In a daze, Jon Snow had a hazy and unreal dream. In the dream, he unknowingly found himself in the crypts of Winterfell.
It was a place he knew well, as he and his siblings often played games there when they were children.
But today, everything looked different. The statues of the ancestors of House Stark had come to life, and they all looked furious, as if something had disturbed them.
They roared at Jon Snow:
"Get out! You don't belong here. You are not a Stark, get out!"
Jon Snow was stunned by the scene before him. He was so frightened that he kept retreating, wanting to escape this terrifying place.
Just then, a gentle voice suddenly appeared behind Jon Snow. She steadied Jon's retreating body and said firmly to all the kings:
"He is a Stark. Half of his blood is Stark blood. You cannot treat him like this."
"He isn't..."
"Ah!"
Jon Snow gasped, jerking upright in his bed. The muscles in his back ached from the sudden movement. Jon rubbed his face, staring blankly at his hands, a feeling of loss washing over him.
Jon Snow had had all sorts of dreams before, but none as bizarre as this one. Everyone's conversations had sounded incredibly real, as if they were actually happening!
"Sigh! I'm just an outsider, after all! I'll never truly belong to House Stark!"
Jon Snow muttered to himself, his voice filled with helplessness and heartache. The scene in the dream where the Stark ancestors had berated him had deeply wounded the young man.
"Perhaps! You could also choose a different life. Since you want to prove yourself, someone might give you a chance!"
"Lord Marco! You... why are you here?"
Jon Snow stared at Marco in astonishment, his expression far from pleased. He'd thought he'd encountered someone with... peculiar tastes.
Marco, however, was oblivious. He stood up, lit the candles in the room, and then sat back down, addressing Jon Snow.
"Someone has brought you a familiar face. Someone you've always wanted to meet. But her appearance might frighten you, so brace yourself!"
"What do you mean? Ah!"
Before Jon Snow could finish his sentence, he was startled by the scene before him. A "person" suddenly floated into view behind Marco.
Or rather, a "female ghost." She wore a snow-white gown, her hair was blue, and blue ice roses bloomed across her body. Strange flames burned in her purple eyes, just like the demons in the old nuns' tales!
Never having experienced anything like this before, Jon Snow trembled. He tried to calm himself, but found he was utterly helpless. But the words that followed the ghost's appearance rooted him to the spot.
"Child! My poor child, my little..."
"Cough, cough!"
Lyanna Stark watched her son with a sorrowful expression. Her spectral form quivered violently, and in her agitation, she almost blurted out Jon Snow's true name.
Fortunately, Marco spoke up in time to stop her, preventing her from revealing Jon Snow's true identity. This future male lead of Game of Thrones was a bit "reckless," and when he acted, he didn't care about the consequences. If this guy knew his parentage, Marco would bet that he would most likely grab his longsword and go fight Robert Baratheon.
Just now, in the underground crypt, Marco, with a try-it-and-see attitude, had used "Undead Resurrection" on the ghost of the Stark wolf woman. He hadn't expected it to work, but it directly revived Lyanna Stark.
Marco, using helping her son as a condition, subdued Lyanna Stark, the lost ghost. After inquiring about the cause of her situation, Marco brought her to Jon Snow's room.
According to Lyanna Stark, she had been in a daze for years, completely unaware of what was happening outside. It was only a few days ago that she regained a bit of consciousness!
A wisp of power was suddenly injected into her spirit, and this power continuously devoured her, using magic to revive those statues. Lyanna Stark said that she didn't know how to use any magic at all; it was all done by a strange soul within her body.
Regarding this situation, Marco could only give up. He had a good talk with Lyanna Stark about his plans. Marco wasn't afraid of her betraying him, because after becoming Marco's system soldier, she could only obey Marco's commands; her self-awareness was severely suppressed.
Since Jon Snow had only ever seen a statue of Lyanna Stark, he didn't recognize the "aunt" in front of him. But the call of "child" from the depths of his soul still made his body tremble violently.
This time, however, it wasn't fear from the depths of his soul, but excitement. Trembling, Jon Snow raised his hand, wanting to touch his mother's face. But as soon as he reached out, a piercingly cold energy pricked his fingers.
Ignoring the pain, he embraced his mother's icy-cold "body." He didn't care if it was a dream, or if it was real. He just wanted to hold his mother forever and never let go!
"You can talk to him yourself! It's best not to even tell him your name. I'll tell him myself when the time is right. He's my future Dragon Knight, so you better teach him well! Come back before dawn, and stay hidden! Don't scare anyone else to death!"
Marco ordered Lyanna Stark through the soul link. Then, he opened the door and left.
Marco walked through the corridors of Winterfell Castle, muttering to himself:
"Still no leads on the dragon eggs! I wonder if I can buy one! I'm going to have two Dragon Knights here in the future!"
House Targaryen had legends and documented records of dragon eggs being lost during the "Dance of the Dragons" and the "Blackfyre Rebellion." The dragon egg that Maester Aemon had was already used by Brynden, which cut off a lead.
Brynden had mentioned to Marco that he had hidden some treasures in the secret passages beneath King's Landing, including a dragon egg. But over a hundred years had passed; who knew if it was still there!
Marco thought it over, and he felt that most of the dragon eggs lost on the continent of Westeros were probably in the hands of the Citadel. He had originally planned to seek information from Maester Luwin, but after considering his identity, Marco abandoned the idea.
Marco's current strength was insufficient. What he needed to do now was to conceal his power, and then, during the "War of the Five Kings," he could erupt at once. At that time, he would have the opportunity to fish in troubled waters and retrieve the lost dragon eggs!
