Chapter 150: Power Struggle
"Arya just told me," Egger reminded Tyrion, "that Slynt was summoned by Robert last night."
"So what? I'm going after this fool specifically because he thinks having the King as a patron makes him untouchable." Tyrion shot Egger a dissatisfied look. "I say, you're supposed to be the legendary White Walker slayer—could you show a little killer instinct? Toppling Slynt doesn't require you to swing a literal blade. I have a plan in mind; you just need to execute your part."
"Tell me!" Arya interjected, unable to contain herself. "Can I help too?"
"Do you think this is a game? This is a life-and-death power struggle between adults!" Tyrion looked at Arya, feeling that her involvement made the whole thing seem like a farce, yet knowing he couldn't simply ignore her. "Fine. I'll give you a mission. Do you know how to tell a story?"
"Of course I do!"
"Good. When you go back, tell your father about how Slynt tried to force Nina to go on a date with him. Pick a time like dinner, and don't exaggerate—just tell him exactly what you know. We need your father, the Hand, to have a poor first impression of Slynt. Don't make it too obvious; whatever you do, don't let your father realize I'm the one who told you to say it." Tyrion's expression was grave. "We aren't treating you like a child this time, so don't let us down!"
"Don't worry!" If Egger hadn't constantly told her to be a lady, Arya would have jumped up to swear a formal oath.
Tyrion wasn't truly at ease entrusting this to a ten-year-old girl, but even if Arya's part went sideways, the trouble wouldn't be catastrophic. He put it out of his mind and continued his instructions. "Nina, as one of the 'victims,' stay inside for the next few days aside from managing the office's daily operations. I'll prepare a script for you; find some time to familiarize yourself with it and memorize it."
"Understood."
...
"The Commander of the City Watch is a role with zero influence in the Seven Kingdoms at large, but in King's Landing, he is a pivotal figure. If we simply wanted to kill him, one person and one blade would suffice. But to remove him from power smoothly, pleasantly, and safely, that requires a mountain of work. That work can be summarized as: severing Janos Slynt's social ties." Tyrion turned to Egger, squinting at him. "To put it simply, we need the various factions in King's Landing—especially the local power players with vested interests in Slynt—to be ready. They need to call in their debts early, withdraw their stakes and bets, and prepare for the appointment of the next Commander."
Egger had never personally participated in a high-level power struggle, but that didn't stop him from understanding Tyrion's logic. "I see. We sever his connections to the power structure as much as possible, causing a 'political and social death.' Once that step is complete, even if we do nothing else, he is destined to fall."
"Political and social death? An interesting new term... but quite fitting." Tyrion nodded. "As long as you understand. To achieve this goal, we must align with the 'prevailing trend.' And that trend is the consensus of the resource-holders behind the scenes in the capital—the collective organization that stands in Robert's shadow as the second master of King's Landing. To convince these people to join us, we need core figures of the Night's Watch industries with real authority, like you or me, to visit them personally. Sending a mere subordinate won't open a single door."
"But I'm not very well-acquainted with our big investors and patrons."
"True. You've hardly met these invisible elites of King's Landing. If you suddenly showed up asking them to help you take someone down, it would be a miracle if it worked. So, we'll split the labor. I'll talk to the power brokers I'm familiar with, while you go to the mid-level officers of the City Watch and find a breach there."
"Find City Watch officers?" Egger was a bit confused. "How do I find a breach?"
"The City Watch is not a monolithic block. Remember our security captain, Gerold? His name is very similar to Janos Slynt, but the two were enemies before Gerold left the Watch. Once Slynt rose to Commander, he made Gerold's life so miserable he had to resign, eventually coming to work for us." Tyrion explained, "From him, I've learned the makeup of the Watch. It's a pond with very deep water..."
Arya stared at Tyrion with wide eyes, her interest piqued. "Isn't it just maintaining order and guarding the gates? How deep can it be?"
"It's a long story, but to summarize: there are over two thousand men in the City Watch. One thousand of them are men provided by House Baratheon, the lords of the Crownlands, and the Great Houses of King's Landing—this includes both soldiers and officers," Tyrion said. "This faction only listens to King Robert and their respective true masters; Janos can't really order them around. He knows this perfectly well and doesn't dare clash with these subordinates who have powerful backers. Instead, he bullies and exploits the other half—those recruited locally from King's Landing with no background or pedigree. According to Gerold, these soldiers harbor long-standing resentment against Slynt, but they haven't dared to speak up. They've been waiting for someone to take him down."
"I see. In the City Watch, half the men ignore his summons, and the other half hate his guts. This guy is going to be easy to handle."
"Don't be careless. We haven't won until he has officially fallen."
"The plan is clear and simple; I have no issues." Egger actually opposed Tyrion staying in the capital to stir up trouble at this juncture, but it seemed impossible to convince him to return to Casterly Rock. The only option was to follow his lead, help him topple Slynt quickly, and get him to leave safely. "How specifically do we do this? Slynt is messing with us, not those elites. Why would they help?"
"We let the dividends do the talking. I will send this month's investment dividends to all our investors—carrying a sum slightly higher than the actual profit. Since Slynt won't take the money, there are plenty of others who will. Once the gold is delivered, I'll tell them: Slynt coveted the profits of the Night's Watch industries and wanted a piece of the pie. After I refused, he held a grudge and began intentionally sabotaging our production and operations, affecting our income this month. What do you think will happen next?"
"A clever move. Interfering with someone's wealth is like killing their parents. Once you say that, Slynt will have gained a hoard of enemies without even knowing why." Egger's mind raced, instantly grasping the core logic of this game of thrones. Now, he just had to take his assignment. "What do you need me to do?"
"Creating the trend isn't enough; we need a specific point of entry—official reports and witnesses. Being a Lannister, it's not good for me to stick my head out during this sensitive time, so this falls to you. First, write a formal report to Eddard Stark. Then, I'll head back and have Gerold draw up a list of City Watch officers we can win over. You'll start visiting them quietly tonight. We need Slynt's own subordinates to come forward with accusations. And most importantly—we can go after the King's man, but the strike must be clean and swift. We cannot bring chaos to King's Landing. If we provoke Robert's wrath, everything is over."
"Fine, I'll get on it. It's getting late; will you stay for lunch? Margaery should be arriving soon; you could get to know her."
"Margaery said she has to return to Highgarden immediately, so she won't be coming back," Arya said. "She told me to keep practicing so I can go to the Reach someday and teach swordsmanship to her distant cousins."
She's hoping a Stark girl like you will marry into House Tyrell. Egger couldn't help but curl his lip slightly; his little apprentice was clever, but still too naive.
"Well then, I'll have to meet that clever little lady some other time. I've sworn to bring Slynt down within three days, so I don't have the luxury of leisure... I'm heading back to the industrial park. You all stay safe here, right across from the East Barracks." Tyrion shook his head. "That's all for now. I'll send ten men into the city this afternoon to help out... not enough to fight the Watch in the open, but enough to prevent Slynt from trying any dirty tricks if he gets desperate."
"Good. Take care of yourself outside the city." Egger fully accepted Tyrion's arrangements, enjoying the rare feeling of not having to be the mastermind for once. But as they were parting, an idea suddenly struck him. "Oh, Arya. Didn't Kon tell you to find more people to spar with? Starting today, go to the security team's training ground outside the city every day and trade moves with a few of your father's guards."
"Huh? That's so far away!"
Tyrion looked at Egger with confusion, not understanding the intent behind this arrangement. He didn't want to ask in front of Arya, but trusting that Egger had his reasons, he played along. "A short trip like that is 'far'? Come on, let's race our horses and see who gets there first."
"You're on!"
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