Arthur had imagined many scenarios for contacting the Faceless Men, but he never expected this: stark naked, unarmed, sluggish from alcohol, and having the back of his neck seized by the grip of fate.
Even his squire wasn't by his side, sent away by Arthur himself.
I even went out of my way to give Robb the [Ice Sword], hoping he wouldn't let his hot blood get the better of him. And here I am... Sigh.
Even heroes stumble at the hurdle of beauty.
Hard. Too hard.
Only through personal experience did Arthur realize the weight of those words.
"Are you here to kill me?" Arthur's face turned pale. Feeling the hands skillfully kneading his neck, he found no comfort in it, daring not to move a muscle.
"Before I die, can I ask a question?"
"Ask, my Lord." 'Fanny's' voice carried a hint of mockery.
That "my Lord" sounded as piercing as it could possibly be in Arthur's ears right now.
Recalling when he first met 'Fanny', and the lecture he gave her...
'Why did you go to the Sealord and the Faceless Men first? Why not come to me first?'
'You haven't even called me my Lord.'
Now, those words had returned like boomerangs, hitting him squarely.
Summoning his remaining strength, Arthur asked a life-or-death question: "Can you... say my... name?"
Faceless Men followed a logic in their killings.
One: the more famous and high-status the target, the higher the price.
Two: Faceless Men do not kill people they know—specifically, people whose names they know.
'Fanny's' emotionless voice came from above his head. For the first time, Arthur desperately hoped someone would say his name.
"Valar morghulis." With 'Fanny's' words, Arthur felt the hands on his neck stop and release.
"Arthur Snow, your time has not yet come."
Hearing 'Fanny's' words, Arthur felt all strength drain from his body. He went limp and slid down into the tub.
"I didn't expect a Westerosi like you to know so much about the Faceless Men?" The Black Pearl leaned against the edge of the tub, observing the submerged Arthur with interest.
"Smith, now you know why the Daughter of the Dusk and I are friends?"
"Because all men must serve."
Hearing this, Arthur vaguely recalled what the priest of the House of Black and White said to Arya in the books: If you wish to be a courtesan, just say so, and we will send you to the Black Pearl or the Daughter of the Dusk.
The Black Pearl or the Daughter of the Dusk. I should have thought of this earlier.
Submerged in the water, Arthur was filled with regret. My brain was numbed by alcohol, my eyes blinded by beauty, to the point where I relaxed my vigilance completely.
After staying underwater for half a minute, Arthur composed himself and surfaced. "Since you aren't here to kill me, what do you need me to do?"
Splash—
An iron coin was tossed into the tub by the Faceless Man, splashing water that made Arthur squint.
'Fanny' said, "Do not forge weapons capable of shapeshifting like that Valyrian steel dagger again. This is your payment."
Payment? The Valyrian steel dagger?
Arthur had wondered why the House of Black and White showed no interest in the dagger. With the Black Pearl backed by the House of Black and White, it all made sense.
But how did they know I would sell the dagger to the Black Pearl?
Arthur fished the iron coin from the milky bathwater and asked in confusion, "What is this iron coin for?"
"A token of identity."
'Fanny' said, "As compensation for stopping you from forging shapeshifting daggers, the House of Black and White will not accept contracts to assassinate you."
"Uh..."
Arthur wanted to say, Should I thank you for not killing me? But given his current situation, he decided fewer words were better.
"Valar morghulis. To the Many-Faced God, death is a gift." 'Fanny' clearly read his thoughts.
"You are young, but recently several parties have come to the House of Black and White seeking the gift of death for you. The House of Black and White refused them all."
Arthur said somewhat genuinely, "Valar dohaeris."
Although Arthur disliked being threatened with force, his life was secure now. Not having to worry about Faceless Men assassinations in the future was worth the minimal price.
"So we count as one of our own now?" With his life guaranteed, Arthur's mind became active again. Showing the iron coin in his hand, he asked 'Fanny' carefully:
"No offense intended. Could... could I touch your face? I'm just a bit curious."
Fearing a misunderstanding, Arthur added, "After I put on my clothes."
"Why put on clothes?" The Black Pearl teased. "Isn't it perfect right now?"
Regarding Arthur's sudden request, 'Fanny' neither agreed nor refused, simply leaving the room in silence.
The wicked woman, Black Pearl, after being sternly refused by Arthur for her dressing service, left with a regretful wink.
When Arthur dressed, gathered his wits, and entered the main hall, he found 'Fanny' and the Black Pearl eating fruit from the table.
Arthur took a few tangerines from the bowl, peeled them, and tossed sections into his mouth. The sour-sweet juice stimulated his taste buds, clearing his head a little more.
'Fanny' quickly finished a pear and looked at Arthur. "I must return to the House of Black and White. I cannot stay long."
Seeing 'Fanny's' obvious intent to leave, Arthur wasn't in a hurry anymore and asked:
"Is Fanny dead? When we first met?"
"Yes." The Faceless Man wearing 'Fanny's' face replied.
"When we first met, I lied to you.
"Valar morghulis. The Many-Faced God granted Fanny the gift.
"She offered herself and all she possessed. In response, the Many-Faced God accepted her request and granted the gift to the Lord of Pebble."
