GOT/ASOIAF: Ruler Beyond the Ice

In his original world, what Aegor was attempting would have been seen as a direct challenge to established banks and, by extension, the state. The label of "illegal fundraising" would have been slapped on him, and he'd have had to bear the consequences.

But in Westeros, where the economy and financial systems were virtually nonexistent, there were no laws governing such activities. And even if such laws existed, with Eddard Stark as Hand of the King, the Night's Watch could easily secure legal approval to raise funds.

Aegor wasn't an expert in economics. In fact, he had barely any understanding of it. But before he was transported to this world, he had often frequented a forum," a place where industry experts, storytellers, and self-proclaimed geniuses debated and exchanged ideas. It was a melting pot of knowledge, where facts were interwoven with clever fabrications. From there, Aegor had picked up more than just the art of storytelling, he had gained snippets of knowledge and insights into ideas most ordinary people wouldn't know. Now, those scraps of information were proving invaluable.

What he intended to do was, at its core, a form of "robbing Peter to pay Paul", essentially a Ponzi scheme, at least until he found a legitimate way to generate profits. Tyrion quickly saw through this and initially refused to participate outright.

At a critical moment, however, Aegor improvised. Using simplified terms and examples, he presented a much larger and more complex financial concept in a way Tyrion could grasp. It was a truth that most people either couldn't comprehend or didn't want to believe, even when they understood it: modern society, in many ways, was built on a massive system of "non-existent money." This grand illusion, born from collective human imagination, was far more impactful than any single invention or discovery. And when everyone participates in the illusion, it ceases to be a scam, it becomes the foundation of society.

By leveraging this grander scheme, Aegor had broadened Tyrion's perspective. He had, in essence, used poison to fight poison, easing Tyrion's discomfort with the smaller "scam" of raising funds for the Night's Watch. What he didn't tell Tyrion, however, was the disastrous consequences that could arise if this financial game went awry. Nor did Aegor know if introducing such concepts to this world was the right thing to do or whether his plan would ultimately succeed. Still, he had no choice but to project confidence. If he hesitated or appeared uncertain, how could he convince a feudal noble unfamiliar with such ideas?

Convincing Tyrion, though not essential, would make everything far smoother. If the Lannister agreed to join, it would be a major boost to Aegor's efforts.

Aegor's ultimate goal wasn't to remain in the Night's Watch forever. He still dreamed of returning to his original world. He couldn't and wouldn't spend every waking moment scrambling for money to buy his freedom. After weighing his options, he realized that fundraising was the only way to solve his financial woes once and for all.

---

Aegor was truly busy.

First, he needed to figure out which two assistants Eddard Stark had assigned to him and where his office was located. While money could have solved these problems, he was currently at the pre-fundraising stage and needed to save as much as possible.

Next, he had to ensure that the first installment of his "ransom" payment, courtesy of Tyrion, was delivered to the Wall.

Finally, he needed to prepare for an upcoming trip to Dragonstone to organize the obsidian mining operation.

On the surface, it didn't seem like much. But in this era, even the smallest tasks could be time-consuming, especially with the distances involved. As a newly appointed official, Aegor felt the weight of responsibility and dared not slack off.

After rushing to the Red Keep with Yoren and grabbing a quick lunch, Aegor re-entered the royal castle and headed to the Tower of the Hand. Unsurprisingly, Eddard Stark was far busier than Aegor and unavailable to meet. Instead, Yoren was escorted to the dungeons, while Aegor was introduced to two Stark guards, Oden and David, who had been assigned to assist him.

The two soldiers from Winterfell carried a natural affinity for members of the Night's Watch, given their shared roots in the North. Their initial meeting was cordial, and the trio quickly established a harmonious working relationship. With their help, Aegor's next destination was the eastern barracks of the King's Landing City Watch.

It was here that Aegor met the captain of the City Watch, Janos Slynt. The man was short, stocky, bald, and possessed a double chin that only added to his generally unpleasant appearance. His demeanor was as repulsive as his face.

