Game of Thrones: The Legend of Jon Arctic - Chapter 215 - The Routine of the King of Artica 01.

[Chapter Size: 3300 Words.]

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Third Person POV

North, 297 AC.

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"As snowstorms begin to intensify in the north, in the lands of eternal winter, they are starting to move... my king," Brynden began as the two were alone.

"I see... There’s no sighting of the army of the dead there?" Jon asked as Brynden shook his head negatively.

"Then have you sought out Leaf? Have our gods given any sign about it?" Jon asked, while Brynden sighed.

"Of course, but she hasn’t said anything about them yet. She mentioned that she wants to speak with you," he informed.

Jon nodded, realizing he would have to speak with the leader of the Children of the Forest later. "And the snowstorm in the north is moving south..." Jon continued questioning. "How much time do you think we have?"

"The pace is slower than the group of tribes approaching with Mance toward our region. The dead are slow, and their numbers must be enormous. But they don’t rest, and they don’t need to eat. They will march constantly south, likely even before winter fully sets in. I wouldn’t doubt that they already know about us. We can’t underestimate them. We’ll have one or two years at most before they arrive," Brynden explained.

Jon nodded. "All right, we’ll have some time to prepare. Unfortunately, the dragons won’t be ready for this kind of war. I’ll need to devise another strategy besides just relying on Eragon..." Jon murmured, turning his gaze back to Brynden. "Now I want to know about the army of tribes coming from the north. Did Mance Rayder gather 100,000 people?" Jon asked, already aware of the reports Brynden had provided. "And you sent no animals to observe their location?"

"Yes, I’m investigating their movements right under their noses. Not even the wargs in their camp can detect me, and they aren’t more skilled than the lesser wargs we have in Artica. There are 100,000 people, but a portion of them are old and children. Maybe Mance can gather 60,000 warriors to fight. He desires the Wall, but I believe that’s impossible. They only know rumors about us, thinking we’re an exaggerated existence from the tales of other tribes joining them. They’ve been marching slowly for many moons since he decided to campaign. From time to time, he stops to gather more local tribes. Now he’s nearing this region. He’ll likely see Artica in a few moons," Brynden said as Jon nodded.

"I understand. What do you think? We can’t let them die, can we?" Jon asked.

"The gods wouldn’t want that, my king. But I’ve been studying. There are many tribes that won’t integrate well into Artica. The Thenns, for example, will never accept submission to us. Tribes like theirs will make conflict inevitable if they choose to become our enemies. Personally, I don’t think it’s a good idea to bring them into the city. They would bring many problems," Brynden opined.

"That’s a bit complicated," Jon murmured, thoughtful as he listened. He looked at the northern map where Brynden had placed some figurines to represent Mance and his group.

The situation could be even more serious, but Jon had already brought most of the southern tribes to Artica. More and more people who initially refused were now coming to seek shelter and food. This, of course, caused some problems. Even murders occurred, but they were punished immediately by the law, surprising those who were used to living as true savages beyond the Wall of Artica. The Minister of Justice had established a highly efficient patrol throughout the city, and Wargs could be used to investigate crimes.

"Hmm... I’ll contact Mance first. I think it won’t hurt to exchange a few letters," Jon said, deciding to take that approach. After all, he still believed that if he could save those people, he would.

"There’s also a part of the tribes still concentrated in the Hardhome area," Brynden commented, looking at the map with a strange expression.

"I know you’re thinking about my project for Hardhome, which is to create a port that will connect Artica with the rest of the world. Don’t worry about that," Jon said, considering his plan to develop an intermediary port. He didn’t want foreigners coming directly to Artica. Hardhome was the perfect place to build a new city. There, Artican ships would receive cargo to bring to the capital. Jon was determined to transform all the lands beyond the Wall into a kingdom, creating new cities throughout the region.

"I know, my king... it’s just that we are in a difficult time to act there..." Brynden murmured.

"All right, we’ll deal with it later," Jon said, closing the topic before turning his attention back to Brynden. "Now let’s set the North aside. I’ve found some things I need to discuss with you on this journey, Brynden," he said, capturing the man’s focus.

