When Jon arrived at the castle, he found that Robert, usually known for his indulgence, had risen unusually early after his hangover.
Of course, "early" was relative to his usual habits.
So when Jon saw the King, it was already mid-morning.
The Usurper was dragging Eddard Stark around, rambling on about the joys of hunting.
Seeing this, the transmigrator had to suppress his anxiety and wait for the right moment.
However, as time ticked by, seeing that it would be too late if he didn't leave soon, Jon bit the bullet and stepped forward, preparing to explain his intentions to Eddard.
But in the next moment, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Queen Cersei, dressed in brand-new finery and surrounded by Red Cloaks, walking toward them from a distance.
Seeing this scene, and then noticing the gloomy expression on Cersei's face, Jon subtly rubbed his kidney area and immediately prepared to turn around and slip away.
Unfortunately, his sneaky demeanor clearly clashed with the bold and wild image of House Stark.
So before Cersei could even call out to stop him from afar, the Usurper had already spotted the transmigrator and turned to the man beside him.
"Tell me, Ned. Do you really not intend to tell me who that boy's mother is?"
Robert expressed his confusion while draping an arm around Lord Eddard's shoulder.
At this moment, the Usurper's face was full of playful curiosity, just like the mischievous boy in the Eyrie, not the degenerate ruler of the Seven Kingdoms.
Then, without waiting for the Duke to defy him, the King issued a command.
"You! That bas... Snow. Come here."
Although Robert always spoke with a foul mouth, in front of Eddard, he restrained himself slightly.
It was just that Jon was genuinely afraid right now, so even the King's command didn't hold much weight.
Upon hearing the summons, Jon simply kept walking, pretending not to hear, having already made up his mind to slip away immediately and run to Castle Black to be a secluded otaku.
But heaven didn't grant his wish. Just as the transmigrator was secretly pleased with his performance, his body suddenly stiffened.
Jon: "?!"
Immediately after, he watched helplessly as he strode forward.
Jon: "Fck me, System, do you have a problem with me? Do you want to bind to someone else?"
But no matter how the transmigrator cursed, his body slid forward...
Then he gave a shallow bow, followed by a silent, direct stare at the Usurper.
Opposite him, seeing Snow's knees completely unbent and his rigid posture, the Usurper felt a vague sense of déjà vu. He narrowed his eyes and looked the bastard up and down.
Clearly, the transmigrator's behavior had caught His Majesty's attention.
At this moment, right in front of the King, Jon—once again piloted by the System—scanned the scrolling information on the panel.
[5-Star Review Cashback dispensed. Reward: "The King's Grace" Limited Time Trial.]
[Massive Aggro detected. System Intelligent Auto-Pilot activated. Avoiding growth pitfalls for you. Worry-free leveling!]
But after the prompt sounded and the System took over at light speed, it did absolutely nothing else, leaving the transmigrator standing there in the wind.
However, before Robert could speak, Cersei stepped forward, smiling warmly as she cut in.
"Child, did no one tell you that when you meet the King, you should bend the knee to show... loyalty?"
As her voice fell, the Queen turned her questioning gaze to the two good brothers, her eyes full of mockery.
Cersei knew very well that her husband cared most about honor, whether it was during his rebellion years ago or in maintaining their nominal marriage.
As long as she could provoke Robert's anger, she could use the King's hand to eliminate this bastard in front of her.
As for the agreement between them, and the rationality she showed when stopping Jaime earlier? Those were long tossed aside by a furious Cersei, for reasons she couldn't disclose.
Sure enough, as Cersei finished speaking, even though he heard the instigation in her tone, Robert felt he had lost face.
But out of respect for Ned, he was prepared to give this bastard a chance—a chance to explain and correct himself.
After all, his brother loved this bastard so much that he refused to reveal any details even when the King pressed him.
So, as long as Jon knelt obediently and paid his respects properly, he would let this "nephew" off and pretend nothing happened.
Unfortunately, the silent and stubborn Snow in front of him, besides being as good at rolling his eyes as Ned, continued to stand straight as a board.
Seeing this, and noticing the Usurper's murderous impulse rising, the onlookers immediately backed away, afraid of getting blood splattered on them.
Only Cersei didn't retreat. Instead, she walked forward with a smile and looked at Robert.
"Your Grace?"
Hearing the Queen's questioning tone, the Boar King turned his head sharply, a layer of grease already oozing from his bloated face.
"Shut up! Woman, this is none of your business."
After ruthlessly scolding Cersei, Robert's moody face slowly turned back to the stubborn boy.
And the latter happened to be rolling his eyes in their direction at that exact moment.
For a moment, the atmosphere froze. Lord Eddard took a step forward, ready to explain on Jon's behalf.
However, before the Lord of Winterfell could speak, Robert issued an order.
"Sandor! Teach this little thing a lesson. Make him understand what proper manners are."
As he said this, Robert didn't forget to turn back and look at his good brother with a reassuring expression.
"Of course, don't take the little guy's life..."
As his voice fell, a figure stepped out from among the guards—a man far larger than ordinary men, clad in heavy armor.
When the man casually lowered his iconic dog-head visor, Jon finally realized who he was facing.
"Damn it, it's the Hound!"
Although he knew today wouldn't end easily, he never imagined his first battle would be against such a formidable enemy.
Despite Robert emphasizing not to kill him, this was the world of Game of Thrones. Even someone as strong as Khal Drogo died from an infection.
This meant he couldn't count on the Hound going easy on him. He had to choose a "No Damage" run.
Thinking of this, Jon couldn't help but try to negotiate.
"System, can you help me poison the Hound? The kind that works instantly?"
But the System remained silent, merely walking him to the side.
Then, under the bewildered gaze of the crowd, Jon walked to the weapon rack and began to arm himself heavily.
As for his opponent, Sandor, he waited silently on the side.
After that, the onlookers were stunned to find the somewhat slender Northern boy frantically piling useless armor onto himself, and even picking up a large shield and a jousting lance—weapons only used for tourneys.
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