Chapter 86

The half-bad news in the reply was this: while Mormont had agreed to Aegor’s proposal of recruiting temporary reinforcements for the Wall, he had not fully accepted Aegor’s plan, which was riddled with hidden agendas. The Lord Commander placed restrictions on the proposal: those who joined temporarily and planned to return to normal life in a few years, since they wouldn’t swear the oath, could not bear the title of “brother of the Night’s Watch.” Moreover, they couldn’t be trained alongside regular recruits at Castle Black. Instead, they would have to arrive at the Wall as hired mercenaries and immediately begin assisting with its defense.

In summary, the recruits Aegor gathered could not integrate indiscriminately into the Night’s Watch and had to be battle-ready the moment they arrived.

This left Aegor with two choices: either hire actual mercenaries or train the recruits himself.
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The first option had its merits. As professional soldiers, mercenaries were guaranteed to have combat prowess. However, they came with a significant drawback: they were expensive. Only a house as wealthy as the Lannisters, or one that could fund campaigns through spoils of war, could afford them. But the Night’s Watch was tasked with fighting wildlings and White Walkers—enemies that offered no spoils worth mentioning. Beating wildlings might yield some scraps of loot, but White Walkers left behind nothing, not even corpses. Without the ability to fund war through its victories, mercenaries—pragmatic and shrewd by nature—would demand exorbitant upfront payments.

The several thousand gold dragons Aegor had were more than enough to establish a business, but throwing that fortune into hiring mercenaries would barely make a ripple.

Unable to afford such a luxury, Aegor was left with the second option: training the recruits himself.
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How troublesome. Aegor frowned. Had Mormont seen through his plan to slowly reshape the Night’s Watch and expand his own influence? Or was the Lord Commander simply determined to preserve the “purity” of the Watch’s ideals? Or, perhaps, it was simpler than that—Mormont just wanted to burden Aegor, the man “enjoying life” in King’s Landing, with extra work to keep him busy.

The reason didn’t matter. What mattered was how to deal with it. Aegor wasn’t fazed; he had anticipated this scenario. While separating “reinforcements” from the core Night’s Watch made it harder to exert influence over the entire organization, training recruits in King’s Landing gave Aegor greater control and stronger ties with his hires. Although the latter option required more money and effort, its long-term benefits might outweigh its drawbacks.
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Attached to the letter was a small note, which Aegor glanced at before handing it to Arya. It was a message from Jon Snow, wishing her well. Arya nearly screamed with joy at the sight of it, oblivious to Aegor’s sigh. Stuck in a miserable place like Castle Black, Jon had to write letters assuring his beloved little sister that he was doing just fine—it was pathetic, really.

Taking Nina into the inner room, Aegor, with Tyrion’s assistance, quickly issued the world’s first “Night’s Watch investment bond.” Handing it to Nina, he praised her efforts and encouraged her to come to him directly if she encountered any problems. With that, the papermaking endeavor was wrapped up.

By convention, Aegor should have sent Arya back to the Red Keep, Tyrion to the inn, and then escorted Nina home himself. A few rounds of this would inevitably deepen their connection, making it easier to woo her. However, after some thought, Aegor decided to delegate: “Aqoon, escort Miss Nina home. Once that’s done, head back to the inn and rest. I’ll lock up here.”
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There were too many pressing matters to attend to. Pursuing romance—especially with a young and inexperienced girl—would be irresponsible to both himself and Nina.

Restraint was vital, especially in a brutal and unforgiving world like this one.

Suppressing his wayward thoughts, Aegor refocused on two new priorities: first, training recruits in King’s Landing; and second, finding ways to increase his influence within the Night’s Watch despite the exclusion of his “reinforcements” from key decisions.

Training soldiers in King’s Landing, the capital of the Seven Kingdoms, was a delicate matter—akin to opening a private military company right next to the royal palace. It was bound to attract trouble, even with Eddard Stark’s approval. He needed a cover story.
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The first issue was resolved quickly. Since Aegor was establishing a factory, it would naturally require guards for security. He could recruit under the guise of hiring factory guards and train them collectively. When the time came, he could offer double pay to those willing to brave the journey north and face the dangers beyond the Wall.

As for the second issue, Aegor realized he had fallen into a trap of habitual thinking. Deception and manipulation were useful tools, and after several successes, he had begun relying on them instinctively. But this situation was different.

As a sworn brother of the Night’s Watch and the officially recognized Chief Logistics Officer, Aegor already held real, tangible influence within the organization. While his authority was currently limited—his subordinates consisting of only two people, one of whom was the enigmatic Jaqen H’ghar—his titles gave him inherent power and credibility.

Although his influence was still minimal, fulfilling his logistical duties diligently could gradually elevate his status. If he ensured the brothers were well-fed, well-clothed, and well-armed, and made sure they knew these improvements were due to his efforts—not stolen credit from the higher-ups—his reputation would naturally grow. When transparency and competence could achieve his goals, there was no need for underhanded schemes.

Problems that could be solved with money weren’t really problems.
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Finally, Aegor allowed himself a moment to relax. With the papermaking business underway, the next step was to select a factory site and begin preparations to establish the “Night’s Watch Logistics and Security Division.”