"Hah... hah... phew..."
Matthew sat on the ground, gasping for air.
The stout Harwin sheathed his sword, looked at the shaken Matthew, kicked the headless corpse aside, and asked:
"What happened to you just now?"
He had clearly seen Matthew zone out in the middle of combat.
Matthew looked up, met Harwin's stern gaze, shook his head, and lowered his gaze, his pupils flickering uncertainly.
Seeing Matthew remain silent, Harwin immediately looked at the unconscious Little Bird nearby.
"What's wrong with this guy?"
He squatted down, reached out, and checked the Little Bird's breathing.
Harwin's frown deepened. He looked back in shock:
"He's dead."
Matthew turned around, also shocked.
He crawled over to the Little Bird, checked his breathing, and peeled back an eyelid to confirm the pupil was fixed and dilated. Dead as a doornail.
How did this happen?
Matthew looked at his hands, completely confused.
But upon calling up the system panel, he discovered the Mana stat had dropped to zero.
Even the Spirit stat had dropped to 7/8.
Was it magic?
Matthew shook his head, which was throbbing slightly, unsure if that was the case.
But he wasn't a sentimental man.
Slapping his head, Matthew picked up his axe and hacked at the Little Bird's neck three times, severing the head completely.
Kicking the head aside, he wiped his blood-smeared face and said to Harwin:
"Whatever happened to him, he's definitely not coming back to life now."
Harwin gave a thumbs-up and grinned.
Matthew punched him lightly on the shoulder, laughed, walked to the shack, and knocked on the door.
"Little Fish, it's Matthew. Come out."
Little Fish lowered the hands covering his ears and listened again.
Confirming he hadn't misheard, he rushed to open the door, hugged Matthew, and cried continuously.
Matthew patted his head and smiled:
"Stop crying. Let's bury your father quickly, and then we're leaving this place."
Harwin curled his lip but didn't object. Instead, he looked around and cursed:
"This shithole... where can we even bury anyone?"
Matthew said directly:
"Bury him right inside the house. When Little Fish comes back later, he can find him easily. I'm sure Uncle Matt would prefer to rest in his own home."
Harwin couldn't hold back his laughter, rocking back and forth.
"Who wouldn't want to rest in their own home? Oh wait, thieves wouldn't like it. Wonder what they'd think if they knew they were sleeping on top of a dead man?"
Matthew ignored him. With Little Fish's help, they dragged the fisherman Matt's body back inside.
Once inside, he called out:
"Come help."
Harwin was just about to step in when Davos arrived with his men.
Seeing the corpses on the ground, Davos asked:
"Everyone okay?"
Harwin lowered his head.
"Close call."
He glanced at Ser Imry, then quickly moved to stand behind him.
Ser Imry's face was sour.
Davos didn't bother with the drama. He looked into the shack, saw Matthew inside, and walked over.
Seeing Matthew digging a hole, he asked puzzledly:
"What are you doing?"
Matthew pointed at Little Fish, then at the body on the ground.
"I'm taking Little Fish with me. It's best to bury his father here. Will you help?"
Davos wanted to scold him, but seeing the child look up, the words died in his throat.
Instead, he walked out.
Outside, Davos opened his mouth several times before finally saying:
"Let's all go inside and help."
Though unhappy, Dale was the first to go in.
Ser Imry didn't move, crossing his arms and lost in thought.
Davos glanced at him but said nothing, going back inside himself.
Three adults and one child worked for quite a while, digging a sufficient pit and burying the man.
Afterward, Matthew had Little Fish kowtow three times to Davos and his son.
Dale smiled happily, holding his head high.
Davos just smiled briefly, then looked at Matthew with a grim expression.
"You want to take him?"
Matthew nodded firmly, his eyes resolute.
"If he stays, he won't survive. The Spider won't let any loose ends go."
Davos took a deep breath. Seeing Matthew's determination, he said in a low voice:
"Remember this: on the road, you take care of him yourself. No one else will look after him."
Matthew didn't care. He patted Little Fish's head.
Seeing his warning didn't work, Davos turned and left.
Dale followed, patting Little Fish's round head as he passed.
Matthew followed behind, holding Little Fish's hand, exiting the door to join the group outside.
The others ignored them.
Only Ser Imry sneered, though for once he kept his mouth shut.
"Move out."
Davos gave a single glance and led everyone north.
---
Away from King's Landing, the surroundings became desolate.
Rolling hills and endless plains, nothing but weeds and woods.
There were fewer people on the road, but bandit activity increased. They were as numerous as rats in the night.
However, bandits picked their targets carefully.
Seeing Matthew's group armored, armed with crossbows, and numerous, they didn't dare approach.
Matthew noticed quite a few bandit traps along the way.
Several times, Davos nearly led the men into them. Thanks to Matthew's sudden sense of danger and timely warnings, they avoided disaster.
It was a pity Imry wasn't leading the way.
Matthew was quite disappointed about that.
And so, the group continued, each harboring their own thoughts.
Even upon reaching Stokeworth, the bandit situation didn't improve much.
Large fields, small villages, petty thieves everywhere—it was rampant.
The only thing worth mentioning was Castle Stokeworth.
It stood proudly on the plain, flying a banner with a green field and a white lamb holding a golden goblet, looking down on all living things.
But Davos just glanced at it and led the team straight past without stopping.
Compared to King's Landing, Castle Stokeworth really wasn't worth mentioning.
Only Ser Imry kept comparing it to Brightwater Keep, using the opportunity to belittle Matthew, chattering incessantly.
The guards laughed loudly, kissing up to him as if he were actually funny.
When they finished laughing, they would occasionally kick Little Fish in the butt for amusement.
Little Fish dared not cause trouble and endured it silently along the way.
But Matthew was sick of them.
Just as he was about to snap, he sensed danger again.
"Stop."
He pulled Little Fish away from the harassment, ran forward, and shouted to Davos.
Davos raised his hand, signaling everyone to halt.
Just then, several arrows shot crookedly from the grass.
But the rusty arrowheads hit the guards' thick breastplates, sparking harmlessly.
Little Fish jumped at the sound, hugging Matthew's leg tight, but he didn't cry. His big eyes were wide and round as he looked around.
Instantly, voices erupted from the grass.
"Run! Run..."
Imry cursed, leading his guards in a charge.
Dale ran after them too.
Only Davos, Matthew, and the child remained.
Davos shouted desperately for them to return, but only Dale came back. The rest scattered.
Seeing this, Matthew actually hoped Imry would run into an ambush and die at the hands of the bandits.
Unfortunately, they didn't chase for long before returning, cursing all the way.
Wearing heavy armor, they couldn't catch anyone.
Davos glared at them, unable to hold back anymore.
"Have you forgotten our mission? Forgotten the Duke's orders?"
He was no longer the Onion Knight, but an angry lion.
"Anyone who dares act recklessly again can get lost! I will write a letter to the Duke detailing exactly what you've done."
The guards straightened up instantly, holding their breath and reining in their behavior, daring not to joke around anymore.
Davos scrutinized them, huffed coldly, gave Ser Imry a deep look, and turned to leave.
Ser Imry was embarrassed but couldn't flare up. He had to endure it with his lackeys.
Further ahead was more wilderness.
Not long after, the sun rose from the wilderness.
The red morning sun was unforgettable. Dale and Ser Imry cheered.
Matthew just found them noisy, pulling Little Fish aside.
It's beautiful ahead, why can't you just appreciate it quietly?
But they didn't stop to rest. Davos seemed only interested in marching.
Matthew had to carry Little Fish on his back from time to time.
Dale would occasionally help out.
Passing through small villages and trampling countless flowers, the group finally stopped outside Sow's Horn.
The sun hung high overhead, bringing scorching heat to Westeros. No one could withstand it.
Under a hill, Davos sat on a rare patch of barren sand, drinking from his waterskin, soaked in sweat.
"Damn ghost summer."
Ser Imry, lips cracked and dry, sat on the rock Dale was leaning against. He couldn't stay idle, cursing with a bitter face.
Maybe the rock was too hot and burned his butt.
Little Fish leaned against Matthew. Though his head was down, he was peeking at Ser Imry, thinking he looked like a fool.
Suddenly, an arm came down, clamping his head and blocking his view.
Little Fish looked up.
Matthew said nothing, leaning against a square stone, the corner of his mouth hooked in a smile.
He was tired and had little energy to manage the child's mischief, so he nipped it in the bud to avoid trouble.
The stats on his system panel were slowly recovering.
Mana regeneration was exceptionally slow, maddeningly so. It felt like it might take months or even a year to fully recover.
Matthew noticed it and was disappointed, but not confused.
That was just how this world was.
"Looks like I have to wait for the Red Comet to return," Matthew muttered to himself.
He really wanted to understand that mysterious power that let him kill the Little Bird earlier.
But that seemed unlikely now.
Matthew sighed, gathered his thoughts, and continued scanning the surroundings.
His ears listened to the group boasting, but his eyes were already on the pitifully small Sow's Horn.
This was the furthest he had ever traveled.
But nothing was as fun or fresh as he expected; in fact, it was quite disappointing.
Aside from the fresh air, these places had nothing to offer.
After resting for an hour, Matthew felt like he had taken a sweat bath.
Perhaps Davos also felt that resting here was a mistake. He slapped the dust off his pants, stood up, and ordered everyone to move out.
They skirted around Sow's Horn without alerting anyone.
To passing travelers, it looked like Davos leading some followers north.
Some mistook them for Night's Watchmen, avoiding them like the plague.
Their words were full of "crows" and mockery.
This nearly caused Dale and Ser Imry to draw swords on them, but thanks to Davos, violence was prevented.
Later, no one paid them any attention. They couldn't even beg for water.
Coincidentally, at dusk, they actually encountered a group of Night's Watchmen, escorting criminals from the south.
Some wore black cloaks, but most were in rags, looking like beggars.
Not many people, but they had horses and a wagon cage for prisoners.
Seeing people ahead, one of them spurred his horse over, shouting:
"Brothers ahead! Got any food?"