Chapter 44: The Beginning of Life in the South
Before his time travel, Aeg adhered to a principle in his work: he was meticulous and diligent in fulfilling his responsibilities, but he did not actively take on tasks that were not his, nor did he accept any arrangements that infringed upon his rest and leisure time, including but not limited to overtime. This was simply because his favorable family background, broad vision, and extensive social connections provided him with far superior means of acquiring information and income than the average person.
He worked merely to keep himself from being idle, to avoid becoming a recluse, and certainly not for the salary. The earnings from his gaming and stock trading far exceeded his wages, so why bother with office politics or feigning hard work to curry favor with his boss?
But now, the circumstances were different. Aeg's superiors in the Night's Watch did not pay him a salary, yet they held the power over his life or death. Should he displease them, they could recall him to the Wall, assign him to patrol beyond it, or even brand him a deserter. Survival under such conditions would be harrowing.
Under this looming sense of crisis, despite being physically and mentally drained, Aeg resolved to begin work immediately.
Tyrion had already declared his need for rest, and for this benefactor and savior, Aeg felt obliged to ensure his comfort. He decided to postpone the first task and address a critical step for his future endeavors. to meet the only Northerner in the Small Council and request something Tyrion could not provide.
***
"Knock, knock, knock." Aeg rapped on the door of the adjacent room.
Yoren opened the door, unaccustomed to the heat of King's Landing. He had already bathed in the inn's bathhouse while Aeg was planning. At that moment, he was clad only in his underpants. "What's up?"
"I'm going to see the Hand now. Do you want to come with me?"
"Now? No rest?"
Yoren had received travel funds for his journey, but Tyrion had covered all expenses along the way, leaving his funds untouched. Not spending it all before returning would be a waste, so he wasn't in a hurry.
"With a Hand named Stark governing the kingdom, there's no better time for us Night's Watchmen to accomplish our tasks. I have much to do and can't afford to waste half a day. If you don't want to come with me, you'll have to visit him alone in a few days. Though Lord Eddard values the Night's Watch, it wouldn't do to cause him unnecessary trouble."
"Sigh. alright, let's go." Despite his age, Yoren remained robust. The journey south had not worn him out. "Let me get dressed."
The temperature difference between King's Landing and the Wall was a staggering fifty to sixty degrees, representing the extremes of above and below zero. "Getting dressed" meant simply throwing on the coarse black cloak and matching trousers, yet it was enough to make the two Night's Watchmen sweat profusely.
They led their saddled horses out of the stable and set off toward the Red Keep.
Finding the way was easy; they didn't even need to ask. The royal fortress, Aegon's High Hill, stood in the southeast corner of King's Landing, towering above all other points in the city, including the hills of Visenya and Rhaenys. With an unobstructed view to the east, one could easily spot its towers and walls perched atop the mountain, reminiscent of a divine abode.
Aegon the Conqueror knew how to choose a location; the Red Keep truly seemed fit for a ruler.
After a while, Aeg slowed his pace.
"What's wrong?" Yoren asked.
"Before we see the Hand, we should tidy ourselves up," Aeg replied.
Yoren shook his head, adopting the tone of an experienced mentor instructing a novice. "Trust me, Aeg, the Hand won't give us more men or supplies just because we've tidied up."
While Eddard Stark might not mind the appearance of the Night's Watchmen who came to see him, the people and nobles of the Red Keep and King's Landing would. Despite Aeg's intention to disregard the task of "improving the Night's Watch's image," he couldn't tolerate having such a disheveled colleague by his side.
Explaining the significance of first impressions and the long-term benefits of enhancing the Night's Watch's image to someone like Yoren, a man of rough demeanor, would be futile. Aeg opted for a more direct and effective approach.
"Don't you feel hot with that big beard and those greasy, coarse black clothes?"
"Uh. I've gotten used to it over the years," Yoren said.
"Don't worry, I'll cover the expenses," Aeg assured him.
***
The pouch Robb had given Aeg contained one gold dragon and ninety silver stags. Estimating from the goods and services that could be purchased, the value of one silver stag was close to that of a red Mao in Aeg's world before his time travel, and one gold dragon could be exchanged for two hundred and ten silver stags.
This meant that Aeg now had over twenty thousand yuan, a considerable fortune in a world of low productivity. He couldn't afford to be extravagant, but for daily expenses, it would last for over a dozen months.
The Night's Watch currently had no source of income, so despite having a relatively comfortable amount of money, Aeg deliberately sought the shops he needed away from the wealthy district.
He first led Yoren into a barbershop, where he had the owner cut their hair short, shave their beards, and wash their hair, making their appearance clean and neat.
Paying one silver stag and receiving a few copper coins in change, Aeg quickly entered a clothing store.
"Two sets of lightweight, breathable black robes," he requested. "Pure black is best, but if not, there can't be any overly conspicuous bright patterns or decorations."
"Pure black?" The shopkeeper's face immediately showed an empathetic, sorrowful expression. "I'm sorry, may I ask who has passed away in your family?"
"No one has passed away; we are members of the Night's Watch," Aeg clarified.
"The Night's Watch?"
"What, do you choose your customers?" Aeg frowned impatiently and patted his pocket. "We will pay!"
"No, no. I didn't mean anything else; it's just my first time serving customers from the Wall, it's quite rare," the clothing store owner quickly corrected himself, mindful of the importance of keeping the peace for business. He replaced his momentary bewilderment with an eager smile. "Please wait, I'll try to find something."
Aeg waited patiently.
In Westeros, pure black clothing was only worn as mourning attire, so why would an ordinary clothing store have a large stock of it? One of Aeg's long-term goals was to leave the Night's Watch, and he swore that no one wanted to wear clothes of different colors more than he did. But being new and not yet established, he didn't want to give anyone a reason to criticize him.
Moreover, he was going to see Eddard Stark, a stubborn Northerner. And to deal with such a character, the best disguise was undoubtedly that of a loyal and dedicated Night's Watch warrior.
The owner spent a great deal of effort before finally finding two robes that were close to pure black in a corner. At Aeg's request, the obvious white stripes were sewn over and concealed on the spot, and they settled on a price of two silver stags each. Not only that, Aeg also ordered a few other pure black outfits for when he needed to change.
At the Wall, it was due to limited conditions, but away from Castle Black, he absolutely did not want to endure wearing the same clothes for months.
Wearing new clothes and sporting a new look, the two Night's Watchmen, who appeared to have been reborn, remounted their horses. Looking at Yoren, who seemed to have undergone a transformation, Aeg smiled helplessly: the task of improving the image, which he had crossed off his plan, had unexpectedly become the first thing he actually started doing.
Riding to the entrance of the Red Keep, after explaining to the gold cloaks on duty and waiting for the announcement, they were allowed to enter the gates of the Red Keep and were led to the Hand's Tower.
Beyond that point, there were only guards from Winterfell, who, familiar with and respectful of the Night's Watch, did not impose any obstacles. They soon met the new Hand, Eddard Stark, whom Aeg had seen just two months ago.