GOT: Chapter 246/247

Chapter 246: Emergency

The militias from Queenscrown and Black Sable Hall quickly arrived at Castle Black. Under the strict "order maintenance" of over a thousand soldiers, the several thousand Wildlings temporarily gathered outside the castle were forced to comply with the arrangements. After going through the proper process, they were officially registered as New Gift People.

Given that nearly every Wildling who recently crossed the Wall had lost family or friends to wight attacks, the cold and unsympathetic treatment they received naturally provoked resentment. They cursed incessantly. But the Wildlings never held much goodwill toward the Night's Watch to begin with—too many past grievances numbed them to further indignities, and a new layer of frost atop old snow did little to change Aegor's plan.

In this regard, the Gift held a natural advantage. Its ruling class, the Night's Watch, was a military organization, and the military-to-civilian ratio in the Gift was astonishingly high. Moreover, the New Gift People were used to hardship. These conditions combined meant that the "red line" of this small society—the threshold of tolerance and resilience—was far higher than elsewhere.

...

In the end, nearly thirty thousand Wildlings were fully resettled within the Gift. One-third of them were placed in the nine ruined fortresses that Commander Mormont had left deactivated due to their severe dilapidation. They were explicitly forbidden from rebuilding walls. Another third were stationed around the ten fortresses that had been reactivated, living outside the walls and constantly under the watchful eye of the stationed garrisons. The final third were dispersed throughout the heartlands of the Gift, scattered across the vast region centered around Crown Town.

The ordinary New Gift People were relatively easy to manage. The greatest challenge came from the several hundred Giants. Although the Giants, like their mammoths, were gentle herbivores by nature, they could be difficult to handle once angered. Aegor specifically allocated them a designated area not too far yet not too close to Crown Town, with access to water and grasslands sufficient to sustain the woolly mammoths they lived alongside.


---

Now that the people had arrived, the next task was to manage them properly.

Aegor's first project for the New Gift People was road construction.

"To get rich, build roads first"—an undeniable principle. Although enriching the land was not the immediate goal of the Gift, the logic remained valid. Without proper transportation, nothing else could proceed.

While infrastructure wasn't an urgent need at the moment, Aegor was more concerned with giving the Wildlings, who had just become New Gift People, something to do. This allowed him to legally provide them with food, keep them from causing trouble, and simultaneously instill the concept of money and labor.

Those who accepted the work would be given a simple tool and led by assigned personnel to the planned construction sites. There, they would clear weeds and move stones, dig and pile soil, then level and tamp it down with the tools provided. The road surface was to be clearly distinct from the surrounding wilderness and wide enough for two horses to ride side by side. Given the harsh and vast terrain of the Gift, this was a notably high standard.

Wages were paid daily. Although the labor was tough, each participant received payment equivalent to dozens of coins at the end of the day. If the goal was simply to eat their fill, this "high wage" allowed one worker to feed an entire family. With the Night's Watch supplying sufficient materials, the power of money quickly became evident. At first, labor assignments struggled to find enough volunteers, but before long, droves of New Gift People began showing up early each day, eagerly waiting for the Logistics Department staff to issue tasks.

...

Another problem arose at Nightfort. After Bran Stark and the Reed siblings were stopped while trying to sneak past the Wall, they were temporarily housed at the fortress, waiting for someone from Winterfell to collect them. Among them, aside from Bran—whose noble status and disability led Commander Mormont to order strict supervision—Hodor and the Reed siblings were not restricted in their movements.

During this time, Meera Reed was harassed near Nightfort by New Gift People settled nearby under the protection and oversight of House Flint. She was nearly dragged off and raped.

The Wildlings' customs regarding marriage were quite barbaric—they believed a true man should seize a woman from another tribe to strengthen his bloodline. Males were expected to venture into the lands of other clans and "steal" women capable of bearing children. The culprit this time clearly mistook Meera Reed, who was alone outside Nightfort, for a woman from a southern tribe and attempted to take her as a mate.

This savage practice had long been strictly prohibited under the new laws of the Night's Watch. Only those Wildlings who agreed to abide by these laws were allowed to pass through the Wall. Yet, just a few days after crossing over, a New Gift Person who couldn't control himself committed a serious crime.

Meera Reed may not have been as politically significant as Bran Stark, but she was still a noblewoman, daughter of Lord Howland Reed, a crucial vassal of House Stark. If she were harmed on Night's Watch territory, it would be absolutely unacceptable.

As Aegor refused to personally handle the situation at Nightfort, Commander Jeor Mormont chose to go himself. His goal was to arrest and punish the offending New Gift Person and also escort Bran and the Reed siblings back to Castle Black, where they could await pickup in a safer environment.

...

The plan to win over the New Gift People with money proceeded smoothly. About two weeks after all thirty thousand Wildlings had been fully resettled within the Wall, Aegor announced a second major initiative, in addition to road construction: conscripting a thousand New Gift People to accompany the Logistics Department's grain transport team, which would soon head south to collect winter grain aid for the Gift from the North.

