Finally, the rickshaw left White Stone Town and entered Jaqenion Avenue.
The driver ran while turning his head to explain, "Young brother, from now on, everywhere under our feet is called Draco. Even White Stone Town is part of Draco. Lord Luke said that in the future, the entire south shore of the God's Eye will be incorporated into Draco's territory."
Sam nodded and looked around curiously.
The driver continued, "Streets running north-south are called 'Streets,' while those running east-west are called 'Roads.' Currently, Draco has two main arteries: Luke Street running north-south, and Jaqenion Avenue running east-west."
He pointed ahead. "See that place over there? Where the two avenues et — that will be the future Purple Forbidden City, Lord Luke's residence. The entire city of Draco is developing outward with the Purple Forbidden City as its center."
Sam followed his finger and vaguely saw a grand architectural complex under construction in the distance. Even though it was still being built, its scale and grandeur already far surpassed any castle he had ever seen.
They passed the entrance to what looked like a garden district. The driver stopped.
"This is Phase One of the Garden Residential District," the driver said excitedly, pointing inside. "The houses in there are really beautiful, with all kinds of facilities. It's even better than the upper districts of King's Landing. However…"
He paused, his face showing proud delight. "My family lives in the Heroes District. That's the housing Lord Luke granted to my son. That district is even better, but outsiders aren't allowed in. This district also has access control — outsiders can't just enter casually."
Sam looked at the entrance of the Garden District. He could see neat houses, clean roads, gardens, and a square inside. Several children were playing on the playground equipnt, their laughter carrying far.
The driver couldn't stop talking once he started. He began explaining enthusiastically:
"I heard Lord Luke is going to establish a bank soon! Even people who haven't saved enough money will be able to buy houses. As long as you have good credit, you can get a loan from Lord Luke's bank at very low interest to buy a house. Everyone in Draco is saying that house prices will keep rising in the future. Especially the closer you are to Lord Luke, the higher the price. If you don't buy now, you won't be able to afford it later."
Sam nodded thoughtfully.
Before long, they passed through a simple "checkpoint."
It was really just a small guard post by the roadside with soldiers on duty, but they only glanced over and didn't stop them.
After passing the checkpoint, the view suddenly opened up.
A massive square appeared before them.
Sam was completely stunned.
Around the square were all kinds of shops. The buildings were exquisitely constructed, with layouts, styles, and structures completely different from traditional Westerosi houses.
So shops had entire glass walls, revealing rows of dazzling goods inside. Others had huge signboards with vivid, lifelike images. So had people in strange, colorful outfits standing at the doors trying to attract custors.
In Sam's eyes, this was like arriving in the divine realm.
At that mont, a particularly beautiful piece of music reached his ears.
The music was grand and majestic, yet carried a sacred quality, as if it ca from the heavens and from the depths of the soul at the sa ti.
It pierced Sam's ears and struck straight into his heart, leaving him frozen in place.
He felt as if he were standing on a cloud, overlooking so divine kingdom.
The feeling was indescribable.
He felt ashad of himself, like a country bumpkin!
The driver saw his dumbfounded expression and broke into a bright smile.
"Shocking, right? When I first heard this song, I was even more stunned than you. At the ti, I happened to see Lord Luke's carriage procession passing by. It felt like I had entered the divine realm and seen the gods themselves."
Sam nodded blankly.
He was completely speechless.
The old driver continued explaining, "This is Music Square. Every evening after dark, music is played here. If you want to watch magical moving pictures, it's best to co early and secure a front-row spot. Lord Luke occasionally shows movies or television dramas here — they're amazing."
"Those are all magical epics!"
Sam finally ca back to his senses.
He couldn't hold back any longer and decided to get off and walk.
He took five copper coins from his pocket and handed them to the driver.
"Thank you."
The driver accepted the coins with a smile. "No need to thank ! Young brother, Draco welcos you! Lord Luke welcos you!"
With that, he pulled his rickshaw and ran off lightly.
Sam stood at the edge of the square and looked up.
He swallowed hard.
In the center of the square was a giant "screen."
He stood there for a long ti, watching carefully.
The screen was several n tall and several ters wide. It was currently playing moving images.
First was a recruitnt advertisent.
Soldiers of the Jaqenion Family Guard marched in perfect formation, their steps synchronized and imposing. Their armor glead in the sunlight, their eyes firm and sharp. A passionate voice-over declared: "Join the Jaqenion Family Guard and beco a true warrior!"
Then ca interviews with soldiers' families.
An old woman with a wrinkled face smiled so widely her eyes disappeared as she faced the cara. "My son used to be just a farr who never had enough to eat. Now he's in the family guard. We were given a big house, he gets a monthly salary, and I was even granted the title of honored lady. I receive silver coins every month now, plus all kinds of benefits. I can even attend Lord Luke's banquets! Thank you, Lord Luke!"
The scene switched to daily life in the military camp.
Neat dormitories, clean cafeterias, and bustling training grounds. Soldiers lined up on the parade ground, practiced archery at the range, and sparred in the training fields. Smiles were on every face, and light shone in every eye.
