Perhaps because of The Mountain, the Brotherhood Without Banners, upon arriving at Harrenhal, explicitly requested to join Jon's army.
Learning this news, Jon could only leave the Hall of the Hundred Hearths under the envious or disdainful gazes of the Dreadfort nobles to personally receive them.
When Roose Bolton learned that this Brotherhood Without Banners was the remnant of the force Eddard Stark had originally sent to exterminate The Mountain, his face darkened even further.
Those were men sent by Eddard Stark! Their significance was immense! Yet he, the Commander of the "Eastern Army," was cast aside once again.
Especially when Roose Bolton saw the ambiguous looks from Vargo Hoat and the others from the mercenary company, he felt his face burn.
They obviously knew of the "Brotherhood Without Banners." Although this guerrilla-focused force wasn't particularly powerful and was inconspicuous among the tens of thousands fighting in the Riverlands...
Their choice pierced Roose Bolton's facade as the "Commander of the Eastern Army," revealing the fact that he was merely a figurehead.
Jon didn't know Roose Bolton was having such a rich internal monologue. He was just thinking about the Lightning Lord within the Brotherhood Without Banners who knew "resurrection magic."
Real resurrection magic—the kind that could bring people back to life as long as the body was intact.
His name was Thoros, and because he was from Myr and had a good relationship with Robert, he was also known as "Thoros of Myr."
Like the Red Woman, he was a devout follower of the Lord of Light.
However, Jon's impression of him was limited to "enchanting weapons with fire" and resurrection magic.
After the Red Wedding, he seemingly resurrected Catelyn, whose throat had been slit, turning her into "Lady Stoneheart," a being consumed by vengeance.
Overall, the Red Woman's "mana" seemed to be above his, but Jon was still very willing to meet this Lightning Lord.
He planned to ask him about the "shadow assassin" to see how much this guy knew.
If possible, he would use a shadow assassin to eliminate Roose Bolton directly.
As for scruples about Bolton not yet showing signs of betrayal or judging actions rather than thoughts, Jon didn't care at all. Better you die than me; at a time like this, who cared about so much?
Soon, Jon met the representatives of the Brotherhood Without Banners, led by Beric Dondarrion. But honestly, these people looked rough.
They were all sallow and emaciated, their armor incomplete, and because of their thin bodies, they could barely fill out what armor they had.
Because their equipment was crude, their main combat objective was disrupting Westerlands grain transport.
Due to constant guerrilla warfare, their supplies were often unsecured. Their clothes weren't exactly tattered, but they were filthy.
Especially the collars and cuffs, which were covered in brownish-black grease stains and frayed edges.
But Jon didn't look down on them because of this. Their eyes were sharp, like the cold glint reflected off arrowheads and blades.
Among them was a young man in his twenties with thick calluses on his thumb, clearly an expert archer.
However, before Jon could identify who was who, one of them recognized Jon first.
"You must be Jon, right?"
The speaker covered his left eye with a cloth; it seemed he had lost an eye in battle.
The one who stepped forward to speak was none other than the Lightning Lord, Beric Dondarrion, Lord of Blackhaven. He had been ordered by Eddard to capture The Mountain in the Riverlands.
Unexpectedly, he was ambushed by The Mountain at the Mummer's Ford and died in that battle.
Thoros accidentally resurrected him while performing his funeral rites.
Beric Dondarrion probably didn't know how many times he had died by now. He was a somewhat pitiable man, but brave enough.
Regarding Jon, because he had slain The Mountain, Beric didn't put on airs due to Jon's bastard status. Instead, he actively bowed to him. In his view, no matter who it was, anyone who could kill The Mountain deserved his highest respect.
"May I see that monster's corpse?" Beric requested again.
"Of course. I've heard of your deeds in the Riverlands. His head hangs on my battle standard; you can see it anytime. Taking it to use as a chamber pot wouldn't be a problem either." Jon cracked a casual joke, eliciting light laughter from the group and easing the atmosphere.
As Jon spoke, he observed the others in the Brotherhood Without Banners out of the corner of his eye.
A bald man with the distinct air of a missionary caught Jon's attention.
His face looked weathered, and his messy reddish-brown beard was streaked with white.
No mistake, he was Thoros of Myr!
Jon didn't immediately go up to befriend him but instead spoke a heap of respectful words to all the representatives of the Brotherhood Without Banners.
As for the others, Jon didn't have much of an impression; he would get to know them slowly later.
Seeing that Jon wasn't arrogant despite killing The Mountain and even had a sense of humor, the Brotherhood Without Banners' favorability toward him increased.
Jon invited them to the Tower of Dread to share some food, and everyone happily followed along.
"Lord Beric, how many men did you bring this time? I need to order arrangements for your food and weapons," Jon asked.
"Not many, less than two hundred," Beric replied.
This Beric Dondarrion had been resurrected seven times, dying and living repeatedly; he really was a wretched soul.
And it was said that people resurrected by Thoros lost some memories each time. Jon wondered what Beric's condition was now.
Jon chatted idly with Beric for a few more sentences, preparing to ask Thoros about magic.
But Beric asked a new question:
When did Jon plan to attack King's Landing?
The Brotherhood Without Banners had absorbed many Riverlands people, making Jon realize that compared to the North, the Riverlands nobles' desire for revenge was stronger.
And Beric's next words made Jon regard him even more highly.
"Jon, I've heard about Robb being crowned King. In the short term, this is very unfavorable for us.
"Renly is dead. If he had become king, there might have been room for negotiation. But now Stannis is the rightful heir to the Iron Throne, and he will not sit idly by while the North declares independence," Beric expressed his view.
As a noble who had frequented King's Landing for years, his political sensitivity was quite high.
"I know that, of course. I tried to stop it, but it was useless. It was the collective will of the Northern nobles."
"I know. Word spread long ago that when the King in the North was crowned, only his bastard brother opposed it." Beric poured a cup of wine for Jon personally and continued, "That is the real reason I decided to join you, not because you killed The Mountain."
Looking at the Lord of Blackhaven, Jon suddenly felt like he had found a kindred spirit.