“What happened… This… Where should I start?” Nina grew flustered again, hesitating for a long moment before saying, “Let me think about it.”

(Where is the sharp and capable woman who just asked me, ‘Contract signing, bond purchase, investment negotiation, loan application, or joint venture?’ How does she even handle customers if she’s like this?)

Aegor was slightly concerned but vaguely understood—perhaps it was his presence that made her nervous. Still… was speaking to him really so terrifying?

Not wanting to embarrass her further, the Night’s Watch officer took the initiative. “Forget it. I’ll ask, and you just answer. When did you take over here?”

“A few days after you left. Lord Tyrion stayed with me for over a month, teaching me everything. He only left after I had learned enough. I’ve been in charge for less than half a month…”

“Hmm. You were working on something when I arrived.”

“We were calculating the accounts, tracking the income and expenses of the various factories under Night’s Watch Industries, as well as the salaries for the Logistics and Security departments.”

“All the factories?” Aegor raised a brow. “How many do we have now? And how many men has the Security Department recruited?”

“The second factory is still under construction. The investment came from that merchant who bought grain and fodder from you before you left—he finally paid the penalty he owed. As for the Security Department, we’ve recruited nearly a hundred men. Per your orders, we only take locals under thirty, with good reputations and clean family backgrounds.” Nina hesitated, raising a hand as if to scratch her head but lowering it again, afraid of ruining her hair. “Each factory has someone responsible for its accounts, and I review the final reports. It seems like a lot, but it’s not too difficult. The hardest part is processing start-up loan applications. Lord Tyrion insists that every applicant submit a detailed business plan and cost estimate, down to the last silver stag. I evaluate the risks and potential profits, then pass my recommendations to him for final approval.”

“What… loans?” Aegor sat up straight. He had been asking casually, he wasn’t expecting news more shocking than the last. He had vaguely noticed the word loan when he first walked in, but after his long journey, he hadn’t given it much thought. Now, the realization hit him. His eyes widened.

“You—you mean we are lending money now? Do we even have that much spare capital?”

“No… not yet,” Nina quickly waved her hands, startled by his reaction. “Right now, our funds are just enough to keep things running, with little to spare. But Lord Tyrion analyzed our net profit and said we’ll have surplus funds by next month. He said, ‘We can’t let gold sit in a vault and rot, we need to put it to work.’ So he started a small-business loan program… specifically for people like me and my brother—those with good ideas and inventions but no money to bring them to life.”

Aegor took a deep breath. This wasn’t part of his plan. He had only mentioned the idea of lending as an example, he never expected Tyrion to actually implement it. That little imp was proving to be far more competent than Robert.

Straightening up, Aegor grabbed the stack of loan applications from the table and began flipping through them.

…

The applications varied widely. Some sought loans to open snack stalls or clothing shops, while others wanted to follow the latest trend and open bookstores. These were unremarkable. What caught his attention was the pile of proposals for new inventions and ideas.

Literacy was rare in this era, and even fewer people could describe things clearly and concisely. Aegor skimmed through the first application and found a description of solid soap.

In this world, soaps and detergents were usually powders or pastes. This applicant proposed a method to harden the mixture into solid bars and add herbs or scented oils, creating a product that would not only clean but also leave behind a pleasant fragrance, perhaps even remove invisible “dirt” from the body.

Soap. Medicated soap.

The people of Westeros had no concept of germs, but even without that knowledge, this was an advanced idea.

The next application had a similar theme, an improvement on lipstick. The applicant suggested replacing toxic mineral-based dyes with natural pigments derived from fruits, vegetables, and insects. He had also developed a method to solidify the mixture using wax and oils, creating a more stable and safer product.

Aegor paused. He pulled the first application closer and compared the handwriting.

The same person.

Lifting his gaze, Aegor studied the young woman in front of him and made a bold guess.

“Nina, where did you get that lipstick?”

“It’s… a sample from this applicant,” she admitted, blinking at him innocently. “I only wanted to test it. It’s still in the drawer—I didn’t take it home!”

“Why are you panicking? I didn’t say you couldn’t use it.” Aegor chuckled. “You look quite fetching, but don’t overdo it. Just because the inventor claims it’s non-toxic doesn’t mean it’s harmless. Try not to eat it.”

“Yes… my lord.”

“Approve both of these immediately. Tell Tyrion this venture will definitely be profitable. As for the funds, we won’t have to wait two months—money will be available soon.”

Using the conversation as an excuse, Aegor openly admired how Nina looked with makeup before turning his attention back to the stack of proposals.

