"Aren't you the Lord of Tyrosh, the Archmage of the Seven Kingdoms, supposedly the smartest man in Westeros? And yet, these are the ridiculous names you came up with?"
Nymeria waved the paper filled with names in front of Wright's face, reading them aloud in disbelief.
Beside her, Tyene wore a similarly disdainful expression, her appetite for the fruit she had just bitten into suddenly vanishing.
"I spent a long time thinking about these names!" Wright protested upon seeing their reactions.
Bang!
Nymeria slammed the paper onto the table and jabbed her finger at a particular section. "Then explain these last few names to me!"
Wright leaned in to take a look. The names were listed in order: Tom, Jerry, Stallone, Arnold, Intel, Nvidia...
"Aren't they great? These names come in legendary pairs! This 'Nv' represents the root for 'hero,' 'id' stands for 'greatness,' and 'ia' means their magical power will advance significantly every two years!"
"I think you're making things up! Magicians at our level improve bit by bit, not in leaps and bounds," Tyene mercilessly exposed Wright's nonsense.
"Well..." Even Wright, as quick-witted as he was, found himself at a loss for words.
"My child will absolutely not bear any of these names! No way! Get out! If you can't come up with a decent name, don't even think about sleeping in this bed tonight!"
Nymeria roared, crumpling the paper into a ball and throwing it at Wright's face.
"I'll have the maids move your pillow and blanket to the study," Tyene added, gently but firmly siding with her sister.
Holding the paper ball, Wright knew better than to provoke the two women any further and left the bedroom without another word.
"These names are masterpieces! This world just doesn't appreciate my refined taste!"
This time, without divine inspiration, Wright had truly wracked his brain to come up with these names. Tom and Jerry—legendary rivals yet inseparable brothers. Arnold and Stallone—if two children bore these names, they were destined to conquer the world!
Entering his study, Wright found a piece of parchment and carefully copied the names down again before solemnly tucking the list between the pages of the Baratheon family history.
---
Wright had returned to Tyrosh, while far away in Dorne, the nobles were anxiously awaiting his formal declaration. Yet Wright's current strategy was simple—stall. Every statement he issued was filled with empty calls for calm negotiations, endlessly delaying the matter.
Meanwhile, the second sons of Dorne's noble houses, who had flocked to Nymeria's side, were growing increasingly tense. They kept their armor and weapons on at all times, standing vigilantly near her, their eyes constantly scanning their surroundings for threats.
Historically, any outsider who tried to take Dorne by force met a bloody end. If Wright wanted to secure Nymeria's claim, he couldn't do it himself—it had to be achieved through her, or ruling would become impossible in the future. Yet while he refrained from direct action, it didn't mean he wasn't making preparations.
Aurane Velaryon, commander of the navy, had already repositioned the Stepstones fleet to the western Dornish waters. Officially, it was a defensive measure, but in reality, it was a blockade, cutting off Dorne's maritime trade and travel.
Back in Tyrosh, another grand trade fair was underway. Taverns and pleasure houses overflowed with wines from Westeros and Essos, merchants in exotic garb shouted for customers outside inns, and vast warehouses bustled with activity as traders took turns boasting about their products—an imitation of Wright's own sales tactics.
This event had been planned by Garlan Tyrell, Hobber Redwyne, and Gunthor Hightower—three men from the Reach's southern regions, where wine production was a key industry. Wright approved their initiative, relieved that he no longer had to micromanage every commercial endeavor himself.
That day, Wright led a group of mages from King's Landing on a tour of the city. They marveled at the bustling energy of Tyrosh, where even pedestrians moved with urgency, in stark contrast to the leisurely pace of Westerosi nobles in King's Landing.
After visiting the wildfire alchemy workshop on the southern tip of the island, Wright and Ashara made their way to the naval barracks at the port.
His wife was about to go to war. As her husband, he couldn't just sit back and give speeches—he needed to provide material support.
The guards at the entrance saluted when they saw Wright approach, then led him inside. Several officers hurried over to join them.
Dressed in noble attire, Wright clasped his hands behind his back as he slowly walked through the aisles of stored supplies, occasionally instructing soldiers to open sacks for inspection.
"What's the current inventory?" he asked.
"Lord Wright, this warehouse was designed to store a thousand sacks of grain. It has now been fully stocked. The adjacent warehouse was also meant for a thousand sacks, but due to recent storms, only four hundred and fifty have arrived. The remaining supplies will be delivered tomorrow," a nearby officer promptly reported.
Wright: "That's right! The weather has been rainy lately, so be sure to keep the warehouses dry and watch out for rats. The supplies have taken up your barracks—are you all managing alright?"
