Chapter 218 Dragonstone

Those ancient people wanted to "turn from darkness to light." After thinking about it, Renly decided that they did have this reason.

So he was ready to give these people a chance to prove it.

Asking them to go to the Crab Claw Peninsula to figure out the specific local conditions was an opportunity, but in fact Renly himself didn't expect this to be of any help to him, because he didn't understand what the situation was like in that place, he just felt a little different. It was normal, so when he saw someone coming over, he directed them there, which was better than nothing.

Renly didn't pay much attention to casual chess. In his opinion, it was just a small episode. On the contrary, he was even more impressed by the solidity of Westeros's class system——

Facts have proved that what can happen if you have talent, but what can you do if you have ambition? Without a corresponding background, you will still not be able to get on the stage.

…

There were no more surprises in the rest of the journey. Hills, mountains, forests, wilderness... The long journey made people feel bored, but there was always an end. Renly's customized route was from a road called Rose Avenue. In the royal forest of the Stormland, and then rushed across the forest towards an area called the Sharp Point.

The Point is the name of a castle and the territory of a lord family loyal to Renly. The Point is ruled by House Baal Aemon. The patriarch of this family held a welcome banquet for Renly's arrival, and then sent a ship to bring Lan Li away. The gift was sent to Dragonstone Island across the sea.

Seen from a distance, Dragonstone Island is not flat. It looks like a mountain peak rising from the ocean. After slowly approaching, the mountain peak gradually spreads out. From this, it can be seen clearly that there is a slightly visible mountain below. Surrounded by flat, rocky hilly terrain.

It was noon, but the sky was gloomy. Pale and gray smoke slowly rose from the top of the highest mountain on the island, faintly seeming to be connected to the dark clouds in the sky, silently revealing the fact that it was an active volcano.

On the top of another hill that is slightly lower on the side of the volcanic peak, a towering and huge black castle comes into view. The entire castle is made of black stone, and the thick walls cover most of the buildings, but from above the castle alone Looking at the several towers exposed, you can see how extraordinary this castle is——

Several black towers are carved in the shape of giant dragons, standing quietly around a huge main castle with a rounded top in the castle. The battlements of the black city wall on the edge are also filled with various dragon-shaped decorations. At first glance, this looks like The castle seems to be formed by countless petrified dragons.

As the ship continued to approach, the Black Dragon Castle standing on a high place became clearer and clearer, and the vast rocky land and a densely built village under the castle also came into view. However, before the ship could actually dock, a castle on the edge of the island Someone discovered them at the lighthouse, and they were notified in advance.

Then Renly met a relative who had managed the territory for him for more than ten years when he was in the Reach——

Andrew Ysmond was a stable middle-aged man from the Ysmond family, the maternal family of the three Baratheon brothers. In fact, Renly had known this man when he was at Storm's End.

"Elder Aelin wrote to ask when Lord Renly can return to Dragonstone. I think he will come directly to visit after hearing the news of your arrival." This middle-aged man with a beard and a pair of thick brown eyebrows The man said something cheerfully after hugging Renly, which reminded Renly of his funny chubby playmate when he was a child.

"I'm also looking forward to seeing him again."

Renly chuckled and said, "He still owes me a turtle feast."

The two of them walked on the rugged road of Dragonstone while chatting and laughing. They did not go to the village and town not far away, but slowly walked towards the castle on the towering hill diagonally above in the distance.

The Andrew next to him was not the father of the little fat man, but one of his cousins. Renly still remembered the time when the little fat man claimed that this man had been knocking him on the head, trying to knock him stupid, and staring at him with ill intentions. However, in fact, the middle-aged man named Andrew is a stable and well-intentioned good man.

Along the way, this relative from the matrilineal family took the initiative to talk about everything in Dragonstone Island without Renly asking any questions.

Financial situation, territorial taxation, population status, several vassal families...

In fact, Renly knew something about these, but not too detailed. Now it sounds like he has a more intuitive understanding of his territory——

The territory's finances can barely cover the majestic but expensive to maintain huge castle on the island, but if you want to be rich, you can't even think about it.

The population of the island is less than a thousand, and the few vassals under his command are also not strong. If a war really starts, there will not be much strength at all.

At the same time, the four vassals directly under his command also have their own little thoughts. Earl Saitiga of Crab Island is greedy and stingy. Earl Lelian clings to the past glory of his family. He is arrogant and has little self-awareness. The sharp-cornered Bar-Aimon family is quite honest. However, the contemporary Earl of Bar-Aimon is a sickly man. He is always sick throughout the year and there is no guarantee that he will suddenly die suddenly. And his only heir is also a weak and sickly fat man. It’s worrying just to look at.

The only normal one is the Sanglas family in Miaogang, but the contemporary Earl Sanglas crazyly believes in the Seven Gods, and in Andrew's opinion, he is not a normal person.

Renli listened to all this quietly without expressing any opinion.

It can only be said that he originally had no expectations for the Dragonstone territory. Apart from the special status of this island during the Targaryen rule, the only thing that attracted him here was the dragon crystal mine hidden under the volcano on the island.

According to the memory of the previous life, the so-called dragon crystal is a powerful weapon to deal with the White Walkers, that is, the great disaster that will happen to this world in a few years, but before that, it seems impossible to use it to make a profit.

"Maester Kans is a respectable old man, very capable and kind, but he is now treating some sick villagers at the foot of Dragon Mountain, and we haven't had time to notify him of your return."

After Andrew finished talking about the situation of the vassal, he began to introduce the personnel composition in the castle, and the Dragon Mountain he mentioned was the huge active volcano on the island.

"Because you are away all year round, there are no butlers and coaches in the castle. Most of the servants in the castle are local residents of Dragonstone. They--"

The team was originally moving along the sloping mountain road, but a thin, round-faced young man suddenly jumped out, half-knelt on the ground and wailed to Renly.

"My Lord Duke, you are finally back. You must make a decision for my father!"

The man had a loud voice, and the team was in a commotion. Andrew, who was interrupted by his words, was already unhappy. Seeing this, he couldn't help but frowned, and then whispered to Renly: "He is from the Celtigar family."

Renly was stunned when he heard this, and then understood.

One of his vassals, Earl Adrian Celtigar of Crab Island, was attacked when he went to collect taxes in person not long ago. He has not forgotten this, but the man in front of him is posing like this...

There is another chapter in the afternoon~