Chapter 180

Ser Alliser Thorne was rendered speechless by Aegor’s move of “leaving the ruling to the Master of Laws.” Frustrated but powerless, he stormed out of the throne room as soon as the trial ended. Aegor, however, remained until Slynt was taken away and Renly left, before leading his Night’s Watch enterprise employees out of the throne room at a leisurely pace. Along the way, various nobles approached him—some offering their “condolences” for his assassination attempt, others praising his speech during the trial.

The death sentence wasn’t entirely finalized yet—it still required the confirmation of the highest authority… or rather, the Hand of the King. The only potential hurdle was Eddard Stark’s reaction to Aegor’s public refusal to allow Slynt to don the black. As the Hand, Eddard’s interpretation of the law superseded that of the Master of Laws. If Eddard believed Aegor had overstepped his authority, there was a theoretical chance Slynt’s fate could change.

But only theoretically. After all, while Aegor appeared to be the one driving Slynt to his doom, the death sentence was officially handed down by Renly Baratheon, the king’s brother and Lord of Storm’s End. Would Eddard Stark risk humiliating the king’s brother by overturning his public judgment for a disgraced former City Watch commander with no ties to House Stark and a string of failures to his name? Unlikely. Even if Eddard were to challenge the notion that a recruiter could reject a recruit, it would almost certainly be after Slynt’s execution—and probably communicated privately to Aegor.

The satisfaction of bringing someone down without even lifting a blade… was unexpectedly sweet.
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“Master, you were amazing just now! Especially when you said, ‘If you return as a ghost, I’ll slay you again!’” Arya, as quick to forgive as she was to anger, had already forgotten her earlier tantrum. She clung to Aegor’s arm, rubbing her cheek against him in excitement. “I think I’m in love with you!”

Aegor smirked. “Stop buttering me up. No amount of flattery will make me let you sneak out again.”

“Ugh, you’re the worst, Master!” Arya huffed, punching him playfully on the chest, a mix of frustration and resignation on her face. “Fine, I’ll listen to you and stay put.”

“Good. That’s my obedient little apprentice.”
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The group laughed and chatted as they exited the Red Keep. Arya, restricted from leaving the castle, was stopped by the guards, leaving Aegor and the others to continue on their way. It wasn’t until they were well outside that Jeros, the captain of the security team, finally spoke up. “My lord, I have a request, if I may.”

Aegor, in high spirits, nodded. “Go ahead.”

“On the day of Slynt’s execution, I’d like to request a day off for the security division. No training. I want to take the men into the city to watch the execution. Lately, the City Watch has been giving us trouble, and under Lord Tyrion’s orders, we refrained from retaliating or escalating. A hundred-odd men have been enduring harassment like cowards. That incident at the Gate of the Gods especially… a lot of the men are itching for some kind of release.”

“Granted. But make sure they wear civilian clothes—no black cloaks—and under no circumstances are they to cause a scene at the execution site.” Aegor considered for a moment before agreeing. He aimed to train a disciplined force, but forcing the men to swallow their pride had undeniably dampened morale. Now that their patience had borne fruit, it was time to let them savor the victory. “One more thing: make sure everyone understands that Janos Slynt is being executed for violating the laws of the Seven Kingdoms, not because he ‘offended the Night’s Watch enterprise.’ Lord Eddard Stark is not our backer or anyone else’s. Regardless of what rumors may circulate, we must maintain this official stance. No boasting about this incident—it will only bring trouble. The Hand has already spoken to me about it. Keep your men in line, and anyone who disobeys will face severe punishment.”

“Yes, my lord!” Far from seeing this as weakness, Jeros was increasingly convinced of Aegor’s brilliance and caution. His respect for Aegor deepened.
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Half a month ago, when Jeros first met Aegor, he dismissed him as a figurehead—a Night’s Watchman Tyrion had picked as a front. But after witnessing Aegor’s skill, courage, eloquence, cunning, and meticulous planning, Jeros realized how far above him Aegor truly was. With such a capable leader, all he had to do was follow orders.

If Aegor knew how highly his subordinates regarded him, he would likely chuckle bitterly. His survival on that chaotic night had been due largely to Jaqen H’ghar and Ser Bywater. Slynt’s downfall was a result of the Night’s Watch enterprise’s strength, Tyrion’s schemes, and Slynt’s own hubris. Aegor’s contributions were merely keeping his head down during the chaos and staying alive.

Had he died, or had Tyrion been captured, the Night’s Watch enterprise would have crumbled, torn apart by investors. The investigation and trial of Slynt would never have proceeded so smoothly.

Victory had come through the power of capital wielded by Tyrion. Yet, with Tyrion absent and Aegor’s prominent role in the trial, all the credit had been laid at Aegor’s feet. Though undeserved, Aegor understood that in King’s Landing, he had to accept this honor and prove himself worthy of the trust and recognition bestowed upon him.
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By the time the trial ended and the group exited the Red Keep, it was already late. They split up—some heading back to the city outskirts, others returning to their residences. Aegor, skipping the office, led his team to dinner before returning "home."

After a long, hot bath and a change into clean clothes, Aegor settled at his desk to review the reports awaiting him. The Night’s Watch enterprise had moved beyond its fledgling stage, becoming a stable operation. Aegor had delegated most of the management to Nina, who functioned like a “vice president.” She handled major planning and finances while delegating simpler tasks to trusted subordinates.

Though less hands-on, Aegor still enjoyed staying informed. The enterprise’s projects were progressing smoothly: teams assisting with papermaking and printing factories in the Reach and Dorne were en route; new ventures such as lip balms and medicinal soaps were underway; and preparations for selling obsidian charms as protective talismans were complete, pending the arrival of Dragonstone’s first shipment.

Everything was falling into place. If only Littlefinger could be eliminated before the realm descended into chaos...

Sighing at the thought, Aegor was interrupted by a knock at the door. “My lord, are you still awake?”

“Come in,” he replied, composing himself as Nina entered, now dressed in relaxed, loose-fitting attire.

“My lord, there are matters I couldn’t report during the day, but I think you should know about them as soon as possible to prepare.” She hesitated briefly before adding, “Also… I noticed your wound hasn’t been treated during your imprisonment. May I apply some medicine now?”

“Alright.” Aegor had nearly forgotten about it, as the wound had healed well, but there was no harm in taking care of it. Loosening his shirt, he exposed the injury on his shoulder. “Go ahead, and talk while you’re at it.”

Nina quickly fetched the medicine and carefully applied it to the stitched wound. “While you were detained, Ser Alliser visited the office several times, asking questions about the enterprise. I followed your instructions and deferred all answers to you. He noticed I was dodging his inquiries and eventually presented a document signed by the Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch… claiming he had been sent to take over and requesting my cooperation.”

Aegor’s heart sank. What was this about? A document signed by the Lord Commander, withheld until he was imprisoned, and presented directly to the enterprise’s management?

Suppressing his anger, he kept his tone even. “What did the document say?”

“At first, I was startled, but I stayed cautious and read it carefully. It said Ser Alliser was reassigned to the logistics division to assist you in your work. Nowhere did it mention taking over or requiring my cooperation...”

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