Chapter 25

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After a few minutes, the creature continued:

"The point is that after the actions of the Great Other, there will essentially be no manifestations of death... Now do you understand why the Many-Faced God is interested in this situation?"

After pondering for a few moments, I said:

"I think I understand; he fears the absence of victims. But you're not just telling me this for no reason, are you?"

"Not at all. At the request of the Many-Faced God, you will have the opportunity to utilize the help of the Faceless Men. Should you accept a mission from the Many-Faced God."

Quest Received from the Many-Faced God

Quest: Visit the Ruins of Valyria 0/1

Reward: Gift from the Many-Faced God 0/1

Accept / Decline

What surprised me first was the absence of any penalty or time constraints.

"Why are there no time constraints?"

I had some suspicions about why the Many-Faced God wanted me to go to Valyria. But the rest truly concerned me.

"The matter is that if you, the Child of Destiny, do not visit Valyria before the start of the Long Night, you will not be able to reach it afterward."

Nodding and after a brief consideration, I decided to accept the mission, because according to the Creature, if I do not go to Valyria, the problems later on will be far greater than they could be.

After I accepted the mission, a notification sounded.

Gift from the Many-Faced God Received

This very gift was titled Doppelganger, allowing me to change my appearance without the Faceless Men's artifacts. As I understood, they cannot easily change their appearance because people are unable to remember all the details of the face and appearance of the person they mimic. And due to a smaller amount of magic compared to me, at least.

Thanks to my vast amount of magic and the Ice Mind, I could change my appearance having seen a person just once. The true beauty of the Doppelganger was that this gift helped me analyze the physical characteristics of people in more detail.

"Thank you," I said sincerely, as this ability was clearly going to be useful.

The creature merely replied:

"Good luck, Daeron Targaryen."

After that, nothing held me in that place, so I soon left.

Upon exiting, I was greeted by rain...

"Tun, you didn't clear the storm clouds?"

"I didn't want to…" replied the feathered one...

"Well, you and your..."

Present time

Now, I was busy gathering information about Valyria that is available in Braavos. What do I know about Valyria?

Valyria—ancient state on the continent of Essos, homeland of the Targaryens and other silver-haired peoples. Valyria was the dominant power of its time, both militarily and culturally. With the aid of dragons and magic, the Valyrians subjugated much of the continent.

In 102 BC, a catastrophic event destroyed the city of Valyria and turned the Valyrian Peninsula, formerly part of Essos, into a group of islands separated by the perilous Smoking Sea. The Doom consisted of simultaneous volcanic eruptions of the Fourteen Fires, earthquakes, and tsunamis that swept away entire islands; the flames of the Doom were so fierce that even dragons burned in the sky. Priests of various religions interpret that the Valyrians angered the gods, while some scholars, believers in magic, suggest that the Valyrians used spells to control the volcanoes, and when these charms weakened, disaster ensued.

To this day, it is believed that the Doom still reigns over Valyria: the sky above it is red at night, and the sea boils and smokes. The Lands of the Long Summer, once feeding all of Valyria, were burned, flooded, and poisoned; the old Valyrian road, connecting Volantis and the Bay of Slavers, is notorious as the "demon road," and in the still-inhabited city of Mantarys, many are born deformed and monstrous. Even more sinister are the tales of the ruins of Valyria itself—ships that venture into the Smoking Sea vanish without a trace, and few dare to enter willingly, even fewer return from the ruins of Valyria.

Though descendants of the Valyrians still live in the Free Cities, the Targaryens were the only dragonlord house to survive the Doom. Twelve years before it, Aenar Targaryen, whose daughter Daenys foresaw the Doom in a dream, moved all his wealth, family, and dragons to the safe Dragonstone in the west.

Valyria was a republic of the ancient model, similar to the Roman Republic in our world. There was never a king or emperor. Officials—archons—were elected annually. All free landowners—i.e., Valyrians born free and owning land—had the right to vote; at least, this system survived in Volantis. In practice, power in Valyria was held by powerful families—wealthy, noble, possessing magical charms, and, most importantly, dragons—the key to the aristocrats' power and to the state as a whole. Very rarely and briefly did power in Valyria fall to one family, although it's not to say such instances were unknown. There were about forty families of dragonlords—they endlessly struggled with each other, rising and falling.

