Theon, who had been outmaneuvered by Jon, was in a state of disarray and no longer had the mind to cause trouble.
He now only wanted to request from Robb to return to the Iron Islands, to raise a fleet to prove himself, and at the same time, to confirm if his inheritance was still intact.
Soon, Jon and the others saw the market towns on both sides of the main road.
Winterfell was certainly not a solitary castle as depicted in the series.
It was surrounded by four or five small market towns and dozens of markets.
After all, this was the direct jurisdiction of the Starks, and law and order were guaranteed.
Market towns naturally formed.
Upon returning to Winterfell, Robb had already come out to greet him, and beside him stood a majestic Direwolf—Grey Wind.
Grey Wind and Ghost observed each other for a moment, then began to sniff each other's scent.
As soon as Jon and Robb met, Robb stepped forward and gave him a powerful hug.
Jon said with a serious expression, "We must rescue Father and our sisters!"
Robb also nodded gravely, "We will!"
Seeing the intimacy between the two, Theon felt even more displeased.
At the same time, he also felt distraught, realizing that he was almost twenty years old and it seemed he should return to the Iron Islands to inherit his title and lands.
Maester Luwin also came to greet the bastard who had returned from the Wall.
For some reason, he felt that Jon had changed a great deal.
The old him seemed to have wrapped himself in solid ice.
Unwilling to get close to others, nor wanting others to get close to him.
But the current him seemed more like a ball of fire.
His temperament also seemed much more confident.
Jon bowed to Maester Luwin, and the group continued their way back.
As Jon and Robb walked back, Robb told him about the upcoming plans.
"I have already summoned all of the Stark's vassals; in no more than two to three months, the entire army of the North will gather at Winterfell.
Then we will march south together, rescue Sansa and Arya, and rescue Father!"
"Good!" Jon nodded in agreement; he, of course, also had his own plans.
For example, taking advantage of these three months, he would try to see if he could raise his swordsmanship to a purple level.
Additionally, during the time waiting for the Northern army to gather, he would also gain three upgrade points.
At that time, whether used for command strategy or personal combat strength, they would shine brightly.
Soon, the two arrived at Robb's room, where a map hung at the head of his bed.
"Jon, I believe the Lannister army will definitely besiege Riverrun next.
I have decided that when the Northern army gathers, I will dispatch most of the cavalry to launch a direct surprise attack.
Only this way can Riverrun be relieved as quickly as possible."
When it came to military matters, Robb visibly became excited.
Jon knew that what he was talking about was the prototype of the Battle of the Whispering Wood.
However, he still hadn't thought of a crucial step: how to pass through The Twins, which guarded the vital transportation route.
That is, the territory of the Frey family, who initiated the Red Wedding.
Just as the two were discussing heatedly, a figure over two meters tall passed by the window.
"Jon!" Hodor came to Robb's study carrying Bran.
Jon turned his head and saw Hodor cradling a small boy with chestnut hair.
Behind them followed a grey Direwolf, which Bran called Summer.
"Bran." Jon came before Bran and gently touched his legs with his hand, "Does it still hurt?"
Bran shook his head and said, "I don't feel anything."
Jon's heart sank; it seemed his nerves were directly severed.
If the nerves were severed, then with the medical level of this world, unless a miracle occurred, Bran would always remain like this.
Speaking of Bran, Jon thought of the Green Seer.
He wondered whether this mysterious being was friend or foe.
If he killed him, would he gain the ability to enter other people's dreams?
He temporarily put such thoughts aside.
Afterward, Rickon also came to see Jon with his 'Shaggydog'.
Jon's return to Winterfell did not cause too much of a stir.
Robb personally stated that Jon had not officially joined the Nights Watch yet.
Moreover, his motive for rescuing Eddard was recognized by most people.
After all, the people of Westeros weren't that rigid.
The Wall was now filled with criminals.
Although the Nights Watch guarded, one more Jon wouldn't make a difference, and one less wouldn't matter.
Besides, if he returned two years later, would the Wall collapse?
So, in the following time, Jon devoted most of his energy to improving his martial arts and 'Warging' skills.
He borrowed two untrained ravens from Maester Luwin.
He claimed that he had learned a special way of training ravens at the Wall, and perhaps he could communicate with Robb via ravens in time.
More than two months passed quickly, and armies from all over the North surrounded Winterfell like dark clouds.
Especially since there had been a layer of frost these past two days, which made the black army camps and the milky white ground distinctly separate.
Banners from various families fluttered.
Not only were there regional lords like Earls.
Those Viscounts, Barons, and even Knights also had their own banners and coats of arms.
Looking out, the banners were colorful.
Bran and Maester Luwin stood on the city wall, looking at the constantly gathering army below.
"How many knights came this time?" Bran asked.
"Over three hundred, I suppose."
"So few."
"Becoming a knight is very difficult, but there should be three to four thousand cavalry."
Luwin looked at the constantly gathering army below, but he did not feel at ease.
The gathering of the army brought not only strength but also many troubles.
These lords each had their own intentions.
Some wanted to gain more benefits by sending gifts to him.
Others intended to interfere with Robb's marriage, wanting to marry their daughters to Robb.
Of course, more often there were disputes between families.
They scrambled for better places to set up camp, all wanting to be closer to Winterfell.
Luwin knew that they were testing Robb.
They wanted to see if this young commander was strong enough and if he was worth their allegiance.
Of course, the most troublesome one was the Earl of Dreadfort, Roose Bolton.
He even demanded command of the entire Northern army from Robb!
Although Robb rebuffed these people's demands one by one, it did not make them obedient.
More provocations and tests were still brewing in the dark.
Luwin suddenly looked in the direction of Jon's residence; last night, Robb had suggested that Jon help him mediate the disputes between the lords.
But in his opinion, a bastard simply did not have enough gravitas.
Jon did not know Robb's intentions, but during this time, he had already achieved relatively satisfactory results.
Jon looked at his current skill panel, where the [Swordsmanship] entry had completely turned deep purple.
[Swordsmanship — Slicing, thrusting, and hacking are merely the most basic movements of swordsmanship, but concentrated power can pierce through solid rock; true power lies within it!]
Jon had originally thought it would take at least three months to fully turn his swordsmanship purple.
But because more sparring opportunities arose with the arrival of the various Northern lords, he didn't expect it to turn purple in just two months.
This meant he could be called a first-rate swordsman anywhere.
And now Jon still held three upgrade opportunities in his hand.
He could be promoted from a first-rate swordsman to a top-tier or even legendary swordsman at any time.
Jon was very much looking forward to what the next color would be.
But he still held back.
He was still unclear about his position in the upcoming war.
If he led an army, what kind of troops would he lead?
Or would Robb keep him by his side as a guard?
Thinking of this, Jon suddenly smiled.
His starting point was indeed a bit low; putting aside his bastard status, he had no soldiers at all.
Without an army, all his plans would just be empty talk.
However, as long as he performed well in the upcoming war, there would be plenty of opportunities; he was not in a hurry.
Just then, someone knocked on his door — it was Theon.