Chapter 305: Calling to Account
"Just what kind of trouble have you gotten yourself into, Master!"
Arya burst into Egger's room, tugging at the man's sleeve as she delivered her out-of-breath report. Though young, she could tell from the tone of her brother's discussion with the vassals that they were extremely displeased with certain moves her master had made in the dark. This was no small matter; carelessness was not an option.
After taking a few minutes to listen to Arya's 'live broadcast', Egger's brow furrowed. He keenly sensed something unusual—the situation seemed slightly different from what he had imagined. "Are you certain that is exactly how your brother phrased it?"
"Are you doubting my wits?" The girl put her hands on her hips in annoyance. "I might be... well... a little careless sometimes, but I never forget things I actually want to remember!"
There was little room for further thought. Less than a minute after Arya finished relaying the nobles' discussion, a Stark guard arrived outside the door, knocking to inform him that the Warden of the North requested his presence.
"Wait until I'm gone before you head out, so no one suspects you tipped me off." Egger pushed Arya into a hiding spot and gave her a final instruction before stepping out. He followed the grey-cloaked soldier toward Lord Stark's quarters, which currently served as a meeting hall.
The mysterious visitor was actually Yohn Royce—the man who was supposed to be trapped in Castle Black by the Gift's troops. That madman had actually taken the long way around the Wall, risking his life to appear here against all odds—all just to deliver a message to sabotage him?
Egger had to admit that despite all his calculations, he had failed to be truly infallible.
However, if it were only this, he wouldn't be particularly intimidated. For a military operation involving thousands of men, he had only ever planned to delay the truth day by day; he never expected to keep it hidden forever. In fact, on the day he gave the order, he had already mapped out an escape route and a narrative to explain his actions. While having the matter come to light a few days early was unfortunate, it wasn't exactly a total surprise.
But the details of the discussion between Robb and the Northern lords, as relayed by Arya, put him on high alert.
Roose Bolton speaking up for him was a minor surprise, and this time it wasn't as simple as showing favor to his face. To argue so vehemently in his defense during a sudden crisis without any prior coordination was something only a very solid political ally would do—and he and Old Leech were clearly not that close.
Egger couldn't figure out what the man was thinking for the moment, so he could only assume it was a case of brilliant minds thinking alike. However, if his apprentice hadn't exaggerated, one particular statement from Robb was worth dissecting: "Ability is important, but humility, loyalty, and a sense of honor are also indispensable."
Without careful thought, it would be easy to dismiss this as standard political jargon. But once analyzed deeply, much could be found within.
"Ability is important" was a subconscious validation of his talents; it meant Egger's efforts to showcase his competence had succeeded. But as for "humility, loyalty, and a sense of honor"... abstract things like humility and honor aside, the word "loyalty" was the crux. Translated, Robb's statement meant: this time, the problem was one of attitude. Conducting military maneuvers behind everyone's back made the ruler of the North uneasy, causing him to doubt whether Egger would remain loyal once he became Lord Commander.
When Egger had been deploying the Gift's troops, his mind was entirely occupied with ensuring the operation had no flaws and securing tactical objectives. Even when planning his excuses, he was focused on how to argue, how to deflect responsibility, and how to minimize the impact on his Great Game in the Gift.
The meritocracy concept from his life before transmigrating was so deeply ingrained in his mind that even after years in this world, he hadn't fully pivoted.
Before running for Lord Commander, being a capable officer was enough. But now, things had changed. Although Lord Commander was only one rank above Chief, it was a rank with no higher superior; it was no longer an insignificant post. Commanding the Wall's garrison, governing the Gift, serving for life without fear of impeachment—these traits made it less of a job and more like being a High Lord.
Except for the fact that it wasn't hereditary, the Lord Commander was, in a sense, the "Lord of the Gift"—even if the fief's population and resources were far below the other seven kingdoms, or even the Iron Islands and Dragonstone.
Taken together, the Lord Commander was more like a Great Vassal to the Warden of the North—the one furthest away from central power and the one who couldn't be easily ordered around.
In this era of feudal lords, such a vital position could not be decided on a whim, regardless of personal friendships or his sister's closeness to the candidate. To ensure stability, high-level rulers often preferred someone more average, even slightly incompetent, to hold power—much like how King Robert protected Janos Slynt despite knowing he was a bastard.
