The Youths of Silverblood Army Estate

Orange Coast.

This vast land was still Valantis territory. Though Valantis had been defeated in the wars of the Bleeding Age, it remained powerful. At the very least, she still held tightly to her enormous domains.

Silverblood Army Estate stood here. It was the Valaerys family's largest estate, and Cleorius generously used the estate's produce to support six thousand brave and battle-hardened Silver Blood Army warriors.

Of course, it was not supported by this estate alone. Silverblood Army Estate merely accounted for the largest share. The warriors' families had also settled here, and the Valaerys family had built homes for them, issuing salaries and subsidies on time.

This was also an important reason for the Silver Blood Army's formidable combat strength.

At that moment, in the courtyard at the center of the estate, several youths were training hard under the shouts of a sharp-voiced eunuch warrior.

Besides the Silver Blood Army, the Valaerys family also possessed a considerable number of Unsullied warriors. These eunuch warriors produced in the New Ghis cities of Slaver's Bay were absolutely loyal and absolutely disciplined, renowned as the strongest heavy infantry in the world.

Within the Valaerys family, following Cleorius's reforms, these Unsullied had also cast off the shackles of slavery and the degrading names bestowed upon them by their former masters.

The finest among them had even become spear instructors for the Silver Blood Army and the retainers of Lonzell.

Just like the young eunuch warrior in the center of the courtyard.

Silver Scorpion came from Astapor, the Ghiscari city famed throughout the known world for producing and training Unsullied. The slave masters selected strong, outstanding boys for brutal training. The boys were completely castrated and made to drink the poisonous wine of courage. Through years upon years of training, every trace of human individuality was worn away, turning them into true "steel."

If a buyer was willing to pay for an entire formation of Unsullied infantry trained in this manner and equip them with heavy armor and long spears, they could even clash head-on with heavy cavalry until the last man fell—though whether they won or lost was another matter.

Clad in a silver-white breastplate and a silver spiked helm, Silver Scorpion leaned on a six-foot-long iron spear and quietly watched the youths in the courtyard sweat like rain as they wielded wooden spears and practiced their martial skills.

The youth at the front was about the same age as Lonzell, and even resembled him by eighty or ninety percent. The slight difference was that this youth wore his silver hair cropped short and neat, while his purple eyes carried a hint of blue.

Compared to his twin brother Lonzell, Valarr Valaerys was a little taller and sturdier. Though still young, his bare upper body already bore quite solid muscles.

His cast-iron spear pierced the training straw dummy like lightning. Valarr withdrew it and accepted a silk cloth from the black-haired youth beside him, who had likewise put away his spear, then casually wiped the sweat from his body.

"Hofa, is there any news from home?"

The black-haired Hofa had a pair of distinctive golden eyes. He and his younger brother Adams both came from distant Westeros. Lysene pirate ships had captured the brothers while raiding, burning, and plundering, but Lonzell's warships had rescued them.

In fact, during that period, Lonzell had reclaimed several thousand boys and girls from Lysene pirate ships alone. Some had been sent back to their homelands, while others had remained with the Valaerys family.

Hofa, Adams, Sebastian Calamityflame, and Amos Fezer were among those who had stayed with the family.

"The lord has returned to the family." Hofa carefully wiped the dirt and sweat from his body. "Amos, Sebastian, and Ago have already arrived at the estate. They're organizing the Silver Blood Army's return to formation with several commanders."

"Return to formation?" Valarr recalled his brother's instructions before sending him to Silverblood Army Estate. "My brother has finally made up his mind to explore Valyria." The youth was actually a little excited.

Hofa nodded.

"Adams has already followed Lord Aslan Longdell with twelve hundred Silver Blood Army soldiers to the ports and shipyards under the family's control. Sebastian and Lord Gonsor Calamityflame will lead the next group. They're the main force and will lead three thousand Silver Blood Army soldiers and fifteen hundred Unsullied to join Lord Aslan's troops."

"What about us?"

"We're the third group."

"Ah?"

Valarr was somewhat dissatisfied. "I thought we'd be in the first group."

Hofa shook his head. "We're responsible for the final group of elites, as well as misleading those people in Valantis who have ulterior motives."

