Chapter 22.4- The Seadragon's Roar

Of course, I could just pay a fair price for the slaves and eat the cost as an initial investment. That meant I would need to be selective with the kind of slaves I bought. It would be a matter of being highly skilled and specialised slaves from the free cities at a premium and then freeing them once they arrived at the Stepstones. I expected they would be grateful enough to receive their freedom that they would work for me. Loyalty was far from assured, but it would come with time.

Besides, if I kept a tight enough grip of things, separated the people and made them only interact with parts of the industrial process, I could be sure to keep at least some of my secrets. Even more if I kept the islands that acted as my industrial backbone as unreachable for outsiders and merchants. I could maintain five or so port islands where Merchants could stop to drink, trade, and whatever, but block off access to the rest of the islands and use those for building shit. Shit like glass, most definitely. It could work, but it would be another administrative and logistical mess to manage. It was almost like no matter what I did, I was doomed to have to deal with some sort of mess either way.

I turned right, completing my last circuit with aplomb and then began to return back. Thanks Igneel’s speed, we were always sure to finish patrols faster than the others. I’d first I’d just used that toilet explore Bloodstone castle with Laena out and busy, but that has gotten less entertaining with time. I had dozens of guesses as to the origins of the castle, what it had been built for, its initial purpose and whatnot, but there was no way to confirm any of it.

If there had been any texts about its origins then they were no longer in the castle— if it had been there in the first place. The only place guaranteed to have answers were the ruins of Valyria, and I was no going to be taking that risk. I’d read the accounts of what happened to Princess Aerea Targaryen and if there was even a chance that something similar would happen to me there, it was not the risk. All the Valyrian steel and gold in the world was not worth my life. Of course, the counterargument was that Euron Greyjoy had managed it, and I was definitely smarter than that piece of reaver scum. If only that was enough though. For one, the doom was further gone when Euron had gone. Now, while Balerion was dead, there was every chance that creatures that had survived the Doom— dragons or otherwise remained on the Isles. And if they remained then Igneel and I would be a snack for them.