With Newar's head rolling on the ground, the guards near the woodpile moved swiftly, slaughtering the remaining Little Birds.
For them, it was a piece of cake.
Bodies lay strewn about, some still blinking, others twitching slightly.
Blood had already soaked into the wood.
Matthew walked over and delivered a couple of mercy strokes with his sword to end their suffering.
Then, he turned and walked back, picked up his hatchet, and tucked it into his belt.
Looking up, Matthew smiled and took a few steps forward, offering the sword hilt-first back to the guard behind him. Without looking back, he said:
"Let's go. Two more places to visit."
The guards didn't move immediately. They wiped the blood from their blades on their cloaks and sheathed their swords.
Then, they all looked at Ser Imry Florent.
Imry said nothing.
So they looked at Davos, waiting for him to make the call.
Davos nodded and followed Matthew first.
The guards followed suit, trailing at the rear.
Matthew kept a constant watch for ambushes while also monitoring the guards.
Seeing that none of them had eagerly followed him, he felt a twinge of disappointment.
He had taken the risk to reveal his identity, yet no one was moved by his "royal aura" enough to gamble on his future.
Most of these people probably knew that Robert only acknowledged his bastards as his true blood anyway.
Sigh!
Matthew sighed internally.
"No ambition whatsoever. Looks like finding followers is going to be a long road."
But it wasn't a total loss.
At least the disdain in the eyes of these "sheep" guards had faded considerably. They probably wouldn't trouble him on the road for no reason now.
As for the risk of exposing his identity, with Stannis's name as cover, it wasn't a huge deal.
Composing himself, he walked another few hundred steps.
When his large tent came into view, he stopped first to look around.
Once Davos caught up, Matthew pointed to the tent and the small shack to the right.
"There are at least thirteen people in these two places. I don't have armor, so it's up to you guys."
Davos followed his finger, looked, and nodded.
"Fine. But once we handle this, are we done?"
Matthew shook his head.
"There's a tough nut to crack further back. They have crossbows, so we'll need to be more careful."
Davos gave Matthew a long look, begrudgingly impressed by the boy's talent for trouble. To have the Spider target him like this was no small feat.
When the guards behind them caught up, he instructed them:
"One large tent, one small shack. Ser Imry, take five men to the large tent. I'll take three to the small shack. Agreed?"
Ser Imry had no objections. He led four family retainers and headed for the tent first.
Davos followed closely behind, heading straight for the small shack.
Matthew stood his ground, ready to watch the show.
Moments later, both teams approached their targets, drew their swords, and nodded to each other.
Matthew watched as Imry Florent slashed open his tent and charged in with his men.
On the other side, Davos kicked down the door and led his team inside.
The sound of clashing steel rang out first, followed by a series of screams, before everything fell silent in an instant.
Matthew hurried over, wanting to prevent them from discovering the five hundred Gold Dragons the Spider had left him.
Stepping into the tent, the heavy stench of blood hit him in the face.
Seeing the gruesome scene of dismembered limbs, Matthew furrowed his thick brows and couldn't help but look at the guards who were sheathing their swords and joking around.
They were several times more ruthless than he was.
Matthew thought to himself as he scanned the tent.
Then, he saw Harlan lying in the dead angle between the city wall and the stone blocks at the corner of the tent. His eyes were wide open, staring at Matthew, his mouth opening and closing weakly as if trying to curse him.
Matthew strode forward, stepping over ten bloody corpses, and squatted three steps away from Harlan.
"Are you happy to see me?"
Harlan wanted to spit, but he had no strength. Bloody saliva just dribbled out of his mouth.
Disgusted, Matthew drew his hatchet and silenced him permanently.
Wiping the bloody axe on the corpse's clothes, he tucked it back into his belt and stood up.
"Let's go. On to the next one."
Actually, Matthew had already spotted the box of Gold Dragons behind Harlan's body; the guards hadn't touched it.
But with so many eyes watching, he didn't dare move it, nor did he want anyone else to find it. He just urged everyone to leave.
Ser Imry had no desire to stay in the filthy tent. Covering his nose, he quickly led his guards out, following Matthew.
Outside, Davos was already waiting.
Matthew asked:
"How many on your end?"
"Six," Davos replied simply, looking up. "Where are the Little Birds with the crossbows?"
