Chapter 224

The Wall stood a thousand leagues from King’s Landing, and Aegor, knowing the dangers of remote micromanagement, had no intention of repeating the mistakes of countless administrators before him. He decided to place his trust in Nina, his clever apprentice. In his reply, he offered her words of encouragement and laid out clear instructions: transport the processed wildfire north as soon as possible, allocate surplus funds monthly to New Crown's Rest, and regularly dispatch newly trained recruits willing to serve at the Wall. Beyond that, he left the day-to-day operations of the Night’s Watch enterprises in King’s Landing entirely in her capable hands.

Aegor had more pressing matters to attend to. He had once envisioned a grand strategy to manage the wildlings should they surrender and settle in the Gift, but plans could never keep pace with changes—especially now that the mountain clans had moved in first. Still, it made little difference. The same strategy could apply to the clansmen, and, thanks to their natural ties to the North, the plan had an even higher margin for error. Aegor would start from scratch, learning how to manage a domain and its people.

The months ahead promised to be busy. With no one else capable of handling these critical tasks, Aegor had to personally oversee every step. He began by meeting with the Chief Builder to arrange the restoration of the abandoned castles and then consulted the Quartermaster to assess the Night’s Watch’s current reserves. While Aegor had funds, money couldn’t instantly transform into food and supplies. In the early stages of settling the clans in the Gift, they would have to rely on the Night’s Watch’s stockpiles.

Housing was just the beginning. To maintain the Wall’s defensive system, there had to be a reliable and sufficient supply chain. The Gift, unable to grow crops during winter, lacked the production capacity to sustain itself. This meant establishing a well-functioning supply network, and Aegor was determined to control this lifeline himself. Simply put, he didn’t want to build infrastructure only for someone else to reap the rewards.

Thus, New Crown's Rest became a critical hub.

...

Returning to New Crown's Rest after several weeks, Aegor noticed significant progress since his last visit. The ruins along the shores of the small lake had been entirely cleared, and a nearly completed stone wall now stood in their place, built from the salvaged materials. Workers bustled about, adding the finishing touches to the settlement.

Perhaps it was the presence of the wall or the deterrent effect of the soldiers Aegor had stationed there, but while wildlings had been sighted in the area multiple times, they had bypassed the town without attempting to raid it, heading south instead.

“Well done, Yam,” Aegor praised the overseer. “Next, focus on raising the wall higher. Soon, this place will become the trade hub for all supplies flowing into the Wall and the lifeline for the new settlers in the Gift.”

“New settlers? Trade hub?” Yam frowned in confusion. “I don’t quite understand, my lord.”

“I’ve brought the clansmen from the western mountains down to serve as reinforcements against the wildlings,” Aegor explained, holding nothing back from his trusted subordinate. “I promised to feed every clansman who left the mountains, but to prevent them from ‘hoarding their own grain while eating ours,’ I won’t distribute food directly. Instead, I’ll pay them, and they’ll use that money to buy supplies from the logistics hub.”

“And how is that any different?”

“The difference is huge,” Aegor said with a smile. “If they lack food, they can spend all their money on grain. But if their food stores are sufficient, they’ll use the money to buy clothes, tools, or weapons instead. This reduces waste and alleviates the pressure on our supply chain. More importantly, once they realize money can buy so many things, and I’m only giving them enough to cover basic needs, they’ll find ways to earn more.”

“In this barren Gift, where would they earn money—besides robbing us?”

“Two ways,” Aegor said, walking alongside Yam as they inspected the growing settlement. “First, they can sell mountain resources—timber, game, ore—to the logistics hub. We can use these ourselves or sell them south for profit to subsidize the Night’s Watch’s expenses. Second, I’ll offer them jobs. Since they’re reinforcements, I can’t demand free labor, but I can hire them to patrol, repair the Wall, build roads, and more. Where I come from, this is called ‘work-for-relief.’”

Yam’s eyes lit up. “I see! Compared to southerners, the clansmen would be incredibly cheap labor. Brilliant plan, my lord!”

“Additionally, I might foster certain social pressures—like saying young men must own a house, a horse, and a Valyrian steel weapon to marry.” Aegor chuckled. “By creating a culture of ambition, where hard work and competition are valued, the settlers will strive to improve their lives and contribute to our projects.”

...

Yam was stunned. Such modern governance strategies, second nature to rulers in Aegor’s former world, were like divine revelations here. “Will this really work?”

“I’m not sure,” Aegor admitted. “Social change can’t be forced. It has to happen naturally, and then you guide it. Remember, this is just between us. Don’t spread it around—I don’t want our allies thinking I’m exploiting them.” He sighed. “Originally, I had planned for the wildlings to be our labor force. They would’ve been even cheaper, almost free. But… forget it. Any updates?”

“Yes. Ser Rodrik of Winterfell has taken Hornwood Castle, executed the Bolton bastard who harmed Lady Hornwood, and returned the soldiers you lent him. They arrived yesterday and are awaiting your instructions.”

“The Bolton bastard is dead?” Aegor frowned, sensing complications. “Are you sure? Any captives?”

“Just one, a man called Reek. Winterfell also sent other prisoners from their dungeons to help bolster the Wall’s manpower. Would you like me to summon the soldiers?”

Aegor’s eyes narrowed. He vaguely recalled a key detail from the original storyline: Ramsay Snow had swapped clothes with Reek, covered himself in filth, and escaped execution during Rodrik’s capture of the Dreadfort. Could this "Reek" be him?

“Yes, summon the soldiers and bring that Reek fellow as well,” Aegor ordered.

A short while later, the soldiers assembled in the town’s square, dragging along a pudgy young man with greasy hair and a foul stench. His thick lips glistened as he muttered incoherently.

“This is the prisoner you captured after taking the Bolton bastard’s life?” Aegor asked, his cold gaze fixed on the man.

The scene before him aligned with his memories of Ramsay Snow’s infamous escape. Aegor studied the filthy figure, wondering if this was truly the sadistic Ramsay Bolton, the man who would later unleash horrors upon the North.

Time would tell. For now, he had a game to play.