"The first thing is what happened in Volantis regarding my encounter with the Red God," he began, as Brynden raised an eyebrow, unaware of this. Jon continued, narrating from the beginning to the moment he encountered R’hllor, the Red God, after stepping into the central flame of the Red Temple.

"So you need this sword to destroy the Night King?" Brynden murmured, deeply thoughtful about it.

"Strange, isn’t it? That I would need such a weapon right now, with the enemy approaching. R’hllor said I wouldn’t be able to destroy him this time and that there will come a moment when the entire world will have to unite to fight the dead. I must be prepared with this weapon to destroy him when that moment arrives," Jon explained, scratching his chin. "It’s kind of hard to believe."

"I won’t say I’m not surprised by this. But what do you plan to do?" Brynden asked.

"I’m not sure yet, but I have the key, given to me by the Red God himself: a map that reveals the missing parts we found in Valyria. I know the location of another part, while the last one... I have no idea where it is. And there’s a special item I obtained while saving Yi-Ti, which Hiyori agreed to exchange with me. The princess of Yi-Ti said this item belonged to her mother’s family and was waiting for the right moment before being handed over to someone," Jon revealed, pausing briefly before continuing.

"The most surprising thing was meeting a woman who called herself Quaithe. She sought me out, speaking of the same vision, and said she could help me find the sword. It was she who asked the Yi-Ti princess to make the exchange with me, involving me in Yi-Ti’s war. But the most shocking revelation was her true identity," Jon said, looking seriously at Brynden.

Brynden narrowed his eyes, sensing that it involved him somehow. "Her real name is Shiera Seastar. She also said she was your lover nearly 70 years ago..." Jon revealed, as Brynden’s eyes widened.

"She’s alive?" Brynden asked, incredulous. He was astonished, as he had never seen visions of her even when he possessed the powers for it. This caught him completely off guard.

"Yes. She seems to use blood magic to stay alive. She doesn’t look older than 40, though she always hides her face behind a mask. Perhaps she’s no longer the woman you once knew," Jon said. According to her stories, she was said to be one of the most beautiful women in Westeros. Perhaps the most beautiful ever, though Jon couldn’t confirm that, and Brynden didn’t seem eager to revisit his own past through the green sight.

"Well, I’ll need to think about this," Brynden murmured. "And what does she want? She probably knows I’m alive, doesn’t she?" he asked.

Jon nodded. "Yes, she wanted to come to Artica, but I didn’t allow it. I needed to speak with you first. After all, she asked me to give you this letter," Jon said, pulling out the envelope for Brynden.

"I won’t let her come to Artica until you agree. She claims she can help us defeat the dead once and for all, but that’s a decision I’ll leave to you," Jon affirmed as Brynden took the paper.

"All right. As I said, I’ll need to think about it. It’s a surprise that she’s alive after everything," he murmured again, with a somewhat lost tone.

Jon nodded. "Let’s arrange some meetings with the other ministers to decide how we’ll handle the tribes coming south while preparing for the war against the dead," Jon said.

Brynden nodded as the two began to leave the place. The Senate was waiting at the entrance, with guards stationed outside.

"Where are we headed, my king?" a royal guard asked as Jon rode a horse through the city's Main Street. People stopped to catch a glimpse of the King of Artica, curious and calling out words of greeting. Jon waved back to everyone before answering the man in charge of the guard.

"Now we are heading straight to the King's Greenhouse. Seraphine is waiting for us there. I hope Leaf will be present too," he said, as they rode their horses, making their way through the city. It took some time since the Senate was in the northern part of the city, and the cultivation district was in the south, but they eventually arrived.

As they approached the entrance, they saw bears standing there with saddles, a clear sign that the Children of the Forest were already inside, as they often traveled on wolves or shadow cats. Entering the greenhouse, they were met with a vast collection of herbs and plants. This was the primary supply for potions consumed by the royal family and Artica’s elite soldiers, used to enhance strength, endurance, and other physical attributes. These potions were restricted, just as they had been for Jon, the queens, and their children, granting Jon physical strength even greater than that of giants in his human body.

