Chapter 173

Leaving the city was easy; getting back in was a different story. After warning Tyrion and misleading the Gold Cloaks sent to capture him, Aegor found the gates of King’s Landing firmly shut upon his return. With no other choice, he headed back to the Night’s Watch compound. There, he spent a "humble" lunch with the lower-level staff in the cafeteria, staying until late afternoon. Only as the sun dipped low did the King’s Gate crack open—allowing entry but forbidding exit.

By the time Aegor returned to the Night’s Watch office, the sky had darkened. The past day had been more eventful and nerve-wracking than the previous few months combined. Exhausted from sleepless nights and constant tension, he felt utterly drained, but a mountain of work still awaited him.

The office was bustling. Inside, beyond the Night’s Watch members, a crowd of unfamiliar faces milled about. Domeric was seated at the receptionist’s desk, animatedly recounting his journey beyond the Wall and his battle with the Others alongside the rangers from Eastwatch. Both inside and out, people had gathered to listen with rapt attention, including the office staff who should’ve been working.

Aegor understood the Night’s Watch’s need to boast for once, having endured years of disdain and neglect. Still, turning the office into a noisy storytelling venue was a bit much. These were his sworn brothers, though, and he didn’t want to embarrass them in front of outsiders. Suppressing his irritation, he squeezed through the crowd, shot Domeric a disapproving glance, and pushed open the door to the inner office.

Inside, Nina was seated at her desk, speaking with Ser Alliser Thorne, who lounged in the guest chair. When Aegor entered, Nina immediately rose to her feet. “Milord.”

Aegor paused at the doorway, locking eyes with Ser Alliser. It dawned on him—this man, dressed in black, was the only other true Night’s Watch brother to step foot in this office. “Have the summer uniforms been prepared?” he asked brusquely. “Distribute them to the brothers, then have Jaqen lead them to an inn for lodging. Close up and go home to rest.”

“An inn?” Nina blinked, puzzled. The Night’s Watch office itself was a spacious mansion, more than capable of housing the wight escort team. But as if realizing something, she nodded silently and moved to carry out his orders. “Ser Alliser, please follow me. Jaqen will escort you to suitable lodgings.”

Ser Alliser gave Aegor a long, contemplative look before rising and leaving with Nina and Jaqen.

Once the local residents drawn by Domeric’s tale were dismissed, and the summer uniforms distributed, Nina returned to the inner office, leaving Aegor alone. He slumped into his chair, leaning back against the cushioned seat.

“What did Ser Alliser want to discuss?” he asked, voice weary.

“He inquired about the operations and income of the Night’s Watch enterprise,” Nina replied. “And he also asked about the conflicts we’ve had with Janos Slynt.”

“Nina, I won’t explain the reasons in detail, but remember this: the ‘Night’s Watch enterprise’ belongs solely to the logistics department of the Watch. And as its quartermaster, I am its sole authority. The logistics department has no other members besides me. I expect you to report to me and take orders only from me. Treat any other Night’s Watch members as guests—offer them good food and hospitality—but don’t let them interfere, not even a little. Understand?”

Nina had already suspected as much when Aegor instructed Jaqen to take the brothers to an inn. Now, his words confirmed her hunch. She nodded. “Understood. If Ser Alliser asks me about these matters again, I’ll feign ignorance and direct him to you?”

“That’s right.”

Aegor neither knew nor cared what Jeor Mormont had told Ser Alliser before sending him to King’s Landing. He only knew one thing: trust was rare, and caution was necessary. The enterprise was his only source of power and influence, and he had no intention of letting anyone—be it Alliser Thorne or even Lord Commander Mormont—use it against him. No one would lay a finger on it, not even slightly.

Satisfied that Nina understood his unspoken meaning, Aegor nodded. Her intelligence, though subtle, revealed itself more the longer they worked together. Tyrion had been right to recommend her.

“Nothing else happened here today, did it?” he asked.

“Well…” Nina hesitated. “The four security team members who stayed behind at Flea Bottom last night weren’t injured or engaged in combat. They blocked off the street until dawn, at which point the City Watch detained them. But two officers from the Watch’s eastern camp personally returned them this morning. They seemed to want to speak with you, but you were in the Red Keep at the time with Ser Alliser.”

Aegor had almost forgotten about those four men in the chaos of the day, and guilt hit him like a wave. “Were they hurt or mistreated?”

“They’re clever. They completed their task and didn’t resist when the City Watch arrived. Aside from a few punches during the arrest, they’re fine. I gave them the day off to rest at home.”

