Beware of Trouble [Please Follow]

The flower boat of the courtesan Black Pearl, decked with Black Pearl banners, cruised through Braavos's canals.

The Secret City was crisscrossed with waterways, and people traveled by canal boat. It was inconvenient for horses here, so boats were the way to get around.

Viserys saw many kinds of vessels: serpent boats, flat-bottomed merchant cargo ships, and more.

The narrow, water-snake-shaped boats slipped in and out of tunnels. They somewhat resembled the boats of the Orphans of the Greenblood, with shallow drafts and light frames.

They had painted prows and high-curved sterns. They were not rowed, but propelled by boatmen standing at the stern with poles, dressed in gray, brown, and moss-dark green cloaks.

Large flat-bottomed barges carried goods, piled high with crates and barrels, with twenty polemen on each side. There were also peculiar floating houses, hung with colored-glass chandeliers and decorated with velvet curtains and brass figureheads.

The serpent boats and merchant ships all gave way to Black Pearl's flower boat, carrying the foremost courtesan.

The sailors watched Black Pearl's flower boat with envy, but they also understood that courtesans like her were meant for the lords.

Perhaps only after selling an oceangoing merchant vessel would one have a chance to taste her sweetness.

As for ordinary sailors, their meager pay could only afford the low-class dockside "Sailor's Wife."

Through the colored windows, Viserys took the opportunity to see the full extent of Braavos, the city upon the water.

The central district rose from the water, its grand domes, towers, and bridges stretching in every direction in shades of gray, gold, and red. These were the hundred-odd islands of Braavos in the sea.

Beyond the distant canals and houses, a massive gray stone pipeline could vaguely be seen, supported by three layers of sturdy bridge arches and extending south into the mist. It was the Sweetwater Canal.

This was also a city of stone, a flat city with little wood.

The only things that rose above the ground were the domes of buildings people had constructed from brick, granite, bronze, and marble.

"There are no walls here," Viserys remarked as he assessed the city.

"Our Purple Fleet is our wall. We need nothing else." Black Pearl spoke with a hint of pride. "Mighty Braavos is invincible."

"What if someone blew up the Sweetwater Canal and the Titan?" Viserys proposed boldly.

All this water came from the land. Cut off Braavos's supply, and it would be like pulling the firewood from beneath the cauldron.

"Are you a demon of power, Viserys?" Black Pearl looked at him and found a trace of malice and coldness in his violet eyes.

"Not really. I was only speaking objectively, from the logic of war." Viserys spread his hands.

"This lemonade is good. Bring me another glass."

"What you said is madness, but you would need dragons and fire. Do not forget that this city has a profession whose skill in killing is beyond measure. They would not kill a great many people, but they could precisely kill a few individuals." Black Pearl handed Viserys a glass of water as she warned him.

"The House of Black and White. Do you know them?" Viserys asked.

The House of Black and White truly was formidable, but hadn't he, Viserys, studied the path of Insight precisely to guard against such things?

"I know them, but don't ask too much, Viserys. This is the Secret City. Everyone has secrets. I haven't asked too much about you, and I hope you will do the same." Black Pearl did not deny the connection.

As Viserys drank the lemonade, he considered why Black Pearl was familiar with the House of Black and White.

Perhaps they owed one another favors. After all, Black Pearl was a prominent courtesan.

And the apprentices of the House of Black and White sometimes needed to experience ordinary life. Arya, for example, had played the roles of an oyster seller, a beggar, and a stage actress.

Under such circumstances, the House of Black and White knew people in every trade and could provide its apprentices with places to learn through experience.

Black Pearl probably also handled the task of letting Faceless Men apprentices experience the daily life of the courtesan trade.

The flower boat traveled along the Long Canal past the green bronze dome of the Palace of Truth, then passed the tall square towers of Prestayn Palace and Antaryon Palace before crossing the immense gray arch of the Sweetwater Canal.

"Those tall square towers all belong to Braavos's great families," Black Pearl explained. "You must have heard of them as well. Only families that have produced several Sea Lords can be called great families, old noble houses. Those that have produced only one can only be considered newcomers."

Viserys nodded. Braavos's resources of power were also divided among several top noble houses. From commerce and fishing to banking, the navy, and military shipyards, they all had a hand in them.

Seen this way, Braavos's upper power structure was quite stable. It was unlike the Three Daughters, where competition for the position of magistrate was often a fight to the death, with poison and assassinations appearing one after another, all aimed at wiping out entire bloodlines.