"Jon, you're here!" Seraphine called out from another room as Jon approached. The room was illuminated, filled with colorful glows.

Jon had seen this from Eragon the day before while flying over the city with him. Now, he could examine the glowing crystals in the trees, cultivated specifically to create these materials. Jon had created and tested the first crystals before his last journey, but they had only lasted a few seconds before dimming. Now was the moment to see the new results.

With the self-synthesis formula utilizing solar energy, they could store sunlight during the day, allowing the crystals to illuminate the entire city at night. Even on cloudy days, this technology would work, making the system sustainable over the crystal's lifespan.

"As you can see, Jon, your project has started to bear fruit," Leaf spoke from a distance, accompanied by other Children of the Forest.

Jon nodded and moved closer, passing by the trees laden with crystals. There were at least fifteen of them, each producing numerous crystals. Now, he wouldn’t have to wait any longer. If this worked, he could use his power to create trees that generated these crystals directly from their seeds. The genetic modification Jon had made to the trees had succeeded.

He quickly picked up a crystal and carefully removed it, observing as it glowed in his hands without producing much heat, even emitting a slight chill from the blue rock.

"How long can it last?" Jon asked, as he had been absent and didn’t have the reports on the tests Leaf and the other Children of the Forest had been conducting here.

"It can last 16 hours, as you had programmed," Seraphine responded, and Jon nodded.

"Very good. Is it charging with solar energy?" he asked again.

"Yes," Leaf answered. "It charges throughout the day without any issues and glows all night long. This is now the brightest building in the city," she added, as Jon looked on, satisfied.

"Excellent. I need you to organize a larger space to begin producing these trees in greater quantities. Also, coordinate with Thor to plan the installation of posts across the entire kingdom where we can fit these crystals," Jon said, as Seraphine nodded, taking on the responsibility.

It was time for Artica to stand out from anywhere else in the world. The city would have its own light through these crystals and would never sleep. They would be far more efficient than the torches scattered around the city. Moreover, citizens would have their own lights at home since the kingdom would distribute the crystals free of charge to the entire population, as well as install them in public areas to ensure Artica could function even at night in some neighborhoods.

"I’ll handle it immediately, Jon," Seraphine said as she began to leave the greenhouse.

Jon then turned his attention to Leaf, who was still present. "Brynden mentioned that you wanted to speak with me about our enemy's movements?" he asked, noticing she seemed to have a more serious expression.

"It’s true, Jon. He is moving. But the gods, at the same time, gave me a sign," Leaf said, pausing. Jon remained silent, waiting for her to continue.

"They can no longer interfere in our world, Jon. This fight is ours, and it will depend on our cooperation to destroy the enemy," she said.

"I understand. Don’t worry about that then, Leaf. I believe Artica was created for this, and we will defeat them if we can. But we won’t let them set foot in this kingdom," Jon affirmed. "Those stockpiles haven’t been touched, have they?" he asked.

Jon was referring to a secret location, outside the city and very well hidden, where a massive storage of wildfire was kept. Tons of it had been produced and stored there for a time of extreme need. Perhaps that moment was approaching, when a massive explosion of wildfire could destroy any army, no matter its size.

"They haven’t been touched, Jon. Everything is being maintained as we continue producing more and monitoring the site to ensure no one gets close," Leaf replied as Jon nodded, confident.

"Good. It might come to a point where we’ll need to spread the wildfire beyond Artica’s walls, creating strategic sites for explosions that could even devastate the surrounding mountains," Jon said, while Leaf nodded, knowing this might be necessary.

"Anyway, there’s nothing more to do here. My family is in the city. I might resolve a few other matters before spending some time with them," Jon commented, ending the conversation and wanting to wrap up the day’s final tasks, even though it was still morning.