It is known that the Valyrians used hieroglyphs for writing and scrolls instead of books.

Books as such were introduced by the Andals in Westeros, while the First Men did not use writing so clearly.

In Valyria, there was slavery and slave trade, and their extent is hard to overestimate. Thanks to successful wars, there were thousands of slaves in Valyria, who were used everywhere and valued little. Particularly, they were sent to the mines, where most ended their lives. It was in such mines that the society of the Faceless Men, worshiping the god of death, first arose. Braavos was founded by galley slaves who revolted on a Valyrian fleet and stole the ships far to the north to establish their hidden city.

The inhabitants of Valyria had silvery-blonde or golden hair and eyes of violet, indigo, purple, or deep violet. This appearance distinguished representatives of the Targaryens, as well as the Velaryons and other rare houses from Valyria. However, in the Free Cities, especially in the southern ones—Lys and Volantis—people with Valyrian features are more common, and they can be found not only among noble lords but also among prostitutes in "pillow houses."

There is speculation that among the patrician class in Valyria, there was no taboo on close-kin marriages during the republic's heyday. By analogy with the tradition in the House of Targaryen, it is assumed that given the limited number of noble families, sooner or later all houses would have been interrelated. Therefore, to preserve the purity of blood, there was no incest taboo.

Not only the Targaryens survived among the Valyrians, as some Valyrians managed to escape, like the Targaryens, settling in other cities. For instance, in Lys, most of the population have pale skin and white hair, and violet eyes are not uncommon, as Valyrian blood is still strong there. In Volantis, only those triarchs who can trace their lineage directly to Valyria reign.

And I need to somehow get there and return, but just how? I believed it was possible since, as I recall, Euron Greyjoy managed to reach it in the future or now as he claimed. But can the words of a madman be trusted?

"Heh... As if I have other options... Alright, I won't be heading there anytime soon anyway. For now, it's better to take a walk and refresh my thoughts," I decided and went for a stroll.

Walking through Braavos, I noticed another feature of the city in the form of its courtesans. The courtesans of Braavos were famous throughout the world. Bards dedicated songs to them, jewelers lavished them with gold and jewels, craftsmen begged on their knees to honor them with orders, trade tycoons paid astronomical sums for the privilege of accompanying them at balls, feasts, and in the theater, and street cutthroats killed each other in their honor. Each courtesan had her own barge and servants who steered the boat to rendezvous points.

Many of these courtesans had pseudonyms that created a certain charm; well-known were the Poetess, Moon Shadow, Serry Queen, and Lady Under the Veil.

Now, one of these celebrities, the Lady Under the Veil, passed before my eyes... And I sensed something very intriguing...

The magic emanating from this woman was quite strange; it was different from what I had sensed from the Faceless or from the depths of the sea while on the ship. It also bore no resemblance to the magic I had felt from weirwood.

"There it is, something worth investigating," I said as I headed back.

I couldn't follow her now; she had moved too far ahead. Moreover, it would be impractical to follow an unknown element without proper preparation. So once again, I relied on my eyes...

Through the eyes of birds, I watched as the Lady Under the Veil and her lover disembarked from the boat and entered a building. Unfortunately, as soon as they entered, they immediately closed the doors and windows, so I couldn't see anything useful. Watching the building all night, I only noticed that close to dawn, the Lady Under the Veil emerged with a contented lover.

Observing her activities over the week, I understood that this building was just one of the few that the Lady Under the Veil frequented. In addition to that tower, I identified at least three others, and it was clear that I would have to try to procure her services to gain information.

After finding a man who had spent the last night with her to find out how to approach the Lady Under the Veil, I didn't have to search long. Within 8 hours, I had information about this man's whereabouts.

Three hours later

Having learned from Ferro Otaris about someone who could help me arrange a meeting with the courtesan, I had no further business in that part of town. Surprisingly, my funds were sufficient for an encounter with the courtesan.

The person who could help me set up the meeting was an elderly woman with violet eyes. Her hair might have been white since her youth, but I couldn't be sure.

"Good day, I would like to inquire if I might be granted an audience with the Lady Under the Veil?"

After sizing me up, she responded:

"Do you have the funds for such a pleasure? A night with the Lady Under the Veil costs a significant sum."

