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About an hour later, two Gold Cloaks arrived at the front door of the smithy, panting and drenched in sweat.
"Hey, boy, did you see a northerner about your height, with blood on his clothes?"
After catching his breath, one of the Gold Cloaks asked without the slightest courtesy.
"I stayed in the shop the whole time. I didn't see anyone with blood on his clothes, ser."
Gendry answered with an expressionless face, though his tone remained respectful.
"Mm."
The Gold Cloak who had asked the question nodded, then turned to his companion.
"Should we search the place?"
"Search what? I heard even the Mountain got hurt. If we don't find anyone, fine. But if we do find him, do you really think the two of us can handle it? Better to ask a few questions and leave it at that.
Besides, it's already been too long. If he didn't escape, would he really stay hidden here waiting to be caught? He's not an idiot.
If it were me, I would've followed the Street of Steel farther down toward the Mud Gate or Fishmonger's Square. There's more people and more confusion down there. A much better place to disappear into the chaos and slip out of King's Landing.
And besides, the Lannister soldiers sent word a little while ago that they found the criminal's bloodstained leather armor near the Mud Gate.
Here on the Street of Steel, we just ask a few questions for form's sake and move on."
The other Gold Cloak, leaning against the doorway of the smithy to rest, spelled it all out in a low voice, with surprising shrewdness.
"Come on. Let's ask at the smithy next door."
"Ah, our luck is rotten. All the dirty work always falls to us."
"Yeah."
Gendry watched the two Gold Cloaks head to the smithy next door and continued his apprentice's work with the same blank expression on his face.
About an hour later, seeing that the street in front of the smithy had already returned to normal, Gendry stopped what he was doing, took a basin of clean water from inside the smithy along with the supper Master Tobho had left for him, and headed toward the storeroom.
"It's much safer outside now. I brought water and black bread."
Pushing open the storeroom door with his shoulder, Gendry stepped inside and spoke aloud when he saw Robb open his eyes and look at him.
"You can leave now, or you can wait until the morning after tomorrow. Either way..."
"Gendry, you are the bastard son of the late King Robert Baratheon."
As Gendry came closer to set down the basin and the bread, he was still in the middle of his sentence when Robb cut him off with those abrupt words.
His whole body froze the instant he heard them.
Still bent over, he turned his head stiffly to stare at Robb, his eyes wide with pure shock.
"Yes, I'm not joking. I'm Robb Stark, the regent lord of Winterfell.
My father, Eddard Stark, when he was Hand of the King, should have come to see you. I don't know whether you remember."
Robb spoke with complete seriousness.
Gendry set down what he was carrying, straightened up, and answered,
"Of course I remember. Recently, two Hands of the King came here to ask me questions.
But why are you telling me this?"
"Because I know your ambition is not just to be a smith. And also because I said I would repay what you did for me.
Now I'm telling you this so you can take control of your own fate and make your own choice.
You can stay here and keep being a smith's apprentice. Or, in a few days, you can come with me to Winterfell and find out just how far you're capable of going."
After saying everything he wanted to say, Robb picked up the basin of water and began drinking in great gulps.
After quenching his thirst, he used the water that remained to wash the dried blood from his hands, then tore into the black bread without ceremony, filling the stomach that still ached with hunger after all the fighting.
"Heh. A king's bastard... that's too much for me. Let me think about it alone for a while."
Unable to take it all in at once, Gendry let out a short, bitter laugh, put a hand to his forehead, and left the storeroom after speaking.
After Gendry left, Robb kept chewing large pieces of the black bread, almost without tasting it.
The moment he realized that the black-haired boy was Gendry, he had decided to tell him the secret without any beating around the bush.
First, because Robb was the sort who repaid a drop of kindness a hundredfold. He knew Gendry had spirit, and he truly wanted to offer him a better chance.
Second, because he did not want Gendry's royal blood to be used by the Red Woman, Melisandre, to cast curses against him in the future.
Robb was not sure whether those curses would truly work on him. Although he now had Bloodwind and his body had become much stronger, deep down he was still an ordinary man.
Bloodwind!
Suddenly, as if he had thought of something important, Robb stared at the closed storeroom door without moving, his mind lost in thought.
...
In the Red Keep, in the throne room.
Joffrey sat at the center of the hall, high upon the Iron Throne of swords, spikes, and twisted metal, set atop the raised platform.
Narrow stone steps descended from the dais, and a long carpet ran from the throne all the way to the great oak-and-bronze doors at the far end of the hall.
As the saying went, joy lifts the spirit. Joffrey's face was flushed, and he seemed full of energy.
It was true that when his beloved and admired father had died two days earlier, he had been deeply saddened.
But after beginning to taste the power he had never possessed before, he seemed finally to have escaped from an invisible prison.
At that moment, Cersei sat to his right, just below the steps of the throne. Kingsguard, Lannister soldiers, and other armed men were stationed all around the hall.
Jaime, Petyr Baelish, Varys, Janos Slynt, and the others stood below the steps, reporting the details and outcome of the encirclement.
"The fire in Cobbler's Square has already been put out. Some shops were destroyed, and the Gold Cloaks are organizing the smallfolk to begin clearing the area.
The northern criminals are almost all dead. I personally captured Eddard Karstark. As for Robb Stark...
He used Karstark and the others as bait, wounded Ser Gregor Clegane, and fled in the direction of the Mud Gate and Fishmonger's Square. After that, he disappeared."
Jaime delivered his report in a steady voice, but when he reached the part where Robb escaped, a trace of displeasure showed on his face.
After all, that ambush had been prepared in advance and had seemed foolproof. The fact that it had still failed displeased him greatly.
Clap... clap...
Joffrey, who had listened to everything with a smile until then, darkened at once when he heard the rest of the report. When Jaime finished, he rose from the Iron Throne and began clapping slowly.
"You are all truly remarkable. So many men surrounding a dozen traitors... and you still let the most important one escape.
The Kingslayer. The Mountain. Hahaha. What use are famous warriors like you?
I should put a fat pig in command instead of you. Maybe it could tear Robb Stark's head off with its teeth.
A pack of useless fools worth no more than pigs!"
Standing atop the dais, Joffrey grew more and more agitated as he spoke, until he ended up shouting insults at Jaime and the others.
"Joffrey! Mind your tongue. That is your uncle."
Cersei frowned at once and rebuked him.
Down below, Jaime's face darkened and paled by turns. The others, meanwhile, kept their heads lowered, as if none of it had anything to do with them.
"Yes, Mother."
"Lord Varys, as master of whisperers, I imagine you have better news to give me."
Seeing Joffrey calm down and sit once more upon the Iron Throne, Cersei turned toward Varys.
At the sound of his name, Varys lifted his head with a smile and answered in his soft voice:
"Your Grace, before the operation, Ser Jaime's men had already cleared all civilians from the whole area of Cobbler's Square, including my little birds.
It would seem the Starks are very good at hiding. Just like that little Stark girl, Robb Stark also vanished completely, and for now my little birds do not know where he is.
However, there is an inn outside the Gate of the Gods sheltering some accomplices of the traitors. I believe we can arrange for their capture."
"No. That inn is the trap I prepared to catch Robb Stark. We cannot touch it yet."
The moment Varys finished, Jaime was quick to reject the suggestion.
"A trap? Lord Jaime, I heard that inn also houses Robb Stark's giant wolf. And if the same thing happens again..."
At those words, Varys lifted an eyebrow slightly, showing concern.
"Lord Varys, rest easy. I've already made my preparations. This time, there will be no mistakes."
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