Chapter 473

“Ingenious and insidious!” Humphrey exclaimed, suddenly enlightened. “If the Queen received this news, she’d undoubtedly be enraged. Even if the Black Dragon is injured and she can’t fly to burn Winterfell herself, she’d certainly order you to act immediately. That would not only disrupt our original plans but also give the Dreadfort an opportunity to interfere, stealing much of the credit!”

Despite his indignation, Humphrey had a redeeming quality: he never let his emotions cloud his reason. After venting his frustration, he quickly collected himself. “But even so, Lord Bolton merely played a clever trick to secure greater benefits for himself. While despicable, it doesn’t necessarily mean the information is false, does it?”

“Exactly. The intelligence network in New Crown Town hasn’t extended beyond the Gift yet. With the information currently at my disposal, I can’t definitively judge the truth of this matter. So, let’s consider two scenarios,” Aegor said, narrowing his eyes. “The first scenario: the information is mostly true. If that’s the case, I can’t fault Bolton for passing on this warning with ulterior motives. After all, who in this world acts without self-interest? But don’t forget, every preparation we’ve made in New Crown Town since the Battle of the Long Lake has been based on anticipating the worst-case scenario. None of our plans rely on external support, and the final simulations still conclude that, as the world’s only professional army equipped with gunpowder weapons and supported by dragons, we can crush any northern resistance and clear the path south—so long as we proceed with caution.”

“Now, with Roose Bolton stepping forward to offer an alliance, it seems like an unexpected bonus that could make subduing the North significantly easier. But once that’s done, he’ll demand compensation—replacing House Stark as Warden of the North and requiring our support to solidify his position. How much of the Gift’s resources and energy will that cost us?” Aegor’s voice turned cold. “The Stark name is revered across the North, among nobles and commoners alike, whereas the Boltons are despised. For Bolton to rise to power, the Starks must first be eradicated. Even then, his rule would face relentless hostility and require constant support from the Crown just to survive.”

“That sounds like a perfect opportunity for the Crown to strengthen its control over the North,” Humphrey ventured.

“Let me finish,” Aegor said, tapping the desk. “If the information is true, whether we cooperate with Bolton depends entirely on weighing the value of his assistance against the cost of making him Warden of the North. But if the information is false, the situation becomes far more dangerous.”

“Our objective is to establish a clear and stable route connecting north and south, allowing weapons and supplies from New Crown Town to reach the southern front safely and providing a retreat path if needed. The Neck naturally isolates the North from the rest of Westeros, and over time, any ruler there could become a self-serving separatist. That’s why, in the blueprint I’ve envisioned for the Queen, the North—like the Westerlands, Dorne, and the Vale—was always intended to be an autonomous region. Replacing the Starks with some unknown new ruler through unnecessary bloodshed would be far less efficient than leaving the familiar Starks in place. So long as Robb Stark agrees to my terms, this vast, sparsely populated land would hardly be worth the effort of a prolonged and costly conflict… even if handed to me on a silver platter, I’d rather not take it.”

“But if Roose Bolton fabricated this story to provoke a Queen who’s already lost one dragon, inciting a conflict between the Night’s Watch and the North, he could derail everything. What I could have accomplished by forcing the Starks to bend the knee through intimidation might devolve into a full-scale war. Instead of swiftly pushing through the North to conquer the Seven Kingdoms, our elite forces and remaining dragons would be bogged down here, fighting Bolton’s war for him. Tell me, Humphrey, how would you feel about that?”

Humphrey’s mouth opened and closed as he struggled to respond. Finally, he stammered, “If that’s the case… that would be beyond despicable. He’d deserve to hang ten times over!”

“Exactly. Simplify the scenario, and it becomes clear: if the information is true, we’re already prepared to counter it. Bolton’s help is unnecessary, and we can still outmaneuver the Starks. But if it’s false… it’s a trap designed to manipulate us into becoming Bolton’s pawns, bleeding and toiling for his benefit.”

Humphrey swallowed hard, his expression vacant. “You’re absolutely right, my lord. If I were in charge, I’d probably be sold off and still help count the money.”

“Don’t underestimate yourself,” Aegor replied casually. “Everyone has their place and role. Your job is to excel at your duties; mine is to decide the direction and strategy.”

This reassurance was only halfhearted. The truth was, Aegor hadn’t kept Humphrey in the room to discuss grand strategy. He just wanted someone trustworthy nearby for peace of mind. Having a guard stand watch might seem cowardly, but meeting a stranger alone in a world of magic, where assassins like the Faceless Men existed, was too risky.

Standing atop the storm, Aegor finally understood the paranoia and caution attributed to historical figures like Cao Cao. It wasn’t mere legend—it was necessity.

Though reassured, Humphrey had a lingering question. “If you’ve already decided not to work with Bolton, regardless of the information’s truth, why reveal our plans about the so-called ‘Northern Expedition’ being a ruse?”

“That’s a good question,” Aegor admitted. “Let me ask you this: if you were Bolton, and your envoy failed to reach the Queen and couldn’t extract a response from me, would you give up your schemes and obediently remain a loyal Stark vassal?”

“Of course not. I’d do everything possible to find another way. A Targaryen with dragons showing up in the North, with a history of vengeance against the Starks? It’s a once-in-a-lifetime chance to rebel!”

“Exactly. So what would you do?”

“Me?” Humphrey paused, then smiled sheepishly as the answer came to him. Aegor had just demonstrated the very tactic. “I’d spread the news of the Northern Lords’ meeting far and wide, letting it reach the entire North and the Gift. You can stop outsiders from seeing the Queen, but you can’t isolate her and the Gift from the world. Once everyone knows, war between the Night’s Watch and the North becomes inevitable.”

“Correct. Bolton hasn’t done this yet because it would expose the existence of a traitor among the Northern Lords, which is too risky. But if we give him no hope and no response, he’ll resort to it. Words are like the wind—they can fan flames of hatred and battle. Even we have to be cautious when using propaganda. If an outsider throws wildfire into the mix, the resulting blaze could spiral out of control.”

Reflecting on his own experience of starting wars with a few slips of paper, Aegor understood the danger all too well. The one who lights the fire is often the first to be burned.

Realizing he hadn’t done enough to stall Bolton’s envoy, Aegor gave further orders. “Prepare a squad. Go to the trading post outside the town and meet Corly Snow. Find out how many people are in his party and where the raven cages are located. Tell him I’ve devised a plan but need the Dreadfort to remain still for now. Once he sends that message, summon him back to the keep under the pretext of further discussions. Then detain him and his entire party. No risks.”

“Detain them? But… my lord, they came to warn us and propose an alliance. Isn’t that excessive?”

“There’s no such thing as ‘excessive,’” Aegor said sharply. “We’re dealing with matters of state, where success means power and failure means ruin. Any level of caution—even dishonor—is justified. It’s always the small, seemingly inconsequential details that ruin everything. Remember that.”

“Yes, my lord. I’ll see to it immediately.”

…

As New Crown Town stirred with quiet preparations for the operation, at Eastwatch-by-the-Sea, another northern emissary was finishing their own secret meeting with the castle’s commander.