"The coat of arms of the Grafson family of Seagull Town," Ian answered.
"You are really well-informed."
"Heraldry is a mandatory course for nobles," Ian replied. "Although I'm not a noble... Anyway," he shifted the conversation back, "He arrived at the inn yesterday afternoon? He hasn't left today?"
"Yeah, he didn't order breakfast either."
"Then which King's Landing is he heading to?" Ian glanced out the window, calculating the time by the position of the sun. It was already past nine in the morning. Who would still be on the road at this time?
"I don't know, Sir Jazz."
"Of course you don't know." Ian sighed. "Knock on his door, ask if he wants breakfast, check his room to see what he's doing, and then report back to me."
His gut feeling told him that this knight wasn't a player. After all, if a player were here to form an alliance or hunt, there was no reason to announce he was heading to King's Landing to the innkeeper.
But there was no need to send Jenny to do more than check.
"Yes, sir." Jenny hesitated. She wasn't sure how she'd be treated if the knight was still sleeping, but in comparison, she was far more afraid of Ian, the "richest man in the world."
"Also, have Martha deliver our breakfast personally later."
"Yes, sir."
"While Martha is busy in the kitchen, you can help with some of her work here. You can ask her about the current situation, but remember, this is a very important and secretive operation. If the secret leaks—"
"No, absolutely not. I swear," Jenny quickly promised.
Ian waved his hand dismissively, signaling that she could leave.
Jenny hurried out of the room, clearly relieved.
Not long after, a lavish breakfast arrived in Ian's room—quite extravagant for this time period.
The meal consisted of a pot of mutton soup made with turnips, barley, carrots, and onions, a large, plump goose, a pot of buttered peas, a plate of beet salad, three portions of oatmeal bread, and three glasses of ale.
Ian didn't drink in the morning, so he handed the ale to Roll.
"Tell me about the Black Falcon situation," Ian said, ladling some soup into his bowl.
"Sorry, sir, I haven't spoken with Boss Morgan yet."
Ian looked up, waiting for her to explain.
"Right... Boss Morgan hasn't left his room yet, nor has he ordered breakfast. He probably hasn't gotten up."
"Your niece just told me that a knight from the Grafson family hasn't gotten up either. So, did they sleep together?"
"Sir, you do enjoy making jokes."
"Do I need to teach you how to knock on a door?" Ian rolled his eyes. "You won't wake him up if he's still asleep?"
"I don't dare, sir. Boss Morgan hates being disturbed while sleeping," Martha quickly shook her head, sensing Ian's displeasure. "But I've already handled the other mercenary matters for you! Four scattered mercenaries have been sent away. There's still one mercenary who arrived yesterday, but I left him in the hall."
"Then what about the two mercenary captains, Denzel and Sir Grantham?" Ian asked.
"Martha continued, "Both captains have agreed to accept your mission. Denzel's group has 9 men. I negotiated a price of 3,000 silver deer per month. Sir Grantham's group only has 4 men, but they're all cavalry. Their price is 2,500 silver deer per month."
"They can come to see me now?" Ian didn't object to the price. Three times the market rate was the price he had suggested himself.
"Yes, they've been waiting for you for a while."
"Then let them in. Also, keep an eye on Black Falcon. When he comes out, talk to him about me right away."
"Yes, sir." Martha left the room to follow Ian's instructions.
After a short while, a handsome young man with burgundy hair and a middle-aged man in chainmail knocked on the door and entered.
The young man with burgundy hair wore a Dornish-style robe, with a scimitar and dagger hanging from his belt. The middle-aged man wore a chainmail shirt, lacking any other protective gear, with a longsword hanging at his waist.
It was clear that neither of them intended to disarm before entering, and Ian wasn't about to make such a request himself—doing so would only show a lack of confidence.
Without waiting for Ian's command, Keith stepped forward casually, standing by the wall between Ian and the two mercenaries. This distance wouldn't hinder Ian's conversation with them, but if the mercenaries made any sudden moves, Keith could quickly subdue them.
"You look so young, sir," the young man said with a smile.
"I am Ser Lucion Lannister," Ian corrected, "and I am not a child."
When Jenny had called him "sir" earlier, Ian hadn't corrected her. To civilians, titles weren't as important. But now that a knight was present among the mercenary captains, it was crucial to clarify such things.
As a knight, Ian couldn't accept being called "my lord" without cause. He saw no need to leave a bad impression over something so small.
"A Lannister?" The young man asked.
"Any questions?" Ian replied.
"No," the young man shook his head. "My name is Denzel, but they usually call me 'Spiky.' I'm honored to serve you."
What a rather unflattering nickname.
"Sir Grantham," the older man also introduced himself, then got straight to the point. "Regarding the price Martha negotiated, we require 2,500 silver deer a month."
"That's exactly what I intended, no question about it," Ian said, glancing at Denzel. "And for your team, 3,000. Regarding payment, I can give you half upfront and the other half once the job is completed."
"No, we need the full payment in advance," Grantham immediately refused.
"That's not how things are done in this business," Ian replied with a chuckle.
"For your assignment, that's how things are done," Grantham insisted.
"My assignment?" Ian raised an eyebrow. "What did Martha tell you?"
"She didn't say much," Grantham admitted, "but I'm guessing the job is something dangerous, right?"
"Why do you think that?"
"The price you offered is three times the market rate. If it weren't a particularly dangerous job, who would pay that much?"
"As rich as a Lannister," Ian quoted a well-known saying throughout Westeros. "What I need you to do will take time and require discipline, but there's not much danger involved. The reason I'm offering three times the normal price comes from an experience I had two years ago."
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