Chapter 223: Empire

The tavern maid then led the blonde man named Miguel to the tavern's kitchen.

She lifted an unremarkable stone slab, revealing a deep, dark tunnel below.

Miguel glanced at the maid, their eyes met, and they nodded slightly. Without any hesitation, he covered his wound with one hand and descended into the darkness on a rickety ladder.

Seeing Miguel entering the tunnel, the tavern maid stood outside, looked around warily, then hoisted her skirt and crawled into the tunnel as well, gently closing the cover.

As the stone slab moved, two people seemed to evaporate from the silent kitchen.

Tap, tap, tap...

In the pitch-black tunnel, one couldn't see their hand in front of their face. However, both of them seemed to navigate without need for light, boldly moving forward by touch and feel.

Icy drops of water seeped into Miguel's collar from the tunnel ceiling. The cold in the tunnel made his broken left hand and abdominal wounds throb slightly, but the blonde man remained composed.

He had already tended to his wounds somewhat, but he still needed a 'healer'. Otherwise, his left hand would be completely useless.

He had underestimated Viserys' strength. Despite being stabbed first, Viserys nearly managed to kill him.

Had he not escaped by some means, a frontal confrontation would have resulted in his death.

"Why did you say 'I suppose so'?"

In the silent tunnel, only the sounds of their steps echoed. Both remained silent as if they were mute.

However, at this moment, the maid suddenly asked.

He didn't know her name. Faceless men may have long forgotten their names, hence her question about what he called himself now.

She was suddenly curious. His responses had never been as vague as 'I suppose so'.

Dead was dead, alive...

No.

No targets had ever escaped his assassination.

Upon hearing her question, the blond man fell silent for a while, then finally responded.

"He's formidable."

After that, he refused to say any more, no matter how much the girl probed.

After what felt like an eternity...

Tap, tap…

Their footsteps echoed in the tunnel.

They finally arrived at the other end of this section of the tunnel. The blond man glanced up the ladder, then climbed up first, pushing open the cover above his head.

The tavern maid followed him. First, she looked around cautiously, then she too emerged from the tunnel.

Contrary to expectations, this tunnel did not lead to the outskirts of Pentos or its slums. It appeared in the most bustling city center of Pentos, adjacent to the Magister's palace, and led to a large mansion.

It seemed like hiding in plain sight, but in a city like Pentos, the richer you are, the more troubles you can avoid.

Here, Miguel seemed to be struggling to keep up. The cold from the tunnel seeped into his wounds, gnawing at him like small insects. His complexion was slightly off, but he remained silent, discarding his outer clothing and lying down on a bed.

The tavern maid, now serious and solemn, cleaned and re-dressed the man's wounds and helped him brace his broken left hand.

Seeing the shocking scars on the man, the tavern maid finally understood what 'He's formidable' meant.

He had almost been defeated by his adversary.

"Who is this man?"

The tavern maid put down her tools, removed her bloodied gloves, and asked.

"

"'A good man?'

'Or a bad one?'

Yet there laid the blonde man known as 'Miguel,' bare-chested on the bed, who upon hearing the serving maid's words, slightly tilted his head to look at her.

'Does the girl believe that the Stranger only takes the lives of the wicked, leaving the good to remain in the world?'

The barmaid, upon hearing his words, subtly arched an eyebrow.

'Of course not.'

'But he is not the same.'

The Faceless Men seldom interfere with the changing of secular power, for the price of such meddling is one that almost no one can afford.

The followers of the Many-Faced God believe that death is a release, and for a price, they would consent to take a life.

But this price is not small, and it varies depending on the renown and defenses of the target.

To hire a Faceless Man to kill an ordinary merchant, the cost is merely half that of hiring a standard mercenary army.

However, to assassinate someone like Viserys would entail an unimaginable price.

'Yes, he is indeed different.'

'Thus, the price this time is either free, or priceless.'

'Miguel' nodded slightly.

'Just this once.'

'What do you mean?'

The barmaid furrowed her brows, not understanding his words.

'Girl, what is the history of the Faceless Men?'

Perhaps because she had just tended to his wounds, and they both serve the Many-Faced God, the blonde man seemed incredibly patient as he posed the question.

'Who was the first Faceless Man?'

Upon hearing 'Miguel's' words, the barmaid paused, not knowing why he brought it up, but she nodded and answered earnestly.

'The sect of the Many-Faced God originated in the mines of Valyria.'

'The first Faceless Man was one of the rebels against Valyrian tyranny.'

'Some say he was a slave, others insist he was a citizen of the Freehold, born into a noble family, and some would even tell you, he was a supervisor who sympathized with his slave subordinates.'

Even the Faceless Men themselves do not know the true identity of the first of their kind.

They only know that he led a successful uprising of slaves captured from hundreds of countries, guiding the slaves out of the mines, resisting Valyrian tyranny.

'The girl speaks true.'

'Miguel' quietly listened to the barmaid's words and then nodded slightly.

He was still lying shirtless on the sickbed, but his complexion had improved a lot, and then he continued to explain.

'Viserys Targaryen is a Valyrian, a pure-blooded noble of the Freehold.'

'He has three dragons and has become the only Dragon King of Valyria in the world.'

'And in contrast to the slogan of 'returning to the Seven Kingdoms,' he is more inclined to establish a grand empire in Essos, even to recreate the Freehold.'

'I have seen his notes.'

Miguel's voice was soft, but it revealed a secret that would shock the world.

Viserys always spoke of reclaiming the Iron Throne and returning to the Seven Kingdoms.

However, in reality, he was constantly expanding territory on the continent of Essos, which had aroused the vigilance of neighboring regions.

Braavos hoped for a king who would focus on attacking the Seven Kingdoms, not a king who aspired to recreate the Freehold of Valyria.

And as the And as the first generation of the Faceless Men, representing the resistance to Valyrian tyranny, they naturally would not allow this terrifying nation to rise from the ashes.

...