Chapter 232

Time was pressing. Now that Aegor was fully aware of the looming logistical crisis threatening the Wall, he dared not waste a single moment. Early the next morning, he departed Crown’s Rest with the reinforcements and recruits from the South, heading back north to Castle Black.

Arya was left behind in Crown’s Rest. Aegor had initially planned to send her back home, but the King’s Road was far from safe. Dispatching ten or so guards might not suffice, while sending more would leave his stronghold defenseless. After some deliberation, he decided to return to Castle Black first and use a raven to notify her family. Let Arya’s guardians in Winterfell decide how to deal with her.

The Starks couldn’t even manage their own children—why should he have to clean up their mess?
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Crown’s Rest was only a few dozen miles from Castle Black. Leaving Melisandre’s caravan and the new recruits behind, Aegor arrived quickly at the headquarters of the Night’s Watch. After reporting to Mormont about the reinforcements from Stannis and the North’s difficulties in maintaining logistical support for the Wall, Aegor presented his solution.

“Apply for a loan from Braavos and import grain from across the Narrow Sea?” Mormont asked uneasily. “The Iron Bank is a pack of wolves that devour everything. When Robert Baratheon was alive, he controlled the tax revenues of the Seven Kingdoms, and even then, he could only barely keep up with the interest payments. What could the Night’s Watch possibly use to repay them?”

“Commander, I’m impressed you know about the Iron Bank.”

“Brothers at Eastwatch heard stories from sailors on the ships that docked there. They might be exaggerated, but they’re not baseless. You still haven’t answered my question—how would we repay them?”

“We’ll use the Night’s Watch’s enterprises as collateral,” Aegor replied without hesitation, shrugging. “Rather than worry about repayment, we should focus on convincing the Iron Bank to grant the loan in the first place. I propose another mission beyond the Wall—to capture a wight and deliver it to Braavos. Let them see firsthand that if the Wall falls, the North, and even the Seven Kingdoms, won’t stand a chance. If Westeros descends into chaos, the Iron Bank will never recover its existing loans.”

“There’s no need for another mission beyond the Wall,” Mormont said, shaking his head. “I haven’t had the chance to tell you yet—Eastwatch received word that three ships from Braavos docked at the port two days ago. Their passengers claim to be an investigative team from the Iron Bank.”

The Iron Bank had already sent representatives?

Melisandre hadn’t lied to him!

But this was happening far faster than Aegor had anticipated.

For the second time, he was struck by the Red Woman’s almost supernatural precision. After a moment of stunned disbelief, he felt a wave of relief. Finally, someone else was stepping in to share the burden. The past days of ceaseless work had made him feel like the savior of the world, as if only the Night’s Watch—and he, as a transmigrator—were trying to save Westeros.

But saving the world from extinction couldn’t possibly be his responsibility alone.

Stannis, now wearing a crown, had made a decision diametrically opposed to his actions in the original timeline: “Only by resolving mankind’s wars can we free our hands to save mankind.” Aegor couldn’t say this was the wrong choice, but it had certainly left the Night’s Watch in dire straits. Fortunately, there were other forces in the world capable of firefighting.

The Iron Bank, having loaned millions of gold dragons to Westeros, had a vested interest in its stability. They couldn’t remain indifferent—though their response had been slow, at least it wasn’t too late.

Aegor didn’t miss another key detail. “They want to speak only to me?”

“Yes, only you,” Mormont confirmed, shrugging. “They’re currently traveling west along the Wall, escorted by a small group of rangers. They’ll likely inspect the newly restored forts of Greyguard and Nightfort along the way. They should reach Castle Black in a few days. You can talk to them then.”
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This was unusual.

It was true that Aegor had insisted on keeping the Night’s Watch out of his enterprises. The logistics department operated entirely under his control, effectively independent of the Watch’s chain of command. Mormont had tacitly agreed to this arrangement, prioritizing the greater good over formalities. In return, Aegor ensured that he always acted the part of a dutiful officer in public, giving Mormont the respect he deserved as Commander.

Their relationship was one of practical cooperation, even if there was an unspoken distance between them.

But for the Iron Bank to have such precise intelligence about the internal dynamics of the Night’s Watch—and to openly bypass Mormont in favor of Aegor—was disconcerting. It showcased an extraordinary level of information-gathering.

Fortunately, Mormont didn’t seem offended. Ever the noble who had voluntarily joined the Watch, he clearly prioritized the organization’s interests over his own.
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“Very well, I’ll meet with them and try to secure a loan for the Wall,” Aegor said. “We’ll use the funds to purchase grain from Essos. Eastwatch is actually closer to the Free Cities than it is to the Reach, assuming the weather cooperates.”

“But even if the negotiations go smoothly,” he continued, “it’ll take at least two to three months for the grain to arrive at the Wall.”

“Our reserves won’t last that long?”

“They might, if we ration carefully,” Aegor admitted. “But we’re talking about thousands of mouths to feed. The slightest mishap could spell disaster. We need to find a way to bridge the gap.”

“What do you propose?”

“Negotiate with the Free Folk,” Aegor said. “Let them through the Wall in exchange for their grain stores. At the same time, we’ll free up manpower to march south, drive the ironborn out of the North, and restore the region’s supply lines to the Wall. If the first half of the plan succeeds, we’ll buy ourselves a month or two. And if we restore northern support, the rest will follow naturally.”

Mormont frowned. “The Night’s Watch is sworn not to interfere in the conflicts of the Seven Kingdoms.”

“I see no internal conflict,” Aegor replied coolly. “Only raiders from the Sunset Sea disrupting the North and cutting off the Watch’s supply lines. Besides, I promise that not a single sworn brother will take part in any fighting.”

Technically, the ironborn weren’t part of the Seven Kingdoms. And technically, the Watch wouldn’t be breaking its vows if it didn’t directly participate.

It was a blatant twisting of words, but desperate times called for desperate measures.
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“Fine,” Mormont said, after a long pause. “You’re clever, Aegor. I trust you, which is why I’ve supported your plans so far. But the stakes are only getting higher. What if the Iron Bank refuses to grant the loan, or we fail to secure enough grain from Essos? What happens then? Will we slaughter the Free Folk for their food? Even against enemies, I can’t condone such an act.”

“There’s no need to decide now,” Aegor replied calmly. “Let me speak with the representatives from Braavos first. If the loan falls through, we’ll feign negotiations with the Free Folk, lure them into a false sense of security, and launch a preemptive strike to take their grain stores. If the loan is approved, we’ll reconvene and discuss a genuine truce with them.”

“That... could work.”

“One more thing,” Aegor added. “Stannis’s Red Priestess—the one people call his true queen—will arrive at Castle Black before nightfall. Let Lord Bowen Marsh know not to offend her. Also, we’ve been keeping some Free Folk prisoners in the dungeons for weeks now. It’s time to put them to use. Release two of them and send them to deliver a message to Mance Rayder: we’re willing to talk.”

Whether the negotiations were real or not, they needed to establish contact first.

Mormont nodded. “Very well. Let’s proceed.”
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