“Yohn, don’t mess around!” The Chief Craftsman, who had always been cautious with his words, finally roared out his first sentence since appearing today.

“You figure out who’s messing around!” Yohn Royce roared back. “The Kingslayer acted without authorization first, disobeying a superior’s order. I’m upholding the discipline of the Night’s Watch! By indulging his reckless behavior like this, you’re pushing the entire Night’s Watch into the abyss of chaos!”

—

Not everyone held a grudge against Aegor, like the former Lord of Runestone.

More conservatives didn’t support him either, not because of any deep animosity, but because they opposed the risky notion of “accepting Wildlings,” disliked his way of doing things, or felt that he hadn’t been with the Night’s Watch long enough—too young, too inexperienced, and not convincing enough… And many more simply supported others due to their own interests and loyalties, making it difficult to switch allegiances.

After a period of observation, the former Wildlings had proven themselves capable of being peaceful and orderly, and Aegor’s actions gradually began to convince many who had initially opposed or misunderstood him. More and more people started believing in the statement he made upon returning from the South: in extraordinary times, perhaps choosing a Commander who doesn’t always follow the rules but can get things done is a wise decision.

There were still diehard opponents, but when faced with a choice between “letting Jaime be reckless this once” or “inciting internal conflict and bloodshed within the Night’s Watch,” any reasonable person would prioritize stability.

And now, what Yohn Royce was doing was seizing the moral high ground and escalating the conflict—forcing the officers at Castle Black to be unable to prioritize stability.

The Westermen faction led by Jaime numbered over forty, and the Eastwatch-by-the-Sea faction was close to that. If these two sides clashed without outside intervention, casualties would easily reach double digits… Castle Black, as the largest neutral third party, had to step in and support one side to minimize the damage.

If it truly came to blows, which side would Castle Black choose?

The answer was obvious: there was no evidence anyone intended harm toward the family of the King-Beyond-the-Wall. In this standoff, Jaime’s side was clearly in the wrong for acting without orders. Being forced to compromise and let them leave could be acceptable, but helping them attack those trying to stop them would be impossible to justify to the brothers.

—

Bowen Marsh, his close ally Othell Yarwyck, and the always-neutral First Ranger exchanged glances and gritted their teeth. It seemed they too had to make a hard decision.

The Westermen around Jaime sensed the change in atmosphere. They drew together, standing shoulder to shoulder, back to back, facing the Eastwatch-by-the-Sea men, who had already drawn their swords, and the dozens of soldiers surrounding the Three Giants of Castle Black.

The Three Giants quickly conferred and agreed to try persuading Jaime one last time. If that failed, they would use force to subdue him. The tension in this confrontation, deliberately wound tighter and tighter by someone with intent, had finally reached its peak.

But just as the final negotiation was about to begin, the ultimatum moments away from being delivered, and even the onlookers could feel the danger in the air, a loud shout from the gate guards unexpectedly interrupted everything.

“More goods from the South! Pork and mutton! Those free, come help unload!”

…

It had been over ten months since Crown Town began functioning as a supply hub for the Seven Kingdoms, and regular deliveries to Castle Black were no longer newsworthy. The brothers had long grown used to it, and few paid the announcement any attention. Most eyes remained fixed on the confrontation.

But soon, someone sharp-eyed noticed: this time, the number of escorts entering the gate was far beyond what was normal for supply runs.

Nearly a hundred people escorted three wagons through the gate into the courtyard. Aside from fewer than ten who looked like drivers, the rest were all armed. The small squad at the core was even clad in gleaming plate armor provided by Tywin Lannister—helmets, shields, steel swords and daggers at their waists, fully armed and combat-ready.

Yohn Royce’s heart sank.

(What’s going on? Did that bastard… arrange for a reception team in advance?)

A sense of unease spread in his chest. While he stood stunned, the leader of the escort team stepped out and explained.

It was Humfrey Hissan, dressed in black, the Chief Logistics Officer stationed in Crown Town. He raised his voice to make himself heard:

“By order of the Chief Logistics Department, livestock processing ahead of winter has been completed across The Gift. We are now distributing some of the meat to outposts along the Wall. Please sign for the goods, Lord Marsh. Also, I will be escorting Mance Rayder and his family back to Crown Town on the return journey for resettlement. The situation is complex and delicate, so I ask Castle Black to actively cooperate.”

…

“Livestock processing before winter” is a custom in the North of Westeros: since no one knows how long winter will last, and whether there’ll be enough hay and grain to keep animals alive through spring, aside from a few kept for breeding, the rest are slaughtered and processed for preservation soon after winter officially begins. This reason suited the season perfectly and was quite convincing. But judging from the arrival of this large, heavily armed group—made up of Night’s Watch Industry guards and warriors of the Mountain Clans—Bowen Marsh could only sigh deeply.

