Chapter 73: Being Vigil
Aeg found himself momentarily at a loss for words. While he had been devising clandestine schemes against Littlefinger, the very next morning after the dissemination of the rumor-laden paper strips, Littlefinger had the audacity to send him a hundred gold dragons under the guise of "national defense funding."
Yet, he harbored no guilt. Regardless of Littlefinger's personal character and deeds, the facts alone absolved Aeg of any moral burden in accepting the funds. The hundred gold dragons, though likely drawn from Littlefinger's personal coffers, would ultimately be recorded as a debt of the treasury due to his official capacity, to be repaid by this reign, the next, or even by a new king following a shift unless that new ruler could stabilize the realm through sheer force, defying the Iron Bank and the Lannister debts. In the end, the burden of the hundred gold dragons would fall upon the lowly "taxpayers" of Westeros, particularly those in the Crownlands.
The Night's Watch, valiantly battling tens of thousands of wildlings and the inherent foes of humanity beyond the Wall, protecting all of Westeros, received only a passive offering of a mere hundred gold dragons, thanks to Eddard Stark's "concern." The irony was not lost on Aeg.
A hundred gold dragons, a pittance when sent directly to the Night's Watch, would sustain the entire force for barely a month, not accounting for weapon wear or compensation for the fallen. However, in Aeg's capable hands, it was sufficient to bolster the fledgling Night's Watch office's financial stability and establish its presence with ease.
Moreover, this windfall was not from the sale of bonds but a direct allocation from the Hand of the King to the Night's Watch office. It was, in sentiment and law, the exclusive property of the Night's Watch. This was "public money," and in the Hand's eyes, Aeg was on "official business." As the head of the Night's Watch office, he could utilize this money without remorse, without the need to entrust it to Tyrion for safekeeping, nor could it be used to settle personal debts.
With this guilt-free sum, Aeg finally bade farewell to the days of meager silver stags, days when he felt guilty even for indulging in a decent meal.
Aeg had, in fact, mastered the common tongue and script of Westeros, but for a series of strategic reasons, chiefly to avoid being identified as the author of the rumor-laden strips. He kept this a secret from everyone, even feigning difficulty with reading and writing, especially in Tyrion's presence.
Consequently, the bulk of the writing for the Night's Watch office and the entire fundraising campaign fell to Tyrion. The notices for recruitment, enlistment, and donation drives, penned by the Imp, were posted at the entrance. After imparting some swordsmanship to Arya and recounting "adventure stories," the custom sign was finally delivered.
The workers bustled about, mounting the wooden plaque above the entrance, granting the Night's Watch office a dignified facade and marking its official opening for business. Against the glossy black lacquered background, the golden words "Night's Watch Office" gleamed radiantly in the sunlight. Amidst the colorful signs that rarely featured black, due to local customs, it was strikingly conspicuous.
***
The efficacy of the rumors Aeg had set in motion remained a mystery to him, one he dared not inquire about or investigate. The pretense of recruitment and material collection had commenced, and the first gamble, the inaugural batch of paper from the papermaking siblings was yet to be realized. Unversed in papermaking, Aeg could only await the outcome. The dragon glass mine on Dragonstone had begun operations, and the father-son miners recommended by Tyrion seemed trustworthy. Before hiring a manager for the office, Aeg had little choice but to open the office punctually each day, akin to clocking in for work, waiting for Tyrion to usher in bond buyers and the occasional voluntary donor or recruit, and waiting for the situation to evolve organically.
After a flurry of activity, Aeg grew grateful for having acquiesced to Arya's request to teach her swordsmanship. Otherwise, in this unexpected lull, he would have been at a loss for what to do. Opening the office, waiting for Arya to arrive, spending most of the day together, then closing up and returning to the inn to sleep.
This routine repeated for two days before Tyrion brought in the first real bond buyer, Ser Lake. The nobleman, hailing from the Crownlands, showed little interest in the bond's specifics, his presence merely a courtesy to House Lannister. After grasping the potential interest, he purchased the minimum amount of one hundred gold dragons and promptly departed with his bond.
The return rate Tyrion offered this inaugural customer was triple their initial agreement, yet for a fundraising plan that might finally be gaining traction, it was not exorbitant.
After bidding farewell to the buyer, Tyrion lingered. "The first batch of sample paper is ready. Have Jack mind the store…. I mean, the office and let's go inspect it now?"
"It's ready?" Aeg's spirits soared. "Let's go."
"I won't go back! Wherever you and the Imp are headed, count me in!"
"Hmm." Aeg glanced at Tyrion, who raised no objection, so he shrugged in acquiescence. "Alright, let's go."
***
Arya, born into the ruling family of the North, was a shrewd and intelligent girl. Her noble birth and boundless energy imbued her with a wildness and ease around strangers that other girls lacked. In just a few days, she had grown close to Aeg, as if they were long-time acquaintances, clinging to him like a shadow.
Aeg hadn't made any special effort to win Arya over. Frankly, the girl wasn't interested in Syrio Forel, the First Sword of Braavos, or Aeg West, the logistics officer of the Night's Watch. She was solely captivated by her "swordsmanship coach" and "companion." Plainly speaking, with her indiscriminate and welcoming nature towards friends, anyone who practiced swordplay with her and engaged in idle chatter could become her friend and Aeg had simply leveraged his understanding of her and a repertoire of adventure stories to swiftly forge a friendship.
Beyond indulging her requests, Aeg didn't neglect to assert his authority, thereby pleasing her father. He set rules for Arya to learn swordsmanship, she must dress appropriately and behave politely. Aeg learned from the Stark guards that Eddard was pleased with his youngest daughter's recent transformations, tacitly allowing her daily escapades.
***
Papermaking was no secret to be guarded, especially from the Starks, who were unlikely to be anyone's commercial spies. Even if Arya and her guards reported their observations to Eddard, it wouldn't harm Aeg and Tyrion's interests. With little hesitation, Aeg brought the girl and her escorting guards, responsible for her daily "school runs," and followed Tyrion.
The modest dwelling Tyrion had mentioned was tucked away in the northwest corner of King's Landing. After a brief ride, they arrived at the city's first paper mill to eschew animal hides as raw material.