Lord Eddard didn't go into detail, naturally to cover up the facts and avoid causing unnecessary panic.
But this strategy had a downside: it kept the danger hidden in the shadows.
If someone still wanted to harm Jon, they could easily blame it on this "potential threat." If he died, his death would be for nothing.
To deny any lurking enemies that opportunity, Jon diligently geared up. He put on leather armor, chainmail, and a breastplate. He was basically a lance away from being ready for a cavalry charge.
After that, Winterfell's security level was raised several notches. The light from countless torches turned the castle grounds into day, confusing everyone who didn't know the reason.
However, once Maester Luwin explained that these were precautions for the King's arrival to mitigate any potential risks, the tense atmosphere was replaced by understanding.
The tension finally subsided the next morning when the scout sent to meet the Usurper returned to report that the King's party would arrive in an hour.
Then, as Snow the Transmigrator, he watched the King's welcome ceremony from a safe distance. It wasn't until night fell again that he resumed his patrol.
Seeing everything return to normal, Jon, the instigator of it all, was happier than anyone.
However, beside him, Theon, who had been busy all day and night, couldn't find a reason to smile.
Like the other young men, the Ironborn was desperate to join the feast. Beyond the wine and food, he was eager to see how the southern girls differed from the northerners.
After all, compared to the rough-and-tumble village women of the North, the ladies from King's Landing were like flowers blooming in spring—lethally attractive to a young man full of fantasies.
Seeing Theon fidgeting restlessly, Jon checked to make sure no one was around, then suggested that Theon could slip into the feast unnoticed.
Since Jon, as a bastard, wasn't supposed to show his face there anyway, he could just stay behind and continue the patrol.
Theon wasn't about to pass up such a good deal. He immediately ditched Jon and rushed into the Great Hall.
Watching his teammate disappear, Jon boredly drew his longsword and started hacking at a training dummy to vent his excess energy.
Compared to before, the results of this practice session were somewhat unexpected.
Now, the dummy made of wood and straw was pitifully fragile under his blade. With just a few strikes, he chopped it clean in half at the waist.
Clearly, this was thanks to the Strength boost from the System.
However, even with this, Jon wasn't overly thrilled.
Based on his estimation, he still couldn't beat Robb, and Robb was far inferior to Ser Rodrik.
By that logic, his combat ability was still at the bottom of the barrel, let alone comparable to top-tier fighters like the Red Viper or the Mountain.
Even if he could match them one day, above those monsters were game-breaking bugs like dragons and magic.
Therefore, Jon secretly decided: the strategy moving forward was still to be a "Master of Survival."
After mentally fortifying himself, the transmigrator satisfiedly sheathed his longsword and prepared to walk around on patrol.
However, the moment he turned around, he caught a glimpse of two beautiful figures with golden hair disappearing into the shadows of the castle wall.
Then, a mechanical voice quietly rang in his head.
[Important Destiny Node detected. Continue Intelligent One-Click Auto-Pilot to help you rise and grind without worry?]
It's here. It's fcking here again.
Looking at the prompt on the panel, Jon's back instantly went cold. He was terrified this dog of a System was going to glitch out again and run the wrong script.
Just as the thought crossed Jon's mind, the emotionless mechanical voice dragged his consciousness back.
[The Old Gods and the New have opened their doors to you. You will change the world. Please ride the tide, work hard, and rewrite your known destiny...]
Hearing the continuous System prompts, Jon thought, Oh no. But before he could even mentally prepare himself, he saw himself already walking toward the wall.
Jon: "Holy sht! Again?"
The castle was noisy, buzzing with the excitement of the King's welcome feast.
Although his body couldn't react, Jon's mind was perfectly clear. There was no place for a bastard at the feast; barging in would only embarrass everyone.
Jon: "Fck me?? No! You can't go there! Anywhere but there!!"
Despite the countless thoughts flashing through his mind, no matter how much the transmigrator screamed internally, the System didn't stop.
Then, Jon's vision blurred. Leaving a long afterimage behind him, he sprinted out of the castle gate in an instant and quickly arrived near the Broken Tower.
However, before he could catch his breath, he saw a man and a woman huddled together at the base of the tower. They were clearly having an affair, and the woman was the more aggressive one.
Seeing this, Jon's heart tightened for no reason. Then, he recognized the iconic blonde hair and beautiful appearance.
That's right—the Lannister twins!
Although Jon knew about this beforehand, a secret is a secret because it can never see the light of day.
Don't let his current comfortable life fool you; in the eyes of these people, he was nothing but an ant.
Seeing the System remain indifferent and his feet not stopping, Jon felt like he was going to lose his mind: "Holy sht, I don't want the System anymore! Stop! Stop right now!"
Unfortunately, the System's voice remained robotic: [The Intelligent Rise and Grind System is at your service. One-Click Auto-Pilot for worry-free leveling!]
Jon's vision blurred again, but his feet kept moving. He could only watch helplessly as the System piloted him to follow them, charging straight into the Broken Tower.
Fortunately, the two ahead were busy with their "business," so they didn't look back at all.
Soon, the System had Jon quietly pick up a rock and continue creeping up behind Jaime.
"What the fck?! System?!"
Watching himself sneak around like a thief, Jon felt like he was splitting into two people.
That was a member of the Kingsguard, one of the best knights in Westeros.
With his current trash-tier strength, even with a sneak attack, it was a suicide mission!
Moreover, Jaime was a crucial character who spanned the entire storyline. If he died here—and because of Jon—god knows what would happen to the plot.
Just a second before Jon was about to catch up to the Lannister, the entangled couple suddenly stopped moving.
Seeing this, Jon mentally took his hands off the keyboard and prepared to close his eyes and die.
But then, the two suddenly separated. More specifically, the man shoved the woman away.
"It's almost time. I have to get back to the feast!"
With that, the handsome White Cloak left without looking back. Even as Cersei, all riled up, clutched her chest and cursed at him, the knight didn't stop.
Watching Jaime walk almost directly toward him, the transmigrator felt like he was about to crack apart.
"Turn around! Fck! I mean, turn around NOW! Are you listening to me???"