Then ca training footage.
Soldiers climbing obstacles, scaling walls, crawling through mud. Sweat flew everywhere, but no one complained.
Next ca bloody battle scenes.
The Battle of White Ridge Pass.
Two armies clashed, battle cries shaking the heavens.
Jaqenion soldiers ford neat formations, spears like a forest, shields like a wall. Enemies charged, and the two sides collided.
Blades flashed, blood and flesh flew.
In the end, the Jaqenion family banner was planted at the highest point of the battlefield.
Finally ca the commissioning ceremony, knighting ceremony, and bestowal of titles for honored ladies.
Soldiers in brand-new uniforms knelt on one knee before Luke, receiving their knighthoods. Won in fine dresses tearfully accepted their docunts of honor.
Samwell was deeply shaken.
Not only by the content of the images, but even more by the "thod" used to display them.
Was this truly magic?
After the recruitnt ad ca various comrcial advertisents.
Mixue Ice Cream and Tea — that snow-white mascot appeared again, holding a cup of milk tea and smiling sweetly.
KFC — a white-bearded old man waved at the cara beside a bucket of fried chicken.
Swan Velvet Snow — beautiful models in exquisite clothing displayed various fabrics.
Foot-washing parlors, massage shops, bathhouses — all featured real people (handso n and beautiful won) smiling in enjoynt.
After the ads ca a speech by a "city governnt" official.
The note read: "Arthur, Grand Steward of House Jaqenion."
It was a dignified middle-aged man in proper attire, standing in a solemn room and speaking eloquently to the cara.
He talked about Draco's future developnt plans, new policies and regulations, and upcoming construction projects.
Sam listened intently.
Then, Luke Jaqenion appeared on the screen.
The footage flickered through various photos of Lord Luke in different settings.
Daily life — reading in his study, strolling in the garden, standing on a balcony overlooking the distance.
etings — sitting at the head of the table while others reported to him.
Speeches — standing on a high platform, waving to the people below.
Training soldiers — wearing armor and holding a sword as he moved among the troops.
And many close-ups — his smiling face, his serious expression, his thoughtful gaze.
Sam was already extrely familiar with Luke.
Because all across Draco, giant high-definition posters and statues of Luke Jaqenion could be seen everywhere.
The posters were larger than life, the statues incredibly lifelike — every one reminding people: this is Lord Luke's domain.
Most of what played on the giant advertising screen were photos or speeches of Lord Luke.
His voice echoed across the square:
"House Jaqenion rules with virtue."
"My goal is to let more people have enough food and clothing, to keep people away from disease, to gain more wealth, and to live with dignity."
"No matter who you are or where you co from, as long as you have hands and feet, in Draco you can survive — and live better."
"For Jaqenion!"
Sam's heart surged with emotion.
Suddenly, soone patted his shoulder.
He turned and saw a little girl.
She was about ten years old, wearing a special cap and pulling a small rack in front of her.
The rack was neatly arranged with various printed materials: newspapers, pamphlets, and books.
The girl was very polite and smiled. "Hello! I'm a newsboy from the Jaqenion Newspaper. Would you like a newspaper? Two coppers each. This issue has lots of job advertisents, and there are photos of Lord Luke too — perfect for collecting as a souvenir."
She pulled out a newspaper and showed it to Sam.
The newspaper was beautifully printed with clear text. The front page featured a large photo of Lord Luke.
The girl also took out several pamphlets and introduced them knowledgeably:
"This is the latest volu of Lord Luke's Sayings. It collects everything Lord Luke has said recently. Lord Luke is the incarnation of the Seven Gods on earth."
"I also have the newest editions of The Celestial Dragon Epic and The Legend of the Holy Knights — deluxe hardcover versions. Many people are fighting to buy them. I'll tell you a secret: the bookstores are sold out. I still have one copy left. Once it's gone, it's really gone."
Samwell's eyes lit up.
The Celestial Dragon Epic!
The Legend of the Holy Knights!
He had read these two books back in the Reach, but only the first volu.
He had borrowed them from a passing rchant and only had them for a few days before having to return them. But he had been deeply fascinated and read them over and over.
The stories of the Celestial Dragons, the miraculous magic, the great achievents, the noble ideals… they had given this "useless" son despised by his father his first taste of hope.
Coming to Draco had been largely influenced by these two books.
Sam quickly took out several silver coins from his pocket.
"I'll buy them! I'll buy them all!"
The girl took the silver coins and handed him the newspaper, the book of sayings, and the two hardcover books.
"Thank you! Welco to Draco!"
She waved at him and dragged her rack off to serve other custors.
Sam stood there holding the books, motionless for a long ti.
In the distance, the giant screen at Music Square continued playing.
Nearby, people flowed through the streets, every face carrying a smile.
Sunlight bathed this newborn city, making everything seem so beautiful.
Sam lowered his head and looked at the Celestial Dragon Epic in his hands. The cover had golden lettering and a majestic dragon head.
He took a deep breath and stepped forward, walking deeper into Draco.
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