Chapter 40: Infiltration
He could only explain the situation by claiming that he had no way of knowing the small gate had been placed under heavy guard. He knew the mercenary had no reason to lie to him—but such an explanation was clearly unconvincing.
No one else spoke.
At last, Daenerys made her decision.
"Jorah, Grey Worm, and Daario," she said firmly, "select one hundred Unsullied and elite fighters from the mercenary company. Force your way through the small gate. Once inside, open the main gates immediately. I'll wait for your signal outside the city."
"A hundred men won't fit through the small gate at once," Daario said quietly from the side. "Thirty would already be pushing it."
No one responded.
Daario knew he had no standing to argue further. All he could do was look at Daenerys, hoping she would believe him.
"Your Grace," Barristan suggested, "if we're sending one hundred men, shouldn't we use only Unsullied? There's no need to involve mercenaries."
Jorah and Grey Worm both glanced at Daenerys in surprise. Even Daario himself looked at her in shock.
They all understood this much: Daenerys might not be deeply versed in the art of war, but she certainly knew that if Daario's loyalty were false, bringing mercenaries inside the city would mean their own men being attacked from both front and rear.
Daenerys, of course, understood Barristan's concern—and she also knew Daario was right.
Their original plan had always been to defeat the Second Sons first, then infiltrate the small gate and launch a coordinated assault from within and without.
The mercenary companies had no shortage of skilled fighters. Selecting the best from both groups was far more effective than relying solely on the Unsullied. The reason she had chosen such a large number in the first place was to reduce casualties—especially among Jorah and Grey Worm. She could not afford for either of them to be seriously injured.
[I'll go. Three people would be more than enough.]
Drogon didn't know why Daenerys trusted Daario so much, but he could tell she was under immense pressure. As soon as the thought crossed his mind, he left her shoulder and flew toward Jorah and Grey Worm.
The moment Drogon moved, a spark of hope lit up in everyone's eyes—including Daario's.
They had all witnessed what Drogon could do. And it wasn't just throat-slitting—he could breathe fire. One dragon was easily worth twenty or thirty elite warriors.
Yet instead of feeling relieved, Daenerys felt a surge of worry.
According to Varys's intelligence, at least a hundred soldiers were guarding the small gate.
No matter how powerful Drogon was, in the chaos of a melee it would be impossible for him to avoid every attack. If anything happened to him…
She couldn't even bear to think of the consequences.
"Grey Worm," Daenerys said decisively, "select four Unsullied. Daario, choose three mercenaries. You'll infiltrate the small gate tonight—together with Jorah."
Sending only three people was something she simply couldn't accept. She wasn't just worried about Drogon—she couldn't afford to lose Jorah or Grey Worm either.
Hearing that Daenerys still intended to send so many people, Drogon immediately flew back in front of her. He raised his right claw, curled two of his talons inward with surprising dexterity, and then held the claw up toward her.
Everyone in the war council stared at him in astonishment. It took them a moment to understand what he was trying to convey.
Not only had he understood Daenerys's words—he was insisting that only three people should infiltrate the small gate.
Daenerys nearly laughed at his earnest little gesture. She stepped forward, gently grasped his small black claw, and said softly,
"Three people are too few. I'm worried you won't be safe."
[Three people or ten makes little difference to me. More people just give me more to worry about.]
Drogon understood her concern, but Daario's insistence on a small team clearly had a reason. More importantly, numbers mattered very little to him—and the more people they brought, the easier it would be to expose themselves.
After a moment of thought, Drogon extended one more talon, signaling one additional person.
Daenerys smiled, released his claw, and nodded.
"Grey Worm, select two more Unsullied. Together with Jorah and Daario, the five of you will go—with Drogon."
With the team finalized, Grey Worm summoned the chosen soldiers. Daario then spread out a crude hand-drawn map of Yunkai, explaining the location of the small gate and the main gate they intended to open. After confirming the signal with Daenerys, they agreed that the army would charge the moment it appeared.
Once everything was settled, Daario led the four men and one dragon under cover of darkness toward a small gate on Yunkai's western side. From a distance, they could already see four guards standing watch.
The group concealed themselves in the shadows. Daario proposed using a bird call as the signal—he would enter first and deal with the guards inside, while the others killed the guards outside and followed immediately.
Hovering low as they discussed the plan, Drogon barely paid attention. He could have stormed in alone, slaughtered everyone, and opened the gate himself—but he wouldn't.
Doing so would only make Daenerys's forces weaker over time.
He would act as support, not a crutch.
With his current durability, short of being pinned down and stabbed repeatedly with daggers, few attacks could seriously harm him. And with his speed, he had no intention of standing still long enough for that to happen.
Once the plan was set, Daario strode openly toward the small gate. The guards spotted him at once and raised their alert—until they recognized his attire and the unmistakable arakh at his waist.
Although Daario himself had never used the small gate before, the guards frequently dealt with the Second Sons and knew enough about their leaders. As soon as he identified himself, they let him through.
Drogon was already airborne, slipping silently over the wall alongside him.
Though the darkness dulled his vision somewhat, it was nothing compared to its effect on humans. From above, he quickly assessed the situation.
There were more than ten soldiers inside the gate—and in the narrow alleys leading deeper into the city, more troops stood ready. Altogether, there were around one hundred and fifty soldiers.
Drogon couldn't help but marvel at the value of good intelligence. Without Varys's little birds, if Daenerys had sent only Jorah and two others, they wouldn't have stood a chance—let alone opened the gate alive.
After entering, Daario casually surveyed the interior before suddenly letting out a sharp bird call.
The ten guards looked up in confusion—just in time for Daario to draw his arakh and cut down two men beside the gate in a single, fluid motion.
The remaining guards realized the trap too late. Spears thrust toward him as they surged forward.
Daario showed no fear. He retreated while watching his surroundings, backing toward the gate. When he heard fighting outside, he seized the moment—stepping in to slash open a guard's abdomen. As the others recoiled in shock, he twisted aside, threw back the bolt, and flung the gate open.
Jorah and the others charged in immediately.
At the same time, soldiers from the alleyways heard the commotion. Shields raised, spears and swords drawn, they poured into the cramped gate passage.
Even Daario felt a chill at the sight. If not for the intelligence Daenerys had somehow obtained, leading just two men inside would have been a death sentence.
His gaze flicked instinctively toward the dark sky.
Everything now depended on the Queen's dragon.
No matter how confident he was, Daario knew better than to believe he could face dozens of enemies alone.
The five men gradually closed ranks, backs together in a tight circle—defending themselves while searching for openings to strike.
The guards surrounded them and began probing attacks. Their formation slowly broke apart under pressure. As more soldiers pressed in, wounds began to appear, and their stamina drained rapidly.