"Get ready. We're going to the factory for an inspection."
Nina looked startled. "Right now?"
"Yes."
Aegor had drawn in plenty of business while in the coalition army camp. Margaery and the other nobles from the six kingdoms, who had promised to visit the office for investment discussions, could arrive at any moment. If they requested a tour of the industrial park, it would be embarrassing if he, as the head of the operation, was unfamiliar with its current state. Even he was shocked by how rapidly the factory had grown.
Never go into battle unprepared. Aegor liked having everything under control.
"I understand… right away."
Nina stood up promptly, walked over to the door leading to the backyard, and pushed it open. "Lady Arya, Lord Aegor has returned!"
What? Arya's in the backyard?
No one had mentioned she was here. Did that mean she had been coming every day while he was gone?
As the newly replaced door swung open, the sounds of laughter and the clashing of wood rang out from the yard, followed by an excited shriek. The thick, insulated door was so effective that Aegor hadn't realized someone was back there the entire time.
Why is Arya still training here?
Ah, right—before he left King's Landing, Leon had said he would continue keeping the Stark girl occupied. But who was she sparring with?
A bad feeling crept into his gut. Suddenly, he understood why he hadn't recognized anyone when he entered the office earlier.
Before he could think further, a small, nimble figure darted through the doorway.
"Master!"
Arya shouted gleefully, running straight for him without even dropping the wooden training sword in her hand.
Aegor barely had time to stand before she crashed into him, wrapping her arms around his waist and rubbing her head against him like a playful pup.
"You're finally back! No one tells stories when you're gone, and practicing swordplay all day is so boring!"
"It's all written in books. Read them yourself. And stop acting like a spoiled child, mind your manners, girl!"
Helpless, Aegor ruffled Arya's hair. After two months apart, she seemed to have grown taller.
As she pulled away, Aegor noticed something that left him stunned.
"Why are you wearing lipstick?"
"Didn't you say girls should know how to dress up?" Arya stuck out her tongue and muttered, "I saw how nice Nina looked after putting on makeup, so I wanted to try it too!"
It was true—she did look good with it. Bright-eyed and full of energy, with red lips and white teeth, she had gone from the wild "troublemaker Arya" to something closer to the legendary Lyanna reborn.
Aegor shook off his wandering thoughts and suddenly remembered something.
Arya's bodyguard usually waited outside on the bench after escorting her here. But he hadn't seen anyone when he entered.
A noble girl, wandering around King's Landing alone, what if she ran into trouble?
"Where's your guard?" Aegor frowned. He could excuse Arya's carelessness, but as an adult, it was his responsibility to ensure her safety.
"He's outside the city, training the recruits," Arya said casually.
"After Lord Hightower drops off Lady Arya each morning, he goes to train our security forces outside the city," Nina explained, her voice much more composed now that others were present. "In the evening, he rushes back to escort her home to the Red Keep."
"He's training the recruits?" Aegor raised a brow. "That's good… but he's still sworn to House Stark. If you've been ordering him around—"
Nina quickly clarified. "Lord Tyrion pays him a salary—well, hardship pay, to be exact."
Ah.
Aegor smirked.
If a Lannister was paying, it was bound to be a generous sum.
As a Stark retainer, Hightower had simply found himself a well-paying side job. Aegor could already imagine the envy of the other Stark guards—watching their comrade earn extra coin while still serving his duty.
His earlier concern had been unnecessary. With Tyrion in charge, there was no way anyone would be working for free.
Eddard Stark… are you using my office as a free daycare?
Still, Arya had contributed greatly to Night's Watch Industries. If anything, this arrangement could be considered a century's worth of prepaid trust fees.
Aegor had been about to lecture her about treating cosmetics like toys, but then another thought struck him.
The Hand of the King's daughter is using Night's Watch products… and it actually looks good on her. Isn't that free advertisement?
Perhaps he should be encouraging her instead. If the lipstick proved to be safe, he might even pay her for the promotion.
"Well, I'm heading to the industrial park outside the city. Want to come along?"
"Of course!" Arya cheered.
She was full of boundless energy, afraid of nothing—except being left alone.
"I want to ride my own horse!"
…
In the backyard, Arya's personal sword instructor finally stepped inside and greeted him.
"Lord Aegor."
"Yeah." Aegor nodded in response.
Since returning to the office, he had heard plenty of good news but Jaqen's continued presence wasn't a mere surprise; it was a shock.
Why hadn't he left?
As one of Braavos' most skilled spies and assassins, if his mission was to infiltrate the royal library and gather intelligence, why had it taken him three or four moons without completion?
