Chapter 154 What Astapor Sees

The city of Astapor, located at the mouth of the Worm River, ushered in another peaceful morning. Most people in the city were the same as usual, and there were no special changes.

Slaves are still fighting or working in the corners of this city for their own survival, while civilians who can be called a "human" are eating bread covered in grease and abusing their own people as a matter of course. slaves.

As the rulers of this city, the great good lords, they just got up from the body of the woman who was still a baby last night and is now dying, and began to enjoy today's good time with a clear mind.

No one thinks there is anything wrong with this, because the Good Lords are the people who stand at the top of the entire Astapor social pyramid. This is something everyone knows, and the residence of the Good Lords is also in the pyramid. .

Standing on the huge platform called Pride Square in the center of the city, Clay held a piece of Astapor's specialty breakfast in his mouth. Well, it was probably a piece of oil cake or something like that.

I don’t know why, but Astapor likes things rich in oil from top to bottom. Of course, slaves are not included here.

Daenerys's ship was still more than a day away from arriving here. Clay didn't wait for her. He wanted to see the city first. He landed a little further south of Astapor.

As for Galesos, he asked this guy to find food on his own first. As long as he didn't eat people, he would take care of the rest. Anyway, this territory would be his own in the future, so there was nothing wrong with paying for it in advance.

There is no danger for him to enter Astapor now. Even if there is, Clay believes that although this guy is a foodie, he is very smart and will come to protect him in time.

Before leaving, he asked Daenerys for some gold. Although the little queen was also very poor, she still had some wealth. Again, it would all be his from now on. Clay was not polite to Daenerys at all.

With one shot of Alder's Seal, he knocked over two slave traders who wanted to capture him as slaves and drag him to Astapor to sell them at a good price. After Clay used the Axi Seal to ask about the situation, he wiped them cleanly. human neck.

The equipment he wears is still a typical White Harbor style. In the realm of Astapor, this clearly tells others that you are a stranger who knows nothing.

But it doesn’t matter. The generous Astapor slave trader will give everything Clay wants to the respected Lord Clay Manderly without reservation.

You see, the two people lying on the ground didn't have any objections. They very much agreed with Clay's behavior of taking away their equipment and letting them walk the birds in broad daylight, so much so that they didn't even say a word...

So, Clay, who smelled a little bit of blood and had a fierce aura, dressed in typical Eastern Continent clothes, swaggered into the city gate of Astapor.

The defenders who originally wanted to kill Clay were deceived by Clay's obscure Yaxxi shot and thought they had got a large piece of gold, grinning in amusement.

He didn't know that he had brought in a living King of Hell for his beloved good lords. The good lords didn't know how to repay the actions of this city defender.

After randomly seducing a few greedy thieves into an alley, and knocking them over cleanly, Akxi asked for information with a confused face, and then sent them to meet the harpy he admired.

The operation was very smooth and very professional. At first glance, it seemed like he had done this frequently. How should I put it? It was very bad.

Clay, who had picked up equipment along the way, looked like a wealthy man in Astapor when he arrived at Pride Square. He was ready to visit the city.

Although it was morning, as the largest slave trading center in Astapor, Pride Square was still very busy. Clay smelled the pungent perfume here, and... the unconcealed smell of human flesh.

He was very emotional about this. Sometimes it is not a good thing to have a developed sense of smell. In such a gathering of fat people and sweaty people, it almost made him die on the spot.

He tossed a small cloth bag in his hand, which was the trophy he took from the two slave traders. Inside was more than twenty gold coins circulating in Astapor.

This thing is pretty well cast, with a huge pyramid on the front and an ugly harpy sculpture on the back, a bit like the gold mark circulating in Yunkai next door.

This place originally belonged to the ancient Gith Empire, so it is understandable that the coinage styles are quite different.

