Dragon's Roost welcomed new talent

The midday sun over the Narrow Sea pierced through the clouds and shone on the deck of the "Blackfyre," making the crimson and black dragon-patterned sails even more striking.

At this moment, Crahas Hal leaned alone against the ship's railing, his fingertips gently tracing the cold planks, quietly feeling the Blackfyre's hull bobbing steadily in the waves.

Several hours have passed since the fleet set sail from Dragonstone.

During this time, Colin Celtigar, along with brothers Alyn Redwyne and Little Horas Oliver Redwyne Jr., would occasionally come over to ask for advice.

Among them, Little Horas was practically inseparable from it, and the sketchbook in his hand was already covered with dense annotations.

"Lord Crahas, what do you think of this proposed modification to the stern steering mechanism?"

Little Horas then brought over the newly drawn blueprints he had just learned from the Myr craftsmen on the ship.

Even the nib of the pen in his other hand still had traces of ink from his recent drawing. "In addition," he said, "I want to install a set of interconnected pulleys so that the steering is more flexible and it's more reliable to handle the reefs in the Narrow Sea."

Crahas took the blueprints, his fingertips tracing the lines. As someone from Myr, a hint of approval flashed in his eyes. "The idea is right, but the pulleys must be made of hardwood wrapped with iron, otherwise they won't withstand long-term seawater immersion."

In addition, the length of the rudder handle should be shortened by 30%, otherwise the sailors will not be able to hold it when the wind and waves are high.

He paused, then lightly sketched on the blueprint to add, "And here, a diagonal reinforcing beam must be added. This will distribute the impact force on the machine. Before the Triarchy was formed, without Myr's technology, the warships of the Lys and Tyroci people neglected this point, causing many ships to lose their rudders in the Storm."

Little Horas nodded repeatedly, quickly marking on the blueprints while muttering, "Hardwood wrapped with iron, shortened rudder, reinforced beams—Sir, when you swept through the Stepstones, were your warships all modified like this?"

"Yes and no."

Crahas put down the blueprints and looked at the shimmering sea in the distance. "Back then, the Triarchy had just been established, and the fleet's warships were focused on speed, suitable for close-range raids. So at that time, we could only dock all the warships in the fleet at Tyrosh Harbor before the war. Later, the Myr Craftsmen's Guild gradually improved the situation. But now, the fleet at Dragon's Roost Port has to take on patrol, trade escort, and ocean warfare, and must integrate offense and defense."

"Daemon Highness Damon has made the right choice by having you learn from the craftsmen of Myr. Our Myr technology is renowned throughout the world, but shipwrights often prioritize speed due to their trade traditions, which often sacrifices the ship's sturdiness. It wasn't until the Triarchy was formed to fight against Volantis and they cooperated with Tyrosh and Lys that this was recognized. So now you must learn to take the best from the worst."

Colin Celtigar happened to walk by and chimed in, "Lord Crahas is right."

Previously, when we were patrolling the Narrow Sea, we encountered the Bloodtooth Pyke remnants. Their ships, which were modeled after the Iron Islands longships, were very light and agile. They escaped several times by using the reefs, and although our warships were sturdy, we couldn't catch up with them.

He unfolded the naval battle map in his hand, pointing his finger to the reef area in the bay northeast of the Crab Claw Peninsula. "This area, in particular, is full of reefs and is a natural haven for pirates. We've tried to encircle them several times, but we've failed because our warships can't turn easily."

Crahas leaned over to look at the nautical chart of Crab Claw Peninsula in Colin's hand, his brows furrowing slightly. "We definitely can't force our way through the reef areas at sea. We need to use small boats to scout ahead, while the main warships deploy on the perimeter to form an ambush."

In addition, the draft of the warships needs to be adjusted, the ballast stones at the bottom of the hull should be reduced by half, and the ballistae on the sides of the ships should be replaced with lighter ones. This will increase speed without affecting firepower.

Then, he raised his hand and lightly drew a few arcs on the nautical chart. "From now on, if you want to patrol the entire peninsula's waters, you can directly divide into three teams for patrol. The left team will patrol Crab Bay on the north coast of Crab Claw Peninsula, the right team will guard Blackwater Bay to the south, and the middle team will patrol the Narrow Sea in the east. Once pirates are spotted, immediately send a signal to surround them and make it impossible for them to escape."

Alyn Redwyne stood aside, listening and nodding frequently. "No wonder the Triarchy was able to wipe out the Narrow Sea pirates who were entrenched on the Stepstones back then. Your tactics were indeed ingenious."

We only thought about a direct assault, which resulted in significant losses.

He recalled the naval battle his father, Redwyne Earl, had mentioned in the early days of the Triarchy. "I heard that you used only twenty warships to break through the fifty-ship fleet of Volantis. Did you use a similar tactic?"

