Chapter 18 - 18: Back to Essos

Chapter 18: Back to Essos 

…

-Arthur (XIX)- 

I arrived in Braavos within one day by using my ship. Of course, I used wind and water Magic as much as I safely could to speed up this journey. 

These are the moments where this world's magic truly shows its value. The crew was exhausted and I was too. But I didn't show any weakness as my ship landed on the docks of Bravos

Some blood dripped out of my nose, and the nausea was no joke and as I stepped out of the ship it felt like I was going to pass out. But I stood tall, straightened my back and my eyes were concentrated even though everything felt blurry. 

These were symptoms that probably meant that I had lost some lifespan, but it was something I had to do or the void left in the Iron Bank could be filled by someone else if I didn't move fast enough. 

Hundreds of guards were on the docks, and people were pushed out of the way. They wore green armor with red hawks painted on their ċhėst plates.

They have spears and round shields on them. 

"""WELCOME BACK MY LORD!!!""" Their loud yells revered through the docks, and people immediately understood that something was about to happen and scattered away. 

My eyes sharpened at this and I looked towards a certain building that could be seen even from the docks. 

"To the Iron Bank!" I ordered them loudly, talking out my sword and pointing it towards the mentioned building. Immediately they turned around and started marching. 

***

None of them questioned my words, just as I had trained them. They simply escorted me to the Iron Bank, and immediately I could see the people around the bank get nervous and try to get away.

I couldn't rest at all or someone else will take over the Iron Bank. Which would be disastrous.

I do own some percentage of the Iron Bank, something like 10% of it. But I was in no position to even become a member of the Council in the Iron Bank. 

The Iron Bank never had just one leader with absolute power. The institution didn't work like that, but it truly was a shame for them that I had the bigger army. So I made the rules now. They only had two choices here, comply or get themselves and their families dead. 

They weren't exactly in a position where to refuse me.

This was a medieval world, there were unspoken rules around here. Well, this would work in the modern world too, so it doesn't matter which time I was in. Certain things would never change. 

That absolutely, and unspoken rule was that if you have the bigger army you can have anything you want.

Just like with America in my last life. The country that spent the most in their military, even the next ten countries that spent the most in military combined couldn't match it.

Fuck. I wasn't even American in my last life, and while the country was far from the best for its people's life. It undeniably had the most powerful army, and the country itself was unable to be conquered due to each of its citizens being essentially a soldier. After all, they had a lot of guns. 

There was a reason no one went to America and told anything about the debts it had. If it was a weaker country, that would be a whole different story.

As I stood there in front of the mighty Iron Bank, I smiled, looking at the people around me, daring the accountants here to do anything suspicious. 

I entered the building, and my soldiers protected me from all directions. They are very dedicated. After all, when I get control of Braavos I will make them live luxurious lives and inspire my other soldiers to be like them. 

I just entered the Iron Bank, no one dared to get in my way, and I just casually went to the meeting room where all of the people who owned any percentage of the Iron Bank would discuss who would be the next members of the council. 

The Bank doesn't have a standing army and usually hires some Sellsword Company to protect them when Bravos was ever in danger of being invaded. They also had the Faceless men do their dirty work so there is that also.

When I entered the chamber. Some people looked at me, a couple were shocked, showing that they had gotten news of my death. 

"What-"

"Kill them all," I ordered, not even waiting for anyone to say anything.

The guards immediately went to kill them, the people tried to fight back, some begged, but it's a shame. I don't like leaving any loose ends and their families will soon be killed too. 

From the children to the elderly. I don't hate them or their families, it's just business.

After killing them I split my guards into groups led by my most trusted personnel to go and kill the families of the people who had a part in the Iron Bank. 

But I still took half of my guards. And went towards the Sea Lord's Palace. The Ruler of Braavos.

It was a sprawling building that houses a menagerie of exotics beasts and birds. I knew that as I had been here a couple of times before. 

The Sea Lord was the leader of Braavos, the Sealord is a non-hereditary, elected position. Once elected, they serve for life.