Aegor harbored no goodwill toward this man. In the original story, Janos Slynt was a corrupt official who sold positions, lined his pockets, and ultimately betrayed Eddard Stark. It was hard to muster respect for such a figure. Thankfully, the feeling was mutual, Slynt clearly had no interest in a Night's Watchman from the Wall who couldn't offer him bribes or influence.

Still, this was a direct order from the Hand of the King. Despite his sour attitude, Slynt didn't dare to obstruct or cause trouble. With a perfunctory nod toward Aegor, he ordered one of his gold cloaks to escort the trio to the building that had been assigned as the Night's Watch office.

The house was located opposite the gate of the East Camp of the Capital Garrison, not far from the noble district and the Red Keep. As it belonged to the garrison and was located on a street with huge traffic, even Janos Slynt, who valued money like his life, did not dare to rent it to others for business on his own initiative.

To be honest, Aegor was very satisfied with the result. If he had to rent such a storefront near the street and close to the security forces of King's Landing, he would probably not have enough gold and silver coins to pay for a month. It turned out that he had done the right thing by asking Eddard Stark for help. This was definitely a great favor to the Night's Watch.

After looking at the house and taking the keys, Aegor took the two guards from Winterfell back to the inn where he was staying and reunited with Tyrion. The sun began to set, and they set out from the Albatross Inn to the port and merchant gathering place on the Blackwater River in King's Landing to begin purchasing supplies.

They went south through Street of sisters, Mud Wat and Fishermonger's Square, and finally arrived at their destination after exiting River Gate, also known as Mud Gate.

…

Mud Gate is not bad at all. It got this name because people who disembark at the port here often have wet mud on their feet. Due to the large flow of people, the roads and squares are covered with mud. When it rains, the road conditions are so bad that it is like walking into a swamp.

Three hundred years ago, this area was completely covered by forests, with only a few fishermen settling on the north bank of the Blackwater River, where the water flows fast and deep into the sea. Later, when Aegon the Conqueror crossed the sea from Dragonstone, his army landed here. Now, this has become the most prosperous area outside the walls of King's Landing.

Houses, pavilions, brick warehouses, wooden inns and market stalls, taverns, cemeteries and brothels, all kinds of buildings are built one after another, and the noise can be heard from a long distance away; more than a hundred docks line the waterfront, and countless ships are moored in the harbor; deep-water fishing boats and river rafts are endless, and boatmen paddle back and forth in Blackwater Bay, and merchant ships unload goods from Braavos, Pentos and Lys in a steady stream.

This is the port with the largest external trade volume in Westeros. In order to provide space for the Fisherman's Square inside the city wall and the cargo distribution center outside the wall, the city wall gates here are the weakest positions in King's Landing, which makes the nickname "Mud Gate" more worthy of its name.

Tyrion knew almost every merchant in the port, and with his Lannister's brain and reputation as a "little devil", basically no one dared to kill him. Aegor was happy to be relaxed about this matter, just following along, watching the dwarf negotiate all the transactions and arrangements for the ransom he paid for himself at a slightly lower cost than expected: from determining the price, delivery date, to hiring ships to deliver the supplies to Eastwatch, he didn't worry about anything, and his freedom for at least the next three months was settled.

The first task of the two Winterfell guards is to ensure that the supplies arrive at Eastwatch on time with guaranteed quality and quantity and be delivered to the Night's Watch without any loss.

As night fell, before dark, Aegor found a small merchant ship that was heading to Dragonstone. After paying a deposit of several silver stag, the captain agreed to wait for him to board the ship before setting off the next day... Everything was done, and the night was deep. The second day after Aegor arrived in King's Landing passed so busy and fulfilling.

***

5 Bonus Chapter if we reach 10 reviews.

For every 100 PS = 1 extra chapter. Support me on patreon to read 20+ advanced chapters: patreon.com/Blownleaves.