Aegor had no means or equipment to measure things like the "magic intensity" within the Wall, the "cold god energy density" in the air, and so on. Naturally, he could not precisely calculate when the White Walkers would overcome their aversion or fear of the Wall and forcefully launch a general attack.
Theoretically, every day could be the last day before the White Walkers initiated their assault. The Gift had entered the highest state of readiness and was still doing everything possible to leverage everyone's wisdom and initiative, constantly adding bricks and mortar to this first line of defense and continuously strengthening its capabilities.
However, two important events had not yet occurred, leading Aegor to believe he still had some time:
First, Bran Stark had not yet returned since disappearing before the giant weirwood tree beneath Nightfort.
Due to his intervention, the historical process of this world had undergone earth-shattering changes, but the area North of the Wall had not been significantly affected. Aegor could only hope now that the Green Prophet had enough skill and means to still ensure his successor safely returned South of the Wall.
As long as Bran did not die, he would definitely return before the White Walkers were capable of overcoming the Wall's repellent effect. In other words, the White Walkers would only amass enough power to launch a strong assault after Bran returned to the Wall.
Second, Daenerys Targaryen had not yet counterattacked Westeros.
Without this arrogant and willful queen sending her dragons to their demise, the Night King himself was absolutely incapable of destroying the Wall. He must wait for that unknown moment, or find a way to bypass the Wall to attack, and this was already within Aegor's preparations.
Of course, relying on plot memory to determine the enemy's attack timing was irresponsible. What Aegor could do about this was to go and return quickly, complete the necessary tasks as swiftly as possible, and then immediately rush back to continue overseeing the Gift.
He led more than ten guards lightly equipped, traveling South along the repaired King's Road day and night. In just a few days, he reached the command center for the North's side of the West Coast war, the Glover family's castle, Deepwood Motte, which he had personally led troops to reclaim from Asha Greyjoy.
---
Robb Stark's attack and endangerment several weeks ago shook the entire area North of the Neck. The Northern lords who received the news quickly organized armies to assist their liege lord and searched for and pursued Euron Greyjoy, who had ventured deep into the Wolfswood.
Regrettably, when thousands of Northern troops arrived at the battle site half a day after the fighting began, the enemy had already completed their mopping up and withdrawn, leaving behind only the bodies of six young Northerners plus hundreds of veteran soldiers, as well as the direwolf heads, skinned and impaled high on stakes as a demonstration.
Tactically, in terms of public opinion, and psychologically, this was an undeniable crushing defeat, or rather, a serious setback. Fortunately, this did not disrupt Robb's strategic plan. Learning from this lesson, the North's military operations on the West Coast became much more cautious. Troops were always preceded by sufficient scouts for reconnaissance, and the nearest friendly forces were always notified in advance to prepare for support and cover. And of course, they brought earplugs.
Caution was certainly not without meaning. There was no second instance of Northern units being ambushed and wiped out. But the consequence that followed was a significant decrease in the efficiency and success of covering the retreat of coastal residents.
However, regardless of how many villages the Northmen had burned and looted, and how many casualties they had suffered during this Ironborn invasion led by Euron, the final result was: by the time Aegor arrived at Deepwood Motte, where the Northerners were gathered, the West Coast residents had completed their strategic relocation into the nearest Winter Town, banding together for self-preservation, despite the harassment and obstruction from numerous small groups of Ironborn.
According to the original plan, once this step was completed, the Northern lords could leave some elite soldiers to guard the Winter Town, and then return home safely for the Winter or head South to protect the Riverlands coast. The sole reason they were still gathered here was to debate, or rather, discuss, methods and details for military retaliation.
Traveling quickly had its advantages. Aegor arrived at the command post before the Northern lords finished their West Coast military port site selection bidding and, after being announced, participated in the meeting.
It was not the first time Aegor had appeared in a war council, so not many Northerners showed strong opposition or resistance to the Night's Watch Commander's presence. He walked into the Deepwood Motte great hall without any sense of incongruity and publicly announced his idea of establishing a functional military port combining a fleet anchorage, shipyard, and Night's Watch Outpost Number Twenty-one. He particularly emphasized that the Night's Watch would provide free labor and harbor defense.