Valarr frowned in confusion, not quite understanding what Hofa meant.

"Young master, you are the lord's twin brother. As long as you remain here, neither the Tiger Party nor the Elephant Party will realize what the lord truly intends to do."

"Got it." Whether or not Valarr truly understood what lay behind all this, he did not care. As long as he stayed here and did not cause trouble, he would not interfere with his brother's plans. "Hofa, spar with me using lances."

Hofa looked toward Silver Scorpion, who had not spoken the entire time.

The eunuch warrior nodded and gestured for a groom nearby to bring the horses.

This courtyard was large enough to accommodate a cavalry charge.

Young attendants helped Valarr and Hofa don their protective gear and brought them lances.

"I have to admit, the Andals' heavily armored knights truly are a formidable force." Silver Scorpion watched as Hofa and Valarr finished arming themselves, took up their lances, and began walking their horses toward one another.

"If faced with a lance charge from a thousand Andal knights, I fear only several times as many heavily armored Unsullied could hold them back."

The warhorses began to accelerate.

Thud!

The lances shattered.

Valarr squeezed his legs against his horse's flanks and casually picked up a fresh lance. Hofa swayed but did not fall, taking the lance handed to him by an attendant as well.

The second charge.

Hofa's lance struck Valarr squarely in the chest.

The lance broke, but Valarr merely swayed as though nothing had happened.

The third charge.

This time, Hofa was struck in the chest and abdomen. The black-haired youth was nearly knocked from his horse.

He came close, but Hofa still held firmly to the saddle.

"Nicely done." Valarr was incredibly strong; a twelve-foot lance was like a toy in his hands.

The fourth charge.

Valarr and Hofa struck each other in the chest almost simultaneously.

The lances shattered.

This time, only one youth remained on horseback.

Valarr rode his warhorse in two circles around Hofa, who was sprawled carelessly on the ground without the slightest concern for his image. Then, grinning, he climbed down from the horse and extended a hand, hauling Hofa to his feet in one pull.

"I heard the nobles in your homeland really enjoy this?"

Hofa spat several times, spitting the dirt from his mouth.

"Yeah." Hofa seemed to remember something unpleasant. "In my home village, the knight lord would even force everyone in the village to pay so he could take part in the great lord's tournament. The knight lord in our village was just like that. He especially loved wagering duels with others, but every time, he lost his warhorse and armor. When he came back, all he knew was how to demand money from everyone. And when the Lyseni attacked, he made everyone send men too. My father died at the hands of the Lyseni."

"Though I've heard Adams talk about it before." Valarr gritted his teeth and patted his good friend on the back. "Every time I hear it, I think that bastard from your homeland really isn't worth a damn."

"That's why all of us are grateful to the lord and the old lord," Hofa said. "They made it so everyone no longer has to worry about going hungry, being taken away by Lyseni or Ironborn at any time, or being unable to buy salt and medicine."

Valarr suddenly thought of something. "Hofa, if you went back to your homeland now, would you still be afraid of that bastard in your village?"

Hofa smiled.

"How could I be? The way I am now, I could beat ten pieces of trash like him. If I were on horseback, I'd even dare to charge head-on against a knight of House Stag."

"House Stag?"

"It's the knight family of the lord of the lord of the lord of the lord of that bastard I told you about—the duke's family in Westeros. I heard they live in a huge castle with a great round tower taller than a mountain." Hofa tried hard to gesture out the scene from his memories. "When their knights ride out, their banners bear a crowned stag."

Valarr searched his memories.

Then decisively gave up.

"Haha, Hofa, I believe that someday you'll be able to beat ten knights of House Stag. You might even be able to fight that duke you mentioned."

Hofa scratched his head a little embarrassedly.

Just then, a man dressed in Silver Blood Army attire hurried into the courtyard. He looked around, then quickened his pace and gave Valarr a standard military salute.

"My lord, there is a letter for you."

Valarr looked at the man in confusion.

"A letter for me? Is it from the Black Wall Valaerys Manor?"

Silver Scorpion watched the man from the side for a moment.

Then he suddenly shouted, "Who are you? Do not approach the young master!"