The prices were: 10, 60, and 120 essence points.
Expensive—but practical!
Aemon took a deep breath, deeply tempted by the three cards on the panel.
Especially the last one, [Golden-Nosed Rat], which seemed to be the most ideal pet according to the description.
Maybe it could help him find magical items.
"I'll take it." Aemon gritted his teeth and chose the first and third cards.
Pop~
The [Constitution +1] card shattered instantly, transforming into a white halo that drilled into his heart.
[Golden-Nosed Rat] turned into a light blue spark of light and floated into the embroidered pouch at his waist, completely unnoticed by others.
Aemon's expression didn't change, but he felt a warm current flow through his body, and his strength noticeably increased.
Glancing at the golden hourglass, the number dropped sharply: [Essence: 68]
It would be a lie to say it didn't sting, but it was worth it.
The daily cards provided by the panel were random, with many odd and useless things.
It had been seven or eight days since the last time [Constitution +1] appeared.
If he didn't redeem it now, who knew when it might show up again?
As for the second card, [Empty Hands], he chose not to spend all his essence just yet.
He was a rich second-generation, after all—he didn't need to take what belonged to others.
"Let's see what the little mouse looks like first."
While no one was watching, Aemon glanced around and reached into his pouch.
"Squeak."
As soon as he touched it, the soft, round creature let out a faint squeak.
"Prince, Princess, allow us to go in first and check the area," said the old dragonkeeper suddenly, startling Aemon.
At some point, everyone had already descended into the Dragonpit through the underground hall entrance. The deep tunnels, walled with stone and brick, led directly to a vast cavern full of twists and turns.
"Let's wait here," Rhaenyra said, pulling Aemon aside.
Aemon had no objections, secretly kneading the furry ball in his hand.
He was clear about the purpose of coming here. First, he wanted to see whether dragons could provide magic essence.
Second, he wanted to make contact—and tame—the dragon.
That's right.
If possible, he wanted to try taming this irritable mother dragon that had been locked away for years.
Dreamfyre was big, fierce, and stunning in appearance. Rather than wasting time waiting for Helaena—who was still a baby—it would be better to take control now.
Even if he couldn't rival Vhagar, one of the three great founding dragons—largest and oldest—he wouldn't be beneath the third generation of dragonriders.
"You want to tame Dreamfyre?" Rhaenyra asked.
Aemon didn't hide it and nodded. "I want to try."
"Dreamfyre is a good dragon. I wish you success," Rhaenyra said seriously.
She had already guessed his intentions when Aemon asked about the Dragonpit.
They both carried the same blood and fire. From their great-grandfathers to their grandfathers, all had been dragonriders.
Only their mothers, born of the Vale, had never ridden dragons.
Even Viserys and Daemon were dragonriders.
Riding dragons was like love in their bones—instinctive and irresistible.
Seeing Rhaenyra supporting him, Aemon was touched and patted his chest. "If I tame a dragon, I'll help you beat up anyone who bullies you in the future!"
Dragons were precious.
Since the fall of the ancient Freehold of Valyria, only one family of dragonlords remained—the Targaryens.
Even after so many years, the Targaryen family still had fewer than a dozen dragons.
It was rare to receive Rhaenyra's open support.
Rhaenyra chuckled, "You're Daemon's son, which makes you my brother. Why would I begrudge a family dragon to you?"
But seeing Aemon puff up his chest with that cute, silly face, her heart softened.
This wasn't the kind of brother who threatened her claim to the Iron Throne. There was no rivalry or resentment between them.
When she was little, Uncle Daemon had doted on her.
Being kind to Aemon now was another way of honoring that affection.
"Squeak!!"
Just as they were having a touching moment, a certain mouse voiced its displeasure.
Aemon quickly looked down to find a round, milky-white head poking out of his pouch.
Apparently, in his excitement, he had accidentally squeezed the golden-nosed rat.
"What is that!?" Rhaenyra exclaimed, stepping back in alarm.
All her warmth instantly vanished, replaced with wariness in her eyes.
"Don't be scared—it's just a pet rat I caught in the Red Keep," Aemon said awkwardly as he reached in and pulled the golden-nosed rat out by the scruff.
It looked like a fat little hamster, covered in snow-white fur with four pink paw pads.
Its only unusual feature was the golden nose, as if it had dipped it in cheese.
Aemon held it up and studied it. "It's kind of cute."
Is it reliable?
"Squeak!" The golden-nosed rat squeaked almost like a person, raising its right paw as if to say, "I'm strong!"
"A random rat?" Rhaenyra looked puzzled, though it didn't seem entirely ordinary.
The Red Keep was full of hidden passageways—like a giant rat's nest. It wasn't impossible for a strange rat to turn up.
Aemon hid his excitement and quickly stowed the golden-nosed rat back into his pouch. "I'll put it away. Don't worry."
Just now, the rat's abilities had appeared in his mind.
Its sharp hearing and smell made it an excellent treasure hunter. It could even detect faint traces of magic.
But that wasn't the best part.
The golden-nosed rat was a magical creature granted by the panel. It had two cheek pouches, each containing a cubic meter of storage space.
It was essentially a walking, multifunctional storage tool.
"God is helping me," Aemon thought, suppressing his excitement.
"Squeak." The golden-nosed rat poked its head out again and let out a defiant squeak.
As if saying, "I'm the one helping you, not the other way around!"
Aemon patted its head and gently pushed it back inside.
Any creature granted by a card would be 100% obedient.
But that didn't mean it wouldn't have a bit of personality.
Once the little white puffball was securely tucked away, Rhaenyra rolled her eyes and said, "Aemon, your taste is… unique."
"Hehe." Aemon scratched his head with a sheepish grin.
Ever since he arrived in King's Landing, he'd gotten very good at playing dumb.
At that moment, movement echoed through the dim cavern.
"Swallowing fire, riding wings."
"Two heads side by side, singing to three."
"My voice is the language of fire."
It was the old dragonkeeper, chanting an ancient Valyrian ballad with the others.
Aemon's eyes sharpened, peering into the direction of the voices.
"That's the Song of Fire. It's used to awaken dragons. Get ready," Rhaenyra said seriously.
"Okay!" Aemon replied, not daring to be careless.
Not long after, the dragonkeepers who had entered the cave began to retreat slowly.
They split into two rows on either side of the tunnel, each holding bamboo poles used to calm dragons, cautiously backing away.
Clang!
Suddenly, the sound of iron chains swinging echoed from the cave, loud and clear in the quiet corridor.
Aemon stared ahead, his chubby face tense with focus.
His heartbeat sped up, sweat beading on his palms.
Even the golden-nosed rat curled into a ball inside the pouch, radiating panic.
Boom—
The moment he was waiting for finally arrived.
A massive creature surged out of the cave. The iron chains rattled violently, shaking the tunnel and causing dust and debris to fall from the ceiling.
Hiss!!
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