Robb had already realized that Aegor always managed to say things that sounded quite reasonable to the public. Rather than contemplating the logic and intent behind his words, Robb was more intrigued by the specifics of the so-called "indoctrination." His instincts told him that this was an essential skill related to governance, and mastering it would be beneficial.
"Ha, well, that's a bit unfortunate. Crown Town was only recently built, and its basic 'supply' function has only just become operational. Everything else is still just a preliminary concept and hasn't yet been put into practice," Aegor chuckled, this time not lying. "If Lord Stark is truly interested in the operational details of this 'indoctrination' concept, we'll have plenty of time to discuss it slowly as we tour the North. We've been on the road for days since leaving Winterfell, and everyone must be tired. Why don't we head inside the town, enjoy some hospitality, and after eating, bathing, changing, and resting, we can talk more."
"Alright."
The horses and men passed slowly through the gates of Crown Town and entered the interior of this capital of the Gift. In stark contrast to the bustle outside, the world within the walls immediately quieted. What met their eyes were tall, square buildings constructed from wood and stone, all appearing very similar. Aside from the guards, there were barely any idle figures walking among the buildings... This confirmed Aegor's earlier account of the entry protocols for Crown Town and also helped Robb and the Winterfell contingent relax.
At least within this small town, they didn't need to constantly stay on high alert, worrying about a stone suddenly flying at them from some corner.
...
Unlike typical castles, Crown Town had no defined inner or outer circles, nor any clearly demarcated center. The buildings were uniform, as if there were only two types: storage warehouses and residential housing. Aegor was the builder and de facto ruler of this place, though not its legal lord. To avoid rumors and maximize space efficiency, he had ordered that there be no obvious "main castle," "great hall," or any other structure designated for rulers during construction. Instead, he opted for a more practical, block-based layout.
Yam had faithfully carried out Aegor's vision. The result was a settlement built from complete planning, with grid-like roads that gave it a unique sense of order and modern sensibility. This environment suited Aegor well, but left the Stark visitors—used to the sprawling maze of Winterfell—somewhat disoriented. The layout was simple and clear, but without someone to guide them, they could easily get lost.
After walking about a hundred yards and turning a corner, they arrived at a district that was not the geometric center of Crown Town but was indeed the core of the settlement. Here, Aegor saw Humfrey—who now served as Chief Logistics Officer in Crown Town—waiting for him... along with Jon Snow.
What's going on? Aegor frowned, confused, and looked toward Yam.
This trip to the Gift with Robb Stark had been planned to let the young Lord of the North "see it with his own eyes." It wasn't meant to play the family card. The resettlement of Free Folk in the Gift involved the North's security and was a grave matter. Even if Aegor cared about brotherly affection, Robb was unlikely to be swayed by Jon's opinion. On the contrary, sending the quiet Jon to lobby might even backfire.
Yam, noticing his confusion, subtly shook his head, indicating Jon had not been arranged to be there by him.
"Jon—Jon!" Before Aegor could react, Arya had already run over, jumping into the arms of her favorite half-brother.
Robb also hugged Jon. After exchanging greetings, he asked, "Jon, shouldn't you be at Castle Black? What are you doing here?"
"They're holding the election for the new Lord Commander at Castle Black. Things are chaotic, and no one is really in charge, so I came here to see if Crown Town needed help."
Robb smiled and shook his head. "You, always so warmhearted... but make sure you're still fulfilling your main duties."
"Lord Stark is right to remind me."
The two brothers shared a warm moment of jesting, and Aegor, who had initially been caught off guard, quickly calmed down. Jon must have something urgent to report. Otherwise, he would never risk showing up uninvited during this meticulously arranged visit. Though Jon's answer revealed no flaws, Aegor couldn't let the small talk continue.
"It's cold out here. Let's head inside, unload, and relax. We'll have plenty of time to catch up later."
...
