"What flaw is there?" Varys said with dissatisfaction.
"The way you treated Aegon is completely different from how you treated Viserys and Daenerys. The moment Aegon appears, even a fool would grow suspicious," Tyrion sneered.
"What is there to be suspicious about? Viserys and Daenerys were exposed to Robert's sight, while no one even knew of Aegon's existence. Sacrificing them was only natural, wasn't it?" Varys said.
"You think that's natural?" Tyrion turned to Jaime.
Jaime shook his head. "I never believed Varys could be loyal to the Targaryens, or rather, that branch descended from Aerys."
"The first time I saw Aegon on the Rhoyne, even though he had dyed his hair and changed his identity, I immediately guessed who he really was.
Others might not be as clever as me, but once Aegon appears before the world, everyone will have their doubts," Tyrion said.
"Ser Connington and Lady Ashara both believed it," Varys argued.
"So you think fooling two honest people means you can fool the entire world? If I close my eyes, does that make it night?
Let me tell you the proper way to do it.
Raising Aegon like that was fine. But you should have put some effort into Viserys and Daenerys as well.
Create a false identity to get close to them, perhaps as a steward from Starfall. Make sure they are fed, clothed, and educated on how to be a prince and princess. Then reveal a little information about Aegon to them.
Even if Robert knew of Aegon's existence, so what? The world is vast. Where could he find him?
Later, even if you wanted Viserys and Daenerys to serve as expendable pawns, they themselves would not suspect anything, and others would find it perfectly reasonable."
Tyrion stared at the stunned Varys, his expression turning mocking as he continued, "With the cunning of you and Illyrio, it would have been easy to patch this flaw if you truly wanted to. Yet you didn't. Illyrio even hinted to me directly that both the red dragon and the black dragon are dragons.
Heh, that only shows you never truly cared about the title 'son of Rhaegar.' You wanted to restore the glory of the Blackfyres the moment you took the Iron Throne.
The leaders of the Golden Company must also know Aegon's true identity.
That's why I say you're fools. Fools who think everyone else is a fool, mere pieces to be manipulated, while only the two of you sit as the fat players behind the board."
Varys said excitedly, "But we almost succeeded. Daenerys believed it, Aegon was crowned king. It was only because of a one-in-ten-thousand accident, running into that unreasonable Stannis."
At the mention of Stannis, his face twisted with hatred, his teeth clenched in rage.
"She believed it?" Tyrion shook his head with a bitter smile.
"Aegon is already in heaven. What's the point of discussing this now? Let's continue clearing the tunnel," Jaime said impatiently.
With that, he raised his torch and walked ahead. The other two fell silent and followed behind.
"In the first half of the tunnel, we stuffed thick wool into the sheep's mouths, blindfolded them, and drove them forward. But in the latter half, especially near the Red Keep's cellar, we must avoid triggering traps," Jaime explained as they walked.
"Can't we keep using sheep to scout ahead?" Tyrion asked absentmindedly.
Varys shook his head. "One reason is the noise when traps are triggered. Another is that some traps cause cave-ins.
If a section of the tunnel collapses, not only would the path be blocked, but the disturbance would be enormous. Half the castle would feel the tremor."
"I see," Tyrion said. "How are you detecting traps now?"
"With bellows to blow away the dust."
They kept moving forward. In just a few hundred meters, they avoided more than twenty traps, all set by Varys himself.
Finally, when they reached the edge of the upper crypt, the view brightened. Two whale-oil torches were fixed into the stone walls. A windmill creaked as it turned, and dust filled the air, making everything hazy yellow. They could vaguely see two small figures.
As they approached, the dwarf realized there were actually three children. One was older, about twelve years old, holding a hand-cranked bellows taken from a blacksmith's forge.
A wrist-thick, dry bamboo tube was attached to the front of the bellows. Another younger boy held the hollow bamboo and swept it back and forth across the ground.
Airflow shot out from the tube, stirring up clouds of dust from the dirt floor.
The last boy lay flat on the ground, his dark eyes glinting sharply in the dim light. Like a hawk searching for prey, he looked for every trace of disturbed soil.
"Almost all trap triggers are buried underground, but not too deep. They rely on a person's weight to activate them. If buried too deep, their sensitivity decreases.
So by blowing away the dust on the surface, you can at least identify signs of digging," Varys explained.
"What's the detection rate?" Tyrion asked.
"Seven little birds have already died. Traps like pitfall holes and bear traps are buried deeper and are harder to detect.
Fortunately, we are mainly concerned about traps that cause collapses from explosions. Those are usually triggered by thin wires and are buried very shallow."
Varys's eyes carried sorrow, but his lips curled in a faint smile, like a serene statue in a temple.
"You really are ruthless," Tyrion said coldly, mocking him. "No wonder you've suffered retribution. Castrated in youth, crippled in middle age. Your later years will surely be grim, and after death, you'll fall into the seven hells."
