Chapter 20: Grand Manipulation

[ Arthur ]

The person in hiding came out and I was surprised about who it was. Robert Baratheon. Immediately I started calculating the risks of killing him.

Ah. This sucks, if it had been anyone else I would have killed them too and cleaned up this mess.

Now, this just became way more troublesome than intended, if my hawk had been here then such a problem wouldn't have arisen as he would have noticed Robert and notified me. But there was no use crying over spilled milk and I had to think of something new on the spot.

Right now, even if I wanted to kill him I wouldn't be able to do so. Because he had his hammer in hand and while he didn't seem to be on guard against me, I was severely weakened due to the aftereffects of the Strength Potion, and even with the help of magic right now there was a good chance that the one dying would be me.

This would develop into a mess that I won't be able to clean up.

Instead of taking a violent approach, I sighed in exhaustion. Then with a sad smile on my face, I said to him, "You know when I went to Essos I had it good in the beginning. Fighting, fucking and all that… then these little snakes start coming around and spying on me."

He didn't say anything but just smiled at me. "Heh, maybe I should come there and help you."

No, you will have a war to fight here. Though I thought that, I didn't say anything about it. I contemplated using magic, but once again decided against it.

Though the Magic I had been using today was of the weak kind that mostly just consumed stamina, if I continued using it then it would start taking away my lifespan. Or as it was known in this world, as Life Fire, that was the term most Mages used.

I was not ready to sacrifice that, I wouldn't put this body that I had worked so hard to build. Plus the reputation wasn't copyable either. Unless it was a last resort, I would never use Magic too much as it will start delving into dangerous territory.

But also, I was worried about another thing. Would my resurrection spell even work? I hadn't tried it on anyone and in theory it should work. Magic in this world wasn't a math problem, 11 in Magic didn't always equate to 2.

If this body dies right now the hawk was nowhere near to pick my soul either. Though it would turn immediately once it felt that I had died, would my soul be preserved? Would I lose my memories? Maybe the hawk will be shot by some hunter while it was carrying my soul. Nothing in this world was ever guaranteed, less so something as wild as Magic.

Even if this succeeded and I took over one of my children's bodies, then due to people no longer being afraid of me they might hunt down my family to take my riches.

Robert also has his uses…

"Sometimes it feels like I am surrounded with vipers out there," I complained to the man who I had manipulated into thinking he was my friend. Since this situation had come up, I better set up the foundation and deepen the friendship between us.

"If one day you become someone with authority, you will see that the people you can trust lessens the more powerful you become."

I could see Robert's instincts and posture relaxing as he was listening to my story. He understood that I didn't kill someone recklessly as soon as I said that. Robert even had the gall to joke.

"Heh, the most authority I will ever have is managing the Stormlands. Which I will leave to someone else and just go and make a Sellsword Company."

"Heh, then I will be your first client," I joked back with him, even though I wouldn't ever let him become that. I had put in too much effort in this friendship for him to end up as some nobody on the other side of the sea. I looked at the body of my dead subordinate and kicked him hard.

"Fucking piece of shit," I swore at the man, trying to show that I was still angry to Robert. "I gave this guy shelter when I found him naked in the roads of Pentos… and this is how he repays me? Sending letters to my enemies."

Robert came close and looked at the body, he gave a mighty slap on the back that almost knocked me over. I was still weakened, so that slap was quite powerful in comparison. He didn't seem to notice that and just smiled at me. "C'mon now, it was just one bad apple, no need to think all of your soldiers are scum like him."

"I just gave them so much and they betrayed me. *sigh*... I will take care of the body, you can go to the other lords, Robert. I will take care of this." I said sadly as if I was still getting over the pain of this guy betraying me. Well, his family will be toast now too. I will make an example out of them.

"Are you sure you don't need help?" he asked, offering me to help get rid of the body. I shook my head in denial, there was no need for him to get involved.

Then I just stared at Robert's back as he walked away. Does he sympathize with me? Because it seemed like he did. It seems like the friendship I built with him might be quite stronger than I had initially thought. Which was a good thing.

It was good that he was inexperienced at these things. I also learned something today, pity was truly a powerful weapon. If someone pities you, then they are very easy to mold into the shape you want.

After making sure that no one was around I crouched down and touched the dead body and used a spell, the corpse turned into a strange dark liquid that soon evaporated. It was truly a shame to lose such a skilled young man.

The bullshit story that I told to Robert was fake. I just picked this guy because I knew where his family lived. Men are willing to sacrifice their life for something like money or what they believe in. But they won't sacrifice their family too.

Sighing, I stood back up and did some stretches to try and ease my muscles that were still in pain.

I should go and take care of things on Bravos, some things required one to do them by himself, and by now everything should be in place.

Walking down the Ravenry Tower, many plans came into mind and I tried to think of a way to execute them.

...

[ Aman I ]

(Iron Bank Council Member) 

Some people were born lucky and some were lucky to be born. That was what my father used to say. Looking around, I was sitting in a dark room with eight other people. We were the main council members of the Iron Bank, we controlled it from the shadows.

Even while meeting each other, we all wore masks to protect our identities from being discovered. Just in case one of us got captured and tortured for information.

This was mostly an old tradition from the old times when Valyria was still around. Now, it was more of a traditional ceremony as I knew some of the identities of the members here.

We must continue keeping up with the times as now the Valyrians are no longer around. Instead, we now use spies and try to get an advantage against each other. We were the game masters and the others were tools, they just didn't know it yet.

Suddenly the doors of the room opened and the last member needed for the meeting to start came. Each of our masks had a number carved on it, from one to nine, of course, there was a 10th member that always only joined from the outside. He was the guy who we used as an excuse that even normal people could achieve a high position. Though in reality, this was something that could only be inherited.