I just don’t know what the purchasing power is like. Clay can’t always do zero-dollar shopping in Astapor City. Sooner or later, he will be targeted by the men of these good lords, although he doesn’t care much.

Today seems to be a day when slaves are traded intensively in Pride Square. A high wooden platform has been erected in the center of the square, and a group of people are standing noisily underneath, commenting on the slaves on the platform.

However, Clay made a rough observation and found that most of them were just joining in the fun, and those who really wanted to buy would not be standing here.

On the left side of the high platform, there was a row of black and purple chairs made of an unknown type of wood. They were covered with soft cushions. Five fat-headed guys were sitting on them, chatting to each other hypocritically.

It seemed that they were the real customers of this slave auction. Clay decided to observe first and see if there was any chance to chat with these people.

A political system, no matter how absurd and cruel it may seem to outsiders, as long as it operates in a place for a long enough time, there must be a reason for its existence.

The so-called existence is reasonable. There must be a group of vested interests in this political system. Obviously, these overnourished guys are such people. If there is an opportunity to chat with them, it will be easier for Clay to understand the operating logic behind this city.

After waiting for about ten minutes, a guy wearing a Toka robe walked onto the stage like a dog. Without looking at the crowd below, he bowed deeply to the five nobles and then shouted in an exaggerated tone. road:

"Free citizens who are bathing in the glory of the Good Lord, at this morning's trade fair, there were Dothraki women snatched from the Dothraki sea. These girls on horses are very hot. I want to ride them on my crotch. Will you become their Khal, free folk?!"

This guy's focused opening remarks, coupled with his exaggerated tone and movements, directly raised the atmosphere of the scene. Many men whistled, obviously they knew a lot.

This guy, who should be the auctioneer, used a similar method to introduce the "goods" to be sold this morning. After hearing this, Clay couldn't help but secretly sighed.

These slave traders are really wild. They can get any kind of slaves. They have all the nine major trading city-states, regardless of gender.

There is also a guy whom this guy calls the Exiled Knight of Westeros. Clay is doubtful about this and is ready to look at the family crest before speaking.

"I have big news to tell you! Good Lords, please show mercy. The treasure that should have entered the pyramid to serve the Good Lords has been rewarded to you by your Lordships. This is a Valyrian descendant with silver hair and purple eyes."

"Free people! The descendant of the Targaryen family has hatched her three dragons. Let me tell you that she, like this gift, is a descendant of Valyria."

"What are you waiting for? Free citizens, use your wealth to buy her back. Who knows, one day she will hatch a dragon for you!"

The ignorant people let out a cry of surprise, which was mixed with a sneer that they couldn't help but laugh.

Clay didn't expect that he, who was silently eating here, could hear such an incredible sales pitch. He regretted why he didn't bring Daenerys with him. He especially wanted to see Daenerys finish listening to this. The expression of the words.

Well, Daenerys is simply described as a female dragon that can lay eggs. That's right. When Daenerys comes, she must know what she looks like in this place.

What kind of shackles-breaker do you think you are? Save it, eat it one bite at a time, don't be in a hurry.

In fact, this is bullying these stupid free people, what kind of Valyrian people. In Clay's opinion, this is probably a pure Lysian who happened to be captured.

The ancient Valyrian bloodline was still very strong there, and most people had the appearance of platinum curly hair, which was rare in other places, but seemed common there.

They are the native colonies of the Valyrian Free Fortress and have not experienced conquest, so they have retained their own racial characteristics. However, they are the most ordinary low-level Valyrians and are not descendants of the noble Dragon King.

Therefore, they do not have the ability to resonate with dragons and cannot be recognized by them. To Clay, it was of little value.

Under the auspices of the auctioneer, the slave auction soon became very lively, with shouts of bids coming and going. However, Clay discovered an interesting phenomenon. Every time he bid, everyone was waiting for the five people to do something. Bidding will be made only after representation.

It seems that these guys have quite a high status in this place, and this seems to be spontaneous, and the citizens have become accustomed to it.

