Faceless Men were born in the mines of ancient Valyria.
These slaves had to dig while alive; did they think simple death could free them?
No.
When these slaves died, even their corpses weren't spared!
Because the ancient Valyrian Empire possessed three strange powers.
Blood magic, necromancy, and prophecy.
These slaves who committed suicide were transformed into thoughtless, controlled undead through necromancy, repeating their "pre-death" work day after day.
Here, slaves from different kingdoms prayed to their respective gods in endless pain, but prayed for the same thing.
Release.
They had enough of the dragonlords' rule.
They sought true release.
A release where both body and soul were completely destroyed.
The first Faceless Man realized.
All gods have their own tools executing various wills in the world.
And hundreds of gods are actually the same god with hundreds of different faces.
This is the origin of the Many-Faced God.
Thus, this Faceless Man, for the first time as a tool of the "Many-Faced God," "liberated" the most suffering slave.
He smashed the slave's skull with a pickaxe and threw his body into a magma pool.
Thus, this slave was completely free...
This was the origin of the "Gift."
Subsequently.
The second Faceless Man joined the resistance.
Then the third,
Fourth...
And Braavos was a city-state built by refugees fleeing Valyrian slavery.
As part of the resisting slaves, Faceless Men also followed the Northerners here and flourished.
It could be said that the House of Black and White and Braavos were closely linked from the beginning, indistinguishable, together forming the cornerstone of the city-state of Braavos.
And eventually, together with forces like the Iron Bank, formed the upper power system of Braavos.
The Iron Bank couldn't do without the assassination means of the House of Black and White to collect debts, and the House of Black and White couldn't do without the financial support of the Iron Bank.
For such a behemoth, Lynn, facing imminent war, couldn't spare a hand or time to deal with it.
Just hoped they would behave and not cause trouble for him.
Otherwise, after Lynn freed his hands, he wouldn't mind riding a giant dragon to find something for them to do, lest they be bored all day.
Death.
This word, for a Faceless Man, should have been the kindest word in the world.
They were servants of death, givers of "gifts."
They regarded death as a release, an ultimate peace.
But at this moment, when this word was spat from Lynn's mouth, Jaqen felt the weight behind this word for the first time.
Are you kidding? Giving release to others and giving release to oneself are two completely different things.
That was true nothingness, the end where both spirit and form were destroyed.
When it was really the turn of oneself, who wasn't in pain, to face "death," it would be a lie not to be afraid.
Jaqen had no doubt that Lynn before him could easily do this.
All his secrets, all his disguises, all his skills became a transparent joke before Lynn.
By the Many-Faced God.
What kind of monster was this?
Muscles twitched uncontrollably on Jaqen's face, so ordinary it would be forgotten instantly.
His proud calm, that ethereal state of mind viewing himself as "no one," had completely collapsed.
The poison needle in his sleeve felt heavier than Casterly Rock at this moment.
He knew if he made the slightest move, Lynn would definitely send him to meet the Many-Faced God.
"Why?"
After a long time, Jaqen finally squeezed three words through his teeth.
"You hate dragons, hate people who ride them."
"You want to know their weaknesses, then bring this 'knowledge' back to the House of Black and White for your laughable 'holy war,' right?"
Lynn was stating an established fact.
Jaqen's body shook violently.
"You!"
"Dragons are symbols of tyranny! Tools of enslavement!"
Flames finally ignited in Jaqen's eyes.
That was the fanaticism and anger of faith being touched.
"The forty dragonlord families of ancient Valyria turned half the world into their mines and slave camps with dragonfire!"
"They drank and made merry in the sky."
"While our ancestors were whipped in the sunless underground, swallowed by magma, wailing in endless pain!"
His voice became higher and higher, as if returning to that purgatory where the Many-Faced God was born.
"The first Faceless Man heard their prayers!"
"He gave the 'gift' to those most suffering compatriots, and swore to give this 'gift' to those high-and-mighty dragonlords too!"
"What we hate is not the creature dragon, or other supernatural powers; we hate the absolute power they represent!"
"It's the sin that makes mortals arrogant!"
"Anyone mastering these supernatural powers will eventually be swallowed by them, becoming a new tyrant!"
"We are just preventing history from repeating!"
Jaqen stared fixedly at Lynn.
These words were his last line of defense, and the entire meaning of his personal action in coming to Westeros this time.
Lynn listened quietly until the end.
"Finished?"
Jaqen was stunned.
"What you said is all correct."
Lynn nodded.
"The dragonlords of ancient Valyria were indeed a bunch of bastards in your eyes."
"Of course, I also think they were bastards, out-and-out bastards."
"But please don't doubt, I'm not deliberately catering to you."
"With the ability of your House of Black and White, it shouldn't be hard to know."
"Just recently, I liberated all slaves in Astapor; I hate this cruel system more than anyone in the world."
This unexpected agreement stuck all of Jaqen's prepared arguments in his throat.
Yes, if Lynn hadn't taken such measures, he wouldn't have said so much to Lynn.
He came here mainly to see what kind of person Lynn really was, then judge whether to give Lynn "release."
Otherwise, he would have tried to kill Lynn long ago.
"But,"
Lynn changed the subject.
"Have you thought about it?"
"What do those dragonlords you speak of have to do with me?"
"My surname is Lynn, coming from a place farther than Asshai."
"Not surnamed Targaryen, nor a descendant of the forty dragon families of ancient Valyria."
"I'm just an ordinary person who accidentally got a dragon."
"Ordinary?"
Jaqen almost laughed out loud.
