The air was filled with the smell of gunpowder. Fortunately, Tyrion was not a sound man, and no matter how much they argued, Benjen could not fight him. Maester Aemon pondered for a moment, waved his hand to signal the Stark and the Lannister to stop arguing, and turned slightly towards Jeor Mormont, who was sitting and watching from the side: "Commander, we have received a reply from Dragonstone, allowing us to send people to garrison and mine Dragonglass."
"Over there? Isn't it enough to just send a few people?" Jeor Mormont raised an eyebrow, suddenly thinking of something: "Your meaning is..."
The blind Maester nodded: "Dragonstone and King's Landing are very close. Since Lord Tyrion has such confidence in Aegon's ability, why not give this young man a chance to prove himself... He traveled across the ocean to Westeros, and because he stole a few potatoes to fill his stomach, he has to serve at The Wall for the rest of his life. He finally got a chance to leave, but we ruined it. Even if he stays, he must be unwilling."
That's right, Tyrion agreed loudly with Aemon in his heart, turning to look at Jeor Mormont, who had been silent for a while, waiting for his stance.
"Since you think so, I have no objection." Jeor Mormont respected Maester Aemon, "Ask Benjen if he is willing to let him go."
The decision-making power was back in the hands of the Stark. He really didn't want the annoying Lannister in front of him to get his wish, but he didn't want to offend Aemon. He asked a question: "What if he leaves and never returns? Who will take responsibility?"
"Of course, I will. Not only that, if he fails to complete the mission or contribute more to the Night's Watch after leaving The Wall, you can recall him directly. If he escapes, it will also be counted on me, alright?"
"How can it be counted on you? Will you come to The Wall to serve in his place, or will you bring your family's army to The Wall to help?" Benjen said indifferently, "Neither of these is probably realistic. Instead of playing these empty games, let's be more practical. As the richest family in Westeros, wouldn't it be too little for the Lannister family to provide funding to the Night's Watch, who guards the Seven Kingdoms?"
"Heh, I thought all Starks regarded external possessions as dirt." Tyrion breathed a sigh of relief, gritting his teeth with some heartache, understanding that he would probably be severely exploited today. Choosing between face and substance is a difficult choice for any man, and even smart people are not exempt. This time, he decided on the former: "Since it is for the defense of humanity, I will naturally not be stingy. Next, let's discuss the details of the funding and Aegon's specific mission after leaving The Wall!"
***
Aegon did not find a place to sit and wait for the result, but kept watching the Commander's office from not far away.
After Tyrion entered the door for a while, the Commander's private Officer left the room and quickly brought back the First Ranger and Maester Aemon. It was clear that the negotiation was making some progress. This made him feel uneasy inside. If he had to describe it, it felt like waiting outside the delivery room for a child to be born—whether Tyrion could successfully persuade the high-ranking black-clothed Lords to let him leave The Wall with the "mission" of raising supplies would determine whether he could be reborn in this world.
If he failed, he would obediently participate in the next patrol. Even if he survived and escaped back by chance, he would only continue to be a Night's Watch soldier on the front line of the war between humans and ghosts. At best, he would be promoted and get a raise, slowly moving up from a regular Ranger to a small captain, then challenging the position of First Ranger, and finally seeing if he could compete for the Commander position. How much danger and how much youth and time he would have to spend during this period was truly unimaginable. With just a little carelessness, he, the otherworlder Night's Watchman, would truly live and die here.
But what if he succeeded? He could leave with Tyrion. The vast world of Westeros, the immense opportunities, the countless possibilities—all would be waiting for him to explore and seize. Although the lifelong label of the Night's Watch was a trouble, things depend on human effort. As long as he was determined, what difficulty could not be overcome?
...
He waited patiently for a while longer. The Commander's private Officer pushed the door open and left the room again. This time, the Chief Officer and the Chief Artisan were both called in. After a brief moment of confusion, Aegon quickly became ecstatic: It's settled! Although Bowen Marsh and Othell Yarwyck were high-ranking members of the Night's Watch, they actually didn't manage the Night's Watch's affairs outside of their duties. Unless Tyrion suddenly became interested in the repair and maintenance of The Wall and the daily management of the Night's Watch, their being called into the office must be to discuss the quantity and types of "providing material support," which was bargaining for the "ransom" needed for him to leave The Wall!
If nothing unexpected happened, the result would be revealed soon, and it was inappropriate for him to stand here any longer. Aegon thought for a moment, turned around, and went to the large meeting room to find a seat and began to wait.
...
About a few dozen minutes later, the wooden door was pushed open with a creak, but the person who came in was not Tyrion, but Benjen Stark.
The First Ranger stood by the door for a few seconds with a poker face, then spoke: "Aegon, you will not participate in the next patrol. The Commander has arranged a more important task for you. Prepare yourself and leave with the Lannister when he has finished touring The Wall and departs."
"Ah, yes, Commander." Aegon stood up. Although he had expected the result, he could barely suppress his ecstasy: "But I was originally supposed to lead the way for this patrol. Now I'm leaving?"
***
What is there to pretend about?
Benjen snorted in his heart. He was not stupid. The Lannister Dwarf suddenly took the initiative to find the Commander, not only expressing willingness to provide aid but also specifically naming Aegon to go to King's Landing to be responsible for receiving the first batch. How could this kid, as the person involved, be completely unaware?
It must be that he had given the Dwarf some kind of charm or reached some kind of deal with him to make him pay the price to get him out of the Night's Watch... This made Benjen slightly curious—although he didn't like the Lannister family, he had to admit that Tyrion was a smart man. How could such a person be persuaded with just a few words to willingly pay a large sum for a stranger? He had already seen that Aegon was no ordinary person, and Maester Aemon even had the idea of cultivating him, but he didn't expect that even in the low position of a regular Ranger, this kid could manage to befriend a Lord's son and use the latter for his own benefit, finding a way to leave The Wall in one fell swoop.
"When it comes to leading the way, Will will be no worse than you." Aegon was already a recognized Night's Watch brother. Although the man's face still maintained the unique coldness of the Starks, he didn't show any displeasure because the other party was about to leave: "You are a smart person. Since you have found a way, I have no reason to stop you. Now, don't worry about others. You will know the new task given by the Commander soon. Try to complete it without any compromises."
Because the Lion and Wolf families had always been at odds, Aegon had been carefully avoiding Benjen when arranging for Tyrion to take him away. Now it seemed that he had likely been judging a gentleman by his own standards. His little secret was seen through, his face felt a little hot, and he didn't argue much but simply nodded in agreement: "Yes, Commander!"
The First Ranger was quite satisfied with Aegon's frankness, said nothing more, took one last look at his subordinate, and turned to leave the hall.
—