"Creak~"
As the gates slowly opened, this mansion nestled in a corner of King's Landing, like a budding young girl, roughly welcomed the fish-like entry of the Gold Cloaks.
Arthas led the way, sizing up the interior decorations with interest, shaking his head in disappointment as he walked.
It had to be said, Janos's taste was truly pathetic.
Everywhere the eye could see was covered in a glittering golden hue.
The floor—gold!
The pillars—gold!
The walls—gold!
Even the high ceiling had been forcefully made gold!
Even a fool could tell these things weren't pure gold—Janos couldn't scrape together that much gold even if he sold himself.
But even for gilding, a house this large probably wouldn't cost less than a hundred thousand Gold Dragons.
"Lord Jenos."
Arthas turned around, looking at Janos who was being dragged along by Lancel and another man, his eyes full of amusement.
"Would you mind explaining what all this is about?"
"This... this..."
Although death was imminent, Janos was determined to keep his mouth shut.
"None of this is mine, Arthas!"
"What is there for me to explain?"
Seeing that the old fellow was as stubborn as a cooked duck, Arthas didn't bother saying more and led the group toward the second floor of the mansion.
Stepping onto the golden stairs, even the Lannister Gold Cloaks showed strange expressions.
This guy was far too extravagant!
Even as wealthy as the Lannisters were, they weren't so decadent as to cover their floors in gold.
Or rather, after thousands of years of refinement, the Lannisters had long since moved past that nouveau riche era of gold-paved floors.
However, what shocked them even more was yet to come.
The group followed Arthas to a room and stopped. The golden-haired youth slowly turned around, staring at Janos who seemed to be trembling to his very Soul, and issued his final question.
"Janos, I'll give you one last chance."
"Once I open this door, it will be too late for everything!"
His dry lips quivered a few times, but no sound came out. Our former Commander of the Gold Cloaks truly lacked the courage to confess his crimes.
Disappointment flashed in Arthas's golden eyes once more. He had given this man enough Face.
Since the other party wouldn't accept it, he had nothing left to say.
With a heavy kick, the gilded door fell over, and the scene inside was revealed to everyone without reservation, like a prostitute whose modesty had been stripped away.
Gold Dragons!
Gold Dragons!
Mountains of Gold Dragons!
Even the Lannisters, accustomed to luxury, couldn't help but gasp at such a massive amount of Gold Dragons.
Just how much money had this guy embezzled in King's Landing!
Seeing such a spectacular sight, even Arthas had a flicker of disbelief in his eyes.
"Lord Jenos, you truly are 'highly skilled'!"
He had thought Baelish, who thrived in Silk Street, was good enough at making money, but he hadn't expected there to be such a master!
Meanwhile, Janos pointed into the room with trembling hands, his sharp voice carrying a hint of raspiness.
"This... Lord Jenos."
"Who put all these Gold Dragons in my house's room?"
"Isn't this just trying to frame someone..."
"So you admit this is your room!"
Before he could finish, he was interrupted by Arthas's harsh tone.
Janos, who had intended to keep making excuses, was first startled by the roar. Realizing he had slipped up and the matter was exposed, his expression began to twist.
He immediately collapsed to the ground, tears and snot flowing uncontrollably.
"Lord Jenos~"
"I didn't dare spend a single Gold Dragon..."
"I was just so afraid of being poor!"
Just as every villain has a tragic backstory, our Lord Jenos was no exception.
He kept wiping his snot and tears, trying to move the impartial youth before him with his plight.
"My father was a butcher. To support me in becoming a knight, he sold all the family's property just to buy armor and a sword."
"After becoming the commander, I had four children to raise. My meager income was simply insufficient, and that's when I turned to these crooked thoughts."
"Please, Arthas, for the sake of my many years of service to King Robert, forgive me this once!"
Watching this clumsy performance indifferently, Arthas and the Gold Cloaks didn't believe a single word.
Everyone in King's Landing knew how colorful Janos's life was, often booking out entire venues in Silk Street.
Not daring to spend a single Gold Dragon? Bah!
After wailing for a long time and hearing no movement from those around him, Janos slightly parted his hands covering his face, peeking through his fingers to observe their reactions.
To his surprise, everyone was looking at him with indifferent and contemptuous eyes.
Awkwardly climbing up from the ground and patting the dust off his clothes, Janos actually regained a calm expression in an instant.
Janos's frantic changes in expression left everyone confused for a moment; even Arthas didn't know what the old fellow was trying to do.
But he didn't want to waste any more time. He directly picked up frostmourne and slowly held it across his chest.
"The facts are before us, Jenoss Slynt."
"Your end is near."
Facing the greatsword that shimmered with a faint, eerie cold light, Janos felt a chill run up his spine, yet he maintained an unhurried attitude.
Glancing contemptuously at Arthas, and not caring that other Lannisters were around, Janos spoke startling words.
"With all due respect, Your Excellency Arthas."
"You have no right to judge me."
Janos's shoulders twitched, but lacking the strength, he couldn't break free from Lancel and the other's control.
He spread his hands freely, striking a superior pose, completely unaware that he was now meat on the other's chopping block.
"If you think these Gold Dragons belong to me, Janos, alone, then you are gravely mistaken!"