To use a crude but apt metaphor: to the Warden of the North, a Lord Commander should not be a poisonous insect capable of a lethal strike, but a loyal hound guarding the house. If the watchdog is too smart and too prone to breaking rules, the master must worry if he is inviting a wolf into his home.
Egger hadn't grown up in noble circles. His journey since leaving the Wall had been arduous, and in the latter half, he lacked an insider like Tyrion Lannister to guide him. He had veered off course, missing this seemingly minor but actually vital point.
If it weren't for a flash of inspiration that led him to send Arya to probe Robb's thoughts, he would have walked before the Northern lords according to his original plan: confidently spinning the Ironborn as pirates and wildlings as New Gift dwellers, using sophistry and eloquence to bluff his way through. Perhaps Robb couldn't have done much to him today, but in the long run, it would have been a massive blunder—walking into a pit without realizing it, never knowing what finally tripped him up.
In the hundred-meter walk from his room to the main keep, Egger rapidly reconsidered the situation and came to a final judgment: abandon all his prepared excuses.
He had already shown enough ability and talent; it was time to perform something else. Today, he wouldn't engage in a war of words; he would play the part of a well-meaning but clumsy honest man—a loyal and reliable Lord Commander.
IceMark was small, and they reached the keep quickly. It was the time for the kitchen to deliver steaming breakfast, and the hall was packed with armored Northern soldiers. It was so crowded one could barely find a place to step. Egger followed the Stark guard through the crowd. As they passed a table full of soldiers, someone bumped into him, and amidst the chaos, a slip of paper was quietly pressed into his hand.
He glanced back. The table was full of soldiers with the flayed man of House Bolton on their breastplates. He couldn't tell who had passed it, but the identity of the mastermind was obvious.
Egger made no sound but continued forward. As he rounded a corner into the residential area where no one was looking, he quietly unfolded the paper.
A single, simple line of text:
"Do not play word games. Tell the truth."
Heh.
Egger silently crumpled the paper into a ball and stuffed it into his pocket. Things were getting interesting.
He had thought that relying on Arya's first-hand intel to sense something was wrong at the last second was a stroke of luck, but he hadn't expected that even without the girl's report, someone else would give him a nudge.
While this note wasn't exactly charity in a blizzard, it confirmed that his guess moments ago wasn't over-analysis. This gave him more confidence for the coming dialogue. Whether he liked it or not, he now owed a favor.
Arriving at his destination, he entered and rounded the partition to stand before the Northern lords.
Just as he was wondering why Old Leech wasn't there, someone pushed the door open behind him. The last missing member of the delegation walked back in with a look of nonchalance, offered a brief apology, and retook his seat.
Clearly, to arrange for his man to slip the note, Roose Bolton had risked the trouble of using a bathroom break as an excuse to leave for a moment. Now, even Egger was starting to wonder if he had some life-and-death history with the man that he had somehow forgotten.
"Egger." Robb stared solemnly at the black-clad officer in the center of the room. After a long silence, he spoke: "You've been quite busy these past two days."
It was a clear call to account. According to the original plan, Egger would have played dumb until Robb pressed further. But this time, he chose a different reaction.
Egger sighed, putting on an expression of exhaustion and helplessness. "It isn't that I have been busy, but rather that the sudden changes have been too many. I merely responded to each one, and before I knew it, a pile of trouble had been made."
Seeing him admit it so frankly, Robb found it hard to continue with the interrogation. He went straight to the point: "Explain your actions at Castle Black. Did you send troops to surround it and forbid anyone from leaving?"
"It is true," Egger nodded. "I had intended to report the matter to you truthfully, but considering this inspection tour already has much for you to handle, I decided to deal with it separately to save you the mental exhaustion. I planned to report the results once it was resolved."
"Mental exhaustion?" Rickard Karstark laughed. "Well, thank you for your concern, Chief Logistics Officer. We old men aren't so busy that we can't hear an explanation—now—as to why you pointed weapons at your own sworn brothers and restricted their freedom."