We are taking over this place. He has around 60 guards that protect him and I had half of mine. Which is 450 soldiers, so for every soldier he had, I have more than seven. I must say, I liked my odds.

Anyway, I needed to take control of Braavos in one day or my enemies could band together and might hire some mercenary group or something like that. After today I must have zero enemies in Braavos, that was the only possible alternative.

I go towards the Sea Lord's palace. I saw that the guards at the gate were not nervous. The news must have not reached him here. So I took this chance and ordered my soldiers. "Charge!"

I stayed in the back and saw them go through the palace like a hot knife through buŧŧer. Killing anyone in sight, children, servants, women, elderly… it doesn't matter. Any of them could be someone disguised and could escape from here. This was the safest course of action for me.

...

I take over fifty of my guards, together with the three of the faceless men on a carriage inside cages. 

Then we all went towards the House of Black and White. 

Since the building sat by itself on a small island in Braavos we all took my boats and surrounded it. 

Then I together with my guards and the imprisoned faceless men. We all arrived there and one of my guards knocked on the door.

.

Soon after a couple of seconds, the door was opened and a man covered in a black robe came out. 

He had a pale face and blue eyes with blond hair. He just stared at me emotionally, saw my guards behind me but still spoke with no emotion on his face or voice. "How may the man help you?"

I just gazed at him and gave a signal to my soldiers, with a wave of my hand.

My soldiers brought three faceless in chains, in front of me.  I kicked their back of the knees then they fell with their knees on the ground and I just looked towards the House of Black and White. "I want you to stop taking orders against me or else."

*gurgle* 

The man with the slit throat choked on his blood as he grabbed at his neck, to try and stop himself from death. But in the end, he died.

Then I just kicked the guy that I killed down to the ground. His dead body laid there without any emotion on his face and his eyes wide open. 

And with the bloody knife still in my hand, I shrugged casually towards the man that had come out of the house of White and Black. "Listen, I am a nice guy. I don't want to kill needlessly. I mean you guys are really useful and I don't want to get rid of you."

The guy at the gate narrowed his eyes a little, I noticed that with my hawk vision. 

"Then what is it that you want?" The doorman just calmly asked.

I just smirked a little. "Well, now from you I want to not send any more ȧssassins after me. So I don't wipe you out and you don't kill me. That sounds fair right… I mean to me that sounds fair. Right, friend?"

Before he can answer I just pat one of the chained faceless men on the head like a dog. "I mean I was going to torture these guys to learn your face stealing techniques, but I thought; Hey, that seems kind of rude to my... soon-to-be friends. So I didn't do it. We are friends right?"

The guy at the gate still had a calm face and muttered. "We accept your proposal."

I climbed up the stairs by myself and arrived in front of the door where the faceless man was standing. Then I… just hugged him. "Welcome my friends, it was nice to know you all."

He doesn't hug back or have any emotion on his face. Then I look at my soldiers. "Hey release our new friends, we are all together here, c'mon now, don't be rude."

The Faceless Men were released from their chains. They have emotionless eyes, as they went forward towards the House of Black and White I started walking towards my soldiers with a smile on my face. 

When the previously captured faceless men arrived at the doorman. I just look behind me and see.

*fwish*

Their throats are slashed by the doorman. 

As expected of the faceless men, failures aren't exactly rewarded. 

Anyway, now that I solved this problem I just had to take care and stabilize Braavos. Then I was going to get some benefits during Robert's Rebellion.

A smile appears on my face as I think. -'I kind of like playing this game.'

I sent a look toward the doorman. C'mon bitch, I dare you to act. Do you have the balls to risk it? I will slaughter your whole house of Black and White. You might be ȧssassins, the best amongst your kind. But they were still human, and armies would crash and burn the House of Black and White to the ground before they could do anything.

Also, if they aren't useful, I could destroy them then too. Keeping an entity that didn't listen to me here would be disadvantageous. So they better listen and understand what was good for them.

*****