The wages for this task were double those for road construction.

Faster than Aegor had anticipated, New Gift People from all over rushed to Crown Town after hearing the news. They set up camp outside the city walls, waiting for the grain convoy to officially depart.

Of course, Aegor had no intention of relying entirely on these recently converted Wildlings to help fight the war to expel the Ironborn. In addition to the thousand conscripts, he would also recruit a thousand warriors from the Mountain Clans—his true core force, on whom he placed his highest hopes.

But just as the team was assembling, equipment and supplies were falling into place, and the second phase of the Gift resettlement plan was about to be launched, an unexpected and shocking piece of news reached Aegor: Commander Jeor Mormont, who had personally gone to Nightfort to handle the incident involving Meera Reed, had been attacked and besieged while pursuing the offender through the New Gift People's settlement.

He was struck in the head by a stone thrown by one of the rioters, fell unconscious on the spot, and despite being rushed back to Nightfort for emergency treatment, he died shortly afterward.

Thus, the man who had personally ordered the Wildlings to be let through the Wall met his end at their hands.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 247: Panic

"The Commander took a few of us near the village of the Wildlings—no, the 'New Gift People'—near where Lady Meera Reed was almost abducted, to investigate who was responsible." The Ranger who had accompanied Commander Mormont during the incident stood before the Night's Watch leadership, nervously recounting the events. "At first, everything was normal. The villagers came out of their dugouts and tents to watch us, but they just stood at a distance, staring coldly, refusing to answer when the Commander questioned them. Then someone shouted, 'That old crow who ordered the gate shut is here,' and everything changed. The villagers who had been standing far away suddenly rushed at us, yelling things like, 'Don't let him get away' and 'Pay with your life.' Some of us realized something was wrong and tried to escort the Commander back to Nightfort. But not long after we turned around, a stone flew over…"

"Seems our Commander is at fault for not wearing a helmet. From now on, even on our own lands, the Night's Watch will need to be fully armed and on highest alert, won't we, Chief Logistics Officer?"

Bowen Marsh's sarcastic jab was the first time Aegor found himself unable to answer. The impact of Commander Mormont's death on the entire plan was nearly catastrophic. His radical proposal had more opponents than supporters, and it had only gone forward because of the Commander's endorsement. Now the commander of the Watch, the one who stood with the radicals, had been killed by the very Wildlings he had personally ordered let through the Wall. How could the Wildlings be defended now?

How many conservative members of the Night's Watch would secretly curse Commander Mormont as having "gotten what he deserved"? And how many would seize on his death as a weapon to attack Aegor's resettlement plan?

"'Pay with your life,' was it?" Aegor suppressed his panic and asked expressionlessly. "Was the village the Commander visited one of the tribes that entered last, on the day of the wight attack?"

"I think so."

Aegor recalled the detail the moment he asked. He had been present during the planning phase. He and Commander Mormont had specifically discussed how, in each tribe that passed through the Wall during the wight attack, some were left behind when the gate was closed. Fearing these tribes might become unstable from grief and rage, they had taken extra care and prioritized settling them. These tribes had been placed near the ten reactivated strongholds, under the direct oversight of the Night's Watch and their most trusted allies—the Mountain Clans. Among them, the Flint Clan stationed at Nightfort had the largest numbers, so the greatest share of New Gift People from Beyond the Wall had been placed under their watch.

The arrangement had been carefully thought out, yet it was this very group that had stirred up trouble. Aegor suddenly felt as if he had lifted a rock only to drop it on his own foot. He was confused for a moment, then furious. He had gone to such lengths to persuade Commander Mormont to let the Wildlings in, had worked tirelessly to feed them and manage them, yet these damned savages not only showed no gratitude, but turned around and caused such a disaster just days after settling in?


---

Though the Gift resettlement plan was Aegor's idea, the final decision and the issuance of direct orders had been Jeor Mormont's. Leaders, while enjoying authority, must also bear responsibility. And this time, the Wildlings who had lost friends and family in the wight attacks clearly blamed the old Bear.

Commander Mormont, the head of the Night's Watch and a man of great importance, had gone to personally track down the culprit among a newly resettled Wildling tribe. Could he not have brought thirty or fifty guards with him and been more cautious?

Aegor's heart was full of regret and resentment, his emotions a chaotic tangle. Then suddenly, he remembered something else. "Wait, what about the Reed siblings and Bran Stark? The ones the Commander had gone to retrieve—where are they?"

The Ranger shook his head. "I don't know… That morning, the Commander had already invited the Stark boy out of his quarters. He planned to return to Castle Black with them after the investigation and give Lady Meera an explanation. But before noon, the incident happened. We were all focused on rescuing the Commander. In the chaos, those three children vanished. We searched the entire Nightfort and couldn't find them. It's too strange. There were plenty of Mountain Clansmen guarding the exits, and it's hard to believe that three children and a giant man just walked out. Could a cripple and a simpleton really have climbed the wall and escaped?"

