RoWE - Chapter 34
Chapter 34: The Decision
The air was thick with tension, but fortunately, Tyrion was not a whole man, so no matter how heated the argument, Benjen couldn't possibly fight him. Maester Aemon pondered for a moment, then waved his hand to signal Stark and Lannister to stop their quarrel. He turned slightly to Mormont, who was watching the confrontation like a spectator, "Lord Commander, there's been a response from Dragonstone. They've allowed us to send people to mine obsidian."
"There? Isn't it just a matter of sending some people?" Mormont raised an eyebrow, suddenly realizing something, "You mean."
The blind maester nodded, "Dragonstone is very close to King's Landing. Since Lord Tyrion has such confidence in Aeg's abilities, why not give the young man a chance to prove himself. He crossed the sea to come to Westeros, only to have to serve at the Wall for life because he stole a few potatoes to fill his stomach. It's hard to imagine how he must feel, being given a chance to leave only to have it ruined by us. Even if he stays, he certainly won't be content."
Tyrion silently agreed with Aemon's assessment and turned to Mormont, who had been silent for a while, waiting for his response.
"Since you think so, I have no objection." Mormont respected Maester Aemon, "Let's ask Benjen if he's willing to let him go."
The decision now lay with Stark, who didn't want to let the annoying Lannister have his way but didn't want to offend Aemon either. He asked a question, "If he doesn't return, who will be responsible?"
"Of course, it will be me. Not only that, if he leaves the Wall and fails to complete his mission or doesn't make a greater contribution to the legion, you can recall him at any time. If he runs away, you can hold me accountable, right?"
"How can you be held accountable? Will you come to the Wall to serve in his place, or bring your family's army to help?" Benjen said coldly, "Neither of those options seems realistic. Instead of playing these games, why not be more practical? The Lannisters, as the richest family in Westeros, should provide some support for the Night's Watch, which guards the Seven Kingdoms. Anything less would be unacceptable, wouldn't it?"
"Ho, I thought all Starks considered worldly possessions as dung." Tyrion breathed a sigh of relief, feeling a bit of pain as he realized he was about to be fleeced. Choosing between face and substance is a tough decision for any man, and even a wise man cannot escape it. This time, he decided on the former, "Since it's for the defense of humanity, I won't be stingy. Next, let's discuss the details of the support and Aeg's specific tasks after he leaves the Wall!"
***
Aeg didn't sit and wait for the outcome but watched the Lord Commander's office from a short distance away.
After Tyrion entered, the Lord Commander's personal steward left the room and soon returned with the chief ranger and Maester Aemon. It was clear that the negotiations were making some progress. This made Aeg anxious. If he had to describe the feeling, it was like waiting for a child to be born outside the delivery room. Whether Tyrion could successfully convince the Night's Watch leaders to let him leave the Wall with the "mission" of gathering supplies would determine whether he could be reborn in this world.
If he failed, he would obediently join the next patrol. Even if he survived and returned, he would only continue as a Night's Watch soldier on the front lines of the battle between men and White Walkers. At best, he might get a promotion and a raise, slowly working his way up from a regular ranger to a squad leader, then aiming for the position of chief ranger, and finally seeing if he could compete for the Lord Commander's title. The dangers he would face, the youth and time he would spend, were unimaginable. If he wasn't careful, this time-traveling Night's Watchman might really end up living and dying here.
But if he succeeded, he could follow Tyrion and leave. The vast world of Westeros, with its countless opportunities and possibilities. All awaited him to explore and seize. The lifelong label of the Night's Watch was a problem, but where there's a will, there's a way. With determination, what difficulties couldn't be overcome?
..
He waited patiently for a while longer. The Lord Commander's personal steward left the room again, this time calling in the chief steward and the chief builder. Aeg was briefly confused but soon became ecstatic: It's settled! Bowen Marsh and Othell Yarwyck, though high-ranking members of the Night's Watch, didn't actually meddle in legion affairs outside their duties. Their being called into the office meant that, unless Tyrion had suddenly taken an interest in the Wall's maintenance and the legion's daily management, they were definitely discussing the quantity and types of "support" to be provided, essentially haggling over the "ransom" needed for Aeg to leave the Wall!
..
After about a few dozen minutes, the wooden door creaked open, but the person who entered was not Tyrion, but Benjen Stark.
The chief ranger stood expressionlessly by the door for a few seconds before speaking, "Aeg, you won't be joining the next patrol. The Lord Commander has given you a more important task. Prepare yourself. When the Lannister has had enough of sightseeing at the Wall and leaves, go with him."
"Ah, as you command." Aeg stood up, barely able to contain his joy despite having anticipated the outcome, "But I was supposed to lead the patrol. Now that I'm leaving?"
***
What's the point of pretending?
Benjen thought to himself, he wasn't stupid. The Lannister dwarf had suddenly approached the Lord Commander, not only offering aid but also specifically asking for Aeg to go to King's Landing to receive the first batch. As the party involved, Aeg couldn't possibly be unaware.
He must have filled the dwarf's head with some kind of enchantment or struck a deal with him, making him pay the price to get him out of the Night's Watch. This made Benjen somewhat curious. Although he didn't like the Lannisters, he had to admit that Tyrion was a smart man. How could such a person be convinced to bleed for a stranger with just a few words? He had already seen that Aeg was no ordinary man, and Maester Aemon even had thoughts of cultivating him. He just hadn't expected that, even as a lowly ranger, Aeg could manage to befriend a duke's son and use him to find a way to leave the Wall.
"As for leading the way, Will won't be any worse than you." Aeg was already a recognized brother of the Night's Watch, and though Benjen's face remained cold with the Stark family's characteristic aloofness, he didn't give Aeg a hard time because he was leaving, "You're a smart man. Since you've found a way out, I have no reason to stop you. Now, don't worry about others. You'll soon know about the new task the Lord Commander has given you. Find a way to complete it without compromise."
Because the Stark and Lannister families had never been on good terms, Aeg had been cautious about letting Tyrion take him away, avoiding Benjen. Now it seemed that he had mostly been overthinking things. His little secret had been seen through, and his face felt a bit hot, but he didn't argue and simply nodded in agreement, "As you command!"
The chief ranger was satisfied with Aeg's forthrightness and said no more. He gave his subordinate one last look before turning and leaving the hall.
***
T-minus 10 minutes!
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