Chapter - 21

As I gazed at the strange scene unfolding before me, Fenrir, my faithful direwolf, was chasing a bear; which was not the unusual part.

The unusual part was that the bear was on fire - not in the way one would expect, but more like an anime character powering up.

Reflecting on how we got to this point, it had taken five more exploding bears before I finally figured out what I was doing wrong. Basically, I was trying to implement the changes slowly, but that was the main flaw. Instead, I needed to create and replace the existing system as fast as possible.

That's why I was surprised when the next bear I tried to change exploded in a different way. Instead of a shower of gore it was a literal explosion of fire. The bear was alive and tried its best to run away. The situation was so surreal that I didn't react, but Fenrir was hot on the bear's tail. The bear was considerably faster than before but still not as fast as my direwolf.

I seemed to have successfully created a magical heart in the bear, but I could still see some major issues. Although initially, the bear seemed immune to its own fire, prolonged exposure started to negatively affect it. Its fur was almost charred, and I could smell cooked meat.

Fenrir caught up to the bear and tackled it to stop it from getting further away. That seemed to be the trigger as the fire stopped, and the bear immediately went limp. I ran up to check on the bear because this was the most progress I had made.

After a quick scan, I was able to decipher that although I had created a working dragon heart, I had only partially implemented the magic circulatory system into the bear. The fire was the magic escaping through the incomplete channels, destroying most of the bear's internal organs.

While I could have saved the dying bear, it would have been a waste of time and effort, as I had already gathered enough information to begin my experimentation on humans.

I had spent several days getting to this point, and it was clear to me that I needed to start moving on before anyone stumbled upon the gruesome scene I had left behind. I quickly got to work, getting rid of most of the evidence and making sure to leave no trace of my presence in the area.

Once I was satisfied that I had covered my tracks, I set out of the forest towards the north, keeping a low profile as I went. Hopefully I would encounter some bandits along the way to figure things out before I got home.

As the sun began to set, Fenrir and I arrived at the nearest town, which was unexpectedly located on the coast. I realized that I must have strayed far from my intended path, as I had been closer to Harrenhal a few days prior. My lack of direction was apparent when I wasn't following a road, and I felt frustrated with myself for getting so off course but at least I was going in the right direction, somewhat.

Despite my fatigue and disorientation, I was relieved to see civilization again. I had grown tired of sleeping in the forest for several nights and was desperate for a proper bath.

To avoid attracting unwanted attention, I decided to let Fenrir run off somewhere while I entered the town alone.The scent of the sea mixed with the salty air reached me as I made my way through the bustling town, searching for a suitable place to rest and recuperate.

As I walked along the main street, I quickly spotted a cozy tavern and made my way inside, grateful for the warmth and the prospect of a hot meal.

As I settled into a corner table, I ordered some food and eagerly awaited its arrival. The scent of freshly cooked meat and bread wafted through the air, making my mouth water with anticipation. I couldn't wait to fill my stomach with something other than the meager provisions I'd been living off of for days.

After dinner, I got a room for myself and went to bed, exhausted from the long journey. However, I was rudely awakened in the middle of the night by the sound of screaming. At first, I tried to ignore it, hoping it would stop on its own, but the screams only grew louder and more frantic.

I sighed, realizing that I couldn't ignore the commotion any longer. I got out of bed and walked over to the window, peering out into the darkness.

The village was under attack.

Houses were on fire, their flames casting an eerie glow over the chaos below. Men were chasing people down on the streets, their swords glinting in the flickering light. Women were being dragged away, their screams echoing through the night as they were taken towards the ships on the coast.

I sighed in annoyance. These Idiots never learned. I got dressed and I made my way outside, I could hear the sounds of battle growing louder, drawing me towards the heart of the chaos.

Sure enough, the first pirate charged at me screaming, wielding a sword. I easily dodged the attack even though I didn't have to and delivered a powerful punch that sent the pirate flying. Another pirate followed, and I dispatched him with a swift kick.

One by one, the Ironborn came at me, and one by one, they fell. I was a blur of movement, my punches and kicks connecting with deadly accuracy. The pirates' swords and axes were no match for my speed, and I danced around their attacks with ease, turning their internals to mush wherever I touched them.

I finally reached the port and saw the Ironborn ship starting to sail away. They had noticed my rampage and were quickly running away as they had not expected resistance. 'Well, I can't let test subjects who happily walked into my arms run away now, could I?' I thought to myself.

