Chapter 251

Without a commander to unite them and no consensus among the leadership, the Night’s Watch resembled a headless giant, with its various parts operating under the direction of their respective "subordinate nerve centers." How much authority the high-ranking officers could exert over these parts was entirely up to their individual resourcefulness.

However, not all news was bad. Besides the unwelcome guests from Shadow Tower and Eastwatch, Aegor was surprised to learn that he still had a group of unexpected supporters. After the mountain clansmen were settled along the Wall, Mormont had reopened seven abandoned but still intact fortresses. Once the wildlings crossed the Wall, nine more near-ruined strongholds were also slated for reactivation. The first seven were manned by mountain clans under the supervision of five to ten Night’s Watch brothers each. The other nine were meant to be overseen by black brothers after the new settlers were established. Candidates for these assignments had already been selected, and everything was set to proceed—until Mormont’s sudden demise put the plans on hold.

The soldiers and junior officers assigned or waiting to be assigned to these fortresses had now become staunch advocates of the settlement plan. Their support, however, had little to do with ideological conviction or a sense of duty. The reason was simple: self-interest.

Black brothers who were mere grunts or squad leaders at Castle Black would, upon being stationed at these other fortresses, immediately gain the prestigious title of "fort commander." They’d escape the constant oversight of Castle Black’s high command, enjoy greater freedom, and hold authority over hundreds or even thousands of settlers. With a bit of cunning, they could easily skim some benefits to improve their harsh lives.

When these men learned that Aegor wasn’t running for Lord Commander and that the next commander—whoever it might be—planned to terminate the settlement initiative, their disappointment and resentment were palpable.

Fortunately, the commander of Long Barrow approached Aegor before the election to question why he wasn’t running. A brief conversation revealed to Aegor that he had a hidden faction of allies. He quickly stabilized their morale and disclosed part of his plan, assuring them that the settlement initiative would continue as long as they followed his lead.

Through swift negotiation, Aegor secured the support of over a dozen fortress commanders or election delegates unaffiliated with the Night’s Watch. Their collective votes only numbered in the dozens, but in a force barely exceeding a thousand men, this was a formidable bloc.

After dealing with Mormont’s remains, the election for his successor commenced in Castle Black’s great hall. Most of the men within the fortress gathered there, leaving only sentries at their posts. Aegor, however, abstained from attending—not only to avoid confronting his rivals but also because he was preoccupied with his plans to steer the Night’s Watch southward.

Without a Lord Commander’s orders, the First Steward lacked the authority to command the First Builder. Bowen Marsh had locked down Castle Black’s stores and refused to sell supplies to wildlings seeking trade. Fortunately, due to limited storage space in Castle Black’s cellars, some of the goods surrendered by the wildlings had been sent to Queenscrown. Alongside the supplies Aegor had hurriedly procured from the North before the Ironborn invasion, Queenscrown’s stores were currently well-stocked.

Aegor issued a decree: the new settlers beyond the Wall would purchase supplies at Queenscrown, while the mountain clansmen would go to Castle Black. At least Bowen Marsh would have no excuse to starve his long-time acquaintances.

Castle Black and Queenscrown had roughly equal stores, but while the former only needed to sustain a few thousand, the latter had to support tens of thousands. If the immediate supply crisis wasn’t resolved, Aegor’s vision for a self-sufficient settlement society would collapse under the strain of feeding so many mouths.

Hundreds of clansmen and wildlings had already gathered outside Queenscrown at Aegor’s summons. They camped beyond the walls of the logistics outpost, awaiting orders to depart for various assignments. There was no time for delay. Aegor resolved that as long as the election at Castle Black remained deadlocked, he might as well leave for a while.

By evening, the election results were in. Sam brought the tally: 408 votes for Ser Denys Mallister, 257 for Cotter Pyke, 190 for Othell Yarwyck, 87 for Warner Buckwell, 51 for Jaime Lannister, 16 for Dolorous Edd, and 8 for Three-Finger Hobb.

Aegor didn’t know why Hobb got eight votes, but Edd speculated it was from brothers hoping to exile the terrible cook to another post. As for the votes for Buckwell, Lannister, and Edd, they were intentional decoys planted by Aegor, totaling 162—a rough estimate of the votes under his control.

If Aegor had prepared properly and entered the race himself, he could have undoubtedly secured far more than 162 votes. However, as long as Eastwatch and Shadow Tower’s commanders controlled over 400 votes between them, victory was impossible.

Rather than waste time in a futile election against entrenched opponents, Aegor decided it was more productive to step back, regroup, and prepare for a decisive return when the moment was right.

“All is going as planned,” Aegor said, exhaling deeply. “Tomorrow, have Jaime and Edd withdraw from the race and redirect their votes to Cotter Pyke. Keep Warner Buckwell in the running, though. I won’t enter the race for now, but the settlement supporters need a banner to rally around.”

Sam hesitated, looking concerned. “But... Jon isn’t here, and if you leave too, won’t we—”

“Won’t we lack someone to hold things together?” Aegor finished with a smile. “A figurehead is indispensable when needed, but for now, you’ll manage just fine. Trust yourself, Sam. With your intellect, you can keep things running—just hold on until I return."