Chapter 320: The Savior
"Nina!" Egger made no effort to hide his emotions. With a smile born of genuine joy, he strode quickly toward her.
"Lord Egger."
Nina turned around, a flash of delight crossing her face. She composed herself and began to curtsy, intending to greet him formally like a proper subordinate. However, the man had no intention of concealing their relationship. He walked straight to her, caught her in a bear hug, and leaned down to kiss her.
Startled, she quickly turned her head, so Egger's kiss landed on her cheek.
"Don't... so many people... are watching."
"What's there to fear? Who dares say a word!"
Egger looked around with a grin, and the onlookers immediately went back to their work, feigning total ignorance.
In this world, if one were to rank those who had helped Egger the most, Tyrion Lannister held an unshakable first place, and the Starks might be second. Right after them was this clever girl—a protégé of the Imp—who had been quietly managing the Night's Watch Industries since he left King's Landing, ensuring he never had to worry about funds at the Wall.
The steady, unwavering stream of supplies from the Industries often made people fall into the illusion that it was only natural, but Egger never forgot: someone was working tirelessly behind the scenes.
Toward this great contributor and his capable inner-help, Egger felt the need to express his appreciation clearly. He wouldn't take her loyalty and devotion for granted just because she never asked for anything in return.
Never mind that this was Queenscrown, surrounded by his own men; even at Castle Black, the Shadow Tower, or Eastwatch, he likely would have welcomed Nina just as boldly. Who could stop him? Would they use it as an excuse for mutiny? Or would they send a report to Robb Stark claiming he was keeping a mistress?
At this critical moment of internal strife and external threats, the Warden of the North had far more important things to worry about than such trifles.
In this matter, Egger chose to be arrogant. He had the capital for it.
The strong woman persona Nina had worn moments ago vanished. Flushed and weak-kneed, she nearly melted into the man's arms. After a flustered struggle, she managed to break free from his embrace and steady herself on the ground.
Seeing her embarrassment, Egger didn't push further. He turned and put an arm around her, leading her toward the inner district of Queenscrown.
"Alright, you've had a long journey. Come, let's talk as we walk."
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, they left the main gate and walked side-by-side beneath the eaves of the warehouses and dormitories, quietly listening to each other's breathing. A few guards followed at a respectful distance.
By now, Egger wasn't going to start with a clumsy "What are you doing here?" If he didn't know what to say yet, silence was better. He studied the young girl as they walked. The panic and shyness from his sudden attack were fading, and though her cheeks remained pink, she radiated the confidence and composure of a manager and entrepreneur. It made her look more like a noblewoman than many actual ladies, making it hard to believe she was a commoner without a single title.
Nina exuded a charm and aura rarely seen in an era of male dominance, enough to stir any man's desire for conquest. But what brought Egger the most satisfaction was knowing that this remarkable woman—who looked like a little queen—was entirely his, heart and soul.
Egger once again thanked his lucky stars for a friend like Tyrion. Not only had Tyrion found this pearl in the sand, but he had polished it to a shine before giving it to him. A year later, she seemed even more radiant.
Since they couldn't stay silent forever, he finally spoke. "How is work in King's Landing? Has it been going smoothly?"
"Thanks to you and King Stannis, it has been relatively smooth," Nina replied easily. She was no longer the little girl who would stutter and go blank in Egger's presence. Though the joy of reuniting with her lover was evident in her eyes, her speech was fluent and composed. "The Iron Throne punished the Crownlands lords who wavered and supported the rebel King Renly. The Industries took that opportunity to reclaim almost all ownership. With ample capital and a good system, we are operating well and growing strong."
"On that note, I must say the business strategy and model you and Lord Tyrion established are truly miraculous. I barely have to do anything; as long as I patch any holes and maintain supervision, the Night's Watch Industries functions on its own as if it were alive. Specifically, the 'venture capital for promising inventions' clause has become our only viable path for further growth in a limited market. We've invested in several projects over the last few months; most are likely to be profitable, and even the failures won't hurt us much."
"Ha, you don't need to give all the credit to Tyrion and me. No system is perfect. For the Industries to run like this, your role as manager is absolutely essential." Egger shook his head with a smile. Nina made it sound simple, but Egger had managed the business himself; no one knew better than he did the hardships of directing such a massive commercial entity. "You certainly didn't come all this way just to report good news. Why don't you get straight to the part that starts with 'however'?"
It was just like Lord Egger to see through her. Nina's face warmed, and she felt a surge of "as expected of the man I admire." Since she was already flushed, it didn't look awkward. She paused, gathered her thoughts, and continued.