...
The Night's Watch had no right to interfere in the internal affairs of the Seven Kingdoms.
But when one was the beneficiary of the rule-breaking behavior, no one raised this point. This was a chaotic era of war and the collapse of rules and systems. For a young liege lord who did not value tradition as much, and Northern lords whose minds were full of thoughts of revenge and getting even, not only did they not question the legality of the plan, but they also secretly rejoiced that someone was willing to take on this hot potato.
Nobody competed with Aegor for the bid to build this military port. Instead, the rough men quickly began discussing the specific feasibility in a flurry of voices.
"Building a military port at the mouth of the Great Gorge? Isn't that too far North? Won't the sea freeze and trap the ships in the harbor?"
"No, I ordered a careful review of historical records and conducted investigations with the fishermen of the Wool Clan, confirming that Ice Bay has never experienced large-scale freezing in history." Aegor guessed this was mostly due to the ice-covered coast blocking the cold currents from the North, and perhaps some North Sunset Sea warm current was also helping. Of course, speculation was not appropriate to mention, and even if it were correct, these rough men would not understand. "Being North has its advantages. The Ironborn would absolutely never expect the North to build a military port on the coast belonging to the Night's Watch. Even if discovered, given the distance from the Iron Islands to the Great Gorge, and with us fortifying the West Coast and clearing it of supplies so the enemy cannot resupply along the way, they would face extreme difficulty if they wanted to launch an attack."
"What about the wood needed for shipbuilding? Are there forests in that area?"
"Yes, the scale is not comparable to the Wolfswood, but it is definitely sufficient. We do not need to build a huge fleet like the Ironborn. Just a few strong and large warships that can carry and protect soldiers to break through the blockade and land on the Iron Islands will be enough to end this war at its root. I have even thought of the weapon that can be used against the Iron Fleet—Wildfire. This unstable substance is usually very dangerous, but the climate conditions in Ice Bay during the Winter season make using it in combat possible."
As the Mad King's favorite incendiary substance, the Northerners were naturally familiar with the name of this great weapon, Wildfire. Seeing that Aegor had even considered such details for future actual combat, the Northerners' furrowed brows, which had ached from days of discussion, slowly relaxed. Gradually, hope for the prospect of this war began to ignite.
Next, everyone continued to ask questions, and Aegor answered them one by one with confidence, also confirming several key issues: for the construction of the harbor and shipyard, he would invite experts from King's Landing to provide guidance; a large number of skilled artisans needed for shipbuilding would be mostly provided by House Manderly of White Harbor. They would arrive at Crown Town after the harbor outpost was initially established and, under the protection of the Night's Watch, would begin building the warships. And the soldiers would be provided by House Mormont of Bear Island. They would form the backbone of the future Northern navy, responsible for training recruits into qualified sailors and serving as captains, first mates, and other core positions on the continuously built warships.
Since Brandon the Burner burned his father's fleet, the North had not had a proper, large-scale navy for hundreds of years. If they were truly determined to rebuild it, there were simply too many details to consider, likely more than could be discussed in three days and three nights. Amidst the hustle and bustle, Robb raised his hand to signal everyone to be quiet.
"Aegor, I am very grateful that you still have the North in your heart at this time," the Lord of the North, whose right arm was still in a sling around his neck, spoke with a hint of sadness. "But you have a more important task, to hold the Gift for us, guard the Wall, manage the Wildlings, and keep the White Walkers beyond the Wall. Thank you for being willing to provide the location and assistance, but the remaining miscellaneous matters should be handled by the Northmen themselves."
This was a subtle criticism of his misplaced focus. Aegor spread his hands and took the opportunity to explain, "No, Lord, you have misunderstood. I did not come specifically to establish a navy for the North. The establishment of this outpost is part of the Night's Watch's plan to improve the Wall's defenses, but the legion encountered financial difficulties during its work. My visit this time is to request financial sponsorship and support. Seeing that you were troubled by the planning of the West Coast navy, I spontaneously decided to help, which can also be considered a repayment for the North's years of care for the Night's Watch."
(To be continued.)
***
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