Chapter 312: "Lightbringer"
Egger was also staring blankly into the fire, lost in thought.
The fact that Cotter Pyke had remained at Castle Black instead of leaving was a great surprise to him. The good news was that this likely meant the grain loans coming across the sea were unlikely to suffer any mishaps at the port of Eastwatch. The bad news, however, was that he would seemingly have to make good on his previous promise to establish a position like Deputy Lord Commander for Denys Mallister, consulting with him on any future changes to the laws of the Night's Watch.
Could it be that Denys wrote to Cotter Pyke and told him not to leave?
The suspicion leaped into Egger's mind, and he quickly realized it was probably true... but even if it were, whom could he blame? Was it not his own lack of foresight that allowed the old fox to find such a loophole? Denys's nighttime negotiation had caught Egger off guard; when improvisation meets meticulous preparation, such outcomes are common.
He didn't intend to dwell on it or take measures to counter Denys's little trick. Compared to the many things he himself had done in the Gift—relying on the massive financial strength of the Night's Watch industries and his strong ties to House Stark—the old man's minor maneuvering was truly harmless. Furthermore, the privileges he had lost to the man in that bet carried no written evidence or legal weight; the obligation to follow through rested entirely on a verbal agreement between two men.
And verbal agreements have always been meant to bind gentlemen, not scoundrels.
If Denys managed the Shadow Tower with all his heart and faithfully guarded the westernmost end of the Wall for him, and no special circumstances arose, Egger was perfectly happy to play the gentleman. But if forced by necessity... whether to burn the bridge or kill the donkey after it had turned the mill, the initiative remained entirely in Egger's hands. What was there to worry about?
This was the benefit of the title of Lord Commander—when the name is correct, the words carry weight. His power hadn't leaped forward the moment he took office, but from this day forth, the Gift—an area nearly the size of the Crownlands—was his domain. As long as he didn't do anything to incite public outrage or violate the interests of the North, no one would be able to point fingers at whatever he chose to do.
Compared to the Shadow Tower, he was more troubled by the commander of the other fortress at the eastern end of the Wall, Cotter Pyke—and specifically, the former Lord of Runestone, Yohn Royce, who was currently with him.
Old grudges are easily made but hard to resolve. Following the clichés of a bad story: if you offend a man and don't finish him, he will usually scheme against you in the shadows... and then invariably jump out at a critical moment to stab you in the back and ruin everything.
One can be a thief for a thousand days, but one cannot guard against a thief for a thousand days. Egger had many things he wanted to accomplish; he couldn't spend all his time watching Yohn Royce to guard against threats from within his own circle. Thus, he had to put some real thought into how to prevent such a predictable plot of "nurturing a tiger to one's own detriment" from unfolding.
As he was deep in thought, the sword hanging at his hip suddenly began to shudder.
At first, Egger thought someone passing behind him had bumped into the scabbard, but a quick glance around showed everyone standing in solemn silence. On the contrary, the vibration from the sword belt became increasingly pronounced, even beginning to emit a low hum... it felt exactly as if someone had stuffed a vibrating toy into his hilt.
Egger was only human, and he quickly made the subconscious reaction any person would in such a moment: after pressing his palm against the hilt to feel the vibration, he drew the blade slightly to see what was happening.
Screee!
The sound only existed in his imagination; in reality, aside from the faint friction of metal, Egger heard nothing.
But it truly felt as if someone had thrown a flashbang in front of him, or as if he had pulled a multi-kilowatt laser spotlight out of his pocket. The small section of the blade near the hilt, upon leaving the scabbard and being exposed to the air, immediately radiated a staggering light. Being the closest, Egger felt as if he were staring directly into a welding arc; the intense blinding effect forced him to snap his head aside to avoid losing his sight. At that moment, the sword in Egger's hand seemed to have become a sun forged of steel. Even though it wasn't fully unsheathed, its brightness was high enough to suppress the roaring flames in the courtyard. Everyone reflexively shielded their eyes or turned away, but the light was not merely blinding—it pulsated with a specific rhythm, slowly changing colors and illuminating Castle Black, and even the ice of the Wall it leaned against, as if several searchlights were aimed at it simultaneously.
While everyone else's minds were still blank, the man himself was the first to react. With a shove of his palm, he slammed the sword back into its scabbard.
The light vanished instantly, and the vision of everyone present plunged into darkness, as if night had suddenly fallen.
A few seconds later, the black brothers gradually regained their sight and came to their senses. An uproar erupted, followed by a wave of frantic hushed whispers.
Had the incident not involved the weapon of the new Lord Commander—the supreme leader of the Watch—someone would likely have stepped forward already to draw Egger's sword and satisfy their curiosity.