Without a second thought, I sprinted towards the pier's edge and leaped 30 feet into the air, landing on the ship near the steering wheel. The pirates were caught off guard and didn't have the chance to react as I grabbed the man I believed to be the captain and held him up by his neck.

Lightning surged through my hand into the man I was holding, I watched his screams turn into silence as he became a charred husk. The other pirates, frozen with fear, stood still as I turned to face them, my eyes cold and unforgiving. "If anyone else wants to share the same fate as your captain, then come forward," I warned in a low growl.

No one dared to move, and I continued to stare at them, waiting for any sign of disobedience. After a few seconds, I spoke again, this time in a more commanding tone. "Turn this ship around, head back to the town you just raided, return everything you pillaged and release all the slaves you have taken," I ordered.

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It was finally time to deal with the dilemma that Jon Arryn had been trying to handle in the best way possible. Even though he had hoped to gather more evidence, especially regarding the location of the stolen gold, he had not been able to find it. It looked like it had been recently moved from one of the possible locations he had found, and Littlefinger had started looking more jittery than before.

So he had to act now before Littlefinger made a run for it.

That was why he was on his way to the usual small council meetings. He didn't want to spook Littlefinger. He had convinced Robert to attend, which had not been easy, but he had promised his foster son that it would be entertaining, if nothing else.

He entered the small council chambers and saw that everyone was in attendance. He greeted everyone and sat down.

"We have some important matters to discuss today, so the King will be present," he announced.

Everyone looked surprised but did not comment. The king had attended more meetings in the past month than he had in the entire year.

They didn't have to wait long before Robert entered with Barristan in tow. He immediately asked, "So Jon, what is this interesting matter that I have to be present for?"

"We will get to that matter soon, Robert,"

"We have some other matters to discuss first, Lord Baelish, where are we on the latest interest payment to the iron bank ?"

Petyr confidently answers, "I have tried my best to make sure that we sent the amount to the iron bank but we have spent quite a lot on dealing with the aftermath of the epidemic, Lord Hand" still clueless about what was to happen.

"So you're telling me the Crown does not have the money to pay the iron bank even though the taxes from the seven kingdoms came in a few moons ago and you have borrowed more money from the faith?"

Petyr starts sweating a bit as he slowly realizes something was wrong.

"Lord Baelish, I have been concerned about the kingdom's increasing debts, and I had a banker from Braavos look through your books. He found some very interesting things," he said, watching as Baelish's face paled. He knew he had been caught and started making excuses, scanning the room for any escape route.

"I can assure you, Lord Hand, that I have done my best to keep the kingdom's finances in order. It's just that there's only so much I can do when there are so many expenses," Baelish stuttered.

"You continue to lie, Petyr. I have seen the books, and you have been overcharging the crown for every expense and taking loans from the Lannisters, the Faith, and the Iron Bank in the name of the crown. You have been funneling the coin into your own pockets," he said sternly, his eyes fixed on Baelish's now trembling figure.

Robert's expression hardened as he grasped the situation at hand. His eyes narrowed and his jaw clenched as he stared at the maester of coin.

Petyr looks around at the council members to see if anyone would come to his defense but gets only blank faces in return, and a look of simmering rage from Robert triggers him to try to bolt out of the room. However, the guards that Jon had placed outside the room for this exact reason immediately catch Littlefinger and drag him back into his seat. The king, who had been silent up until now, finally speaks up.

"Your guilt seems to be apparent. Is there anything you want to say before I crush your head, for stealing from MY kingdom Littlefinger?" Robert asks, his voice low and threatening.

Petyr starts pleading, but it has no effect. Jon decides it would probably be best to stop Robert before he acts on his threat. "Not yet, Robert. Even though I have found all the evidence of his wrongdoing, there is one thing I still need to know before you can deal with him," Jon says.

"What is it?" Robert demands, his eyes fixed on Littlefinger.

"I need to know where exactly all the coin you have stolen from the crown is, Petyr. If you tell me, I might be able to convince Robert to spare your head," Jon says, turning to Littlefinger.

"I don't know. Someone robbed all the coin I had hidden away," Petyr says desperately.

"You continue to lie to me, Petyr. Nevermind, I'm sure a few days in the black cells will loosen your tongue," Jon says with a sigh.

With a cold stare, Robert commanded, "Take him away. Send someone to the cells with him, extract the truth from him, but make sure he survives. I want to know everything he's been hiding from me."

The guards sprang into action, seizing Littlefinger and dragging him out of the room.

His attempts to resist and plead his case were met with cold indifference by all those present, his voice fading as the doors closed, leaving the rest of the small council to deal with the aftermath.