Gunpowder, or more precisely, bck powder, is composed of one part sulfur, two parts nitrate, and three parts charcoal. The formu is simple and easy to remember, and many people can memorize it at a gnce. This ratio represents the reactive components, though in actual practice, an optimized mass ratio is used. Aegor recalled a more precise composition: 2:15:3.

  Beyond just remembering the formu, he also knew that "sulfur" and "charcoal" referred to elemental sulfur and carbon, while "nitrate" specifically meant potassium nitrate. He could even write out the chemical reaction equation for an explosion—not that it was something to boast about. It was basic knowledge, easily grasped in high school.

  However, knowing the principles of gunpowder and being able to immediately produce rge quantities of it for practical use were two entirely different matters. After all, Aegor wasn't a chemist or a geologist, nor had he ever made the substance himself.

  And even if he could... he wouldn't be able to use it just yet.

  The reason was simple: gunpowder was too powerful a weapon. At present, he was still "living under someone else's roof"—in other words, under the protection of the Iron Throne. More specifically, under the indirect protection of Eddard Stark. Though the tter likely wasn't even aware of it, the fact remained: so long as Eddard remained in power, Aegor had a degree of safety.

  That reality would not change simply because Eddard happened to be familiar with the real story or had secretly "saved" him in the past. Until he built a force that was loyal to him and him alone, manufacturing gunpowder would only serve to benefit others. The moment word of it got out, the ruling css of Westeros would swoop in and seize it. They'd use it in their endless wars and war was indiscriminate.

  As a "neutral" Night's Watch officer, Aegor's greatest asset in navigating the various political factions was bance. If that bance were broken, the Seven Kingdoms would descend into chaos. Apart from the North, perhaps, no other faction would hesitate to turn on him. And if war engulfed Westeros, the loss of his financial assets would be the least of his concerns. Worse still, if he was killed by the very technology he introduced, it would be nothing short of a cosmic joke.

  As a time traveler, Aegor was perfectly happy to enjoy the company of beautiful women in this world. But experiencing cannon fire and battlefield artillery firsthand? While that might sound like a "man's romance" to some... he'd rather not.

  …

  The ideal future would be to find a powerful patron or, better yet, build his own power base. Only then could he unleash this devastating weapon at the most critical moment for example, if the Seven Kingdoms miraculously avoided civil war, he could introduce gunpowder when the White Walkers attacked.

  But if war was inevitable, he would use the chaos to his advantage, making sure that before the various factions could reverse-engineer gunpowder for themselves, he would demonstrate its absolute superiority. "Equivalence is truth. Range is justice."

  By crushing his enemies in a decisive blow, he could secure his pce at the pinnacle of power. From there, he could either enjoy life in this world indefinitely or search for a way to return home whichever suited him best.

  As, Aegor couldn't help but ment how much easier things would have been if he had been reborn as a prince instead. If he had inherited a title, a fief, and loyal subordinates from the start, life would have been much simpler.

  ---

  Pnning too far ahead was pointless. For now, aside from recruiting a few alchemists as a contingency pn, his more immediate concern was the defense of the Wall.

  Wildfire was incredibly dangerous in the warm climate of the south, but on the cold, desote Wall, it could function as an effective explosive provided it was handled carefully.

  While waiting for the first Night's Watch factory to be completed, Aegor spent time experimenting with the bottle of wildfire he had purchased, carefully pouring out a few milliliters at a time and testing its properties.

  "Don't get too close," he warned Arya, who was watching him intently. "If I catch fire, throw that bucket of water on me."

  The girl giggled, agreeing without hesitation. To her, it was perfectly natural for her adventurous master to py with fire.

  With a great deal of caution and preparation, Aegor avoided any serious accidents. Before long, he had reached a few important conclusions:

  First, wildfire was much less dense than water—which was obvious. Light oils always floated. Not only did wildfire float on water, but it could also burn despite being submerged. This expined how, in the original story, Tyrion had used it to incinerate Stannis's fleet on the Bckwater.

