Chapter 42: A New Beginning
With Eddard Stark setting an example for over a decade, respect and friendliness toward the Black Brotherhood had become a cultural norm in the North. However, using that as a benchmark made the latter half of the journey feel somewhat desolate.
The further south they traveled, the warmer the climate became, but the colder the people grew. By the time they passed Moat Cailin and neared the Neck, the faces of villagers and petty lords were already marked by indifference and perfunctory service. Once they left Greywater Watch and entered the Riverlands, no one spared a second glance for the black garb worn by Egger and Yoren. Further south, the attitude even began to veer toward contempt—a world apart from the warmth of the Northerners.
This didn't dampen the spirits of the two Night's Watchmen much. They were mature adults; Yoren had spent years traveling and was long accustomed to regional biases, while Egger had come prepared. If a set of black clothes were enough to earn the respect and favor of every noble and commoner in the Seven Kingdoms, why would the North still need to sweep the dungeons to find recruits for the Wall? One of his long-term goals was to find a way to take off the black; if those around him didn't remind him of the harsh reality of his status, what motivation would he have to see his plan through?
The only thing that troubled him was that the task of improving the image of the Night's Watch appeared to be significantly more difficult than expected.
Every road, no matter how long, has an end. After nearly a month of traveling with the Lannister—eating well, drinking well, and sightseeing along the way—their destination was finally in sight. The last of Egger's internal anxieties faded away. Although he had been certain ever since seeing Catelyn Stark stay in Winterfell, it wasn't until the final result manifested that the Winterfell incident truly concluded. Despite the twists and turns, he had successfully changed the plot.
No accidents occurred, and no unseen force had conjured a substitute for Catelyn to block their path. Tyrion returned to King's Landing smoothly.
This event was merely a plot shift in itself, but for Egger, it held a deeper significance—it confirmed that in this world of Ice and Fire, major events from the original story could be altered through human intervention. If one dared to act, anything was possible!
King's Landing. Situated on the east coast overlooking Blackwater Bay, it was the landing site of Aegon the Conqueror, the seat of the Red Keep and the Iron Throne, the capital of the Seven Kingdoms, and the greatest political, economic, and cultural center of Westeros. Now, a transmigrator poised to flip the future upside down had arrived!
The trepidation of the journey vanished, replaced by a surge of adrenaline. Had it not been for his sense of reason and restraint, Egger would have wanted to gallop down the King's Road at full tilt.
...
A few miles from the city walls, human dwellings like shacks and tents began to appear along the roadside. With them came a faint, lingering scent.
"Ah, the smell of King's Landing. How I've missed it," Tyrion said leisurely from his horse. "After breathing fresh air for months, it's actually a bit hard to get used to being back."
Egger had heard of the city's stench long before transmigrating, but he never imagined he could smell it from this far away. If it was this bad outside the walls, gods knew what it was like inside. The Wall was cold and dangerous, but the air was crisp... in a place that freezing, any foul smell was usually frozen to the ground.
"How can the capital of the Seven Kingdoms be this pungent? Is it a lack of sewers or just a lack of street sweepers?"
"Both, but there just isn't enough manpower. First, they ensure the noble quarters are clean, then the wealthy districts. As for the slums, they just have to make do. Tsk. There are five hundred thousand people living inside those walls; think of the waste produced every day." Tyrion smirked. "What's this, Master Adventurer? Do you have another brilliant insight?"
"No grand insights. If there aren't enough people, just hire more. I see so many poor folk living outside the walls who can barely find a meal. Give them a decent bowl of food and a few coppers, and they'd be more than happy to do some cleaning."
"A simple, blunt solution. But that brings up the problem: who pays for it?" The dwarf grinned. "Our good King owes a mountain of debt to the Iron Bank and my lord father, and he shows no sign of ever being able to pay it back."
"How can he stand living in such a stink?"
"Apologies, but the Red Keep sits atop Aegon's High Hill. The elevation and the wind blow the smell of waste right away. The high and mighty inside don't have to worry about the stench."
"Fair enough."
Egger truly had nothing left to say. Even with a modern background, he had no solution for a ruler who simply refused to improve.
Besides—he had his own pile of problems to deal with. Why should he care if King's Landing smelled?
As they spoke, they approached the northwest gate of King's Landing. The entrance was swarming with people, horses, and wagons moving in both directions. There were knights and freeriders, bards with harps and drums, wagons piled high with hops, corn, and casks of honey, as well as merchants, craftsmen, and prostitutes. The surging crowd made the Gate of the Gods incredibly congested, with dozens of Gold Cloaks from the City Watch struggling to maintain order.
"The Hand's Tourney," Yoren said with a cold sneer. Born in the North, he understood Lord Stark's temperament better than most in Westeros. "The Hand must hate this tournament to death."
"The tourney itself is a good thing; it's activities like these that make a kingdom prosper. The nobles get to show off and seek glory, the commoners can join the fun and briefly forget the hardships of life, and the businessmen can make a bit of coin." Tyrion lowered his voice, though he didn't hide the sarcasm. "The only issue is that our good King holds them far too often. A holiday? Have a tourney. A Prince's Name Day? A tourney. A new Hand appointed? A tourney. If he's in a good mood? Why not another tourney... The events don't charge entry fees, so the participants and spectators are all happy, while the host ends up buried in debt. Worse yet, he borrows in the name of the Iron Throne rather than his own. Tsk tsk. I'm not sure if he's clever or just..."
The group discussed the recently concluded tournament as they rode through the streets, gradually nearing the center of King's Landing.
The stench grew heavier, but human adaptability is a powerful thing. Within minutes, they were able to tolerate the odor—not because their noses had stopped working, but because their brains were able to ignore it and focus on other thoughts.
...
"My backside has suffered enough over the last two months. Let's find a place to settle in before we worry about the rest." Tyrion changed the subject. "I know an inn halfway up Rhaenys's Hill. It's higher than most of the city, so the smell is much fainter. You'll like it."
"Aren't you staying in the Red Keep?" Egger asked curiously. The man was the Queen's own brother; even if the relationship with his sister was poor, he was entitled to stay in the royal fortress—or at least live in the noble district at the foot of the hill.
"The Red Keep is too far from my favorite brothels," the dwarf answered. "Besides, being surrounded by a bunch of ambitious schemers and fools makes me feel nauseous."
"My lord, you have already spent quite a bit on us this trip. As for lodging, let us handle it ourselves." Yoren didn't know the details of the debate and deal between Tyrion and the Night's Watch leadership; he truly thought Egger was sent to King's Landing to raise supplies. Using someone else's money for the whole journey had already made him uneasy.
"By the Seven, have some pity on a small, pathetic dwarf, will you? If I ever want to have a chat with my two Night's Watch friends, do I really have to huff and puff on a horse across half the city to find you?" Tyrion feigned anger. "No more arguing. Come with me."
Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/MistaQuartz
On Patreon, you can explore Extra Chapters in advance!