Chapter 43: 43. First Meeting
Lina nodded and said casually, "Yeah, we love using soap! It's great for washing your face, hands, and even for bathing!"
Jason Liu looked at Bella and Venissa, "Do you both use soap to bathe as well?"
Bella quickly nodded her head.
Venissa, smiling, added, "It's really amazing! You gave us two bars of soap—my sister and I used one, and we gave the other to our parents. They said it was very useful too!"
Jason Liu's mouth twitched slightly, and he let out an awkward laugh. He decided not to mention that soap isn't really meant for bathing. He had forgotten to explain the difference between hand soap and bath soap to them earlier.
Well, in a place like Westeros, with its poor hygiene practices, using soap for everything wasn't the worst thing. He figured it wouldn't matter much for now, and he could switch it out with proper bath soap later.
After finishing his meal and drinking a cup of fresh milk from Westeros, Jason Liu left Lena's house to check on the construction progress.
The foundation of the house had already been dug up, and the soil was piled to the side. Stones for building were being delivered from various places—after all, there were plenty of rocks in the northern wilderness, and they didn't cost a thing.
As Jason inspected the site with satisfaction, five of his guards—Barlow, Barron, Bud, McCann, and dick—came over, their faces a bit flushed.
It turned out that the masons didn't want them around. The other workers knew they were Lord Jason's guards and didn't dare ask them to help. With no work to do, the five guards came to ask for Jason's instructions.
Jason looked at the bustling construction site, filled with over 200 workers, and figured the guards wouldn't be missed. So, with nothing else to do, he decided to have them practice with their weapons.
In an open space, Barlow, Barron, Bud, McCann, and dicken suited up in stab-proof gear, holding iron swords, but they seemed unsure of where to start.
dicenk, the tallest and strongest, looked like a black bear in his oversized armor.
Jason Liu scratched his chin, unsure of how to train them, since he didn't know much about swordsmanship himself.
As they stood there in confusion, a voice called out, "If they haven't learned swordsmanship yet, they should start with the basics—footwork and how to hold a sword properly."
Jason turned to see a young man with black hair and grey eyes, no taller than 1.7 meters. He had one hand resting on the hilt of a sword at his waist and was wearing moccasins. He was watching them from a short distance away.
Jason frowned, trying to place him, but he didn't recognize the boy.
"Master Jon," dicken called out to the young man.
Jon? Jason's eyes widened, and he looked more closely at the boy.
It was Jon Snow. He was handsome, much like his father, Rhaegar Targaryen, and his beautiful mother, Lyanna Stark. He looked younger and more striking than the actor who played him on the show, probably around 15 or 16 years old—right around the time he'd be joining the Night's Watch.
While Jason was lost in thought, Jon nodded at dicken.
"dicken, hello," Jon said in a serious tone, trying to sound mature. "But I've told you before, I'm not your 'master'."
At the word 'master,' Jon's face darkened slightly.
Jason understood why Jon might be sensitive about that. As a bastard, jon was used to being look ed down upon ,but it seemed he and dicken had a friendly relationship despite the difference in status.
Thinking about Jon's difficult life, from growing up as a bastard to being tricked into joining the Night's Watch, Jason couldn't help but feel sympathy for him.
Looking at Jon, Jason thought back to how Jon had been manipulated into killing Daenerys in the end, only to end up back at the Wall, alone and burdened by guilt. It made Jason frustrated, recalling the series' conclusion.
Jon was a good man but lacked the cunning to be a true leader. His sense of honor often blinded him to the darker realities of the world.
Jason stared at Jon for a while, deep in thought, before realizing that he'd been gazing too long.
Jon, feeling the intensity of Jason's stare, shifted uncomfortably before stepping forward. "You must be Lord Jason of Eastbourne. It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Jon Snow."
Jason snapped out of his thoughts and smiled. "Nice to meet you, Jon. I've heard about you. They say you're the Illegitimate son of Lord Eddard Stark."
----------------
For Advance chapters visit : patreon.com/Mythic_Muse