There were many things to organize, such as checking on the situation in Braavos, handling trade issues, and holding a direct meeting with Junly and Darius. He needed to immediately address the situation in the slave cities by establishing an administrative group to cooperate with the Red Priests, send trade ships south, resupply Yi-Ti as promised, and begin negotiations with Pentos, Myr, Tyrosh, and Volantis. He also needed to deal with the city of Lys, having heard about what had happened there. Perhaps now it would be possible to establish healthy trade since the ruling family had been overthrown. Amid all this, Jon cared little for Westeros, unconcerned with what they were doing there—it didn’t matter to him.

Jon then left the King's Greenhouse and headed to the King's Forge to meet Thor and finalize preparations for the creation of Valyrian steel. This would be made by combining common steel, but it needed to be transformed using the forge and Eragon’s fire on the magical ingot.

"Well, it looks promising," Jon commented, making the final adjustments as Thor nodded. "I think this looks good here..."

"We’re finished here. Do you need anything else, my king?" Thor asked.

"I also need a saddle adjusted to the size of the dragon. I noticed the old one is too small. Can you make it in two days?" Jon asked.

The man, as gruff as usual, nodded. "Yes, my king. I’ll speak with my men. They’ll adjust the saddle, but they won’t go near the dragon to test it."

"Great, I’ll handle that. But we’re not done yet... we still need to bring the Valyrian steel forge. It’s time to set it up here," Jon said, as the man nodded again.

Thor had already discussed the matter with the dwarves before the king’s arrival, and the conversation had not been easy. As he and Thor walked through the area, some dwarves were grouped together, scowling, on nearby streets, watching as the forge was prepared to be moved after Thor had demanded it.

"Damn, what does the king want with this forge? It should be a historical treasure for us, and he just wants it for himself," one of them muttered until another quickly elbowed him, pointing ahead. The first dwarf looked up and saw Jon approaching with Thor. He swallowed hard, realizing he had been overheard.

"I heard exactly what you said," Jon stated, looking directly at the dwarf. He knew that the dwarven race was loyal but also grumbling and overly talkative, even more so when sober.

"I... I didn’t mean it that way," the dwarf muttered, lowering his head as he was confronted. Jon sighed in response.

"I’m not taking possession of this forge for myself. It belongs to Artica, but it will be used to create more Valyrian steel. We need it. Soon, we’ll have weapons, swords, and armor. Don’t you want the opportunity to wear one of those armors?" Jon asked with an amused tone.

The dwarves’ eyes widened at this. The idea of new weapons and armor was something they couldn’t ignore.

"That would certainly be splendid, my king! A hammer made from this metal would be priceless, not a gift but a treasure for my family. I’d love to have one and would do anything to possess it. I’ll give all my gold if you make one for me!" one dwarf immediately exclaimed.

"And for me too, my king! If you give me such weapons, I’ll be the greatest warrior in Artica. No one will be able to stop me as I stride onto the battlefield, crushing all our enemies!" another said.

"My king, if you gift me one, I’ll remain loyal even after death. I’ll walk among the dead, using my hammer to protect you!" declared a third dwarf.

"Well, I see you’re all excited," Jon interrupted, seeing more and more dwarves shouting, trying to convince him to make Valyrian steel weapons.

"However, this isn’t a quick project. For now, there isn’t enough Valyrian steel for all of you to have weapons and armor as you desire. First, I need to automate its production. In the coming moons, I’ll begin testing and creating the first ingots of Valyrian steel," Jon explained.

The dwarves nodded, even with Jon’s tempered tone. In the end, there were no further problems, and the forge began its journey through the streets. There was some difficulty in transporting it, but giants arrived to assist in the district, speeding up the process. Finally, the forge was installed in the King's Forge building, where Jon would start working in the coming days.

Afterward, he returned to the city, leaving the crafting district. Quickly, he moved with his guards until he encountered a crowd gathered with more royal guards. In the middle of the commotion were his brides and wives, who had finally ventured out to explore more of Artica.

Jon saw this as an opportunity to relax a bit, enjoying simple things. After all, even as king, he liked engaging in common activities, and in Artica, he could do so, even if his presence drew attention. He sought to ease his mind amidst the many pressing issues.