"Do these Sea Lord families have daughters?" Viserys asked.

"You really are greedy. The current Sea Lord has no daughters." Black Pearl laughed so hard her whole body trembled. "And even if he did, it would not be your turn. Do you think the local young nobles are unworthy? Don't go looking for death."

"I have no other intentions. I just want to make friends." Viserys touched Silver Flash at his waist.

Could he call himself a second son if he didn't stir things up?

Daemon was quite good at stirring things up.

On both sides of the Canal of Heroes stood rows of statues depicting past Sea Lords. The Sea Lords wore solemn expressions and bronze robes spattered with bird droppings.

Some statues held books, others daggers, others hammers. One raised a golden star high overhead, while another tipped over a stone wine jug so that water poured endlessly into the canal.

"If I make my move, the Silver Traveler will become famous throughout Braavos. But trouble will always find you," Black Pearl said.

"Trouble is always there." Viserys said, "What kind of trouble?"

"A young man who suddenly becomes famous, and an outsider without any foundation. You understand it yourself. Some will hate you, and some will covet your value."

Viserys looked at Black Pearl. "They won't be fighting to become my agents, will they?"

"Who can say?" A seductive gleam shone in Black Pearl's eyes. "Every courtesan has her own backing, as you should know. That makes it difficult for others to interfere. But you? You are more like a nouveau riche."

Viserys nodded. "Nightingale and Moonshadow should belong to the Moonsinger Temple, while I built myself up from nothing."

"That is why I said you could follow me, and Black Pearl could be your agent. I have some standing in the Secret City. I can keep you safe."

"Forget it. Let me show you my limits," Viserys said.

People feared becoming famous just as pigs feared growing fat. Now that he had value, it was inevitable that people would set their sights on him.

The investors behind lesser courtesans, the swordsmen and merchants who wanted to support him—these troubles would only multiply as the Silver Traveler became more popular.

Viserys's plan was to spend wildly in Braavos while making money on the side, earn a fortune, then run off and start his own venture.

As for these unnecessary troubles, he would not show mercy to those who came knocking.

"Then seek your own blessings. If those people cannot have you, they may destroy you. You cannot rely entirely on Syrio. I do not want my investment to come to nothing."

"My sword is sharp too," Viserys snorted.

"You will eventually face troublesome opponents."

"If I can beat them, I fight. If I cannot, I run." Viserys explained his strategy. It was the golden rule.

"Fine, fine. That is the independence you have chosen."

"I like these dragonbones very much. If there are more, I will take them all," Viserys promised. "And I need Sea Lord Crabs and Valyrian steel as well."

He had obtained quite a few dragonbones from "Nightingale" and "Black Pearl," enough to spend a great deal of time.

"You truly are insatiable. Are you a hungry dragon?" Black Pearl looked at the shameless Viserys and smiled with youthful sweetness. This man had turned her place into a wishing well.

"Dragonbones are expensive, and fakes are even more troublesome. There are countless bastards on the market passing off fish bones and bird bones as dragonbones. Valyrian steel is a family heirloom to others, worth a fortune. As for Sea Lord Crabs, such expensive ingredients... I don't think you need to be so extravagant."

"True dragons are all greedy, Lady Bellegere. You may not know my Talent. I am a first-rate gourmet, singer, and swordsman."

"If you put it that way, I truly can sample your cooking. You should prepare your money first. Every one of the things you want is costly."

"If you loaned me money, how much credit could you offer?" Viserys asked.

"My cash flow is more abundant than you imagine," Black Pearl said. "But it is not money dug from a gold mine."

"I understand."

"Come to me when you need it. I will not give you too much at once, at most ten or twenty thousand gold coins. In any case, you still have your works to repay the debt, and your current rating is not that high. The more valuable you become, the more I will invest."

Black Pearl's investments were also made in stages.

"Just how many people have you invested in?" Viserys asked curiously.

"I invest after observing them. Some need money, while others need opportunities. There are quite a few. Xisa and the Female Swordswoman, whom you know fairly well, are both on my list." Black Pearl looked at Viserys. "And now there is one more—you."

"I guarantee that you will see Viserys Targaryen is an investment that gives you, Black Pearl, more than your money's worth." Viserys took Black Pearl's hand.

"Then let me see your value." Black Pearl pulled her hand back.

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