The next morning Leo woke up in that same comfortable goose-down bed.
After breakfast he rode out with Varyn, two of his sworn men, and a handful of servants. Two servants loaded a small but noticeably heavy chest onto the wagon. Varyn kept glancing at it, tense. That morning he had watched Leo fill it—thousands of gold coins, maybe two thousand, maybe three. More wealth than Varyn had ever seen in his life. The sight had literally taken his breath away.
Even now, riding through the streets, Varyn stayed on edge. His eyes flicked constantly to the chest and to every stranger who drifted too close. His left hand never left the hilt of his sword.
"Relax," Leo said from atop his tall white stallion. "This is King's Landing."
Today's job was simple: take the gold to the royal mint and exchange three thousand game coins for Westerosi silver stags.
Yesterday had been pure profit. He swapped a hundred World of Warcraft gold for thirty thousand-plus silver stags, spent nearly twenty thousand on a massive shopping spree, then dropped the rest back into his system bag. The system converted them at roughly 150-to-1, turning them straight back into game gold. Net result: he got his original hundred coins refunded and kept everything he bought for free.
So today he decided to go bigger—three thousand coins straight to the mint.
He didn't want to convert any more than that. The real fortune was safer inside the bag.
When they reached the royal mint, a delegation was already waiting.
"Welcome, Lord Neo." The man in front stepped forward with a warm, polished smile and an elegant half-bow. "I am Petyr Baelish of House Baelish, Master of Coin."
Leo dismounted and studied him. Shorter than himself, average build, but handsome in a sharp, clever way—gray-green eyes, a neat little beard, dark hair already showing threads of gray. A silver mockingbird pin gleamed on his chest.
Petyr Baelish. Littlefinger. One of the most important and dangerous players in the entire Game of Thrones story. The man whose schemes would eventually set the War of the Five Kings ablaze.
"Lord Baelish?" Petyr asked with a polite chuckle when he noticed Leo staring. "Is there something on my face?"
"Oh, nothing," Leo said smoothly. "You just remind me of a relative back home. Caught me off guard, that's all."
In truth he had only been checking how closely the real man matched the actor from the show. The resemblance was close, but not exact.
Maybe this isn't exactly the TV version, he thought. I only watched the show, never read the books. The future might play out a little differently.
He pushed the thought aside. No point overthinking it. He'd deal with things as they came.
Leo cleared his throat and gave the formal introduction. "Allow me to present myself properly. I am Neo Presto, second son of Duke Ni Shiming Presto of the Great Tang Empire, far to the east. As a second son I cannot inherit my father's titles or lands. That is why I crossed the sea—to carve out my own path."
"Lord Baelish, it is an honor to meet you. I have heard of your remarkable rise. They say you climbed from a minor house to become Master of Coin through nothing but your own wits and ability. I truly admire that."
"My father always taught me: true gold will always shine. A capable man will eventually rise to greatness and earn the respect of all. I believe that with all my heart."
Littlefinger's eyes brightened. Most people sneered at his humble origins. This young foreigner had just paid him a genuine compliment.
"You flatter me, Lord Neo. There are many men in the Seven Kingdoms far more capable than I. I merely do my best to serve the king and the realm." He smiled graciously, then returned the favor. "Your father, Duke Ni Shiming, must be a very wise man to have raised such an impressive son. I would very much like to meet him one day."
After the pleasantries, Littlefinger personally escorted them inside the mint. After careful inspection and weighing, Leo successfully exchanged his three thousand game gold coins for a small fortune in silver stags.
He was thrilled. Another massive profit.
While the exchange was happening, Littlefinger made casual conversation, skillfully probing for information about Leo's background and the Great Tang Empire. Leo gave him the polished version of his cover story without hesitation.
He told the tale of a duke's second son who dreamed of adventure, was given ships, soldiers, and treasure by his father, only to lose everything in a storm. After the disaster, he had decided to give up wandering and instead settle down in Westeros to build something of his own.
Their first meeting ended on a perfectly friendly note.
…
Some time later, in the Hand's Tower at the Red Keep.
The full details of the conversation had already reached Jon Arryn.
"Very good. Well done, Lord Baelish," Jon said, nodding at his Master of Coin.
"It is my honor to serve you and the king," Littlefinger replied, bowing slightly with that trademark polite smile.
Jon continued, "As for the gold he brought… it's unfortunate, but melt it all down and recast it into proper dragons. The law allows only one currency in the Seven Kingdoms."
"Your will, my lord," Littlefinger said, bowing again. As his head dipped, the corners of his mouth curled into a genuine, satisfied smile.