"Why hide it? That is your glory, Lord Commander," Melisandre spoke up amidst the bustling discussion. Her voice didn't sound like a strained shout, yet it was unexpectedly loud and clear, as if bolstered by an amplifier. She pointed a finger at Egger: "The Lord of Light has seen the peril facing his children, and so he has sent the hero of prophecy and bestowed upon him the power of fire—that sword is Lightbringer! And the hero of prophecy shall wield this blade to lead us in defeating our ancient foe, crossing through death, despair, and defeat toward a bright future!"
The Red Woman was not well-liked at the Wall, but few dared to believe she was a fraud after witnessing her abilities. These words immediately set the scene ablaze.
"So that sword is Lightbringer!"
"Where did he get it?"
"Holding a sword that bright, you can't even keep your eyes open. How are you supposed to kill White Walkers?"
"Maybe the light alone is enough to melt them all!"
"Dammit, if that's the case, even I could do it!"
As the sword wielded by the legendary hero Azor Ahai, the name Lightbringer was certainly famous enough. The introduction sparked even more intense debate. In the eyes of a small portion of Castle Black soldiers who had already converted to the Red God, a sense of fanaticism even began to appear as they looked at Egger.
Egger's expression darkened.
No one knew the truth of his weapon better than the man carrying it. It was neither Valyrian steel nor the work of a master smith; it didn't even have a name. It was an ordinary, mass-produced steel sword purchased in bulk from an armorer in King's Landing, likely forged by an apprentice or a journeyman rather than a master. It might have been of slightly better quality than the blade shattered by a White Walker's blow three years ago, but how could it possibly be the legendary Lightbringer?
He looked at Melisandre with irritation. In his vision, which had just been flashed, black spots caused by the light stimulus occupied the center of his field of view, making it impossible for him to even focus on the Red Woman's face; he could only look at the hem of her dress.
"Lady Melisandre, we shall discuss the story of this sword tonight... Next, I wish to speak some heartfelt words to the entire Night's Watch. If you have no intention of donning the black, I ask that you excuse yourself," Egger said coldly, cutting off her rambling priestess rhetoric. He tilted his head slightly. "Jon, escort Lady Melisandre back to her quarters to rest!"
Having just manufactured a miracle and being about to strike while the iron was hot with a speech, Melisandre was stunned to suddenly be given such a blunt dismissal. A look of confusion and dissatisfaction flickered across her face, but in the next second, she regained her composure. She gave him a slight curtsy and did not defy him in public: "Since it is so, I can only obey the Lord Commander's command."
Egger was truly angry. He wasn't angry that Melisandre had manufactured a miracle to build momentum for him, nor was he angry that his eyes had been flashed by surprise; he was angry that she had not notified him beforehand.
Melisandre was one of the few people in the world truly willing to sacrifice everything to help defend the Wall, and she possessed extraordinary power. Egger valued her greatly. But that did not mean he would tolerate her acting so recklessly at the Wall. He was a man of plans. Today's plan was: hold the inauguration ceremony, pressure his former opponents, and issue the first set of directives after taking office.
The Red Woman's stunt had not only disrupted his plans but also made Egger feel his authority was being challenged.
To become a hero, to establish a high level of personal prestige, even to become an object of worship... this was certainly beneficial for his control over the Gift and for boosting the morale of the Watch. But the subtle difference in priority and sequence was vital: was it the hero status that strengthened his prestige and control, or did his prestige and control come entirely from the hero status?
If it were the latter, then Egger would rather do without that help. Things given by others can be taken away at any time, whereas Egger had climbed up solidly, step by step. He had confidence in his own abilities. Influence that wasn't stable was better left alone; he didn't need this extra bit.
And this wasn't the first time Melisandre had taken such initiative on her own.
Was this witch doing it on purpose, or did she truly have no political sensitivity whatsoever?
Whichever the case, it was time to make it clear to her: the Wall and the Gift were now his Wall and Gift. Whatever Melisandre wanted to do, she had to clear it with him first!
Under the confused gazes of the crowd, Melisandre was driven from the scene. The woman walked past the crowd with her swaying, tall, and slender figure, leaving the courtyard of Castle Black.
The steel sword stopped vibrating as Melisandre left, and Egger said not a single word about the anomaly of his weapon. The men did not understand the new Lord Commander's thoughts and dared not ask, so they continued to maintain their silence, waiting for the cremation to end.
The wood and the body of the deceased continuously turned to gold and red within the flames, becoming charred ash as the combustible organic matter was slowly consumed. After reaching its peak, the fire began to wane, flickering between light and dark. After a sufficiently long wait, the last of the open flames was finally snuffed out by the next gust of cold wind, leaving behind a large pile of smoking debris. The unburnt skeleton remained in a lying position, resting quietly in the still-scorched embers.
Only then did Egger step out from the subordinates surrounding him and ascend the steps of the Great Hall of Castle Black. Leaning against the railing, he prepared to deliver his inaugural speech as planned, truly unveiling the prelude to a new era for the Night's Watch.
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