The bustling King's Landing is not friendly to those who have nothing.
The first day was alright.
But as soon as night fell, the problem of sleeping immediately presented itself.
Any decent-looking place requires clean and tidy clothes and a heavy purse. Even dilapidated inns require copper coins.
And you have none.
Sleep on the street, in an empty lot, or in a corridor?
What are you thinking?
Once discovered by the Gold Cloaks who patrol day and night, those guys won't be polite. It's possible to be beaten to death on the spot.
Your only option is to huddle in a corner of a flea-infested den, preferably joining a beggar gang.
But even then, you have to be constantly wary of theft and attacks from others. People with nothing will do anything.
Oh, and absolutely do not get sick or injured.
Mosquitoes, heat and cold, and your companions can smell weakness, and then they will show you their fiercest and darkest side.
If you are lucky enough to survive this, congratulations, you can consider finding a stable source of food.
Good begging spots are not places for a newcomer like you.
The porridge and bread given by The Faith on behalf of The Gods are not enough for so many people in the flea-infested den.
If you rely solely on this method to get by, you will either starve to death within a few days and be unable to walk into the sunlight, or you will be completely buried outside the sunlight by your "companions."
Of course, you can also try to earn money by working, thus completely getting rid of your beggar status.
Easy and pleasant jobs won't be available to you, but working as a laborer at the warehouse docks can earn you 1 Copper Star a day, which is 16 copper coins.
A piece of black bread mixed with pebbles only costs 1 copper coin.
Two pieces a day is enough for a person to barely survive. If you're doing heavy labor, four or five pieces are enough.
16 copper coins, 16 pieces of bread, such a meager yet heavy number.
But even this is only theoretical.
The bastard son of the prostitute, after more than half a month of suffering, finally realized: reality is only more cruel than people imagine.
That trial in the Throne Room pushed him into true hell.
He lost his only support.
When he walked out of the Red Keep gate, he kept his head down tightly, afraid that he might accidentally see his mother among the rows of heads on spear tips that he used to admire.
Lucky or unlucky, the Gold Cloaks guarding the Red Keep gate returned his knife, only charging one Gold Dragon as payment.
He was penniless.
He tried to go back to the brothel he used to hate but couldn't leave, but he was mercilessly driven out within a few breaths.
He lived with his only two friends for two days, but was then abandoned.
Then, he went all over the city looking for work, and finally only the docks needed people. Docks are docks, what else can he be picky about?
But he didn't expect that even manual labor was so complicated and dark.
He couldn't get the 16 copper coins every day at all.
First, when paying, even if there were no mistakes in a day's work, the foreman would deduct 2 copper coins, saying it was for wear and tear. If there were mistakes, it would be even worse.
Then there were the gangs at the docks.
They claimed to protect the safety of the dockworkers and demanded half. With swords and fists in front, who dared not give?
At this point, he could still have 7 copper coins left, such a lucky number.
He named them after The Seven Gods - Father, Mother, Warrior, Maiden, Smith, Crone, Stranger.
There were many fish catches at the docks, but they were all much more expensive than black bread, so he could only watch with longing.
Entering the city from the docks, the Gold Cloaks worn by the city gate guards were exceptionally dazzling. They also wanted a little "respect," also half.
What is half of seven?
He knelt down in public and kowtowed, begging bitterly.
"Have mercy, my lord, have mercy..."
Sometimes the guards would laugh heartily, looking like they were enjoying it, and generously let him into the city.
Sometimes they were not very happy, and the scabbards they thrust out had deadly force, and then they would snatch all the copper coins from him.
Sometimes, they would playfully ask for one copper coin.
He would present that "Stranger."
Stranger, take them away early, they do not belong to the human world, they should live in fire and lava, the seven layers of hell.
He could only comfort himself that it was at least better than the beggars in the flea-infested den.
Until a week ago...
A Silver Stag jingled and rolled to his feet, and the Little Beggar immediately threw the memory he just had to the back of his mind.
A Silver Stag! Seven Copper Stars! So many copper coins!!
"May the old and new Gods bless you! Thank you for the reward, milord, you are truly a benevolent and great person!!"
The Little Beggar was so excited he kept kowtowing.
He was already thinking about how to hide this huge fortune. He couldn't take the Silver Stag back to the flea den; that would be asking for death.
The milord who gave him the Silver Stag spoke, "An adult wants to see you."
The Little Beggar slowly raised his head.
An ordinary-looking man in his thirties with calm eyes was standing in front of him.
...
In a remote, deserted alley, Joffrey was listening to Tyrion recount the experiences of the chosen youth over the past half month.
"...After that, a knife he carried was coveted by the thugs at the dock. Unexpectedly, he refused to give in no matter what and instead drew the knife and injured two of them."
Tyrion admired the youth's courage a little, but also thought he was too impulsive.
"He fled back into the city, and no one hired him anymore. He had no choice but to be a beggar for over a week, until now."
Joffrey was very satisfied. It was good that he didn't give in, otherwise he would have been useless.
A subtle sound came.
An inconspicuous man led a skinny youth into the alley entrance.
Joffrey silently observed the youth.
Tyrion played the role of "that adult."
"Little fellow, don't be nervous. It's just that there's something you can help with. What do you think?"
"Just give the order, milord."
The youth awkwardly bowed, slightly lowering his head to glance at the "adult" who was even shorter than him, then fixed his gaze on Joffrey.
The expensive fabric he wore, whose name he couldn't recall, with vibrant and intricate red and gold patterns, set off a face that made one feel ashamed of oneself. He was clearly a high-born important person. But the most crucial thing was that he had seen this young adult in the Throne Room.
In an instant, many things came back to him, and his lips tightened more and more.
Law! What kind of law!
Tyrion sensed the youth's emotional fluctuations.
"Do you want revenge? Having lost your mother and fallen to this state, who do you hate the most?"
The youth thought of that disgusting guy, but he had already killed him with his own hands. That guy's wife? The dock gang? The Gold Cloaks? The beggar gang? The brothel? The friend who changed faces?
He had many options, but the last figure in his mind was that cold-blooded lord who stood ramrod straight in the Throne Room.
He knew that guy's name, Stannis!
Joffrey saw the fire in his eyes.
After a brief, unequal transaction, Joffrey affixed a Mirror Image of a Solid Rune to the youth's knife and also bestowed upon the youth Mirror Images of the Solid Rune and the Fire Rune.
The Secret Personnel, who had been silent all along, quietly left with the youth.
The alley returned to silence.
After staring at the alley entrance for who knows how long, Tyrion suddenly spoke up.
"Are you so confident in him?"
Joffrey shrugged.
"I only know that he has no other choice. All his pent-up anger will only be unleashed on the target."
Tyrion said nothing more; he also understood the reasoning.
Yes, the youth who had been found was already doomed. What could this little fellow do?
A beggar, even if he successfully reported it, no one would believe him. He couldn't escape either. The most he could do to resist was to do nothing, struggling to wait for death to arrive.
But would he do that?
Let go of the greatest enemy he could think of?
Tyrion sighed.
Stannis, you truly are an unlikable fellow.
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