"We're all brothers here. We've moved in together for now, and it's actually quite lively," the officer replied with a bright smile.
Wright patted him on the shoulder. "All of this is going to Dorne. The Dornish will be your brothers in the future too. We won't be on the battlefield, but we must ensure they are well-fed!"
"We'll complete the mission!" The officer and soldiers stood straight and saluted him.
To avoid prying eyes, the supplies were not stored in commercial warehouses this time. Instead, they were kept in various military camps throughout Tyrosh. Not just in Tyrosh, but also on the Gemstone Island, Bloodstone, Storm's End, and Torturer's Deep, where stockpiles of grain, bows, arrows, and even some wildfire in glass pots were prepared for the upcoming war. However, the wildfire was securely stored in a sealed underground facility in the south, completely off-limits to ordinary soldiers.
After inspecting the military camps, Wright took Ashara to a tavern for lunch.
"Master, am I the only one from the Stepstones going to this war?" Ashara asked, stuffing a piece of meat into her mouth.
Wright elegantly sliced his roast. "Yes. Among the nobles of the Stepstones, you are the only one who is Dornish. You'll lead the troops from the Gemstone Island directly into Dorne. Aurane Velaryon will ensure your safe passage."
"This is war, Master. Most of my men on the Gemstone Island are young farmers and laborers. Many have only ever wielded hoes and hammers, never received any military training. Even my personal guards at the castle number fewer than fifty," Ashara said, understanding that war required sheer numbers.
"The Tyrosh City Guard currently has a thousand soldiers in its official ranks, plus several hundred new recruits still in training. I'll transfer all of them to you for the campaign. They will fight under your banner as the Countess of the Gemstone Island. I've already had their uniforms prepared."
Having finished the lean meat on his plate, Wright speared a large piece of fatty meat and placed it in Ashara's dish. "Once you're on the battlefield, the food will be poor. Eat more now and put on some weight."
Ashara grabbed the fatty meat and eagerly devoured it. "Haha, great! But if they all leave, what about the security in Tyrosh? What if someone causes trouble?"
"I'll still be in Tyrosh. Who would dare cause trouble? And for the city's security—didn't a group of mages just arrive from King's Landing? They can learn and practice at the same time," Wright replied, ensuring that no one would be idle.
"Mm! Mm!" Ashara nodded in satisfaction, her mouth full of food.
Wright: "You're my first apprentice. Be careful on the battlefield—especially against archers! I've made you a set of armor. It's not Valyrian steel, but it's excellent craftsmanship of my own making, and I guarantee it looks good too!"
"Mm! Mm!" Ashara continued nodding enthusiastically, her mouth still greasy from the meal.
Seeing her like this, Wright refrained from interrupting further, afraid she might choke. Instead, he bought some meaty bones from the tavern's server and tossed them to Bloody Mary, who had been sitting beside them, drooling onto the floor.
Direwolves lived in icy wastelands, where hunting was difficult, making them incredibly strong in bite force and digestion. The wolf snapped up the bones, crunching them effortlessly before swallowing them down, flesh and all.
The Tyrosh City Guard was composed entirely of fresh recruits who had only joined after the last war. They had never seen real battle, only minor skirmishes within the city. Wright intended to train them as a professional land army, and this war was the perfect opportunity. Even if half of them perished, the survivors would become hardened veterans, each one worth three inexperienced soldiers. Perhaps, some promising officers would emerge from the bloodshed.
It wasn't just the City Guard—Wright's personal forces, the Dragon Guard led by Dickon Tarly, would also join the battle. These were elite warriors, hand-picked and trained by Wright himself. Though they numbered fewer than twenty, they would serve as Nymeria's personal guards.
As for the Windblown mercenaries, Wright had no intention of deploying them. First, many of them were already well-known figures, making it too risky if they were recognized. Second, he needed a small contingent to infiltrate Pentos.
Myr had fallen completely into Wright's financial web. The entire city was obsessed with bonds, with even farmers pooling money to buy shares. Discussions in the streets revolved around who had received the most interest and who had invested the most. From commoners to slave owners, even military officers and soldiers—everyone was fixated on finance, leaving them little time to concern themselves with political struggles elsewhere. Their goal was to make a fortune off bonds and then buy land and slaves.
Among the Nine Free Cities, every major city had faced political turmoil or war in recent years—except for Pentos, which had quietly prospered. This irked Wright greatly. He had labored to establish a vast commercial network, and he wasn't about to let an outsider reap the benefits.
After finishing their meal, Wright, Ashara, and her wolf made their way to the outer city wall ruins.
The collapsed wall had been repurposed into a wide avenue, and what was once barren land outside the city was now filled with various workshops. The old city gate had been transformed into a grand plaza, surrounded by temples and shrines, with additional spaces set aside for future auctions.
