The North, Winterfell
Under the somewhat dim light of the Great Hall of Winterfell, Eddard Stark was wearing a simple leather garment, with his mane cloak draped over his back, embroidered with the direwolf sigil of House Stark.
At this moment, Eddard's face bore an indescribable expression of gratitude, and his eyes revealed deep respect and appreciation for Jon. His hands tightly gripped Jon's, and a gentle smile hung at the corners of his mouth.
"Aegon, my child, you saved my life. I truly cannot express my gratitude to you in words!"
Eddard Stark's voice was low and full of emotion, his gaze fixed firmly on Jon, as if he wanted to engrave this feeling of gratitude deep into his nephew's heart.
After seeing Eddard's actions, Jon appeared somewhat ill at ease. Coming from the Zhonghua family, Jon was more reserved when expressing emotions, unlike Eddard, who was all handshakes and hugs.
After unobtrusively breaking free from his foster uncle's hands and averting his gaze from that burning stare, Jon spoke softly:
"Uncle, you are my most important relative. Protecting you is my duty. But now, we should consider how to capture Moat Cailin and drive out those Ironborn!"
The rescue operation last night had been very successful with the help of the Three-headed Hellhound. After Sonia and the others were frightened away, Jon found Eddard and his wife near the Great Keep.
Jon's words made Eddard Stark's expression turn serious, and he nodded before speaking.
"After that fellow Theon captured us, he once boasted to us that the Iron Fleet had already taken control of Blazewater Bay."
Upon hearing Eddard's words, Jon also nodded in agreement.
"It seems that the Rills has already been taken by the Ironborn. I just don't know what Lady Barbrey's attitude is. In principle, the strength of Moat Cailin should not be so easily defeated by the Ironborn."
Moat Cailin is the largest castle in the southwest of the North. It is the fief of House Dustin, with three vassal houses under its command. Aside from having a slightly smaller population, its strength is not at all weaker than that of the Dreadfort or White Harbor.
"She has always blamed me, believing that I did not bring Willam back. This matter is indeed hard to say!"
Lady Barbrey is a widow whose husband, Willam Dustin, was once Eddard's guard. During the battle at the Tower of Joy, he and the "White Bull" Gerold Hightower perished together, dying in Dorne.
Since then, Lady Barbrey has been secretly competing with House Stark. Jon felt that in another timeline, the reason why the Iron Islands could so easily occupy Moat Cailin was very likely due to this Lady Barbrey pushing things along from behind.
"If it really doesn't work, we'll just have to let Robb go there. Leave Moat Cailin to me!"
Due to Lady Barbrey's influence, these few families in the southwest of the North have always been very perfunctory regarding the orders of House Stark.
Sending Robb there this time also carried the intention of pressuring them. If they are obedient, then all is well; if not, they will simply find a small family or a cadet branch to replace them.
In the North, noble bastards are also too numerous to count. Now that Jon possesses the authority of a king, he can still manage to prop up one or two bastards.
"Can Robb complete this mission?"
After hearing Jon's suggestion, Eddard was somewhat undecided.
"Robb is an excellent tactical master, which he already demonstrated back in the Vale. I am very glad to have such a cousin."
Robb's abilities were very strong; aside from not being able to be a king, everything else was excellent. Jon naturally would not let this go to waste.
"What about Bolton?"
After hearing Jon's evaluation, Eddard also breathed a sigh of relief, but he soon thought of the Bolton father and son.
"House Bolton is a very good weapon. As long as there is hope for the future, they will never betray. Right now, I am that greatest hope; they will only help us wholeheartedly."
Due to Jon's plot revelations, Eddard had always been very worried about Robb and House Bolton, so he asked this when they talked about these matters.
"As long as we draw in all the armies from the southwest, our strength will become even stronger, and we will have a few more degrees of certainty in reclaiming the Riverlands."
After hearing Jon's suggestion, Eddard also nodded in agreement.
"By the way, my dear uncle, have you contacted your old friends in the Riverlands?"
"Naturally. When our great army marches south, our allies will appear behind the enemy."
---
Half a month later, Castle Cerwyn, Kingsroad
On a vast plain, an army belonging to the various great nobles of the North was slowly assembling. After a period of waiting and integration, Jon's thirty-thousand-strong army was finally fully assembled.
Under the sunlight, the light infantry's armor reflected a dazzling light. This was a batch of scale armor brought out from the Myr armory, and the round mirrors on the chest bore Jon's dragonwolf sigil.
