After the cargo was unloaded, Rhaenys and Rhaenyra arrived together, followed by dozens of slaves.
Rhaenyra looked exhausted, rubbing her forehead as she said, "Many of the elderly, women, and able-bodied men have stayed behind. The remaining ones are mostly children and craftsmen."
Tidehead Island was relatively prosperous. The elderly and women could learn to make handicrafts, and the able-bodied could make a living working at the docks.
However, the children couldn't fend for themselves, and Tidehead Island had no welfare institutions, so they had no choice but to return to King's Landing with the main ship.
As for the craftsmen, their decision was made collectively.
Staying on Tidehead Island meant working. Following the dragonlord who saved them also meant working.
Since they had to work either way, they figured they might as well follow the dragonlord.
With their skills, they would never go hungry, no matter where they went.
"You've worked hard. Once they're all on board, we'll set off."
Rhaegar smiled warmly, giving Rhaenyra's shoulders a reassuring squeeze.
"Hmph, go find Aegon. Who knows which woman's bed he spent the night in this time?"
Rhaenyra wasn't falling for his act, instead bringing up Aegon, who had gone missing after a night of debauchery.
Rhaegar's expression darkened slightly. He was somewhat traumatized by Aegon's peculiar tastes.
That kind of old woman? And he could still go for it?
…
With everything in place, the Sea Snake boarded the main ship, and the sails were set.
The dragonriders each mounted their dragons, taking a much faster route back to King's Landing.
As night fell, the massive dragons arrived at the Dragonpit one after another.
Maester Menas, along with a group of dragon guards, stepped forward joyfully. "Prince, welcome back safely."
"Has anything happened recently?"
Rhaegar dismounted casually, asking offhandedly.
Menas glanced at the exhausted-looking Aegon before replying cautiously, "The King has ordered that former Hand of the King Otto Hightower be appointed Minister of Civil Affairs. He will return to King's Landing to take office soon."
"That's good news—I expected as much."
Rhaegar chuckled, a glint of amusement in his eyes.
He had deliberately delayed pressing forward with the street-cleaning plan, waiting for Otto to take the lead and share the burden.
And look at that—he had only been gone for a few days, and Otto had already been given a position.
Alicent's influence was nothing to scoff at.
"Are we done talking? I've been freezing in the wind all day—I need a hot bath."
Rhaenyra stretched and yawned.
"Don't blame me. Your and Aegon's dragons are too slow. If I didn't have to wait for you, I would've been back as early as Aunt Rhaenys."
Rhaegar took her hand, ignoring the weak-legged Aegon, and the two of them boarded a carriage back to the Red Keep.
…
### The Next Day
The Sea Snake's fleet crossed Blackwater Bay and arrived at King's Landing's harbor.
As Crown Prince, Rhaegar personally went to greet them.
The Sea Snake oversaw his sailors unloading crates of goods meant for the royal family. "The slaves have also disembarked. You may take them."
With that, the sailors brought forward dozens of slaves.
"Thank you, Lord Corlys."
Rhaegar nodded slightly as Ser Erryk stepped forward to take charge of them.
Children were the future of the kingdom, and craftsmen were a rare resource—he would make good use of them.
Leaving the harbor, the Sea Snake, accompanied by his wife and eldest son, made his way grandly to the Red Keep.
On the way, Rhaenys briefed him on Laenor's situation.
He was safe and sound in the Red Keep, surrounded by maids and wet nurses, under Alicent's personal care.
Inside the Red Keep, King Viserys had prepared a grand banquet to welcome the long-absent Velaryon family.
In truth, the Red Keep had been hosting banquets for days.
First, they welcomed Laenor, then Rhaenys, then Laenor's mother and son.
At the feast, courtiers raised their goblets in celebration, the atmosphere lively and joyous.
No one spoiled the mood by bringing up the Stepstones, ensuring the banquet concluded smoothly.
…
Late at Night
Rhaegar left the banquet early, returning to his chambers alone.
