Chapter 643

The suspected informant soon arrived, trembling before Aegor. But Aegor didn’t immediately speak. He simply crossed his arms and stared at the man with a frown, letting the silence stretch. Under the weight of that gaze, the man’s breathing grew labored, and his legs began to shake. Only then did Aegor break the stalemate.

"Stand up straight!" he barked—before the man could follow his sister’s example and drop to his knees in supplication.

Then, his voice turned cold. "Speak honestly. What did House Tyrell offer you that made you run your mouth so carelessly?"

"My lord, I swear—I never sold any secrets for profit!" Though his knees were wobbling like a sapling in a storm, Neil still forced himself to stand firm. "It’s true that Lady Margaery sent me gifts, but they were nothing more than local delicacies—fruit, some homemade wine. Simple gestures of courtesy, no more than what any two business partners might exchange. At the time, the Night’s Watch industries and Highgarden were still trade partners—this was just normal… social courtesy.

"All in all, it wasn’t even worth ten gold dragons. And I always sent gifts in return! My lord, you know that my sister and I hold shares in the industry—substantial ones! Whether from dividends or salary, we have no shortage of wealth. Why would I ever risk betraying critical secrets for such paltry benefits?"

It was true. Both Neil and Nina held significant stakes in the industrial operations, enough that, if one excluded the landed nobility and knights, they would rank among the wealthiest commoners in the Seven Kingdoms.

But wealth and integrity did not always go hand in hand. Aegor had seen plenty of men, in both his past life and this one, who were drowning in riches yet still insatiably greedy.

"If it wasn’t for money, then did Margaery Tyrell sleep with you?"

"...What?" Neil blinked, then shook his head so vigorously it was a wonder it didn’t come loose. "That’s impossible! Someone like her—highborn, noble, a lady of such standing—how could she ever look twice at a commoner like me? It’s true that she’s kind and approachable, but I swear, I haven’t even touched her hand!"

"Hmph." Aegor let out a cold chuckle. "The way you say it… it sounds like you wanted to."

His voice turned harsher. "That makes it even more baffling. If House Tyrell had offered you immense wealth, I could at least understand why you let your guard down. If Margaery had actually taken you to bed, I could even commend you for your ability to seduce a noblewoman—at least then, your loose tongue would be understandable."

"But neither of those things happened. So tell me, why did you share details about my correspondence with the industrial park? Why did you discuss my travel schedule? You’re not some lowly clerk with no understanding of security—you’re the head of the research institute! How could someone in your position lack even the most basic awareness of what should and shouldn’t be said?"

"I…" Neil stammered, but how could he admit the truth? That, even though he knew Margaery Tyrell was as unattainable as the moon, even though he was well aware that she was far beyond his reach, he still enjoyed basking in her presence? That simply talking with a young, beautiful, sweet-voiced noblewoman felt… gratifying? That her mere attention stroked his ego, made him feel important, made him feel seen?

That, in the end, he had been a fool led by his own vanity?

He lowered his head. "I accept my guilt. Please, my lord… punish me as you see fit."

"Punish?" Aegor scoffed. "You say that as if it’s so simple! Do you have any idea what the knowledge of gunpowder is worth? Do you understand how this leak might alter the entire course of the war? How many more of the Queen’s soldiers might die because of it? What kind of punishment do you think is fitting? I’ll give you a chance—suggest one yourself!"

Though his expression was full of rage, in truth, Aegor was uncertain.

They said even the wisest judge found it difficult to arbitrate family matters.

And this—this was a mess.

First, because, based on the available information, Neil’s actions had not quite reached the level of treasonous collaboration. He hadn’t known the full formula for gunpowder—he had only deduced that it contained sulfur and saltpeter. But those two ingredients alone made up two-thirds of the mixture.

When the leak had occurred, Aegon and Margaery’s betrothal hadn’t been announced. The bombardment of the Golden Company hadn’t happened yet. At that time, Neil hadn’t even understood the true importance of gunpowder—he hadn’t known it was the core consumable for this new form of warfare. Back then, the Reach and the Night’s Watch industrial complex had still been business partners, not enemies.

These were excuses, of course. None of them changed the fact that he had leaked a critical military secret.

But there was a second, more pressing complication: Neil had connections.

Not just through his sister, Nina.

But through Aegor himself.

If the Queen’s faction was a company, then Daenerys was the owner, and Aegor was the managing director. And when a crisis arose in a department, the owner didn’t concern themselves with the details—they simply held the director accountable.

If Aegor made Neil’s mistake public and punished him openly, the fallout wouldn’t be minor. At best, it would shake the trust within the industrial sector. At worst, it would make Daenerys doubt Aegor himself.

The Night’s Watch faction was already fragile—first an assassination attempt, now a major intelligence leak. If he exposed another scandal, it wouldn’t matter how competent he was in battle. The Queen would start to see him as an unreliable liability.

Even if no real harm came of this, even if the leak didn’t end up changing the war’s outcome, the stain would remain.

“Aegor doesn’t know how to pick trustworthy subordinates.”
“Aegor plays favorites.”

These whispers would linger, haunting every recommendation and appointment he made in the future.

And no matter how harshly he punished Neil, it wouldn’t erase those doubts.

Neil seemed to sense the weight of his crime. "My lord," he said hesitantly, "please… send me to the Gift. Let me serve there, in the freezing north, to reflect on my failure."

Exile to the Wall? It was a feasible punishment, in theory.

But the foundries in the Gift held even more military secrets than the industrial park. Could he truly trust Neil to be stationed in a place where he’d have less oversight?

Aegor snorted. "Summer is nearly here. Would you be freezing, or simply escaping the heat?"

Ignoring Neil, he turned to Nina, who had been silent throughout. "Besides the three of us, does anyone else know about this?"

"No one," Nina replied instantly. "As soon as I confirmed the situation, I dragged him here without delay."

Good.

Her brother might be an idiot, but at least she had sense.

Aegor exhaled and shook his head. "You should thank your sister. She just saved your life."

Then, without another glance at Neil, he flicked his chin toward a corner of the room. "Sit. Stay put. I’ll decide what to do with you later."

Aegor had always disliked those kinds of men. The ones who covered up corruption, who prioritized politics over discipline.

And yet here he was, doing exactly that.

No. This isn’t just politics—it’s strategy.

Suppressing the matter was the correct move. He wasn’t letting Neil off the hook, but before passing judgment, he had to investigate further. Was this truly just Neil’s folly? Or was there more to uncover?

Coincidentally, he already had another meeting planned for the night—one concerning secrets.

A new idea took shape in his mind.

Moments later, two of his operatives entered the room—men who had been scheduled to report their latest findings.

Warner Buckwell, a former officer of the Stormlands who had once backed Renly against Stannis, had since taken the black. Though his allegiances had been questionable, his abilities were not.

And Harvey, Aegor’s personal guard, who had been working alongside Buckwell to establish a proper intelligence division.

Tonight, they would discuss their latest assignments: the poisoning investigation, and their surveillance of Illyrio Mopatis and his network of spies.

Aegor glanced at Neil one last time.

Perhaps you’ll be useful after all.