GOT/ASOIAF: Ruler Beyond The Ice

After accepting this unexpected female apprentice, Aegor rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on. His responsibilities had increased yet again, and he was utterly exhausted.

Coming from a peaceful and prosperous modern world, his childhood diet's nutritional quality was on par with what nobles in this world enjoyed. His naturally excellent physical condition, coupled with some training, made him stronger and more agile than many veterans stationed at the Wall. But that was the limit. Among the craftsmen and officers of the Night's Watch, the weak and disabled, and the average wildlings beyond the Wall, he might be considered the backbone of the Rangers. However, compared to the rest of Westeros, he was merely a recruit with slightly better discipline and experience.

The brief time he spent training, less than a year, alongside the limited skill level of his master, Alliser Thorne, could not make up for the gulf in ability, no matter how clever or resourceful he might be as a time traveler.

Forget about competing with those legendary figures. Even Jory Cassel, Eddard Stark's captain of the guard, left behind in Winterfell to watch over Arya, was someone he couldn't hope to surpass.

Luckily, Arya was still just an innocent little girl. If he put in half the effort he used to gain Tyrion's trust, he was confident he could figure out how to handle her properly. He could feign teaching her basic sword grips, footwork, and fundamental moves like slashing and blocking. By the time she realized he wasn't the master swordsman she thought him to be, she would already trust him, perhaps even see him as a dependable friend, another Jon Snow in her eyes.

And if she wanted to continue her training afterward, he could always find someone better suited for the task. Someone like Jaqen H'ghar or the famous Braavosi swordsman of the Sealord's court... What was his name again? Syrio Forel? Or was it Leofor? Never mind.

---

After agreeing to teach Arya some swordsmanship, the two left the small inner room. There was little of interest in the sparse Night's Watch office, which held nothing but some tables, chairs, and cabinets. Arya quickly became restless, her curious eyes darting around.

Thankfully, Eddard returned soon with his original entourage and took his daughter away. Judging by the pensive look on the Hand of the King's face, Littlefinger had clearly "enlightened" him on something. If this schemer were allowed to continue unchecked, Eddard's trust in him would deepen bit by bit, and by then, it would be too late.

The plan to sow discord between Littlefinger and Eddard needed to be put into action immediately. This took precedence over everything else.

With most of the day's work completed, Aegor handed Jack a dozen silver stags and instructed him to purchase a few lightweight practice swords. After that, he prepared to close up the office and return to the inn to strategize on how to drive a wedge between Littlefinger and Eddard.

"Aegor!"

Tyrion arrived at the office in a rush, accompanied by Maurice. He dismounted hastily and stepped inside.

"I was just about to head back. What's so urgent?" Aegor asked, his brow furrowed.

The dwarf waved his hand, panting slightly. "Come inside. Let's talk in private."

Although puzzled, Aegor followed Tyrion back into the inner room where he had spoken with Arya earlier. Sitting down, he waited for Tyrion to explain.

---

After hearing Tyrion's explanation, Aegor finally understood why the dwarf had come rushing over. The paper merchant they had contacted earlier couldn't provide the "stable, cheap, and large quantities" of paper they needed. The reason? Papermaking didn't exist in this world!

Every book in Westeros was hand-copied onto parchment, which was made from actual sheepskin. This made books extraordinarily expensive, with the majority of the cost attributed to the materials rather than the scribes' labor, as Aegor and Tyrion had initially assumed.

The realization hit them like a cold splash of water: without affordable paper, they couldn't achieve a revolutionary breakthrough in publishing or generate the massive profits needed to sustain their Ponzi scheme.

"To be honest, I only discovered this today," Tyrion admitted apologetically. As a nobleman, whenever he needed paper, he would simply toss a gold coin to Maurice or Jack to purchase a stack, considering any extra costs as a tip. Whether a piece of paper cost one or two silver stags had never been of concern to him.

But now that he had serious plans to start a large-scale enterprise, he realized just how insufficient his funds were. The pocket money that had seemed plentiful before suddenly felt like a pittance.

And as for Lord Tywin... the fact that his father hadn't docked his allowance entirely was already a sign of generosity. Asking Tywin Lannister for a loan to "cause trouble"? Out of the question.

The excitement of preparing to open a factory and print books to spread knowledge had been crushed by the sobering reality: they didn't even have enough money to buy the materials.

---

"That doesn't make sense." Aegor frowned, puzzled. The technological level of Westeros resembled the late European Middle Ages. By that time, the knowledge of papermaking should have been widespread... Wait. Spread?

This world lacked a civilization as advanced as those on Earth, and no one had discovered or developed the art of papermaking. Without innovators to invent it or intermediaries to spread the knowledge, the technique simply didn't exist in this realm.

Though the explanation made sense, Aegor still found it frustrating. Papermaking wasn't some cutting-edge technology. Couldn't the people of this world have invented it on their own? True, the irregular seasons and the resulting lack of stability likely stifled innovation. But still...

"Aegor," Tyrion interrupted his thoughts, "Isn't your homeland technologically advanced? How does your homeland produce paper?"

"I'm just an adventurer, not an expert. Papermaking has been a standard process for thousands of years where I come from. It's such a basic technology that it's hard to believe there's a place in the world without it." Aegor scratched his head, frustrated. The so-called prosperity of King's Landing, with its bustling shops and workshops, now seemed like an illusion of progress.

Did this mean he'd have to figure out how to introduce papermaking to this world? Unfortunately, his knowledge of the process was limited to vague concepts. He couldn't suddenly turn into Cai Lun in a foreign land.

"The paper merchant mentioned a young man outside the city experimenting with making paper from grass. But apparently, what he's managed to create is only good enough to... wipe yourself with." Tyrion chuckled dryly. "I'll make time to visit him and see what he's doing."

"Grass for paper?" Aegor's mind raced. Although he didn't know the specifics of papermaking, he was aware that modern paper was made from plant fibers treated chemically.

Perhaps he lacked the ability to succeed on his own, but with proper direction and funding, it could be done.

"That's promising news," Aegor said, his spirits lifting. "Take your men tomorrow and find this young man. If his method is just drying broad leaves and calling it paper, then it's worthless. But if he's attempting to crush the grass and process it into something usable, bring him in. Offer him whatever resources he needs, tens or even hundreds of gold dragons if necessary, and have him refine the process. Help him identify the best materials to use. We'll make this work."

"Crushing grass to make paper?" Tyrion looked skeptical but didn't argue. Over the past few months, he had come to trust Aegor's judgment almost unconditionally. "Alright, I'll see to it. If everything works out, this could be a game-changer. Printing alone might reduce book costs by a small margin, but if we control the entire production chain, from papermaking to printing, the profits could be astronomical."

"Exactly. In my homeland, we call that a complete industrial chain," Aegor explained, emphasizing the importance of monopolizing the process. "If this young man's methods have potential, bring him under our wing, have him sign a confidentiality agreement, and make sure the secrets of the trade stay with us."

"Complete industrial chain. I like that term," Tyrion said, his grin returning. The bleak mood from earlier had lifted, replaced by excitement.

***

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