Dinner was plentiful, though not extravagant. While the bathing and accommodations couldn't compare to Winterfell's hot springs, everything that could be arranged had been. After the welcoming banquet, the reception staff led the Winterfell group to their lodging. Meanwhile, Aegor returned to his office to receive reports from Crown Town's two administrators.
---
There was much to report, but the essence could be summarized in a single sentence: Crown Town's food supplies were running out.
When the Free Folk attacked the Wall from the south, they brought whatever food they could carry. But such reserves were ultimately a stagnant pool. Mance Rayder's original plan had been to "acquire" resources by taking them from the North and the southern lands after breaching the Wall—survive through battle and head south to escape the coming winter. But Aegor's introduction of foreign aid and robust defense had forced them to surrender before they even completed the first step and settle in the Gift instead.
Without the vast Haunted Forest to support them, the New Gift Folk couldn't survive the winter relying solely on what little food they'd brought with them. And that wasn't counting the fact that half of it was stored in Castle Black, under the control of the Chief Steward, who refused to hand it over to feed the Free Folk.
Trying to use less than half the food in the Gift to feed both the New Gift Folk and Logistics Department personnel—who made up nearly 80% of the population—was an impossible task. Crown Town's granaries were being emptied at an alarming rate. Only to avoid sparking panic had Humphrey and Yam continued to distribute food as usual per Aegor's earlier orders.
"We've done everything we can to delay the final moment—reducing the intensity of labor, even suspending some projects to slow consumption; slightly raising prices while increasing the variety and quantity of other goods to divert the New Gift Folk's funds away from food; encouraging foraging and hunting in the wilderness and hills of the Gift... even secretly contacting the Mountain Clans to obtain Castle Black's stockpiled food through them," Yam said, looking deeply worried. "But Castle Black's control of the food is strict. We've tried all kinds of methods, but at best we've only bought ourselves a little more time before the warehouses are completely empty..."
"To be honest, Lord Stark's month-long journey south with two thousand men was a great help. If we'd had two thousand more mouths to feed, the granaries would already be empty," Humfrey added with a shrug. "Now we just need one thing: a clear answer—when will this all end?"
"You've done well." Aegor already had a clear understanding of the situation in the Gift and Crown Town and knew his two subordinates weren't exaggerating. A shortage of food was a shortage of food. Even if he'd stayed to oversee everything himself, he likely couldn't have done any better. "Now that the route from the Gift to the North has been cleared, the first shipment of food aid should arrive soon. Hold out a little longer and wait for the supplies from Braavos."
"That's good news."
"Your handling of things is always reassuring. Can you tell us about your trip south to deal with the crisis?"
The two de facto managers of Crown Town were overjoyed and casually asked about the trip. Aegor gave a brief account, focusing on the difficult figures Robb Stark had thrown at him, and his initial ideas for dealing with those problematic nobles. It had been a long time since the three had met. This work handover and discussion dragged on for quite a while. After an hour or two, Jon Snow knocked and entered.
This young man had traveled all the way from Castle Black to find Aegor. The matters he had to report or discuss must be far more urgent than the routine issues of Crown Town. Aegor stopped speaking and turned to him.
Their eyes met, confirming that something important needed to be said.
Aegor turned back to the other two. "That's enough for today. I'll think over the rest before making any decisions. Go rest. Oh, and before turning in, check with the Winterfell guests again to see if they need anything."
"Understood. We'll be off now." Humfrey and Yam, both handpicked by Aegor, were quick-witted and tactful. They bowed and left together.
...
"Jon, long time no see." Aegor smiled and nodded. "Did you spend time chatting with Robb, or were you held up by Arya?"
"Both, I suppose... Little sister's still grieving over Father's death. She pretends to have moved on, but deep down, she's still full of guilt. I stayed to comfort her, which is why I'm late."
"Is that so?" Aegor had no interest in a little girl's feelings. As soon as the door closed again, he shifted the topic. "Sit. Tell me what's going on at Castle Black."