"It was a feint." A hint of reminiscence flashed in Crahas's eyes. "Although the Volantis ' fleet was powerful, it was also cumbersome and liked to cluster together. I had ten ships pretend to attack their left flank to draw their attention, while the other ten ships took advantage of the morning mist to circle around to the right flank and concentrate their fire on their command ship."

Once the command ship sinks, the fleet will naturally fall into disarray, and then we can simply encircle and finish them off.

He then changed the subject, "However, with the help of dragons, the fleet at Dragon's Roost Port can be more flexible in its tactics."

His Highness Daemon's Glutton can scout from the sky, breathe Dragonfire, and in crucial moments, directly destroy enemy flagships—an advantage we didn't have back then."

Colin nodded. "His Highness did indeed give instructions that in the event of a large-scale naval battle, the Glutton would fight together."

But small-scale patrols still rely on the fleet itself. Sir, how long do you think it will take for our current fleet to acquire the capability for long-range operations?

"Three months," Crahas said confidently. "I've seen your warships; the foundation is excellent. All that's needed is to improve the hull design."

Optimize tactics and train the crew.

"Over the next three months, I will personally guide the craftsmen in modifying the warships and lead the crew in simulated exercises. After three months, not only will the Narrow Sea be no problem, but we will also be able to cross the Summer Sea and reach the Summer Isles."

Little Horas's eyes lit up. "Really? Then can we build a ship faster than Gulltown, Hull, and even our Arbor?"

"Not only must it be fast, but it must also be strong." Crahas patted him on the shoulder. "The earliest ships of the Triarchy were mainly for trade. According to your description, Dragon's Roost Port integrates the shipbuilding techniques of all the major shipbuilding centers in Westeros, and the warships built there will not only be able to fight, escort, and launch expeditions, but also be capable of fighting. You'll see once the complete modifications you and His Highness have described are finished."

As the fleet sailed into the afternoon, the outline of the Crab Claw Peninsula gradually became clear in the distance, and the docks of Dragon's Roost Port were also faintly visible.

Crahas gazed quietly at the thriving port, where the cobblestone path of the dock stretched inland, and the salt-tolerant rye in the terraced fields rippled with green waves, while newly built houses stood side by side.

On the nearby hills, the Glutton's dark figure lay prone, occasionally letting out a low dragon's roar that mingled with the port's shouts.

"This is Dragon's Roost Port?" Crahas murmured, a hint of shock flashing in his eyes.

He had heard his guards on Dragonstone mention this emerging port, but he never imagined it would grow to such a scale in such a short time.

"It was His Highness who personally led us all to build it together."

Alyn's face was full of pride, "When our House Celtigar ran this place before, it was just a barren wasteland. Now, the docks can accommodate fifteen ocean-going merchant ships, the newly reclaimed terraces can even support 30,000 refugees, and we have our own workshops, training grounds, and medical points. Even the maesters from the Citadel come to help research crops and herbs."

As they spoke, the fleet had already entered the safe harbor of Dragon's Roost Port, where the docks were already packed with people.

Daemon, dressed in black dragon scale armor with his Blackfyre slung across his waist, stood in the middle of the pier waiting. Gael stood beside him, her light purple robe fluttering in the wind, the Dreamfyre dragon pattern on the hem reflecting the morning light.

Besides being dispatched to assist his father, Earl Clayber of Whispering Castle, and his heir, his elder brother, René Frye Clayber, and

His childhood friends, Earl Berna Brune Berna Dyre Den and his cousin William Brune, heir to the Brown Burrow Mountain branch of the Berna family, went to train Rupert Crabb, the commander of the allied forces of the Crab Claw Peninsula.

Jarman Waters, Larys Strong, Rayford Rosby, Lyonel Corbray, Harlan Hunter, and others were all present, their eyes filled with anticipation.

"Crahas, you must have had a long journey."

Daemon stepped forward first, extending his hand. "Welcome to Dragon's Roost Port."

Crahas hurriedly stepped off the Blackfyre, excitedly grasped Daemon's hand, felt the strength in the other's palm, and bowed respectfully. "Your subordinate Crahas Hal greets Your Highness."

"No need for formalities." Daemon helped him up, his gaze sweeping over the longsword at his waist. "In Dragon's Roost Port, you are neither a prisoner nor a guest, but my fleet commander, the pillar of the Dragon's Roost Port Navy."

He gestured to the side, indicating that he should lead the way. "I have already arranged a residence next to the naval base. You can rest here first. Later, I will host a welcome dinner for you and then we can discuss the naval reforms in detail."

Crahas nodded in agreement, but his gaze was drawn to the naval base not far away.

More than ten warships were moored there, and craftsmen were hammering iron and polishing ship planks. In the docks of several ships, slave craftsmen who had once come from Myr were instructing refugees on how to install crossbows. It was a busy scene.

