Chapter 97: Deception and Opportunity
"Over a hundred thousand wildlings are attempting to cross the Wall to escape the winter of prophecy. The Night's Watch is too withered to withstand them. Reform has become a necessity; to remain stagnant is to perish." Egger was careful to mention the White Walkers as little as possible. Until he had solid proof, speaking of such things would only diminish his standing in the eyes of others. "However, the reason I am the one out here organizing this—aside from the generous assistance of Lord Tyrion Lannister—is more importantly because I 'haven't offended anyone.'"
To put it more bluntly, the dwarf had already summarized it with a coarse but accurate phrase: The price wasn't too high.
Tyrion's success in taking Egger away from the Wall, aside from promised funding and a lot of boasting, boiled down to one fundamental reason: at the time, Egger was a nobody. He had no patron, but he also had no enemies. No one was watching him closely enough to run to Mormont or complain to Robert the moment he bent the rules.
But for an original heir of a noble house—one who had stood on the wrong side of the Usurpation and offended the new King before being forced to take the black—leaving under such circumstances... to put it bluntly, it would be impossible while Robert lived, and difficult even after. In Westeros, the unwritten rule was that those who chose the wrong side must either turn their cloaks mid-battle or accept self-exile to save their lives. The King sits at the apex of the ruling pyramid; as the greatest beneficiary of the noble game, unless he were a political idiot like Joffrey, he would never undermine the rules and dig his own grave for a pittance of gold.
To mimic Egger's path away from the Wall, one would first need a price high enough to tempt the King, and then a way to silence the tongues of the realm.
The Buckwell family was well-off; they might truly be able to produce several thousand or even ten thousand gold dragons. But to a warrior-king who had spent years as a hands-off ruler and had no concept of the cost of living... such a sum wasn't even a fraction of the debt he owed his father-in-law Tywin or the Iron Bank. Would Robert even look at it?
True, in theory, the Night's Watch could ignore the King's wishes. But in practice, within the bounds of Westeros where all under heaven submitted, how many could truly disregard the feelings of the supreme ruler? Never mind Lord Frey, the Red Viper, the Queen of Thorns, or Roose Bolton... these people might appear arrogant with their own imposing auras, but as long as King Robert—the founder of the Baratheon dynasty—lived and the great alliance of Stag, Wolf, Fish, and Falcon held firm, even the most heroic men or formidable women had to stay in their castles and tuck their tails between their legs!
Even if one ignored the attitudes of those outside the Watch, there was a more realistic obstacle: how much effort did Tyrion spend convincing the Watch's leadership to let Egger go? When he was just a commoner, getting the leadership to break protocol was that difficult; how much harder would it be for Ser Jarman Buckwell, a political prisoner and a backbone of the rangers?
The danger isn't scarcity, but inequality. Once that door was opened, the morale of the Night's Watch would disintegrate instantly. Those with backgrounds would scramble for connections to get out, while those with nothing would watch with bitter envy, their jealousy turning into murderous intent... Once such a trend began, both the rulers and the Watch leadership, for the safety of themselves, the North, and the Seven Kingdoms, would absolutely use a one-size-fits-all approach to stop it. At that point, even the Chief Logistics Officer out on official business might be forced back to the Wall.
This was not an easy matter to handle.
"I understand." The old Earl took Egger's subtext to heart and nodded. He was fortunate enough not to have lost his head for choosing the wrong side in the Usurpation; wanting to leave the Watch was indeed pushing his luck. Yet, he still didn't give up. "But I have an idea—since you are the Chief Logistics Officer, if you can find a way to interfere with personnel transfers and move Jarman to your department as a logistics man, then order him to work in the Crownlands... specifically assigning him the task of 'raising grain and armaments at Antlers,' wouldn't everyone be happy?"
The idea was entirely feasible, but Egger wouldn't tell him that his appointment as Chief Logistics Officer was essentially a chicken feather as a command wand obtained through half-coaxing and half-deception. When ordinary people heard his title, they instinctively assumed he was the fifth-in-command of the Black Brothers after the Lord Commander, the First Ranger, the First Steward, and the First Builder. This illusion caused by mental inertia was exactly the effect Egger wanted, and it was indeed beginning to benefit him...
But in reality? Forget the other Firsts; even a random ranger captain currently had more say than Egger. He had to thank the heavens just to ensure he wasn't recalled; where would he get the nerve to fish someone else out?
"My lord, I won't hide it from you." Egger didn't intend to lie about this, though he could certainly polish his words. "The Logistics Department has just been established. Its power doesn't yet match the established departments. Regarding personnel, I have the authority to recruit freely, but I cannot yet transfer anyone currently at the Wall... Of course, that is the current situation. After all, I've only been in office for two months."
He paused, then continued, "Once I develop the Night's Watch industries, build a network of connections at court, monopolize the majority of the Watch's logistical supply, and fill the Wall with combat personnel I've trained myself..." Egger first painted a beautiful picture of a successful future, then concluded solemnly, "Influence and authority are not things that appear out of thin air, my lord. They must be fought for. You have managed a house for decades; surely you understand this principle."
"I understand." Lord Buckwell nodded. The man in black before him wanted him to take a stand. "I will support what you do in King's Landing as much as possible. As for the investment... if Brownhollow hasn't exhausted its coffers by the end of this war, it will proceed as agreed. I don't mind making less profit, or even none at all, but I ask the Chief Logistics Officer to keep Jarman's matter in mind."
"You are too kind. The Night's Watch will remember your grace for lending a hand at the hour of the Wall's greatest peril."
...
Talking to smart people was effortless. In just a few words, two people—or rather, two small factions—who originally had no connection discovered a common interest and even agreed on a preliminary cooperation.
Egger felt a slight pang of guilt. He actually had no way to fish the man out for the old Earl, but to secure the investment, he had deliberately given the impression that it could be done, but it would be difficult. This was a case of one's position determining one's mindset. Since starting this financial game, he had gradually transformed from a straightforward engineer into a slick merchant—never forgetting to pitch his financial products and always trying to steer any conversation toward money and investment...
Not long ago, he was an honest man who lied to no one but his parents and girlfriend. Now, he could boast without even blinking or blushing.
Becoming the person he once disliked wasn't pleasant, but at least he didn't intend to steal the investors' principal. In this cruel world, an outsider with no roots couldn't afford to be stubborn. Littlefinger, one of the original story's great villains, had been easily toppled by a rumor under Egger's interference, but that was because of the power of public opinion, not because the man had made a mistake. Regardless, that fellow's ability to find a way to profit from any accident was still something worth learning.
Having successfully secured the first investment through deception, Egger thought to himself as he walked: if Littlefinger were in his position—dragged away on a whim by Robert Baratheon at the critical moment of a startup and wasting countless hours—what would he do?
That was it. This united six-kingdom campaign might just be a show of muscle and a chance for Robert to feel like a warrior again, but for him, the Night's Watchman in the Host, it was an opportunity. Most of the prominent nobles in the realm would be converging here at the King's call to join the alliance. Wasn't this the perfect chance to meet a vast number of resource-holders without having to travel everywhere or seek introductions?
Now or never. Although Tyrion advised him to enjoy this trip to the Vale, as a man with a strong sense of responsibility, Egger couldn't accept it: his partner was working like a dog in King's Landing while he was wandering around the Vale looking at scenery.
He would seize this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and claw back all the time wasted on this trip through networking!
Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/MistaQuartz
On Patreon, you can explore Extra Chapters in advance!