Before the words could finish echoing, a spear was already airborne.
The man did not hesitate. With a flick of his wrist, a dagger slid into his palm.
But the boys reacted even faster.
Without a word, Hoffa slammed into the man's waist, throwing him off balance.
Yet the assassin, using some unknown skill, managed to regain his stance almost immediately. Hoffa's charge barely made him sway, and his dagger remained steady.
Silver Scorpion's thrown spear arrived at that moment.
The assassin glared venomously at Valar, who had taken advantage of Hoffa's tackle to roll away and grab a broken lance.
The spear pierced through the assassin's body. Despite this, the man turned his gaze to Valar and, in High Valyrian, uttered in a low voice:
"I Regret."
Reversing the dagger, he plunged it into his own throat.
He was dead before he hit the ground.
Silver Scorpion pulled his spear out of the corpse. "Its was a Regret assassin, master Valar. You may need to return to Volantis sooner than planned."
"Who sent him?" Valar, his initial fear now fading, looked at the lifeless body in confusion. Hoffa stood defensively in front of Valar, keeping a wary eye on the corpse.
Silver Scorpion methodically stabbed the assassin's limbs, chest, and head with his spear. Then he turned to address the Silver Blood soldiers and the towering, heavily armored warriors known as the "Weepers" who had arrived.
"Silver Scorpion!" The clanging of metal filled the air as Gonzo Pyrebane stormed into the courtyard, followed closely by Sebastian.
Gonzo Pyrebane was a towering, muscular man with braided brown hair and a knotted beard. His polished silver breastplate bore the Pyrebane family crest: black flames on a deep blue field. He is a vassal of the Vaelarys family, but, unfortunately, Gonzo's lineage was nearing its end. His tragic love story was well-known—his wife had died in childbirth, leaving him grief-stricken. In his despair, Gonsor impulsively drank a cup of "Oathwine" infused with Draezell's blood, swearing never to remarry.
And so, the Pyrebane line faced extinction.
A similar fate had befallen another vassal family, the Valtaken. Their sole heir, Rafa Valtaken, had choked to death while drinking.
The Vaelarys family, however, had an abundance of children under their protection at the time.
Sebastian had been adopted by Gonzo, inheriting the Pyrebane name. Meanwhile, Lynn had taken on the Valtaken name and the family's vassal seat.
"Gonzo," Silver Scorpion said sternly. "This isn't the time for arguments. A uninvited guest infiltrated the estate and attempted to kill young master Valar. We must seal off the manor immediately."
Gonzo calmed himself, his expression darkening. "Understood. Sebastian, come with me. Silver Scorpion, protect the young master." He drew his longsword and led Sebastian and a group of Silver Blood cavalry out of the courtyard.
Their horses were still outside.
The remaining Unsullied and Silver Blood soldiers swiftly moved to secure the entrances and exits of the manor.
"Young master Valar, Hoffa," Silver Scorpion said gravely. "You must leave with Gonzo and Sebastian immediately. This Regret Assassin is one thing, but if they've hired a Faceless Man, the consequences could be dire."
Valar and Hoffa quickly grasped the gravity of the situation and dashed to their rooms to pack their belongings.
The search of the estate lasted an entire day.
"Sebas, any news?" Valar hurriedly approached Sebastian as the latter entered the room, panting heavily. Despite some lingering fear, Valar's initial terror had given way to anger and a hint of excitement. He was eager to uncover who had dared to target him.
Sebastian grabbed the glass decanter on the table, pouring himself a cup of amber-colored fruit wine, which he downed in one gulp.
"My father and I searched the entire estate. All we found were a few servants who helped the assassin gain entry. They didn't know he was a Assassin. He tricked them by claiming to be a new recruit for the Silver Blood forces."
"What happened to those servants?" Valar pressed.
"They're fine," Sebastian replied, pouring another glass of wine and catching his breath. "Hoffa made them drink 'Oathwine.' They couldn't lie under its influence. Once we confirmed they had no involvement, we released them."
Valar nodded, deeply influenced by his brother Draezell's teachings.
"The messenger to inform the lord is likely close to home by now. We'll depart tomorrow morning."
"Understood," Valar replied firmly.
Crash!
The sound of expensive glass shattering reverberated across the hall.
"Who did this?"
Draezell's deep violet eyes were bloodshot. He took a long, controlled breath and glanced at the household retainers lined up on either side of the long table. "Apologies. I may have overreacted."
The chief retainer, Vansen Kaon, stroked his beard thoughtfully, lost in deliberation.
The young silver-haired Aslan Rondell, however, was seething with rage. "My lord, this must have been the work of the Tiger faction!"
"Aslan, speak with evidence," Maester Visari cautioned. "The lord is not a senator. An attack on him or young master Valar would harm the Tiger faction far more than benefit them, leaving them vulnerable to accusations."
A cold laugh interrupted Maester Visari. The pale middle-aged man dressed in black, Zesar the Shadow Weaver, cast a sidelong glance at the maester. "Scholar, don't try to rationalize thoae fools who lives inside the Black Wall."
Zesar, the hereditary spymaster of House Valarys, was not only skilled in Lyseni poisons but also in the intelligence network techniques of Braavos. He was the mentor of Tygaro Dargaleon, who had been dragged back by Lynn Valtaken.
"There are plenty of forces both inside and outside the Black Wall capable of contacting the Regretful Assassins," Zesar began. "But only the Bontaro family has direct conflict with you. Though Mogul Bontaro is an incompetent fool, his family's wealth is more than sufficient to embolden him to act recklessly."
"Then why didn't he target me directly?" Draezell asked, his voice sharp. "Killing Valar serves him no purpose. My brother has nothing to do with any of this."
He paused, clenching his jaw.
"Or does he think killing my brother would provoke me?"
If so, he succeeded.
Such were Draezell's thoughts.
"Because it's too expensive," Zesar said, limping toward Draezell with the aid of his snake-shaped cane. A severe poisoning incident had left his left leg paralyzed. "Even the rulers of those Free Cities, or the Triarchs of Volantis, cannot afford the price of killing you."
Draezell was momentarily silenced.
Indeed. He was surrounded by fearless warriors, including Unsullied soldiers.
And more crucially, he possessed blood magic.
The retainers and servants had all consumed Oathwine and Contract Wine. Even the cats, dogs, and ravens on the estate had been fed food laced with Draezell's blood.
In essence, this manor was a death trap for outsiders.
Even the Faceless Men would find it exceptionally difficult to infiltrate the grounds.
Of course, a dragon would make it even better.
"Very well." Draezell glanced at the gathered individuals. "Let's discuss how we're going to make the Bontaro family pay. My brother doesn't get to be scared for nothing."
"Perhaps I could use poison?" Tygaro raised his hand. "Just three drops of grey mushroom extract and a hint of scorpiontail venom, and I could wipe out everyone in the Bontaro estate without anyone realizing it. The symptoms would just look like a severe outbreak of typhoid."
"It's not just about lives," countered Lynn Valtaken. "Tygaro, you're far too extreme sometimes."
"Both Lynn and Tygaro have valid points," Vansen Kaon interjected diplomatically. "My lord, you—"
"This price won't just be paid by the Bontaro family," Draezell cut in, narrowing his eyes at the map spread across the long table.
The Bontaros had dared to act. Whether or not they were truly responsible, they were the prime suspects. That made them guilty. And if they were guilty, then the Tiger faction backing them must also bear the cost.
Inflicting a non-lethal but significant blow on the Tiger faction would undoubtedly be welcomed by their rivals, the Elephant faction.
This presented a golden opportunity to shift the focus of the Black Wall nobility away from his critical plans.
The ships were nearly ready. All that remained was for Malak to recover, and they could set sail for the ruins of Valyria immediately.
Draezell could already feel something stirring inside him, urging him toward the Valyrian ruins.
It was as though something there was calling to him.
"Lord Kaon, prepare the elephant carriage. Lord Zesar, you and Tygaro will remain behind. Aslan, you and Lynn will accompany me to the Senate."
"We're going to reclaim Valar's dignity."