I, the Dragon King, Need Money (Please Follow)

Viserys's short silver-white hair gleamed under the lamplight, complementing his handsome face.

Viserys's black-and-red attire looked both splendid and faintly dangerous, carrying the aura of an assassin and lending the fallen Dragon King a captivating presence.

"I am the fourth Black Pearl. The first Black Pearl was the lover of a Prince Aegon, so I have some true dragon blood as well." Bellegere Otherys introduced herself playfully. A brown-skinned descendant of the true dragons, she was more like a Brown Pearl, really.

She was youthful and adorable, unmatched in all Braavos.

The first Black Pearl had been a pirate queen. Her father was the Sea Lord's son, and her mother was a princess of the Summer Islands.

Later, Black Pearl became the mistress of Aegon IV while he was still a prince. She bore him a daughter, who grew up to become a courtesan.

That daughter's daughter inherited her mother's trade, and so it was passed down through the generations until the present day.

"There are already seven generations between that Aegon and me." Viserys looked at Black Pearl.

Taking the Unworthy as the starting point, Black Pearl's generation was several degrees senior to Viserys's.

Though Black Pearl herself was young, she belonged to the same generation as Viserys's great-grandfather, Aegon, the "king who should not have been king."

But that was normal enough. The Unworthy had too many children, with vast gaps in their ages.

The first Blackfyre, who later caused great trouble, and Baelor, the Unworthy's grandson, had even been born in the same year.

"Then you can call me Great-Great-Aunt." Black Pearl suddenly laughed, cute and mischievous.

Viserys looked at Black Pearl and suddenly thought of a teenage great-grandmother restoring the family's glory. He could not help laughing too. "My great-grandmother has long since gone into the ground. I do not have any beautiful relatives with such seniority."

There actually was one dragon with extraordinary seniority: the half-dead Three-Eyed Crow. Bloodraven and Blackfyre belonged to the same generation.

But Bloodraven had fused with the Weirwood, so it was difficult to count him among the living.

"You are good at jokes. Other than being an assassin, you could also make an excellent actor." Black Pearl was amused by Viserys as well.

Viserys and Black Pearl could only be called relatives on the surface, distant and diluted kin.

According to Westerosi inheritance laws, each generation split from the next, the main branches clearly distinguished.

Black Pearl bore the Otherys family name and lived by it.

The Vale of Arryn was full of poor Arryn relatives, but House Arryn's main line had gone extinct several times already.

"Many say you are a destitute king without lands, without support, Your Grace Viserys. But seeing you today, you are handsome, elegant, and overflowing with charm. You have truly opened my eyes. Not only are you an exiled king, but also a unique gourmet, the singer Silver Traveler, and the Violet Swordsman who killed Quick Sword."

"Those are merely empty titles. I truly am a king without lands," Viserys said. "But how did you know all that?"

Black Pearl covered her mouth and looked provocatively at Viserys. "In Braavos, Black Pearl knows everything. Braavos's finest singers, goldsmiths, and playwrights are all part of my network. The style of those songs clearly surpasses their usual standards, especially since every single one is like that. And if you were Braavosi, Black Pearl should have been the first to savor the sweetest bite."

"So do not be curious. As long as I care to know, I will naturally learn the movements of Nightingale and the Female Swordswoman. After all, understanding one's competitors also lets one sense which way the wind is blowing."

Viserys studied Black Pearl. The foremost courtesan was also the foremost broker, possessing information sources throughout every level of Braavos.

The Black Pearl family had complicated ties to the Sea Lord, the Summer Islands, the true dragons, the House of Black and White, and more. Coupled with their heritage as a family of courtesans, their influence was naturally extraordinary.

"So this is your philosophy of survival." Viserys rather admired Black Pearl. She was graceful in every situation and adept at dealing with all sides.

"Braavosi fashion ought to be led by Black Pearl, so I help quite a few down-and-out people. But there are too many of them, and I must choose carefully. I wanted to see whether you carry a part of the Mad King or a part of a genius." Black Pearl explained.

It was easy enough to understand. As the most stylish courtesan in Braavos, Black Pearl's actions had a celebrity effect. Naturally, many people hoped to gain fame through courtesans.

Singers sang their praises. Goldsmiths and jewelers competed to make things for them. Craftsmen begged for their patronage. Trade magnates paid sums equal to the ransom of royal family members just for the chance to offer them an arm at balls, banquets, and theatrical performances. Assassins slaughtered one another in their names.

"So now, do you think I am suitable?" Viserys looked at Black Pearl.

"Very suitable, Your Grace Viserys," Black Pearl said. "You have successfully aroused my interest."

"It seems I can remain aboard this pleasure barge a while longer." Viserys relaxed somewhat. He and Black Pearl still had things to talk about.

"The honor is mine as well, sailing with such a shining young man. Seeing you, I understand why the first Black Pearl fell in love with that Aegon. You have much in common. It is said that when Aegon was a prince, he was handsome and dashing, skilled with spear and sword, fond of hunting, falconry, and dancing, and possessed unmatched intelligence. He was the most dazzling prince of his age."

"He truly was unparalleled in his youth," Viserys said. "Unfortunately, he had one great flaw: a lack of self-discipline. In the end, he was unable to escape the control of lust, appetite, and greed. He could only rot away, crawling with maggots, dying bloated and fat in his bed. Before his death, he even legitimized his noble bastards."

"And what kind of Dragon King do you wish to become? The Conqueror, the Uncrowned, the Conciliator, the Unworthy, the Wise King, the Mad King, or the Landless One?" Black Pearl asked.

"Perhaps I have every side of them within me, but for now, I am only Viserys," Viserys said.

"Very good." Black Pearl raised the wine bottle and poured Viserys a cup of hot lemon drink.

The lemon flavor was slightly bitter. Braavos produced no lemons, and they were extremely expensive.

"I prepared several gifts for you beforehand. Now it seems you are worthy of my effort." Black Pearl opened a cedarwood box inside the pleasure barge.

The first box contained black pearls, seven enormous black pearls filling its interior.

"Seven is a lucky number. These black pearls would be enough to support you for some time. If you had failed to catch my eye, this would be all you received." Black Pearl pointed at the box. "But from then on, you would no longer be someone I paid attention to."

Viserys looked at the round black pearls. Even if he had failed this interview, receiving so many pearls was an extraordinary display of generosity.

"And now?"

"Now you are worth more."

Black Pearl opened another box. The second was filled with items made from dragonbone: dragonbone hairpins, dragonbone ornaments, dragonbone toys, and at the very top lay a dagger.

A Valyrian steel dagger with a dragonbone hilt. Its blade was dark as smoke, radiating a sharp, chilling gleam.

"A Valyrian steel dagger." Viserys recognized the expensive toy as well.

"That is right. This dagger once belonged to Aegon the Unworthy, and I am giving it to you."

"Thank you very much." The way Viserys looked at Black Pearl changed completely. She truly was a top-tier rich lady.

"Do not rush. There is a third gift: some books." Black Pearl's seductive gaze was equally satisfied with Viserys's reaction.

Young men always loved the Warrior, yearning for blood and fire.

When the third box was opened, it contained a heavy book.

"The Chronicle of Four Kings. Perhaps you will like it."

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