These ten thousand plus light infantry were elites specifically selected by Jon from the North and the Vale. Officers at the captain level were all warriors with system classes, the lowest being Apprentice Knights or Swordsmen.
Under the blowing breeze, the banners of Jon's dragonwolf sigil flapped loudly in the wind, adding a bit of solemnity and majesty to this land.
Aside from this light infantry legion belonging to Jon, the equipment of the other twenty-thousand-plus troops was very diverse, most of them being light cavalry from various Northern houses.
They wore leather armor and simple helmets, with greatswords, maces, battle-axes, and bows hanging at their waists. The famous Winter Wolves in history were renowned for such equipment.
The sturdy Northern warhorses were tall and powerful. To enhance their defense, Jon also specifically brought in a batch of chainmail from Myr to protect them from enemy attacks.
These light cavalry were the main force of the Northern army, specializing in rapid mobility and long-range strikes, making them a key force on the battlefield.
In another timeline, Robb used that cavalry force of over ten thousand to ambush Jaime Lannister at the Whispering Wood, making that famous "Kingslayer" his prisoner.
In the center of the army, a small troop of knights was particularly eye-catching.
They were clad in heavy iron armor, wore ornate helmets, held lances and shields, and rode tall, powerful warhorses.
These were knights from White Harbor, elites from House Manderly's standing army. They were well-trained, extremely capable in combat, and were the backbone of the battlefield.
In the upcoming war, they would serve as the arrowhead for the cavalry, clearing the obstacles ahead for Jon.
At the rear of the army, some crossbowmen and archers were busy preparing.
They held standard-issue longbows and crossbows, nervously checking their equipment.
Although their equipment was not as fine as that of the light cavalry and knights, they were also an indispensable part of the army and would play an important role on the battlefield.
"Roar, roar, roar..."
Accompanied by the appearance of an earth-shaking dragon roar, a Drakon as large as two elephants appeared on the Kingsroad.
Its body was massive and strong, its muscles bulging like a moving mountain. Its gaze was sharp and fierce, revealing an irresistible majesty and power.
At this time, Jon was riding the Drakon to inspect the army. He wore black armor, with the Valyrian steel sword Blackfyre and Dark Sister placed at his waist. His blood-red cloak fluttered as the Drakon advanced, looking very majestic.
Jon slowly rode the Drakon, inspecting the army that had already finished assembling, his gaze firm and confident.
His appearance left the entire battlefield in awe. Soldiers stopped their actions one after another, staring fixedly at this legendary Dragon King.
Jon had many nicknames in the North: The Hidden Bastard, The Incarnation of the Dragon, The Dragon of the North, The King from Across the Sea, etc.
Under the constant promotion by Eddard and others, legends about Jon were spreading throughout the North and the Vale.
When Jon, riding the Drakon, appeared here today, all the soldiers truly witnessed what a living legend was.
"Whinny..."
After feeling the terrifying pressure of the Drakon, the cavalry's warhorses let out bursts of whinnying.
They seemed to feel an unprecedented fear, their bodies trembling. Some timid horses even retreated a few steps in fear. If their masters had not shouted to stop them, they might have already fled.
These warhorses were once beasts of the battlefield, but now they appeared so small and powerless before this gargantuan creature.
Jon sat atop the Drakon, overlooking the entire battlefield. His gaze swept over every soldier, their faces filled with awe and expectation.
Jon knew very well that the time left for him was getting shorter and shorter. The Night King in the north and the Demon King in the east had always been watching this place. If the process was not accelerated, everything would be too late.
After riding the Drakon to the very front of the ranks, Jon drew the Blackfyre sword from his waist and shouted loudly:
"My dear subjects, winter has arrived, and the time is ripe. Those usurpers will finally pay the price for their actions. The Seven Kingdoms will eventually be unified. As one of the noble blood of the Targaryen family, I will lead you to victory and glory!"
Hearing Jon's shout, the soldiers' morale instantly soared.
"Long live His Majesty Aegon!"
"Long live the true dragon!"
"Long live the Targaryen family!"
...They brandished their weapons and shouted slogans loudly, preparing to face the upcoming battle.
"March!"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you like the story please give it some power stones and reviews. And if you want to read 40+ advance chapters or just want to support me please join my patreon at [email protected]/Translatingfanfics