The 10th member had a blank mask, and he sat on his seat on the round table. "You are late number ten," number two criticized him. Here, we could only call each other by number. The numbers don't mean power, but instead who was the most senior member amongst us.

"Sorry, it won't happen again," number ten apologized sincerely. We all understood that time here equals money and we couldn't waste time as that would be the same as throwing money away.

"Finally that scum is dead. I say we immediately kill his family before they have a chance to escape," said number five, the irritation was clear in his voice.

Number five had always been mad at that upstart, Arthur Fray. Or should I say Arthur Redhawk? I guess it doesn't matter now.

. "We must not act recklessly. We know that even though Arthur Redhawk had enemies… he had even more friends," uttered number one, with a raspy voice that truly showed his age,

Number eight snorted. "Well he killed his enemies, that is the only reason he had more friends."

Some of us laughed at the joke but others didn't. Then number ten interfered with his usual calm voice. "Was the death confirmed."

Then I took this chance to speak. "Yes, my spy confirmed it."

"My spy in his mansion also said that they got a message that he is dead," number two added wearily. He always was overly cautious at these things, afraid that his enemy would come back from the grave.

Still, though, number two was impressive. I thought I was the only one with the spy in the Redhawk mansion that hadn't been killed.

The others politely nodded along and then we got back to discussing how we will take over Arthur's businesses and assets. This was something I had prepared extensively, that man might have been an up-start, but he was also rich.

I must concentrate on taking over his shipping system, which would make me the most powerful man in Braavos. Finally, I could also kill these guys and finally take over the Iron Bank and have it controlled by only me and my family.

A dozen minutes passed and we were discussing how we would separate the assets "equally" amongst ourselves. Meaning we won't be giving number ten anything and then the east was each for themselves.

"I paid for the assassins," number two remarked, trying to make a case for himself.

"And I made sure that none of the staff or his spies got any word of this. You think that was free?" I needed to be headstrong with what I wanted and I don't care if it took years.

I will get my hands on those ships. Even if everyone else wanted them too, then I will outlive all of these fuckers.

Then in the middle of the discussion between me and number six on who will take over, number ten intervened. "I think you guys should calm down. I have a proposition… let's just take this slowly…"

We calmed down a little and looked towards number ten to listen to what he had to say. I don't give a crap what he had to say, I just had to act cordial so the others didn't use it against me later on in an argument.

Then number ten takes a flask from under his robe and puts it on the table. "You guys don't need to argue, because you are all going to die here."

When we heard that for a second I was in shock… No, everyone else on the table was in shock too. Number ten took out a needle and pierced the flask.

*fwosh*

Gas came out of the flask, soon I felt my vision start getting blurry, darkness claimed me…. nNONONONONO I CAN'T DIE LIKE THIS!

Baam!

I fall on the ground and even head some other bodies fall too. This isn't fair… life is so unfair. We were supposed to be the dragons, the predators, how can we die like this...

...

[ Number Ten ]

I looked at the others falling and the sense of joy I felt was exhilarating. Just some time ago I used to be nobody, but here I was now, killing the strongest people on Braavos.

They thought that it would be smart to not bring guards here, that it was unneeded since we were deep within the premises of the Iron Bank. We were deep underground where the most secure vaults were so nothing was happening down here. These men had worked a lot to keep all of these meetings secret.

Seeing their dead bodies on the ground, I couldn't help but feel like my worries were washing away. The nervousness before I did this had been unsurmountable, but right now I am relieved like never before. This was the start of my story.

I smiled while starting to walk outside the room, taking off my mask in relief. Also, the one who helped pull this said that Arthur Frey was alive, and I Trusted that source because it was Arthur Frey himself! He told me to do this!

He assassinated the previous number ten and put me in charge. I went from an unsuccessful merchant to the soon-to-be boss of the Iron Bank. While I will still be under Arthur but as the boss of the Iron Bank and the public not knowing about our secret partnership, he still can't give me orders that I don't want to follow. So the relationship was one of equal partners.

As I walked out of the chamber, the big hallways with high ceilings greeted me with the light barely able to get. But as I did so, dark clouds appeared in front of my eyes and my legs lost their strength

*Baam!*

I fell on my knees, losing all the power in my is going on?!

A strange liquid came up my throat and I couldn't help but cough out something in my hand.

*Cough!*

Looking at the palm I used to cover my mouth, it was covered in blood. What?... Am I poisoned? But before entering the room I drank the antidote given to me by… Arthur… Redhawk… that bastard!

*Cough!*

I spit out blood and tried to get up, but I only face-planted into the ground.

Damn it. Damn you Arthur Redhawk!

I barely turned my head, and when I did so I noticed a red hawk, the one that had delivered Arthur's orders had landed in front of me. The bird stared at me with a strangely intelligent gaze.

...

[ Arthur ]

Through the eyes of my hawk, I looked at a man's dying face and confirmed his death, before disconnecting our sight.

I returned to my body, skin changing was a truly convenient branch of magic. The smile that came onto my face as I docked my ship was exhilarating, taking a deep breath I got ready to go back to Braavos, not to kill my enemies but take everything they have.

Now I was just going there to take over the Iron Bank that they worked so hard to make richer…

"Hahahaha~" I chuckled a little and went back into my room on the ship.

All according to plan.

==================

We see that Arthur isn't going back to Essos to fight against his enemies.

They were already dead in his eyes, he is returning to Bravos so he can effectively and efficiently take over the Iron Bank with no one meddling in his affairs. If they do…. Well then…

PS: Arthur's hawk-like eyes are really useful for noticing things that no normal human would be able see.

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