Tonight's gains were already almost enough. Of course, if he could find a few more dragon eggs, it would be even more perfect. Marco vaguely felt that his Archangel summon might be related to the dragon eggs.
Time passed quickly. After returning to his guest room, Marco found that Leaf and Moonshadow had woken up. After a few simple words with them, Marco leaned back in his chair to rest.
As dawn broke, Marco suddenly felt a cold aura. Opening his eyes, he saw Lyanna Stark, who was chatting with Moonshadow and Leaf.
Seeing that Marco had woken up, Lyanna Stark floated over. She first bowed to Marco and then said:
"Lord Marco! I want to stay with little Aegon. He has suffered too much over these years. He should not bear the name of a bastard; he is..."
Marco said lightly, "The fall of a dynasty brought about his rebirth. It's a miracle he's even alive. A little more suffering is just right; it'll temper his character and lead to greater achievements in the future!"
Just then, Marco took a silver necklace from his pocket, inlaid with a red gemstone. He dangled the necklace in front of Lyanna Stark and said:
"I found this for you a long time ago! This way, you can protect him when you're with him, just like we agreed. I'll suggest to your brother that we establish a naval base on Skagos Island, and let Aegon be in charge."
"Thank you! Lord Marco! My brother..."
"Alright! You don't need to worry about the rest! Just take care of your son. No one knows what the future holds, but I can guarantee that I'll treat your family well in the future! This era needs to change, or the wars will never stop!"
Seeing that Lyanna Stark wanted to say more, Marco preemptively cut her off.
"Yes! Lord Marco!"
As soon as Lyanna Stark finished speaking, she turned into a burst of energy particles, which gathered into the gemstone. That's the good thing about system soldiers: once an order is given, they execute it without the slightest hesitation.
As soon as dawn broke, Marco took Henk and the other man to meet with Eddard Stark. After briefly explaining the problems on Skagos Island, Erok subtly suggested that House Stark send a knight to train their warriors.
Before coming, Marco had already planned what they would say. If they directly proposed establishing a military port, the Stark family would certainly have objections. However, starting with training soldiers would make things less abrupt.
However, Erok's words still made the Stark retainers present jump internally. They instinctively thought Skagos Island was coming for hostages. Seeing this, Henk hurriedly explained the situation on Skagos Island to everyone.
In his words, Skagos Island had become a place worse than even the wildlings, where many tribesmen resorted to cannibalism out of desperation. This greatly changed the impression the people present had of the Skagosi.
At the same time, the slightest suspicion and wariness in their hearts diminished somewhat. After all, the North hadn't had any contact with Skagos Island for over a hundred years, and the Stark family's retainers had always maintained a suspicious and cautious attitude towards it.
After hearing Henk's explanation, Eddard Stark lowered his head and pondered for a moment. Then he raised his head and asked:
"So, who do you want to help you? My retainers all have their own duties, and besides, my eldest son certainly can't go and help you train troops!"
At this moment, Marco's voice suddenly rang out, and he said to Eddard Stark:
"Your Grace! Someone has heard that you seem to have a, ahem, bastard! Who has received proper knightly training since childhood. I wonder if you agree?"
"This…"
Upon hearing Marco's suggestion, Eddard Stark looked troubled, seemingly unwilling.
Seeing that his goal had been achieved, Marco didn't continue this topic. What he needed to do now was to point out a path for Eddard Stark to choose. Compared to becoming a member of the Night's Watch, the suggestion Marco proposed might give Jon Snow a better future.
So Marco suggested again, "Then let's put this matter aside for now! The purpose of my visit this time is to help the Skagosi. I think we can establish a small fleet in Seal Bay, so that the Skagosi can hunt down wildling raiding parties at sea, and also protect my merchant ships! Right, this is a small token of my appreciation and assistance, I hope it can help them after I leave!"
After saying this, Marco clapped his hands. Sas Tin and the others at the door then carried in a chest of treasure. Marco opened the chest, revealing some gold and silver treasures inside.
After doing these things, Marco took his leave from Eddard Stark. He had basically achieved his goals this time, and it was now time for him to return to Skagos Island.
The mysterious legend of Griffin's Roost should also begin to spread in the North. What Marco needs to do now is to add fuel to this mystery, making it a truly mysterious existence!
Now, the resources Marco had acquired, combined with the gold and silver from this expedition, were enough for him to build a powerful army. Once he had absorbed all the wildling populations, it would be time for Marco to begin conquering the world.
Henk and the others would stay in Winterfell for the time being. Marco's task for them was to exchange the jewels for warships. Now that House Stark was involved, Marco's ship-buying could be completed smoothly.
Early the next morning, Marco departed, taking another 10 Snow Bear Knights with him. This time, he and Jon would head towards Last Hearth. Before leaving, Marco used the Soul Link skill to give some instructions to Henk and the others.
Meanwhile, in a tower in Winterfell, Maester Luwin watched Marco's departing group with a complicated expression. He hadn't appeared in the farewell party this morning.
Then, Maester Luwin tossed a small piece of paper into the fireplace beside him, muttering to himself:
"Truth be praised! Humph! Truth needs research and exploration, not poison and conspiracy. If this is 'truth'! Then I don't want this kind of 'truth'! Now I remember I'm a maester, where are the voices that mocked me for studying magic!
Now it all depends on my teacher! Humph! Maesters have always been servants of civilization! Not dogs of power! Truth Council! Disgusting!"