Two thousand Gold Dragons?
Matthew hadn't even dared to dream that big.
He had simply wanted to test if Varys really intended for him to die, and maybe swindle five hundred dragons out of him in the process. He hadn't expected to hit the jackpot.
But this money wouldn't be easy to earn.
Starting tonight, Wald and the others would undoubtedly stick to him like glue.
"I have to find a way to keep them calm until a month from now, then kill them."
Matthew's gaze drifted past Varys to Wald and the others, who stood like statues holding their crossbows. A ruthless determination hardened in his heart.
Varys hadn't even asked why he failed to report the wildfire earlier. That omission was proof enough—Varys definitely didn't plan on letting him live.
With no room for wishful thinking, Matthew was forced to become cold-blooded.
"Thank you for your support, my lord. I will find a way to complete the mission. Please just wait; it will take two months at the most."
He withdrew his gaze and replied seriously.
It was as if his earlier hesitation was merely him assessing whether his partner was reliable.
Varys saw right through it but couldn't be bothered to care. He turned to leave, instructing as he went:
"Wald, come with me to get the money. The rest of you, go back with Matthew."
Wald glared at Matthew, lowered his crossbow, and followed closely behind Varys, disappearing slowly into the woods.
Now, only the other two were left staring at Matthew.
Harlan was as silent as ever. Newar was still the same clown, winking and making faces.
Matthew walked over and gave Newar a hug, glancing at the small cluster of bushes they had been hiding in.
There was actually a pit dug there. No wonder it could hide three people.
Raising an eyebrow, he patted Newar's tattered clothes and asked:
"Was it Lord Varys who arranged for you to come along this time?"
Harlan suddenly looked up at the moonlight, his eyes shimmering as if holding back tears, and replied:
"It wasn't Lord Varys. It was Wald's request."
Newar gave Harlan a strange look but nodded in agreement, rubbing his nose as he explained:
"Varys only asked for Wald. But Wald felt there was something off about you today and thought more people would be safer, so he called us over on purpose."
Matthew wasn't surprised, but he still frowned.
He knew the days ahead were going to be tough.
Newar was sharp enough to see Matthew was unhappy. He squeezed his shoulder reassuringly.
"Don't worry, Wald wouldn't dare try anything. We were all trained personally by Lord Varys. Besides, you nearly died trying to complete a mission earlier. Wald doesn't have the authority to touch you."
Matthew felt the warmth but didn't believe a word of it.
The "Little Birds" were a relatively loose spy network. After training, they were organized into squads of thirteen with only one captain.
Aside from the captain, everyone was scattered across their assigned territories and rarely met.
Normally, team members only contacted the captain to report intelligence, and the captain reported to Varys alone to avoid exposure from frequent activity.
But to prevent defection, they used a system where everyone watched everyone else.
In that regard, any Little Bird could go directly to Varys.
Brainwashed from childhood, these Little Birds weren't normal people.
If the original owner of this body hadn't died, he would never have questioned Varys's decisions until his dying breath.
Therefore, if anyone acted suspiciously, whoever discovered it would report them to Varys without hesitation—or just execute them first and report later.
Their loyalty was beyond question.
Whether these three knew him or not, whether he had served well or not, none of them would lift a finger to help him if Varys wanted him dead.
He knew this all too well.
So, Matthew just shrugged and played along with Newar, joking with a smile:
"Ah! Wald, that little snitch, is so annoying. sometimes I wonder if he's actually a little girl. Shame he's so ugly."
Newar looked at Matthew's face, scratched his butt, and laughed.
"Being ugly isn't so bad. It's easier to live longer."
---
The road back to the Fishmarket wasn't easy. Matthew stumbled along at the back of the group.
Directly in front of him was Newar, the chatterbox.
"Matthew, you and Wald never got along since we were kids. Always fighting. I didn't think it would still be like this."
Newar hadn't seen Matthew in a long time, and his tone held a hint of nostalgia.
Matthew didn't take the bait, continuing to walk in silence.
To him, it felt like crocodile tears—annoying and fake.
Seeing Matthew ignore him, Newar suddenly turned around, grabbing his hair and waiting for him.
Matthew stopped involuntarily and asked coldly:
"Why did you stop?"
Newar stared at Matthew for a long moment without speaking.
Standing in the wind, Matthew felt a chill on his back. His hand unconsciously tightened near his waist as they stared each other down.
Only after Harlan urged them on did Newar grin. He walked up to Matthew's left side, supporting him, and said:
"Don't be mad. I shouldn't have praised Wald. But rest assured, brother, I'm on your side. back when Wald led people to bully us, you were the one who led the resistance. I still remember that."
Matthew glanced sideways, his thin lips twitching slightly. His expression remained cold, nothing but cold.
He wondered what Newar was up to now.
Varys had practically signed his death warrant; he didn't believe for a second that Newar didn't know.
And yet, here he was playing the "brotherhood" card. He was probably trying to fish for information.
That fit Newar's style perfectly.
He was best at extracting intelligence through casual conversation.
Perhaps Newar didn't believe there was really wildfire in King's Landing and wanted to find a crack in the story so he could kill Matthew right then and there to claim the credit.
Thinking of this, Matthew's gaze grew even colder.
If he slipped up, he'd likely lose his life before he even got a chance to assassinate Littlefinger.
No one knew better than him that the "wildfire" and the "Alchemist" were just lies to buy time.
In this moment, Matthew hated the deception even more and yearned for freedom.
Just wait one month. Once he had his armor and weapons, once he had protection, he would leave immediately.
To hell with the Spider, to hell with Littlefinger, and to hell with King's Landing!
Matthew cursed internally but forced a smile on his face as he said to Newar:
"Yeah, it's been a long time. Two and a half years ago, when I was dying, I actually dreamt of those days. back then, I beat Wald so bad... I remember he had to lie in bed for a month."
Newar stole a glance at Matthew's expression. Seeing him relax, he continued smiling and said:
"Yeah, you were really tough. You were so skinny a gust of wind could blow you away, but you had so much courage."
Seeing Matthew's expression remain unchanged, he laid it on thicker:
"I suppose only you would dare promise Lord Varys to kill Littlefinger. I wouldn't even dare to think about it, especially using wildfire. When the time comes, will the Alchemist teach us how to use it?"
Matthew raised an eyebrow and smirked, looking smug.
"Small matter. Once I get the wildfire, I'll teach you how to use it. I already know how, but it's dangerous stuff. Explaining it now won't do much good."
He patted Newar on the chest and made a casual promise.
But he didn't reveal a single piece of useful information.
Newar turned his head away with a smile, the corner of his eye twitching.
He didn't believe Matthew could have contact with an Alchemist in the shabby Fishmarket.
But Matthew stuck to his story without a single crack. Newar didn't dare make a move.
Newar knew very well that Lord Varys wanted Matthew dead, but he wanted Littlefinger dead even more. He couldn't disrupt the plan.
Otherwise, he would be the next one to die.
"Ah, let's just hope our operation goes smoothly, right, Matthew?"