  Second, it was insanely fmmable. Even though body heat alone couldn't ignite it, almost anything else could:

  Drip it onto hot ground? It ignites.

  Leave it under direct sunlight for 30 seconds? It ignites.

  Snap your fingers near it? The friction-generated heat might ignite it.

  Aegor didn't have a thermometer, but after repeated tests, he estimated that any temperature above 50°C (122°F) could cause spontaneous combustion.

  And that wasn't all.

  Wildfire had extremely low surface tension, meaning it soaked into anything it touched and seeped into the smallest crevices. This was a terrifying trait for a fmmable liquid. it ensured that once ignited, the fire would spread rapidly and be nearly impossible to extinguish.

  Good stuff.

  He was already looking forward to seeing it unleashed on the wights.

  …

  Aegor ter sought out the pyromancer, hoping to recruit him into the Night's Watch. Unfortunately, he was ftly rejected.

  It was no surprise. The very mention of "serving the Night's Watch" triggered deep-seated fears in most people. For older individuals like Hallyne, this fear was even more ingrained. No matter how Aegor tried to expin that his offer was different, the old man refused to budge.

  In the end, he let it go.

  Not everything could go his way. He was just a minor officer of the Night's Watch, after all. Not every endeavor would succeed.

  But time was on his side.

  Once the Night's Watch's industrial ventures grew, once they forged stronger economic ties with the nobles of King's Landing and the Crownnds, money and power would do what words could not. When the time came, Aegor would return to the Alchemists' Guild with an offer they couldn't refuse.

  His first major investment was secured, and the future looked promising.

  Yet just as Aegor was celebrating his progress, a piece of shocking news threw him into turmoil.

  During a casual conversation with Arya, she inadvertently revealed something extraordinary.

  …

  A group of major Vale lords including Lord Yohn Royce of Runestone, Lady Anya Waynwood of Ironoaks, and Lord Jerold Hunter of Longbow Hall—had secretly formed an alliance and unched a coup.

  Calling themselves the Alliance of the Righteous, they had seized the Bloody Gate, taking control of the Vale with minimal bloodshed.

  Now, they had completely surrounded the Eyrie, besieging Lysa Arryn without attacking.

  Their demands?

  Lysa Tully must hand over young Lord Robert Arryn for proper education.

  She must submit to trial for the suspected murder of Jon Arryn.

  The noble houses of the Vale would jointly raise and mentor Robert Arryn as their future ruler.

  A formal decration had been issued from Runestone and was already on its way to King's Landing.

  Arya had overheard this explosive news from a conversation between her father and his advisors.

  Without realizing its significance, she had casually reyed it to Aegor making him the second person in King's Landing to know, right after the royal court.

  ---

  Oh, this is incredible. Absolutely incredible. Yohn Royce really is something else—no wonder his son, Waymar Royce, is so ruthless. Like father, like son. The way he's handled this situation is nothing short of spectacur.

  Aegor had only meant to stir up rumors to bring down Littlefinger, but rumors are like Pandora's box—once opened, they take on a life of their own. And now, this particur storm had completely spun out of his control. It had spread beyond King's Landing, igniting chaos in the Vale.

  The Vale—originally one of the few regions that stayed neutral during the War of the Five Kings, preserving its strength throughout the entire conflict was now the first pce to descend into turmoil.

  On a personal level, Aegor couldn't help but feel a sense of schadenfreude over the siege of the Eyrie. But in the grand scheme of things, he wasn't just a bystander. He was pying a different kind of game one that involved raising capital, leveraging financial strategies, and ying the groundwork for an enterprise built on advanced technology.

  This wasn't a game that could be pyed in isotion. No matter how slow information traveled or how difficult long-distance communication was in this world, the ripple effects of every major event would reach him eventually.

  And now, Aegor had to wonder would this sudden civil war in the Vale end up disrupting his own pns?

  ***

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