Stealth was in Kai's bones.
The last two years of his previous life weren't anywhere enough for him to become a master of assassinations. Not when Kai had only himself to rely on; only himself to learn from. But with the help of his Blood Essence, he had successfully bridged the gap of experience.
How else he could have survived the wrath of an entire world?
"Mmm…"
However, the presence of Perception had made Kai warier in this new life of his.
No matter how nimble and surefooted he was, a Contestant with higher Perception would sense him. Kai knew it. He had seen it happening personally. So Kai had decided to act fast, the sooner the better.
"Mmm.."
"Damn this smell!" Kai cursed, trying to pinch his nose without hands. "It sure brings back memories, though. Sigh..."
"Mmm… Hmmm…"
"Shut up!" Kai spat. "No one can hear you down here, old man."
On his left shoulder, wrapped up in the bedsheets, was Jon Arryn with his mouth gagged with a piece of cloth. From time to time, he was jolting, trying to wriggle himself free from Kai's hold over him.
Alas, it was in vain.
The only thing the Hand did was to whimper, his shouts becoming nothing but a buzz.
After seeing how Jon Arryn behaved regarding his security, Kai had found himself in a bind.
He had realized no matter how much he would plead, the Hand would never take precaution against anyone. It was a little thing in itself, but for someone like Kai, who had seen people getting killed because of the simplest incaution, it was enough.
Enough to kidnap the very man Kai was tasked with saving.
But the act of kidnapping had turned out to be more fruitful Kai had ever imagined.
Under his right arm, Kai had a book. In the dark, smelly surroundings, its title was impossible to be seen. He looked at the book and a discernible smile appeared on his face, making his eyes gleam with shrewdness.
Haha! Kai almost laughed out loud, but the smell made him think better of it. Thank god I accidentally put my hand over it. Heh! So even Luck isn't almighty, huh?
Kai remembered the notification which had popped up, brightening his eyes with a dull-gray color.
…
[
Congratulations Kai Stormborn on finding an Artifact…
Artifact: The Lineages and Histories of the Great Houses of the Seven Kingdoms
…
Artifacts are things of unparalleled significance within a Random World. They can be anything, from a book to a lock of hair.
Artifacts are differentiated from common things by the imprints they have left behind or will leave on their world, turning unnoticeable events into momentous ones.
Unlike Items, not all Artifacts have Stats. The Contestants cannot bring such Artifacts out of the Random World. Not even using the Miscellaneous Rent Box.
WARNING: An Artifact will be counted as in Contestant's possession, only if you hold it for 1 minute initially, and during your current Main Mission duration no other Contestant gets to hold the same Artifact longer than 30 seconds. Otherwise, you must repossess the Artifact.
…
Congratulations Contestant Kai Stormborn
You have unlocked 1 Title
…
Title: Novice Collector
Specification: Collect 10 different Artifacts from any random world and timeline.
Status: (1/10)
This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.
Effect: Luck +3, Correspondence +3, Breath +3
Note: Only 1 Title can be equipped at a time
]
…
The emotions of seeing a 3 points of increment in his Luck still lingered at the tip of Kai’s tongue.
He could kill hundreds just to get even 1 extra point.
Kai took a sharp turn and seeing a large enough area devoid of filth, he put the old man there. He slumped down beside Jon Arryn, panting, cursing all the time. After catching his breath, Kai finally took the piece of cloth out of the Hand's mouth.
"YOU!" the old man immediately roared. "How dare you?! Have you no honor?! I trusted you! How… why… how…"
Kai stuffed the cloth back into Jon Arryn's mouth. "Haha!" he laughed, looking into the Hand's horrified eyes. "You trust too much and too soon, my lord. If I wanted to kill you, you would have already died."
That almost made sense to the old man, Kai could tell. Jon Arryn squinted his old eyes at him, and for the first time, stopped whimpering. "Do you know where we are?" Kai asked, pointing with his free hand. "In the sewers."
Jon Arryn wasn't shocked. The retching stench they had been having was enough to guess their location. "We descended from the entrance beside the Tower of Hand," Kai recounted. "I think we are at least out of the castle by now, don't you think? I must ask you to act according to your age and status, my lord. OK?"
When Kai took out the piece of cloth this time, Jon Arryn only glared but kept quiet.
*
*
2 hours to dawn,
King's Landing
The entire city had been thrown off the bed.
