At the same time, Gold Cloaks Headquarters, Commander offices.
Swen Rossby has been standing here for nearly an hour, and his legs are very sore.
He shifted his focus irritably and glanced at this extremely familiar office again.
The flag of the City Guard was hung on the wall, and the armor stand of Ser Adam stood in the corner. Everything was as usual, except that the figure of the owner was missing.
He's been left here for too long.
Ralf originally called some Top Courtesans from Silk Street. He was having a good time in Flea Bottom, but suddenly he was forcefully called back by Humphry Waters, who said it was an order from Commander, and then no one cared about him.
During this period, several colleagues came in and out. He tried to ask them, but all he got was avoidant looks and hurried away figures.
Moreover, Swen seemed to vaguely see that whenever colleagues passed by the door, they would whisper or even smile meaningfully.
Intuition told Swen that something was wrong. Maybe the problem lay with the few people arrested during the day.
But he repeatedly confirmed with Ralf that those guys had no background at all.
Damn... why on earth!
Just when he was racking his brains and couldn't figure out the reason, there was a rush of footsteps behind him, and then, Adam·Malbrand Ser strode straight to his seat and sat down.
"Sir!" Swen was excited and immediately straightened his already sore waist as much as possible.
However, Adam didn't even look at him, as if he was just air, and his face was extremely gloomy.
Adam picked up the document, and the paper was turned over with a rattle. A depressing atmosphere spread in the room, making it even more breathtaking than the long wait before.
A long time passed, until Swen felt that his calf was about to cramp, and Adam finally raised his head.
"I heard that you arrested some people today, and one of them is named Vito·Corleone."
Sure enough!
Hearing this, Swen's heart skipped a beat.
But he still tried his best to maintain his apparent calm. "Yes, sir!"
"That person behaves suspiciously and is closely related to the wanted criminal Rorge. I think he should be a fugitive!"
"Fugitive?"
Adam stared. "Since you said he is a fugitive, where is the evidence!"
Swen swallowed his saliva and said bravely, "Isn't it time to go to trial? As long as there is a trial, the evidence will naturally be there!"
"Idiot! Bullshit! You maggot with shit in your head!"
Seeing that this guy was still arrogant, Adam's lungs were about to explode. He pointed at Swen and scolded him, "Who do you think he is, and you still want to interrogate him?"
"In your eyes, do you think that as long as you wear this golden robe, you can arrest whoever you want and interrogate whomever you want?"
"No matter who they are, you can catch them indiscriminately and tell me that there will be evidence after a trial?"
Swen, who had not yet figured out the situation, was dizzy from the series of questions, and his inner lining was instantly soaked with cold sweat.
"Sir... whose guy is that...
"Shut up!"
Adam shouted loudly, grabbed the document on the table that he had been flipping through for a long time, and threw it directly into Swen's arms.
Swen picked it up and saw that it was a transfer order.
"From tomorrow onwards, you will be on duty at the Mud Gate and responsible for night patrol. Without my order, you are not allowed to step foot into the headquarters!"
Mud Gate Night Patrol!
As soon as these words came out, Swen immediately turned pale.
That is one of the hardest, least rewarding, and most dangerous positions in the Golden Robe!
This is simply ruining his future!
"I'm not convinced!"
Seeing Adam being so ruthless, Swen felt a rush of blood rushing to the top of his head.
The other party was clearly using the topic as an excuse to kick him out of the Flea Bottom so that he could swallow the oil and water from that territory!
"I am the nephew of Gyles Rossby Earl, his closest descendant!"
"Once he dies, I, Swen Rossby, will be the next Earl of Rossby City!"
He puffed up his chest and tried to use his family blood to threaten Adam to withdraw the order, "Battle of the Blackwater Rush, my family protected the royal family, and I myself fought bloody battles on the city wall, and I still have scars on my body!!"
"Ser Adam, you can't use this unreasonable excuse to kick away a siege and future Earl like trash. If you insist on going your own way and ignore facts and laws, I will personally go to the Red Keep to meet with Lord Kevan Lannister, the Minister of Justice!"
Seeing Swen's indignant look, Adam was even more furious.
This idiot is now threatening to sue the Minister of Justice. Do you really not know that the person you offended is a Lannister?
If it weren't for the fact that when he took office, Duke Tywin personally ordered to "maintain the existing order of the City Guard and stabilize the mood of the nobles in King's Landing", he would not bother to care about the life and death of this idiot!
"You...
Bang!
Just when he was about to scold Swen, the door was violently pushed open.
The menacing Kingsguard strode in, and the white robes behind him were raised high because of the rapid pace.
"James?"
Seeing his friend who had returned, Adam was stunned for a moment. Seeing the murderous look on his face, an ominous premonition flashed through his heart.
