Upon hearing this name, a big question mark popped up in Kray's mind.
Petyr Baelish!
Littlefinger?
It only took a second for Kray to realize who this name referred to. Why would someone like him send someone to kill him?
To be honest, Kray felt a strange mix of emotions—definitely not quite the feeling of being flattered, but something close to it.
Wait a minute, something's not right. Robert didn't bring Littlefinger with him to Winterfell in the first place.
An assassin wouldn't target him just because he's the heir of White Harbor. It must be because of his altercation with the Lannisters.
But how did Littlefinger know about it? How did he send an assassin to infiltrate the prison and kill him from such a distance?
And what kind of messaging system is this?
Considering that only two days have passed since the incident, how could it have happened so quickly? And with just one round trip!
As far as Kray knew, the training of ravens in the south was always superior to that in the north. Even his own ravens, well-fed and chubby, would take a day to fly from Winterfell to White Harbor.
Calculating the distance, if it was really a raven delivering the message, in terms of speed, this messaging raven would have to be at least twice as fast as White Harbor's ravens.
For some reason, an image of a muscular raven with bulging muscles flashed through Kray's mind. Honestly, it was a bit absurd...
Shaking off these thoughts, Kray decided not to speculate further and just ask directly.
"How did Petyr contact you?"
"Raven," the assassin uttered a cold, mechanical word. A raven? Honestly, this reshaped Kray's perception of these creatures. They could be quite effective in warfare, exploiting information gaps.
But now he didn't want to dwell on these temporarily meaningless details. What he wanted to know was why Littlefinger wanted him dead?
The powerful magic of the Valyrian steel dagger was indeed unstoppable against ordinary people, but Kray soon realized that the assassin before him was just a hired killer, merely executing orders. As for why he was ordered to kill him, Kray had no clue.
After giving him another dose of the Valyrian steel, Kray ordered him to prostrate himself on the ground. He didn't want this man's ugly face to affect his mood.
"What should I do next?" Kray muttered to himself in the silent cell.
Kray absolutely couldn't afford to kill him. Although it was easy for Kray now, he could even order the assassin to slit his own throat, whether he died or the assassin died, Littlefinger's purpose would be achieved.
If he died, the Queen would have to face the wrath of Duke Stark and a King who couldn't afford to lose face. The Queen wouldn't be deposed because of his death, but it would definitely tear apart the last shreds of dignity between the North and the Lannisters.
The Queen herself knew very well she hadn't sent the assassin, and she might even think it was a staged act by House Stark.
And if the assassin died, his mere existence would still achieve the same effect. It's just that Kray didn't die, so, as things stood, regardless of the outcome, the purpose of sowing discord between House Stark and House Lannister had already been achieved.
What a sinister scheme!
With this in mind, Kray asked:
"Was that foolish Lannister also your doing?"
"...Our job was simply to conveniently lead him there." Due to being facedown, the voice was somewhat distorted, but Kray understood.
There's not much else to ask for the time being, and the assassin remains lying on the ground, intimately acquainted with the cold stone floor of the cell.Kray is now contemplating damage control. He's not going to miraculously revive the dead, so what should he do? The candle burns quietly, its crystalline tears dropping one by one. Time flows slowly, and Kray instinctively administers another dose of the Valyrian steel. Just as he finishes the spell, his hand suddenly freezes in midair.Yes, I can't kill him, but I can let him leave! The idea strikes Kray in an instant, and the more he thinks about it, the more sensible it seems. Once the plan is fully formed in his mind, he addresses the assassin with a serious and clear voice:"Remember, you have killed Kray Mandrake. Now, leave and report this matter to your master Petyr immediately. And do not investigate any further information related to Kray.""Yes, I understand," the assassin mechanically responds.The duration of the Valyrian steel spell is limited; although it's a form of cognitive manipulation, it's only temporary. Kray only needs him to deliver the message to Littlefinger. Imagine, once he sends the message to Littlefinger, as long as he doesn't actually see that Kray is alive, he won't suspect himself. People don't actively deny themselves. And even if he does discover that Kray is alive, what can he do? Send another letter to Littlefinger, saying: "Sorry, master, the one I killed earlier is alive again. Just wait, I'll kill him again for you to see." Unless this assassin is a complete idiot, he won't do that because such an action would clearly be seen as betrayal by Littlefinger or that the sender of the message is not sane.And tools that lose their value or betray should be immediately discarded or destroyed; Littlefinger must surely understand the importance of cutting losses in a timely manner.So, as long as this assassin wants to live a little longer, such as having a chance to escape across the Narrow Sea, he must tacitly accept that Kray is dead, even if he sees otherwise...As the confused and stumbling assassin left, looking like he'd been **ed, he closed the door for Kray before leaving and then returned the key to the unconscious jailer's waist at the door, providing remarkably thoughtful service.Reflecting on the matter, Kray realized that he had inexplicably become a pawn in Littlefinger's scheme to sow discord between House Stark and House Lannister, which he found extremely unpleasant.At the same time, he also realized that his skill level was still too low. He only realized that something was amiss when it was too late, but with the overall situation, he fell into a prison cell with just a small ploy from the other side.Even across thousands of miles, Kray could feel the coldness behind Littlefinger's smug smile.At this point, although Kray is a pawn, the pawn has truly stood in the center of the chessboard. Although this is a very unfavorable position.Having stumbled into the game, Kray no longer intends to stay in the cell. The place is too closed off, and everything is too passive.I wonder if Bran saw the Queen and her brother in their lascivious act, Kray wonders.The second son of House Stark being crippled wasn't a big deal when Robb was still around, but when Robb had an accident, this young cripple became the master of the North. The Ironborn dared to openly march hundreds of miles to attack Winterfell, which has a lot to do with this. In this world, a healthy and strong male heir is very important.Countless blood and fire have taught many lords and nobles in Westeros that only the master who can wield a sword can keep evil at bay outside the door.