The suspicion was confirmed. The Ranger's words made clear that if not for the attack, Commander Mormont would have already brought Bran Stark back to Castle Black. Aegor felt a sudden chill. On the surface, it seemed like a tragic incident caused by reckless New Gift People, but the more he thought about it, the more it felt like the work of the Greenseer, designed to stop the Commander from preventing Bran from heading Beyond the Wall.

It was a conspiracy theory, yes. But it made sense. And wasn't that why Aegor himself had hesitated to get involved in the first place? Because he feared something like this would happen?

…

"We don't have time to worry about those three children," said the First Ranger grimly. He looked at his subordinate. "Was the one who threw the stone caught?"

"No. If we hadn't retreated quickly, I'm afraid the rest of our Rangers wouldn't have made it out alive. How could we have stayed behind to chase anyone?"

Aegor returned from his thoughts to the grim reality. The incident had already occurred. Whether it was caused by dark forces or simply chaos, it no longer mattered. The Wildlings hadn't fully accepted their identity as New Gift People. The Night's Watch and the Mountain Clans hadn't fully adapted to coexisting with them. If this crisis wasn't resolved quickly and decisively, it could easily become the spark that ignited full-scale conflict, even civil war, in the Gift.

If that happened, not only would they fail to use the New Gift People to help the North drive out the Ironborn, Aegor himself would be left with a catastrophe that might force Robb Stark to abandon his southern campaign to come clean up the mess.

Instead of a hero, Aegor would become a historical disgrace. All his ambitions and innovations would be undone by the reckless actions of a few Wildlings.

"We must capture the culprit and punish them. If we can't establish the Night's Watch as the ruling authority in one decisive stroke, if we can't make the law of the Gift something these New Gift People fear, then we'll never have peace here."

"You still think those Wildlings can be saved?" Marsh sneered. "If you ask me, now that the food's already in our hands, we should just gather our forces and drive all those savages back Beyond the Wall. Let them fight the White Walkers themselves."

"Ser Marsh, I respect your right to speak your mind," Aegor said without backing down, "but carrying out your proposal isn't something just anyone can do. Only the Commander holds that authority. For now, at least, we agree on one thing—the one who killed Commander Mormont must be punished, swiftly and severely."


---

The first high-level Night's Watch meeting Aegor attended without the Commander present had concluded. Though he maintained a calm demeanor as Chief Logistics Officer, inwardly, he was in full panic. Since returning to the Wall, he had focused all his attention on the Gift resettlement plan. Because Commander Mormont supported it, he hadn't worked hard to win over the rest of the Night's Watch.

Now, the key figure supporting his efforts had died unexpectedly. And Aegor hadn't built enough influence to keep the plan alive.

If a conservative were elected Commander, they could overturn everything he had built, even shut down Night's Watch operations in the Gift. All his efforts would be for nothing.

Despite the panic, Aegor quickly made the decision that best served his interests: he had to resolve the Mormont incident before the new Commander was elected. Remove the problem. Claim the credit. Do not let this event become a weapon for his enemies.

The First Ranger remained neutral between radicals and conservatives. At Aegor's strong recommendation, the senior officials eventually sent Ser Warner Buckwell to pursue the killer. The murder of the Night's Watch Commander by New Gift People was an unforgivable crime. In troubled times, harsh measures were necessary. Without swift and firm retaliation, order could not be restored. Aegor planned to make an example of the tribe responsible, to assert Night's Watch authority and redirect the anger of conservatives toward the Wildlings.

To do that, he needed someone ruthless, decisive, and unafraid. No one fit the role better than Ser Buckwell—the man who had captured the Red Keep for Renly, helped take King's Landing during the Stag conflict, and had even dared to betray a king.

Moreover, most of the Night's Watch didn't know that Warner Buckwell had a private agreement with Aegor. If Buckwell succeeded, the credit and the influence he earned would also belong to Aegor.

…

"In addition to the Rangers, I'll transfer a hundred more men from Crown Town to you. You can also borrow as many warriors from the Flint Clan as needed. This pursuit won't be easy. If the tribe dares resist, show no mercy…" Aegor pulled Ser Buckwell aside and instructed him with a grave expression. "One sentence—'No matter how many people die, I'll cover you.' It doesn't matter if the one caught is the actual killer. What matters is that the matter ends here and now."

Warner Buckwell, a man well-versed in the politics of King's Landing, quickly understood Aegor's plan—to kill the chicken to scare the monkeys. He nodded. "Understood. But I must remind you, you made a promise to us nobles from King's Landing. If you don't take the Commander's seat now, or at least put someone loyal to you in it, we may not be able to hold out much longer."

Of course, Aegor understood. But becoming Commander was no simple task. He masked his unease with confidence, spoke a few more words to Warner, then departed to find someone.

(To be continued.)