More than eighty percent of the Night’s Watch brothers at Castle Black had arrived after hearing the news, and the hall was growing increasingly crowded. Among the many familiar and unfamiliar faces, Aegor spotted the Red Priestess Melisandre and her followers, whom he hadn’t seen in a long time. Even Maester Aemon, so aged he could barely walk, had been helped in by Sam.

Aegor scanned the hall, a faint smile playing on his lips.

(Good. That was just the warm-up. The real performance begins now.)

He didn’t intend to only criticize Yohn Royce. This was a life-or-death struggle, with no path to retreat. The more witnesses there were, the better.

…

“In this cellar, we are electing the 998th Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch. This number may be inflated, but let’s not get hung up on that. Let’s just say there have been several hundred Commanders in our history.”

This speech wasn’t rehearsed. Aegor was the only one who knew the lines, so naturally no one else could chime in or play along. He could only ask and answer himself.

“Among those hundreds of Commanders, apart from the infamous ones like the so-called ‘Night King,’ who was eventually taken down by the combined forces of the North and the King-Beyond-the-Wall, or Runcel Hightower who tried to pass the position to his bastard son, or Rodrik Flint who attempted to become King of the Wildlings… and other Commanders remembered for their failures or ambition—how many of the rest, whose names are buried in the river of history, were truly qualified? Sam, can you answer that?”

Sam was caught off guard by the sudden question. Thankfully, Maester Aemon, Jon, and Aegor were all present. Though he still didn’t dare to meet the gaze of either Commander directly, their presence gave him enough courage to calm his nerves. After some thought, he roughly grasped Aegor’s intent and cautiously replied:

“If we judge by whether they fulfilled their duty of guarding the Wall, then… since the Wall has never fallen, I suppose most of them were qualified.”

“I think so too. The word qualified is far too cheap. So cheap that if someone used it to describe me, I’d be insulted. Right now, we face the White Walkers, and the unprecedented army of the dead they command. Sam, let me ask another question. Since the Night’s Watch was founded, how many times have they attacked the Wall?”

“Never,” Sam replied. “There’s only one story about the thirteenth Lord Commander being seduced and corrupted by a woman suspected to be a White Walker, ruling the Nightfort as his own kingdom for thirteen years. He was the Night King you mentioned earlier. After he was defeated and killed by the combined forces of the King-Beyond-the-Wall and the King in the North, people discovered he had offered sacrifices to the White Walkers. But all these accounts come from unreliable texts. If you ask me, I’d say it’s more reasonable to believe this: the White Walkers have never truly launched a large-scale attack on the Wall since the Night’s Watch was founded.”

—

Aegor nodded at him, then turned to face the crowd.

“I wouldn’t boast about Sam’s combat skills or bravery, but I believe in his reading and memory. Maester Aemon is also here. May I ask, Maester, is there anything you’d like to add regarding the history of White Walker attacks on the Wall?”

The blind Maester shook his head and replied in a trembling voice, “Aside from the vague accounts about the thirteenth Commander, which I cannot speak to, I have nothing to add.”

“The Night’s Watch was born after the Battle for the Dawn. At that time, the White Walkers had already been driven back to the Lands of Always Winter by the united forces of mankind, led by Azor Ahai. The first Lord Commander was likely one of the heroes of that war, but he didn’t yet carry the title of Night’s Watch when he fought them. Since then, the only mention of the White Walkers reappearing is the corruption of the thirteenth Commander. So our conclusion is clear. In all recorded history, no Lord Commander has ever led the Night’s Watch to repel a large-scale attack by the White Walkers.”

Cotter Pyke scowled and growled impatiently, “Get to the point. What are you trying to say?”

“Not long ago, the army of the dead attacked Castle Black. Countless wights burned by oil and wildfire still lie frozen in the snow. You can see them just by climbing the Wall. This is a threat no Commander in history has faced. What we need now is not someone who’s possibly qualified, but someone willing, capable, and proven to lead the Night’s Watch to victory in this war of ice and fire!”

…

The hall remained silent, though it was now several times more crowded than when Aegor first arrived. Even the quietest whispers, when layered together, formed a subtle hum. A few seconds after Aegor finished speaking, Cotter Pyke suddenly burst into laughter.

“You think you are the one to lead the Night’s Watch to victory in this war of ice and fire? Isn’t that a bit much?”

“A deserter. A thief. A pervert who likes young boys. A scoundrel who ignores the rules of the Night’s Watch and meddles constantly in the affairs of the Seven Kingdoms. And you think you deserve to be Lord Commander?” Yohn Royce finally found an opening and pounced. “You might be competent at logistics, but your character is so disgraceful that you’re unworthy to lead a noble order like the Night’s Watch!”

“I was forced to join the Night’s Watch for theft,” Aegor admitted, “but it wasn’t because I committed some heinous crime. I was shipwrecked and stranded in Westeros without knowing the language. As for whether I’m a deserter—Lord Commander Mormont, Benjen Stark, and even the late Lord Eddard Stark all gave their judgment. That’s not for you to decide. And that disgusting slander about me ‘liking young boys’? I don’t know where you heard it. If you have proof, show it. If not, shut your mouth.”

He directly and firmly denied the baseless accusations, leaving the audience to decide who to believe. What mattered was that he never lost the upper hand.

“We’re here to discuss who is best suited to lead the Night’s Watch through this crisis. Yet Lord Royce chooses to attack me with unfounded rumors… At this point, I have to wonder—perhaps your character, my lord, is what’s truly lacking.”

Ignoring the former Lord of Runestone, who stood there still preparing a counterattack, Aegor turned and went on the offensive again, giving the enemy no space to regroup.