Arthur frowned and countered, "But Zaren killed the Lord of Pebble."
"Faceless Men make killings look like accidents. Remember what I told you then? My Lord, I only want the head!"
"Truly your style." Arthur sighed and asked another puzzling question. "Why did you know I would sell the dagger to the Black Pearl and not someone else?"
"You left that dagger in the auction house for so long without selling it. Clearly, not for money." The Black Pearl smiled, her violet eyes bright and moving.
"We gathered intelligence that you intend to leave Braavos. Clearly not for power. In Braavos, if not for money or power, then only fame and sex remain."
"To be honest, cooperating with you was pleasant. You deserve much credit for my current fame in Braavos."
Arthur glared at the wicked woman who had read his mind thoroughly. "Since you knew all this, why pull that stunt just now?"
"Did you forget? When we first met, you played me. You announced publicly that I named your smithy that tasteless name."
Terrifying.
Arthur rarely used "terrifying" to describe a person.
The Black Pearl brought up something from almost a year ago. If she hadn't mentioned it, Arthur wouldn't have even realized he had offended her back then.
Arthur resolved to stay far away from this petty, vengeful, teasing, terrifying woman in the future.
Seeing Arthur's stunned expression, the Black Pearl giggled happily.
"Actually, that's secondary. The main thing is, it felt fun, didn't it? Watching your reaction in the bath was much more interesting than watching The Uncloaking of Uthero this morning."
'Fanny's' reason was more direct, throwing Arthur's words back at him: "You disrespected the Faceless Men. Up until now, you haven't even called me My Lord."
Listening to them, Arthur was left speechless. His series of successes in Braavos had indeed made him a bit arrogant.
Being manipulated and played now was a loss of face, but also a warning bell, waking Arthur from his pride and complacency.
Seeing Arthur silent, the Black Pearl sauntered behind him, kneading his shoulders through his clothes, cooing seductively:
"Smith, how about that unforgettable surprise I prepared for you?"
Arthur exhaled deeply. "The lesson you taught me, my lady, is etched in my heart. I will never dare to forget it."
Saying this, Arthur shook his shoulders to throw off the Black Pearl's hands, a smile appearing on his face. "I dare not trouble you further, my lady."
"Thanks to your blessing, my lady, I now have absolutely no other thoughts about Braavosi courtesans."
Having said his piece, Arthur ignored the Black Pearl and stood up, walking toward 'Fanny'. After receiving 'Fanny's' consent...
Arthur reached out and touched 'Fanny's' face.
When his fingers touched 'Fanny's' face, aside from being somewhat cold, the texture felt normal.
Without hesitation, Arthur used the Tactic Card [Snatch].
[Snatch]: Steal magic from a magical target, gaining one use of its magic. (Must touch target's body)
After using the card, a familiar wave of weakness washed over Arthur instantly. Fortunately, having practiced magic for a long time and possessing a foundation of mana, he was prepared.
Externally, using the card only made his already pale face slightly paler; there were no other abnormalities.
'Fanny', standing close to Arthur, keenly noticed the change in his expression and asked, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing." Arthur fought to keep his heavy head up and his eyelids open, maintaining consciousness.
"Too much happened today. I... am probably just tired. Thank you for satisfying my curiosity about the Faceless Men. I'll go back to my room... to rest."
Summary of Current System Panel Settings:
[Host Name]: Arthur Snow
[General Skills]: [Naked Duel], [Assault]
[Naked Duel] (Luoyi): Upon use, the host can only use one Basic Card the following day. When not wearing upper body clothing, the host gains enhancement to all abilities, and Strength is doubled.
[Assault] (Qiangxi): Attack speed is doubled when dual-wielding identical weapons. When throwing weapons, power and accuracy are significantly increased, but throwing consumes a large amount of stamina.
[Cards]: The host can use two unlocked cards per day. Card types are divided into three categories: Basic Cards, Equipment Cards, and Tactic Cards (Kits).
[Basic Cards]: [Kill] (Slash), [Dodge] (Flash), [Wine], [Peach].
[Equipment Cards (Unlocked)]: [Ice Sword], [Blue Blade Sword] (Qinggang), [Twin-Vipers] (Double Swords), [Wu's Six Swords], [Shadow] (Jueying Horse), [Qilin Bow], [Rattan Armor].
[Equipment Cards (Locked)]: ... (Unlock Condition: Acquire or forge equipment similar to the card to unlock the corresponding card. Self-forging equipment and mastering the relevant forging knowledge makes unlocking easier.)
(Note: Using an Equipment Card does not directly generate the physical equipment. It requires an equipment carrier. If the compatibility between the carrier and the card is too low, it will not only fail to add the card's effects but also cause the carrier to be destroyed.)
[Tactic Cards (Unlocked)]: [Peach Garden Oath], [Creation] (Something from Nothing), [Negate] (Flawless Defense), [Dismantle] (Burning Bridges), [Snatch] (Opportunism), [Insight] (Know Thyself).
[Tactic Cards (Locked)]: ... (Unlock Condition: Go to special locations/scenes to unlock corresponding Tactic Cards.)
(Note: Using Tactic Cards consumes a large amount of mana, mental power, and stamina. Please use within your limits; overexertion will cause irreversible damage.)