying.

For an ancient noble house with a thousand years of heritage, to lose their lands and be wiped from existence—that was true punishment.

And she was not a woman without a temper.

"Your Grace, the assassination… I swear—" The white-bearded old man grew anxious. He suddenly slapped the floor and cried out, "Your Grace, I'll speak plainly!

The Citadel discovered your identity the day before yesterday and ordered my son Baelor to send troops to kill you. Baelor refused them without hesitation.

But even before informing the Hightower of the Sky, the maesters had already sent ravens, informing Lady Olenna of Highgarden in full detail.

Yesterday morning, Archmaester Theobold came to me with a letter from Lady Olenna, asking the Oldtown guard to assist in your assassination."

As if worried Dany wouldn't believe him, the old man pulled a folded letter from his sleeve. It bore the seal of the Highgarden rose.

Just one line of text:

Highgarden will not involve itself in this matter, nor will it limit the Citadel's actions.

A single, simple sentence.

"See for yourself?" The old man held the letter high, afraid she might miss it.

"Hearing the tone, the meaning couldn't be clearer," he said helplessly.

"Why would the Queen of Thorns want to kill me? One Queen Margaery surely isn't enough reason," Dany said, puzzled.

"Of course not. Even ten queens couldn't outweigh the risk of angering the Dragon Queen. But the Iron Throne is another matter."

"Duke Tyrell wants the Iron Throne?"

"No, it's Lady Olenna."

"She's an old woman, nearly with great-grandchildren. Could she really be so ambitious?" Dany asked, skeptical.

"She didn't always have this ambition. But after the War of the Four Kings, Highgarden rose to become the most powerful force in the Seven Kingdoms. If Robert Baratheon could sit the Iron Throne, and even a Lannister bastard could take it, why not House Tyrell?"

"Heh, that's just your guess," Dany still didn't believe it.

"Your Grace, in the game of thrones, everyone wants to win—and must win. Lady Olenna isn't especially power-hungry. Back then, she only agreed to ally with Lord Tywin to make sure she was on the winning side of the war.

Of course, raising her family's status along the way was a welcome bonus.

But the game of thrones never ends. After crushing the rebels, the Lannisters began seeing Highgarden as their next rival. Lady Olenna simply didn't want to lose."

"Be specific. Aside from Cersei's madness and blunders, the Lannisters didn't seem to target Highgarden," Dany frowned.

"Ah, but Lord Tywin struck long ago. First, he sabotaged the betrothal between Willas—the heir to Highgarden—and Sansa Stark. Then he granted Brightwater Keep to Garlan. Your Grace, are you aware of the special significance of House Florent and Brightwater Keep?"

"Sowing discord between Hightower, Tarly, and Highgarden?"

"It's not just between my family and the Tarlys."

Dany noticed the old man speaking while supporting his back, looking rather pitiful, so she said, "Get up and speak."

"Thank you, Your Grace," the old man beamed as he stood up, and began explaining with even more care. "Most of the great houses of the Reach can trace their bloodlines back to legendary heroes of the First Men — such as 'Garth Greenhand,' including House Florent of Brightwater Keep."

Dany seemed thoughtful.

Just like the Starks have a badass ancestor, "Brandon the Builder."

During the Age of Heroes, the Reach also had a legendary figure — "Garth Greenhand," also known as Garth the Green — said to have green hair and skin.

Garth was especially gifted in fertility — not just cultivating superior crops, but also, supposedly, helping women conceive. It was said that with just a touch, barren women could get pregnant, and elderly ladies past their moon cycles could bear children again.

Mothers would conceive twins or triplets under his blessing, and young girls would become women with just his smile.

Wherever Garth went, nobles and commoners alike were eager to offer him their chaste daughters.

The following year, their crops would flourish, the fruit trees would be heavy with bounty, and the girls who were deflowered by Garth would give birth to strong sons or beautiful daughters.

Well, no wonder they called him Garth the Green.

— As a side note, it was actually this legend that inspired Dany's idea to experiment with hybrid rice. Clearly, Garth the Green was almost certainly a sorcerer. She even suspected he was a half-blood — a child of the forest and a First Man. A druid, perhaps?