"An ordinary person can hatch a dragon egg out of thin air?"
"An ordinary person can see through all my secrets?"
"An ordinary person can make human skin masks that even the House of Black and White can't match?"
"You are clearly a monster more terrible than dragonlords!"
"Monster?" Lynn smiled.
"Perhaps."
"But in my opinion, what's truly terrible is not power itself, but the human heart using power."
Lynn took a step forward, that invisible aura pressing Jaqen almost breathless.
"A sword, in a knight's hand, can protect the innocent."
"In a bandit's hand, can slaughter women and children indiscriminately."
"Are you going to destroy all swords in the world because bandits killed people?"
"Dragons are the same."
"It's just a power, a sharper sword."
"In dragonlords' hands, it's a tool of enslavement, but in mine..."
Lynn paused, gaze seeming to penetrate the roof of this hovel, looking toward the distant Slaver's Bay.
"It will be the iron plow ending chaos and bringing order."
Jaqen was completely stunned.
"You... what do you want to do?"
"What do I want to do?"
Lynn withdrew his gaze, landing on Jaqen's face again.
"I want fewer suffering people in this world who need your 'gift'."
"I want grain to grow in farmers' fields, not be trampled wantonly by nobles' iron hooves."
"I want children to sit by the fire listening to bards sing, not become homeless orphans in war."
"I want the winter of Westeros to be less unbearable."
"Want every castle, every village to have enough food and firewood to survive the winter."
Lynn's voice held no incitement, but these calm words struck critically on Jaqen's heart again and again.
"Your Many-Faced God was born of despair; you use death to end pain."
"And I want to use living to eradicate despair."
"Tell me, Jaqen, who is right? How are our goals different?"
Jaqen opened his mouth but couldn't refute.
The House of Black and White saw all of Lynn's actions in Essos.
So much so that when Meereen wanted to hire them to kill Lynn, they ultimately chose not to accept this mission.
Jaqen came here personally mainly to contact Lynn, study his giant dragon, and after everything was clear, judge whether to act against Lynn.
This could be considered setting a precedent for the House of Black and White.
Lynn's words overturned the creed Jaqen had upheld for half his life.
The doctrine of the House of Black and White was termination.
They were like a group of silent cleaners, erasing the world's pain and sin one by one, finally returning everything to nothingness.
And this man before him, he actually wanted to establish a new order on ruins?
He wanted to create!
What an arrogant, yet fascinating ideal.
Jaqen's heart was in turmoil.
He thought of the original intention of the first Faceless Man.
He wasn't for killing, but to "liberate" those souls suffering in pain.
If there really was no pain in this world, what meaning would the Many-Faced God's existence have?
By then, people wouldn't need faith; they would only believe in themselves!
Everyone would have the power to control their own destiny!
Lynn glanced outside the door and smiled.
"A master scholar in my hometown once said something, different from the language here, but I can translate it simply for you."
"When the Great Way prevails, the world is shared by all. The virtuous and capable are chosen, trust and harmony are cultivated."
"Therefore, people do not only treat their own parents as parents, nor only their own children as children. The old are provided for until death, the able-bodied are employed, and the young are nurtured..."
"Thus, schemes are repressed and do not arise; robbery, theft, and disorder do not occur. So outer doors are not closed. This is called the Great Unity."
"I have always kept his words in mind and am willing to strive for them."
"You..."
Jaqen's voice carried disbelief.
Although the words from Lynn's mouth were a bit awkward, the beauty within them was instantly captured by Jaqen.
This was countless times better than the doctrine of their House of Black and White.
That was the true ideal society!
Moreover, the current House of Black and White wasn't as pure as before; some higher-ups forcefully bestowed gifts on targets regardless of right or wrong for gold coins.
Just as Lynn said, they were gradually losing their original intention due to power and strength.
Looking at the incredulity in Jaqen's eyes, Lynn smiled with satisfaction.
He understood now; the ancestors' stuff was simply a dimensionality reduction blow to people in the Ice and Fire world.
They couldn't summarize such profound ideological concepts even if they thought for a lifetime.
Fooled Arya before, now added a Jaqen.
This was very good.
Lynn threw that human skin mask of Stannis in front of Jaqen.
"Go, tell a good story."
"One that makes all of Westeros believe Robert Baratheon died of his own brother's conspiracy."
"Changing the world is never empty talk, but action; let's start here, Jaqen."
Jaqen picked up that mask.
It felt warm and moist, but heavy as a thousand pounds.
Faceless Men's masks came from people who dedicated their lives to the Many-Faced God.
When a Faceless Man put it on, they would inherit the dead's memories.
When Jaqen put the mask on his face, feeling the same effect as the product of the House of Black and White, the shock in his heart was beyond words.
This not only represented an ordinary mask.
This represented the supreme inheritance of Faceless Men.
Jaqen looked at Lynn, a bold thought emerging in his heart.
Could it be... he...
This thought made his hostility toward Lynn vanish without a trace.
He spoke.
"I have spent my life searching for Valyrian dragon eggs, necromancy, and blood magic, discovering and destroying them."
"If you are right, I don't mind persuading the House of Black and White to hand these things over to you."
"In your hands, perhaps they can exert completely different power... consider it... for that Great Unity world you spoke of..."
With that, Jaqen took a deep look at Lynn.
Then his figure merged into the darkness outside the door like a drop of water into the sea, disappearing silently.
"Necromancy? Blood magic? Interesting."
Lynn smiled, then said to the empty room.
"Alright, Lord Varys, come out; how long are you going to eavesdrop?"