Due to the regulation set by Wright, which required all religious buildings to occupy the same area, various sects could only focus on architectural styles to attract followers. This is also the only place in Tyrosh where one can see buildings of different designs, apart from the usual white walls and red tiles. Many people love to come here during their leisure time.
"Lord Wright!" came the voice of a little girl from afar.
Wright and Ashara turned around to see three noble girls with platinum-colored hair running toward them, holding up their skirts.
"So it's you three. How has your time in Tyrosh been?"
These three noble girls, daughters of Triarch or Triarch families from Volantis, had followed Wright to Meereen as handmaids. Due to the war, they left early, and when they arrived in Tyrosh while Wright was in King's Landing, they had not yet moved into the castle. They were Wright's handmaids, waiting for his instructions.
"Nymeria and Tyene are treating us very well!"
"Wow, Ashara is here too! Are you here to beat people today?"
"I won't be beating anyone today!" Ashara touched the twin swords on her back, feeling a bit itchy for action.
Seeing this, Wright realized that the girls already knew each other well and seemed to get along nicely. "Perfect timing. You three can come with me and take a look around here."
"Okay!" The three girls ran over to Ashara, and Wright couldn't understand what kind of charm Ashara had cast on them, making them so eager to crowd around her.
The Moonsinger Temple was a pure white, circular, vaulted building, like a miniaturized version of the Braavos Temple. Currently, all the Moonsingers in Tyrosh were women, dressed in pure white robes, treating the people's wounds, handling weddings and funerals, and were very popular among Tyrosh's women.
The Seven Gods Temple continued its traditional grand design. Since most of the immigrants were from Westeros, the Seven had a solid following, and it was now the largest religion in Tyrosh. However, the High Priest of the Seven often approached Wright for advice, saying that the Seven were the legitimate state religion of Westeros. Even though Tyrosh didn't oppose other religions, the Seven's temple had to be the largest. Wright kept deflecting until the nearby R'hllor Temple was finished, and the High Priest finally left him alone, turning his attention to the R'hllor Temple.
The Temple had a strong religious atmosphere. Although the building couldn't be too large, it had an organization as tight as the Seven's and placed great importance on Tyrosh. They sent countless persuasive individuals, holding activities every week—either giving out bread or organizing hymn singing.
Other, smaller sects had much smaller buildings, and even the Old Gods, thanks to Wright's financial support, had a small church.
Only the Drowned God's temple was rejected by Wright. It had almost been completed but was forcibly dismantled. If he hadn't known better, he would have had no idea, but Wright had dealt with the Drowned God before—Hermaues Mora, a multi-eyed, tentacled creature from the Elder Scrolls world who had once betrayed him in Meereen, trying to get Durnehviir to capture him as a servant. Perhaps Ulric's visit had been influenced by Mora as well. Now, Wright couldn't do anything about it but endured it, but there was no way he was going to allow its temple on his land.
Most of these religious buildings were high-ceilinged halls, with two or three floors behind them for living spaces. The buildings were decorated with various carvings, spires, and sculptures for support. However, from the square, the most striking building wasn't these temples but the nine-story white headquarters of the Dragon Cult, also known as the the Faith of the Dragon.
Religious people had a fixed mindset that their temples had to follow certain patterns and regulations. However the Faith of the Dragon, was created by Wright himself, and he could make up whatever rules he wanted, even changing them on the fly. All religious buildings in Tyrosh were not allowed to exceed a set area, but Wright never said anything about how high they could be built!
For the headquarters of the Faith of the Dragon, Wright had instructed Andrew to build it to the specifications of a lighthouse, making it taller. While other temples had limited space based on their size, the Faith of the Dragon had nine floors—if the first floor couldn't fit, they could use the second, and if that wasn't enough, there were still seven more. At the top was a huge wooden dragon head sculpture, painted red and white, identical to Odahviing. Now, the Faith of the Dragon was the second-largest sect in Tyrosh, just behind the Seven.
"By the way, what do you three believe in?" Wright had never asked them about their beliefs back in Meereen.
"The Faith of the Dragon! We also bought Odahviing's necklace." The three girls pulled out copper dragon head necklaces from around their necks and showed them to Wright.
Wright looked at them and thought they were quite well-made. "You bought them? How much?"
"10 gold dragons!"
"That damn Andrew! Selling these cheap copper trinkets for such a high price, how is the Faith of the Dragon supposed to grow among ordinary people?" Wright cursed loudly.
At that moment, a few soldiers from his personal guard, dressed in the flame-crowned stag cloaks, rushed over. Despite being drenched in sweat, they immediately approached Wright.
"Lord Wright, the lady is about to give birth!"