"However, the ancient families of the Crownlands are beginning to recover, and the Narrow Sea lords who supported the new King have quickly established themselves in King's Landing. These nobles have started eyeing the high profits of the Night's Watch Industries, wanting a piece of the pie. With a ruler as just and stern as Stannis at the top, the situation isn't too bad, but with the Young Aegon rebellion still unsettled, the King cannot spend all his time protecting us. The nobles don't dare take it by force, but they are trying every trick to get in. During several new investments, many nobles practically forced their way in as partners."
"The south is at war, so the market for the Industries probably can't expand much; you shouldn't need that much financing." Egger guessed what was happening. "But people keep forcing money on you, demanding to be recognized as shareholders and partners so they can take a share of the profits."
"Exactly. The new projects aren't high-margin like paper or books, but all the nobles are looking for profit rates on the level of dragonglass. If their dividends aren't high enough, they claim we are embezzling funds... because of this, while the total profit of the Industries is rising steadily, the share belonging to the Night's Watch is shrinking. The amount is stagnating or even trending downward." Nina bit her lip. "The monthly profit is nearly 3,000 Gold Dragons now, but after paying out dividends and keeping some for operating capital and 'greasing wheels' for various friends... the portion left for the Watch is struggling to stay above 1,000."
I see. Before Egger left King's Landing, he had toppled the greedy Commander of the City Watch and turned his successor into a friend. He had also won over Allar Deem, effectively controlling both the legal and illegal sides of the city to create a safe environment for business. But that level of power was only enough to handle thugs and street rats; in the game of nobles, it wasn't enough to stop people with names and titles from wanting a cut.
If you didn't give them enough benefit, they would become your competitors. It was a pipe dream to try and tell these aristocratic vampires, "This money is for fighting White Walkers; please leave us alone." Besides, Egger's strategy had always been "let everyone get rich together." The current predicament of the Industries was simply because they had briefly tasted the sweetness of keeping all the profits without paying taxes, and returning to the norm felt uncomfortable.
As long as he controlled the degree and didn't let the Watch become a mere tool for others to get rich, Egger didn't intend to fight a war on two fronts. He wasn't going to scheme against southern nobles while preparing for the White Walkers.
Egger was about to comfort Nina and tell her this was inevitable and not her fault, but the girl lowered her head and whispered hesitantly, "That's not even the worst of it. Some nobles—specifically one from House Florent—have set their sights on me... wanting both the person and the wealth."
House Florent? Damn it. Was there any opponent more troublesome than the Queen's kin? Even if they didn't have a single soldier in the capital, they were far more dangerous than the late Janos Slynt. Egger rubbed his temples. While worrying about his gold, he didn't forget to care for the person first. "Did they do anything to you?"
"Would they dare? King's Landing hasn't forgotten the fate of your previous rivals." The concern Egger showed sent a wave of sweetness through Nina's heart. It was nonsense to say the Queen's family feared Egger, but with a man as rigid as Stannis on the Iron Throne, no one truly dared to kidnap a common girl. She joked playfully, "It's just that the constant harassment was so annoying that I threw the burden to my deputy and fled to the Wall to seek refuge with you."
The deputy? Is he reliable?
Egger wondered to himself but didn't ask. He simply pulled Nina closer by the shoulder. Just as he was thinking of a solution, a voice that made his scalp tingle rang out again.
"Master—!"
Arya panted as she caught up from behind. Egger hadn't seen her this panicked in a long time.
"What is it?"
"You're asking me what it is?!" the girl cried out in frustration. She seemed to have something to say, but she caught sight of Nina and stopped. Finally, she stomped her foot at Nina. "How could you! Hmph!"
How could she what? Just as both of them were standing there in confusion, Arya turned around and—just as she had appeared—ran off like her hair was on fire. Watching her frantic retreating back, Egger almost thought the White Walkers had breached Queenscrown.
"What did she want to say? Why did she run?" Even though the girl often did inexplicable things, she had successfully baffled Egger this time. He looked at Nina in confusion. "I thought you two got along well. What did you do to upset her?"
"Nothing. I haven't even had the chance to meet Lady Stark yet." Nina looked equally innocent, but then she remembered something. "Oh... I haven't had the chance to tell you. I originally planned to take a ship to Eastwatch, but we hit a storm at White Harbor, so I disembarked and came here via the Kingsroad. While staying at Winterfell, the Maester asked me to bring a female prisoner from House Greyjoy to you for custody. And Lady Stark sent two soldiers with the convoy to the north... to bring Arya home."
Egger already knew about Asha and had made preparations, but the latter news made him overjoyed. "Fantastic! Wait... you there! Go and order the gates of the inner keep closed. Then wake up anyone who isn't busy and tell them to help the Stark soldiers... take their second lady home! And don't tell her it was my order!"
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