“Two months ago, I doubted whether I was fit to lead the Night’s Watch in this war, so I withdrew from the election and deferred to two Commanders with greater seniority and prestige. But after waiting, I’ve come to realize that there is no one among the Watch that I can rely on—no one with enough seniority and proven ability. If I don’t step forward, I can only watch helplessly as mediocrity leads the brothers of the Night’s Watch and the people of the Gift to destruction.”

“‘Mediocre’?” The Chief Officer, who had been quietly watching, finally spoke up. “Is that how you describe experienced and respected Commanders like Ser Denys Mallister and Lord Cotter Pyke?”

Aegor didn’t look at Othell Yarwyck. He simply threw the question to Sam.

“May I ask, how many men can Ser Denys Mallister and Lord Cotter Pyke vote for from their respective castles?”

No one was more familiar with these numbers than Sam. He replied immediately:

“Ser Denys Mallister can vote on behalf of the two hundred thirty-six men remaining at Shadow Tower. Eastwatch-by-the-Sea has two hundred and five. Over twenty came here with Lord Cotter Pyke, so he can vote for the remaining one hundred eighty-something.”

“If anyone disputes these figures, speak up now.” Aegor looked around. “Shadow Tower and Eastwatch each have more than two hundred brothers. Castle Black has about five hundred. The remaining few dozen are scattered among the newly reopened castles along the Wall and in the mountain clans. Altogether, that’s just over a thousand voters in the Night’s Watch. To win, a candidate needs two-thirds of the vote. For the two Commanders who can vote by proxy, that requirement is reduced—by the number of votes they control.”

He sneered.

“And even with the bar lowered this much, the two of you have still been locked in a deadlock for dozens of days. You can’t beat each other, and you won’t concede. So now you’ve tried to reach a compromise through a third-party candidate—not by mutual respect, but out of desperation.”

“Just because the election’s dragged on without a result, you say the candidates are mediocre?” Othell Yarwyck scoffed. “Couldn’t it be that they’re too qualified, making the choice difficult?”

“That’s possible,” Aegor nodded. “I considered that. So I did my homework—I investigated the accomplishments of both Commanders during their terms. Would you like to hear the results?”

Yarwyck frowned. Aegor’s response was too smooth, too prepared. It was like he’d walked right into a trap.

Still, he held firm. “Both Commanders have carried out their duties responsibly and never let the defenses of their castles fall.”

Aegor smiled, feigning disdain, and slowly shook his head.

He glanced at the Black Brothers from Castle Black, most of whom were now present. The time was right.

“Yes, during their command, the Wildlings never broke through their sectors of the Wall to raid the Gift or the North. But what else? For decades, neither castle has grown stronger. The number of nearby subjects hasn’t increased. Their living standards haven’t improved. The Shadow Tower still only guards the Gorge and Skull Bridge. Eastwatch’s fleet hasn’t added a single ship in a hundred years. The two of you have only ever minded your own gates. You’ve been diligent, sure—but your results are no better than any ‘qualified’ Commander from the past thousand years.”

“Let me be blunt.” Aegor narrowed his eyes, focusing on the two Commanders. The pressure didn’t break them, but the crowd felt it.

“You’ve merely relied on the Wall, built by Brandon the Builder, and on your obedient subordinates. You’ve spent decades holed up in your posts, thinking yourselves the most senior and capable veterans in the Watch. And now you believe the next Commander must be one of you.”

…

Ser Denys Mallister remained composed. Cotter Pyke, however, jumped to his feet, snorting like a bull, hand on his hilt, until two of his men stepped forward and held him back.

“In peaceful times, you were qualified Commanders.” Aegor glanced to where Jaime and his Westerlands men were standing, confirming his escape route in case things escalated. Feeling slightly reassured, he pressed on without fear.

“But in this once-in-a-thousand-years crisis, by my values and standards… I’m sorry to say this. I’m not singling anyone out, but the two Commanders present here—” He forced himself to swallow the words “are garbage” and replaced them with, “are mediocre.”

—

The hushed murmurs vanished. Silence filled the cellar.

Due to the unique structure of the Night’s Watch, each castle Commander had considerable autonomy. Disputes weren’t rare. They often exchanged insults behind closed doors, tripped each other up, or fought for influence with subtle maneuvers. But to publicly declare another Commander worthless in front of half the Order—this wasn’t just unprecedented. It was unthinkable.

Aegor had turned his attack on the two Commanders, leaving Yohn Royce, who had just been exchanging blows with him, completely unsure whether he should still argue. He had lost all momentum. And the two veteran Commanders, who had been supporting Royce just moments before, now found themselves the target and were too stunned to fight back.

Blindsided, the entire conservative faction stood frozen. In the heavy silence, Aegor seized complete control of the floor.

“I’ve never considered myself extraordinary. But I built the Night’s Watch Logistics Department from nothing. I increased recruitment for the first time in history. I improved the lives of the brothers, giving them the dignity of true defenders of the realm. I even restored the defense and warning system along the Wall. These are my accomplishments as Chief Logistics Officer.”

These were certainly not Aegor’s achievements alone. Lord Commander Jeor Mormont had shown immense trust, insight, and wisdom throughout. It had been a joint effort. But when it came to taking credit, Aegor did not hesitate to claim it all.

“Call it arrogance if you like. But the truth is, I, Aegor West, have done more for the Night’s Watch and changed the Wall more in two years than both of those Commanders have in a lifetime. After careful investigation and deliberation, I’ve come to the conclusion that I am the most suitable person to lead the Night’s Watch right now.”

“I once said I wouldn’t run. But for the future of the Night’s Watch, and for all mankind, I am breaking that vow.” He turned to the blind Maester. “Maester Aemon, please add my name to the candidates.”

He looked at the crowd and raised his voice.

“Brothers, if you do not wish to meet despair and death, then I ask you—cast your precious vote for me!”

(To be continued.)

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep