Chapter 328

Westeros had no construction conglomerates or engineering companies—no organizations or professions dedicated to infrastructure development.

The Northern lords, entrenched in their ancestral castles for generations, were masters of frugality. They made do with repairs, stretching their resources year after year. Naturally, none of them volunteered to undertake the hassle of building a new outpost—a task they had no experience with, which would likely incur significant losses.

The Night’s Watch Logistics Corps, on the other hand, was a different story. Under Aegor’s leadership, they had established the King’s Landing Industrial Park, built Crown's Rest from the ground up, and refurbished multiple ancient fortresses along the Wall. While not exactly battle-hardened veterans, they had experienced and learned from enough missteps to stand out north of the Neck.

This expertise was the real reason Aegor’s proposal to take on the project faced no resistance and was readily accepted.

While the lords were happy to have someone else shoulder the burden, the mood shifted sharply when Aegor requested funding. The lively debate in the hall fell silent. The lords exchanged glances, but none volunteered to speak.

Even Robb Stark furrowed his brows. After a moment of thought, he shook his head.

“Aegor, the Night’s Watch has our gratitude, but building a navy is a military endeavor against the Iron Islands. It’s neither reasonable nor fair to burden the Watch with this. Here’s what we’ll do: list the full costs of the harbor and outpost, and I’ll see to it that the expenses are divided among the Northern houses. Labor, garrisons, and even the rent for using the Gift’s coast will be compensated fairly. The Watch won’t lose a single coin.

“As for additional funding,” Robb continued, “you’ve seen the state we’re in. Despite our victories in the Westerlands, we remain at war, and expenses are overwhelming. I can’t decide for the other lords. After this meeting, each house will discuss privately and contribute what they can within their means.”
----


Aegor had hoped to secure support while most of the Northern lords were gathered, sparing him the trouble of chasing each one down individually. However, Robb’s response was reasonable—he was the Warden of the North, not its king. He couldn’t simply order his vassals to empty their coffers for the Night’s Watch. In hindsight, Aegor’s public request might have been poorly timed.

Still, Aegor wasn’t discouraged. He had personally spearheaded the early, difficult fundraising efforts for the Watch’s industrial ventures. With his current reputation and authority, he was confident this would be no different.

But when the time came to visit the Northern lords privately, trouble arose.

The issue wasn’t stinginess. It was the baggage of the 997 commanders who preceded him.

For centuries, the Night’s Watch had relied on the North’s support. In the days when the Gift flourished, the burden on the North was lighter. As the Gift declined, the reliance grew. By the time Aegor arrived, the Gift’s productivity was almost nonexistent, leaving the North to “carry” the Watch entirely.

To the Northern lords, “borrowing” money was just a polite term for asking. The Watch never repaid, so the North never lent generously.

In King’s Landing, Aegor could secure funding by presenting his ventures as “startups,” bolstered by Tyrion’s guarantees and tangible results. But as Lord Commander, appealing to the Northern lords came with deeply ingrained skepticism. They’d rather “donate” a hundred gold dragons than “lend” a thousand, knowing they’d never see it returned.

Even more problematic was the question of why Aegor needed so much money.

The lords were well aware of the costs of maintaining the Wall. Even if Aegor planned to arm every able-bodied man in the Gift, increasing the Watch’s numbers tenfold, the expenses would still be predictable. Yet he was asking for far more.

Was he pocketing the money? Plotting rebellion?

Aegor couldn’t reveal the truth: that he was developing an industrialized military, experimenting with gunpowder and firearms to revolutionize warfare. He couldn’t admit he envisioned using these weapons not just against the White Walkers but potentially against the castles of Westeros. Without disclosing his plans, Aegor found himself unable to justify the scope of his request.
----


The lords weren’t completely uncooperative. Houses farther south, less directly involved with the Watch, offered token contributions of a few dozen or hundred gold dragons. Houses closer to the Wall, which benefited directly from its protection, gave more. Families that had lost heirs in the war against the Ironborn, as well as House Stark, were the most generous.

By the end, Aegor had managed to collect over ten thousand gold dragons—a modest sum compared to his expectations, but better than nothing. With additional reimbursements promised once the coastal outpost was completed, the trip wasn’t entirely fruitless.

Among all the lords, one stood out: Roose Bolton.
----


After nightfall, Roose Bolton invited Aegor to the walls of Deepwood Motte for a private discussion.

The blizzard that had struck during their Wall inspection had long since passed.

Above, the moon drifted in and out of sight as the cold wind chased the clouds across the sky.

Below, the vast expanse of the Wolfswood stretched endlessly into the horizon.

Accompanying the shifting moonlight was a sound—

A steady, rolling rustling from the leaves, soft yet vast, like the whispered sighs of trees.

When the wind grew strong, the sound rose with it.

When the wind faded, the forest fell silent.

Just from listening, Aegor could already understand why Deepwood Motte was so prone to ambushes.

......

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the two men walked side by side along the wooden ramparts

Roose Bolton was ruthless, calculating, and harbored ambitions against House Stark. His infamous bastard, Ramsay, was a living testament to his cruelty. Fortunately, in this timeline, Ramsay had been executed by Aegor before he could wreak havoc.

Still, Roose’s personal history didn’t negate the fact that he had repeatedly supported Aegor. For this, Aegor was genuinely thankful.

"You are too polite, Lord Commander."

Even when Roose smiled, there was an unsettling chill about him.

If he had been born in another world, Aegor thought, he would have been a perfect villain actor—the kind to win endless awards.

“When I first met the Night’s Watch Chief Logistics Officer outside the Eyrie in Robert’s camp, I knew you were no ordinary man. And here you are, Lord Commander, protecting us all.”

“You flatter me, Lord Bolton. I’m only here because of the trust of my brothers and the support of the North. I’ll do my best to honor that trust and keep the North safe.”

“Spare me the humility,” Roose replied coldly. “You’re no man to play second fiddle. If Cotter Pyke or Denys Mallister had become Lord Commander, would you have quietly stayed in the background, stifling all your ambitions?”
----


The question was pointed.

But Aegor had no intention of answering it.

He simply smiled.

......

"Of course, it’s a meaningless question now."

"You won. You control the Wall and the Gift."

Bolton seemed pleased by Aegor’s caution.

"I invited you here to discuss something more practical."

"You came to borrow money, but many of the Northern lords have privately voiced their discontent."

"They believe you are taking advantage of the situation—that you are using the need to build a naval force as an excuse to extort them for funds."

......

Aegor raised an eyebrow.

The Northern lords had clearly discussed this in private before Aegor even arrived.

That much was certain—otherwise, their donations wouldn’t have been so perfectly coordinated.

They were unhappy about the Night’s Watch asking for money—that was expected.

But was their frustration as serious as Bolton implied?

Aegor didn’t buy it.

......

You couldn’t have everything at once.

It was like playing a strategy game—you couldn’t maximize gold, reputation, and faction approval all at the same time.

Right now, Aegor needed money.

And if that meant sacrificing some goodwill, so be it.

As long as he didn’t push things so far that they turned against him, the rest didn’t matter.

Expecting to take their money and have them smile while handing it over was unrealistic.

But Roose Bolton bringing it up like this—what was his angle?

Was he trying to drive a wedge between Aegor and the Northern lords?

If so, it was a remarkably crude attempt.

Aegor wasn’t sure how to respond at first.

So, instead, he just gave a dry, logical defense.

"Building up the Gift isn't just about keeping the Night’s Watch and settlers fed," he said.

"We need to make it truly self-sufficient—so that even if the White Walkers breach the Wall, we can continue to fight."

"Achieving that will take time."

"I can’t give a full accounting of expenses, but I can promise you this—none of this money is going into my personal pocket."

......

"I believe you."

Bolton shrugged, exhaling a mist of cold breath into the night air.

"In fact," he continued, "I am certain that if given enough time and resources, you could turn the Gift into the most powerful force in the North."

"You could forge the Night’s Watch into the strongest standing army in Westeros."

He turned his head slightly, eyeing Aegor closely.

"But have you thought about the long-term future?"

"Today, these lords give you gold willingly."

"They want you to build a navy, to fight the Ironborn, to defend the Gift."

"They’ve seen the wights—they know the Night’s Watch isn’t lying about the threat."

"But what about tomorrow?"

"When the Ironborn are crushed, when this Long Night ends—then what?"

"How will you continue to feed forty thousand settlers?"

"How will you sustain the largest standing army in Westeros?"

"Farming?"

His lips curled into something between a smirk and a sneer.

"Even if you could—would you want to?"

......

In the dim moonlight, Bolton’s gaze suddenly sharpened.

"Because I don’t think you’re the kind of man who could sit quietly and accept that kind of life."

"You hide it well."

"But not well enough."

There was fire in your eyes, Lord Commander."

"And no matter how much you try to bury it, I can see it burning."

......