Chapter 67

While discussing the details of establishing a book printing industry chain, Aegor and Tyrion returned to the inn together. As they entered, the innkeeper informed Aegor that a young man had come looking for him earlier in the afternoon, asking for money.

"It should be the son of the mine owner you introduced to me," Aegor mused after thinking for a moment. He hadn't borrowed any money yet, so the only person who might come to him about funds was likely that young man. "It's probably because the Mine is ready to start operations and needs funding. So many things are piling up that I almost forgot about it."

"Have Jack send some money over tomorrow," Tyrion said without hesitation. "Alas... for the first time, I've realized even I don't have enough money."

"The sign will take two days to arrive, but you can pick up the seal tomorrow," Aegor replied. "Let's secure the first loan as soon as possible."

"That's all we can do for now. I suppose I'll have to start scheming against my own people... Now, let me think, where should I begin?"

The two climbed the stairs as they talked. Everyone had been busy all day, so after they ate dinner together, they each retired to their rooms for the night.

---

Tyrion might actually have gone to bed, but Aegor was far from comfortable. To the Imp, this was just another intriguing game, a diversion to occupy his sharp mind. For someone like Tyrion, born into the wealthy and powerful Lannister family, the accumulated fortunes of one generation became the safety net for the next, granting him the freedom to take risks and make mistakes.

Aegor, on the other hand, didn't have that luxury. His parents weren't even part of this world. This elaborate ruse he was caught up in determined his very survival here. He had to put everything he had on the line. Anyone who threatened his interests was an enemy.

He paced the room, racking his brain for a way to prevent Littlefinger from gaining Eddard's trust.

Hour after hour passed as one idea after another was discarded. If it were a simple matter of sowing discord, anyone could do it. But this time, his opponent was one of the most cunning players in the Game of Thrones. Either you killed him outright, or you stayed hidden and avoided alerting him to your plans, because if Petyr Baelish discovered your intent, even a single misstep could cost you your life.

The most direct and brutal option would be to tell Eddard outright that Littlefinger had orchestrated Jon Arryn's murder. But this case was different from the time he framed Joffrey, it wasn't common knowledge. Petyr had manipulated Lysa Tully into poisoning her husband, and the truth was known only to those directly involved. There was no way Aegor could plausibly "overhear" such secretive information. Besides, you couldn't use the same trick repeatedly; if a member of the Night's Watch kept uncovering top-secret matters, wouldn't Eddard grow suspicious?

Aegor wanted to play the role of an upright and loyal Night's Watch soldier, not some omniscient puppet-master weaving webs of intrigue.

Perhaps he could revisit the anonymous letter plan he had considered during the Winterfell incident, the one he ultimately scrapped. An anonymous letter accusing Littlefinger might work, but how would it reach Eddard without being intercepted in a city as full of spies as King's Landing? Any slip-up could be fatal.

Littlefinger might not have true confidants or allies, but he did have money and plenty of connections. Meanwhile, Aegor had nothing, no resources, no network, no protection. If he were exposed, a cup of poisoned wine, a hidden blade, or a silent arrow would erase him from existence.

Sending a message through Arya wasn't safe either. The girl might be innocent and unlikely to betray her "teacher" on purpose, but in front of her beloved father, an unintentional slip of the tongue could easily reveal his involvement.

The streets outside the window were quiet. Although King's Landing didn't have a curfew, there were no night markets except during major festivals. Aegor sighed, blew out the candle, and lay on the bed. Perhaps, like last time in Winterfell, inspiration would strike the moment he woke up.

Maybe he had been thinking about Littlefinger for too long because, as he drifted off, that familiar motto echoed in his mind.

"Chaos is a ladder."

…

"Chaos is a ladder."

This sentence actually made a lot of sense. In a world where social classes were nearly immovable, the best way for those at the bottom to rise to the top was to create chaos. Chaos disrupted the interests of those in power, and when the mighty fell, someone else was bound to benefit.

The problem, however, was that chaos tended to benefit people randomly, often in ways that defied expectations. Littlefinger's true genius lay in his ability to precisely position himself at the places where the great lords were "injured and bleeding," ensuring he reaped the greatest rewards from the chaos. In this respect, he even outshone Varys, another master strategist known for his long-term planning.

Using the stock market as a metaphor, Aegor thought, Varys and Littlefinger might both invest in a stock with a general upward trend. Varys would hold onto it for the long term, earning steady profits. Littlefinger, on the other hand, would use meticulous micro-manipulation to buy low and sell high, repeatedly, making far greater gains than the stock's overall increase.

This kind of talent left Aegor both marveling at and admiring Petyr Baelish's ingenuity.

But Petyr was far from flawless. In the original plot, he vividly demonstrated the limitations of a pure pragmatist. He had used the intricacies of court politics to toy with almost everyone, but his ambition lacked a solid foundation. Aside from his relentless hunger for power, he showed no broader political ideals. This was fine in the beginning stages of his rise, but even toward the end of the game, he never bothered to fabricate a vision or ideology to attract followers or consolidate the power he had seized.

How could he expect to sit on the Iron Throne?

Littlefinger was undoubtedly formidable. Players with sharp minds and no moral boundaries could often rise quickly from chaos and emerge as winners. But that was his limit. He was the most dangerous destroyer, but never the final victor. The best he could hope for was to help some other force rise to power and profit from their success. Yet, blinded by ambition, he wanted the throne for himself. That impossible goal eventually led to his downfall.

In the end, Littlefinger's power was entirely self-contained. It began and ended with him. Even at his peak, anyone with a blade could end his life, and no one would mourn him, much less rise to avenge him.

If Aegor simply wanted to see Littlefinger's ultimate demise, he could do nothing and wait. Sooner or later, Littlefinger's ambitions would destroy him. Even if Arya hadn't been the one to kill him, someone else eventually would. But Aegor's goal was different: he wanted to defeat Littlefinger in the arena where he was most comfortable, on the battlefield of manipulation. And that was a much harder challenge.

…

"Chaos is a ladder. Chaos is a ladder."

If Littlefinger sought to create chaos, then Aegor had to maintain stability. He repeated his imagined opponent's motto silently, preparing to fall asleep.

But then, a sudden voice emerged from his subconscious: Why? Why must we maintain stability to preserve peace? What if, instead, we leaned into chaos? What if we escalated the chaos in King's Landing to its absolute limit—just enough to keep it under control? What would happen then?

The biggest advantage Aegor had was knowing the truth behind the curtain. To abandon that advantage and try to outwit Littlefinger in his own game of subtle manipulation seemed like the kind of obsessive mistake only a fool would make. If the enemy wanted to muddy the waters, why not stir them further, until the waters boiled so furiously that no one, not even Littlefinger, could see clearly? Then let's see how he profits.

The boldness of the idea shocked Aegor. For a moment, he even wondered if the thought had been planted in his mind by the Green Seer or some other supernatural force. But after carefully considering the strategy, he realized it was feasible.

No matter how fierce the undercurrents of court intrigue became, as long as the chaos didn't escalate into outright war and the markets and livelihoods of the common people remained unaffected, his scheme could continue uninterrupted.

Turn the chaos into an uncontrollable storm. Make the game so complex and the situation so volatile that no player of the Game of Thrones could gain an advantage. When the dust settled, the ones who "stayed out of it" and focused solely on building wealth—like himself and Tyrion—would be the ultimate winners.

There were countless ways to sow chaos, but what was the cheapest?

Rumors.

***

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