Aegor understood that Tyrion was right, he did lack a certain murderous aura. Since leaving the Wall, his role had gradually shifted from that of a Night's Watch ranger to a black-cloaked businessman. The rebellion in the Vale had consumed too much of his energy. He hadn't yet developed the long-term vision, decisiveness, or ruthlessness of a true capitalist. His soldier's instincts were being dulled by daily negotiations and business dealings. Perhaps it was time to hand over those tedious, repetitive tasks to his subordinates and turn to something bigger.
This time, Tyrion's plan required both of the "two giants" to act in person. They had to rely on a combination of wealth and influence to take down their enemy without shedding a single drop of blood. If Aegor wanted to go further, mastering this more advanced method was essential.
In three days, using the capital of the Night's Watch industry to bring down the commander of the City Watch in the capital of the Seven Kingdoms… If the person making such a claim weren't Tyrion Lannister, Aegor would've been skeptical. How could a business enterprise less than a year old already have that much influence?
---
After lunch, Aegor took some time to draft a formal letter of complaint under his real name. This letter was the first strike in a battle without swords or bloodshed. It didn't need to be precise or powerful just fired. As such, the contents were simple: in his capacity as Aegor West, Chief Logistics Officer of the Night's Watch, he accused Janos Slynt of harassing female employees at the Night's Watch office, disrupting normal operations, abusing his power, and soliciting bribes.
Combined with Arya's narrative, it should be enough to give Eddard Stark a general impression of Slynt—and pave the way for everything that followed.
That afternoon, while waiting for Tyrion to send the list, Aegor received another raven, one letter from the Red Keep, and one from the Wall.
He assumed it was a routine supply list for the next month, but upon opening the letter, he was shaken: the first piece of news was that the vanguard of the wildling army was nearing the Wall, and Castle Black now urgently needed manpower and material support. The second piece was explosive—after weeks of struggle, the rangers had ventured deep into the Haunted Forest and captured a wight, suffering double-digit casualties in the process. The wight had been secured aboard the warship Storm Crow at Eastwatch and was en route to King's Landing. With favorable currents, a northern wind, and a full crew of oarsmen, it was expected to arrive within ten days!
Ravens take time to fly. This letter had been written several days ago, and Aegor didn't know how long the Grand Maester had held it before passing it along… It said ten days, but in reality, only a few days might remain. That meant: the ship carrying the wight would arrive in King's Landing very soon!
...
...
There was already enough chaos in the city, and now this. Misfortunes never came singly. Aegor's mouth went dry, but deep down, he understood: it wasn't that these events had "collided." Rather, the wheel of history was rolling forward. These events were always meant to unfold simultaneously, he just happened to be in a position that bridged Castle Black and King's Landing, making them seem intertwined.
With rumors about Cersei and Jaime spreading, and strange movements among the wildlings and White Walkers beyond the Wall, it was no longer realistic for the Night's Watch to develop peacefully. Still, capturing a wight wasn't bad news for someone in his position. What mattered now was figuring out how to control the public reaction when the creature arrived in King's Landing, and how to use that shock to the Night's Watch's advantage—without disrupting normal operations. That was what he, the chief logistics officer, needed to consider.
No—what mattered most right now was the present. As for the wight, he'd wait until it arrived safely in King's Landing before making further plans. Today, the priority was still removing Janos Slynt so Tyrion could flee to Casterly Rock and lie low.
"Ser, what's in the letter?" Nina asked when she saw the change in Aegor's expression. "Is the supply list from the Wall beyond what we can handle?"
"How could that be?" Aegor smiled, carefully tore Mormont's letter in half, handed the portion containing the supply request to Nina, and tucked the rest into a drawer. "Pass the list to the warehouse and purchasing department. Gather everything and send it to the Wall as soon as possible."
Nina glanced at the list and looked surprised. "Ser… this is half again as much as last month. If we don't take a cut, then after paying dividends, wages, and other costs, we won't make much profit."
"Have you forgotten the four thousand gold dragons I earned from selling papermaking and printing? Besides, when did I ever say our goal was to make money? As long as our capital flow remains steady, we will never cut corners on supplies for the Wall. Tell everyone in those departments: not a single grain of wheat is to be lost." If the wildlings or White Walkers breached the Wall, the game was over. That was the line that could never be crossed, no matter how busy they were. "See to it immediately. Also, I'll be leaving early today. After dinner, I'll start visiting the people on Tyrion's list."
