Chapter 151

Aegor understood that Tyrion wasn’t wrong—he really might be lacking a bit of ruthlessness these days. Since leaving the Wall, his role had gradually shifted from a Night’s Watch ranger to a merchant draped in black. The mission to quell the Vale rebellion had consumed too much of his time. He hadn’t yet developed the long-term vision, decisiveness, and ferocity of a true capitalist, and the sharpness of a soldier had been dulled by the repetitive grind of making deals and sweet-talking clients. Perhaps it was time to delegate these tedious, routine tasks to others and focus on bigger ambitions.

This time, Tyrion’s plan required the personal involvement of both "powerhouses." Using the combination of money and influence to dismantle an opponent without spilling a drop of blood was a higher-level tactic, one Aegor knew he had to learn if he wanted to go further.

Within three days, Tyrion aimed to use the financial power of the Night’s Watch’s ventures to topple the commander of King’s Landing’s City Watch. If anyone other than Tyrion Lannister had made such a boast, Aegor might have doubted them—how could a commercial organization less than a year old wield such influence?
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After lunch, Aegor quickly drafted an anonymous denunciation letter. This letter was just the opening salvo of a smokeless lightning war—it didn’t need to be precise or vicious, only loud enough to grab attention. The content was straightforward: as Aegor West, Chief Logistics Officer of the Night’s Watch, he accused Janos Slynt of harassing female staff at the Watch’s King’s Landing office, obstructing the normal operations of the logistics department, and abusing his power for personal gain.

Paired with Arya’s account of events, the letter should provide Eddard Stark with a clear impression of Slynt and lay the groundwork for everything that followed.

Later that afternoon, while waiting for Tyrion to send over the next set of instructions, Aegor received a raven from the Red Keep, carrying a letter from the Wall. He assumed it was the monthly supply list. However, upon opening it, he jolted upright.

The first message: the vanguard of the wildling army had approached the Wall, and the defenders desperately needed reinforcements in manpower and supplies. The second message was far more explosive—after weeks of venturing deep into the Haunted Forest, the rangers had successfully captured a wight. At great cost—double-digit casualties—they had secured the creature and loaded it aboard the warship Stormcrow at Eastwatch-by-the-Sea. With favorable currents and a crew of skilled rowers, the ship was expected to reach King’s Landing in ten days.

The letter had taken days to arrive, and it was unclear how long it had sat with the Grand Maester before reaching Aegor. If the timeline held, the Stormcrow would dock at King’s Landing any day now.

As if things weren’t chaotic enough, another bombshell had landed. But Aegor knew these weren’t mere coincidences—it was the relentless march of history. His unique position at the intersection of the Wall and King’s Landing had placed him squarely at the center of these converging events.

With rumors about Cersei and Jaime Lannister spreading like wildfire, the growing unrest beyond the Wall, and the White Walker threat looming, the idea of developing the Night’s Watch’s ventures peacefully was a pipe dream. Still, the capture of a wight wasn’t necessarily bad news for a Night’s Watch officer. The real question was how to control the public impact of the wight’s arrival in King’s Landing and how to leverage the situation to benefit the Watch without jeopardizing their operations.

No. First things first. The wight could wait until it arrived safely at port. For now, Aegor’s priority was removing Janos Slynt, so Tyrion could retreat to Casterly Rock and ride out the storm.
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“Milord, what did the letter say?” Nina, noticing Aegor’s shifting expression, couldn’t help but ask, “Are the Wall’s supply demands beyond our ability to handle?”

“Not a chance.” Aegor smiled, carefully tearing the letter from Mormont in half. He handed Nina the portion listing the needed supplies and stowed the other half in a drawer. “Take this to the warehouse and procurement departments. Get everything ready and ship it to the Wall as soon as possible.”

Nina glanced over the list and frowned. “This is nearly fifty percent more than last month. If we don’t cut corners, after paying dividends and salaries, we’ll barely break even.”

“You’re forgetting the four thousand gold dragons I earned from selling the paper and printing press patents. Besides, since when have I said my goal was to make money? As long as our cash flow is stable, supplies for the Wall will never be short. Tell the relevant departments: not a single grain of wheat is to be withheld.” Aegor’s tone was firm—if the wildlings or White Walkers breached the Wall, it would be game over. That was the bottom line, no matter how busy he got. “Handle this quickly. I’ll be leaving early today. After dinner, I need to visit the people on Tyrion’s list.”
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When Tyrion’s list finally arrived, the name he recommended Aegor prioritize was Ser Jacelyn Bywater, the captain of the Mud Gate guard.

Bywater was a seasoned officer and a former friend of Aegor’s current security chief, Jalor. Like Jalor, he had a long-standing feud with Janos Slynt. However, Bywater was luckier—born to a cadet branch of the Bywater family in the Crownlands, he technically qualified as a noble, however minor. This, coupled with his knighthood earned during Robert’s Rebellion, had shielded him from Slynt’s wrath, allowing him to hold his current post.

“Tyrion describes him as a brave man who values honor,” Aegor noted before heading out.
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Bywater proved to be a grizzled veteran with streaks of gray in his brown hair, deep-set eyes, and a jaw broad enough to intimidate. His most striking feature, however, was his missing right hand, replaced with an iron prosthetic.

Aegor’s early arrival found Bywater in the middle of his evening meal. “Chief Logistics Officer? Take a seat,” Bywater said, eyeing his guest curiously. He speared a slice of bacon with his fork, chewed, and added bluntly, “What do you want?”

Aegor dismissed his companion and matched Bywater’s directness. “Ser Bywater, I come with an opportunity to bring down Janos Slynt. Would you be interested?”