Volantis is a southern coastal city on the continent of Essos, and the southeasternmost one among the many free trade city-states.
Located in the delta area on the four estuaries of the River Lorne.
Because Volantis is the earliest colony established by the Valyrian Free Fortress, it has a long history and is powerful.
Therefore, she is known as the 'Eldest Daughter of Valyria', 'Queen of the Rhoyne', 'Mistress of the Summer Sea' and other titles.
Looking down from above the clouds, she is located next to a huge bay, and to the north is the Valanna River, a tributary of the River Rhoyne.
The surrounding towns, Sehoru, Valissa, and Velonthes are all under the jurisdiction of Volantis.
There is also a road here that leads directly from Volantis to Meereen in Slaver's Bay. However, the environment between the two places is harsh and too dangerous. People have dubbed this section of the road the 'Devil's Road'.
"Volantis is huge, I told you so."
"Eamonn."
A red-haired girl was sitting directly opposite Viserys, gently wiping the dagger in her hand, and then spoke.
The name Aemon was a pseudonym Viserys chose casually, mainly because it was simple and catchy. When asked, he thought of this name immediately, and then casually called himself Aemon.
And the 'Dragon Knight' Prince Aemon is also generally considered to be the noblest knight to date.
While the girl wiping the dagger was talking, she was still quietly observing Viserys's face carefully.
Her face is not actually very beautiful, just average, but her figure is very good and she looks very healthy and strong.
The girl was sitting directly opposite Viserys, surrounded by a bustling crowd, with noisy and chaotic sounds, fist-fighting, drinking, and loud noises. The floor above her head moved and made a creaking sound, and at the same time, there was a faint sound of a woman's undisguised moans.
.
This place is a tavern in Volantis, located on a long bridge that spans the mouth of the Rhoyne River and connects the two cities of Volantis.
The Long Bridge has an extremely long span, is supported by huge piers, is as flat as a road, and was built by the Valyrian people in their heyday.
The entrances at both ends of the long bridge are arches built of black boulders, with sphinxes, manticores, dragons and other monsters carved on the doors. The bridge deck is large enough for two four-wheeled carriages to pass side by side.
Various buildings have been built on both sides of the long bridge, and you can buy almost anything here.
Now Viserys and the girl named Mia, dressed as mercenaries, are eating on the second floor of a tavern above the Long Bridge.
The level of consumption here is not high, so there is a mixture of good and bad, with a large number of poor people, mercenaries, prostitutes, slaves and sailors coming from afar.
From the angle where Viserys was sitting now, he could still see that the hands of the thieves and the heads of the prisoners were stuck on spears on the long bridge below for public display.
"You're right, Mia."
"Volantis is indeed huge."
Viserys looked at the newly severed head below, still dripping with blood, and then it was picked up on a spear. There were even cheers from around him.
Then he turned around and said jokingly.
"And the people's customs are strong."
The person who was just executed below was not a heinous criminal, but a runaway slave.
In order to warn other slaves, his master executed him to scare the monkeys.
But the surrounding tiger-robed soldiers, who were Volantis's guards and had tiger stripes tattooed on their cheeks, seemed not to notice and allowed the slave owner to throw away his own 'property'.
"Slaves are part of Volantis culture."
Mia also saw the following scene just now and spoke without hesitation.
"This has been the case since the days of the Valyrian Freehold. Almost every free citizen owned an average of more than five slaves."
Of course, averages have always been a charlatan.
Poor free citizens could not even afford food and how could they afford slaves, while the slaves owned by big slave owners could almost form a small mercenary group.
"oh."
"Mia, why do you want to explore the Valyrian ruins?"
Viserys did not continue the topic, but took a bite of the dishes on the table, then raised his head and asked.
This girl was one Viserys met when he came to Volantis a few days ago.
She is a member of a mercenary group, codenamed "Hunter". What she is best at is quietly coming up behind the enemy and slitting their throats.
The recent riots in the Sea of Smoke are the hottest topic in Volantis. Some people claim that the ruins of Valyria have become more dangerous, while others believe that this is the best opportunity to make a fortune.
The secrets and wealth buried in those free fortresses will all emerge from the ground, and you can make a fortune by just picking up a few things.
Mia was the one who thought this was an opportunity to make a fortune, so she joined an expedition to Valyria. When the expedition was open for recruitment, Viserys also voluntarily expressed his willingness to join.
The silver-haired young man has a handsome face and good skills. He took down the mercenary named "Butcher" in a few seconds and won the favor of the boss who organized the expedition this time.
So Viserys changed his name to 'Aemon' and joined the expedition.
After joining this expedition, Viserys realized that the scale of this operation was very large, and the 'boss' behind the scenes was even more noble.
He is one of the three consuls of Volantis, Malachor Megoa of the Tiger Party.
He organized a total of twenty ships of various sizes and nearly a thousand people on the expedition, most of whom were slaves.
There are also many mercenaries like Mia and Viserys who have dreams.
"Of course it's for money."
"What other reason could there be besides this purpose?"
Mia heard Viserys's question, looked at him strangely, and then said as she should.
"if not?"
"What do you want, Eamonn?"
"Of course I do it for the money."
Viserys leaned back, pressing his head against the back of the chair behind him.
"Is it?"
Mia looked at Viserys suspiciously.
"But I don't think you are a money-hungry person."
Mia's eyes fell on Viserys's clothes, although the clothes Viserys wore were very ordinary and there was nothing outstanding about them.
But she didn't know why 'Eamonn' behaved and gave her the impression that he was a person of noble status and who had been in a high position all year round. Every word and every action he took had a special feeling.
"You think too much."
Faced with Mia's questioning gaze, Viserys just shrugged his shoulders slightly and spoke naturally.
"I'm just not that poor."
"And I like adventure and want to see what the ruins of Valyria look like."