New chapter! Thanks for all the support!
x
Blood Pact Points +5
A portion of red mist, greater than what he would obtain from an ordinary person, seeped into Robb's body.
With it, his strength recovered somewhat, and his injuries healed somewhat.
Although he had made some noise inside Ilyn's house just moments ago, this was still the poor and chaotic district of Flea Bottom. Even if Ilyn had still had his tongue to cry for help, it was hard to imagine any neighbor coming to investigate.
Because of that, Robb did not leave immediately.
Instead, he crouched down, picked up Ice from the ground, and began examining it carefully.
Forged of Valyrian steel, the sword reflected the candlelight with a cold gleam. One glance was enough to tell how sharp it was.
The blade was wider than a man's palm, with a blood groove running from the center to the tip. The crossguard near the base was as dark as black smoke, and the hilt had no unnecessary ornamentation.
The impression the sword gave was simple:
A weapon made purely for killing.
It could truly be called the ancestral sword of House Stark.
In the past, Eddard had always guarded it with extreme care and had never allowed his children to play with it.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Holding it in his right hand, Robb swung it several times with force.
He could wield it with one hand, but due to its size and proportions, it felt far more natural to use with both.
Afterward, he picked up its new scabbard and sheathed it.
Before, the sword had always been carried in a fur-covered sheath, borne by a man assigned solely to that task.
Now, Ilyn had adapted it into a leather scabbard wrapped in black cloth, far more practical to carry.
With the main matter settled, Robb removed the dark blue robe soaked in the smell of alcohol and threw it aside.
After searching through the house, he found one of Ilyn's black tunics and put it on.
While looking for clothes, he had a small pleasant surprise. He found a pouch containing more than forty silver stags.
It wasn't a great fortune, but it perfectly solved the humiliating problem of having no coin on him.
Dressed in black, with the massive sword strapped across his back by the scabbard's harness, Robb looked, at first glance, like a true executioner.
Then he picked up the short dagger he had thrown at Ilyn and, using the still-fresh blood spread across the floor, wrote a line on the wall.
After finishing, he nodded in satisfaction, went downstairs, opened the front door, and, seeing the street was empty, walked out of Ilyn's house as naturally as if nothing had happened.
Although the house stood on the edge of Flea Bottom, it was not far from Aegon's Hill.
With that grim appearance, the wretches lurking in the shadows of Flea Bottom would not dare bother him.
All Robb needed to do was avoid the Gold Cloaks, who patrolled with little enthusiasm.
At the top of Aegon's Hill stood the Red Keep, the ultimate symbol of the realm's power.
At the foot of its walls spread a large district of elegant mansions and luxurious residences.
Those who lived there were, for the most part, members of King's Landing's powerful elite.
Because of that, as Robb walked those streets, he saw far more Gold Cloaks patrolling in pairs.
Even at that late hour, carriages still moved back and forth.
From some of them, muffled feminine laughter could be heard.
"Hey, you there. What are you doing?"
When Robb reached the street of his next target, a pair of Gold Cloaks noticed him standing in the shadows and immediately approached to question him.
"Lord Jaime Lannister sent me to deliver a message to Lord Janos Slynt. Can you tell me where he lives?"
Seeing the guards approach, Robb subtly adjusted his posture and answered calmly, lying without the slightest hesitation.
"Lord Slynt's house is that mansion over there.
But... a message at this hour? Where's the letter?"
Upon hearing the name of the Kingslayer, the Gold Cloak immediately pointed toward the large mansion ahead.
Only afterward did he sense something odd and ask again.
"As Lord Jaime gave the order, I came to carry it out.
As for the letter... do you really want to see it?"
Robb replied firmly, his right hand already moving toward the hilt of the dagger at his back.
"I want—ghk, ghk!"
The man barely began to speak.
Robb's right hand moved in a flash, and the dagger slit his throat.
The guard's neck opened like a sliced fruit, spilling a torrent of red "juice."
"Ungh! Ungh!"
The other guard, who had not spoken until now, froze in shock at the scene.
He was about to draw his sword and shout, but Robb had already anticipated it.
The moment he killed the first man, he shoved the body into the second, covered his mouth with his left hand, and began stabbing repeatedly into the left side of his neck.
After killing both men, Robb quickly scanned the surroundings.
No one had seen that dark corner swallow two lives.
Thanks to the guards themselves, he now had confirmation of the second target's address:
Janos Slynt, commander of the Gold Cloaks.
After wiping the blood from his hands, Robb walked toward the large house ahead.
And it was indeed far too grand a residence for a mere commander of the city watch.
As he approached, he saw a luxurious three-story mansion with a garden in front.
And, being the coward he was, Janos had even used his authority to station two Gold Cloaks as guards at his door.
The two guards, however, clearly were not taking their job seriously. They leaned against the door, yawning and chatting.
For Robb, dealing with them was almost a courtesy.
Using the same trick as before, pretending to be Jaime's messenger, he gained entry.
One minute later, he dragged the two guards' corpses inside the property and began exploring the mansion.
From the information he had, Janos made a massive fortune through bribery and openly selling positions.
The house confirmed it perfectly.
The grand hall on the ground floor was filled with fine wines, expensive food, antiques, and luxury items everywhere.
The first floor contained the banquet hall. No bedrooms.
Robb carefully moved up to the second floor.
There lived Janos's three sons and his daughter.
His eldest was a squire, and the other two already held respectable posts arranged by their father.
To avoid any complications, Robb entered their rooms silently and killed them in their sleep with his dagger.
When he reached the third floor and arrived at the master bedroom, lit by candlelight, he immediately saw the short, heavyset, bald man sleeping soundly on a feather bed beside a beautiful Essosi woman with exotic features.
Janos's lawful wife had died under unknown circumstances, and since then he had frequently changed mistresses.
Although the woman was, in truth, nothing more than collateral damage, Robb showed no mercy.
"Hey. Wake up."
After killing the mistress, Robb pressed the dagger to Janos's throat and called to him in a low voice.
"Hm?... Ungh!"
Still groggy, Janos was about to scream when he recognized the figure holding the dagger—but Robb had already covered his mouth.
"If you scream, you'll end up like her. If you understand, blink."
Hearing that, Janos turned his head and saw the mistress lying there, her throat slit, soaking half the feather bed in blood.
He began blinking frantically.
"Good. I need you to write something for me."
Robb slowly released Janos's mouth and spoke in a calm tone.
"Can you guarantee you won't kill me after I write it? And... that you won't harm my children either?"
Janos understood the situation perfectly.
The moment Robb let go of him, he did not try to shout.
Robb nodded and answered with absolute seriousness:
"I guarantee it. After you write it, I won't harm your children.
And I'll make sure your whole family is together."
x
x
x
If you're enjoying the story so far, consider supporting me on Patreon ❤️
You'll get weekly early access to chapters, along with some exclusive content:
https://www.patreon.com/cw/TheDevotedReader