Chapter 142: The Base
Robert had not yet returned to King's Landing, but the decrees he had issued were already being carried back to the capital of the Seven Kingdoms by his subordinates. Much like when Egger had been personally tapped as a sworn brother to accompany the royal party two months prior—a King might forget the words he's spoken or the orders he's given, but the listeners, the messengers, and especially the recipients of those orders could never afford to let them slip their minds.
Robert's decision regarding the Guild of Pyromancers had reached the Wisdoms of the Alchemists' Guild through various channels.
Two elderly men entered the room: one was the Pyromancer Hallyne, whom Egger already knew, and the other was an even older man who walked with a precarious tremble.
"Good afternoon, Wisdoms," Egger said, setting aside his irritations and offering a bright smile. "I was just about to pay you a visit if you hadn't come to me. Please, sit."
"Hmph!" The older Pyromancer yanked a chair out and sat down with a face full of indignation.
"Lord Egger, this is... Wisdom Garigus, my senior," Hallyne said. Lacking the other's fiery temper, he sat down quietly and introduced his companion to the Night's Watchman with courtesy before falling silent.
"The Chief Logistics Officer certainly has a grand reach," Garigus said, his lips trembling as he spat out his fury. "Our Alchemists' Guild has already fallen into such a dismal state, and yet you think it's not miserable enough? You want to drag us to the Edge of the World, to the Wall? Are you intentionally trying to kill off us old men!"
"The Wisdoms held a meeting to discuss this and reached a consensus—going to the Wall is absolutely out of the question. We're just a bunch of old bones anyway; the worst they can do is take our heads..." Hallyne, having met Egger once before, spoke with less heat. "I say, Lord Egger, if you want wildfire, there's plenty in the vaults for you to use for free. Why go to His Majesty and make life difficult for us old-timers?"
...
So that's it. Egger had wondered why the two old men were so aggressive; now he understood. "Wisdoms, where is this coming from? When did I ever say I was sending you to the Wall?"
"Don't play the fool! Just today, King Robert's men came with orders. They required us to seal and process the wildfire, leave assistants behind to manage it, and ordered every man who knows how to make the substance to head north to work for the Night's Watch. That pretty-boy messenger even said—for specifics, we were to ask you, and that everything is under your arrangement! Do you dare claim this wasn't your doing?!"
"Alright, it was indeed my doing." Egger paused, waving a hand. "But wait, why call it 'doing' someone harm? I did indeed request the assistance of the Alchemists' Guild from the King... but who said serving the Night's Watch means going to the Wall? I'm not trying to kill you; I'm trying to give you back your dignity, your respect, and a chance for your knowledge and skills to shine and contribute to Westeros!"
Garigus glared at him. "Save your silver tongue! The King's messenger said we are to follow your orders. Once we leave King's Landing, won't our lives and deaths be in your hands? I just want to know: if we don't go to the Wall, how are we supposed to serve the Night's Watch?"
Egger smiled. What had to begin, must begin. "Nina, bring me the map of the North."
"Yes, my lord."
The girl busily ran to the cabinet against the wall to search. Watching her industrious back, Egger sighed inwardly. Using a girl like this as a mere secretary was a waste of talent, but having grown used to her efficiency, he couldn't find a satisfactory replacement. In today's Westeros, where else could one find so many bright, hardworking, and beautiful young women? Arya fit the bill except for being too young and mischievous, and Margaery had a mind that far exceeded the standard, but would these noble ladies have the patience—or would their families even allow them—to work as an assistant in a Night's Watch office?
Just as he was thinking this, Nina returned with what he needed. "My lord, shall I open it?"
"Yes, open it."
The cluttered items on the table were swept aside, and a map of the North about the size of an A2 sheet was spread out, its curled edges pinned down by heavy objects. The entire North, including the Wall, was displayed on the office desk of the Night's Watch.
...
