GOT: Chapter 150/151

Chapter 150

"Arya just told me," Aegor reminded Tyrion, "Slynt was summoned to see Robert last night."

"So what? I'm targeting this idiot who has the king as his backer." Tyrion looked at Aegor with displeasure. "I mean, aren't you the legendary White Walker slayer? Can you at least show a bit more murderous intent? You don't have to do it yourself to deal with Slynt. I've got a plan—you just need to carry it out."

"Go on," Arya interrupted eagerly. "Can I join in too?"

"You think this is a game? This is a life-and-death power struggle between adults!" Tyrion glanced at Arya. Her participation made the whole thing seem like a joke, but he couldn't ignore her completely. "Fine, I'll give you a task. How about you play the storyteller?"

"Of course!"

"Very good. Go back and tell your father about Slynt trying to force Nina to date him. Choose a time like dinner, and don't exaggerate, just tell him everything you know. The goal is for your father, the Hand of the King, to form a bad impression of Slynt. But don't be too obvious, and don't let your father know I was the one who asked you to say it." Tyrion spoke seriously. "We won't treat you as a child this time, so don't let us down."

"Don't worry~" If Aegor hadn't always reminded her to act like a lady, Arya would've jumped up and issued a military command.

Tyrion wasn't entirely comfortable relying on a ten-year-old girl, but even if she slipped up, it wouldn't be catastrophic, so he stopped dwelling on it and continued giving orders. "Nina, as one of the 'victims,' aside from managing the office's daily operations, don't go out for the next two days. I'll prepare an excuse for you, and you can take time to memorize it."

"Understood."

…

…

…

"The commander of the City Watch may not have influence across the Seven Kingdoms, but he's a key figure in King's Landing. If all we wanted was to kill him, one man with one blade would do the trick. But if we want to take him down easily, cleanly, and without repercussions, it'll take some real effort. The tasks can be summarized like this—cut off Janos Slynt's social connections." Tyrion turned to Aegor and squinted at him. "To put it plainly, we need to prepare all the relevant forces in King's Landing, especially the local snakes with interests tied to Slynt, collect debts, halt gambling operations, and prepare for the next commander's election, and so on."

Aegor had never been directly involved in a political power struggle before, but that didn't hinder his understanding of what Tyrion said. "I get it. Sever his ties to the power structure as much as possible—make him 'politically and socially dead.' Once that's done, even if we do nothing else, he's finished."

"'Politically and socially dead?' Interesting phrase… but fitting." Tyrion nodded. "Good that you understand. To achieve this, we need to follow the 'general trend.' That is, to align with the will of those who control resources both in front of and behind the scenes in King's Landing. These people form a shadow organization—the second master of the city—operating behind Robert's back. If you want their support, you'll have to meet them personally. They won't deal with lackeys."

"But I'm not familiar with our major investors or backers."

"Exactly. You've barely met these hidden powerbrokers. If you just walk in and ask for help, it'll be a miracle if they don't laugh in your face. So, we'll divide the work, I'll speak with the big players I know, and you go deal with some of the mid-level officers in the City Watch. Try to pry open a crack in their ranks."

"Talk to City Watch officers?" Aegor looked confused. "How are we supposed to break through there?"

"The capital's City Watch isn't some unified force. Remember our security captain, Jeroth? His name's similar to Janos Slynt, but they were enemies before he left the Watch. After Slynt was promoted to commander, he bullied Jeroth out of the post. That's how he ended up working with us." Tyrion explained, "He told me a lot about the Watch's structure. It's a very complicated organization..."

Arya stared at Tyrion intently, full of excitement. "Isn't it just patrolling the streets and guarding the gates? What's so complicated about that?"

"It's a long story, so I'll keep it brief. The City Watch of King's Landing has over 2,000 men. Half of them come from the Baratheon family's lands, and from noble houses in the capital—soldiers and officers alike." Tyrion continued, "These men only answer to King Robert and their real patrons. Janos Slynt knows this well. He can't actually control them, so he doesn't dare cross them. Instead, he uses them to suppress the other half, the ones recruited from King's Landing, who have no backing. And according to Jeroth, those men have long resented Slynt and have been waiting for someone to take him down."

"I get it. Half of the Watch is loyal to Slynt, and the other half hates his guts. That makes him an easy target."

"Don't underestimate him. As long as he stays in power, we haven't won."

"The plan's clear and straightforward. I have no problem with it." Aegor actually opposed Tyrion staying in King's Landing to stir up trouble at such a delicate time, but since he couldn't persuade him to return to Casterly Rock, he could only support his decision. The sooner they ousted Slynt, the sooner Tyrion could leave with peace of mind. "So what's next? Slynt's messing with us, not those big players, why would they help us?"

"Profit. I'll distribute this month's dividends to all investors in Night's Watch Industries. The amount I give will be a little higher than what they're actually owed. Since Slynt doesn't want the money, there are plenty of others who do. After I send it out, I'll tell them: Slynt tried to get a cut of the Night's Watch Industries' profits. After I refused, he got angry and started sabotaging our operations, which hurt this month's returns. Guess what happens next?"

"That's a smart move. Cutting off someone's income is worse than killing their kin. Just by saying that, you've made Slynt a lot of enemies without him even knowing it." Aegor quickly grasped the core idea of this political game. Now, all that was left was to take action. "Tell me what you want me to do."

"Creating momentum isn't enough, we need tangible entry points. That means real-name complaints, witnesses, and physical evidence." Tyrion said, "As a Lannister, I can't appear in public right now. You'll have to handle this part. First, write a formal letter of complaint to Eddard Stark. Then I'll ask Jeroth to make a list of City Watch officers we can win over. You'll start visiting them quietly tonight. We need some of Slynt's subordinates to testify against him. And most importantly—we can take down the king's man, but we have to do it cleanly and without chaos. If we anger Robert, everything could go up in smoke."

"Got it. I'll start right away. It's getting late. Want to stay for lunch? Margaery should be here soon—you might as well take the chance to get to know her."

"Margaery said she's returning to Highgarden soon and won't be coming back," Arya said. "She told me to keep practicing so I can go to the Reach and teach swordsmanship to her distant cousins one day."

She hopes you'll marry into House Tyrell, Miss Stark. Though clever, this little apprentice is still too innocent. Aegor couldn't help but curl his lip.

"Well, we'll see that clever girl again eventually. I swore a solemn oath to take down Slynt in three days, so I can't afford to waste time... I'm heading back to the industrial park. You two stay in the city, near the east camp of the Watch—be careful." Tyrion shook his head. "That's all. I'll send ten men into the city this afternoon… not enough to confront the Watch directly, but enough to prevent Slynt from making a desperate move."

"All right. Take care outside the city." Aegor accepted Tyrion's arrangements and orders without question, and was even glad to let someone else do the thinking. But just before they parted, a thought struck him. "By the way, Arya, didn't Akun ask you to find more people to practice swordplay with? Starting today, you'll go to the security team's training ground outside the city and spar with some of your father's guards."

"Huh? That far?"

Tyrion looked at Aegor curiously, not understanding the reason for the arrangement. He couldn't ask too much with Arya present, but he trusted Aegor must have had a reason, so he helped out. "It's not far at all. Come on, how about a race on horseback, see who gets there first?"

"Okay!"

(To be continued.)

Chapter 151

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.)