LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 82: Chapter 82
"The duty of the Night's Watch is to guard the Wall, not to protect the Starks. Organizing a large-scale operation to find Benjen Stark not only puts the cart before the horse but also shows blatant disregard and disrespect for the lives of the other brothers."
Tyrion repeated Aegor's words, staring at him as if he'd seen a ghost. The hand holding the pen hovered in mid-air for a long time before he finally asked, "Are you sure you want to write this? This is insubordination. Even if Mormont is reasonable, he can't possibly let this slide… Besides, how do you know your commander-in-chief launched the Ranger Expedition just to find Benjen Stark?"
"I don't know," Aegor admitted. "Maybe I misunderstood him. After all, he's the former Lord of Bear Island and the Commander of the Night's Watch. He must be a magnanimous man. He wouldn't recall me or punish me just because I, a subordinate, accused him of a 'misunderstanding.' And anyway, he's counting on me to provide supplies."
"If you're so clear on that, why use such an aggressive tone?"
Aegor spread his hands. "What do you think he'd think if I presented my arguments nicely, using facts and reason to persuade him not to conduct this large-scale expedition?"
"I don't know. Even though I'm short, I can't fit into Mormont's mind."
"I think he'd definitely think, 'Huh, this guy who's comfortably stationed in King's Landing is hypocritically advising us not to take risks? Just supply the resources and stay out of it!'" Aegor said with a laugh. "Then, he'd probably skip the rest of the arguments entirely and reply directly, ordering me to prepare the supplies immediately or face recall."
"You're just making malicious assumptions."
"But you can't deny it's possible," Aegor said. "On the other hand, if I act like I've misunderstood him and then criticize him under the guise of caring for the Night's Watch..." He trailed off, giving Tyrion a knowing look before continuing. "You see, people have a weakness: when they hear or see someone accusing them of being wrong, they instinctively focus their attention on it. Their first reaction is to refute the other party.
"When Commander Mormont sees my accusations, even if he's disdainful, that instinct will likely compel him to keep reading the rest of the letter. Maybe he'll even write back to appease me and explain the real purpose behind organizing this operation... After all, he's counting on me to work harder and fulfill the supply list."
"You overthink things," Tyrion snorted, though he begrudgingly acknowledged that Aegor's logic made some sense. Nodding, he picked up the letter and said, "Alright, tell me again. I'll write it down word for word. But if this backfires, don't blame me."
---
Thus, Aegor dictated while Tyrion wrote. About an hour later, the first official letter from the Night's Watch's inaugural "Chief Logistics Officer" to the 997th Commander-in-Chief, Jeor Mormont, was completed. Written by Tyrion Lannister, it was meticulously composed in the neat and elegant script popular in the Westerlands.
The letter began with a stern accusation, aiming to immediately grab the reader's attention. It was followed by Aegor's speculation and analysis of the situation beyond the Wall. Aegor described the circumstances as dire as possible, hoping to alarm the reader. Then, he offered his own suggestions: the Night's Watch was currently too weak to act independently. The safest course of action was to stabilize their defenses, gather solid evidence, and then appeal to the rulers of the Seven Kingdoms for aid.
Finally, the letter included several concrete plans devised by Aegor. Using his imagination, he outlined methods for capturing wights alive with minimal risk, requiring only small teams of elite Night's Watch brothers. He also promised to provide all the weapons and equipment needed to implement these plans.
---
"Excuse me, Aegor, but your plans seem a little too idealistic. They'd only work if everything went perfectly and nothing went wrong," Tyrion remarked, shaking his head. He had decided, at least for now, not to question the existence of the so-called "ghosts" beyond the Wall. Assuming Aegor wasn't speaking nonsense, Tyrion addressed the practical issues instead. "I've been to the Wall myself. The conditions and circumstances there are terrible. The personnel are unevenly trained, and the situation changes constantly."
"I'm not asking them to follow my plans to the letter. The key lies in the preparation." Aegor smiled faintly. "As long as they agree to the idea of appealing to the rulers of the Seven Kingdoms for help and wait for me to send them the equipment for catching wights and dealing with White Walkers, my goal will be achieved. It takes about a month to travel from King's Landing to the Wall, even by sea. By the time the supplies arrive, the most dangerous period will have passed."
"What dangerous period?"
"Ah, military secrets."
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The part Aegor didn't share with Tyrion was this: in the original timeline of the Ranger Expedition, the Night's Watch stationed themselves at the Fist of the First Men because they believed it was a critical choke point. Mance Rayder's 100,000 wildlings were expected to pass through the Milkwater river, and the rugged terrain of the Fist was easy to defend but difficult to attack. Strategically, this high ground was vital, securing it meant that a few hundred brothers of the Night's Watch could hold off tens of thousands of wildlings.
However, instead of wildlings, the Night's Watch faced an army of undead.
If the Night's Watch delayed their departure and waited for Aegor's promised equipment and supplies, the wildlings would already be marching south from their assembly point. They would bypass the Fist entirely, and the expeditionary force would lose their "first-mover advantage." Without seizing the high ground, the Night's Watch wouldn't be trapped on the Fist, surrounded by the dead. This delay could avert their near-annihilation.
For Aegor, this was the best way for a logistics officer to influence the front line without having direct command authority, control the timing of supplies.
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If the Night's Watch could capture wights and present them in King's Landing as evidence, that would undoubtedly be the best outcome. Otherwise, saving as many brothers as possible was a worthwhile alternative.
Faced with the choice, Aegor ultimately decided to follow his conscience. He couldn't sit by and do nothing while 300 Night's Watch brothers walked to their deaths. Although he wanted to shed his identity as a brother of the Night's Watch and resented being saddled with endless tasks, he still shared a camaraderie with the men at Castle Black. On a personal level, he also admired the dedication and moral character of leaders like Commander Mormont and Maester Aemon.
"Tsk... I don't care about these so-called military secrets." Tyrion waved dismissively and picked up the letter. "Well, that's it. Do you want to add anything else?"
"Let me think… First, request an official certificate of appointment for me as 'Chief Logistics Officer.' Write that I don't want a salary, and I'll recruit my own subordinates. All I need is for the Night's Watch to officially recognize my title."
"Fair enough. What else?"
Aegor thought for a moment and realized sending a letter to the Wall was rare, so he might as well include everything. "Mention the difficulties I've had recruiting soldiers and explain that I'm planning to recruit 'temporary Night's Watch.' See if Mormont agrees."
"You're having trouble recruiting soldiers?" Tyrion raised an eyebrow. "Have you even started recruiting yet?"
"No, but just write it down," Aegor replied nonchalantly.
"Fine…"
After organizing his thoughts and slightly embellishing the plan, Aegor continued dictating, and Tyrion wrote it down.
"Oh, one more thing. If you find the bodies of rangers patrolling beyond the Wall, don't burn them when you bring them back to Castle Black. Lock them in cages. If they're alive, send them to King's Landing."
Tyrion frowned, baffled by the bizarre request, but decided to play along. "Anything else?"
"That's all… Oh, no—add one last note for Jon Snow. Tell him Arya asked me to say hello. She's learning swordsmanship with me here in King's Landing and having a great time. Tell him to take care of himself at the Wall."
Tyrion rolled his eyes. "You're impersonating Lady Arya now?"
"Just write it. I'll talk to Arya tomorrow. She'll agree."
***
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