Lord Owen: "Behold My Gift!"

The next day, early morning.

Daeren headed to the royal treasury to withdraw the initial funds for his fief.

Just last night, he had learned the details of the fief through Tywin.

It was two thousand square kilometers of royal land on the south bank of the Blackwater Rush.

The jurisdiction included the rivers, mountains, the beach on the East Coast, and a portion of the Kingswood within the territory.

The area was staggering.

For those unclear about the specific location, it could be compared to King's Landing.

The Blackwater Rush was a deep and swift torrent that connected to the outlet of Blackwater Bay.

King's Landing sat on the north bank of the Blackwater Rush, where one of the seven city gates, the Mud Gate, had been built into a world-renowned port.

The fief Daeren received was on the south bank, directly across the river.

It had always been royal land, granted as a fief only once in history.

Its former owner was Daemon Blackfyre.

"A very fine fief."

Mounted on his horse, Daeren turned his head to share his joy.

Ser Jon nodded slightly, maintaining his usual stern and humorless demeanor.

Before long, the iron gates of the treasury appeared.

An acquaintance was waiting on the road in front of the gate, followed by two guards, yet he trotted over without the slightest regard for his image.

"Is that you, Lord Owen?" Daeren dismounted.

The man who had arrived was none other than his father Aerys's sycophant, Owen Merryweather, who had been living a rather unsatisfactory life at court.

This fellow knew only how to flatter and possessed not a shred of talent.

His most lasting impression of the man was likely his tendency to always laugh along with his father Aerys, earning him the secret nickname of the "giggling simpleton."

"Prince, I didn't expect you to be up so early."

Compared to Daeren's surprise, Lord Owen was all smiles.

Without waiting for Daeren to speak, he shoved an exquisite fruit basket decorated with flowers into his arms.

"The King sent me to withdraw funds for you. Since it wasn't publicly announced, I could only prepare a gift in private."

Lord Owen, fearing a refusal, pushed the offer eagerly, "Your Highness, look, these are all fruits and vegetables produced by Merryweather Estate. I have selected a few of each for you."

Daeren lifted the thin gauze handkerchief covering the fruit basket, and a faint, fruity fragrance drifted into his nose.

The basket was packed to the brim with various fruits and vegetables.

Two apples—one red and one green—a cluster of plump black Rose Grapes, an orange, an ear of corn, a handful of wild berries, and half a bunch of bananas...

The weight was light, but the quality was exceptional.

Daeren frowned slightly, looking at the expectant gaze of Lord Owen, not knowing what to say.

These were no ordinary fruits and vegetables; each one contained Vitality.

Special Crops were truly miraculous.

They could be an apple on a tree, a pumpkin in a farmer's field, or even a wild herb by the side of the road.

All Special Crops shared one common trait: [Hidden].

Before being harvested, they were identical to ordinary crops and wild plants; even a veteran farmer who had worked the land for decades could not tell them apart.

But once harvested, they were instantly recognizable.

It was like lighting a bonfire in the middle of the night; as long as one wasn't blind, it was impossible to ignore.

Powerful knights had a chance to master the use of Vitality by consuming them, and ordinary people could maintain their health through long-term consumption.

Because of this, the price was outrageously expensive.

"This is too valuable," Daeren sighed softly, intending to politely decline.

According to their variety and nutritional value, Special Crops were also graded by quality.

From ordinary to Silver Star and Gold Star, each divided into high, medium, and low tiers.

Silver Star quality was already very precious, and Gold Star was something one could only hope for but never seek.

Within this fruit basket, there were two apples and an ear of corn of Silver Star quality alone, with an estimated value exceeding three hundred Gold Dragons.

Lord Owen quickly said, "Your Highness, you should know my family's motto."

As he spoke, he puffed out his chest, revealing his family crest: "A golden cornucopia overflowing with fruits and delicacies on a white background."

House Merryweather was an ancient noble family from the Reach with a noble lineage.

Their motto was: "Behold Our Bounty!"

Lord Owen chuckled, then took another bottle of warm milk from his coat and said, "Prince, you haven't had breakfast yet. Drink some milk to warm your stomach."

"..."

Taking the transparent glass bottle filled with milk, Daeren discovered that this milk also contained a faint trace of Vitality.

"What a big spender!" Daeren couldn't help but admire him.

Lord Owen looked deeply proud and said, "The Seven Gods favor us. Just as our family crest and motto suggest, the output of Special Crops in our territory is far more abundant than that of other families."

"Take this bottle of milk, for instance. It comes from a cow that accidentally grazed on Special Crops, and it produces exactly one bottle's worth every day."

The other crops are one thing; after setting aside the portion for cultivating knights, the family can consume the rest internally.

But a cow that can steadily produce milk containing Vitality can bring in a constant stream of wealth.

Many Reach nobles are willing to pay a high price to order this milk for their children to drink.

Since he had put it this way, it would be impolite to refuse again.

Daeren accepted the man's kindness, nodded slightly to show his gratitude, and said sincerely, "Lord Owen, you have a heart of gold."

To be honest, this man was the first noble to openly invest in him.

And he did it so blatantly, without any attempt at concealment.

If he didn't accept the man's goodwill, he believed those who supported Rhaegar wouldn't turn a blind eye; they would surely squeeze him out of the court.

His teacher, Tywin, had once taught him.

"When someone rises to challenge you, you should respond resolutely with fire and blood; when they kneel in submission, you must personally lift them up, or else no one will ever be willing to surrender to you again."

The same logic applied to different situations.

Daeren would not be so arrogant as to slap away a noble lord who was showing him favor.

Coincidentally, he had never tasted dairy products from a special animal, so he opened the bottle and took a sip.

As the milk slid down his throat, a faint, warm current gradually welled up in his lower abdomen, and his body began to feel warm and cozy.

Daeren's heart stirred, but he didn't show any emotion, commenting, "A bottle of this milk has roughly the potency of one Special Crop of ordinary quality. It is quite excellent."

"Haha, you are too kind."

Having received such affirmation and praise, Lord Owen's face blossomed with joy.

Without any cumbersome procedures, he immediately withdrew five hundred gold dragons and handed them to Daeren.

"Then we shall be departing now, my lord."

Daeren finished his milk, handed the medium-sized wooden box filled with Gold Dragons to Ser Jon, and swung onto his horse, gripping the reins.

Having witnessed the value of the Special Crop once more, he could hardly wait to gallop toward his fief.

However, his goal was not the fief itself, but rather to select a plot of land suitable for a farm.

As for the startup capital, five hundred Gold Dragons was more than enough.

Currency conversion: 1 Gold Dragon = 210 Silver Stags, 1 Silver Stag = 56 Copper Stars, 1 Copper Star = 8 Copper Pennies.

Nobles typically used Gold Dragons, while knights and commoners mostly used the latter three.

At current prices, a single Copper Penny could buy a sausage and a large mug of ale. A Silver Stag could get you mutton, pork, and several stews at an inn, along with several large mugs of ale, and the innkeeper would still owe you a handful of Copper Pennies in change.

A set of armor, including high-quality chainmail, a gorget, greaves, and a full helm, cost about 4 Gold Dragons.

A fast horse of superior breed was even cheaper.

The purchasing power was truly astonishing.

It was far from the inflation of a certain dynasty in later ages, where a Gold Dragon couldn't buy a piece of mutton and a Silver Stag could only fetch a pumpkin.

That's right, I'm talking about you, Robert Baratheon.

Daeren's spirits were high as he spurred his horse and charged forward.