---
The list Tyrion sent contained many names, but the one he recommended Aegor visit first was Ser Jacelyn Bywater, captain of the City Watch at the River Gate—commonly known as the Mud Gate.
This officer had once been a close friend of Jeroth, the current head of security for Night's Watch logistics. He also had a long-standing grudge with Slynt, but was luckier than his friend—he hailed from a lesser branch of House Bywater in the Crownlands. Though his family held no lands of their own, they were still noble, and thus sworn bannermen to the king. Bywater had also distinguished himself in battle during Robert's campaign against the Greyjoy rebellion and had been knighted. Although Slynt hated him, he didn't dare move against him openly, so Bywater had remained in command at the Mud Gate.
"He's a brave and honorable man," Tyrion had written in the margin. That was why he wanted Aegor to approach him first.
After dinner, Aegor and Jaqen left the estate and headed for the River Gate in southern King's Landing. Casey was happily working as an inspector at the training camp outside the city. As for the Faceless Man hiding within Night's Watch operations—aside from teaching Arya swordsmanship and guarding the office, he'd done little else for months, yet still drew a wage. It was time to put him to better use.
…
Westeros had irregular seasons, but only over the long term. In the short term, the climate changed gradually. Over the past six months, the temperature had slowly cooled. Subjectively, King's Landing was now transitioning from midsummer into early autumn: still hot at noon, but cool in the mornings and evenings.
By now, the sun had sunk behind the city walls. The last rays of light bathed the taller buildings within the city in gold. The sky overhead was clear and deep blue. Birds flew overhead. Smoke curled from the chimneys of nearby homes. With the arrival of autumn, the city's infamous stench had lessened considerably… To describe the weather in a more poetic fashion: "The day had spent all its heat."
If not for the blood-red comet still hanging in the eastern sky, it might have been called a peaceful evening.
Aegor arrived at the Mud Gate just before sunset. After a brief negotiation with the guards, he was allowed into the gatehouse and brought to meet the man he'd come to find, inside the squad leader's personal quarters.
…
The captain of the Mud Gate guard was a weathered middle-aged man. His brown hair was streaked with grey, his eye sockets were deep-set, his brow pronounced, and his jaw intimidatingly wide. Most notably, his right hand had been severed at the wrist and replaced with an iron prosthetic.
Aegor had eaten earlier than usual, which made his arrival slightly ill-timed—the officer was still having dinner.
"Chief Logistics Officer? Please, sit." Bywater studied his guest with a strange look as he held a fork in his left hand, spearing the last strip of bacon from his plate and placing it in his mouth. "What can I do for you?"
Aegor didn't answer at once. Instead, he turned and said, "Akun, wait outside."
Jaqen gave a silent nod and stepped back.
Bywater, still chewing, raised an eyebrow in confusion. He then nodded at his servant, silently dismissing him as well.
"Aegor West… I've heard of you, but I'm sorry to say I have no money to invest in your Night's Watch business." The Mud Gate captain set down his fork, pushed his plate aside with his left hand, and wiped his mouth with a napkin. "If that's why you're here, you can save your breath. If it's something else, get to the point."
Though blunt, he hadn't been outright rude. And based on what Tyrion had written, Aegor held a favorable impression of the man. "Ser Bywater, your friend Jeroth asked me to come to you. I've heard that you and Commander Slynt don't exactly get along."
"Jeroth? I heard that bastard's doing well under you?" Sharing a mutual acquaintance, Bywater's tone softened slightly. "Yeah, no point pretending. There's no love lost between me and Slynt. In fact, a lot of the City Watch doesn't like him. But he's the man His Grace appointed, so what can we do but keep our heads down?"
"Now, you may have a chance to see him brought down. I wonder, would Ser Bywater be interested?" When dealing with a straightforward man, Aegor believed in being just as direct. "Slynt has violated the interests of both Tyrion Lannister and myself through his actions against the Night's Watch industry. We're preparing to bring him down. We've listed several charges already, but we'll need witnesses and evidence to make them stick. That's why your friend recommended you."
(To be continued.)
***
For every 200 PS = 1 extra chapter. Support me on patreon to read 30+ advanced chapters: patreon.com/Blownleaves.