It took more than two days to ride from Highgarden to Oldtown, and many people would choose to travel a bit further each day to arrive in exactly two days. William, however, cherished his warhorse. Having served as a squire for several years, his riding skills were quite refined. He strictly controlled the horse's pace and rest, and even though he had reached a spot not far from Oldtown the previous evening, he did not push straight through. Instead, he stayed overnight in a small village and continued the final leg of the journey the next morning.
Turning around a mountain pass, a towering structure suddenly appeared in the distance. It soared into the clouds, its flame at the top blazing, radiating light like a newly risen sun.
That was the Hightower, the tallest building in the Seven Kingdoms, a lighthouse guiding people through the mist.
Seeing its massive silhouette, William felt a sense of coming home. Strictly speaking, he had only stayed in Harrenhal for a few months, whereas he had lived in Oldtown for six years. Compared to the cold power that dominated Harrenhall, he much preferred this ancient city, fragrant with flowers.
As the sunlight fully suppressed the tower's glow, William saw Oldtown's walls and the countless sails along the Honeywine River. Ships moved endlessly, transporting local products into the city and goods from Essos and even more distant lands out; bulk trade relied on waterways, while merchants and locals near Oldtown traveled by horse-drawn carts. The city gates were bustling, so William had to slowly make his way through the crowd.
Oldtown was a labyrinth of narrow, winding streets, crowded markets, countless alleys, and densely packed stone houses. Even long-time residents occasionally got lost among the tangled lanes. Upon entering the city, William let his horse wander freely. The relatively young steed carried him along while he eagerly enjoyed the dazzling array of goods and the ceaseless flow of people, savoring a sense of tranquility amid the bustle.
Following the street along the Honeywine River to the large stone bridge nearest Hightower, he turned a corner onto a lane paved with bluestone. This was a quieter residential area, with no shops on either side and few pedestrians. As the city's clamor gradually faded, William soon arrived at a modest house with a small, neatly trimmed garden. Behind the greenery stood a three-story stone house with a simple, classic exterior—William's residence in Oldtown.
Since he didn't know exactly when or why his father, Walter, and sister, Minisa, had passed away, William had to find ways to have them leave Harrenhall from time to time. In the second year after moving to Oldtown, he used the excuse of missing his mother and sister to invite the family to visit him. At that time, he had only rented this well-located house. After winning two championships at his first tournament and, pretending to be naive, greedily collecting ransom from the defeated, he earned over twenty thousand silver deer in one go. When he proposed buying the house with Walter, his father, delighted by William's victory, generously gave him thirty thousand silver deer. William ultimately spent fifty thousand silver deer—roughly equivalent to fourteen million RMB, with wide fluctuations—to purchase the house.
Over the years, his family always stayed here when visiting Oldtown, and William often came to study magic. In theory, as Garth Hightower's attendant, he should have lived at Garth's residence, but his diligent training pleased Garth, and his eagerness to learn led him frequently to the academy. Being the heir to a house, he deserved a bit of leeway. In the end, Garth turned a blind eye to his frequent late-night absences.
When William appeared at the door, a servant hurriedly opened it. "Welcome back, my Lord!"
William nodded. "Hello, Ragno." Ragno, in his thirties, and his wife hailed from the free city-states across the Narrow Sea. They had been employed here when William's family rented the house and had remained ever since.
Dismounting and handing the reins to Ragno, William headed toward the house, unexpectedly seeing two people in long robes adorned with beads, pale-skinned with blue lips, stepping out the door. Both were extremely thin, their cheeks sunken, with strangely unsettling smiles—Glop Vaty and Mokken Rota, William's occult advisor and his assistant. If all had gone as planned, they should have been in Harrenhall implementing William's industrial reform plan.
Because the Whent family had lost much of their territory, their army had been reduced. Yet William wanted to earn enough merit in the War of the Five Kings—how could he do that with a smaller army? If he were a native of Westeros, the obvious choices would be expanding territory or engaging in trade. The former was difficult, the latter risky. William's first idea was to forge Valyrian steel.
