Fortunately, Jory's loyalty to the Warden of the North was unmatched, so Jon could only quickly get up and throw on some clothes, then reluctantly follow him deep into the camp.
It wasn't until they had walked for quite a while that the transmigrator fully woke up from his sleep, only to realize with a start that the sky was just beginning to lighten. God knows why Lord Eddard didn't sleep a little longer.
But when he walked into the Warden of the North's tent, he saw countless scrolls, large and small, covering his nominal father's desk.
Judging from his face, Lord Eddard clearly hadn't slept all night.
Seeing this, Jon actually felt a bit embarrassed.
But this guilt only flashed by for a second before being replaced by his usual nonchalance.
Opposite him, seeing Jon walk into the tent and say nothing, Duke Stark assumed he was regretting his recklessness last night and reflecting on himself.
Thinking of his poor sister, and then looking at this nephew in front of him, the Duke, who was originally full of anger from working all night, had to give up the idea of lecturing him. Instead, he sighed heavily.
"Child, I must remind you, this is not Winterfell. And His Majesty the King is not a merciful ruler. You must be careful."
The words of explanation turned into a lecture out of habit, but the concern within them was unmistakable.
Seeing Lord Eddard care for him so much, Jon rubbed his chin a bit awkwardly, then stepped forward to pour him a cup of hot tea.
Then, he had to actively bring up the King's instructions from yesterday.
"Um... before you lecture me, there is one more thing I must report."
Jon organized his words while observing Eddard's expression.
Seeing that the other party didn't look too displeased, he prepared to speak slowly.
However, before he could voice his thoughts, Eddard had already anticipated them.
"Regarding the Targaryen child, I absolutely do not agree with such an immoral method of disposal."
When saying this, the Warden of the North didn't look up, seemingly unwilling to discuss this issue with Snow any further.
He clearly knew Robert's character and was certain Jon had come for this matter.
Seeing Eddard block this path before he could even start, the transmigrator naturally knew that bringing it up again would be useless.
Compared to Eddard's understanding of Robert, Jon understood his "cheap" father even better.
He was a righteous man who would rather die than give up his honor. So Jon decisively changed his excuse and the topic.
"I think you misunderstand. The King is the King; his orders cannot be questioned. But as a subject, how to ensure the King's will is carried out is the most important thing. Everything else is just an empty name."
Opposite him, hearing Snow say this, Lord Eddard, whose head had been buried in his paperwork, slowly looked up. He was clearly surprised by his nephew's change.
These days, especially since heading South to King's Landing, Jon's changes had been huge, to the point where Lord Eddard found it somewhat incredible.
At first, he attributed it to the boy's nature.
After all, for anyone to escape the Night's Watch and become the King's squire instead would be considered a meteoric rise.
Even if there were changes because of this, it would be normal, but that could only be attributed to temperament.
But now, whether it was by the bonfire that day or the conversation today, everything highlighted a key issue:
His nephew clearly had talents he didn't know about.
Thinking of this, Eddard, who had been feeling a headache about going South to King's Landing, suddenly felt a sliver of hope rise in his heart.
Although not much, it was enough to change his current mood.
Moreover, Jon's words didn't show signs of opposing him or blindly following Robert's will. Instead, they gave him a very disconcerting feeling.
That the child in front of him seemed to overlap with someone he knew well:
That figure who maneuvered among the powerful, climbing upward at all costs!
And that was the point he despised the most.
As the Warden of the North, with a thousand years of family heritage, Eddard was used to guarding his honor.
He couldn't even realize himself whether this persistence came from his foster father, Jon Arryn.
To the extent that in Snow's view, Eddard's family motto shouldn't be "Winter Is Coming," but "Honor Above All."
With this understanding, neither of them delved too much into the details. Instead, after a moment of silence, the Duke raised a question.
"Even if everything you say is correct, where should a noble's integrity and honor be placed?"
Although Lord Eddard intended to correct Jon's erroneous signs, once the words left his mouth, they habitually turned into preaching and accusation.
Hearing this expected answer, the transmigrator was not disappointed but instead breathed a huge sigh of relief.
You see, the reason he could accept fate's arrangement and be goaded by the System to go South to King's Landing relied mostly on his understanding of these guys.
Although the plot had changed, people's personalities remained constant.
After figuring out their thoughts and bottom lines, even if the situation was different, he could roughly deduce their thoughts and strategies.
Now, seeing Lord Eddard remain the same as ever, Jon was naturally happier than anyone.
So, after grasping this point, he decisively stated his thoughts to the future Hand of the King, including how to deal with Daenerys.
This gentle method of disposal naturally aroused Eddard's interest.
For some time after that, before the King summoned them, the two hammered out the details simply.
Then, the newly appointed King's Squire and "Targaryen Disposal Commissioner" Jon received a handwritten letter from Lord Eddard and used this opportunity to go to the camp's rookery.
Looking at the dozens of cages, large and small, and then at the harried Maester, Jon—who was originally just supposed to send a message to Varys—suddenly had a bold idea.
Not long after, as three ravens flew into the sky, the King's Squire temporarily completed his task, mixing in other ulterior motives.
For the next few days, everything was peaceful.
Although Jon still pitched his tent at the very edge of the camp, he seemed to have gotten used to this life.
Especially with the soldiers stationed on the camp's perimeter, with whom he had vaguely become one.
Although limited by the awkward identity of a bastard, the respect and courtesy Jon received was close to zero.
But similarly, precisely because of this identity, the soldiers didn't care if he was the King's squire or Ned Stark's bastard.
As long as this squire could magically produce all kinds of fine wine for them to take a warm sip of in the dark night, this young man was more worthy of their respect than the King.
---