"Didn't you accompany Corleone to meet the Prime Minister?"
James did not answer, but said coldly, "How is the matter handled?"
Hearing this, Adam couldn't help but glance at Swen.
But he was still prepared to smooth things over. After all, he had determined that the guy named Vito·Corleone didn't even have a title at all, and was completely a commoner.
To punish a nobleman heavily for arresting the wrong commoner seemed to Adam to be a bit excessive.
"I have already conducted a preliminary investigation on this matter."
Adam cleared his throat. "Although Captain Swen is indeed at fault in this matter, after all, the guy named Rorge is indeed a fugitive."
"Considering many factors, I have decided to demote Captain Swen...
"Are you Swen Rossby?"
Hearing this, James interrupted Adam coldly, turned around and stared at Swen fiercely, frightening him.
Swen instantly understood that the person in front of him was Vito·Corleone's biggest backer!
Damn...
God knows how a commoner got together with the regicide, this is so fucking magical!
But just as he was about to open his mouth to explain, James kicked him in the stomach without any explanation.
Bang!
With a swift and powerful left kick, Swen was caught off guard, screamed, and fell heavily to the ground.
"You...
He was sweating from the pain, raised his head and pointed at James and complained, "This is the City Guard. Even if you are the Kingsguard, you have no right to hit me. This is completely against the the Seven Kingdoms law!"
However, facing Swen's accusation, James completely turned a deaf ear. He took a step forward and looked down at him, like a majestic lion looking down at a struggling hyena.
"You said Corleone is a fugitive."
"Where's the evidence?"
His voice was terrifyingly steady, but it made Swen feel nakedly insulted.
Why!
"Battle of the Blackwater Rush I'm guarding...
Bang!
Another kick on Swen's face.
"Where's the evidence?" James repeated.
This arrogant and domineering attitude and the pain in his body made Swen feel like his head was buzzing and he instantly lost his mind.
"Golden Robe doesn't need evidence to arrest someone!"
As soon as these words came out, Adam immediately closed his eyes and cursed in his heart, "This idiot!"
Sure enough, James chuckled.
Phew!
The Valyria steel sword was unsheathed without any warning and passed through the Swen throat. His eyes suddenly widened and he grabbed his neck in vain with both hands.
"Hoo..."
No matter how hard he struggled, the wound could not be healed. The light in Swen's eyes quickly dimmed, and eventually he completely lost the breath of life and collapsed on the ground.
"You're so impulsive, James."
It wasn't until he finished doing this that Adam took a step forward, with a hint of regret in his tone, but more of a sense of relief.
He had wanted to deal with this idiot Swen for a long time, but he did not do so out of consideration for the overall situation. Now James just solved a problem for himself.
"Now, that old guy Gyles Rossby will probably have to go to the Council of Ministers to talk about it for a long time."
"The Prime Minister may be very angry...
"Hmph!"
Hearing this, James just put Longsword into the sheath indifferently and snorted disdainfully.
"Give him a death pension."
"You write the report and I'll let Uncle Kevan approve the note."
After saying that, he turned around and left, his white cloak drawing a proud arc behind him.
Adam stood there, looking at the back of his friend as he left, then looked at Swen Rossby's body on the ground, shook his head helplessly, and murmured.
"Vito·Corleone...
"What kind of person is this guy to be able to let Jaime Lannister do this for you?"
"Hey..
"James tells me you are a very smart man."
Prime Minister Tower, Corleone After sitting down, Tywin still did not say any greetings and was the first to speak.
"My son is very proud, no... not so much proud as stubborn, just like the sword in his hand, stubborn and picky."
"It's rare for this kind of comment to come out of his mouth."
"Thank you very much, Prime Minister."
Corleone leaned forward slightly and looked at Tywin with candid eyes. "I don't think I'm smarter than anyone else. I'm just used to observing and thinking, and I'm better at catching some details that are easily overlooked."
"You know, if a person of my background wants to gain a foothold, he must learn to seize every opportunity. This is not considered wisdom, but at most... survival instinct."
"Survival instinct?"
This strange statement made Tywin feel a little interested in the person in front of him.
However, he accurately captured another more critical point in the other party's words.
"You don't seem to complain about your background."
"I have seen too many people blame their failures on their bloodline or family background."
Looking at the searching look in Tywin's eyes, Corleone smiled freely and said, "There are many things in this world that we cannot change, sir."
"When I was young, I was angry, why is Farmer's son Farmer? The son of a blacksmith must be a blacksmith, and the son of a nobleman is born a nobleman. This seems unfair."
"But then I figured it out, whether you are Farmer, a knight, or even a king, you must learn to accept the reality that cannot be changed."
"The only difference is that some people accept reality and then sink, while some people continue to look for paths within the rules in reality and have the courage to challenge it."
These sincere words even made Tywin feel a little unexpected.
