Perhaps because he had already died once, Beric Dondarrion had a very open perspective. When talking to Jon, he held nothing back, speaking his mind freely.
Jon gave Martyn a look, signaling him to stand guard outside and prevent anyone from barging in.
Jon's action made the atmosphere in the room more serious, and Thoros beside him even slowed his breathing.
Stopping Robb from becoming King was a foreshadowing Jon laid for his own "defection." Of course, stopping Northern independence was also a correct choice, though few could understand it.
It seemed this Lord Beric had keen political insight and might be helpful in upcoming actions.
"Jon, I reckon it won't be long before Stannis takes Storm's End.
"By then, he'll integrate the nobles of the Stormlands. Coupled with the most powerful naval fleet in Westeros under his command, taking King's Landing shouldn't be difficult. I want to know your opinion, and... what do you plan to do next?" Beric's gaze was piercing, as if trying to see through Jon.
Jon knew Beric was testing him, so he decided to state his plans truthfully. He stood up and said, "Although Renly is dead, his allies, the Tyrells, still have a strong army. With the Seven Kingdoms in chaos, Highgarden will never let this opportunity slip. I believe they are very likely to ally with the Lannisters next!"
Hearing such insight from Jon, Thoros was shocked. This was exactly the conclusion he and Beric had reached in private.
"That is also my concern." Beric looked at Jon with burning eyes, seemingly glad of his choice.
Jon continued, "If Stannis fails to take King's Landing, and the Lannisters form an alliance with the Tyrells, the situation in the Seven Kingdoms will turn against us.
"Although Stannis has a high probability of taking King's Landing now, once he fails, the consequences will be unimaginable!"
"Correct!" Beric nodded, agreeing again. "Once Stannis fails, forget about our so-called allies; even among our own people, traitors will emerge!"
"Roose Bolton!" 3
They said the name in unison.
Looking into each other's eyes, they found mutual appreciation, like lone wolves finding a pack.
This wasn't to say Roose Bolton was definitely evil, but rather that if anyone were to subvert Stark rule in the North, House Bolton was the only suitable candidate.
As for other houses, they were either blood relatives like the Karstarks or staunch loyalists like the Umbers and Manderlys.
Or simply unqualified.
Finally, all analysis converged into one question:
Jon! What do you plan to do?
Although they hadn't known each other long, Jon knew the Brotherhood Without Banners had been resisting and harassing Tywin's army, so he acknowledged their character.
For now, everyone's goals were aligned.
Jon already knew Stannis had taken Storm's End and integrated the Stormlands with astonishing speed. The window of opportunity was fleeting, and he might need their help in the future.
After a moment's thought, he said, "I plan to launch a mutiny, seize Roose Bolton's military command! And lead the army to raid King's Landing!"
Neither Beric nor Thoros expected Jon's plan to be so bold.
Both sucked in a cold breath, sat up straight, and looked at each other.
They had thought Jon would at most take his own troops to King's Landing.
But thinking carefully, it made sense.
Five thousand men seemed like a lot, but the target was King's Landing, a city with a population of over half a million.
Compared to that, five thousand men seemed insignificant.
"But Jon, mutiny is a capital offense. If Robb wants to punish you, what will you do?" Beric asked urgently.
"I am already a deserter from the Wall. All I seek is to avenge my father, Lord Eddard. As for my own life or death, I do not care," Jon said calmly.
Hearing this, Beric and Thoros felt a surge of respect, no longer treating Jon as a mere boy who had just come of age.
"Then what do you plan to do? Or rather, is there anything you need our help with?" Beric asked.
"Yes, Jon. Just say the word."
Seeing a chance to finally talk to Thoros, Jon paused for a moment and said, "Ser Thoros, you seem to be a follower of the Lord of Light?"
"That's right." Mentioning the Lord of Light energized Thoros, his eyes becoming clear and devout. "The night is dark and full of terrors, the road is muddy. Only with the Lord of Light's guidance can we reach the shores of dawn. What about it, Jon? Are you interested in the Lord of Light?"
Sure enough, an excellent believer never missed a chance to spread the faith.
"Uh, sort of," Jon said. "I actually heard on the Wall that you followers of the Lord of Light seem to know magic.
"Although I've figured out how to deal with Roose Bolton, if you have any better methods, we can try them."
Jon couldn't directly say he wanted to know how to create a "shadow assassin," so he had to beat around the bush.
At this moment, Beric spoke again: "Thoros can predict the future through flames, and... actually, I am already a dead man. He resurrected me."
"Resurrection..." Jon feigned surprise appropriately to gain their trust, then thought for a moment and asked, "Then, can a beheaded person be resurrected?"
"Unfortunately, Jon, no," Thoros said apologetically. "I cannot resurrect everyone. I believe being able to resurrect Lord Beric is the Lord of Light's will; he likely still bears a mission from the Lord. For example, I couldn't resurrect Ser Raymun."
Jon nodded, showing regret on his face.
Beric and Thoros understood why Jon asked this. It seemed he really was a "son who loved his father."
Both were certain that seeking out Jon was absolutely the right choice.
Jon had also figured out Thoros's capabilities. It seemed the Lightning Lord's mastery of magic was still very low and wouldn't be much help.
He probably couldn't pull off high-level magic like a shadow assassin.
Suddenly, Beric remembered something and said, "By the way, we met a little boy earlier. He asked a similar question, wanting me to resurrect someone who had been beheaded. Oh! Right!" Beric pulled a small sword from his waist and placed it on the table.
This small sword wasn't even as long as an adult's arm, shorter than a shortsword, with a very thin blade, less than two fingers wide.
"That little boy wanted to see you too. He said as soon as you saw this, you'd know who he is."
Jon looked at the small sword on the table, and his pupils contracted—
This small sword was the one he had commissioned the Winterfell smith to forge. Its name was "Needle."
---
PS:
Arya is about to make her appearance. In the original story, Arya was attacked by Amory Lorch, but the protagonist already captured Amory at the Green Fork, so having Arya appear earlier makes logical sense.
Also, without that incident, Faceless Man Jaqen might arrive at the Iron Islands earlier to assassinate Balon Greyjoy. This is a chain reaction.