NOVEL FROG Chapter 235: The Kindly Man
In any case, the sudden collapse of the Black Goat Priest had cast a shadow over Drogo’s reputation. He ordered the incident to be kept secret while he waited for the Faceless Men to make their move.
The Black Goat Priest had attempted to assault Viserys’s soul with sorcery, but he had severely underestimated Viserys’s spiritual strength. Since defeating Euron, Viserys had boosted his Spirit by several hundred points. The priest’s attack was like driving a sedan chair into a city wall—he smashed his mind against it and remained in a coma.
Even Drogo was now a bit worried. If Viserys had truly done this, could the Faceless Men still succeed in assassinating him? Kambron shared the same concern.
"He was able to do that without even lifting a finger. Can the Faceless Men really manage it?" Kambron wondered aloud. He had wagered everything on this plan, even leaving his beloved daughter with the Dothraki.
Cassius, who had originally proposed the idea of hiring the Faceless Men, responded somewhat irritably, "The Faceless Men have never failed a mission. We have to trust them!" It sounded as if Cassius was trying to convince both Kambron and himself.
To further reassure Kambron, and perhaps himself, Cassius continued, "The Faceless Men must kill Viserys, whether it takes one, two, or three attempts! Even if they have to bet the entire House of Black and White, they will kill him!"
Sensing the growing tension, Tregar interjected, "Maybe we should prepare a backup plan."
"What plan?" Kambron and Cassius asked in unison, their eyes fixed on him.
"Surely there’s no one in the world who can’t be burned, right?"
The three men fell silent, immediately grasping Tregar’s idea. Lys was known for two things—poison and wildfire. Given that Viserys had shown no hesitation in drinking “poison” before, Tregar thought that wildfire might be their best option. The alchemists' guild had informed him that ever since the appearance of the red comet, the incantations for concocting wildfire had become effective again, resulting in a much higher quality product.
No matter how powerful Viserys was, he couldn’t possibly be immune to wildfire, could he?
"What’s your plan?" Kambron asked.
"If the Faceless Men succeed, that would be ideal. But if they fail, and Drogo is also defeated, then we can bribe Viserys’s entourage during a victory celebration..."
Tregar believed the plan was entirely feasible. After all, their group had not been exposed, so Viserys wouldn’t be targeting them.
"Why don’t we stockpile more wildfire and blow all of Viserys’s men to the sky?" Kambron suggested.
"The wildfire of today isn’t the same as it used to be. You might want to die, but we don’t," Tregar replied, taken aback. He realized that Kambron was on the verge of losing his composure.
...
Everything that happened that day didn’t escape the notice of the Kindly Man. Viserys appeared to be more formidable than anticipated. However, given the current situation, it was not the time to “charge additional fees” to Tregar and the others.
After all, the Many-Faced God is the "God of Death," not the "God of Fortune." Nevertheless, the profit from this mission was indeed significant.
The "Kindly Man" had seamlessly integrated himself among the low-ranking officers in the barracks. Rather than replacing them, he employed subtle techniques to make everyone believe he had always been there, blending into their memories. It’s known that a person can only truly register the presence of up to 150 others, and with more than 150 soldiers in the barracks, the Kindly Man not only made them accept him as an officer, but even Viserys’s military dogs ceased to be wary of him.
Viserys had been keeping a low profile for some time, depriving the Kindly Man of the opportunity to strike. But now that Viserys had finally appeared, the Kindly Man decided it was time to fulfill his deadly mission.
According to the information from Cassius, Viserys was likely immune to poison. But that didn’t matter—poison was just one tool in the arsenal of the Faceless Men, and they never relied on any single method.
“Allow me to serve your meal, Prince,” the Kindly Man said as he approached the soldier responsible for Viserys’s meals.
“Yes,” Viserys replied.
As the Kindly Man spoke, the soldier’s eyes momentarily glazed over, and he unwittingly handed over the task he should have strictly guarded. Holding the food box, the Kindly Man casually circled Viserys's tent, waiting for the perfect moment.
When he finally entered, he found Viserys intently reviewing some documents, his silver hair catching the light. The tent was stark, with no carpet or luxury. 'Perhaps you will make a good ruler,' the Kindly Man thought briefly, but the notion quickly faded.
As they came face to face, the Kindly Man could see Viserys's features clearly in the dim light.
“If you hadn’t taken this job, you might have recruited a talented assassin for the Many-Faced God in a few years,” Viserys remarked, startling the Kindly Man.
"Arya," Viserys continued, “the daughter of Lord Ned Stark of Winterfell.”
The Kindly Man’s mind reeled. 'What is Viserys talking about?'
“You can kill yourself. We have no personal enmity. Consider this a minor incident. I’m rather fond of that mask you’re wearing, so I’ll borrow it. I’ll send someone to return it to the House of Black and White later.”
After a brief but intense internal struggle, the Kindly Man accepted an unbelievable reality. He tore off the mask, revealing a face in his fifties with a gentle expression.
“Don’t ask; I’m not obliged to answer,” Viserys said, cutting off any response.
The Kindly Man pulled another mask from his cloak and placed the two limp masks before Viserys. “Fold these two masks in half and hand them to the Faceless Men called ‘Waif.’ The House of Black and White will not be your enemy.”
"Very well," Viserys replied, watching as the Kindly Man left. He couldn’t help but think that the leader of the House of Black and White seemed oddly lacking in character, perhaps seeking a peaceful place to end his life.
As soon as the Kindly Man departed, Benerro approached Viserys.
"Viserys, watch out for the Black Goat!"