He believed the reason he could not yet forge Valyrian steel was the crucial step of infusing it with magic. Having tried Valyrian steel from Archmaester Marwyn, he was confident he could infuse magic into it. So he reasoned that if a method existed, he could produce Valyrian steel. Even with the academy's records and the assistance of the two Warlocks, numerous attempts failed, yielding only strange, unusual materials. William was disheartened, but the sorcerers were ecstatic: though seemingly useless, they had created something imbued with magic—a remarkable achievement in their eyes.
It was precisely because of this incident that William suspected they already knew he truly possessed magical power.
Magic failing, William naturally turned his thoughts to industry. Harrenhall had five massive castles, but the Whent family only used two, leaving the other three abandoned—perfect for repurposing as factory buildings. He eagerly prepared, consulting industrial records at the academy, discussing ideas with relevant scholars, and devising a plan for a steam-powered hydraulic workshop. He even persuaded Archmaester Mollos, an expert in mechanics, to participate and solve the production machinery problems. However, Harrenhall lay on the north shore of the Gods Eye, without a natural water source suitable for direct hydraulic use, so William began researching steam engines.
It was then that he discovered that the academy had already studied steam engines but had shelved the research due to unresolved sealing issues. William, having previously created a rubber-like material while attempting to forge Valyrian steel, tested it—and miraculously, it solved the problem. This bolstered his confidence to implement the plan. Archmaester Mollos, upon learning that magical items had been used, no longer involved himself in the steam engine work, but Glop and Mokken volunteered to take over the task of improving it. William had initially been skeptical about Warlocks doing research, yet they performed admirably, proving that magic and technology could indeed intersect to some extent.
In the first couple of years, cash-strapped, the plan remained on paper. Last year, after winning a significant sum from the tournament, William finally put it into action. The prior preparations were thorough: Lord Walter enthusiastically supported it, providing manpower even if donating a tower seemed like a waste repurposing. Archmaester Mollos and the Warlocks personally went to Harrenhall to assist with machine installation. Later, William learned by letters that the project was progressing smoothly: the upper floors of the West Tower had water reservoirs and channels built, the lower floors had been converted into a textile workshop and a forging workshop powered by water machinery, and the steam engine had been installed.
Suppressing his doubts for the moment, William approached the Warlocks. "Glop, Mokken, it's a pleasure to see you."
"Greetings, my lord," the sorcerers bowed respectfully. Glop had long known William's identity but insisted on addressing him as "my lord."
Their Common Westerosi was still rough, so William always spoke to them in Valyrian; his skill had become increasingly fluent. After a few pleasantries, the three entered the sitting room and took their seats. William asked, "Did you return because our plan ran into trouble, Glop?"
"No, my lord. At least when we set out, everything was proceeding according to plan. The steam engine continuously pumps water into the West Tower's upper reservoir; the textile workshop is producing quality cloth; the forging workshop has begun using water hammers to crush ore and shape armor," Glop said proudly. Though Archmaester Mollos emphasized it as a mechanical engineering masterpiece, it was clear that magic played a crucial role.
William relaxed. After all, this was unprecedented across the Seven Kingdoms. He had worried that such a massive investment might yield nothing. Slightly curious but speaking lightly, he asked, "Then why did you suddenly return to Oldtown?"
Glop leaned close to William, lowering his voice. "My lord, in a secret chamber of an abandoned tower in Harrenhall, we discovered something." He produced a finely crafted jewelry box from his sleeve and opened it. A surge of magic burst forth, chilling to the bone.
Aurthor's Notes:
The five towers of Harrenhall have descriptive names, but no noble would likely use them officially. In the story, the Whent family refers to them as:
Tower of Dread, West Tower
Wailling Tower, Middle Tower
Tower of Ghost, East Tower
Widow Tower, Auxiliary Tower
Kingspyre Tower, Main Tower