The medical staff at the base moved quickly to calm the elderly scholars and officials. They were worried that these "old babies" might get too emotional, leading to health scares in the excitement of the discovery. While the modern side of the base was a hive of activity preparing for the next diplomatic meeting between the two worlds, things were settling down in Westeros.
With the ghoul threat finally eliminated, Jason led his legion and the newly formed Free Folk fighters back toward Winterfell. He left only a small garrison of Night's Watch soldiers to hold Castle Black. Since the White Walkers were gone and the wildlings were no longer enemies, the mission that the Night's Watch had carried out for thousands of years had effectively reached its end.
Jason, acting in his capacity as the Guardian of the North, issued a formal decree: the Night's Watch was officially abolished. From this day forward, the ancient order would no longer exist. He gave the remaining brothers a choice: they could join his professional army or retire to live as civilians.
Because so few of the black-clad brothers had survived the brutal war against the ghouls, the disbandment went smoothly. Only a few hundred men remained to hear the decree. For most, it was a blessing. Instead of spending their lives freezing on the Wall, they were now rewarded for their service and given the right to marry, hold land, and have families. A few old traditionalists grumbled in the shadows, but their complaints didn't matter—no one was listening to them anymore.
The Northern lords didn't raise much of an objection either. They knew that even if Jason hadn't abolished it, the Night's Watch had been dying for decades. Furthermore, Jason found the old system of pardoning rapists and murderers just for putting on a black cloak to be repulsive. As someone from a modern society governed by the rule of law, he couldn't accept such a practice. With the prestige he gained from saving the world, his word was law.
The journey back to Winterfell from the Wall took more than two weeks. The roads in the North—and all of Westeros, for that matter—were in terrible condition, causing a massive waste of time and resources. As Jason rode, he made a silent vow that once the Seven Kingdoms were unified, he would prioritize building modern infrastructure and paving roads.
Throughout the march, Stannis Baratheon approached Jason repeatedly. He was desperate for Jason's support to march on King's Landing, defeat the Lannisters and Tyrells, and reclaim the Iron Throne. Jason, however, had no intention of handing the crown to Stannis. He already viewed Westeros as his own responsibility—and his own territory.
Tired of the constant badgering, Jason eventually ordered Stannis and his accompanying nobles to be placed under house arrest within their own camp. He didn't want to lose Stannis entirely, as the man was still a useful tool for eventually subduing the Stormlands, but he needed him out of the way for now.
As for the thousands of Stormland soldiers Stannis had brought north, Jason had already taken care of them. Long before the final battle with the ghouls, he had instructed Jon, Kent, and Rubin to begin integrating those men into his own ranks.
The choice for the common soldiers was easy. Jason offered a monthly salary of fifteen silver deer, delicious modern military rations, and high-tech weaponry. These poor men from the south couldn't resist such wealth and security. Within a month, the majority had sworn allegiance to Jason and were reorganized into his various legions.
When Stannis found out he had lost his army to a paycheck and a full stomach, he was livid. He tried to storm out of his camp to demand an explanation, but Jason's guards wouldn't let him pass the perimeter.
Davos Seaworth, the Onion Knight, sat in the tent with a heavy heart. Ever since he had seen the terrifying power of the "Type 5 or 6 Automatic Rifles" in the hands of Jason's troops, he knew their cause was lost. Resistance was suicide.
"There's no point in fighting it, Your Majesty," Davos said, trying to calm the fuming King. "Those rifles fire faster than any bow, and they have those 'bombs' that work like dark magic. Against tens of thousands of men equipped like that, our knights are just target practice. Lord Jason's power is greater than Aegon the Conqueror's. The Seven Kingdoms will fall to him, one way or another. If we don't adapt, we'll end up in the ground long before Tywin Lannister."
Stannis ground his teeth, his eyes burning with a cold, frustrated rage. "I should never have listened to that Red Priestess. She brought us North to help these 'ungrateful' people, and now they bow to a foreigner who has no claim! Jason is a stranger of unknown origin. If Robert hadn't given him the title of Earl of Starfire City, he'd be nothing but a low-born outsider. He has no right to be the Guardian of the North."
Davos sighed softly. "I suspect Jason already thought of that, Sire. He used his wealth to build an army, then he used that army to destroy the Boltons and avenge Robb Stark. By marrying Sansa Stark, he secured the loyalty of every house in the North. Legally and through sheer force, the North belongs to him now."
He paused, a look of genuine confusion crossing his face. "I just don't understand where it all comes from. How does one man have so much gold? Where do these amazing goods and terrible weapons appear from? It's as if they just materialise out of thin air."
Stannis looked at his old friend, his voice low and sharp. "No one knows. I've sent scouts, I've asked questions, and no one has an answer. It's as if the gods themselves are handing him these things."
Davos nodded slowly. He had heard the rumors among the soldiers. They whispered that Lord Jason was a man favored by the Heavens. How else could anyone explain a man who arrived with nothing and, in a matter of months, brought forth an endless supply of steel, food, and thunder?
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