Conflict Escalates!

The next morning.

Daeren sought out Rhaegar for a formal discussion in the study.

"The situation at Dragon Mountain is unclear. I don't recommend that you go."

Rhaegar spoke calmly.

With a wave of his hand, Daeren brought up the old matter concerning the Hightower Family of Oldtown.

Lord Leyton had an eccentric temperament.

Daeren needed Rhaegar to write a letter and help persuade Lord Leyton to return the Dragon Egg.

Rhaegar was widely recognized throughout the Seven Kingdoms as a good prince and the ruler who would restore the realm. Anyone had to show him some respect.

"Hightower... Dragon Egg..."

Rhaegar was quite surprised.

Daeren was not worried that the other side would seize it. He said bluntly, "I came for the Dragon Egg. The family needs a dragon."

"If you want Dragon Eggs, I can help you search for them."

A trace of melancholy flickered in Rhaegar's eyes. He said softly, "But as for a dragon, even our great-grandfather failed to achieve that."

Given his current status and position, he could still gather one or two Dragon Eggs if he searched with all his strength.

Yet more than a hundred and fifty years had passed since dragons went extinct, and no one had ever successfully hatched a Dragon Egg.

Sometimes, standing amid the ruins of Summerhall, he could almost still hear the wails from that great fire.

Daeren said, "Brother, times have changed."

"Oh?"

Rhaegar reined in his emotions and showed interest.

Daeren said, "Aren't the Special Crops appearing across the continent the best proof?"

The Red Comet had arrived early.

The day of the dragons' return would also come early.

After pondering for a moment, Rhaegar nodded. "I can help you write a letter to Lord Leyton Hightower, requesting that he return property belonging to the Royal Family."

Success!

Daeren rejoiced inwardly.

"However..."

His tone shifted, as though he were about to say something unnecessary.

Rhaegar was very straightforward. "The Hightower Family is powerful. If you want the Dragon Egg back, you must show Lord Leyton enough respect."

"For instance, he may demand Special Crops. You must do your best to meet his conditions."

It was much the same as what Ser Gerold the White Bull had said: Special Crops in exchange for the Dragon Egg.

Daeren accepted it all.

After their first formal conversation, the brothers' unfamiliar relationship eased considerably, and they could talk more about trivial matters.

At Daeren's prompting, Rhaegar revealed the purpose of his previous voyage.

"I went to Essos. I stayed in Tyrosh and Lys, trying to find traces of the ancestral sword, Blackfyre."

Rhaegar did not hide it, nor did he disdain to do so.

However, the regret in his tone made it easy to guess that the trip had yielded nothing.

"We do see eye to eye when it comes to searching for the ancestral sword."

Daeren thought to himself.

"The family needs to change. I've been working toward that."

Rhaegar's expression was calm, as if he were talking about something insignificant.

Daeren nodded without objecting.

Both of them could see that the family was on the verge of collapse, and both wanted to hold up the falling tower.

He was gathering Dragon Eggs, trying to hatch a dragon.

It was the most direct and thorough way to change things, one that could restore House Targaryen to its former glory in a single stroke.

As for what Rhaegar was busy with, and what method he intended to use to save the family—

That remained unclear for now.

"I can share two pieces of intelligence with you."

After careful consideration, Daeren decided to return the favor.

First, Skagos might be the burial ground of Grumkins.

Second, the ancestral sword Blackfyre was not in Tyrosh. It was most likely in the hands of the Golden Company, and governor Illyrio of Pentos was the key.

Both pieces of intelligence were crucial.

Unfortunately, Daeren had no use for them.

After encountering the Three-Eyed Crow in two dreams, Daeren swore that he would never set foot in The North until he had hatched a Dragon Egg.

Whether Skagos had any connection to Grumkins was uncertain, and the odds of there being Dragon Eggs were even slimmer.

It was best to leave the exploration to Rhaegar, who desired nothing.

If there really were Dragon Eggs there—

Given the usual minimum of five eggs in a clutch, he could simply ask Rhaegar for one.