Aegor had reason to suspect that Jaqen's true purpose in staying had nothing to do with the library. More likely, he was here to monitor the growth of Night's Watch Industries, waiting for an opportunity to steal business secrets. If this man, one of the first employees of the office managed to embed himself as a "veteran" of the company and turn into an agent of the Iron Bank within its ranks, that would be a serious problem.
And now that Tyrion had begun preparing for large-scale lending, did that mean Night's Watch Industries was now competing with the Iron Bank?
Would he and Tyrion find themselves facing the threat of the Faceless Men?
…
Nina had no idea what was running through Aegor's mind. She simply turned to the Faceless Man and instructed, "Akun, ride ahead to the industrial park and inform Lord Tyrion that Lord Aegor is coming to inspect."
"Yeah."
Jaqen nodded without hesitation, pushed open the door, and left.
Aegor watched him go, slightly taken aback. Nina can order Jaqen around?
Was it because she was particularly persuasive, or was Jaqen simply too immersed in playing the role of a dedicated office worker?
---
After a moment of thought, Aegor decided to set aside his concerns about Jaqen's presence and the Iron Bank's potential reaction.
I am the lawful overseer of the Night's Watch, its rightful leader and navigator.
Since he already knew Jaqen's true identity, all he needed to do was ensure the man never entered the core management circle. If the rulers of Braavos truly wanted intelligence on the Night's Watch, getting rid of Jaqen wouldn't stop them in the slightest.
As for competition—there was no competition.
The Iron Bank couldn't lend money in Westeros.
The policy of keeping the Iron Bank out of the Seven Kingdoms had been established as early as the Targaryen dynasty. And while the Baratheons had overthrown their predecessors, they had largely upheld their policies. Though they borrowed from the Iron Bank, they refused to allow Braavosi political and financial influence to spread within the realm.
Even if Tyrion never lent out a single coin, the Iron Bank still wouldn't be able to break into this market.
"Westeros shut out foreign financial influence but never built its own banking institutions."
Aegor shook his head.
That was a failure on the part of the Iron Throne's rulers.
But in their failure, they had unwittingly left behind an enormous, untapped market—a perfect opportunity, as if the world itself had been waiting for someone like him, a man from another time, to come and stir up chaos.
No competitors. No challengers.
Finance is nothing more than a single-player game.
As for the Iron Bank's stance?
Business is never a matter of life and death.
Rather than seeking to strangle him, the rulers of Braavos would be far more likely to support and subtly assist him. As long as Aegor ensured that all core management remained under his control, then even if he died, Night's Watch Industries would not fall into enemy hands.
He would never allow his opponents to seize his empire and steal the fruits of his labor.
With that in mind, his personal safety was hardly at risk. The Iron Bank was powerful—at least, its reputation made it seem powerful but at the end of the day, it was still a business.
And businessmen don't kill without first trying to negotiate.
---
With that realization, Aegor felt far more at ease.
Gathering his companions—Nina, Arya, and Casey, who was standing outside with a smug look—he led the horses onto the road, setting off for the Night's Watch Industrial Park beyond the city walls.
The weather had cooled since the peak of summer, which meant that the infamous stench of King's Landing had diminished somewhat. This difference became even more noticeable as they rode beyond the city gates, where the fresh breeze from the open plains carried away the lingering filth.
They chatted as they traveled.
Arya talked endlessly, filling the air with tales about how incredible "Akun" was. Then she boasted about how much her swordsmanship had improved and insisted she wanted to challenge her master.
She even brought up the little yellow book she had hidden—how it was discovered by Septa Mordane, how she had refused to admit that Tyrion gave it to her, and how she had nearly been beaten for her defiance.
She sounded as if she were boasting of her loyalty, waiting to be praised.
All the way, her yapping never ceased.
From Arya's stories, Aegor was at least reassured about one thing, Jaqen might not be teaching her everything, but he was genuinely training her in swordplay.
He found himself looking forward to seeing if she would truly become a great swordswoman in the end.
Of course, that was only idle curiosity.
As a man who has lived another life, who knows the plot, who understands far more than anyone else, a grown man, a teacher, and the idol of this young girl—it is my duty to protect those who admire and trust me.
How ridiculous would it be to sit back and expect Arya to suffer hardships, grow into a ruthless assassin, and then protect me?
Half an hour later, Aegor arrived at the Blackwater River, southwest of King's Landing, the very site he had once personally selected.
After two months away, he was finally back online.
(To be continued.)
***
***
For every 100 PS = 1 extra chapter. Support me on patreon to read 50+ advanced chapters: patreon.com/Blownleaves.
Giving away 1-month free Patreon to 3 random members tomorrow. DÎscőrd link: https://discord.gg/UN2j5Cmq