Littlefinger watched the eunuch's plump figure disappear into the darkness before he finally exhaled.
Only in the shadows of the brothel, only in his own domain, did Littlefinger feel a slight sense of security.
Varys had been operating in King's Landing for too long; who knew where the Spider's Little Birds were, and that feeling of being spied upon was not pleasant.
But there was one good piece of news Littlefinger had clearly confirmed: Varys also craved chaos.
The several "Children" born of the lion's adultery, rather than true stags.
The secret Old Jon finally learned was bound to be known by Varys, but the cunning fat man never spoke of it, always feigning ignorance.
Varys always gave the King and the Hand some true and false information to show his loyalty and to show that he still had capabilities.
But the true powder keg in King's Landing, Varys never mentioned.
"Varys is not to be trusted," Littlefinger thought.
In a sense, the two men occupied the same ecological niche.
Littlefinger and the Spider were both amiable, always smiling, and appeared to be everyone's friend.
Both came from humble origins, with no family background to speak of, no vassal Lords, no mighty castles, no ancestral inheritance, living on the King's favor.
Littlefinger's core advantage was his flashy financial tricks, while Varys's core advantage was intelligence.
But precisely because of this, Littlefinger dared not trust Varys, especially behind the chaos.
He did not know what Varys sought, just as Varys found it difficult to see through him.
But none of that mattered; Varys would still cooperate with him in creating trouble for the Seven Kingdoms.
"Eddard is coming too," Littlefinger thought of the name.
He recalled Eddard's long, troubled face, which always seemed to carry a hint of sorrow.
"Poor Eddard, you are more like an Arryn than a Stark.
High as Honor, High as Honor," Littlefinger murmured.
"But in this game, you are either a player or a pawn."
High as Honor was a good phrase; it was under Old Jon's rigid pursuit of honor, and with Old Jon's promotion, that Littlefinger's courage grew bolder.
If he had met a true Stark like Cregan, the "Wolf of Winterfell," he might have already met the stranger.
Littlefinger gently lifted his green velvet tunic, revealing an ugly scar on his chest and abdomen, the healed flesh crawling like a centipede.
This was a "gift" from Brandon the "Wild Wolf," which had always accompanied Littlefinger.
Many years ago, Petyr challenged Brandon, who was much older than him, to a duel for Catelyn.
Brandon easily won but spared Baelish's life at Catelyn's request.
Catelyn never spoke to him again after that and burned every letter Petyr wrote to her after Brandon's death.
Littlefinger could never forget Brandon's gaze, full of disdain and contempt.
Brandon did not kill Littlefinger, but Littlefinger could never move past that day.
"The North Remembers! And I will never forget."
Every time he saw that wound, Littlefinger felt he saw the path forward again.
Those who humiliated him, those who despised him.
"The Starks didn't kill me, so I will use the rest of my life to take revenge on this ugly world.
I will climb, climb to the highest place."
Littlefinger felt ambition burn within him like fire; he could not give up.
At this point, there was no reason to give up.
All four quartermasters were Littlefinger's men; the royal accountants, the assayers, and even the heads of the three mints were his nominees.
Besides that, the harbormaster, tax collectors, customs officials, road toll collectors, shipmasters, and wine merchants—nine out of ten were his people.
The backgrounds of these people were similar to Littlefinger's: sons of merchants, minor nobles, and even foreigners.
Littlefinger was not satisfied; master of coin seemed to be the limit for now.
Unless there was a new opportunity, new chaos, that could give him a new position.
"Tywin, Renly, Stannis, Eddard, and that half-dead kraken.
They think they are the rulers and great men of the Seven Kingdoms, but they haven't realized who started the war; it was little people like me who pushed for it."
Littlefinger had always cautiously observed the kingdom's situation; the stag's dynasty itself was unstable, coupled with a King who was a Bastard who only loved hunting, Tourneys, fine wine, and delicacies.
The Direwolf and the lion were at odds, the stag brothers were at odds, the sun was discontent, the Rose was discontent, the kraken was also discontent, and as long as Old Jon was removed, the situation in King's Landing would spiral out of control.
Thinking of this, Littlefinger couldn't help but feel a little smug.
"Oh, right, I mustn't forget the new opponents appearing on the chessboard."
Littlefinger's eyes lit up.
He remembered the King Across the Narrow Sea; presumably, once the chaos began, these people would also eagerly join in.
Littlefinger also thought of the huge, towering trebuchet Across the Narrow Sea; the King's Bastard had once threatened him with it.
The Child was wild and robust, and at certain moments, he always reminded him of the long-dead Brandon, a threat brought by a warrior.
But what of it? Littlefinger only felt that the Child could not play this game well.
His outward assertiveness and coldness only showed that he was still a Child.
Once Volantis and Lys took action, that boy would be too preoccupied to deal with him.
Just then, Littlefinger heard a knock at the door again.
"May I come in, my Lord?"
"Come in."
Littlefinger recognized the voice; it was his newly recruited Free Knight.
Rosso Brenn's appearance was ordinary: grey hair, a snub nose, and a square jaw, with a robust and strong build.
Littlefinger understood that family background and martial prowess were his weaknesses, but he had not given up on using gold to recruit talented individuals for his own use.
Rosso was wearing patched brown breeches and a weather-beaten leather vest; only his pair of leather boots might still be worth some money.
"How was the gold?" Littlefinger asked with a mischievous smile.
Littlefinger was short and of average build but had a handsome face.
He had grey-green eyes, a small tuft of beard on his chin, and dark hair streaked with grey.
Littlefinger knew he was not as dazzlingly handsome as Rhaegar, Robert, or Brandon in their youth, so Littlefinger used his amiable smile and humble demeanor to enhance others' good impressions of him.
"Great," Rosso Brenn replied dully.
"Then why haven't you changed into better clothes?" Littlefinger asked him.
"I'm used to it," Rosso remained expressionless.
"As long as you are loyal to me, I can give you better and more gold."
Littlefinger laughed louder; he appreciated such men.
A middle-aged man, ordinary in appearance, calm, silent, and very loyal, with excellent martial skills.
"Yes, my Lord, I only want gold," Rosso replied coldly.
"I hear you were once a distant relative of the Brenn family?" Littlefinger asked.
"Not when they threw dung at me.
My only faith is in gold, and as everyone knows, you are one of the wealthiest men in King's Landing."
"Very good, I like your loyalty."
Varys's power came from intelligence, and his own power came from gold.
Littlefinger was very satisfied with such down-and-out Mercenaries who only cared about gold.
"You can follow me directly.
Soon, there will be a lively Tourney in King's Landing; you can participate as usual, and if you win, the gold is yours."
"Yes, my Lord," Rosso's replies grew shorter and shorter.
Littlefinger was very pleased with his new subordinate, but he did not completely trust Rosso.
He had other subordinates, and he would have them monitor each other...
Across the Narrow Sea, in the courtyard of the Wolf's Den, archers were practicing shooting in rows.
The grey and white Wolf Pack banners fluttered in the wind, like relaxed wings.
"Nock! Draw!"
"Loose!" Black Billy shouted.
The Arrow Maker watched these taxi soldiers shooting arrows with interest; Longbowmen were essential on a land battlefield.
The soldiers shot at the targets, the arrows whistling, seemingly without end.
----------------------------------
I've already posted 30 new chapters on Patreon!
If you like the story and want to reaad more, please visit my patreon. Every support is very meaningful!
[patreon.com/Kazenova223]
Thank you very much!
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"