Chapter 60

Aegor had just arrived in King's Landing and naturally didn't know his way around. Fortunately, Tyrion had lived in the city long enough to navigate it with ease. While not an expert on every street, he had no trouble finding their destination. As they talked, they soon arrived at the only professional seal-making shop in King's Landing, and one of the few in all of Westeros.

Westeros in this era was far behind the modern world Aegor had known before crossing over. However, as the Seven Kingdoms unified and developed, people had begun to grasp the importance of law and order. Seals in this world followed specific formats and were subject to certain regulations. You couldn't just carve one out of stone and expect it to be recognized. In King's Landing, only seals made at this shop were guaranteed to be accepted by nobles and wealthy individuals throughout the Seven Kingdoms.

Seal shops typically served only people of status or those with fixed assets, as ordinary folk had no need for them. Aegor, a Night's Watchman, didn't meet these criteria. Fortunately, he had two powerful credentials: letters signed and sealed by Eddard Stark and Jeor Mormont.

After inspecting these documents, the shopkeeper agreed to take on Aegor's business. He ordered a seal for himself with the title "Chief Logistics Officer of the Night's Watch." While such a position didn't currently exist within the Night's Watch, Aegor planned to establish it soon as part of his broader strategy.

Aegor commissioned two seals: one for official correspondence and one for personal identification. After settling on the design and content with the engraver, he turned to Tyrion. "Do you have a seal?"

"No," Tyrion replied honestly. It was uncommon for someone of his rank not to have a seal, but his situation was unique. His disability and distinctive appearance meant his identity as a Lannister was rarely questioned. The family's reputation for paying its debts often served as sufficient proof in dealings with taverns, brothels, and merchants. Nobles, meanwhile, typically dealt with his father Tywin or his siblings. Though Tyrion pretended not to care, it was clear he had his own struggles with this reality. "I suppose I should get one as well."

Tyrion's seal order was quickly arranged. As the infamous "Imp," he didn't need official credentials, but it was still a practical step. Regular seals were expensive, but compared to the scale of their plans, the cost was negligible.

Once the seals were commissioned, they left the shop, mounted their horses, and headed for their next destination, discussing the details as they rode.

Tyrion climbed onto his horse with some difficulty. "And now?"

"Your servant has already bought the paper, ink, wax, and other supplies. Now we just need to visit the sign workshop," Aegor replied.

"The sign workshop? Fine. But I wasn't asking where we're headed. I meant, since you said this project needs my help, what exactly do you need me to do?"

"A lot," Aegor admitted. "With your involvement, we've skipped the hardest part of the plan and moved straight to the first major stage. If I were doing this alone, I'd have to raise interest rates to attract attention, then go around begging for every single gold dragon, scraping together initial loans from commoners through sheer persistence and all kinds of tricks. But with you on board, I can target middle- and upper-class lenders from the start. This lets me offer reasonable returns and set a minimum subscription threshold. Fewer creditors, better quality, and a far more stable capital chain. The workload for fundraising operations is reduced exponentially."

He paused, considering his words carefully. "The first thing I need from you is to convince a few of your friends to buy these bonds. Just a few. Once we've got that foundation, the rest will fall into place."

"Damn it, you want me to scam my own people?" Tyrion said, half-joking.

"Scam?" Aegor feigned indignation. "How can you say that? In this setup, the first group of creditors is the least likely to be cheated. All they need is a little persuasion from you to join. Once they're on board, their participation becomes a source of confidence for the next wave of lenders. As long as we control the total funds, the cycle can continue. Someone has to take the first step. If you're unwilling to convince your acquaintances, we'll be forced to take the bonds to the streets, knocking on doors like peddlers."

"Fine, I'll do it." Tyrion agreed, having already decided to invest his own money. This wasn't a matter of principle to him. Worst case, he could simply cover any shortfall himself. "How do I convince them?"

"It's simple. Introduce me to your friends and vouch for me. With the Commander-in-Chief's seal and the Hand of the King's endorsement, it shouldn't be too difficult," Aegor said confidently.

"Alright. You mentioned a subscription threshold—how much are we talking?"

"One hundred gold dragons."

Tyrion's eyes widened. "That much? Aegor, King's Landing might be the wealthiest city in the Seven Kingdoms, but asking someone I know to hand over a hundred gold dragons is no small matter. Especially when the money isn't being lent to me, but to the Night's Watch. Many of these people may have never even seen a member of the Watch before. Asking them to throw that much into a cause they don't fully understand is… ambitious."

"It's just a starting figure," Aegor explained. "We're issuing fixed-rate, simple-interest, registered bonds. Remember the supplies I asked Morris and Jack to purchase? Each bond will be made from high-quality parchment, processed with anti-counterfeiting measures, and signed and sealed by all parties involved. Each bond will cost over a silver stag to produce. If we don't set a high minimum, we'd end up issuing hundreds, if not thousands, of bonds. That would be a logistical nightmare not to mention it would increase costs and complicate management, threatening the stability of the capital chain."

He added, "Of course, the hundred gold dragons figure is negotiable. We can adjust it if needed."

"Fixed interest, simple interest, registered bonds… What do these terms mean?"

"Fixed interest means the interest rate remains constant. Simple interest means no additional interest will be calculated on the interest already accrued. Registered bonds mean the name of the holder is recorded on each bond. The first two points are for ease of accounting and management, while the third ensures the authenticity of the bonds and protects the holder's ownership in case of theft or loss. You'll understand these better when the time comes."

"It's complicated," Tyrion remarked, shaking his head slightly.

"The truly complicated parts are still ahead," Aegor replied with a faint smile. "For now, let's focus on simpler issues, like what to write on the sign for my Night's Watch office and what design to use."

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They eventually arrived at the sign workshop. Unlike the seal engraving shop or the planned Night's Watch office, the workshop required a large space for processing and production. To save on rent, it was situated in a more remote part of King's Landing. By the time they found the place, the sun was already setting.

In the semi-open workspace, a dozen carpenters and laborers were busy at work. King's Landing saw the opening of new shops all the time, which meant a steady demand for new signs. Though the Seven Kingdoms were rife with political struggles and undercurrents of tension, the ordinary citizens remained blissfully unaware. On the surface, Westeros was enjoying an unprecedented period of peace and prosperity, with industry and commerce developing at remarkable speed.

Aegor couldn't help but wonder: if the War of the Five Kings hadn't occurred and the Long Winter hadn't arrived, would cities like King's Landing have eventually sprouted the seeds of capitalism?

The workshop owner greeted them warmly, assuring them that making a sign was far less troublesome than crafting a seal or unlocking a safe. "As long as you pay," he said confidently, "we can make it in any size or design you like."

After half an hour of discussion, Aegor and Tyrion finalized the size and content of the sign and paid the deposit. By the time they returned to the inn after another exhausting day, the city was cloaked in darkness.