LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 43: Chapter 43
Since Tyrion had insisted, the two Night's Watchmen stopped arguing and followed the Lannister party along the main roads of King's Landing. They passed through Shoemaker Square and the Central Square before veering left and continuing up the gentle incline of Nun Street. Slowly, they climbed toward the top of Rhaenys' Hill, the smallest of the three hills encircled by the city walls.
As they ascended, the scenery changed noticeably. The streets became wider and cleaner. The people they passed were better dressed, moving with an air of leisure and refinement. Shops selling luxury goods—trinkets, jewelry, and finely tailored clothing—began to appear on either side of the road.
Aegor quickly realized this was one of the wealthier districts of King's Landing. If he were to stay here for any length of time, it would undoubtedly be an expense far beyond his means. At last, the group stopped outside an inn called the Albatross.
After dismounting, Aegor looked around and noticed that their position on the hill offered a clear advantage. They were higher than most parts of the city, far above the crowded and filthy streets below. The elevation greatly reduced the stench of the city while still allowing for convenient travel and activity. It was a prime location.
"Four rooms, please," Tyrion called out as he entered the inn. "One for myself and my two friends in black, and one for my servants. Make sure they're connected."
The innkeeper clearly recognized Tyrion and greeted him with enthusiasm. Servants quickly appeared to take their horses and luggage while the innkeeper personally led the group to the second floor.
The interior of the inn was well-decorated, far better than even the main hall of Winterfell. It was evident that this was an establishment catering to wealthier clientele.
Before parting ways to enter their rooms, Tyrion turned to the two Night's Watchmen with some parting advice. "You're representatives of the Night's Watch here, so you'll need to dress the part. There are shops on Sister Street nearby that sell both ready-made and custom clothing. I suggest you take the time to buy something appropriate."
He paused, then added with a grin, "Oh, and if you head out, turn right. When you can see the hole in the top of the dragon's lair clearly, take a left. That'll take you to Silk Street. Half the brothels in King's Landing are there. Mention my name, and even if you're short on coin, you'll find yourselves well taken care of. If you're too shy to go on your own, let me know, I'd be happy to take you another day. But for now, I need to rest my poor, tortured backside. Sleeping on my stomach might be my only option tonight. See you later."
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To be honest, Aegor was tempted. He was a normal, healthy man with his own needs, and it had been over a year and a half since he'd come to this world. During that time, he hadn't so much as touched a woman. The idea of visiting a brothel in King's Landing, where the women were far more refined than the part-time village girls near Castle Black, was an appealing thought.
But the moment passed quickly. He owed Tyrion far too many favors already, and he carried the weight of significant responsibilities. The idea of using someone else's money for something so indulgent made him uncomfortable.
Instead, Aegor entered his modest room, set his belongings aside, and left briefly to request pen and paper from the innkeeper. Returning to the small table by the window, he sat down to reflect.
King's Landing was undoubtedly a dangerous place, but as long as he avoided becoming entangled in the political machinations of the capital, he believed he could keep himself safe for the time being. Still, his long-term survival depended on careful planning—if he wanted to avoid being recalled to the Wall, he needed a strategy.
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Staring out at the bustling streets below, Aegor allowed himself a few moments to adjust his thoughts before beginning to write. He listed his tasks on the paper in front of him:
Collecting Supplies
Recruiting Personnel
Mining Dragonglass
Improving the Image of the Night's Watch
When he had first received these tasks, Aegor had been overwhelmed, unsure of where to even begin. But during the long journey south, with plenty of time to think and discuss matters with Tyrion, he had begun to form a clearer picture. Now, he felt confident enough to put his plans into writing before the chaos of the coming days blurred his focus.
The first thing he and Tyrion had agreed on was that "improving the image of the Night's Watch" was practically meaningless. In a world where communication was so limited, the opinions of the South about the Watch mattered little. Could the Watch even afford to send people to conduct surveys or gauge public perception? Hardly.
The reality was that this task was more about appearances. Whether or not Aegor actually succeeded in "improving the image" of the Watch, it would be difficult for anyone to measure his progress. In truth, its only real purpose was to serve as a safety net—an excuse he could use if he succeeded in completing the other tasks but still faced the risk of being recalled to the Wall.
With that in mind, Aegor crossed out the fourth task with his pen.
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That left three tasks, all of which had to be approached seriously.
But what defined "completion" for these tasks? Aegor saw room for flexibility. For instance, when Yoren next came south from the Wall, Aegor couldn't afford to tell him he hadn't recruited anyone. Similarly, he couldn't let months pass without sending supplies north or allow the Night's Watch's ships to arrive at Dragonstone only to find that the mining of dragonglass hadn't even begun.
Any of those failures would result in his immediate recall, with no room for negotiation.
However, as long as he could show some progress—provide a few recruits, deliver a modest amount of supplies, or even a small cache of dragonglass—there would be room for maneuvering. The specifics of how much was "enough" remained deliberately vague, giving him opportunities to manage expectations while buying himself more time.
It couldn't be too little—not for long, at least. If he couldn't deliver anything substantial, who would let him live freely outside the Wall? The Night's Watch might tolerate an underperformer for a while, but sooner or later, he'd be recalled and sent right back to the cold and danger of the Wall.
But giving too much was equally dangerous. People's appetites grew with what they were offered, and the same went for organizations. If Aegor recruited too many men, the Night's Watch would expand and with that expansion would come an even greater need for supplies. Winter was approaching, and the lords of the North would inevitably be forced to cut back their contributions to the Wall. Supplies would dwindle, and the gap between what the Watch needed and what they could get would only widen.
If Aegor created the impression that he could fulfill the Watch's every need—providing endless supplies, recruits, and resources, he'd be setting himself up for disaster.
The truth was that the productivity of this world was limited. Outside of air, water, and land, there were no abundant resources to draw upon. Even if Aegor somehow convinced the wealthiest nobles in King's Landing to pour all their wealth into supporting the Night's Watch, it still wouldn't be enough to fill the void.
The ideal strategy, then, was to keep his contributions at a level that left the Watch's leadership "not very satisfied, but not dissatisfied enough to turn against him or recall him." By keeping expectations low, he'd ensure that when the Wall inevitably demanded more men and supplies, they'd be starting from a lower baseline. This would give him more room to maneuver in the future.
Finding that balance—where the safety line was—was something Aegor would have to figure out for himself.
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With that in mind, he finalized his approach and outlined his itinerary. First, he would handle the matter of Tyrion's "funding"—or more accurately, his "ransom"—and ensure it was sent to the Wall as a gesture of good faith. Afterward, he'd travel to Dragonstone to conduct the initial survey and groundwork for obsidian mining. Only after those two matters were settled would he return to King's Landing to focus on recruitment and gathering supplies.
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Once his itinerary was set, Aegor hesitated for a moment. Then, at the bottom of the page, he added two lines in English, a language no one in this world could understand:
Take off the black clothes.
Find a way home.
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Trying to complete the tasks assigned by Mormont was only a means to an end a way to buy time. And the purpose of buying time was clear: finding a way to escape the Night's Watch. He had once hoped that Tyrion might be able to help him achieve that goal, but it had quickly become apparent that even leaving the Wall legally required overcoming enormous obstacles. Removing the mark of his identity as a sworn brother of the Watch, though? That was an entirely different challenge, and one no one else could solve for him.
Not only that, but Aegor never let himself forget that he didn't belong in this world. If it was possible, he wanted to find out why he had ended up here and more importantly, if there was a way to return to his original world.
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