Jaqen, a Faceless Man?
Aegor had never imagined that he would encounter this person again in his life. More precisely, he had never imagined that someone would come to see him under this name.
After a brief moment of surprise, he ordered that the man be brought before him.
Once the small white-sailed boat had been taken under control, it followed behind the fleet, while the visitor transferred to a smaller craft and approached the warship carrying Aegor, climbing aboard the flagship of the Imperial Fleet by rope ladder.
The spacious open deck bustled with activity. The red dragon banner fluttered proudly in the wind, rows of soldiers stood in neat formation with uniform attire and high spirits, and the metallic gleam of the weapons at their waists or in their hands, together with the dark, heavy iron cannons lining the sides of the ship, all displayed the power and invincibility of the fleet.
Jaqen must have been searched before boarding. Aegor was also accompanied by Melisandre and Kinvara, two Red Priestesses. After the previous assassination attempt, Aegor had even added a gorget made from scraps of Valyrian steel and leg armor forged from fine steel over his Dragonsteel Armor, not to mention R'hllor's gift.
But even with such thorough preparations, he still had no intention of meeting a Faceless Man in an enclosed space.
Still wearing the same red-and-white hair, Jaqen H'ghar stood at the boarding point and surveyed the scene that seemed designed to intimidate him, revealing his signature inscrutable smile. He walked between two rows of fully armed guards as though no one else were present, stopped several paces before Aegor, straightened his back, brought his feet together, and gave a military salute.
"Night's Watch Logistics Department soldier Jaqen H'ghar, reporting to the Lord Commander."
Lord Commander?
Aegor was slightly taken aback by the title, which he had not heard in several months, and only then noticed that not only did the other man look exactly the same as when they had last parted, but he was also still wearing the complete set of black clothes Aegor had provided him in King's Landing...
Time seemed to have left no mark on him. He had merely gone to Braavos as though on a business trip lasting a few days.
Aegor quickly realized that Jaqen H'ghar was indeed a soldier of the Night's Watch Logistics Department, perhaps even one of its veterans. When he had left Aegor's side back then, he had not disappeared without a word. Instead, he had "entered" Aegor's room in the middle of the night to ask for leave and explain himself in person. Strictly speaking, the man was not a deserter, merely someone who had taken an exceptionally long leave.
Considering that he had also saved Aegor's life.
There was no reason or excuse to turn hostile. Aegor softened his expression, forcibly suppressing the urge to order his guards to check whether the other man was wearing a mask, then nodded and tolerated his attempt at familiarity.
"Welcome back, Jaqen. Besides being a soldier of the Logistics Department, what other identity and mission do you carry this time?"
"An envoy of the faith of the Many-Faced God." Seeing the situation, Jaqen knew that Aegor had no intention of meeting him in private, so he simply announced his purpose openly. "The Lord Commander must have heard that the rulers of Braavos, the House of Keyholders, have acted recklessly, ignored the prophecies and revelations of the red god, gone against the tide, and resolved to oppose Daenerys. The House of Black and White, unwilling to join them, has completely severed ties and drawn a clear line between itself and this city-state that is marching toward inevitable destruction. Today, I have been sent to present proof of our sincerity to the Lord Commander."
He turned and looked at the fleet soldier who had searched him earlier, signaling for the man to hand the long, open wooden box to Aegor. The soldier complied and indicated that he had already inspected it. Melisandre stepped forward and removed the thick roll of documents inside.
The soldier's search was meant to ensure there were no physical mechanisms or hidden weapons inside the box or scroll, while the Red Priestess was responsible for checking for magical curses or other traps. As for the final possibility, poisoning, which was difficult to guard against, neither Aegor nor the high priests feared poison.
Fortunately, everything was normal.
"These documents mainly contain four parts: a rough map of Braavos's defenses, the distribution of its major military industries and bases, a list of the names, appearances, and addresses of the true rulers within the House of Keyholders, and a detailed account of the important treasuries and assets throughout the city-state that are worth preserving," Jaqen said unhurriedly, appearing completely confident. "I believe these materials will provide the Lord Commander with considerable assistance and useful reference for the coming attack on Braavos."
Aegor picked up the second document, the "Distribution of Military Industries," and quickly scanned it. He immediately noticed that its contents matched his existing intelligence almost perfectly, except that it was several times more detailed and extensive...
As for the city's defenses, the list of its ruling class, and the distribution of its assets, he did not even need to look.
It was not because he had no need for them, but because he simply had no way to verify their authenticity.
It was somewhat embarrassing. Unlike the Iron Bank, which had infiltrated the Seven Kingdoms until they resembled a sieve, Daenerys and her newly established Targaryen Empire understood little more about Braavos than a well-traveled merchant would.
This fleet had, in fact, relied on its latest generation of revolutionary weapons and the backing of the entire Seven Kingdoms to advance boldly and fearlessly toward this mysterious city-state shrouded in the fog of war.
These pieces of intelligence were either entirely false, which would not have much impact since Aegor had enough room for error and did not fully trust the House of Black and White anyway, or they were completely, or at least mostly, true, in which case they would immediately lift the fog of war covering all of Braavos.
Which of the two it was could be roughly determined with a little probing.
"Very well." Aegor maintained an indifferent expression as he rolled up the map in his hand and returned it to his subordinate. "I appreciate the goodwill of the House of Black and White. I will ensure that the faith of the Many-Faced God receives legal recognition and appropriate favorable treatment after the war. However, I wonder whether the Faceless Men can cooperate with our attack from outside, assassinate the senior officers of the Braavosi army amid the chaos, and help us end this war as quickly as possible?"
"The Faceless Men are casting off their disguises and breaking into smaller groups, hiding in every corner of the city-state under our original appearances and identities. We will provide assistance to the best of our ability," Jaqen said calmly. "However, the House of Black and White has long been used by the rulers of Braavos and has frequently fought alongside, or under the command of, personnel from the Iron Bank's Special Affairs Department. Those are the same people who attempted to assassinate you, my lord, and Her Grace the Queen. The House of Keyholders knows nearly all our lesser methods and has already prepared countermeasures under the protection of the Moonsingers. Therefore, I personally advise the Lord Commander not to place all his hopes on us."
Aegor nodded, temporarily accepting Jaqen's explanation, while deciding that he should take the time to properly investigate this "Special Affairs Department." At the same time, he looked eastward again and saw that the Bronze Titan was now close enough for its face and details to be discerned, which meant they were approaching the edge of cannon range.
"Very well, Jaqen. I will carefully review the information you have provided when I have time. For now, let us enjoy this spectacle together, one that can only be witnessed once in a lifetime: the fall of the Titan." A cruel, cold smile appeared on Aegor's lips. He raised his voice and ordered, "Use the Bronze Titan as the center. The fleet will spread out in a fan formation and carry out a saturation bombardment against the foundations connecting its legs to the reef island until it falls!"
This was part of the original battle plan, and the soldiers and officers immediately turned to relay and execute the order without hesitation. The sails of the warships were quickly lowered, and anchors began to drop into the water. Only Jaqen showed genuine surprise upon hearing it.
"Lord Commander, the Titan is Braavos's most prominent landmark. Its political, military, and cultural value is immeasurable. To destroy it just like that."
Landmark? That was precisely why Aegor wanted to strike it.
Of course, he did not say something no one else would understand. He merely answered with a single word, concise and unmistakably clear, both correcting the Faceless Man's statement and expressing his own attitude.
"It was."
(To be continued.)