In short, Garth was a hero with an extraordinary gift for "planting." He had countless descendants. His eldest son, Garth Gardener, founded the royal House Gardener of the Reach — akin to the Starks in the North. His younger sons and daughters became ancestors to many other noble houses of the Reach.

The Tyrells, on the other hand, descended from an Andal adventurer who pledged loyalty to the Gardeners during the Andal invasion. That man later became the hereditary steward of Highgarden.

For thousands of years after, the Tyrells married into many "Greenhand" bloodline families and eventually acquired Garth's blood as well. But compared to the noble houses of the Reach that trace directly back to the First Men, their lineage still lacks a certain depth and distinction.

Three hundred years ago, Aegon the Conqueror wiped out all the male members of House Gardener at the Battle of the Field of Fire. The Tyrells, who were then stewards of Highgarden, opened the gates and surrendered to the Conqueror.

In return, Aegon rewarded them by letting the steward inherit the seat of his masters — making them the Lords of the Reach.

This act alone made many of the other Reach nobles secretly resentful. But Aegon had dragons — however dissatisfied they were, they had no choice but to swallow their anger.

Fortunately, the Tyrells were clever. They clung tightly to the Targaryen dynasty while continuously intermarrying with other "Greenhand" families. After three centuries, they finally managed to stabilize their rule over the Reach.

But now that they hold both Highgarden and the title of Lords of the Reach, they're also stripping House Florent of their title and lands…

How do you think the other "Greenhand" families will take that?

One has to admit — Tywin played a brilliant move.

Brightwater Keep, held by House Florent, is one of the richest territories in the Reach. The bait was too tempting. Even though House Tyrell knew it was a poisoned apple, they couldn't resist swallowing it.

Perhaps the Tyrells believed that, like three centuries ago, they could gradually digest this juicy prize through time and intimidation.

The old man from Oldtown continued, "Your Grace, Randyll Tarly and Paxter Redwyne are known as the 'Twin Pillars of the Reach.' They are the two core figures that maintain Highgarden's influence in King's Landing.

As for Duke Mace… sigh, that 'Inflated Fish,' my son-in-law, is an empty-headed fool who overestimates himself.

Lady Olenna comes from House Redwyne — she is Lord Paxter's aunt by blood, and also his mother-in-law.

In other words, the Redwynes are deeply tied to the Tyrells. There's no way to drive a wedge between them.

But the Tarlys…

The Tarlys are in-laws of House Florent, and have no relationship with the Tyrells beyond that of lord and vassal.

Duke Tywin saw this flaw.

Besides the matter of Brightwater Keep, he deliberately divided the Reach army in two: Duke Mace led the forces from Highgarden south to Storm's End and achieved nothing; Earl Tarly led his own forces north to the Riverlands to clear out bandits and restore order — earning widespread praise for his success.

To make matters worse, Mace is jealous of the capable and narrow-minded."

At the end, the long-bearded old man sighed with a complicated expression, "Luckily, Tywin died early. Otherwise, who knows how much more turmoil he would have caused in the Reach!"

Thinking of how Randyll led troops to rescue the Little Rose this afternoon, Dany frowned and asked, "Could Earl Tarly be turned against them?"

"No. He's a true soldier — upright, wise, loyal, and brave," the old man shook his head and said firmly. "If Tywin were still alive and continued working to drive a wedge between the lords and vassals of the Reach, perhaps Earl Tarly might've been swayed by the Iron Throne.

But now, the Lannisters…

The Lannisters are made up of two lions, a dog, a pig, and a tiger. Tywin Lannister was the ruthless old lion. Tyrion is the inexperienced young lion.

Tywin's younger brother, Ser Kevan, is the most loyal old dog of House Lannister, while Cersei is a pig, and Jaime — as fierce as a tiger — lacks any real cunning.

So, Your Grace, can you see it now?

The old lion and young lion are at each other's throats, the foolish pig only causes chaos, the tiger has lost its claws, and the Lannisters are left with nothing but a dog to maintain stability.

For Lady Olenna, this is a golden opportunity. If she doesn't seize it, the gods themselves will be offended!"

(End of Chapter)

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