Chapter 73
What left Aegor speechless was that, while he was racking his brains to secretly plot against Littlefinger, the man sent someone to deliver 100 gold dragons as a "national defense grant" the very morning after Aegor spread the rumor notes. The stark contrast of events made him feel as though he were being toyed with by a villain.
Of course, he didn't feel the slightest bit of guilt over accepting the money. Regardless of Littlefinger's personal qualities and misdeeds, the money itself came without any moral complication. Even if these 100 gold dragons came directly from Littlefinger's private coffers, he would eventually record it as a debt to the national treasury. The debt wouldn't be repaid by him or even this king, but rather by the next king, or the king after that, or maybe even a new dynasty altogether. Unless the Iron Throne managed to stabilize itself through sheer force, denying the Iron Bank and the Lannisters their debts, which was unlikely, this money would ultimately fall on the backs of Westeros's taxpayers, particularly those of the Crownlands.
The irony was bitter: while the men of the Night's Watch defended the Wall against 100,000 wildlings and other threats from the north, protecting all of humanity in Westeros, the people they protected reluctantly offered only a mere 100 gold dragons under Eddard Stark's "care."
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One hundred gold dragons, if sent directly to the Night's Watch, would barely cover the cost of feeding its members for a month, let alone accounting for weapons and pensions for the dead. But in Aegor's hands, this sum was enough to stabilize the newly established Night's Watch office and ensure it gained a foothold in King's Landing.
Moreover, since this grant wasn't from bond sales but was a special allocation from the Hand, it legally and morally belonged to the Night's Watch. Aegor was effectively on a "business trip" for the Watch, and as its head, he was fully entitled to use the money as he saw fit. Unlike bond profits, he didn't need to give this money to Tyrion for safekeeping, nor could he use it to pay off debts.
With this first bit of freely usable money, Aegor was finally free from the days when he carried only a handful of silver stags and felt burdened by the cost of a decent meal.
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Although Aegor had effectively mastered the Common Tongue and its writing, he concealed this fact for several reasons, chief among them was the fear that his handwriting might be linked to the rumor notes. Even in front of Tyrion, he pretended to understand only spoken language while struggling with reading and especially writing.
Under this guise, Tyrion personally handled almost all the written tasks for the Night's Watch office and the fundraising plan, from drafting recruitment notices to composing appeals for funding. Notices written by Tyrion were posted on the office door while Aegor occupied himself with other tasks, teaching Arya some swordsmanship, spinning "adventure stories," and finally, overseeing the installation of the office sign.
Several workers labored to install the wooden sign above the door. At last, the Night's Watch office had a name and was ready to open. Against the black-painted background, large golden letters reading "Night Watchman's Office" gleamed brilliantly in the sunlight. On a street where bright, colorful signs were common and black was avoided due to superstition, the stark design made it unusually eye-catching.
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Aegor had no way of knowing how effective his rumor campaign had been, nor did he dare to ask or investigate directly. The office's pretentious recruitment and supply-gathering efforts had officially begun, but the success of the first critical step, the sample paper produced by the papermaking siblings, remained uncertain. Not being an expert, Aegor couldn't intervene and had no choice but to wait for results.
Meanwhile, the dragonglass mine on Dragonstone had been put into operation, and Tyrion's recommended father-and-son overseers seemed reliable. But until Aegor could recruit someone capable of managing the office, his days consisted of opening the door on time, waiting for Tyrion to lure bond buyers, and hoping for volunteers or donors who likely wouldn't appear. For now, he could only wait for events to unfold.
After a period of nonstop work, Aegor found himself with little to do. He was glad he had agreed to Arya's request for sword training; otherwise, he wouldn't know how to fill this sudden lull in activity.
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Each day, Aegor opened the office, waited for Arya, spent most of the day with her, then closed the office and returned to the inn to sleep. After two days of this routine, Tyrion brought the first real bond buyer: Ser Lake.
A minor noble from the Crownlands, Ser Lake had little interest in the specifics of the bonds. He had come solely out of respect for the Lannisters. After confirming the interest he would earn, he cheerfully purchased the minimum amount of 100 gold dragons and left with his bonds.
The rate of return Tyrion offered Ser Lake was three times higher than what he and Aegor had originally agreed upon. But for a fundraising plan that seemed to have found a way forward, this wasn't excessive.
After seeing the buyer off, Tyrion remained behind. "The first batch of samples is ready," he said. "Let Jack look after the office… er, the store. Shall we go and take a look now?"
"They're finished?" Aegor asked, instantly excited. "Let's go! Arya, you—"
"I'm not staying behind!" Arya cut him off. "Wherever you and the little devil are going, I'm coming too!"
"Hmm…" Aegor looked to Tyrion, who offered no objection. With a shrug, Aegor relented. "Alright, let's go."
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Arya Stark, born into a ruling family of the North, was a clever and spirited girl. Energetic and unrestrained, she had a natural familiarity with others that set her apart from most noble girls. In just a few days, she had grown close to Aegor under his deliberate guidance, as if they had been friends for years. She was as clingy as sticky candy that couldn't be shaken off.
In truth, Aegor hadn't put much effort into winning Arya over. To her, neither Syrio Forel, the First Sword of Braavos, nor Aegor West, the Night's Watch logistics officer, mattered. What she cared about was having a "sword coach" and a "partner." Arya wasn't picky about friends; anyone willing to practice swords with her and keep her entertained could become one. Aegor's advantage lay in his understanding of her and his store of adventure stories, which quickly cemented their bond.
At the same time, Aegor was careful to establish boundaries and win favor with her father, Eddard Stark. He imposed a rule: Arya could only train with him if she dressed appropriately and behaved with proper manners. The Stark guards reported these changes back to Eddard, who was pleased with his daughter's improved demeanor. As a result, he tacitly allowed her daily excursions to the Night's Watch office.
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Papermaking was not a secret, and the Starks were the least likely to act as anyone's commercial spies. Even if Arya and her guards reported everything they saw and heard to Eddard, it wouldn't harm Aegor's or Tyrion's interests in any way.
Without much hesitation, Aegor brought Arya along with the guards responsible for escorting her to and from training, and they set off with Tyrion.
The house Tyrion had rented, which he had previously described as inexpensive, was located in the northwest corner of King's Landing. After riding for dozens of minutes, they finally arrived at the first papermaking workshop in King's Landing that did not rely on animal skins as raw materials.