Chapter 556: East Factory, West Factory

Ever since Aegon encountered the High Sparrow, he had been deeply moved by his words, visiting Flea Bottom regularly to seek his guidance.

The High Sparrow was a man of vast experience and a devout monk, his true name long forgotten.

He claimed to have wandered through all corners of the realm, his calloused feet bearing witness to his words.

The High Sparrow held Aegon in high regard, believing it was his sacred duty to guide the heir to the Iron Throne toward piety, thus imparting many of his beliefs to the young prince.

He condemned the current High Septons as corpulent pigs who had infiltrated the Septs, deserving the punishment of the Seven Gods. He advocated for the church to rally the impoverished and the Knights of the Holy Sword once more.

By wielding force, the church could uphold justice, punishing nobles who defy the will of the Seven, while the true heir to the Iron Throne should be the only male descendant of the king.

Now, the High Sparrow had amassed a large following among the common folk.

These people willingly rallied around him, lurking beneath the surface of King's Landing, unnoticed by the nobles above.

The emergence of the High Sparrow was both accidental and inevitable.

A few years back, wildlings had begun to frequently appear south of the Wall, looting and pillaging, signaling the onset of chaos.

Then came the arrival of winter, with hundreds of thousands of wildlings migrating south, bringing down the Wall with their Horn of Winter.

The war had begun, culminating in the invasion of the White Walkers, triggering the largest mass migration in human history. Many Northerners had been driven south, further fueling the chaos.

The alliance of men defeated the White Walkers but immediately splintered, plunging into civil war.

All this turmoil led to a population explosion in King's Landing. The people, impoverished and cold, sought spiritual comfort to distract themselves.

And thus, the High Sparrow emerged, a product of these chaotic conditions.

"Varys, your negligence in managing the Small Council is causing Aegon to be misled," Viserys concluded after listening to Varys' report. He had indeed neglected governance due to his focus on military campaigns.

Conforming to Lady Olenna's advice, ruling was harder than conquering.

Although Viserys had once ordered the church to forgive the crown's debts and had provided financial relief to the refugees, such actions were but temporary solutions.

The Iron Throne and the Small Council should take responsibility for finding a permanent solution for these refugees.

Their options were limited: either wage a new war and send these refugees to their deaths or find them a new home.

Plans were already underway to reclaim the North, and Viserys was willing to give Littlefinger more time to handle the Vale.

After consolidating the Vale, the next focus would be on repairing the Neck's causeways and initiating other strategic focuses.

Regarding the development, Viserys had already surveyed potential locations for academies within King's Landing.

Among the plans, he intended to flatten Dragonpit to construct a large military academy, the most extensive among the proposed schools.

"Summon the High Septon and Aegon. I wish to discuss matters with them," Viserys ordered. "Leave this to the Internal Affairs Department, Varys. You needn't worry."

Varys nodded respectfully, "Yes, Your Grace."

Varys' network focused more on 'public' intelligence, while Ramsay Snow's Internal Affairs Department performed darker, clandestine operations.

Viserys saw them as his version of the 'East Factory' and 'West Factory,' a check and balance system, all deriving power from the throne.

Should Viserys entrust this to Ramsay, it signaled a bloodbath, indicating the king would show no mercy to these zealous monks.

Varys could already foresee the upcoming storm of bloodshed in King's Landing but chose not to interfere.

Unfortunately for Aegon, if evidence were found against him, he would not escape trouble.

"Your Grace," Varys bowed slightly before exiting Viserys' study. Soon after, the High Septon arrived at the Red Keep, hurriedly carrying the Seven-Pointed Star.