Intending to tear down the veil, Janos was now fearless, his arrogant voice echoing through the large house.
"Of the Gold Dragons here, I only hold ten percent."
"The remaining ninety percent all belong to our Your Majesty the King, Robert Baratheon I!"
The shocking fact reached everyone's ears. Seeing their uncertain expressions, a disdainful smile appeared on Janos's Face.
He cautioned Arthas earnestly, as if treating himself as the youth's elder.
"Dear Arthas, I know you are young, driven, and want to achieve something."
"But some things cannot be achieved by passion alone!"
"You'd better release me quickly, otherwise when King Robert blames you, I don't think you'll last long as the commander of the city watch!"
His words were high-sounding. The unbelievable fact made everyone's eyes flicker, and even Lancel began to waver.
He let go of Janos's shoulder, tiptoed over to Arthas, and whispered in his ear.
"Arthas, maybe we should just let him go."
"This involves the interests of the royal family. If Robert finds out his gold dragons were confiscated by us..."
"Silence, Lancel!"
To Lancel's surprise, Arthas seemed hell-bent on seeing Janos dead.
His golden pupils stared fixedly at Lancel until the latter's hair stood on end. Only then did Lancel obediently return and seize Janos's arms again.
The sharp blade of frostmourne rested against Janos's neck, making the short former commander feel the icy touch of Hell for the first time.
"Jenoss Slynt!"
A lion's roar exploded in Janos's ear. He looked up tremblingly into Arthas's cold golden eyes, where a faint glimmer of spectral blue seemed to flash.
"You have violated the laws of the kingdom and privately amassed a great fortune."
"Even at death's door, you dare to try and smear the great King of the Seven Kingdoms, Robert Baratheon I!"
"Tell me, how could our wise and martial King Robert ever collude with a pest like you!"
The ruthless words reached everyone's ears clearly. Amidst their surprised gazes, Arthas began the final judgment.
"I, Arsath Lannister."
"Current commander of the city watch."
"Under the witness of the Seven, I now sentence you to death in the name of King Robert Baratheon I!"
"Speak your last words, Jenoss Slynt!"
...Flea Bottom.
After being reorganized by the Gold Cloaks, this place, which was once filled with violence and chaos, had actually become incredibly quiet.
Commoners with homes almost all hid inside, not daring to come out, only cautiously observing the activity on the street through their windows.
The homeless were also being systematically moved toward prepared settlements under the organization of the Gold Cloaks.
Large areas of sheds were neatly set up there. In the stench-filled streets, the fragrance of bread wafted from time to time.
Under the organization of the Gold Cloaks, the homeless lined up in several neat rows to receive their hard-won food in an orderly fashion.
Although the coarse bread was still hard to swallow, compared to the "Brown Soup" made of dead rat meat and human flesh, it was already a delicacy.
Just as this group of sallow and emaciated poor people were contentedly enjoying their food, a short, stout figure carrying a shovel slowly appeared on the street under the escort of several Gold Cloaks... Janos had eventually yielded.
He didn't want to die so pathetically in King's Landing. In exchange, Arthas mercifully offered him terms.
For the poor of Flea Bottom, he would clean up all the excrement on the ground.
A week later, he would take The Black and, under the custody of the brothers of the Nights Watch, travel to The North to guard the Wall.
The stench of the excrement made Janos gag repeatedly, but under the urging of the Gold Cloaks, he had to honestly swing his shovel and work.
"That's Jenoss Slynt!"
"The former Commander of the Gold Cloaks!"
Finally, a sharp-eyed commoner recognized the fat fellow. With that shout, everyone's attention was drawn to this once-in-a-millennium spectacle.
Seeing that everyone's attention had mostly shifted over, Lancel then raised his voice and shouted:
"By order of the current commander of the city watch, Arsath Lannister."
"Former commander Jenoss Slynt has embezzled funds and violated the laws of the Seven Kingdoms."
"In the name of King Robert Baratheon I, he is now punished to clean the streets for the people of King's Landing."
"To wash away his sinful Soul!"
That a high and mighty figure had fallen to such a state caused these bottom-tier commoners, who had once been oppressed and miserable, to rush out of their homes. Countless vegetable leaves and stones, mixed with excrement, were hurled at Janos.
In their righteous indignation, if Lancel and the others hadn't done their best to stop them, and if the intimidation from the Gold Cloaks earlier that morning hadn't remained, Janos might have been hacked into mincemeat by the excited commoners on the spot!
"Long live Arthas!"
"Long live King Robert!"
"Long live Arthas!"
At this moment, cheers like a mountain tsunami suddenly erupted from the crowd, and the proclamations for Arthas were significantly louder than those for Robert.
Eventually, the voices calling Robert's name were completely drowned out, and everyone on the street shouted only Arthas's name.
"Long live Arthas!"
"Long live Arthas!"
All of Flea Bottom seemed to be holding a grand celebration. People raised their hands, crowding the streets until they were impassable, celebrating the long-awaited judgment of the villain.
Amidst the roaring cheers, only Janos's hunched and humble figure remained, still holding the shovel and working hard to scoop up the filth of King's Landing.
One scoop... and another...
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)
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