Robert's arrival

The smile on Lynn's face slowly faded after Arya disappeared around the end of the corridor.

Until it was gone.

He returned to his room and shut the door, leaving him alone inside.

With the longsword resting across his knees.

"When I grow up, I'm going to marry you."

Marry me?

Then simply staying alive like this is nowhere near enough!

Living on Ned Stark's pity and suspicion.

Living on Maester Luwin's ointments and scrutiny.

The feeling of having his fate clutched in someone else's hands made Lynn deeply uncomfortable.

He did not want charity.

What he wanted was the standing to deal with the Stark name as an equal.

What he wanted was supreme power.

As someone who had transmigrated, Lynn knew all the sordid business in Game of Thrones.

Apart from the Three-Eyed Raven, that knowledge was an advantage unique to him.

Lynn's gaze settled on the blue panel that only he could see.

And I have a system, too!

That was also his most important asset.

Survival was only the first step.

And now, he wanted more!

Such as...

Arya.

In his previous world, the retainers and warrior-gentry of pre-Qin China had been much like knights.

A duke like Ned was comparable to an imperial prince or commandery prince in ancient China. In certain dynasties, especially, a duke's title could be considered above the official ranks, placing him higher than a first-rank official.

What did the senior first rank mean?

The premier of the State Council, the chairman of the Central Military Commission, or a member of the Politburo Standing Committee.

Even the junior first rank was equivalent to a central government minister or provincial governor.

Ned was probably the most upright and kindly duke among the known characters, and he was also the easiest one for Lynn to approach at present.

If Lynn could secure Arya, the road ahead would become much easier, especially in a land like Westeros, where status mattered so much.

(Having a powerful backer is just a shortcut to establishing status early on. It doesn't mean he'll keep serving the wolves forever, or there would be no point in me writing this book. The wolves are only a stepping stone, so rest assured.)

(If his politeness toward these characters annoys you, it's really just to avoid having him act like an invincible badass before he has any strength. Think of the difference in status between an ordinary person and a vice president meeting face-to-face... He's not invincible yet, so let's keep a low profile for now.)

The king's horns finally sounded over Winterfell.

Their notes were clear and long.

With the South's distinctive pomp and swagger, they shattered the peace of the northern morning.

All of Winterfell sprang to life.

Looking down from the highest point of the main keep.

An enormous procession, like a long golden dragon, was slowly approaching along the Kingsroad.

House Baratheon's crowned stag banners and House Lannister's roaring lion banners snapped in the northern wind.

The knights' armor glittered brilliantly in the sunlight.

The ladies' carriages were adorned with lavish curtains.

In the courtyard, the Stark family was already waiting in their finest clothes.

Ned Stark wore a gray fur cloak, his expression solemn.

Lady Catelyn stood beside him with an impeccable smile.

Robb wore newly tailored leather armor and stood as straight as a young pine.

Sansa wore a sky-blue gown, her cheeks flushed with excitement as her eyes kept darting toward the blond prince at the head of the procession.

Arya had put on an iron helmet that looked quite out of place, and impatience was written all over her face.

Rickon, the youngest, hid behind his mother and peered out curiously.

Bran, the boy who always had energy to spare, was there as well.

Lynn stood behind an inconspicuous column, far from the center of the crowd, watching the grand meeting like an outsider.

The heavy clatter of hooves and the rumble of wheels over the ground drew closer.

Robert Baratheon, lord of the Seven Kingdoms, swung down from his horse.

It was not hard to recognize him. At six feet five inches, Robert towered over everyone like a mighty tower. It would have been difficult not to notice him!

He was bloated, his face heavy with flesh, and had long since lost the heroic bearing of the "Stag of the Stormlands" from his youth.

Back then, clad in armor and wearing a great helm crowned with branching antlers, he had been a giant in every sense.

Even Ned had struggled to lift those warhammers.

Now, he had changed completely.

Yet the majesty of a king still made everyone bow their heads.

Only after an attendant had set out a mounting block did Robert dismount.

Ned led his family in kneeling on one knee.

Robert strode up to Ned with a stern face.

He curled his fingers upward, signaling for Ned to stand and speak.

Only after Ned stood did Catelyn and the rest of the family slowly rise.

"Ned!"

"I haven't heard a word from you all these years."

Robert's booming voice echoed through the courtyard, tinged with displeasure.

Ned first gave him a respectful bow, then spoke.

"I have been guarding the North for you, Your Grace."

"Winterfell is yours to command."

Robert studied Ned carefully after so many years apart.

Only after a long while did he slowly speak.

"Ned, you've grown fat."

Ned gave a slight shrug.

Then he gestured with his eyes for Robert to look at his own equally misshapen figure.

Robert broke first and burst out laughing. Ned did the same.

Then Robert spread his arms and pulled Ned into a firm embrace.

Immediately afterward, he gave Catelyn a hug as well.

He then began inspecting Ned's children, freely praising each one.

Following close behind were Queen Cersei Lannister and her twin brother, Jaime Lannister.

They were dazzling.

Cersei was as beautiful as the rumors claimed, with deep green eyes and golden curls that spoke of nobility.

Jaime was even more striking. He was a born lion, with handsome features, brilliant golden hair, and an innate air of superiority.

They wore polite smiles, but those smiles did not reach their eyes.

Ned's expression darkened when the Lannisters appeared.

House Lannister of Casterly Rock had been the last of the great houses to join Robert's cause.

They had waited until Robert and Ned's rebellion was all but successful, with the outcome unmistakably clear, before declaring their allegiance.

Ned despised such opportunists above all.

Moreover, Jaime was the "Kingslayer," and Ned had always looked down on him.

Jaime's formidable fighting prowess did nothing to change that.

Lynn's gaze lingered on them briefly.

He knew that beneath those magnificent exteriors lay a secret capable of toppling the entire kingdom!

Cersei walked gracefully up to Ned with a hollow smile, then offered the back of her hand.

Ned kissed it and spoke respectfully.

"Your Grace."

Catelyn also curtsied respectfully.

"Your Grace."

Cersei gave a slight nod and a faint smile.

Seeing that enough pleasantries had been exchanged, Robert got straight to the point.

"Ned, let's go to the crypts."

Ned knew Robert wanted to see the statue of Lyanna Stark.

After every deceased Stark was buried, a craftsman would carve a statue of them and place it in the crypts.

Ned's late father, elder brother, and younger sister were all among them.

Ned did not agree immediately.

Instead, he first looked toward Cersei.

Sure enough, Cersei's expression was ugly.

Lyanna had been the love of Robert's life.

Even after Rhaegar had abducted and taken her, even after her death, she still mattered more than Cersei, his lawful wife.

Cersei had once liked Robert, too.

Unfortunately, Robert had only treated her as a means of forging a marriage alliance between Houses Baratheon and Lannister.

Cersei would never forget it.

On their wedding day, Robert had drunk too much.

That night, while he was on top of her, he had kept calling out Lyanna's name!

It was the humiliation of her life!

At the thought, Cersei's expression turned cold.

"My love, we've been traveling for a month."

"Surely there's no need to rush to see a dead person."

Robert glared at his queen and ignored her reaction.

"Ned."

He tipped his head at Ned, signaling for him to follow.

Ned glanced at Cersei before following Robert.

The atmosphere grew oppressive.

Arya turned to Bran and asked in puzzlement.

"Where's the Imp?"

The Imp was Cersei and Jaime's younger brother.

He had been born a dwarf.

The Imp was his nickname.

Cersei heard Arya's quiet question.

She walked toward Jaime with a sour expression.

"Where is our brother carousing?"

"Go find the little beast."