Chapter 369

The so-called "gift" was a book that Aegor had written specifically for Daenerys during his journey from Eastwatch to Dragonstone, spending days and nights in his small ship cabin, thinking and writing.

Alright, that was an exaggeration.

"Thinking intensely" wasn't really accurate—every word was newly written, but the ideas had been brewing in his mind for a long time. The moment he put pen to paper, thoughts flowed effortlessly, and the content practically wrote itself.

As for length, calling it a book was a bit much—it was more of a long essay, mainly divided into two parts.

The first part was short. It was written to target Daenerys Targaryen’s emotional core, leveraging his knowledge of the story and characters. As one of the main figures with the third-most lines in the entire narrative, Aegor had, of course, read countless analyses and psychological interpretations of her.

Summed up, this part captured the ideal she had buried deep in her heart for so long—a vision that, to some degree, carried a sense of self-importance:

Breaking the wheel of history, ending exploitation, eradicating oppression, and creating a new world.

Of course, the actual content was carefully worded and framed in a way that softened the message—it wasn’t so blunt or juvenile, but the core meaning remained the same. The goal was for Daenerys to read this section and feel a sense of deep connection, as if she had finally found someone who truly understood her—a kindred spirit, someone she had met too late.

That way, she would be intrigued and eager to read the rest.

The second part was much longer.

Its inspiration came from a famous political book Aegor had read before his reincarnation: The Prince.

The impact of this work on Western thought and human history was immense—it was the first book to break free from theological and ethical constraints, paving the way for political science and law to become independent disciplines.

The title could just as well have been:

"How to Rule Efficiently, Ruthlessly, and Successfully"

It discussed the principles of rulership, what qualities a monarch should possess, how to seize power and hold onto it—a foundational pillar of modern political thought.

But Aegor wasn’t simply copying it word for word. He removed all the redundant or irrelevant content that didn’t fit Westeros, keeping only the most eye-catching, compelling ideas. He condensed what was already a great book into its most essential essence.

Not only that, but he replaced real-world historical examples with events from Westeros, especially those that fit the political landscape of the Seven Kingdoms. On top of that, he integrated insights from other excellent political treatises, combining them with his own first-hand experience in governance and reform in the Gift.

The result was a customized version of The Prince, one that was perfectly tailored to the realities of Westeros—a guide that would be invaluable for Daenerys in ruling the Seven Kingdoms.

Of course, there was no way he could write all of that in less than a week.

So, at the end of the booklet, Aegor deliberately stopped at a crucial point. The entire argument was structurally complete, and at a glance, nothing seemed missing—

But he made sure that, just when it became most engaging, it cut off abruptly—leaving Daenerys with lingering thoughts and a sense of deep frustration.

As for the rest of the content?

Naturally, it existed only in Aegor’s mind.


---

To be fair, if Petyr Baelish or Varys had a dedicated writing team and enough resources, they could produce something just as good—perhaps even something more precisely suited for ruling Westeros.

But "could" was not the same as "would."

No matter what happened, those two schemers would never write down their lifetime of knowledge and insights into a book and hand it over to Daenerys.

The reason was simple:

"Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime."

That saying was true—but to men like Varys and Petyr, it was utter nonsense.

They did not want to teach Daenerys how to fish—how to analyze situations and make independent judgments.

They would rather catch the fish themselves, roast it, and hand it to her—

So that whenever she needed something, she had to rely on them.

That was the role of advisors and counselors. If they taught their queen everything they knew, they would lose their own value and importance, eventually becoming expendable—disposable the moment they were no longer needed.

But Aegor?

He wasn’t worried about that at all.

He wasn’t a fisherman—he was a captain.

Even if he were to pledge himself to someone in the future, it would only be as a partner who brought his own forces and resources—never as a mere subordinate or advisor.

Since that was the case, he was more than happy to throw a wrench in the usual game, to disrupt the playing field.

By using what Baelish and Varys knew, and perhaps understood even better than he did, Aegor turned it into a gift, making Daenerys feel as if she had surpassed them.


---

Daenerys was intrigued by the booklet in her hands.

However, it wouldn’t be appropriate to sit down and carefully read it in front of everyone.

She smoothed the silk cover, gently placed it by her side, and decided to read it later in private.

At that moment, Varys, who had been standing quietly, suddenly spoke with a sinister smile:

"Sworn to neutrality? Unbiased and impartial? How lovely that sounds. But I would like to ask the Lord Commander—"

"If the Night’s Watch is truly neutral, then why has the very industry you built been supplying the so-called usurper Stannis Baratheon with heavy crossbows for his defenses in King’s Landing—"

"Leaving Her Grace’s dragons with no room to fight?"


---

What?!

Varys’ unexpected accusation caught Aegor completely off guard.

He had no idea about this.

Then again, even if he had known, there was nothing he could have done about it.

Back when the Night’s Watch industry had just begun to develop, Aegor had introduced a system of venture investment—supporting inventors and identifying those with profitable ideas to mass-produce them.

It had seemed like a good idea at the time, inspired by modern business models.

But in an underdeveloped world like this, the industry had evolved beyond his original vision.

The original “venture investment department” had gradually been replaced by a “technology development department”.

Instead of sponsoring random inventors, they recruited skilled minds directly, offering them stable salaries as full-time employees of the Night’s Watch industry.

Over time, this vastly improved their research and manufacturing capabilities—
The industry had grown into the largest manufacturer in the Seven Kingdoms—
The most technologically advanced and innovative enterprise.

Its political and financial entanglements with lords, city officials, and even the monarchy were deep and complex.

The industry was based in King’s Landing.
It operated on royal lands.
It enjoyed tax exemptions granted by House Baratheon.
Its workers and managers were subjects of the Iron Throne.

Aegor had no way to micromanage every deal from afar.

When Stannis had ordered defenses, Daenerys wasn’t even in Dragonstone yet.

What was he supposed to do?

Refuse the king’s orders?

If they had done that, the Night’s Watch industry would have been seized and nationalized immediately—
And Aegor wouldn’t have had a damn thing left to protect.