"No, no, no. I will go to heaven," Varys said cheerfully, pulling out a small pouch embroidered with a silver seven-pointed star from his chest.
"The merciful Mother saves all beings. I am one of them, a devout believer. When the world is at peace, I even plan to join a monastery."
Then he pointed at the children working ahead. "I'm not cruel. They all have indulgences.
What joy is there in life? What suffering is there in death? In this cold, dark, starving world, it's better to go to heaven and enjoy sunlight and fruit."
"That's quite a fine idea. Keep working hard. Perhaps when you reach heaven, the Mother herself will warmly welcome you," the dwarf said with a strange smile.
If the Mother doesn't send you to hell, I'll take your surname.
At that moment, Jaime found another bellows and tossed the dwarf a pair of goggles and a scarf. "Put these on and come help."
"The Mother be merciful. Didn't you hear what the eunuch said? Seven have already died. I don't want to die," Tyrion said, backing away.
"I told you before we came. You have Valyrian steel armor, so I need your help. If you're not clearing traps, are you here to entertain us with jokes, or perform obscene tricks with your fingers?" Jaime snapped.
"Can't you just bring in more of these little birds?" Tyrion shouted.
"Heh, heh, heh," Varys laughed like a hen that had just laid an egg. "And just now you said I was cruel and destined for hell."
The three working children turned back, staring at the dwarf with numb, emotionless eyes.
Tyrion gave them an awkward smile. "Your uncle has three little 'friends' that can put on a show. Want to see them fight?"
As he spoke, he stepped forward to the edge of the safe path, crouched down, and said to Jaime with a grin, "My sister was right. Technology and magic are the primary productive forces."
"What?"
Jaime was still confused when he suddenly watched in horror as the dwarf's right index and middle fingers seemed to melt like wax. They stretched, deformed, reddened, then dropped to the ground with a soft plop, turning into two red worms about thirty centimeters long and as thick as a little finger.
"Hiss!" The worms raised their heads, their tiny mouths splitting open to reveal rows of fine, sharp teeth.
"Ahhh!"
The three children had never seen such a grotesque sight. They dropped their tools and ran, screaming.
"Crack!"
Suddenly, a sound like snapping sugarcane echoed ahead, followed by a boy's agonized scream.
Startled, two of the children ran backward, while another panicked and ran forward, stepping straight into the trap zone. A bear trap the size of a basin clamped down on his lower leg.
The force was immense, its cold, blue-tinged teeth razor sharp. The boy, malnourished, had legs as fragile as twigs.
With a heavy snap, everything below the knee was bitten clean off, held together only by strips of flesh.
The dwarf froze. Jaime turned his head away in pain. The fat eunuch reacted instantly. Shooting Tyrion a cold glare, he swiftly drew the short crossbow from his waist, pulled the string, and fired.
Thud.
The bolt struck the boy's eye socket.
The piercing screams echoing through the empty tunnel abruptly stopped.
"What are you doing?" Tyrion snapped, turning back to glare at Varys.
"He was screaming too loudly. It might have attracted the guards above," Varys said, putting away the crossbow. He signaled to the other two boys, who, suppressing their grief, stepped forward to carry their companion's body.
As they passed Tyrion, their eyes were filled with hatred, yet also fear. They carefully avoided the two red creatures writhing on the ground.
Tyrion ignored their resentment and stared coldly at the eunuch. "You could have just covered his mouth. Was it necessary to kill him?"
"His leg was gone. Better to go to heaven than suffer in agony," Varys sighed.
"Your leg is crippled and you've lost your manhood. Why don't you go enjoy heaven?" Tyrion replied coldly.
"I can't afford to support the disabled. I used to maintain a large network of little birds with funding from the king and Illyrio.
Now I have no income, and the cost of living rises every day. Those who can't work only burden the others," Varys said bitterly.
"Sigh. It's also your fault for suddenly making those two monstrous worms. Even I felt my scalp tingle. How could the children not be terrified?" Jaime said, looking at the dwarf's missing fingers.
"I intended to use sorcery to detect traps, to reduce the sins you commit. Instead, I've added another sin of my own," Tyrion said with a pained expression.
"You should have warned us first," Varys sighed.
A long silence followed. Only the crackling of the whale-oil torches could be heard.
With the children gone, the dust gradually settled. A thin layer of ash covered their hair and clothes, but the air became clearer.
Varys coughed lightly, breaking the silence. Pointing at the wriggling creatures on the ground, he asked, "Those two little things came from your fingers? How do they detect traps?"
"Do you know about wyrm-worms?"
With a thought, Tyrion sent the two slender creatures slithering forward. He followed them to the location of the bear trap, where they began to burrow underground.
(End of Chapter)
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