Arya had no idea that her casual storytelling had made her the Night’s Watch industry’s greatest benefactor. Thanks to the timely information she unintentionally shared, Aegor managed to navigate the biggest financial crisis he’d faced since arriving in the world of A Song of Ice and Fire.
This entire operation had succeeded largely on luck. Admitting that wasn’t a shameful thing—it was said that luck was part of one’s strength, after all. With both luck and careful managem...
The next morning, Aegor and Tyrion rose early, armed with documents signed by Eddard Stark and an official commission from Jeor Mormont, and embarked on their first frenzied spending spree in this new world.
For the first time since its establishment, the Night’s Watch office remained closed for the entire morning. All staff, including Jaqen, accompanied their commanding officer to Steel Street within King’s Landing and the bustling Blackwater River ports outside the city walls—t...
Strictly speaking, this was another mishap caused by Aegor's insufficient foresight. His plan to disrupt Littlefinger’s schemes had succeeded—so far, at least. Petyr Baelish had lost his grip in King’s Landing, and his ultimate gambit in the Vale was now under siege. The grand ambitions of this master conspirator had been unearthed and smashed to pieces by an outsider’s intervention. Yet in his focus on Baelish, Aegor had overlooked one critical detail: the adulterous woman involved i...
2025-01-28 21:17:33 +0000 UTC View PostGunpowder—more specifically, black powder—is a simple concoction: one part sulfur, two parts saltpeter, and three parts charcoal. The formula is easy to memorize and recite, and plenty of people know it. These proportions represent the chemical components required for the reaction, though there’s an optimized mass ratio—2:15:3—that Aegor recalled. Beyond remembering the recipe, he also understood that "sulfur" and "charcoal" referred to elemental sulfur and carbon, while "saltpeter"...
2025-01-28 21:17:17 +0000 UTC View Post“A big deal?” Tyrion rubbed his short arms, still chilled from the underground cold, as he quickly climbed the steps. “Are you talking about the wildfire down there? Sorry, but that’s probably impossible. The only reason the king hasn’t reclaimed that building from the Alchemist’s Guild is because the wildfire stored beneath it is far too dangerous. All the real experts in handling it either died or disappeared during the wars, so the remaining members are simply tasked with keepi...
2025-01-28 21:16:59 +0000 UTC View Post“The Alchemist’s Guildhall?” Aegor frowned. The name felt even more out of place than the building itself. He couldn’t help but wonder if he had transmigrated into some sort of game world. “What do they do? Can alchemists perform magic?”
“You’ve probably heard their other titles—‘pyromancers’ and ‘wildfire,’” Tyrion replied with a shrug. Seeing Aegor halt his horse, Tyrion signaled for his attendants, Jack and Morris, to stop as well. “What is it? That’s ...
2025-01-28 21:16:41 +0000 UTC View PostThe Seven-Pointed Star was the primary holy scripture of the Faith of the Seven, divided into seven gospels corresponding to the seven aspects of the divine. The official version contained over three hundred thousand words, and when printed along with its illustrations, each copy ran to well over a hundred pages.
Ordinarily, purchasing such a tome—crafted painstakingly by hand on vellum—would cost at least a gold dragon. Even then, it was typically unavailable for direct purchase a...
The half-bad news in the reply was this: while Mormont had agreed to Aegor’s proposal of recruiting temporary reinforcements for the Wall, he had not fully accepted Aegor’s plan, which was riddled with hidden agendas. The Lord Commander placed restrictions on the proposal: those who joined temporarily and planned to return to normal life in a few years, since they wouldn’t swear the oath, could not bear the title of “brother of the Night’s Watch.” Moreover, they couldn’t be trai...
2025-01-28 21:16:07 +0000 UTC View PostThe setting sun cast swathes of orange-red light across the cobblestone streets of King’s Landing. Aegor, Tyrion, and Arya, along with one red-robed Lannister guard and one grey-cloaked Stark guard for each of the latter two, emerged from the workshop. They led their horses as they strolled back toward the inn, chatting and laughing along the way.
Over the past month, this eclectic group of individuals—who might never have crossed paths otherwise—had grown familiar with one anoth...
Happy as Aegor was, there were more pressing matters than naming a new type of paper—like figuring out how to monetize it quickly. In other words, how to start making money off this invention.
“First things first,” Aegor motioned for silence. “We need to attract customers. Let’s start with this: after trimming the rough, uneven edges of this raw sheet, how many equally-sized rectangular sheets can we produce?”
