He Was Growing Too Fast

When news spread that Jon had personally led his army into the Iron Islands, it truly startled many people.

Everyone thought that Jon, now the Lord of Casterly Rock, married Highgarden Rose and had a child, would be more "well-behaved," but no one expected him to still be so relentlessly hardworking.

Last time, it was understandable that he had to rush to Winterfell due to time constraints, but this time, with a massive army from the Westerlands, including so many capable nobles and even the renowned Randyll Tarly, Jon still personally led the troops, leading many to suspect that he was addicted to war.

When Mace learned that Jon was going to the Iron Islands, she even wrote a letter to question Jon, asking why he was so heartless as to leave his pregnant wife at home.

When Robert and Eddard invaded the Iron Islands, they did so only after they had dealt with the Iron Islands Fleet and were free from any worries about their rear.

Mace reacted strongly to Jon's decision, even though he knew through rational analysis that it was the best option.

But Jon's reply not only moved him, but also Willas and Olenna.

In his letter, Jon stated that the Iron Islands' power must be completely eradicated. If he didn't fight this battle, his son and grandson would, so he chose to fight it himself.

Most importantly, he was unwilling to leave Euron threat for the future.

Persuaded, Mace hastily dispatched two hundred of Highgarden's elite guards—well-armored and highly skilled soldiers— to Jon Jon's ranks.

As for Robb, he was too busy to help Jon, especially since the North was so far away.

Fortunately, it is said that he has now reached a temporary truce with the "King-Beyond-the-Wall".

Stannis, also in King's King's Landing, learned of Jon's battle plan, which was both novel and daring.

In a way, this also made him quite wary.

When Jon attacked the Iron Islands, even though it was so far away in the North, the lords of the Riverlands rushed to his aid. In addition, Jon's wife's family, the Tyrell, had demonstrated terrifying strength, and they had already formed a formidable force, which made Stannis's scalp tingle.

He also knew that Jon's goal this time was to annex the Iron Islands, which made him somewhat unable to imagine what the consequences would be if the Sunset Sea lords resolved the Iron Islands ' threat and then formed a united front around Jon.

Let's send him to King's Landing's Landing once we've resolved the Iron Islands issue.

Stannis realized that this was perhaps the only way he could keep Jon under control until he produced a male heir, and until that male heir was capable of bearing the weight of the crown.

Finally, Stannis thought with some frustration that the gods were far too biased towards Eddard; Robert's affection and such a fine heir were things he desired but could not have.

Inside the secret passages of King's Landing, Varys once again encountered Illyrio, his ally in Pentos.

"I received news two months ago that Tyrion and his men had arrived in Volantis; they should be at Slaver's Bay by now."

Illyrio placed his hands, adorned with jeweled rings, on his stomach; his thick lips beneath his brown beard twitched, and his eyes were brimming with excitement.

Even Varys, who was usually so composed, was filled with anticipation.

"Ah, once Young Griff and Daenerys are married, and they return riding their dragons, Stannis's crumbling throne will crumble, and the Iron Throne will return to those who truly belong to him," Illyrio continued.

At that moment, Varys suddenly said, "But now I'm a little worried about Jon."

"Stark?"

"Yes."

"What does he have to worry about?" Illyrio asked, puzzled. "Didn't you say that Jon isn't the same as Eddard? That kid's an ambitious man too. Do you think he'd send troops to protect Stannis's crown?"

"Of course he won't help Stannis. Don't you feel that Jon's growth rate is far beyond our expectations?"

"What's the meaning?"

"Stannis initially wanted him to marry Margaery in order to weaken and punish the House Tyrell, but he conquered the Westerlands in less than three months. Afterwards, Stannis demanded that he hand over the treasury of Casterly Rock to be used as the national treasury. I leaked this information to him in advance, intending to further deepen the conflict between him and Stannis, but he went along with it and distributed the treasures in the treasury!"

And because of the Iron Islands, Tyrell is his wife's family, Robb is his childhood brother, and he owes Dorne a debt for killing Gregor. I worry that Young Griff might also have to face this behemoth after he succeeds to the throne. I can see that Stannis is already starting to worry about Jon's formidable power, and even has plans to send him to King's Landing's Landing after the war ends.

However, listening to Varys's concerns, Illyrio seemed relaxed, even magically producing a piece of cheese from his person while chewing it, saying, "What's there to worry about? We're not Stannis."

Illyrio was, after all, the governor of Pentos, and unlike Varys, who mostly observed politics from the sidelines, he was directly involved in politics.

"Stannis isn't old yet, but it will take at least a decade to train a suitable successor! That's why Stannis is worried about Jon, but what do we have to worry about? Young Griff is about the same age as Jon, his knowledge surpasses most of the lords of Westeros, and his martial arts are among the best of his age. He is a born king!" Illyrio rambled on, sounding rather self-aggrandizing.

"Didn't you say that we could have Young Griff's son marry Jon's daughter, or even have Targaryen and Stark form two marriage alliances like Robert and Eddard? That should be enough, right?"

Besides, no matter how powerful Jon is, he has a fatal flaw: his reputation is insufficient. He's just a bastard, and even using the Stark surname doesn't change that. He lacks the background and prestige to keep the Sunset Sea lords united around him for long—maybe ten years, maybe twenty. The alliance that seems strong now may not hold true in the future. Think about Varys; we'll soon have dragons!"

Varys rolled his purple eyes and nodded slightly, seemingly convinced by Illyrio's optimism. But he quickly frowned again, feeling uneasy.

Through Illyrio and others' descriptions, Varys knew that Young Griff was indeed a very outstanding young man.

However, compared to Jon, who has already shown his prowess, it's hard to comment on his lack of concrete achievements. But Illyrio is right, they will soon have dragons.

Ultimately, just to be on the safe side, Varys decided to closely monitor the fighting in the Iron Islands to prevent any uncontrollable consequences.