He has seen too many people who are eager to cling to the Lannister. They are either flattering, greedy, or stupidly showing their ridiculous loyalty.
But the person in front of me was different.
He did not complain about the unfair fate, did not eagerly show his loyalty, and did not deliberately demonstrate his personal abilities.
He just stated his philosophy of life calmly, as if chatting with an old friend he hadn't seen for many years.
This relaxed posture made Tywin lean back easily, and the scrutiny in his eyes faded slightly, revealing some real appreciation.
"I have to say, Corleone."
Tywin's title lost the sense of alienation before, and instead seemed a little closer. "I originally thought that you were just another speculator who came here smelling the smell of Gold Dragon, and only wanted to cling to the rich and powerful."
"Now it seems that you are different."
"But people always have desires. You took such a big risk and escorted James all the way back to King's Landing. It shouldn't be just for Gold Dragon, right?"
Corleone caught this subtle change and raised the corners of his mouth slightly.
He knew that the preparations had been completed and it was time to get down to business.
"You have a sharp eye, my lord."
The free and easy smile on his face faded slightly and became more serious, "Everyone has desires, and I am no exception."
"But I know very well that the realization of desires should depend on the... value he can create."
"Value?"
Tywin pondered the word and raised his hand to signal him to continue.
"Yes, value."
Corleone straightened his back and looked directly at the man in front of him who could be said to be at the top of the seven the Seven Kingdoms powers. His tone was calm but full of power. "For example, this King's Landing City."
"It operates under the laws of you and the king, governed by governors, and guarded by golden robes. This is the side of order, the world under the sun."
Immediately, he changed the subject and his voice became a little deeper. "But any great city has its shadow."
"The brighter the sun, the deeper the shadows. Those winding and narrow alleys are the corners that are not illuminated by the law and the light of the Seven Gods. They are full of chaos and violence...
"Just like... the riots in King's Landing not long ago!"
When Corleone mentioned the riots, Tywin's light green eyes narrowed slightly.
However, he did not interrupt, but was interested in hearing what the other party had to say.
"I heard, my lord."
Seeing that Tywin was interested in listening, Corleone continued to speak, and his tone became serious. "During that riot, several Ser were killed, and many noble ladies were raped."
"Even... even your nephew, Lord Tirek Lannister, was lost in the riots."
"We have the City Guard." Hearing this, Tywin tapped his fingers on the table as if to say firmly, "The golden robe suppressed all riots, didn't it?"
"Yes, sir." Corleone bowed slightly and said, "But no one can guarantee that it will not happen again next time."
"The golden robe can maintain order on the streets, but it cannot eradicate the abscesses in the shadows. On the contrary, too strong a cleanup will sometimes break the fragile balance and cause greater chaos!"
"It's like a balloon. If you press it too hard, the result will be... B0OM!"
Corleone spread his five fingers and metaphorically said.
This truth is easy to understand, and Tywin also has a very deep understanding of it.
In the beginning, when "Mad King" Aerys Targaryen was on the throne, he served as the Hand of the King and governed the king's territory quite well.
However, the king began to be suspicious of Tywin, and even suppressed Tywin, and opposed him in everything. Later, he refused to listen to his dissuasion and went to Duskendale with only one Kingsguard to meet with the rebellious Lord Darklyn.
The ending...
The Kingsguard was killed, and Aerys, the majestic king, was imprisoned by a Earl for more than half a year!
Therefore, when Corleone explained this simple and easy-to-understand truth, Tywin felt that he could relate to it.
Especially, today's king...
"So?"
Seeing Corleone pause, Tywin finally spoke, with a subtle hint of guidance.
At this time, Corleone finally met his gaze and said the carefully prepared words, "Therefore, the order under the sun needs to be established and maintained by people in power like you, my lord."
"The order in the shadows requires a matching will to sort out and guide it."
"You want to have power?" Tywin sneered disdainfully, feeling a little dissatisfied with Corleone's ambiguous words.
"No, my lord."
Hearing this, Corleone slowly raised his head, looked at Tywin sincerely, and explained clearly and slowly, "You have the most powerful army in the Seven Kingdoms, the most abundant treasury, and countless nobles who have sworn allegiance. You control all the power in the light."
"But some things, some people... issues that are not convenient for the Lannister and King to deal with directly, need to be dealt with in the shadows."
"After all, you can never order the golden robes to kill all the civilians in King's Landing. What you need is stable rule, not taking over a city-state with only corpses left."
Under Tywin's slightly surprised gaze, the firelight of the fireplace swayed, seeming to reflect a unique power in Corleone's dark eyes.
After a slight pause, Corleone grinned sincerely. "So, you need someone who can carry out your will even in the shadows, Prime Minister.
"You need a pair...Hands in the Dark!"