Chapter 180: Transferred to the Logistics Department
Ser Alliser Thorne was left utterly powerless by Egger's tactic of letting the Master of Laws decide. Resentful but helpless, he stormed off the moment the trial concluded. Egger, however, waited until Slynt was led away and Renly had departed before leading his staff out of the Throne Room, strolling leisurely toward the gates of the Red Keep under the watchful eyes of the guards. Along the way, nobles exiting the hall approached him to talk—some offering condolences for his brush with assassination, others cheering his bold speech.
The death penalty, however, was not yet set in stone. Procedurally, it still required the confirmation and nod of the Supreme Peo—no, the Hand of the King. The most likely source of variables lay in Eddard's reaction upon hearing that Egger had publicly refused Slynt the right to take the black. The Hand's power to interpret the law trumped that of the Master of Laws; if Ned believed Egger had overstepped his authority, Janos Slynt's fate might still see a turnaround.
But that was merely a theoretical possibility. After all, while it appeared that Egger West, Chief Logistics Officer of the Night's Watch, was the one driving Slynt to his grave, the death sentence had been handed down by the King's own brother, Renly Baratheon, Lord of Storm's End. Would Eddard Stark—for the sake of a former Commander with no background, no ties to House Stark, and a mountain of foolish crimes—slap the King's brother in the face by overturning a verdict delivered in open court?
Impossible. Even if Ned ultimately ruled that a recruiter had no right to refuse joiners, he would only do so after Slynt was executed, likely notifying Egger of the decision in private.
This feeling of ending a man without using a blade was unexpectedly good.
"Master, you were so cool back there! Especially when you said, 'If you come back as a ghost, I'll just kill you a second time!'" Children truly don't hold grudges; their moods shift faster than the turning of a page. Arya, who had been throwing a tantrum half a day ago, was now clinging to his arm again, leaning in excitedly. "I'm totally obsessed with you!"
Egger's lips curled. "Stop. No matter how much you flatter me, I'm still not letting you sneak out to find me."
"Ugh, you're so annoying, Master!" Seeing her little scheme seen through, Arya pounded his chest with her small fists in a fit of playful, helpless frustration. "Fine, I'll listen to you and stay put. Happy?"
"Mm. That's my good apprentice."
...
Amidst the laughter, the group gradually exited the Red Keep. Once Arya was stopped by the guards (as she was forbidden from leaving the castle), Jeros, the Captain of the Logistics Security Detail who had been following behind, finally spoke up: "My lord, I have a request I hope you'll grant."
Egger, in a fine mood, nodded. "Go on."
"On the day Slynt is executed, I'd like to ask for a day off for the security team. Stop training for one day so I can lead them into the city to watch the execution. Lately, the City Watch has been coming to cause trouble constantly. Under Lord Tyrion's strict orders, we didn't engage in any physical confrontation. Over a hundred grown men were bullied like children by a few Gold Cloaks—especially that day at the River Gate. Many of the brothers are stifling their rage; they need a release."
"Granted. But remember to wear civilian clothes, not the black, and no shouting or brawling at the execution site." Egger thought it over and agreed. He wanted to train an army; forcing them to play the coward when faced with harassment—though necessary—had been detrimental to the security team's morale, or rather, the cultivation of their military soul. His own prestige among the soldiers had plummeted as a result. Now that the fruits of their patience had ripened, it was time to enjoy the victory. "Also, one more crucial thing. Make sure the brothers remember: Janos Slynt is being executed for violating the laws of the Seven Kingdoms, not because he 'offended the Night's Watch industries.' Lord Eddard is not our patron, nor anyone else's. No matter what rumors fly outside, our people must keep a unified story. No bragging about this, lest you invite trouble. The Hand has already spoken to me... Keep your men in line. Violators will be punished severely."
"Yes, my lord!" Hearing this, the security captain didn't think his boss was being timid; instead, he felt Egger was both immensely powerful and prudently cautious. He was instantly filled with respect.
When they first met half a month ago, Jeros hadn't cared much for this big boss, thinking he was just some Night's Watchman Tyrion had picked to be a figurehead. But after everything he had heard and seen over these few days—the skill, courage, eloquence, methods, and meticulousness Egger displayed—he realized the man was leagues ahead of him. With a boss like this, why overthink? Just follow orders.