That's our temporary naval base.

Colin stepped forward and explained, "His Highness plans to expand the docks, build twenty new warships, and form three ocean-going fleets, each responsible for the routes of the Narrow Sea, the Summer Sea, and Slaver's Bay."

"Twenty ships are still too few," Crahas said bluntly. "If we want to conquer the Summer Isles, we need at least fifty warships, including ten flagships equipped with heavy ballistae, thirty escort ships for escort and reconnaissance, and ten transport ships to carry supplies and soldiers."

In addition, a small boat squadron needs to be formed specifically to deal with reef areas and shallow waters.

A hint of approval flashed in Daemon's eyes. "Just what I wanted. The workshops in Dragon's Roost Port are already capable of building warships. Racallio will transport enough hardwood from the Summer Isles, Reach will provide iron. I want to see fifty warships launched within three months."

He turned to Rayford and instructed, "Have Tommen tally the supplies and prioritize supplying the naval base. If the apprentice craftsmen we recruit through the recruitment drive aren't enough, select skilled craftsmen from the refugees. They will be personally instructed by craftsmen recruited from all over Westeros, the Myr craftsmen in the harbor, and Lord Crahas."

"Yes, Your Highness." Rayford bowed and immediately sent someone to relay the order.

The group walked along the cobblestone path of the dock, where refugees and soldiers stopped to salute, their eyes fixed on Crahas with curiosity and awe.

Most of them had heard of the former Prince Myr's reputation, and now that they saw him submit to Daemon, their resolve to follow him only strengthened.

As they passed the terraced fields, Rickard Rowan was leading Lucas Tyrell and the farmers in harvesting the first batch of salt-tolerant rye under the guidance of a professional scholar and an experienced old farmer. The golden ears of wheat were heavy and bent over, and the faces of the displaced people were full of joy.

Upon seeing Daemon and his group, Rickard put down his scythe and strode over. "Your Highness, this year's rye harvest is bountiful. We expect to harvest 30,000 shi (a unit of dry measure), enough to supply everyone in the port for half a year, and we can even save some for seed."

"Well done." Daemon nodded. "Store some of the grain, distribute the rest to the soldiers and refugees, and reserve another five thousand shi for the naval base as reserve grain for the fleet."

He turned to Crahas and said, "In the future, if the navy is to embark on expeditions, supplies will be crucial; only a good agricultural system can provide for our soldiers."

Crahas gazed at the endless terraced fields, a hint of admiration flashing in his eyes. "Your Highness not only focuses on military affairs but also on the people's livelihood. It's no accident that Dragon's Roost Port has developed so rapidly."

"Popular support is the foundation," Daemon said calmly. "Only when displaced people can live and work in peace and contentment will they be willing to risk their lives for Dragon's Roost Port."

As they continued forward, the sound of unified shouts echoed from the training ground.

Lyonel is temporarily taking over Rupert's place in instructing the new recruits on slashing techniques, with Criston Cole assisting him. The recruits are dressed in uniform armor, their movements are synchronized, and the flashing swords exude a fierce aura.

Upon seeing Daemon, Lyonel stopped his training, stepped forward, and bowed respectfully. "Your Highness, these new recruits who were recruited after the Battle of the Stepstones have all undergone three months of training, and their basic slashing and parrying skills are already quite proficient."

"We've mastered it; the next step is to conduct live-fire drills."

"Perfect," Daemon said. "Lord Crahas ' fleet needs soldiers capable of boarding ships for combat. I'll trouble you to select two thousand men from the recruits and hand them over to Lord Crahas for training, focusing on boarding, close combat, and crossbow shooting. In a month, I want to see a marine corps capable of fighting tough battles."

"Yes, sir." Lyonel responded, his gaze falling on Crahas with a hint of scrutiny. He had followed Daemon in the Battle of the Stepstones and witnessed the former enemy commander's reputation. Now, he was to entrust the new recruits to Damon's training. Although he had doubts, he also trusted Daemon's judgment.

Crahas sensed Lyonel's gaze and spoke calmly, "In the Battle of the Stepstones, Sir Lyonel led the Vale Fleet's Corbray Fleet in the Joint Fleet, and the name of 'Lady Forlorn Hands' was renowned throughout the Narrow Sea."

"I will need your guidance on close-combat techniques for future shipboard operations."

Lyonel raised an eyebrow, surprised by the other party's frankness. He clasped his hands in a fist and replied, "Crahas Hal, you are too kind. We are simply learning from each other."

Along the way, the prosperity and order of Dragon's Roost Port strengthened Crahas's resolve to follow Daemon.

This rapidly emerging port is like a dragon awakening, possessing boundless potential, and Daemon's vision and boldness have given him hope of building an immortal legacy.