"Wisdoms, what I am about to say, please convey to the other Wisdoms upon your return," Egger said, pointing his finger at the edge of the map and tracing along the dotted line. "Not counting the lands beyond the Wall, this is the northernmost point of the Seven Kingdoms: the Wall. The three main strongholds of the Night's Watch, the nineteen castles, and nearly a thousand soldiers are all distributed along this line. It is an irrefutable fact that most of our manpower and assets are concentrated there. When you heard you were to serve the Watch, it was natural to assume you were going to the Wall; I completely understand. But that is not my plan."
Upon hearing they weren't going to the Wall, the two old men calmed down significantly. Garigus's body stopped shaking and his lips ceased their quivering. This old fox clearly had more seniority among the Pyromancers than Hallyne. He asked, "Then where exactly are we going, and what are we doing? Please, Lord Chief Logistics Officer, speak plainly!"
"South of the Wall, extending from the mountains on the west coast to the rolling plains along the Bay of Seals, is an area known as the Gift, spanning a hundred leagues. To support the defense of the Wall, the rulers of the North and the Iron Throne granted this land to the Night's Watch permanently." Egger gestured on the map, pointing out the region. "This land itself, including the crops on its surface and the resources beneath, belongs to the Night's Watch. The residents pay taxes to us in goods or labor to help sustain our livelihood."
"My lord, these are matters of common knowledge," Garigus interrupted, tapping the table. "I understand your point—serving the Watch doesn't necessarily mean the Wall; the Gift is an option. But what's the difference? The Gift is a desolate, godsforsaken land where you can ride a horse all day without seeing a soul, and where wildlings run amok burning and looting! How many days could a bunch of sixty-year-old men survive out there?"
Egger straightened his posture. "There is a massive difference. It's true the Gift is sparsely populated, but that is mainly due to wildling raids. The climate and environment of the Gift itself are far better than the lands beyond the Wall. The Wall blocks the freezing winds of the Lands of Always Winter, making the temperatures south of the Wall much warmer. It snows occasionally, but not enough to kill a man."
The idea that a seven-hundred-foot wall could block cold air was, of course, nonsense, but the fact that the Gift was warmer than the True North was true. Since the Pyromancers knew nothing of geography or meteorology, he felt no guilt in smoothing over the details. "There are mountains, water, and fertile soil—enough for crops and livestock, let alone for people to live. What I want from the Wisdoms is for you to settle in the Gift and provide a steady supply of wildfire to the Night's Watch to repel wildling attacks. The Watch has a need for you; would we intentionally freeze you or watch you be cut down by wildlings?"
"Settle down? I'm an old man who has never even been to the North; how am I supposed to 'find a place'?" Garigus glared. "Stop talking in circles! Give us your arrangements. Unless we get proper settlement and treatment for our old bones, we aren't going anywhere!"
"Fine!" Egger didn't want to waste more words with the two old men. With money in his pocket, he felt confident. He pointed his finger: "The place I have chosen for the Wisdoms of the Alchemists' Guild is Queenscrown."
"Queenscrown?" The Queen's Crown... What kind of place was that? By the name, it sounded impressive, but he had never heard of it.
"It is a location in the central heart of the Night's Watch territory, not far from the Kingsroad," Egger explained. "Queen Alysanne Targaryen once slept in the holdfast there, and in her honor, the villagers painted the merlons atop the tower gold to look like a crown. That is how it got its name."
"How many people live there? Are the facilities complete? Is there food, drink, and insulated housing?"
"Due to wildling raids, the residents have all fled, leaving behind empty houses and a deserted village," Egger explained, but quickly added: "But I will rebuild it! I will send men north ahead of time to recruit stonemasons and builders from the North to renovate the houses and tower, build a defensive wall, and establish this as the first base of the Night's Watch Logistics Department. It will provide a warm, safe residence as well as a facility for producing wildfire. Only after all this is finished will the Wisdoms of the Alchemists' Guild be the first to move in. For the foreseeable future, Queenscrown will become the only wildfire production site in Westeros—and indeed, the world. This weapon, ignored and despised by King Robert and the southerners, will once again shine brilliantly in the defense of the Wall after countless years, and the Wisdoms will regain their dignity and importance in the North, far from King's Landing!"
Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/MistaQuartz
On Patreon, you can explore Extra Chapters in advance!