It wasn’t a hard question to answer. Aegor folded the p...
Having sent the letter to the Wall, Aegor knew there was little he could do to influence the Night’s Watch from afar. He wasn’t their sole or even primary supplier yet, so the impact of his logistical support on the front lines would likely be limited. All he could do now was hope the raven reached its destination swiftly and safely, and that its contents would be taken seriously by the recipient.
Life in King’s Landing continued. After realizing Arya could serve as his ears with...
"The duty of the Night's Watch is to guard the Wall, not to protect House Stark. Organizing large-scale expeditions to search for Benjen Stark is not only a reversal of priorities but also a disregard for the lives of your brothers."
Tyrion read back Aegor’s dictated words, then glanced up at him as if seeing a lunatic. His quill hovered uncertainly above the parchment. "Are you sure about this? This letter reeks of insubordination. Even if Jeor Mormont is a reasonable man, this migh...
Before crossing over, Aegor often wondered: how did a family like the Starks, known for producing so many seemingly foolish individuals in the story, manage to stand tall in the North for thousands of years? How had they won against rival claimants to the title of "Kings in the North"?
Now, as an outsider living in this world, Aegor was forced to spend time deeply examining the question. Slowly, he realized that Eddard Stark's ineptitude in the "game of thrones" wasn't simply a flaw in...
"The rumor is already the talk of the town?" Aegor raised an eyebrow, carefully keeping his tone from betraying his excitement. He hadn't expected the scandal involving the Master of Coin and the late Hand's widow to spread so effectively—it seemed he'd underestimated how explosive high-level gossip could be. But idle whispers weren’t his goal. He needed to know: had the rumor disrupted Littlefinger's plans enough? Or could it still?
"And how has the man himself responded?" he aske...
"You’re so slow, Master!" Arya jumped up the moment Aegor entered, complaining loudly.
"Where have you been?" Tyrion frowned at him. "You left the Stark girl to mind the store and kept potential buyers waiting? Hah—what a fine ‘Chief Logistics Officer of the Night’s Watch’ you are!"
Damn. Aegor immediately realized who the other two people in the room were and quickly began apologizing. He had promised Tyrion that he’d stay at the office at all times, but breaking th...
To avoid the attention of the Gold Cloaks, Aegor and Yoren deliberately chose a location outside the city walls for this discreet transaction. As soon as the question was posed, silence fell upon the group. In an era where literacy was rare—barely reaching single-digit percentages—someone who could read and write was not abundant, though not entirely uncommon. But someone literate who could also perform arithmetic? That person was considered valuable, even elite. Within the Night's Watch,...
2025-01-28 21:13:53 +0000 UTC View PostAegor’s booming voice carried across the roadside gathering, drawing the attention of everyone present. Inside the wooden cage, the three prisoners exchanged glances. The disfigured man with the missing nose snorted disdainfully, his eyes gleaming with malice. The grotesque, pockmarked brute chuckled, revealing his sharp teeth in a twisted grin. Only the third man, calm and composed, raised his head slightly, his measured gaze meeting Aegor’s.
“I can read and write,” the compos...
“What does the letter say?” Tyrion asked curiously.
“Nothing good,” Aegor replied, his brow furrowing deeper. “By the time this letter was sent, Benjen and his patrol hadn’t returned to Castle Black. Mormont dispatched several search parties, but none found any trace of him. He’s now planning a large-scale expedition north of the Wall. The letter asks Yoren to return with new recruits as quickly as possible and demands that I prepare weapons capable of dealing with the Ot...
Tyrion’s sharp intake of breath mirrored the collective astonishment in the room as Aegor’s bold declaration hung in the air. Even the typically unflappable dwarf gave him a look of disbelief, silently shouting, Are you mad?
It wasn’t until they left the workshop that Tyrion finally vented his frustration. “Ten percent?!” he exclaimed, practically hissing. “We agreed that incentives were necessary to keep people loyal, but handing over ten percent of future profits without ...
At the workshop, Aegor met the papermaking siblings—well, "papermaking" might be a stretch at this stage. Their names were Neil and Nina, siblings from Rosby, without a last name, as was the case for most common folk in Westeros. As Tyrion had explained to Aegor, the vast majority of people didn’t have surnames. Instead, they were identified by their parentage or place of origin. Surnames among commoners were often meaningless, whereas someone like Aegor, who now carried the weight of an ...
2025-01-28 21:12:47 +0000 UTC View PostThe following day brought an unexpected surprise: Petyr Baelish had sent a messenger to the Night's Watch office with a pouch containing one hundred gold dragons, labeled as a "defense grant." While Aegor couldn't help but feel a twinge of irony at being covertly at odds with Littlefinger while receiving his money, he brushed aside any semblance of guilt. The funds were undoubtedly a product of Baelish’s scheming and manipulation, likely disguised as a state expense. Ultimately, it would be...
2025-01-28 21:12:31 +0000 UTC View PostAfter Arya departed, the room was left with just the bond-issuing duo. Aegor glanced at Tyrion and asked, "What arrangements did you make for that papermaker?"
“Well, it’s a bit more complicated than you might think. The papermaker isn’t just one person—it’s a family of weavers, more specifically, the youngest brother and sister in the household,” Tyrion explained. “The sister noticed that the tools used to wash fabric would accumulate little paper-like scraps over time. ...
"Debtor: The Night's Watch. Purchaser and Creditor: Jaime Lannister. Purchased Amount: Two hundred gold dragons. Date: Aegon Year 298..."
Muttering as he worked, Tyrion quickly filled in most of the blanks on the bond. By sheer coincidence, Jack, who had gone out early to complete Aegor's errands, returned just then with the custom-ordered seals for the bonds. Now, this first bond could be completed without any missing elements.
"The grid on the back is for use if the bond needs...
Tyrion was supposed to be meeting that young man working on paper-making outside the city. How did he suddenly end up here, pulling strings for the first bond sale? And hadn’t they agreed to wait until the official seals were ready before starting this venture? Why were they jumping ahead of schedule?
Aegor’s mind buzzed with questions, but ultimately, securing investment was a kind of business deal, and for a businessman, having customers show up was never a bad thing.
Inte...
In terms of swordsmanship, Aegor was nowhere near the level of Syrio Forel, Arya’s original teacher, but teaching a complete beginner wasn’t the same as dueling an expert. Skill alone didn’t guarantee superiority in instruction.
Aegor vividly remembered his middle school days, where his physics teacher was actually the PE coach—a real-life anecdote that sounded like a bad joke but was entirely true. His parents were busy starting their business, so Aegor attended a small, rundo...
Tyrion’s enthusiasm for their new venture was boundless. By the time Aegor awoke from his dreams, dressed, and prepared to start the day’s work, Tyrion had already left with Morys to seek out the young man experimenting with grass-based papermaking outside the city.
Naturally, the Night’s Watchman felt no shame for sleeping in—he had worked late into the night, and despite waking later, he suspected Tyrion still had a few extra hours of rest on him.
As he ate breakfast i...
Aegor and Tyrion discussed the finer details of establishing their printing supply chain while returning to the inn. Upon entering, the innkeeper informed Aegor that a young man had come looking for him earlier, asking for money.
“It’s probably the miner’s son you introduced me to,” Aegor mused, quickly piecing it together. He hadn’t yet secured any loans, so the only one who might come asking for funds was someone connected to the dragonstone mining operation. “The obsidia...
Taking on this new apprentice, Arya Stark, Aegor rubbed his temples in exhaustion. His workload had only increased, and it was overwhelming.
Born into a peaceful, prosperous modern world, Aegor’s nutrition growing up had been comparable, if not better, than most nobles in Westeros. His superior physical constitution made him stronger and quicker than many veterans of the Night’s Watch, provided he trained consistently. But that was his limit. To the craftsmen and bureaucrats of the...
To be fair, Arya Stark, like her brother Bran, was an energetic and endearing child. Unlike her sister Sansa, who knew how to dress up and present herself, Arya often left the impression of being “plain.” Yet, through the eyes of a modern man like Aegor, her facial structure and bone structure revealed her potential as a budding beauty.
Clearly, others agreed with his assessment. If he remembered correctly, someone in the original story had remarked that Arya resembled her aunt, Ly...
The noise of conversation brought Aegor back to reality. He realized now wasn’t the time to get lost in thought. After helping Eddard Stark’s captain dismount and settling the two guests—a large and a small one—into the not-yet-opened Night’s Watch office, he returned to his earlier considerations in secret.
The irony of it all hit him: to preserve his scheme, he might have to become a protector of peace. The thought would have been laughable if it weren’t so serious. Preve...