Jon sat down and began his report without hesitation. "While you were away, the plan to stall the election of a new Lord Commander went well. Ser Denys Mallister's votes hovered around four hundred, and Cotter Pyke followed closely, usually over three hundred, some of which were votes we arranged. After a half-month stalemate, Othell Yarwyck, our Chief Builder, who was in third place, withdrew from the race."
...
Aegor breathed a sigh of relief. He had left Castle Black at a critical moment in hopes that his two chief rivals would let their guard down and turn against each other, giving him more room to maneuver. It was a gamble. If Denys and Cotter had unexpectedly reached an agreement and elected a new Lord Commander, and he returned to find the Gift lost, then aside from leading the Free Folk in rebellion, he would truly have no other option.
And the North would not tolerate anyone taking the Gift by force. If it came to that, he'd have to break with House Stark. Controlling Robb alone would not be enough—he would also need to detain the other four great houses visiting the Gift. Theoretically, it could be done with the tens of thousands of New Gift Folk, but the Free Folk were far from loyal or reliable. If it truly came to that…
He would be fighting off a Wildling uprising while facing the wrath of the Night's Watch and governing the Gift under sanctions from the Iron Throne. And once the Night's Watch Industry was confiscated, even Braavos might cancel their aid... That would be a dead end.
Rather than die in Westeros, Aegor would sooner flee with the funds across the Narrow Sea.
Fortunately, the worst-case scenario hadn't come to pass. Othell's withdrawal had been expected. He lacked both the ability and seniority of the Shadow Tower and Eastwatch commanders. With no real chance of winning, he had stepped down and released his two hundred or so supporters, hoping they would influence the final outcome.
"What happened after he withdrew?"
"Once the third-place candidate left the race, the top two factions scrambled within Castle Black to win over the former Chief Builder's supporters. After the election two days ago, Ser Denys Mallister had four hundred and fifty votes, and Cotter Pyke was also near four hundred. The gap actually narrowed."
Aegor ran the numbers and quickly sensed something odd. "That's just over eight hundred votes, with about sixty of those arranged by us. Where are the other two hundred?"
"Ser Jarman Buckwell received over a hundred votes," Jon answered. "While you were gone, Sam and I stayed busy. We talked privately with the brothers at Castle Black, patiently explaining the Gift resettlement plan—how it's feasible and beneficial. And the New Gift Folk's law-abiding behavior these past two months, as well as your fundraising efforts in the North, have earned more support for the reformers. After Othell stepped down, many brothers who had supported him shifted to your ally. If you had run yourself, the numbers would be even higher."
That explained it. The nearly two hundred brothers who had supported Othell saw him as a potentially qualified Lord Commander, but they weren't blindly loyal. Othell could quit the race, but he couldn't command them to vote for someone else. Thus, when he stepped down, dozens of votes left the conservative camp and swung to the reformers—Aegor's side.
"Very good." Aegor nodded in satisfaction. Jon and Sam, especially the latter's cleverness, were part of why he felt confident enough to leave Castle Black in search of a breakthrough in the North. They hadn't let him down.
But something felt off. All of this was good news. Had Jon really rushed to Crown Town just to tell him a day early so he could sleep better?
"But the other side has noticed your plan," Jon quickly clarified. "Once word reached Castle Black that the Gift Army had taken Deepwood Motte, convinced Catelyn Bay to surrender, and helped the North retake its homeland—and that Robb was heading north with you—Ser Denys Mallister and Cotter Pyke realized you weren't giving up. They've been meeting often. They're likely plotting something to counter your triumphant return."
"How many votes can we control right now?"
"The Westermen's votes are solidly yours. If we're optimistic, two hundred Castle Black brothers are willing to vote for you. Altogether, that's less than two hundred sixty."
Less than one-third of the Night's Watch. Meaning the conservatives still held more than two-thirds. If either Denys or Cotter chose to throw his support behind the other, Aegor would be powerless.
Jon shook his head. "Sam thinks it's nearly impossible for them to compromise that way. But that doesn't mean they won't reach a deal in some other form. We don't yet know what that might be. Either way, I felt you needed to hear this in advance and start preparing."
(To be continued.)
***
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