Chapter 149

"When I got home yesterday, I went to let my father know I was back—he always insists on knowing after my sword lessons," Arya began, trying to recall. "From a distance, I could already hear King Robert’s booming voice. As I got closer, I heard them talking about Varys... you know, the spymaster. My father seemed to be questioning, ‘Whose side is this eunuch really on?’" She frowned in thought. "When I entered the room to greet him, Father told me to leave. Later, at dinner... oh, I remember! They mentioned summoning Slynt!"

"Summoning him? For what?" Aegor asked.

"How should I know? After dinner, Father sent me to my room. There were guards outside his door all night—I couldn’t exactly stand there eavesdropping."

Aegor furrowed his brow. Arya’s information sounded significant but lacked clarity. The King summoning the commander of King’s Landing’s armed forces could mean many things. Even if it was connected to the rumors, without hearing the key parts of their discussion, it was impossible to discern Robert’s intentions. Was he preparing to act against the Lannisters, or merely asking Slynt about the rumors and the progress in capturing the perpetrators?

Considering the city had remained calm since last night, Aegor reasoned that Robert hadn’t yet moved against the Lannisters. But assuming everything was fine just because Robert hadn’t acted immediately could be dangerous.

Tyrion hadn’t returned yet, but Aegor already had a sinking feeling. Slynt, fresh from an audience with the King, was unlikely to respect someone like Tyrion—a Lannister with no title, position, or real power.

"I’ll get Akun to continue your training with you," Aegor said, turning to Arya.

"No way. I’m waiting for Tyrion to come back," Arya declared, tossing her wooden sword aside. "I want to see how you deal with a bad guy—and I’m joining in!"
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The common folk of King’s Landing might not recognize Tyrion, but the City Watch certainly did. His distinctive appearance, along with his status as a Lannister, ensured that he and his bodyguard, Morris, were quickly allowed entry to the eastern barracks. After following directions from the Gold Cloaks, Tyrion found himself outside the commander’s office.

Composing himself, he smoothed his expression into a diplomatic smile and pushed open the door.

"Lord Slynt, it’s been a while. How have you been?"

"Terrible, too much work to do," Slynt replied, clearly surprised by the visit but remaining seated behind his desk. He made no move to rise or invite Tyrion to sit. "And you, Lord Tyrion? What brings such a busy man to the City Watch?"

"Ah, well, there seems to have been a bit of a misunderstanding between the Night’s Watch office and the City Watch recently." Tyrion, whose legs could not support him for long, didn’t wait for an invitation and pulled up a chair. "As someone in charge, I thought it best to come and clear things up personally."

"Oh?" Slynt’s smile didn’t reach his eyes. "A misunderstanding, you say? What misunderstanding? I’m not aware of any."

"This morning, a team of your Gold Cloaks entered one of the paper mills I oversee outside the city, claiming to be searching for contraband. Could you explain what that was about?"

"Ah, that," Slynt said, feigning surprise. "We received reports that someone was raising private armies and stockpiling weapons and supplies by the Blackwater near the King’s Gate. As Commander of the City Watch, I had to take such matters seriously, you understand."

"Lord Slynt," Tyrion began, keeping his tone polite, "those supplies are provisions for the Night’s Watch, destined for the Wall. The so-called ‘private armies’ are simply factory guards and new recruits undergoing training. Lord Eddard Stark himself is aware of this and has signed the necessary permits. Surely this was just a misunderstanding?"

"A misunderstanding indeed," Slynt said with mock sympathy. "But can you blame my men for being cautious? No one informed us about these arrangements. The Night’s Watch doesn’t fall under my jurisdiction, so how could we possibly keep track of every detail?" He crossed his legs and leaned back. "Of course, now that you’ve explained it, I understand. If we disrupted your operations, I apologize. However, should we receive future reports, I hope you understand that we’ll have to investigate again. It’s our duty, after all."

"Of course, we should’ve communicated better earlier," Tyrion said, suppressing his irritation. "I’ll ensure we’re more transparent going forward. But to show there are no hard feelings, I’d like to offer something for your men’s troubles." He reached into his coat and placed a bond worth one hundred gold dragons on the desk. "A token of appreciation for your soldiers’ hard work."

Slynt glanced at the bond, and his expression darkened. "What is this supposed to mean? Do you think you can buy the loyalty of the Commander of the City Watch for a mere hundred dragons?"

"Not at all," Tyrion said smoothly. "Your loyalty to King Robert is beyond question. This is simply a gesture to apologize for any inconvenience my people may have caused you. Please accept it, or I won’t be able to sleep tonight."

"If you’re losing sleep, you should rest more, Lord Tyrion," Slynt said mockingly. "Why trouble yourself over other people’s mistakes? I’m afraid I can’t accept this. If there’s an issue, have that young apprentice of yours come see me. She’s quite elusive—won’t even respond to my invitations."

You lecherous butcher. Don’t even think about it.

Tyrion’s temper flared, but years of experience managing the Night’s Watch industries had taught him restraint. Taking a deep breath, he forced a tight smile and retrieved the bond. "Very well, I’ll pass along your words. My young associates will decide how to proceed."

"Excellent," Slynt said with a smug grin. "Now, if you’ll excuse me, Lord Tyrion."
----


The City Watch headquarters was just across the street from the Night’s Watch office, so it wasn’t long before Tyrion returned, tossing the bond onto Aegor’s desk.

"He didn’t take it," Tyrion said flatly.

Arya, strangely excited, clapped her hands. "Great! Now we can discuss how to get rid of him!"

"Do you always enjoy planning people’s deaths so much?" Tyrion sighed, giving her a side-eye. "But really, who does this Slynt think he is? I thought he was a commoner—how does he have such an inflated sense of self? Did anyone bother investigating his background?"

"I’ve gathered some information," Nina interjected. "Slynt’s father was a butcher. After being unexpectedly promoted to Commander by King Robert, he behaved for a short while before indulging in corruption. Jon Arryn once considered removing him, but Robert supposedly said, ‘It’s better to have someone obvious than a hidden snake. The next one might be worse.’ So Slynt kept his position and became even more brazen after Jon Arryn’s death."

"Better the devil you know," Tyrion muttered, shaking his head. "It’s absurd logic. An incompetent brute like Slynt only undermines the throne. And because of Robert’s misguided tolerance, we’re stuck dealing with this mess."

"Two thousand Gold Cloaks and the King’s support make him a tough nut to crack," Aegor noted. "But now that we know his background, we can find ways to target him."

"Exactly," Tyrion said, a sinister grin spreading across his face. "Robert might tolerate him, but Eddard Stark won’t. If we present the Hand with evidence of Slynt’s crimes, I doubt he’ll hesitate to act—even if it means clashing with the King."

Arya puffed out her chest proudly. "That’s right! My father doesn’t back down, even to the King!"

"Then let’s gather that evidence," Tyrion said, his tone darkening. "That butcher’s son thinks he can mock me? I’ll have him removed within three days, or I’ll start writing ‘Lannister’ backward."

"Support, support, support!" Arya cheered, practically bouncing in her seat. "Now let’s figure out how to take him down!"
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