I simply laid ten gold coins on the table; the courtesan did not come cheap. After all, a copper penny might buy the cheapest sausage and a horn of ale, a silver stag could afford a hearty dinner at a roadside inn with some change left over. A new full set of knight's armor—a long hauberk, gorget, gauntlets, and helm—costs at least 800 stags at a good blacksmith; old worn armor from a hedge knight might sell for 200 stags. A riding horse costs between 750 to 1500 stags.

But thanks to my journey, I had acquired considerable wealth, not to mention the treasure I found on Bear Island. So, money was not a problem for me at the moment.

Thinking it not shameful to spend well for varied knowledge, as after all, I could only take my knowledge and emotions to the grave, I decided.

"Hmm, she can see you tomorrow. You are very lucky; normally, her appointments are booked weeks in advance."

Not surprisingly, as I had made a name for myself as someone who had defeated numerous bravos, and I had once declared that I intended to spend a night with the Lady Under the Veil, adding that I would kill anyone who dared spend time with her in the near future. I would have been surprised if this courtesan had been unavailable.

"I've often been told that many would envy my luck," I replied with a smile.

"Ah, youth. They will wait for you near the Moon Pool, at the same time tomorrow."

"Thank you, and here, this is for you," I said, handing her a silver coin before departing.

The next day

Closer to the appointed time the next day, Tun and I were ready and waiting near the Moon Pool.

"So, just to confirm, you want me to follow you while you're with the courtesan?" Tun asked incredulously.

"Yes, exactly that," I replied, my brow twitching slightly.

I knew where Tun was heading with this; unfortunately, I had taught him things from my previous world and shared some memories from there. Regrettably, along with useful knowledge, he had also picked up some irritating notions.

"You're such a pervert... an exhibitionist, damn it..." Tun remarked intentionally.

Keeping calm, as reacting would only give him more room for jokes, I responded, "I've told you why I need to meet with her!"

As expected, I only opened up more opportunities for his jokes. Fortunately, my distraction arrived in the form of a young woman who approached me and said:

"Sir, are you the Gentleman in Red?"

The Gentleman in Red was a nickname given to me by the bravos and people who had seen my battles, derived from my reddish hair and similarly colored clothing.

"Yes, that's me. Are you from the Lady Under the Veil?"

The woman nodded and beckoned me to follow her, and soon I found myself sitting across from the courtesan. I could reaffirm that she radiated a significant amount of strange magic. In her emotions, there was only slight interest towards me, probably a professional deformation.

"Good day, you may call me Red. And how may I address you?" I asked the courtesan.

"You may call me as you wish," she replied.

"In that case, you'll be Miss Beauty," I decided.

The courtesan just laughed, and under such dialogues, we quickly reached our destination. I learned that she was originally from Lys, a place renowned for its exquisite cuisine, expensive perfumes, and accessible prostitutes—there are numerous "pillow houses" and pleasure gardens, making it a popular destination for those seeking love, which is considered an art in Lys. Lys is also known for its poisons and beautifully minted coins depicting a nude woman.

After the fall of Valyria, Lys was occupied by Volantis but regained its independence with the help of Braavos and a revolt. During the Dance of the Dragons, Lys, along with Myr and Tyrosh, formed the Kingdom of the Three Daughters, or Triarchy. This confederation lasted just over thirty years and collapsed due to civil war. Despite its island location, modern Lys still claims the Disputed Lands and frequently wars over them with its neighbors—Myr and Tyrosh.

Honestly, I was not surprised that she was from Lys, as many women of Valyrian beauty reside there. I believe the place was originally designed by Valyria as a resort.

Entering one of the buildings where I had seen this woman with her lovers, I started to intensively monitor for magic. Finding nothing initially, I relaxed until suddenly, as we entered a room, I detected an enormous amount of magic...

From the perspective of the Lady Under the Veil

My name is Pess, originally from Lys but currently residing in Braavos due to certain events that forced me to change my location. Without these events, I would have continued living in Lys, as even there I was the foremost priestess of love.

Looking in the mirror and seeing nothing unusual, I could affirm my possession of the incredible beauty typical of true Valyrians. Violet eyes, a heart-shaped face without blemishes, and a body for which not only men would give everything.

Satisfied with my reflection, I began to prepare, for today I was expecting a new client who, although possessing an interesting reputation, had nothing particularly special about him. Meeting him only confirmed my thoughts, all was routine until we arrived at one of my homes.

"He's quite an interesting young man..."