There were all sorts of ideas, one suggesting a lottery system, another proposing a new type of loose, breathable undergarment that would distinguish innerwear from outerwear… The more he read, the more he realized that nearly all of them were viable.

When did this miserable place start producing so many bright minds?

As if sensing his thoughts, Nina spoke softly. “There were many ridiculous proposals too. I threw those into the waste bin. If you’d like, I can retrieve them—”

“No need,” Aegor interrupted. “If you discarded them, I trust you had a reason.”

So that was it. What he was reading had already been filtered, the best of the best.

“For the proposals that passed, we’ll begin funding them immediately. Do we have a system in place for this?”

“Yes. Lord Tyrion divided the loans into three categories, each with different terms depending on the specifics. I can summarize them for you—”

After a few minutes of casual conversation, Nina gradually relaxed. The initial awkwardness of suddenly facing her “boss and idol” without warning had faded. The redness in her cheeks subsided, and her composure returned.

With her clear and structured explanations, Aegor quickly gained a thorough understanding of the recent changes within Night’s Watch Industries.

The first factory was already in full operation, something Aegor was well aware of. With continuous improvements in technology, the cost of papermaking had been further reduced, now less than half of what it had originally been.

Paper itself was cheap, but its status as a luxury item in the minds of the people had yet to change. Since there were no competitors in the market and the price of orders remained high, the business had yielded staggering profits—several hundred percent in a short span of time.

Last month, for the first time, all three production lines ran uninterrupted for an entire moon’s turn, bringing in over four hundred gold for Night’s Watch Industries. However, as much of the cost had only just been recouped, it was difficult to determine the exact net profit.

The Night’s Watch bonds had also moved past their initial challenges. After enduring the trial of a large-scale redemption, their reliability had been proven. The real-money returns spread by word of mouth, and with active buyers emerging, Tyrion had decisively announced a reduction in the rate of return both to maintain a stable capital flow and to emphasize the higher profits of investment and cooperative ventures.

By the time Lord Buckwell departed for King’s Landing, the first major investment, amounting to several thousand gold dragons had already been secured.

As for the loans—Tyrion had divided them into three categories.

The first were short-term small loans, sums under five gold dragons, granted with minimal requirements to any citizen of King’s Landing who could provide proof of identity and residence. Outsiders, for now, were excluded.

The second were standard business loans, issued for shop openings. These required either collateral or a guarantor and carried “appropriate” interest rates.

The third category, however, was venture capital for new inventions and innovations—which, strictly speaking, was not a loan at all. Under this system, if an application was reviewed and approved, Night’s Watch Industries would directly purchase the rights to the invention. All research, development, marketing, and expansion costs would be covered by the company.

In return, the inventors or creators were required to disclose everything—formulas, principles, and production methods, without withholding any information from the company’s designated project leader. As compensation, the inventor would permanently receive half of the net income from the first workshop and storefront related to their invention.

In other words, the ownership of the invention itself would belong to the Night’s Watch, while the creator could only enjoy a share of the profits.

Why did this arrangement seem so familiar? Aegor was momentarily dumbfounded.

Before he had traveled to this world, wasn’t this exactly how modern creative industries operated? Studios and publishing platforms owned the rights to a creator’s work, while the creators themselves could only take a cut of the revenue.

For inventors and craftsmen, there were only two choices:

They could keep their ideas forever locked away, hidden in their homes—or even buried with them in their graves.

Or they could bring them forward, hand them over to the Night’s Watch, and allow Aegor and Tyrion to feast on the meat, while they settled for drinking the broth.

It seemed unfair, perhaps. But these were the rules set by those who controlled the resources—in short, capitalists.

If they didn’t like it, they didn’t have to participate. And if they did participate, they had no right to complain. After all, without the possibility of enormous returns, what noble or merchant would be willing to make such a risky investment, one that could just as easily end in ruin?

Beyond these financial changes, there were countless other developments that couldn’t be easily summed up in words.

At this moment, Aegor felt like a man playing a strategy game with his friends, only to disconnect at the very start—then finally reconnect, only to find that his team had already stormed the enemy stronghold.

He had been gone from King’s Landing for two moons. Nearly sixty days of being away. And yet, the rapid expansion of Night’s Watch Industries had outpaced even his wildest expectations.

Fortunately, his trip to the Vale had not been for nothing.

Otherwise, how could he still have the face to stand before Tyrion, claiming to be the man in charge of the Night’s Watch’s affairs?

(To be continued.)

***

For every 100 PS = 1 extra chapter. Support me on patreon to read 30+ advanced chapters: patreon.com/Blownleaves

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep