Send Arya home? Aegor had no desire to take on that task and immediately voiced a strong objection to Robb. But after Robb took the initiative to say, “The one hundred soldiers returning north can stay under Aegor’s command for as long as needed, until the wildlings and White Walkers are repelled,” Aegor relented.

One hundred trained soldiers would be an immense help to the Night’s Watch. If he could endure the troublesome girl for a few more days, it would be well worth it.

…

Arya stayed with Robb for one day. Whether she met her “fiancé” or not, Aegor didn’t know. In any case, when he led the logistics team north from Harrenhal the following morning, the hot potato was tossed back into his hands—along with one hundred Stark soldiers. It was truly frustrating.

The hundred Northern soldiers were not from Winterfell and couldn’t recognize their own lady. Arya remained Aegor’s personal attendant, so the risk of exposure was low. Departing from the bustling encampment of Harrenhal, home to countless soldiers and supply workers, Aegor took another two days to reach the town of Lord Harroway’s Town.

Time flies. Aegor still remembered the first time he passed through this small town, where the River Road and the Kingsroad intersected. At that time, he was traveling south to King’s Landing, an unknown figure. The only one outside the Night’s Watch who recognized and appreciated him was Tyrion. With a mindset of “interfering as little as possible with the plot,” his thoughts were split between worrying about whether he could reach the capital safely and how to deal with the pile of problems Mormont had assigned him.

The second time he came, he had already become Robert’s “Night’s Watchman” and was headed east to the Vale to take part in the Seven Kingdoms’ suppression of the rebellion against the Alliance of the Righteous. At that time, the Night’s Watch industries had begun to flourish under Tyrion’s management, and history, affected by the presence of this outsider, had started to unfold in a completely different direction…

Now, he was being sent west to the Golden Tooth to escort Tywin’s son, the infamous Kingslayer, to take the black. Whether he admitted it or not, Aegor was now a well-known figure with influence across Westeros, no longer a bystander, but caught in the sweeping tide of history.

Even… from a bystander to one of its catalysts.

Despite the sentiment, Aegor didn’t want to waste time. After spending one night in the familiar inn in the small town, he ordered the supply convoy to remain behind and wait, then set out west along the River Road with most of the logistics soldiers and the hundred Northern troops.

…

…

The war had ended, and the weather remained fair. It took him four days to reach Riverrun. He left Arya at his mother’s home and continued westward with his men.

The land, though just emerging from war, was devastated. The Riverlands were already grim, but the Westerlands were in even worse shape. Heading west along the River Road, the path widened. The wealthy lords of the Westerlands had clearly spared no expense on infrastructure, yet the scenery along the way was far from pleasant. Corpses still hung from trees, fresh graves dotted the muddy fields, farmlands were scorched, and villages had been plundered everywhere… House Stark may have been a “righteous” force in the Game of Thrones narrative, but that didn’t mean its army and allies were any more gentle or disciplined than any other army in the Seven Kingdoms. Amid the sorrow and lament, the accompanying Northern soldiers told Aegor something that surprised him: most of these scorched fields had been set ablaze by the Westerland forces themselves.

“Fortify the walls and burn the fields” was a desperate tactic any ruler might use when facing a powerful enemy or dire disadvantage. When the Western war was raging, Aegor had been busy filling the leadership void left by Tyrion’s departure in King’s Landing, so he hadn’t followed the exact situation. But seeing the scorched landscape now, he could imagine just how narrowly his partner’s family had escaped annihilation. Even though he wasn’t involved, Aegor felt a chill down his spine and a lingering sense of dread.

With more than a hundred soldiers under his command, the journey was smooth. Five days after departing Riverrun, Aegor arrived at the heavily fortified Golden Tooth. On the walls and gates, the scars of battle left by Robb Stark’s earlier assault remained visible. Yet, the golden lion banners had been raised again. The Westerland soldiers, who had endured a string of defeats and seen their homes ravaged, were in surprisingly high spirits. After instructing the Northern soldiers to wait outside, Aegor presented his identity and mission, then led his logistics team into the fortress.

He had expected Tyrion to be there, even prepared to chat with him about the “development of the gifted lands,” “post-war reconstruction of the Westerlands,” and “future direction of the Seven Kingdoms.” But the red-robed officer leading the way informed him that the dwarf prince was not in the Golden Tooth, but in Lannisport, working day and night on the Lannister Bank’s operations and finances.

The young lion wasn’t present, but the old lion was waiting in the hall. Guided by the red-robed man, Aegor soon came face to face with the legendary Tywin Lannister.

—

“Chief Logistics Officer.” Tywin sat at the far end of the long table, expressionless as he looked at Aegor entering the room. “Even here in the far west, I have heard often of your legendary feats and heroic deeds. On behalf of House Lannister, I welcome you. Thank you for coming so swiftly. Please, take a seat.”

“You’re too kind, my lord.” As expected of the Seven Kingdoms’ renowned iron-blooded lord, even his courtesy was laced with coldness. Fortunately, the current situation was one where he needed Aegor’s help. Calmly, Aegor pulled out a chair and sat down. “Thank you for the welcome and hospitality, but I’m here on official business. Please be direct, and have Ser Jaime brought out quickly to begin the journey north and fulfill the agreement.”

“He will accompany you.” Tywin tapped his fingers lightly on the table. “But before that, I want to understand the current situation at the Wall and what treatment my son can expect after joining the Night’s Watch.”

“Please ask whatever you wish, my lord. I will answer as fully as I can.”

…

When it came to his son’s future and the Lannister legacy, Tywin showed no restraint. Once he began asking questions, he could not be stopped. Servants brought wine and refreshments, and the two spoke for quite some time.

Aegor shared the truth about conditions at the Wall and his own judgment: Jaime Lannister would most likely be made a Ranger captain and start his new life as a mid-ranking officer of the Night’s Watch. As for daily life, Aegor assured him that at the very least, he wouldn’t let Jaime live worse than himself.

“Do the Rangers often have to patrol beyond the Wall?” Tywin frowned. “Are the rumors about wights and White Walkers beyond the Wall truly spread by the Night’s Watch, or are they real?”

“They’re real. The Rangers suffered heavy losses this past year, and the wildlings have reached the Wall… In general, the frequency of Rangers patrolling beyond the Wall has dropped to near zero. You need not worry.”

Though he masked it well, Aegor could still sense that for a proud and powerful man like the Lord of Casterly Rock, being forced to send his son to the Night’s Watch was deeply unpleasant. And as a father, he clearly hoped his son would live well. Once the general situation was clear, the old lion subtly inquired about the possibility of someday “using certain means” to remove Jaime from his Night’s Watch vows.

He should not have asked. At that moment, Aegor recalled what Tyrion had once said when convincing the Night’s Watch leadership to allow him to go south for business nearly a year ago.

Back then, the clever dwarf had declared that if someone ever tried to take the Ranger Jaime Lannister away, they wouldn’t have enough gold even if they sold Casterly Rock.

Tyrion had meant to joke that Aegor was “worthless” by comparison. But if he knew that his words had come true, what would he think?

…

“There has never been a precedent in history for a member of the Night’s Watch to remove the black. And in the current state of the Seven Kingdoms, the chances of safely and discreetly extracting someone like Jaime—who is being watched by all factions—are nearly zero.” Aegor spoke plainly. “As for the future… who can say what might happen?”

Tywin received the expected negative response, but his expression remained unchanged. He asked another question. “What’s the meaning of the Stark soldiers camped outside?”

“They were sent by Robb Stark to ensure Ser Jaime’s safe passage along the Riverlands and Kingsroad to the Wall.”

Tywin was silent for a few seconds, staring at Aegor as though trying to detect a lie in his face. At length, he spoke again. “The Stark boy… I mean Robb Stark, he really agreed to Jaime taking the black?”

“The Night’s Watch is impartial, Lord Tywin.” Aegor understood the old lion’s concern and answered seriously, “If I hadn’t received Robb Stark’s clear consent, I would not be here today.”

“Can you ensure that Jaime reaches the Wall safely?”

“No. In this chaotic world, I can’t even be certain I’ll make it to the Wall myself. But my lord, I can guarantee there will be no attacks ordered by Robb Stark along the way. And the logistics team is more than enough to handle ordinary bandits.” Aegor made no empty promises. “If you’re truly concerned, you can keep Ser Jaime here until both kings provide written guarantees. But forgive my bluntness—once the two stags have fought and a winner emerges, that victor may change their mind.”

…

Tywin sighed, shook his head, and stood. “No more delays. This disaster was of Jaime’s making. He must bear the risk of atonement himself, not the family. I won’t say any more, but will let my actions prove that a Lannister always pays his debts.”

As Tywin rose, Aegor had no choice but to do the same. But he did not see Jaime appear. Instead, he received unexpected news. “Many fine young men from the Westerlands, having heard of the crisis at the Wall, have volunteered to join the Night’s Watch to defend the northern borders of the Seven Kingdoms. Since you are here, you may take them north with you.”

Volunteers? After the wights appeared in King’s Landing, a few volunteers had indeed joined. There were several in Aegor’s own unit… But how could something like this be arranged personally by a great lord like Tywin?

With doubts in his mind, Aegor followed Tywin to the courtyard behind the hall—and was stunned by what he saw. Dozens of men dressed in black stood in formation, their postures straight, expressions resolute. Their uniform full-body armor immediately reminded Aegor of the Lannister guards he’d encountered before. These were clearly the distinctive standard-issue suits of House Lannister, with the lion sigils and red lacquer stripped off and repainted black.

Judging by their bearing and discipline, Aegor had no doubt these men could easily rout the hundred Stark soldiers outside the walls in any confrontation. These were not mere “volunteers.” They were bodyguards assigned by Tywin to protect his son.

“They are joining the Night’s Watch as well?”

“Yes. Like Jaime, they will wear black and swear the oath, becoming full brothers of the Night’s Watch—just like you.”

(What a massive investment.)

Aegor couldn’t help but marvel inwardly. How much effort and how many benefits had he exhausted just to recruit a similar number of security men to head north with him? And even then, they were merely auxiliaries of the Night’s Watch Logistics Department, not sworn brothers and free to leave at any time. But Tywin, with a single wave of his hand, had arranged for an equally elite group to accompany Jaime north to that frozen hell, swear the sacred oath, and be bound by it for life.

In fame, Aegor might now rival the great nobles… but in vision and resources, he was still far behind. How long would it take to build up the Town base before he could match the power of the old lion before him?

“In addition to these young men, I will also donate a small shipment of weapons, armor, horses, and food to the Wall. My logistics officer is currently tallying the supplies. You will remain in the city tonight. Tomorrow, when you depart, Jaime will accompany you along with these volunteers and a supply caravan.”

(To be continued.)

***

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