Aegor finally understood the meaning of the saying, “It’s easier to see the King of Hell than to deal with his little devils.” His original plan had been simple: wait for Neil to be released, then personally visit the garrison, apologize, admit fault, and offer some compensation to smooth things over. But who would have thought the other side had no intention of resolving anything and kept pressing the attack without so much as a pause?

Reclaim the property? Technically, as long as the garrison had a valid reason, Slynt—as commander—did have that authority. But did Aegor look like someone who would be cowed by that?

The building belonged to the garrison, yes but the garrison used resources from the Iron Throne, which meant the property ultimately belonged to the king. And whether it was the king himself or the Hand of the King acting in his name—Aegor had connections with both.

—

“You stay and run the office today. I’m heading to the Red Keep to find someone willing to sell me the deed at above-market price. Let’s see what Slynt does after that.”

Nina looked uneasy. “Ser, this might solve the issue for now, but openly confronting the garrison like this isn’t wise.”

It wasn’t wise at all. Slynt was insignificant in the grand scheme, but as commander of the City Watch, he still held real power. Aegor’s side was just a commercial venture under the name of the Night’s Watch, while Slynt’s was an official force that controlled the capital. One made profits; the other was backed by the crown. If this back-and-forth kept escalating, it would be the Night’s Watch that suffered in the end.

But that was a long-term problem. With Robert returning to King’s Landing, it was uncertain whether the Night’s Watch industry would even survive into next week. Aegor didn’t have time to worry about how to handle Slynt long-term.

“If I just move out like a good little merchant, do you think he’ll stop there?” Too many problems were piling up, and he didn’t know which fire to put out first. Aegor sighed. “More importantly, if you ask someone in King’s Landing where the Night’s Watch office is, everyone will say ‘across from the East Barracks of the City Watch.’ If we relocate now, how much confusion will that cause our clients and applicants?”

…

…

Nina admired Aegor the most but that also meant she couldn’t argue with him. She looked deflated. “It’s all my fault…”

“Oh, come on. What’s your fault? If dressing nicely is a sin, then the whole world’s guilty.” Aegor waved her off. “Did Tyrion reply yet? What’s his take?”

“Not yet—”

The door burst open with a loud bang, startling both of them. For a split second, Aegor thought the gold cloaks had come to arrest him. But when he looked up, it was the devil himself—Tyrion had arrived.

“What’s going on with Slynt? Haven’t you dealt with it yet?” Aegor had never seen his partner this angry. Tyrion marched straight to the opposite chair, dragged it out, and climbed onto it. “This morning, dozens of City Watch soldiers stormed the workshop claiming they were searching for contraband. I had to step in personally and work like mad to stop our security team from clashing with them!”

“They went to the industrial park? And nearly clashed with the security team?” Aegor’s heart clenched. Personal feuds and passive aggression were one thing but if the Night’s Watch security and the City Watch came to blows, that would be a different matter entirely. They’d be accused of resisting the law with force—of rebellion. No one would be able to save them. Even if they kept their heads, they’d be lucky to avoid being sent back to the Wall.

He had just been scoffing at Slynt’s petty tricks to seize the building, but now realized he had nearly walked into a disaster. What a vicious tactic!

“And that’s not all. Now all our wagons bringing goods into the city are being held up at the King’s Gate. The gold-cloaked guards claim the books we printed are evading taxes. They won’t let us through until a full investigation is completed. Seven hells knows how long that’ll take. Every day we’re delayed costs us dozens of gold dragons. If this isn’t settled, we’ll lose our customers’ trust. Do you understand?”

Tax evasion? Aegor frowned, opened his drawer, and pulled out the tax exemption certificate that had arrived yesterday afternoon. He placed it on the table.

“Well… this came just in time.” Tyrion picked it up and gave it a once-over. His expression eased somewhat. “Jack! Take this to the King’s Gate and get those freight wagons into the city. Now.”

“Yes, my lord.” Jack took the certificate and quickly left.

“I’ve been outside the city these past few days and didn’t know the details.” Tyrion tapped the table impatiently, then glanced at Nina. “Tell me everything.”

—

Aegor then explained how Neil had been arrested by the garrison the day before, how he had secured his release with Lord Renly’s help, and how Slynt had since demanded the Night’s Watch office relocate. He also shared his plan to purchase the building.

“I’ll admit, your strategy is effective,” Tyrion said, staring at Aegor with clear disapproval. “But don’t you think you’ve made a mistake? Do you think this is some duel—he makes a move, and you parry? Sure, you haven’t taken any real losses yet, but if you keep slapping him in the face, how’s he supposed to swallow the humiliation? He’s going to keep looking for ways to bite you.”

“Then what should I do?”

“What’s the best way to deal with a mad dog chasing after you?” Tyrion’s eyes glinted coldly. “Do you think trading blows is the solution?”

Aegor felt as if lightning had flashed through his mind—suddenly, it all made sense. He had spent so much energy trying to counter Littlefinger’s schemes, but that hadn’t gotten him anywhere. Now, with Slynt, he’d fallen into the same trap, getting stuck in a cycle of reactive thinking. Against an opponent this persistent, trying to “handle” him was a mistake. It would only foster his own gravedigger.

The right move was to eliminate the threat directly.

“The best way to deal with a mad dog,” he murmured, “is to beat it to death with a stick.”

“It’s good that you’ve figured it out. If he keeps causing trouble like this, then get rid of him!”

“Kill him?” Nina was startled.

“What are you imagining? That I’d hire someone to murder him?” Tyrion rolled his eyes at her. “What did I tell you? We’re merchants, and merchants have their own methods. The Night’s Watch operation relies on countless interests and now has the broadest network of contacts in King’s Landing. When I say ‘get rid of him,’ I mean remove Slynt from his position as commander of the City Watch through proper maneuvering! Honestly, you’re two smart people, how has neither of you thought of this?”

Aegor had nothing to say. He’d been away for two months and still hadn’t fully adapted to the shift in his identity, from a logistics officer of the Night’s Watch to one of the major merchants in King’s Landing. Not to mention, most of his attention had been focused elsewhere. As for Nina, she was just an ordinary girl who had never seen such schemes unfold. How could she be expected to think of something like this?

It wasn’t a matter of intelligence, but of mindset.

…

Looking at the serious, slightly fierce expression on his dwarf friend’s face, Aegor suddenly realized that the man in front of him was no longer the jovial, unemployed noble—the mischievous imp Tyrion Lannister—he’d met half a year ago. No, this was a newly risen capitalist, a noble who now saw the Night’s Watch enterprise as his life’s work. And capitalists, as Aegor now saw clearly, had two defining traits:

Greed—and ruthlessness.

He’d already seen the greed when he first visited the Night’s Watch Industrial Park. The ruthlessness… was now showing itself for the first time.

In this world, the most dangerous people were those who controlled resources. And if someone like Tyrion, who was born into wealth and noble blood, was crossed? The consequences would be far worse.

Thankfully, he and Tyrion were on the same side.

“Of course, getting rid of a City Watch commander… easier said than done. If we can avoid that path, better not to push it.” Tyrion didn’t realize he’d just earned Aegor’s cautious respect. He tapped his foot, thought for a moment, then made a decision. “Aegor, sign a bond for one hundred gold dragons. I’ll go talk to Slynt. If he’s smart, he’ll take the money and back off. If he’s looking to get himself killed, then he shouldn’t blame me for being unkind.”

(To be continued.)

***

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