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Five days after the night raid on Bloodstone Island, western waters of Grey Gallows Island.
A fleet of warships burned fiercely, sending thick plumes of black smoke rising into the sky.
The vessels varied in size, their identities impossible to determine from their scorched hulls and the tattered, indistinguishable flags. Yet, the numerous corpses floating nearby, clad in bright yellow leather armor, left no doubt—most of the destroyed ships belonged to the Dorne.
WHOOSH—WHOOSH—WHOOSH!
Clad in silver-white armor Drenched in blood from head to toe, Lord Corlys panted heavily as he wrenched his double-bladed battle axe from the head of a Dornish commander.
Despite the exhaustion weighing on his body, he forced himself to lift the axe once more, severing the head of the Dornish officer whose face still bore an expression of terror.
Raising the severed head high, Corlys roared, "Victory is ours!"
"Hooah! Long live Lord Sea Snake!"
"Long live House Velaryon!"
"Long live Prince Jacaerys!"
A thunderous cheer erupted from the Velaryon soldiers aboard the surrounding warships.
Meanwhile, the Dornish soldiers who had surrendered and now knelt on the deck bore expressions of bitter defeat. Their gazes drifted toward the distant sky, where the monstrous green-scaled dragon that had sealed their defeat continued its ruthless hunt, incinerating those who had tried to flee.
Yes, it was Dorne that had initiated this battle.
But who could have predicted that those bastard mercenaries from the Kingdom of the Three Daughters would be so utterly useless?
At first, everything had gone according to plan. When the Dornish fleet first spotted the Kingdom of the Three Daughters' warships appearing on the horizon as promised, they boldly launched an offensive against Corlys' fleet.
Yet, in the very next moment, they found themselves caught in a brutal pincer attack.
It wasn't until the green-scaled dragon descended upon them from behind that the truth became clear—
The fleet of the Kingdom of the Three Daughters was a deception!
With outdated warships, inferior weaponry, and sailors who hadn't eaten properly in days, how could the Dornish possibly hope to prevail?
From the very beginning, this battle had been nothing short of a one-sided massacre, orchestrated entirely by House Velaryon.
At times like this, the importance of battlefield intelligence became painfully clear.
Two days prior, Corlys had received a raven from Jacaerys, informing him of their overwhelming victory in the night raid on Bloodstone Island.
Thus, when Jacaerys suggested using the captured enemy warships to impersonate his fleet as the Triarchy's, luring the Dornish into their trap, Corlys had readily agreed.
Meanwhile, the Dornish forces remained entirely unaware that the Kingdom of the Three Daughters had already been defeated.
Jacaerys had ensured this by surrounding Bloodstone Island with the bulk of his forces, ensuring that not even a single bird could escape with news of their triumph.
Now, with their main fleet destroyed, the hundred or so Dornish soldiers still holding out on Grey Gallows Island stood no chance. No matter how well they used the terrain or their siege weapons, they could not hold out for long.
By the afternoon of that very day, House Velaryon's Silver Seahorse banner fluttered proudly atop Grey Gallows Island.
*BOOOOM!!!*
With a resounding thud, Vermax landed heavily amidst charred ruins of the island.
The scorched ground, blackened by dragonfire, provided a comfortable resting place, and the dragon sprawled lazily across the remains. sprawling out comfortably in the warmth of the lingering embers.
"Oof! Little Jace, didn't I tell you to stay put on Dragonstone? Are you hurt anywhere?"
The moment Jacaerys dismounted, Corlys—now clad in a fresh suit of armor—rushed forward, his face filled with genuine concern.
Unlike before, when he had merely been playing the part of a kind and loving grandfather, this time, his worry was completely sincere.
The Stepstones, once a treacherous quagmire of an archipelago, were now undergoing a drastic transformation under Jacaerys' command.
Even though Corlys had only received fragments of information through ravens, the results of these two consecutive victories were proof enough—Jacaerys Velaryon was a military genius.
A man who had braved nine great voyages and witnessed countless battles, Corlys knew exactly what he needed to do.
"Grandfather, rest assured," Jacaerys responded with a warm smile, his tone carrying the weight of truth.
"I will never put myself in unnecessary danger."
Then, his expression darkened with remorse as he continued heavy with guilt, "Grandfather, I didn't mention this before because I didn't want to distract you… But at the critical moment during the Bloodstone night raid, the Pirate Alliance launched a sudden assault on us."
"Uncle Vaemond and the Queen Rhaenys were captured by them!"
"What?!"
Corlys' eyes widened in fury his face twisting with rage as he roared, "Those wretched mongrels! I will set sail immediately—Even if I must scour every inch of the Stepstones, I will find them!"
Jacaerys, who had been considering seizing those "reserves" trait points when he had time, now dismissed the thought—there were more pressing matters at hand.
Watching Corlys seethe with rage, Jacaerys frowned slightly before calmly redirecting him,
"Grandfather, those pirates are after gold, not blood."
"Once they learn of Great-Uncle Vaemond's identity, they will undoubtedly send someone to negotiate a ransom. There is no need for rash action—we need only wait patiently."
"What matters most right now is securing Bloodstone before reinforcements from the Kingdom of the Three Daughters arrive. Once we accomplish that, the three major islands will form a triangular stronghold, sealing off the Stepstones completely."
"By holding the key sea routes, we can cut off enemy reinforcements while trapping the pirates within. They will have nowhere to run."
Corlys exhaled sharply, his expression softening as he nodded in understanding. "Little Jace, you are right. I let my anger cloud my judgment. Those hyenas would never dare harm Vaemond—not if they hope to profit. Once our current affairs are settled, we will deal with them in turn."
Seeing how readily Lord Corlys accepted his reasoning, Jacaerys smiled in satisfaction.
Then, taking the initiative, he confessed to forging the military order. There was little point in concealing the truth—it would come to light soon enough.
As expected, Lord Corlys did not reprimand him. On the contrary, he defended Jacaerys' decision, standing firmly by his side.
"Little Jace, do you know? When I first laid eyes on you after more than half a month apart, it felt as if I were looking at Laenor. You both have the same brilliance for strategy—true military geniuses!"
"Before receiving the raven's message, I was certain your target was Grey Gallows. But I never expected it was all a ruse—to lure out the fleet of the Kingdom of the Three Daughters, crush them, and then encircle Grey Gallows from behind."
Jacaerys listened in silence, offering no response to Lord Corlys's praise.
Of course, he would never reveal that his strategy was nothing more than a simple application of the Thirty-Six Stratagems—"Make a sound in the east, then strike in the west" and "Lure the enemy with bait."
Shortly after, Jacaerys suggested they find a place to sit down and discuss the attack on Bloodstone.
Lord Corlys nodded in agreement and was just about to turn when he suddenly stopped in his tracks.
His gaze fell upon Vermex, sprawled within the scorched ruins. He studied the dragon carefully before speaking with uncertainty,
"Little Jace… does Vermex seem different to you?"
"His scales appear greener… and more tightly knit."
"Oh? Do they?"
Jacaerys feigned ignorance and responded with a casual chuckle.
"I see him every day, so I can't tell the difference at all. The dragonkeepers on Dragonstone says that Vermex is in a period of rapid growth, so slight changes are perfectly normal."
With that, he swiftly steered the conversation back to Bloodstone, discussing battle plans while gently supporting Lord Corlys as they walked away.
Yet inwardly, he marveled at the old man's keen observation.
Today, Jacaerys had used his dragon-riding experience to harvest a sufficient number of trait points, unlocking a fourth trait and upgrading it to green-tier quality.
[Hardened Skin (Green): +20% Defense]
A simple yet incredibly practical enhancement.
Unlike his previous three traits, Hardened Skin had a visible effect—Vermex's scales had thickened, reinforcing his natural armor.
First, his once-bright green scales had deepened in hue, now resembling the rich, lustrous shade of emerald.
Then, a considerable number of new dragon scales had emerged, each one tightly interlocking with those around it, forming a solid and seamless protective layer.
This structural enhancement ensured that whenever an external force struck his body, the impact would be evenly distributed across the interconnected scales, greatly improving his overall defense.
At present, Vermex possessed balanced attributes: growth, speed, increased attack power, and formidable defense.
He was no longer just a swift and aggressive fighter—he had become a well-rounded warrior among dragons.
However, percentage-based attributes were just numbers on paper. Their true value could only be measured in actual combat.
That very afternoon, Jacaerys and Lord Corlys devised a strategy for the assault on Bloodstone.
Of course, to call it a joint effort would be an exaggeration.
For the most part, Jacaerys alone formulated the plan, while Lord Corlys merely sat in silent contemplation.
In truth, Jacaerys had already worked out this plan long beforehand.
The majority of today's efforts had been spent convincing Lord Corlys to approve it.
Because this strategy… was far too ruthless!
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[Chapter End's]
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