Clay touched his chin, thinking about the meaning behind this phenomenon. There must be a reason behind Daenerys's rule in Slaver's Bay collapsing so quickly.

Although there must be some inertia from the old system, Clay himself must figure out what the force is that drives them.

Clay did not take action at the auction because there was no point in buying a few slaves now. His goal was to hook up with the Good Lords and then capture their Unsullied Ones.

The auction lasted for about two hours. Clay noticed that the slave trade in Astapor was a typical buyer's market, where supply exceeded demand.

But it’s understandable if you think about it. Slave trading has become an industry in Slaver’s Bay. In such a hugely profitable industry, slave traders naturally catch more and sell more, but the local demand for slaves is only so great.

…

After leaving the auction site, Clay figured out the purchasing power of the small bag of gold coins in his pocket. It was not bad and could allow him to live comfortably in Astapor for half a year.

Unfortunately, he didn't have the opportunity to talk to these wealthy people who bought a large number of slaves, but it didn't matter, there would be plenty of opportunities in the future.

After finding a hotel decorated with purple gauze, Clay opened a small house as his temporary residence.

When he came to his room, Clay thoroughly enjoyed the depraved life bathed in the light of the good Lord. In this kind of fully slave-like hotel, as long as you can afford the rent, slaves will do everything for you. of.

The slave brings water, the slave serves food, and the slave responsible for cleaning your room also works part-time to give you a massage, all of which are included in your rent.

The bearded boss in a robe also solemnly promoted to Clay the services that the female slaves in the store could provide. How much did an ordinary female slave cost per night, and how much did a well-trained Dothraki female slave cost.

The boss winked and told Clay that for just one gold tower coin, even the silver-blond haired Reese slave girl Clay had seen today could open her legs for Clay.

Seeing that Clay still shook his head, the boss understood instantly and said that multiple ones were fine, as long as Clay had enough gold tower coins.

Clay was finally convinced. This dazzling service introduction was all it took to give him a "menu" for him to choose from. It was really an eye-opener. He knew how to play, but he lost.

This also exposes how low the status of slaves is in this poor place. No matter what you did before, as long as you didn't come here through normal means, you have only one identity, slave.

Clay walked away thoughtfully, not noticing that the boss glanced at Clay's waist with disdain, then quickly looked away and began to sell his store's "collection" to another guy.

What’s interesting is that when Clay first traveled to Essos, he had never been to Slaver’s Bay and didn’t know much about the customs and customs here.

Judging from my observations this morning, the entire rule of Slaver's Bay is a pressure cooker that is forcibly held down. The reason why Daenerys was able to conquer these places so smoothly was that she released this force at the right time. gas.

But the problem is that after the pressure cooker is deflated, it is still a pot. Daenerys' subsequent series of reform operations are equivalent to throwing the pot aside and replacing it with a large vat full of loopholes.

People who are used to living in the pot can no longer find their place in the vat. This will cause the regime that has lost military support to quickly fall apart, shatter into pieces, and then return to the rule of slave owners.

"This is a bit difficult to handle. I don't have many talents who can govern the country. Alas, Daenerys's small team has too few capable people. It is not enough to support a royal council. This matter must be dealt with as soon as possible. thing."

Lying on the soft big bed, chewing the fruit that the slave girl put into her mouth, Clay was thinking and talking to herself in a common language that she could not understand.

He is not a morally obsessive person, and he will never refuse things that he should enjoy. However, he wants more. Daenerys kills the slave masters, takes thousands of Unsullied and runs away. This is called fishing for all.

And now, he is thinking about how to turn Slaver's Bay into his own backyard for producing troops, because there may be many enemies he has to face.

The Mandalay family's army was limited by the aristocratic system in the north and could not be easily moved, so he could only rely on himself.

It's the end of the month, um... I promise to update it well next month, can you give me some monthly tickets?