Sitting at the round table, he took out his Valyrian steel greatsword, habitually running his fingers over it, his eyes filled with anticipation.
He pulled up his system panel to check the exploration logs from the previous day.
**[The Lost Valyrian Steel Greatsword]**
**Exploration Progress: 100%**
"This exploration is complete. Please retrieve the lost treasure."
"Relic successfully retrieved. Analyzing..."
"Analysis complete. Classified as an excellent-grade relic: Nameless Sword."
A line of small text appeared below:
*"An ancient relic returns to the hands of an ancient bloodline. It needs a resounding true name."*
Rhaegar ran his hand along the uneven blade and asked, "If this greatsword is also made of Valyrian steel, why is its relic grade lower than Dark Sister?"
After thinking it over, he could only conclude that Dark Sister was a House Targaryen ancestral sword, passed down for generations.
It had endured the passage of time, carrying a legendary history.
Its exploration level was also higher.
The material of the Valyrian steel greatsword was not inferior, but its true name had long been lost, and it lacked a storied background.
That was why its exploration level was lower than Dark Sister.
The Explorer's Quest didn't activate for just any random relic or weapon.
He had explored nearly every corner of the Red Keep over the years.
He had searched for the remains of Meraxes and Silverwing, just as Balerion's skull was kept.
He had even secretly sat on the Iron Throne and worn Aegon the Conqueror's black iron crown.
Yet, none of those had triggered the Explorer's Quest.
Rhaegar speculated that it was because Meraxes and Silverwing had died too young, without legendary exploits, and thus didn't meet the criteria.
The Iron Throne and the black iron crown did have a certain legendary significance.
But both were forged barely a century ago, lacking the weight of history.
So, they, too, failed to meet the requirements for an Explorer's Quest.
In the Red Keep, only one item truly had the potential to trigger an Explorer's Quest—
His father, Viserys, always carried the ancestral sword, Blackfyre.
Rhaegar had once requested to see it under the pretense of studying it.
His father told him it was still too early—he would receive it when he came of age.
Rhaegar had no choice but to let it go for now and didn't rush to explore Blackfyre.
Instead, he had spent time and money offering bounties across Westeros and the Free Cities, searching for rare artifacts and ancient relics.
He had spent a fortune, yet only a handful of items had triggered the Explorer's Quest.
At one point, he was nearly bankrupt—even his collection of mushroom prints was at risk.
**Knock, knock…**
A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts, followed by a familiar voice.
"Rhaegar, I'm coming in."
*Creaaak—*
The door swung open from the outside, and Rhaenyra stepped inside, dressed in a red gown.
Rhaegar chuckled. "The banquet's over? I thought you'd find a dance partner."
"Helping Alicent organize the banquet was exhausting enough. I don't have the energy to dance."
Without hesitation, Rhaenyra lounged sideways on the bed and glanced at the Valyrian steel greatsword with curiosity.
"I heard you asked the Sea Snake to invite a master smith from Qohor. Are you planning to reforge this sword?"
The art of forging Valyrian steel had long been lost.
But the finest blacksmiths of Qohor still possessed the knowledge to reforge it.
"That's right. The blade is dull, and it's far too heavy."
Rhaegar swung the greatsword a couple of times. A weapon of this weight wasn't practical for prolonged combat on the battlefield.
After much consideration, he decided it would be best to reforge the sword into a well-balanced hand-and-a-half sword.
That way, he could also rename the newly forged Valyrian steel sword and officially claim the relic.
Rhaenyra tapped her lips with a finger, seemingly uninterested.
As a woman, she had no place on the battlefield—no matter how fine a weapon was, she would never have the chance to wield it.
After a moment of thought, she said, "Tomorrow, there will be a meeting of the Small Council to discuss an alliance between the Crown and House Velaryon."
(*Note: The original story does not include a Master of Civil Affairs. This is an addition by the author—please don't mind it.*)
King's Landing was a cesspool—filthy, chaotic, and unsanitary.
A governing body was necessary to maintain order.
(*End of Chapter*)