After Commander Mormont’s death, as Chief Officer of the Castle Black stores, he had tried to sabotage the New Gift resettlement plan by cutting off supplies to the Wildlings… but Aegor had prepared large stores of grain and other supplies in Crown Town and chose to confront him head-on, independently supporting the New Gift settlers. For the past three or four months, the two supply networks of the Night’s Watch had been running independently, without coordination or exchange. Since the New Gift settlers vastly outnumbered the Mountain Clans, Crown Town was at a severe disadvantage in this supply war. Aegor had traveled endlessly to prevent food shortages.

Under such circumstances, why would Crown Town choose today of all days to set aside hostility and generously offer a highly valuable commodity like meat?

And it wasn’t even noon yet. For this convoy to arrive so early—despite the improved King’s Road through The Gift—they must have departed before dawn.

With all these factors combined, who could believe this was just a coincidence?

Aegor West had calculated everything. If he won this Commander election, it would be a victory of absolute strategy, not luck.

Realizing he wasn’t the only one completely outmaneuvered, Yohn Royce’s face turned pale. Then, rage overcame him and he shouted at the gate guards:

“Is this how you keep watch? Someone shows up claiming to deliver supplies and you let them in without a second thought?!”

“Lord Royce, surely you jest. You might not recognize me since you’ve been stationed at Eastwatch-by-the-Sea, but I’m Humfrey Hissan. I joined the Night’s Watch over half a year ago and currently serve as the Chief Logistics Officer in Crown Town—a sworn brother, through and through.” The quartermaster leading the convoy introduced himself confidently. “The logistics team has been delivering meat to Castle Black regularly for over a year now. The brothers guarding the gate have long known our faces. As a proper Night’s Watch brother, bringing a few old friends along to reward those holding the Wall, must I still waste time verifying every identity?”

He smiled at Yohn Royce, his gaze pausing briefly on the steel sword in Royce’s hand.

“Oh? Is Castle Black hosting a tournament? What unfortunate timing. Please, carry on. I know the way to the warehouse. After unloading, I’ll take the people I need and be gone. No need to trouble yourselves.”

His words were courteous, but the “escort team” held formation as they advanced, subtly maneuvering to surround the Eastwatch-by-the-Sea group alongside Jaime. With Crown Town seemingly having emptied its reserves and sent elite forces for support, it was clear to everyone they hadn’t come just to deliver meat.

Aegor West, the leading candidate for Lord Commander, had finally played his hand, and it was a decisive one.

After the transfer of men to Eastwatch-by-the-Sea, Castle Black had nearly a hundred rangers (over forty of whom followed Jaime), more than two hundred stewards, and a similar number of builders—around five hundred men in total.

Though many were old, weak, or injured, they were still trained Night’s Watch soldiers. If united in purpose, they could challenge a hundred elite fighters. But what kind of force had they just been confronted with?

Westermen rangers who had sworn the same oath, Mountain Clans warriors who had answered the call during the Wall’s darkest hour, and Night’s Watch Industry guards who had been faithfully supporting the Wall’s logistics for a year. Who among Castle Black’s defenders would truly be willing to take up arms against them?

Aegor had won again—thoroughly. No chance remained for a counterattack.

The Three Giants exchanged only a glance before they understood what had to be done.

Bullying the weak and fearing the strong may be scorned as cowardly, but its logic is simple. In a civilization, such behavior is shamed, but outside it, those who bully the strong and fear the weak only meet ruin. Win, and you’re a hero. Lose, and you’re dead. Today, Aegor made his strength clear, using every resource and advantage at his disposal to overwhelm the opposition. He dared to do so because he knew that so long as he played the role of the “strong,” the Castle Black officers wouldn’t dare go mad.

Had it been only Jaime’s forty men, they could have been handled. But now, with nearly a hundred reinforcements added, any internal conflict would spiral out of control, dooming the Night’s Watch in its already fragile state.

Lord Stark wouldn’t have time to sort through the details, to determine who was right or wrong. For the North’s safety, he would punish both sides equally and swiftly seize control of the Wall’s defense, ending the Night’s Watch for good.

And when that day came, the one left standing would be Aegor—closest to House Stark, controller of the Night’s Watch Industry, and holder of an independent base in The Gift. Even if he had to face the Warden of the North’s wrath, he would outlast it and laugh last.

There was another key factor: Aegor was currently traveling with Robb Stark on an inspection tour of the Wall. If anything went wrong, he could immediately twist the story in the North Lord’s ears and influence his judgment.

When Bowen Marsh first heard that Aegor had left Castle Black for the election period, he thought it would be a great opportunity to strike back. But looking back now… the man had likely accounted for today all along.

Thoughts surged in his mind. Though it pained him deeply, Marsh had to admit: with such foresight, cunning, and boldness, if Aegor chose to walk the right path, he truly might be a stronger Commander than anyone else.

No matter what, Jaime and Mance Rayder’s family had to be allowed to leave today. What the Night’s Watch needed now was simply a way to step down. If no face-saving path could be found, using force to drive away the Eastwatch-by-the-Sea men would be a disgrace.

But Jaime had clearly acted on Aegor’s orders. How could they possibly find a way out?

The Three Giants were nervously whispering, when the last significant and influential figure in the Night’s Watch—who had remained neutral until now—finally arrived at the scene.

(To be continued.)

***

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Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep