Jon, Are You Serious?!

Inside the white Tower of the Hand, Stannis and Alester are listening to Pycelle's report on the true state of the country over the years.

Although he had long known that Robert was negligent in his duties and extravagant in his spending, the actual state of the country was still worse than he had expected.

Take finances for example, the royal family owes more than six million! Three million of that is owed to the Lannister, and another three million to the Free Cities.

When Stannis learned the total amount owed, his mind went blank for a moment; he simply couldn't understand how Robert had managed to spend all that money.

As far as he knew, even when Jaehaerys I laid the Kingsroad connecting the entire country, it didn't cost this much money.

"Your Majesty, however, due to the Lannister rebellion, I think our total debt can be reduced by half," Pycelle said, trying to soothe Stannis's mood.

He knew that with such a meticulous king, his future days would be difficult to fool, but Stannis still frowned. Even if he didn't have to repay the Lannister ' money, he still owed three million, and couldn't even afford to give his subjects their rewards.

Not to mention he also needed to rebuild his fleet. In addition, he had hired Salladhor Saan's ships to join his fleet, but in the Battle of the Blackwater, not only his ships but also Salladhor Saan's ships suffered heavy losses.

In addition to the commission for subduing Salladhor Saan, Stannis also needs to compensate Salladhor Saan's ship.

This is when he suddenly realized that even if he possessed the Iron Throne, he was still just a penniless "king".

At that moment, a maid entered. Alester tried to stop her, but upon learning that it was Queen Selyse's order, he had no choice but to let her in.

"What is it?" Stannis asked without looking up.

"The Queen asked me to inquire whether the decor in the Maegor's Holdfast needs to be changed—"

Before the maid could finish speaking, a helpless expression appeared on Alester's face, and Stannis was instantly enraged—he abruptly looked up at the maid. "If that woman wants to be replaced, then let him find a way to get the money himself!"

The maid was startled by his gaze and tone, and hurriedly left the room.

Stannis slammed the ledger documents on the table in frustration, put his hands on his hips, and looked out at the night view, only to see a bleak future for the kingdom.

He currently lacks funds and military strength, and his most prized fleet suffered heavy losses in the Battle of the Blackwater, requiring at least three to five years, or even longer, to rebuild.

To make matters worse, it is already autumn, and soon the Seven Kingdoms will face widespread crop failures and a slowdown in population growth, which in turn will lead to a significant reduction in tax revenue.

Without money and without an army, he, as king, had no power or authority.

The thought of Robb, Tywin in the Westerlands, and Balon in the Iron Islands gave him a headache.

However, even more troublesome news soon followed. Just as Stannis decided to sleep in the Tower of the Hand in the middle of the night, bad news arrived—the duke he had just bestowed upon him had run away!

Meanwhile, in the brightly lit Maegor's Holdfast, Sansa and Arya were brought to the Red Keep and placed under tight protection almost immediately, sitting with Selyse.

"Tell me, when did Jon leave?" Selyse was not a gentle woman; on the contrary, her voice was often sharp and accusatory.

"We don't know Her Majesty the Queen," Sansa shook her head. "Arya couldn't sleep in the middle of the night and got up to look for Jon, only to find him missing. He left this behind."

Sansa handed a letter to Selyse, Selyse was about to take it and read it when Stannis suddenly appeared.

Selyse quickly stood up and bowed to her husband, but Stannis didn't care at all and snatched the letter away.

In the letter, Jon reassured Sansa and Arya that Stannis was a king who upheld justice and the law, and that he would not do anything like holding them hostage.

Jon, knowing Stannis would see the letter, apologized to Stannis, saying he was truly tempted by the title of Lord of Harrenhal and the Stark name, but he did not want to be enemies with Robb. However, he added that if Stannis encountered other enemies in the future, he would still be willing to answer the call.

Upon seeing Jon's letter, Stannis unconsciously ground his teeth again, his face turning ashen.

Sansa's hands were twisting her handkerchief incessantly, and Selyse barely dared to breathe. Only Arya touched the hilt of her sword, looking it over from left to right.

"Chase him! Send men to chase him! Bring that Jon back to me!" Just as Stannis gave the order, Melisandre walked in.

"Your Majesty, I have found Jon. He is heading towards Sow's Horn."

Stannis knew this was Melisandre's prophecy of fire, so he looked at Axell, Axell understood and quickly led his men toward the direction of the Sow's Horn.

The team was led by Axell and Penny.

Leading troops to search in the dead of night was hardly a pleasant experience. They had initially thought Jon was greedy and wanted more rewards, but it turned out he was serious.

"Jon!"

"Lord Jon!"

"Your Majesty the Duke!"

"Come back with us, Your Grace! This is treason!" Penny, who had come to King's King's Landing with Davos, shouted across the vast fields.

He knew in his heart that if he couldn't find Jon, his life would be over.

But Axell stopped him, saying, "Don't shout like that. Jon isn't stupid. He's determined to leave. Do you think saying that will make a difference?"

Axell knew that from this day forward, the bards and singers of King's Landing and even the Seven Kingdoms would sing of Jon's deeds.

His fame will spread throughout Westeros, and even the Free Cities will know of this stubborn "but noble bastard."

No, from now on no one will dare to call him a bastard. This kind of spirit—giving up a dukedom to dedicate himself to humanity—even if you don't agree with his actions in your heart, you still have to address him publicly as "Jon" or "Stark."

Around noon, Melisandre sent word again to Jon's exact location, and Axell and Penny cornered Jon by a riverbank.

At this moment, Jon, riding his horse with Ghost beside him, baring his teeth and whimpering, stood by the surging river, watching the crowd that had come to capture him.

Although Stannis sent far more men this time than he had when he left the Wall, and Melisandre provided the exact locations.

But if Jon wants to leave, no one can stop him.

But the show has almost ended here. Jon, riding on horseback, watches the Gold Cloaks approaching him.

"Lord Jon, come back with us! This is His Majesty's order!" Axell said loudly, his posture exceptionally respectful, even jumping off his horse to avoid appearing too arrogant.

"Sir Florent, please let me go," Jon said in a pleading tone, as if he were deeply worried about the Wall, or as he put it, he simply did not want to fight Robb's brother.

However, he knew in his heart that neither Mance Rayder nor the Wildlings were the real threat; the real threat came from the White Walkers.

If Robb can be brought back to the Wall, the Wildlings problem will not be difficult to solve. The White Walkers will also not affect humanity for the next year or two.

Winter, Long Night, White Walkers —winter will be the biggest problem Westeros will face in the future.

He needs to find a way to get Stannis to grant him control of the Westerlands. If he can control the Westerlands, he can mobilize more resources to stockpile supplies such as winter clothing and fuel.

Axell spoke again, "Lord Jon, what will happen to Robb if you go to the Wall? His Majesty might send troops to attack the North. What will happen to Tywin if you go to the Wall? Will he continue to seek revenge? What will happen to Balon if you go to the Wall? After plundering the Westerlands, will they continue to plunder the North? Lord Jon, only you, only you can stop all of this!"

When personal interests are involved, the human brain works at high speed.

Especially for Axell, who was capable of "sacrificing family for the greater good," he knew perfectly well that only if Jon accepted the reward would the House Florent not end up with nothing.

Jon hadn't really planned to leave, but seeing how sincere he was, he went back with him.

On the way Axell and Penny practically clung to Jon's waist, afraid he would run away.

It wasn't until the afternoon that the group returned to the Red Keep and met Stannis.

The king, who had encountered numerous problems upon ascending the throne, was irritable and exhausted. Jon even noticed that he had dark circles under his eyes, and the remaining hair at his temples was in dire need of attention.

"Does serving me really make you this uncomfortable?" Stannis's voice was like icy rain, but to Jon, it seemed to carry a hint of grievance.

"That's not it, Your Majesty, I just—"

"I don't want to be enemies with Robb!" Stannis interrupted Jon's explanation. He had previously suspected that Jon might be dissatisfied with his reward, but now that suspicion had completely disappeared.

He had already decided that Jon was someone even more "Eddard" than Eddard.

"Jon, for the sake of all the good you've done, I won't punish you," Stannis said. In fact, it wasn't just Stannis felt a little reluctant; more importantly, there was no law that allowed a subject to be punished for refusing a reward. Jon hadn't violated any laws, except for making him feel annoyed.

"But from this moment on, you will stay in King's Landing and are not to leave without my order! Otherwise, you will be disobeying the king's command, and I will punish you! Do you understand?"