"Very well," Egger nodded. "Not long ago, a small disturbance occurred at Castle Black. Someone intended to assassinate Mance Rayder, the surrendered King-Beyond-the-Wall, to incite a wildling rebellion and destroy the foundation of the Gift settlement plan. Fortunately, my men discovered and stopped it in time—Lord Stark should already be aware of this. Subsequently, I received news that the grain loan applied for by Lord Commander Mormont from the Iron Bank was about to arrive... This large shipment is the most critical link in feeding the tens of thousands of residents and soldiers in the Gift. If my opponents were to target it, even a slight mishap would lead to unimaginable consequences."
"Loaned grain? We've heard of it, but grain from the Iron Bank would surely arrive at Eastwatch. Why surround Castle Black?"
So they don't know what happened at Eastwatch yet, Egger thought. His face remained solemn. "Because the one who tried to move against Mance Rayder at Castle Black was Cotter Pyke, the Commander of Eastwatch. I am currently busy leading you all on this inspection and have no time to deal with his various schemes. To prevent him from ruining our great undertaking, I took the desperate measure of using force to keep him from returning to Eastwatch, ensuring he could not sabotage that grain."
Egger had originally hidden the identity of his rival, saying only that a small group wanted to threaten Mance, fearing Pyke's status would change Robb's judgment. But now that he had decided to tell the truth, he held nothing back. This total transparency caught Robb off guard; the young lord's momentum slowed as his rhythm was broken.
It made sense. After the League of the Just was crushed by King Robert, the leading Vale lords were exiled to the Wall and sent to Eastwatch. With such a group there, it was natural for Cotter Pyke to develop hostility toward Egger. It seemed Yohn Royce's earlier accusation was likely fueled by personal bias and wasn't the whole truth.
However...
While Robb Stark was thinking and the other nobles remained silent, Roose Bolton shook his head in disapproval. "It is understandable that you wanted to ensure the grain from Braavos was safe. But of all the methods available, you chose the most inappropriate one—sending troops to surround Castle Black to stop Cotter Pyke? What were you thinking?"
"I realized it was inappropriate at the time, but I am a ranger by birth and have no experience in handling such affairs. I needed a quick solution that wouldn't delay the inspection schedule... somehow, this idea popped into my head. I didn't think much of it then; I only felt that by keeping Cotter Pyke at Castle Black, I could prevent him from threatening Mance and ensure he couldn't touch the grain at Eastwatch. Two birds with one stone. In the heat of the moment, I issued the order."
As Egger finished his regretful explanation, the room fell silent. Roose Bolton shook his head with a look of disappointment. "Two birds with one stone? Yes, perhaps. But while you caught those birds, have you considered the trouble your actions caused the black brothers trapped inside? Or the impression you have given everyone else? The negative emotional impact far outweighs your 'two birds.' This was a case of being penny-wise and pound-foolish!"
He seems to be criticizing me, but he's actually shifting the focus to bail me out!
Egger realized this instantly and followed up quickly: "Lord Bolton is absolutely right. However, the mistake has been made, and I bear full responsibility for this turn of events. I alone must face the consequences."
Egger confessed everything with a serious expression and a sincere attitude, but he still held one thing back—everything Roose Bolton mentioned, Egger had considered the moment he made the decision. Besides the two birds of stopping Pyke, the most important goal was the display of military muscle to intimidate wavering voters and secure the election.
And with that included, the mutiny was three birds with one stone. Even if it felt arrogant, it was hardly a penny of wise and pound of foolish.
Of course, even if the general policy today was to tell the truth, Egger wouldn't reveal that last point. Clearly, it wasn't what the Northern lords wanted to hear.
Karstark was getting confused. What the hell was going on? A fierce interrogation had been derailed because the culprit admitted his fault so readily.
The old lord sensed something was wrong but couldn't figure out how the shift had happened so subtly. After a while, he realized it was tied to Old Leech. "Roose Bolton, what are you doing with him? Singing in harmony to gloss this over? 'Bearing full responsibility'? Can you bear it? This isn't that simple!"
The Lord of the Dreadfort did not accept the accusation, countering immediately: "Lord Karstark's words are quite strange. The Chief Logistics Officer has explained his reasons and admitted his lack of foresight led to an error. What we should be doing now is solving the problem and finding ways to minimize the impact of the mistake. What good does constant blaming do for the situation?"
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