NOVEL NEXT Chapter 94: Chapter 94
"Why are you worried? You won't be sent to the battlefield. Just think of it as a trip." Tyrion shrugged, trying to reassure him. "If you don't climb the mountain, the valley still offers a nice view. Are you afraid Robert will lose? At worst, it'll be a stalemate."
"I'm not worried about my safety. It's just… our business is finally taking off. If one of the two key figures behind the Night's Watch suddenly disappears, it's bound to cause some disruption."
"Two key figures? Tsk… I appreciate the flattery." Tyrion rolled his eyes. This man always had a way of delivering compliments in the most unexpected manner. He had to admit, it was a skill he admired. "With me in King's Landing, nothing major will go wrong. As for you, just don't try to talk your way out of the king's orders. Go, do as you're told. When you return, the factory will be running at full capacity. I might even have an entire network of allies set up for you. At that point, all I'd have to do is introduce you to the right people, and in a matter of minutes, you'd become someone with real status in King's Landing, someone with influence, someone people recognize, and to the brothers of the Night's Watch, someone in charge."
"Oh… well, I'll have to trouble you with that, then."
"You're welcome. I can't let that 'big shot' reputation you gave me go to waste. Now, sign a statement authorizing me to handle all matters of the Night's Watch office while you're away. Leave one of your seals with me, and I'll take care of the rest. Enjoy your trip to the Vale."
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Aegor decided to follow Tyrion's advice. He didn't have much of a choice. It wasn't that he thought the Night's Watch enterprise would collapse without him, his partner was an exceptional man, unparalleled in the Seven Kingdoms. Aside from knowledge, expertise, height, and physique, Tyrion outclassed him in almost every way: connections, strategy, and political maneuvering. With the worst of the financial crisis behind them, there was no reason to believe disaster would strike in his absence. And knowing Tyrion's character, he wasn't worried about being abandoned while he was away.
Aegor wasn't afraid. He was frustrated.
Tyrion had no idea that this war, in a sense, had started because of him. Months ago, when he watched Bran fall from the tower at Winterfell, he had assumed fate and the story's trajectory were unchangeable. But now, he realized that not only could the plot be altered, but it could also be reshaped with astonishing ease.
If he found the right pressure points, a single push could send events spiraling in unexpected directions. The dominoes had already fallen, and not only had he lost his advantage of knowing the future, but the consequences of his own actions were now coming back to haunt him.
It was not a pleasant feeling. There was a word that described this situation perfectly… what was it again? Oh, right—backlash. He was now suffering from the very rumors he had spread.
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The king had given his command. Aegor wasn't technically in charge of the decision, but it seemed that Eddard Stark was the only man in Westeros who could outright refuse Robert Baratheon without consequence. Besides, for business to continue functioning, it required the approval and sometimes the direct involvement of the ruling class. No matter how he looked at it, his business dealings in the Vale would inevitably be affected.
There were still a few days before the royal army set out. His best option was to use this time wisely, to ensure Tyrion was informed of his plans, issue whatever orders were necessary, and hope that his partners and subordinates could carry them out in his absence.
The next scheduled shipment of supplies to the Night's Watch was still a month away. Aegor had originally planned to use this shipment as a stepping stone for his broader goals. In addition to the items listed by the Lord Commander, he intended to donate additional supplies voluntarily.
The food at the Wall was barely passable. He had arranged to send several thousand pounds of meat and barrels of wine with each shipment, ensuring his brothers on the Wall could enjoy something better than their usual rations. Outside of officers, most of the Night's Watch only had a single set of winter clothing. If their clothes got wet or needed washing, they had to sit shivering by the fire, waiting for them to dry. He planned to gradually provide spare winter garments for the rank and file.
If this practice continued, it wouldn't be long before a new pattern emerged: every time the Logistics Department resupplied the Wall, the defenders would receive fresh food, warm clothing, and perhaps even better boots, gloves, and hats. With these tangible benefits, the new department would become an essential presence in the lives of the men at the Wall.
And the best part? Compared to weapons and large food shipments, these extra provisions were cheap. A small investment for immense goodwill.
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But it wasn't enough to simply provide these things.
He would make sure every crate and every sack carried a clear label: Property of the Night Watch Logistics Department. Supplied by Aegor West.
He would not let the men at the Wall enjoy his gifts without knowing exactly who had provided them.
Tyrion highly approved of the plan, but when Aegor calculated the timing, he realized there was a high chance he wouldn't be in King's Landing when the next batch of supplies was delivered. There was no way around it. The meat and wine would be handled by merchants introduced by Tyrion, leaving it up to them to source the goods and ensure they reached the Wall. As long as the shipments arrived in good condition and didn't make anyone sick, that was all that mattered.
As for the clothing, Aegor sought out Nina and tasked her with handling it. Not only would she need to prepare a batch of thick, warm black garments, but each item had to be embroidered or marked with Night's Watch Logistics Department and Produced by Aegor West in a way that would be difficult to remove.
Given that Nina's family was already involved in the textile and clothing trade, this was a relatively simple task for her. It would also serve as a test, to see if she was not only intelligent but also capable of handling practical matters.
He hoped the sharp-minded people around him wouldn't let him down. He had no way of competing with frontline commanders for glory or prestige while staying in the relative safety of the rear, but carving out a presence for himself and ensuring his brothers remembered his contributions should not be too difficult.
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The bond redemptions were nearly complete. Those who had not yet claimed their money had either forgotten or had no urgent need for the hundred gold dragons. In the end, more than twelve hundred of the two thousand gold dragons had been withdrawn, falling squarely between the crucial thresholds of fifty and seventy percent.
Three days after receiving the king's orders to accompany the army, Aegor packed his belongings, took along the young attendant Casey, whom he had recruited in King's Landing and set out for the army's assembly point.
The horses galloped forward, the metal rings on the reins and bits jingling with each movement. Bathed in the morning sun, the chief logistics officer and his attendant rode out through the Gate of the Gods, leaving behind the stench and towering walls of King's Landing.
The assembly point was still some distance away, but Aegor could already see smoke rising from the army's camp. As they rode through the farmland flanking the road, the distant murmur of thousands of voices drifted toward them, like the rolling tide of an unseen sea.
The closer they got, the louder the noise became. As they crested a small dirt hill, the sounds sharpened, and the vast sprawl of the encampment came into view. Beneath the summer sun, a seemingly endless expanse of tents stretched across the landscape, their canvas tops scattered like mushrooms after a storm.
Countless campfires sent pale wisps of smoke curling into the sky. Neatly arranged warhorses stood in lines stretching for miles. The surrounding forests had been stripped to provide wood for long poles to hoist the banners. Some of the siege engines, too large to be hauled into battle at a moment's notice were already assembled along the King's Road, some towering higher than a man.
Sunlight glinted off thousands of spearheads, casting fiery reflections. The grand pavilions of the lords and knights stood in stark contrast to the smaller, more modest tents of their men, dotting the fields in an uneven yet organized sprawl.
Within this sea of canvas, soldiers moved like waves, some mounted on horseback, some marching with spears, swords, or bows in hand. Elsewhere, teamsters drove carts loaded with supplies, while servants tended to livestock near the edges of the camp.
The air was thick with sound, the clatter of weapons, the whinnying of horses, the shouts of soldiers and merchants alike, blending into a chaotic, deafening symphony. Somewhere amidst the din, the high-pitched laughter of children could even be heard.
The scent of food and sweat mixed with less pleasant odors, the unavoidable byproduct of thousands of men living together in close quarters. It was, in a way, fresher than the filth of King's Landing, yet it remained an unmistakable stench. Wherever large numbers of people gathered, they needed to eat and inevitably, they needed to relieve themselves.
Robert's call to arms had created what now stood before Aegor and Casey, a sprawling war camp, teeming not only with soldiers and lords but also with servants, merchants, and the countless others who had followed in their wake.
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