Bewitchment (Part 2)

"You don't think I'd risk my family's honor being tarnished to become pirates with you, do you?"

"Of course not."

Samwell shook his head with a genial smile, looking utterly harmless.

"Only someone with no way out like me would take such a risk. You only need to invest. Even if things are exposed someday, you won't be implicated."

"Invest?"

"Precisely." Samwell took a sip of wine and said leisurely, "House Tyrell has already invested two hundred elite soldiers, and House Redwyne of the Arbor will soon invest a fleet of warships and sailors. They will all receive generous returns in the future. So, esteemed Viscount, would you like to join this investment? The two most powerful houses in the Reach have already placed their bets. An opportunity like this does not come often."

Viscount Martin looked thoughtful, but he still asked cautiously:

"What do you want from me?"

"Craftsmen." Samwell was succinct. "I already have an army and warships. What I urgently need now is a group of craftsmen to help me build my territory and docks. Therefore, I hope you can send Highgarden's craftsmen with me to pioneer the new lands. I can promise you that you will receive tenfold, or even a hundredfold, returns in the future!"

Viscount Martin pondered for a moment, then nodded.

"Very well. I'll send ten craftsmen with you..."

"Ten?" Samwell cut him off without ceremony. "Viscount, I risked my reputation by telling you the truth, yet you treat me like a beggar."

Viscount Martin suppressed his anger. "How many do you want?"

"All of them."

"All of them?"

"Yes, I want every craftsman in Highgarden!" Samwell swept out a hand grandly. "Lease these craftsmen to me for one year. After one year, I'll pay you ten times the rent."

"That's impossible!" Viscount Martin immediately refused. "What if your venture fails? Who would I ask for the money then? I might even lose all my craftsmen. Do you think I'm mad enough to agree to such a demand?"

"Failure? Viscount, do you truly think this venture will fail?"

"Any undertaking can fail, let alone one aimed at opening up the Red Mountains."

Samwell burst into laughter.

"Viscount, it seems you still do not understand the true significance of this venture. Do you think House Tyrell is going to such lengths merely to raid a few Dornish merchant ships?"

Viscount Martin asked patiently:

"Oh? Does House Tyrell have other plans?"

"Of course. The Reach and Dorne have been bitter enemies for a thousand years. On top of that, Willas Tyrell, the duke's eldest son, recently had his leg broken by Prince Oberyn. How could House Tyrell not seek an opportunity to take revenge on Dorne?"

"Take revenge on Dorne?" Viscount Martin was skeptical. "Dorne is not so easily invaded."

"You are right. Dorne is indeed easy to defend and hard to conquer. But Daeron I once conquered Dorne, and he did so without the aid of dragons. Though he claimed all the credit for that War of Conquest, anyone with eyes knew that the true key to victory was Count Elyn Velaryon leading his fleet to seize Plankytown, take control of the Greenblood, and cut off the connections between Dorne's major territories.

"You should know that the site of my new territory was personally chosen by Lady Olenna. It lies near the mouth of the Torrentine River. How similar is that location to Plankytown on the Greenblood!

"Once we control the mouth of the Torrentine River, Dorne's three important western territories will become the Reach's for the taking!

"Tell me, would House Tyrell allow such an important venture to fail so easily?"

Viscount Martin fell into deep thought at this.

Seeing this, Samwell immediately pressed on.

"So long as House Tyrell has made up its mind, I truly cannot imagine how this venture could fail. Could those Wildlings in the Red Mountains possibly stand against House Tyrell's elite soldiers? Or do you think the Dornish will see through the Reach's ambitions, take the initiative, and sabotage this venture?"

Viscount Martin shook his head.

The scattered Wildlings were naturally nothing to fear. As for the Dornish, if they took the initiative and started a war, Duke Mace might laugh in his sleep.

Whether in population, resources, or military strength, Dorne was completely inferior to the Reach. The only reason they had fought each other for so many years was the protection afforded by the natural barrier of the Red Mountains and the desert's unique climate. If the Dornish were foolish enough to abandon their geographical advantage and attack first, the Reach's armies would surely crush them.

Moreover, the greatest obstacle to establishing a new territory in the Red Mountains—the source of funding—had already been solved by the bold pioneer knight before him, who had staked his own reputation and future on it. The more Viscount Martin thought about it, the more he felt there truly seemed to be no possibility of failure.

But he still hesitated at the prospect of committing all his family's craftsmen to aid the venture.

Seeing this, Samwell did not press him further. He set his wine cup on the table and said:

"Viscount, give it some more thought. I'll remain in Highgarden for a few days to rest and purchase large quantities of supplies and food in preparation for entering the mountains. If you are willing to invest, you can send someone to find me at any time."

With that, Samwell turned and left the room.

On the third day of his stay in Highgarden, Samwell still had not received a reply from Viscount Martin.

It seemed this lord was indeed extremely cautious and had not been easily Bewitched by his smooth words.

However, Samwell did receive a reply from Lady Margaery.

In the letter, Margaery criticized Samwell's extravagance as usual, while urging him once again to speed up his march. This time, the young lady had learned her lesson. She laid down rules in the letter: from now on, she would provide only one hundred Gold Dragons a month for the venture. If Samwell wanted more, he would have to show results—

Such as progress in building the new territory, population growth, and so on.

It had to be said that Margaery had grown wiser this time, cutting off Samwell's route to extort money at will.

Samwell was not particularly surprised. House Tyrell was not truly foolish enough to willingly serve as his "cash machine."

Still, such a skillful method of controlling subordinates probably had not been devised by that immature girl herself. She had likely received guidance from the Queen of Thorns.

Samwell was not disappointed. In any case, he had already gained enough from House Tyrell and had used it to raise a banner grand enough to fool other investors.

Pioneering was no different from starting a business, after all. Naturally, one had to use investors' money.

It was just that this lord of Highgarden did not seem so easy to fool.

Samwell decided to wait one final day. If Viscount Martin still did not respond tomorrow, he would set out to find a new sucker—no, investor.

Meanwhile, the "not-so-easy-to-fool" Viscount Martin privately sought out the messenger from Highgarden and asked:

"Who wrote the letter you brought to Samwell?"

The messenger bowed and answered neither arrogantly nor obsequiously:

"My apologies, Viscount, but I'm afraid it would not be convenient for me to disclose that."

However, when Viscount Martin slipped a Gold Dragon into the messenger's hand, his face immediately changed into a fawning smile.

"The letter was written by the duke's daughter, Lady Margaery. It also came with three hundred Gold Dragons."

"Is that so?" Viscount Martin looked thoughtful. "What else? I also saw you speak with Todd Flowers."

"That was a verbal message from Lady Olenna to Ser Todd..." The messenger hesitated again at this point.

But when Viscount Martin produced another Gold Dragon, the upright and unyielding messenger immediately added:

"Lady Olenna instructed Ser Todd to obey all of Lord Caesar's arrangements."

Viscount Martin's expression changed slightly. He stood there without moving for a long while.