"Why not consider moving to Mantarys?"

Dany carefully lowered the valuable cargo from her Dragon's back, including precious items such as sugar, spices, silk, Myr lace, and more. As she glanced at the sumptuous silk fabric, her eyes sparkled, and she looked toward Jaen.

Now that she knew she would be dealing with the enigmatic figure known as the "Fiend of the Long Summer," Dany had come well-prepared with an array of adaptable gifts.

"Indeed, the environment here may be harsh, but Mantarys is closer to the old capital in the south."

It seemed Mantarys was closer to Belaerys, after all.

Perhaps the power of faith in the Gods truly had its limits.

Dany exchanged greetings with the two Dragons soaring in the sky and then followed the High Priest up the spiral staircase of the Tower.

The dark gray walls were adorned with ancient frescoes, banners, anointed swords, and eerie white beast heads. The carpeting on the floor was exceptionally thick, akin to walking on a cushion. While it lacked intricate patterns, it was immaculate.

The wooden furniture in the hall appeared relatively new, bearing a glossy finish. However, the bronze strips that affixed the oak door panels displayed a thick layer of green rust, barely concealing the marks of years gone by.

Throughout her journey, Dany hadn't encountered a single guard, save for a few maids in gray attire with slanted eyes and enigmatic smiles. They paused their chores and knelt to pay their respects as she passed by.

Reaching the top of the Tower, Jaen turned back to gaze sadly at the towering edifices with their weathered walls. She spoke to Dany with a hint of melancholy, "This place was once nearly the center of the world, a testament to the brilliance of civilization. You could find the loftiest praises ever uttered by humanity right here."

"I've heard the words 'prophecy' and 'breaking the cage' mentioned a few times. It appears to suggest breaking the curse and restoring Old Valyria's glory," Dany inquired.

Jaen's expression shifted to one of awe as she responded with a fervent tone, as though delivering a sermon, "Balerion has clearly glimpsed the future, leaving behind a prophecy that an ancient and noble descendant will awaken the blood of the first Dragonlord. This bloodline will assist in shattering the shackles and returning from the abyss to the world."

Dany furrowed her brow. "So, you're saying it's not about breaking the curse of the Lands of Long Summer?"

"When Our God returns, the curse will be but a small obstacle," the young priestess replied with a serene smile.

Despite the age-worn road connecting the tower and the Sept, it remained remarkably clean. Children played with enthusiasm, engaging in a spirited game of takraw on the street. Their innocent and joyful laughter added a splash of vibrant color to this otherwise dim and monochromatic city.

The implementation of Oros's "Deformed Personnel Relocation Plan" had proven highly effective. Physically speaking, the children appeared almost entirely normal.

"Hello, High Priest!" The thin stream of pedestrians on the road halted, bent over to offer salutations to Jaen, and cast curious glances at Dany, who stood there donning her "silver" armor and golden cape.

Jaen, too, smiled and acknowledged the passersby with a nod. It was evident that she was well-liked by the public and held a deep affection for her people.

Dany adopted a slightly disgruntled expression as she questioned, "Is it impossible for me to be the one mentioned in the prophecy?"

"If it were you, I would have sent someone to find you," Jaen replied with a smile.

Dany feigned disappointment and responded indignantly, "Why not? Is my bloodline not noble enough? I have hatched Dragons!"

"You don't belong to the Fourteen Peaks, nor do you have their bloodline from the First Peak," Jaen remarked, glancing sidelong at Dany. "But your bloodline is undeniably pure, and if I were a man, the two of us might fulfill the prophecy by having a child."

To bring another deformed into this world?

Dany sneered inwardly. "What a shame."

"Volantis also boasts the noble Belaerys. You could marry into Volantis, thereby resolving the current issues in Slaver's Bay and elevating the Targaryen bloodline," Jaen suggested.

Dany entertained a vengeful thought: After seizing Volantis, she would eradicate all the nobles behind the Black Wall.

She could concoct something special for them.

"Why only those of the Fourteen Peaks?"

"It's the will of God."

But why has Balerion made such a request?

"Tell me, what are the qualities of the first-generation Dragonlord bloodline?" Dany inquired once more.

"Only God knows."

As Dany approached, she beheld the Sept, which had nearly succumbed to the sea's embrace. Half of its foundations stood firmly on the land, while the other half precariously perched on a sea cliff. The lofty Blackstone tower gazed out at the ocean at a sharp 30-degree angle. This inclination was ten times more dramatic than the Leaning Tower of Pisa, yet it had not faltered. The craftsmanship in this world was truly remarkable.

Dany could only sigh with wonder. Like the roofless Tower and Valyrian roads, the Sept's black tower was a monolithic structure, as if it had been cast whole from a single mold of cement. The robust walls, composed of a mixture of elements, instilled a profound sense of security.

"My gods, not a single crack in a wall at such an angle. How was this achieved?" Barristan, who had remained silent for some time, was equally amazed.

Dany turned her gaze to Jaen with eagerness in her eyes. "High Priest, would you consider teaching me the secrets of Valyrian construction?"

High Priest shook his head, refusing the request. The elderly blond man at her side offered an explanation. "Similar to the process of forging Valyrian steel, the enchanted arts of the Immortal Stone are closely guarded within the ancestral vault."

"But I recall that the Targaryens had mastered the art of creating secondary Immortal Stones, making Dragonstone impervious," the elderly Priest said, his gaze now fixed on Dany inquisitively.

"Immortal Stone, Dragonstone..." Dany hesitated for a moment before shaking her head. "It has been lost for hundreds of years."

As she spoke, the dark red water beneath the sea cliff roiled, sending a massive ten-meter-high wave crashing into the structure. The scalding water emitted white steam that left wet marks on the Blackstone Leaning Tower. It was as if a boiler had been suddenly uncapped, and a visible cloud of white mist billowed into the sky, tossing Dany's silver hair aloft.

"Ser, are you unharmed?" Dany inquired, her concern directed to the White Cloak, who stood at her side.

The seawater boiled, and the water vapor reached temperatures between forty and fifty degrees Celsius, unbearable for ordinary people. Yet here was Barristan, an ordinary man and Valyrian heritage endowed her with a remarkable resistance to high temperatures.

"Pēng pēng pēng..." The elderly Knight patted the crystal lens that extended from the face armor's eye slit and proclaimed loudly, "Apart from the water vapor obscuring my vision, everything seems to be in order."

Jaen nodded and said, "Let's proceed."

Dany gazed at the crimson sky with a wry smile. "Do you have nights here? It seems the sun sets behind the western mountains now."

Upward, the sun and moon were nowhere to be seen. The sky bore layers of ominous dark red hues, resembling a vast expanse of blood, like a thick crimson quilt draped over the sea, weighing down the heart.

Beneath, one could discern a deep red glow in the depths of the dark sea, akin to a series of light bulbs flickering underwater. Small flames sprouted from the charred reef in the water, instantly extinguished by the incoming tide. As the tide receded, the reef emitted a sizzling sound, white steam rising, and a dim red flame rekindling on the reef, dancing provocatively.

"There's an active volcano down there!" Dany's heart raced with alarm.

"Seabed volcanoes!" she exclaimed to Jaen.

Jaen glanced down at the sea, her expression unperturbed. "Yes."

"

Dany's voice quivered as she spoke, her cheeks contorted in shock. "It's an active volcano, right beneath the Sept."

"Yes," Jaen responded calmly, the elderly priests behind him wearing expressions of indifference, as if wondering why she was making such a fuss.

"Aren't you afraid? If that volcano erupts, Oros will be obliterated!" Dany snapped.

"Valyrians afraid of volcanoes? Heh..." Jaen's tone conveyed a mixture of pride and disdain.

Dany retorted angrily, "Valyria met its doom in a volcanic cataclysm, did it not?"

Jaen halted and turned back to Dany, his expression serious. "Do you truly believe that? We've been harnessing the Fourteen Flames and hundreds of other nearby volcanoes for six thousand years. Catastrophic events are exceedingly rare because every inch of the land beneath these volcanoes is monitored by the Sorcerer Council."

"You mean the cataclysm had a hidden mastermind?" Dany exclaimed.

"I do not know."

"Even so, you don't possess the Old Valyrian Grand Sorcerers' ability to control volcanoes, do you?"

"You will soon understand," Jaen replied with a mysterious smile before pushing open the three-meter-tall white wooden door.

Barristan touched the wooden door and exclaimed, "Weirwood?!"

The Great Priest Maiden nodded and explained, "It's said that Weirwood contains the power of the Old Gods and is one of the most exceptional materials for sorcery. It's often used to craft furniture that lasts for generations."

"Does Essos also have Weirwood?" Dany inquired with curiosity.

"It should have gone extinct by now, but...before we humans appeared, the Children of the Forest and Giants had existed on this world for millions of years. Perhaps they dwelled on this continent as well, and Weirwood may have been widespread across the world at that time."

"Squeak..."

The heavy Weirwood door swung open, and the radiant black light caused Dany to squint her eyes for a moment before they adjusted.

In the center of the 100-meter-square stone hall stood a twisted obsidian candle, its peak ablaze with a dazzling black flame. This black luminescence failed to dispel the darkness in the space but allowed everyone to see the surroundings—the grey horizon.

"Glass candles!" Barristan exclaimed. "These are a hundred times larger than the flames we witnessed in Qarth."

The Warlock Urrathon could light glass candles too, but they merely emitted a reflection like the glow of sunlight on snow, just the size of an egg. The glass candles in the hall of Oros Sept were akin to bonfires.

Dany surveyed the intricate carvings on the walls and columns, all depicting scenes of the Dragonlords of Old Valyria conquering the world. Five distinct images stood out—those of the Harpy banners and helmeted warriors brandishing lances, which were clearly depictions of the five Ghiscari wars.

She turned her gaze back to the glass candle and asked, "Why doesn't the black flame obstruct our vision?"

"What color do you think sunlight is?" the High Priest inquired.

"Colorless?" Dany ventured.

Jaen shot a proud glance at the ignorant mortal and chuckled, "Heh, you may want to try passing sunlight through a prism."

Valyrian knowledge of the world was far beyond the scientific understanding of this era.

Dany nodded. "I'll give it a try."

Barristan, ever vigilant, surveyed the surroundings cautiously. Suddenly, he appeared startled, glanced down, and exclaimed in alarm, "We have no shadows!"

Dany looked down, and indeed, the seams of the azure marble floor beneath her feet were visible, but there were no shadows.

"It might be an effect of the glass candle," she suggested, turning to Jaen.

"Shadows are unknown," the High Priest declared solemnly.

"Rah—"

The four elderly priests interrupted Dany quickly. "This is a sacred place; you must not utter that name!"

Dany nodded thoughtfully and inquired, "Where is the statue of Balerion?"