"Davos, come here for a moment."
Once his mind was made up, Stannis summoned the Onion Knight.
Davos walked over, his face serious, and bowed his head. "My Lord, what are your orders?"
Stannis pointed at Matthew, who was waiting nearby, and said:
"Select eight men to stay in King's Landing. Cooperate with his operation and wait for an opportunity to assassinate Littlefinger."
Davos glanced at Matthew and replied:
"If we do that, you'll have too few guards. That's dangerous."
Stannis waved his hand, insisting:
"I understand, but I'll be sailing back to Dragonstone immediately. There won't be much danger. Just obey the order."
There were some things he didn't say.
At sea, if danger struck, numbers wouldn't matter.
Just like his parents—their ship sank right on the doorstep of home, and not a single soul survived.
"I understand."
Davos glanced at Stannis's cold, hard face and accepted the order.
Stannis was a man of iron will; once he decided something, there was no changing it.
Davos knew this well and didn't waste words.
Stannis grunted an acknowledgment and sent Davos to pick the men.
Davos turned to leave.
Watching Davos's retreating back, Matthew rubbed his fingers together, feeling a surge of excitement.
Just then, Stannis looked over, his thick brows furrowed. His deep blue eyes, dark as the ocean, narrowed slightly as he said:
"Tell me your advice."
If not for the wind flapping the cloak against his slightly balding head, he would have looked quite the imposing figure.
Matthew smiled back, pointed at himself, and replied:
"Beware of 'Little Birds.' The Spider loves to scatter his little birds right under the noses of nobles. He's been watching you from the shadows the whole time."
Stannis lifted his chin and asked directly:
"Can you tell me who here is a Little Bird?"
In that moment, his nostrils seemed more prominent than his face.
Matthew shook his head.
"I don't know. But they are usually children. Keep a close eye on the orphans around you, and you'll figure out who it is."
Stannis simply nodded, seemingly gazing at the stars emerging in the night sky.
Matthew didn't know what he was thinking, so he stayed quiet.
A moment later, Davos returned and called out:
"My Lord, the men are assembled."
Stannis turned to leave.
After three or four steps, he stopped, looked back at Matthew, and said:
"Follow me. I'll introduce you to the men."
Davos was surprised.
Stannis wasn't usually one for such gestures.
Was there something special about this kid?
Looking at Matthew, he didn't spot anything unusual—just black hair, black eyes, and a build larger than most children his age.
For a split second, Davos had a presumptuous thought:
Perhaps my Lord wants a male heir.
But who didn't?
It was just a pity Lady Selyse Florent wasn't... fruitful enough.
Davos awkwardly looked away, pursed his lips, and stopped thinking about it, following closely behind Stannis.
Matthew was cut off by Davos and had to trail at the very back.
Walking to the front of the cabin, a row of men stood on the left side, backs to the wind. Their cloaks were either plastered against their backs or blowing up over their heads.
Matthew saw it and had to stifle a laugh.
Stannis glanced at them and ordered them to move out of the wind immediately.
The guards looked embarrassed, adjusting themselves with various small movements as they shuffled to the cabin entrance.
Stannis's eyes were like sharp blades, inspecting them.
After scanning them again and again, he finally said to Matthew:
"These are the men who will assist you. They are all outstanding and loyal. Imry Florent is my wife's brother, a brave man..."
At times like this, once he started talking, he wouldn't stop.
From left to right, the named guards beamed with pride, puffing out their chests and heads, soaking up the praise.
Matthew could even see in their eyes that they hoped Stannis would never stop.
Matthew, however, begged to differ.
Too much nonsense. Stannis only mentioned their loyalty and bravery, saying absolutely nothing about their actual skills.
It felt like he was just showing off.
Amidst the dense chatter, Matthew focused on memorizing their names, which was hard enough.
However, he also noticed a problem.
The people around Stannis were mostly from House Florent.
The eight men selected were likely either bastards or sworn swords, with the Florent sigil embroidered on their cloaks. And they were all ugly.
Ser Imry Florent even had his family crest engraved on his armor—gold and silver intertwined around a gem, incredibly eye-catching.
Only Davos's son wasn't one of them.
This situation was painfully similar to Robert's!
Matthew didn't understand what Stannis was so happy about.
It just went to show that he really wasn't a politician, and certainly not fit to be King.
Giving Stannis a deep look, Matthew held a moment of silence for him in his heart.
Davos seemed to notice Matthew's thoughts and gave him a gentle kick.
When Matthew looked over, Davos was staring straight at Stannis as if nothing had happened.
When Stannis finally finished his long-winded speech, he even clapped along with the guards.
Matthew had no choice but to follow suit.
Stannis looked at Matthew. Seeing his good attitude, he showed a rare smile and said:
"Disembark, then. I await your good news."
"In the name of the Seven, we will complete the mission."
Davos led the guards in taking the oath.
Then, the guards walked off the warship one by one.
Matthew followed closely behind, blending in perfectly.
Davos was the last to leave.
Stannis pulled him aside, whispering some private instructions.
However, Matthew couldn't shake the feeling that when Davos returned, the look in his eyes had changed. It was... weird.
He wanted to ask, but Davos just looked toward the bow of the ship.
Stannis stood at the bow, watching them leave.
But whenever his gaze landed on Matthew, his eyes—dark and pained like open wounds—flickered with a complex mix of emotions.
Pride, disdain, appreciation, annoyance, and confidence all swirled together.
"Set sail!"
Pulling himself together, Stannis turned his head and gave the order.
Immediately, the sailors at the bow raised the anchor, untied the ropes from the pier bollards, and shouted:
"Set sail!"
The command reached the cabin, and the rowers inside began to pull.
The warship slowly drifted away from the dock, heading toward the center of the Blackwater Rush.
Leaning on the gunwale, Stannis felt the ship sway, but his gaze drifted back to the ten people on the shore.
He wasn't the only one watching.
Suddenly, Matthew felt a malicious gaze on him.
He whipped his head around and saw a small figure crouching near the bow of the ship.
Seeing he was discovered, the figure immediately tried to hide.
"Catch him! Quickly!"
Matthew shouted at Stannis instantly, pointing in the direction the figure was fleeing.
There weren't many children on the ship, and even fewer standing at the bow.
Stannis reacted fast.Following the direction of the finger, he spotted the Little Bird trying to escape.
He hadn't expected to catch one so soon.
"Seize him."
Stannis ordered the remaining guards around him.
Hearing the command, the Little Bird drew a knife and charged straight at Stannis.
But the guards were faster. With one swing of a sword, the assassin's arm was severed.
Hearing the Little Bird's scream, Matthew looked left and right, then grinned at Davos standing beside him:
"That might be the most beautiful sound in the world."
Davos looked at him with disgust and confusion.
For the first time, he felt this child's nature was truly cruel.
Seeing this, Matthew spread his hands and laughed:
"This is my revenge. You wouldn't understand how I feel right now, my Lord!"
Ser Imry led the others in laughter.
Dale felt awkward and wanted to give Matthew trouble.
Davos, being an experienced knight, didn't want to get entangled in this. He held his son back, changed the subject directly, and asked in a low voice:
"So, what is our next move?"