"It's big enough, but how do you plan to do it?"
Tyrion was confused and once again led astray. Although his instincts told him Aegor was talking nonsense and indulging in fantasies, his memory and experience reminded him that the last time he had this feeling, Aegor had actually succeeded—creating a workable cash flow model for the Night's Watch bonds and founding the unprecedented Night's Watch Industry. Just from managing and operating that "company," Tyrion had gained enough experience to later establish a bank for the Westerlands upon returning to Lannisport. What if this time, Aegor could turn all his grand talk into reality again?
"First, set a small goal—unify Westeros for Daenerys." Aegor extended a finger, finally getting the chance to throw out the second bait. "Years ago at Castle Black, you once joked with me. You said you almost wanted to take me to see your father so I could tell him all the benefits of choosing a dwarf as heir, and trick him into passing Casterly Rock to you. Do you remember?"
Tyrion's eyes widened. "I remember. You mean..."
"Exactly." Aegor lifted his chin. "Now I might really have a reason for him to pass the position of head of House Lannister to you."
"Doing great things and being recorded in history"—that was the grand, long-term vision Aegor painted for Tyrion. And "Lord of the Westerlands, Lord of Casterly Rock"—those were the immediate, tangible benefits. Using both tactics at once, there was little fear Tyrion wouldn't be tempted.
Tyrion was still in shock, his mouth slightly open at the sudden turn of events. The Night's Watchman across from him continued without pause.
"I went to great lengths to persuade Her Grace to spare Jaime, who had already taken the black, and to allow House Lannister to continue to exist. But there's one point she is absolutely resolute about. That is—your father, Lord Tywin, who served as Hand of the King to Aerys but ultimately betrayed the Targaryens and delivered the final blow, must step down and be far from the center of power. And the new Lord of the Westerlands must be someone innocent, someone who did not take part in Robert's Rebellion or stain their hands with Targaryen blood."
Undoubtedly, Tyrion met this condition. But after a breath, Aegor still wasn't done offering bait.
"In addition to the title of Lord of the Westerlands, the position of Master of Coin on the small council is also waiting for you. After all, only the amount of gold controlled by the president of the Lannister Bank, combined with your financial expertise, connections, and influence... and your noble status as Lord of Casterly Rock... would be enough to silence any opposition and allow you to sit firmly in that position for a long time. The advanced technology and knowledge I possess can only be transformed into real power with the vast wealth of the Westerlands and the full cooperation of a powerful, long-serving Master of Coin."
Aegor extended his right arm across the table between them and offered his fist to the dwarf.
"So, brother, are you in?"
He had come to negotiate the terms of surrender. How had things taken a turn toward doing something so monumental?
Tyrion wore a troubled expression.
He quickly realized that although Aegor was asking, he had no intention of accepting a refusal.
Then he clearly understood that with such an enormous reward came an equally enormous price, or a terrifyingly difficult task to be completed.
This Night's Watchman, who once needed his help just to leave the Wall, had grown so powerful in just a few years that even Tyrion Lannister had to respect—and perhaps even fear—him.
This was clearly a trap.
And yet, after having tasted success and hearing Aegor's line about "dying twice," Tyrion couldn't resist the temptation to jump into the trap and accomplish something great with him.
"You bastard..." The dwarf gritted his teeth, stretched out his short arm, clenched his fist, and bumped it against Aegor's. "Count me in."
Aegor felt the strength and determination in the other man's fist, and a bright smile appeared on his face. After a long moment, he composed himself, turned serious again, pulled a document from the pile on the table, and spoke in a formal tone. "Excellent. Now we can start talking about the immediate problem—not as grand, but one that must be resolved quickly."
...
After a while, faced with the incredibly harsh terms, Tyrion finally understood why Aegor had insisted on getting him to commit first.
If Aegor hadn't first talked about "grand ideals" and "ultimate goals," those half-real, half-dreamlike promises to stir his curiosity and hook him in, he would most likely have slammed the table and left the tent after hearing the two conditions.
The first condition was that the current Lord of Casterly Rock, Tywin Lannister, voluntarily take the black and join the Night's Watch, thereby naturally stepping down from power and vacating the title of Lord of the Westerlands.
Though excessive, considering that Tywin had indirectly stained his hands with Targaryen blood, it was at least understandable.
But the second condition was this—move all core personnel and the gold of the Lannister Bank to King's Landing, placing them under royal jurisdiction. At the same time, implement a gold control policy that Tyrion was all too familiar with. Only this time, the Westerlands would be on the receiving end, with all gold mining, smelting, and minting to fall under the supervision and control of the central government.
If the first condition was merely a transfer of power within House Lannister, the second was essentially asking for their very survival. The Westerlands had no territory advantage, no large population, no significant grain production. Why could they even stand among the top of the Seven Kingdoms?
Because they were rich.
Tywin had gone to great lengths to win over and control all the lords in his domain, consolidating the wealth of the Westerlands to concentrate resources and rebuild this war-scarred land. Now that recovery was underway, Daenerys wanted to pick the ripe fruit and take away decades of his achievements?
If they truly agreed to this, handing control of their wealth to the Iron Throne, then if a tyrant like the Mad King ever sat the throne again, and the Westerlands found themselves humiliated and chose to rebel, House Lannister would not even have the strength to resist, like a dog bound by chains.
"This is impossible," Tyrion said bluntly. "It's true that I'm no longer who I once was and have significant influence within the family. But I'm still only a son. My father, old but strong, holds absolute authority. The Westerlands are led by him. My uncle Kevan is second, and I, as head of the bank, am at most third. Everyone knows that Lord Tywin is a man who puts the family's interests above all. Asking him to step down for the sake of House Lannister's survival is negotiable. But how am I supposed to convince him that moving all the gold to King's Landing is also in the family's best interest? I don't even believe that myself."
"This isn't for the Lannister family's benefit." Aegor shrugged, acknowledging the undeniable. "And I don't expect Lord Tywin to agree either. But right now, isn't the future Lord Tyrion sitting before me? If you agree after you succeed him, can your father stop you from The Wall to prevent it from becoming reality? The relocation of the bank and the gold doesn't have to happen all at once."
...
If the earlier conversation had been between friends talking about the future and negotiating conditions, this line finally tore open a small corner of the elegant facade, revealing the cold, hard truth beneath.
Aegor was his friend, but he could hardly be considered a friend of House Lannister.
"Heh, just imagining the scene of my dear father, Jaime, and Joffrey—three generations of Lannisters reunited at the Wall—I almost can't stop laughing."
With a forced smile and sarcastic jab, Tyrion's heart sank to the bottom.
Aegor wanted him to keep the second condition a secret from Tywin, then carry it out himself after Tywin stepped down and took the black.
If he did so, and if things truly played out as Aegor said, with Tyrion assisting Daenerys and Aegor as Master of Coin to build an unprecedented empire, extend military and financial dominance across the known world, and have the name "Tyrion Lannister" written into every chronicle and history book to come... then it would be a magnificent achievement.
But what if he failed?
Then he, the one who led House Lannister to surrender all their wealth and allow themselves to be bound by the crown, would have his name forever carved on a pillar of shame, a byword for betrayal and cowardice for generations.
This was practically tossing him into a roasting spit.
Feeling an imaginary heat against his back, the title of Lord of Casterly Rock and Lord of the Westerlands, which had seemed so alluring just moments before, now felt far less enticing.
(To be continued.)
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