“Good.” Aegor nodded approvingly. The officers who returned them were undoubtedly Slynt’s men. Like Aegor, Slynt had no noble backing and relied solely on Robert’s favor. With Slynt arrested, his faction was likely falling apart, his men scrambling to find new allegiances. “If they come to me again, tell them cooperating with the Hand’s investigation into Slynt is their only way forward. The Night’s Watch enterprise has no interest or ability to protect them.”

“Understood,” Nina replied. “Oh, and another thing—this morning, before Ser Alliser brought the wights into the city, he showed them to several travelers at the River Gate. Now, word is spreading through King’s Landing. Many people have come to the office asking to see them for themselves. Some even donated money after speaking with the brothers who came to the city. Altogether, we’ve received one gold dragon, forty-six silver stags, and 185 copper pennies in donations today. How should we handle this?”

Donations? That was a pleasant surprise. From the start, the office had posted notices calling for public support for the Wall, but Aegor had never expected much. Sustaining an army through voluntary contributions was a pipe dream. In fact, this was the first time they’d received anything at all.

“Set up a donation box,” Aegor said. “If people want to give, let them. If not, no pressure. Keep a separate ledger for these donations, record them daily, and handle it yourself.”

“Of course, milord.” Nina, though competent in many ways, couldn’t hide her shyness when praised, her cheeks flushing slightly.

Aegor smiled faintly, pulling out the sheet of paper Tyrion had been writing before fleeing. It was a draft of his plans for the enterprise’s short- and medium-term development. However, Aegor knew much of it would have to be scrapped—Tyrion hadn’t accounted for Jaime’s attack on Robert in his calculations.

The Night’s Watch enterprise had no foothold in the Red Keep, and Aegor had no way of knowing the current state of affairs there. The only certainty was that no funeral bells had rung in King’s Landing that day. Did that mean Robert was still alive, or was his death being concealed by Eddard to buy time for his next moves?

If Robert lived, war was inevitable. If Robert died, Eddard would likely summon Stannis to take the throne. Aegor didn’t know Stannis well enough to predict whether he would wage war on the Lannisters for vengeance. As for Renly, the youngest Baratheon, would he settle for being merely Lord of Storm’s End while Eddard remained alive?

There were too many unknowns. As a Night’s Watchman, Aegor had no place in this game of thrones, no bets to place, no sides to choose. All he could do was take every precaution to minimize losses, ensuring the enterprise survived no matter which way the winds blew.

“I have a few things to arrange,” Aegor said at last. “I’ll write them down for you to begin tomorrow. First, halt construction on the third paper mill. Reassign the trained workers to fulfill our contracts in the Reach and Dorne. As per the agreements, your brother will oversee operations in the Reach. Make sure Lady Tyrell finds no fault in our work.”

“Halt construction? But the estimates show we’ll need that third mill to meet printing demand and fulfill orders soon.”

“Trust my judgment. Cancel the lower-profit orders if needed.”

“Yes, milord. But the mill building is already finished. Will it just sit unused?”

“What about the new projects I asked you to prepare? Solid cleaning agents and cosmetics—soap and lipsticks. Are they ready?”

“The soap is ready for production, but the lipsticks… Blair’s formula uses plants and insects that require farming and breeding. Mass production won’t be possible for a few months.”

“Start small, then. Market the lipsticks as luxury items. Once they’re ready, send samples to each of our investors. Their wives and lovers will be our best advertisement.” Diversifying revenue streams was critical. Too many businesses in history had collapsed from over-reliance on a single product during times of turmoil. Aegor wouldn’t let the enterprise share the same fate. “Also, expand operations at the Dragonstone obsidian mines. Extract more obsidian and send some to King’s Landing. Hire artisans to carve it into trinkets and ornaments. Spread the word—obsidian not only kills wights and Others but also wards off evil and dispels cold energy.”

“Wards off evil? Really?” Nina blinked, confused. “And cold energy—what’s that?”

“Of course not,” Aegor chuckled. “But the enterprise needs to keep going! If I can, I’ll try to reclaim a wight from the Hand and demonstrate obsidian’s effectiveness publicly.”

Mixing truth with falsehood, blending fact with fiction—advertising was no different from spreading rumors. As long as “obsidian kills wights” was true, the rest would follow naturally.

“I see! That’s brilliant, milord!” Nina’s eyes sparkled with excitement, marveling at the ingenuity of it.

“Whether it’s brilliant or not, only time and the market will tell.” Aegor leaned back with a weary sigh. “One last thing. I’ll likely be summoned for questioning by the Hand or someone else soon. While I’m gone, don’t panic. Keep the enterprise running as usual and wait for me to return.”

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