A fire seemed to have been kindled by the sound of angry shouts and thunderous rampaging of hooves. Its cause? Red Keep.
The number of guards charging in and out of the castle's gates could have been easily mistaken as a preparation for some war. Such was the chaos. It had all started with an ear-piercing cry of a guard, calling for arms and swords.
Jon Arryn, the Hand, had been kidnapped.
All got to know this info soon. It was hard to hide such a shameful fact when a guard's throat had been cut open, and the absence of the old man himself.
Even more humiliating was the identity of the kidnapper.
Oh, yes. The guards weren't looking for a nameless person. The kidnapper was none other than the newly hired page, Arlen Stone. Though some had indeed pointed out a doubt.
How could a mere boy have kidnapped an old man from his chambers and disappeared without getting noticed by the patrolling sentries?
The question, along with many other details like the absence of Lysa Arryn when this event had taken place, got buried among the hubbub. And why not? The King had never been more furious.
Jon Arryn wasn't only the Hand, or an empty post, of the court. The king himself had been fostered under the old man's care in his youth. It had been a long time since King Robert Baratheon had shown his wrath. None wanted to see the drunk king angry; that was plain.
Unaffected, but not oblivious, to all this, Kai thrust his sword into another rat as it tried to approach the old man.
The stench of the filth was unbearable, but it wasn't the first time for Kai to hide within them. He was more worried about the old man sprawled beside him.
Jon Arryn wrinkled his nose at Kai, a long piece of cloth tying his ankles together.
"You can't presume to continue this folly," the Hand said. "Eventually, Robert will send the guards into the sewers too. I know the man, boy. I know him."
Kai cracked the stiffness out of his neck. It almost seemed Jon Arryn's words had entered from one ear and out from the other. "This I know, my lord," Kai agreed. "Eventually, the king would send his guards down. But they won't find us here."
"This is wrong," Jon Arryn pleaded. "If I wanted to survive the assassination by hiding, I would have done it already. Why do you think I had gone to the trouble to hire someone like you? My place is near his majesty. He is surrounded by enemies, and without me, they will eat him alive."
Kai weighed the old man's words. Maybe he's right, he reflected. But what kind of fool cares about another at the cost of his life? What does it have to do with me who would eat alive whom? My mission had said nothing about King Robert.
"You are a just man," Kai said, frowning. "Yet, I must do my duty as well. You have hired me for seven days. I must see that no harm would befall you, even if you don't like the method, I am afraid."
"You… you…" Jon Arryn stuttered. "You nutcase!"
"I have been called by this name before."
"You… You maniac!"
"Oh, that word brought back memories."
"You… You… You bedlamite!
"That's new!" Kai said, raising an eyebrow. "I don't know why you are so against it, my lord. Whatever I am doing, I am doing it for you. I want you safe, at least more than your wife."
That brought an angry, shameful blush on the Hand's freckled face. Kai could feel the hurt in his eyes mixed with loathing.
"It's a few hours to dawn," Kai commented, ignoring the stare. "Why don't we talk about the secret, then?"
Jon Arryn gasped. "What… what secret?" he whimpered, his breath resisting to come out. "What do you know?"
"Haha!" Kai laughed, trying to brush off his tension. "Well, isn't it obvious, my lord? A person of your status hires a guard, and that too a sellsword under a false guise. You fear assassinations.
“Now, you don't look like an insane person for you to hallucinate such things. What else could it be, other than a secret that can bring down mortal danger on you? Ah, yes! And on your family. That too. You are a family man, of course."
Kai's chuckle brought him nothing but scorn from Jon Arryn.
"Know your limits," the Hand said, his tone sharper than ever. "You already stand to lose your head for kidnapping me. If you keep on with this farce about some secret, don't count on me to plead for you once it's all over. Fear Arlen, if you have not lost your wits entirely. Fear the king's justice."
Kai looked at Jon Arryn. He nodded, making Jon Arryn smile in relief.
What Kai said next brought a roar out of the old man, which echoed for long in the long tunnels.
"What was the name again?" Kai mumbled, squinting his eyes at the arching roof. "Yes! Robert Baratheon. I have learned another person named Robert, my lord. He happens to be your only son. No? I beg you.
“Tell me the secret, otherwise, I will unite the father and son by bringing him here piece by piece. I promise."