The second piece of intelligence was even more difficult to deal with.

The Golden Company had been founded by the noble bastard Coldsteel Rivers and was one of the strongest mercenary companies in Essos.

Even if Blackfyre truly was in the Golden Company's hands, reclaiming it would mean a bloody storm.

But he could leave that to Rhaegar.

"As long as I have a dragon, all of this will be mine."

Daeren's thinking was clear.

Upon hearing the two pieces of intelligence, Rhaegar did not doubt him and considered them seriously.

He trusted Daeren.

This Brother had been different since childhood. He might not have excelled in every aspect, but he had no weaknesses either.

What he said was worth looking into.

"How are you certain that Illyrio is connected to the Golden Company?"

Rhaegar quickly locked onto the key point.

Daeren already had an excuse prepared. "I discovered several secret passages in the Red Keep. By chance, I found Master of Whisperers Varys meeting privately with Illyrio. The two mentioned the Golden Company, Marris, the last Blackfyre, waiting for the right moment... and other things."

Facing Rhaegar before the False Spring, he did not hesitate to sell out Varys.

The brothers might become rivals in the future.

But before war broke out, they needed to stand united against outsiders.

They could fight each other to the death among themselves, but they could not let outsiders reap the benefits.

"I'll keep an eye on it."

Rhaegar understood and mentally marked Master of Whisperers Varys.

It involved Blackfyre descendants.

If given the chance, he would uproot them completely.

Everything that needed to be said had been said.

Daeren finally asked one question. "What is the situation at Dragon Mountain?"

A short while later.

Daeren walked out of the study.

The conversation had gone smoothly.

He had gained Rhaegar's assistance, while Rhaegar had received two pieces of intelligence.

At the same time, he had also learned the specifics of Dragon Mountain.

Not long before the incident, someone had seen a dragon-like black shadow that could breathe fire at Dragon Mountain and had been attacked.

The witness claimed it was a wild dragon.

Elia ordered Dragon Mountain sealed off.

After Rhaegar failed in his search for the ancestral sword Blackfyre and returned from his voyage, he gathered a group of Dragonseeds and soldiers to form the Dragon Guard, patrolling Dragon Mountain around the clock.

He himself led Ser Arthur Dayne and Prince Lewyn into Dragon Mountain to search for the suspected wild dragon.

They did not find the wild dragon.

In an underground cavern that had once housed dragons, Prince Lewyn was bitten by a strange reptile instead.

According to Rhaegar—

The reptile was exceptionally good at hiding. It lay among piles of rocks in perfect camouflage and could only be noticed when it revealed itself.

Prince Lewyn had been careless for a moment and was bitten by it.

Moreover, the reptile's bite was incredibly powerful. It easily pierced his armored greaves and shattered the bone in Prince Lewyn's right calf.

The wound also bore traces of fire scorching.

Had Ser Arthur Dayne not acted in time, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

Daeren specifically asked about the reptile's appearance.

When motionless, it resembled a rock. Once it revealed its true form, it had two horns atop its head, an iron-hard shell, and a mouth full of thin, sharp fangs.

"Doesn't that sound like the Lava Head from the Volcano Dungeon?"

Daeren felt doubtful.

Rhaegar's description of Dragon Mountain was clear. It still looked the same as before, with no changes to the terrain or environment.

In other words, Dragonstone was not Ginger Island.

"Then why would Dragon Mountain have a new species resembling a volcano monster?"

Daeren could not make sense of it.

But compared to a volcano monster that only knew how to launch sneak attacks, the news that Dragon Mountain might contain a wild dragon was undoubtedly far more exciting.

"Even though Rhaegar found no trace of the wild dragon, and the witness did not see its full appearance, the news is still thought-provoking enough."

Daeren was very curious whether a wild dragon had truly hatched on its own.

As soon as he came downstairs, an argument rang out in the hall.

"Jon Darry, you blind-eyed coward! Do you know that you are infringing upon the Crown Prince's authority?"

The voice belonged to Oswell Whent.

He was accusing him without the slightest courtesy.