Mormont knew what it meant when he said those words.
But he understood even more what a dragon represented!
That wasn't an army, nor money, but an absolute power capable of rewriting the rules.
With a dragon, they would no longer fear the dead!
Lord Commander Mormont's words were like a giant rock thrown into a calm lake, stirring up monstrous waves in the courtyard of Castle Black, then plunging it into a deathly silence.
All the Night's Watch members stared at the scene before them with almost dazed eyes.
The Lord Commander had actually said such words in front of everyone!
Your will is my will?
Your command is the supreme order of the Night's Watch?
This was no longer just delegating authority.
This was practically an abdication!
Alliser Thorne's body trembled violently.
He felt his knees go soft, almost unable to stand steady.
He also understood what a dragon represented.
With a dragon, Lynn could easily gather a massive force.
He might even... covet that chair forged from swords!
He looked at Mormont, then at Lynn, and the last shred of arrogance in his eyes was crushed, leaving only endless despair and madness.
It's over.
He knew he was completely finished.
Lynn, this fellow he had always regarded as a thorn in his side, had at this moment become an existence he could never hope to reach.
He had become the de facto uncrowned king of Castle Black, and even the entire Night's Watch!
"Lord Commander, you..."
Lynn hadn't expected the Old Bear to be so resolute, to say such words publicly.
"You are worthy of it."
Mormont, however, waved his hand, cutting off Lynn's protests.
"I'm not senile yet; I know what I'm saying, and I know what a dragon means."
Mormont turned around, his gaze like lightning, sweeping over everyone present, his voice carrying an undeniable authority.
"From today onwards, Commander Lynn's status is equal to mine."
"Any who disobey, any who criticize, shall be treated as traitors!"
"Do you all understand?"
After a brief silence, there was a thunderous, overwhelming response.
"Yes, Lord Commander!"
Aside from a few officers whose expressions flickered, most of the Night's Watch, especially the lower-ranking soldiers and Rangers, let out earth-shattering roars.
Their faces were filled with fanaticism.
In the face of the threat from wights and Others.
Rules, traditions, all that was damn nonsense!
They needed a leader who could lead them to survive!
And Lynn was undoubtedly that person!
He could foresee the future, he could slay Others with his sword, he could even find legendary dragon eggs!
He was practically a savior sent by the Old Gods!
To follow him was to follow hope!
Watching the fervent scene before him, Lynn's heart also burned with passion.
The Old Bear was gambling, gambling that Lynn would fight against the coming Long Night for the North and for all common people.
This was a huge gamble.
"Ser Thorne."
Lynn's gaze suddenly fell upon the disheveled man, who seemed to have had all his bones removed.
Thorne's body trembled violently, as if doused with ice water.
He looked up, meeting Lynn's terrifyingly calm eyes.
"You just now seemed to have a lot of opinions about what I found?"
Lynn's voice wasn't loud, but it instantly chilled the fervent atmosphere in the courtyard.
Everyone's gaze focused on Thorne, filled with scrutiny and ill will.
No one was a fool, and they all knew that Thorne had always openly and secretly targeted Lynn.
Thorne's face instantly turned ashen white.
He remembered all the sarcastic and cutting remarks he had made about Lynn before.
He knew that Lynn was preparing to deal with him!
He had thought Lynn couldn't do anything to him.
But who could have imagined that Lynn would actually find a dragon egg.
And Lord Commander Mormont's reaction also exceeded his expectations.
Lord Commander Mormont was going to fully support Lynn!
And he even regarded Lynn as his successor!
"Fake! This must be fake!"
"He's a liar! You've all been deceived by him!"
These words now felt like resounding slaps, brutally hitting his own face.
"I... I didn't..."
Thorne's voice was trembling as he tried to explain.
"Didn't?"
Lynn smiled, but there was no warmth in that smile.
"You mean, all of us misheard?"
Thorne's lips trembled, unable to utter a single word.
Lynn walked towards him, step by step.
Each step felt like it was treading on Thorne's heart, heavy and oppressive.
"Ser Thorne, you always seem to have disliked me."
"Since I returned to Castle Black."
"You insulted my birth, questioned my abilities, called me a deserter and a traitor, and even..."
Lynn's footsteps stopped in front of Thorne.
At this point, his voice turned bone-chillingly cold.
"...sent people to assassinate me."
Boom!
These words once again caused the entire courtyard to erupt!
Assassination?
Lynn's previous predicament was actually an assassination attempt ordered by Ser Thorne against Lord Lynn?
"You're talking nonsense!"
Thorne jumped up like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.
He shrieked, "You're slandering me! When did I ever send anyone to assassinate you?"
"Is that so?"
Lynn waved his hand, and Toren immediately pulled out a dagger from his in my arms.
It was a very ordinary Night's Watch standard dagger, still stained with dried, blackened blood.
"This dagger was found on the assassin who tried to sneak into my room late at night."
Lynn's gaze slowly swept over a few new recruits in the crowd.
Those new recruits were Gelan and Pypar, among others, who had been disciplined by Jon before and later tried to cause trouble for him.
Their faces instantly turned pale under Lynn's gaze.
"...I think they should recognize it."
Lynn had made his decision.
Thorne, this fellow, would always be a menace if he remained.
Before, he didn't have enough authority or an excuse to deal with him.
But now, it was different.
The appearance of the dragon egg, Mormont's full support, and the fervent adoration of his soldiers.
All of this gave Lynn the confidence to remove this obstacle.
He wanted to kill a chicken to scare the monkeys.
He would use Thorne's blood to completely solidify his unshakeable position in Castle Black!
He wanted everyone to know.
There was only one outcome for those who opposed him, Lynn.
That was death!