Jeros was now truly won over, ready to follow Egger's lead implicitly.
Had Egger known his image had been elevated to such heights in the eyes of his subordinates, he likely would have smiled bitterly. He had survived that night of chaos largely thanks to Jaqen H'ghar and Ser Bywater; and Slynt's downfall was the combined result of the industries' own power, Tyrion's schemes, and the man's own suicidal arrogance. In this entire struggle, if Egger had contributed anything, it was stepping up to raise the banner initially and staying steady enough to keep himself alive during the chaos.
If he had died and Tyrion had been arrested, the leaderless industries would have been carved up by investors in minutes. Had that happened, the investigation and trial of Slynt would never have been so smooth.
Capital, under Tyrion's operation, won this fight—but the one standing on the front lines, from the initial whistleblowing to refusing the black in court, was Egger alone. With Tyrion absent and Egger's public performance today, all the credit for this victory had accidentally fallen into his lap as the leader of the faction.
Egger felt he didn't quite deserve it, but he also knew that in King's Landing right now, he was the only one suited to hold this glory. He had to claim this credit—and then work hard to prove he was worthy of the trust and high regard others placed in him.
...
The trial was swift, but the procedures and debates still ate up much of the day. By the time they left the Red Keep, the light was fading. The group split up, some heading back to the outskirts and others to the main manor. Egger didn't go back to the office; instead, he took his people for dinner and then went home.
After a long-overdue bath in his room and a change into clean clothes, he sat behind his desk for the first time in a while, comfortably reviewing the work reports sent from below.
The Night's Watch industries had moved past the startup phase and were now on track. Egger had handed off specific operations to Nina. Like a VP, she kept the most important planning and accounting to herself while delegating simple, non-essential tasks to the subordinates she had selected and trained.
Geniuses like Tyrion were rare, but drawn by the allure of capital, the industries had unknowingly become a hub for talent—at least by this world's standards. These people lacked revolutionary creativity but were more than capable of maintaining the business. Egger could trust them to handle the day-to-day without micromanaging.
Even so, he enjoyed the feeling of having his finger on the pulse. The team assisting in setting up paper and printing mills in the Reach and Dorne had already departed. The don't put all your eggs in one basket plan was quietly underway: production of new cream lipsticks and medicinal soaps had begun, and the carving and sale of obsidian wards was ready to go—just waiting for the first shipment of ore from Dragonstone. Everything was going so smoothly; if only he could kill Littlefinger sooner and prevent the Seven Kingdoms from falling into war...
At the thought, Egger sighed with regret. Then, his VP knocked on the door.
"My lord, are you asleep?"
"No, come in," Egger replied, adjusting his expression. He smiled at the girl as she entered, noticing she had shed her black uniform for loose indoor clothing.
"Lord Egger, there are some things that weren't convenient to report during the day, but I feel you should know as soon as possible to prepare a strategy." Nina stepped into the room and walked to the desk, then suddenly remembered something: "Oh, while you were held in the Red Keep, your wound wasn't tended to, was it? Shall I apply the salve for you now?"
"Ah... alright." Since the wound was healing well, Egger had forgotten about it, but applying the salve wouldn't hurt; after all, it was from a proper physician, not some folk remedy. He loosened his clothes to reveal the injury on his shoulder. "Talk while you apply it."
Nina quickly grabbed the jar from the shelf, took a little on her finger, and carefully spread it along the stitched wound. "While you were taken by the Hand's men, Ser Alliser frequently came to the office to ask me about the industries. Following your instructions, I played dumb and told him to ask you. He realized I was stalling, so he produced a document signed by the Lord Commander... claiming the Night's Watch had sent him to take over the operations and demanding my cooperation."
Egger's heart skipped a beat, and a surge of alarm and anger rose within him. What does this mean? A document signed by Mormont, not shown to him—the Chief Logistics Officer—first, but presented to the management while he was in prison?!
He suppressed his emotions, keeping his voice steady. "The contents of the document—do you remember them?"
"I was startled at first, but I stayed sharp and asked to look at the warrant word for word. It clearly stated that Ser Alliser was being transferred to the Night's Watch Logistics Department, to stay in King's Landing and assist you in your work... there wasn't a single word about replacing you or taking over."
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