“Raise your hand higher! Shoot it at me!” Viserys instructed.
Dany held the crossbow that Viserys had made for her, her small, thin arms trembling as she fired it. Whoosh! The arrow flew, but Viserys barely had to move to avoid it. He simply stood there, and the arrow didn't even come close.
“Why are you closing your eyes again? If you keep doing that, you'll have to do extra training at night!” Viserys scolded.
Dany pouted, feeling a bit aggrieved. Why is Viserys so strict again? Since he made the crossbows, he had been making her practice every day. Her arms were sore, and her delicate hands had blisters. It wasn’t until Viserys sewed her a simple pair of gloves that the problem was alleviated.
In truth, Dany couldn’t be blamed. She wasn’t yet the “Mother of Dragons” she would become. She was just a shy little girl, and Viserys, with habits from his previous life, sometimes let his tone become harsh or irritable without realizing it. This made her think the old, cruel Viserys had returned, which scared her.
Seeing her expression, Viserys knew he had pushed her too hard. He desperately hoped that Dany would be able to protect herself to some extent, but she was only a little girl under eight years old. Not every child was as ruthless as Arya Stark, who was brave enough to kill at a young age. Judging by the future performances of Dany and Arya, Dany would focus her talents on politics, while Arya would excel in martial arts.
Viserys went over to Dany and rearranged her hair, which was damp with sweat and sticking to her forehead. “Take a break,” he said, taking the crossbow from her hands.
But she pulled back and shook her head. “No, brother, I’m not tired.” She retrieved another wooden arrow from her waist bag and expertly loaded it.
“Okay, this time we’ll change the target to that wine jar.” Viserys positioned himself behind Dany, taking her hand holding the crossbow and pointing it at the wine jar twenty paces away. “When shooting, you must look at the target, not the crossbow, and definitely not close your eyes.”
Viserys' patient teaching calmed Dany's nerves. “You have to look at your target and imagine the crossbow in your hand as part of your body. Nothing will escape your eyes. Fire!”
Dany pulled the trigger, and the clay wine jar was pierced with a dark hole. “I hit it!” she exclaimed, turning to Viserys with her violet eyes sparkling with excitement.
“Good, practice more and get the feel for it.”
“Mmm!” Dany nodded vigorously and took out another crossbow bolt.
...
In just over half a month since Helbo and his gang last paid a visit, the siblings' self-defense skills had improved considerably. Dany, for instance, could hit a target within ten paces five or six times out of ten, and within five paces almost every time. She was no longer the helpless lamb she had once been.
Viserys, meanwhile, had focused on improving his Constitution over the past ten days. He had already increased his physical strength to nearly 45 points. The main reason for this improvement was that he had stopped drinking, allowing his body to recover naturally. Any further gains would have to come gradually, but he estimated that with half a year, he could raise his Constitution to around 60 points. This would be the level of an adult strongman, capable of serving as a heavy infantryman or heavy cavalryman in the army. With a year of training, reaching 80 points seemed attainable, equating to the level of an ordinary general. Factoring in the system, which could provide 36 attribute points per year, he could undoubtedly grow into a first-class general. The sellswords scattered across the continent would be a paradise for him to excel in.
Additionally, some of his skills had recovered significantly. His firearms skills had returned to the proficient level, and he had made progress in other areas as well. However, he still had a long way to go before advancing from Proficient to Expert in swordsmanship.
During these ten days, Viserys had noticed several unfamiliar faces around his house. These individuals thought they were being discreet, but to a skilled scout, they were glaringly obvious. By following their trails, Viserys had managed to get close to their lair at night and discovered their origins. If his physical fitness were even half as good as it had once been, he was confident he could track them down completely. He estimated that the group would make their move within the next two days, which was why he had been so insistent on Dany practicing with the crossbow.
In Braavos, items like bows and arrows were controlled, but a sharpened wooden stick could be just as effective. The gang would never come after him in armor, so a sharpened stick would be enough to pierce human skin.
“Fierce Fish Company! Let's see how fierce you really are,” he muttered. Raising his hand, he shot, skewering two leaves and nailing them to the door.
...
Banergar took Viserys's business very seriously. This was his chance to rise from the ranks of the landless riffraff to the merchant class and improve his social status. In Braavos, merchants were a respected profession, considered the backbone of the city. They even had a better chance of being elected as the Sealord, the supreme ruler of Braavos, than the average citizen.
The requirements for becoming a merchant were very strict. First of all, one needed to own property. In Braavos, the sale of property required a guarantor, and no one would guarantee a man with Banergar's background and criminal record. He had finally managed to get a guarantee from Danglar, so he wasn’t about to let this opportunity slip away.
This time, he was going all out. He learned from Helbo that Viserys was particularly good at melee combat. So, Banergar hired a master water dancer at a high price. In addition, he brought five of his men, each armed with a wooden spear. Tonight, they were here for Viserys's life.
“Enghis, let’s get ready to move.” Enghis was the sword dancer he had hired. Enghis, in his early thirties, had a scar on his left eyebrow and yellow eyes, one big and one small, suggesting a past injury in battle. He had fled Braavos after mistakenly killing someone but was found by Banergar, who promised him a generous reward for this job.
“Hmm,” Enghis replied briefly. After this deal, he would take the murder charge, leaving Banergar worry-free. In addition to him, Banergar had also paid off the guards in the area to make their ears less sensitive, ensuring absolute certainty in his plan.
After confirming everything with Enghis, Banergar gave his men some final instructions. Leaving one man on guard, the group slipped into the darkness, heading for Viserys's quarters.
At that moment, Viserys suddenly opened his eyes. He had just woken up from a Dragon dream in which he had been attacked.
“Dany! Dany! Wake up!” he called.
Groggy, Dany heard Viserys's call. “Stay in the room and hide! Do you understand?”
Dany, still confused, took the crossbow. She saw Viserys put two crossbows on his waist, then pick up his sword and quietly approach the front door.
From his Dragon dream, Viserys knew that not only was there a swordsman with excellent swordsmanship, but there were also sentries outside. He couldn't escape; he had no choice but to fight!