Matthew tallied the numbers and pointed northwest.
"Follow me."
He led the way, taking a shortcut and moving cautiously.
Davos and the guards followed close behind.
Not long after, Matthew stopped and pointed at a dilapidated low shack.
"Look, that's the house. Be careful, they have at least three crossbows."
Davos didn't act rashly. He carefully observed the surroundings.
This was indeed a choke point, guarding the intersection tightly.
If the Little Birds really had crossbows, it was definitely dangerous.
Withdrawing his gaze, he raised his eyebrows and said:
"You wait here for us. Don't go anywhere!"
Matthew shook his head.
"No, I need to go back. I need to pack my things so I can leave here with you later."
Davos glanced at him and immediately ordered:
"Dale, Ser Imry, go with him."
Dale and Ser Imry stepped forward, looking at Matthew.
Matthew shrugged, letting them stare, and turned to walk away.
Ser Imry sneered, nodded at Dale, and stepped ahead to follow closely.
Davos watched the three leave and breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't want those three in danger.
The others exchanged glances but didn't dare object.
Once they were far enough away, Davos scanned the remaining guards and said in a low voice:
"Let's move. Everyone be careful."
The guards nodded and followed Davos as they crept forward.
Meanwhile, Matthew led his escorts back to the tent, stopping and starting along the way. Upon arrival, he immediately said to Dale and Ser Imry:
"Please wait outside for a moment. I'll be out very quickly."
Dale was annoyed, but he wasn't the type to pry into others' privacy.
Ser Imry was exceptionally disgusted by the place.
So, both stood outside.
They didn't believe Matthew could fly out of the tent.
As soon as Matthew entered, he swept the straw mat off the wooden planks and pulled out the clothes he had been gifted back in the Kingswood.
Although there were holes cut by axes, he had sewn them up. They were perfect for use as a bundle.
He folded the clothes, then ran to Harlan's corpse and kicked it aside.
Opening the box, the five hundred glittering Gold Dragons were all there.
Unfortunately, there were too many to carry easily.
So, Matthew immediately bought every rune he could afford.
[Host]: Matthew Waters
[Bloodline]: Baratheon (53%)... Valyrian Dragonlord (5%)
[Attributes] (Standard adult male level is 6):
Height: 176 cm
Weight: 67 kg
Constitution: 6.5 (Endurance, damage resistance, and recovery)
Strength: 7 (Physical power for combat and athletics)
Agility: 7.5 (Reaction speed, balance, and movement speed)
Spirit: 8 (Memory, logical thinking, and perception)
Charisma: 7 (Appearance, personality, and aura)
Mana: 1.5 (Ability to channel elemental forces)
[Skills]:
Swimming (Level 3): You move like a fish in water; your breath-holding and swimming ability far exceed the average person. (52,501/90,000)
Slashing (Level 2): Tens of thousands of focused swings mean every strike is executed with ease. (32,496/60,000)
[Runes]:
Lvl 1 Strength Rune (Active)
Lvl 1 Agility Rune (Active)
Lvl 1 Constitution Rune (Active)
Lvl 2 Durability Rune (Inactive)
Lvl 3 Mana Rune (Active)
[Rune Store (Refreshes weekly at midnight)]:
Lvl 1 Strength Rune: Increases Strength by 0.5 (10 Gold Coins) -- SOLD OUT
Lvl 1 Agility Rune: Increases Agility by 0.5 (10 Gold Coins) -- SOLD OUT
Lvl 1 Constitution Rune: Increases Constitution by 0.5 (10 Gold Coins) -- SOLD OUT
Lvl 2 Durability Rune: Increases the durability of armor and weapons by 1 point (50 Gold Coins) -- SOLD OUT
Lvl 3 Mana Rune: Increases Mana by 1.5 (250 Gold Coins) -- SOLD OUT
Lvl 5 Blast Rune: Five seconds after use, creates a massive explosion covering a 300-meter radius (1,250 Gold Coins)
[Gold Coins]: 171
In an instant, Matthew felt warm currents flowing through his body from head to toe.
His legs, which had still been uncomfortable, suddenly felt light and quick.
Especially his head—it felt refreshed, like rain after a long drought.
"Ooh... that feels good."