Chapter 12: Becoming a Ranger
Castle Black, Training Grounds
"Hooray..."
In the training grounds of Castle Black, Samwell, who had been skinchanged by Jon, was being tossed up into the air again and again by the Night's Watch recruits.
At this moment, Jon was like a newly-crowned hero, being thrown into the sky repeatedly by the recruits. Those who couldn't get close enough to join in added to the joyous atmosphere with their applause and cheers.
Despite Samwell's rather obese physique, it didn't hinder him from becoming the pride of his companions' hearts in the slightest.
His body traced arcs through the air, caught by numerous arms every time he fell, only to be launched skyward once more.
Such a scene seemed to form a sharp contrast with his physical size, yet the enthusiasm of those around him was irrepressible.
Among these Night's Watch recruits, almost everyone had suffered humiliation under Alliser Thorne's iron fist.
Many had endured Alliser Thorne's mockery and abuse. Some of the murderers from King's Landing had even contemplated getting rid of this harsh master-at-arms forever on some quiet night.
However, Alliser Thorne's prowess gave them pause. Coupled with everyone's struggle to adapt to this strange and harsh new environment, these emotions and thoughts remained buried deep in their hearts.
Consequently, they had been living in an unspeakable state of frustration, with a pent-up resentment accumulating in everyone's heart that had no outlet.
But now, Jon's appearance was like a breath of fresh air, blowing away the haze that shrouded their hearts. He had not only won dignity for the Night's Watch recruits but had also brought them hope.
At this moment, all the suppression and dissatisfaction vanished as Jon was tossed up. The recruits' hearts were filled with gratitude and respect for Jon; their cheers were heartfelt, a sincere celebration of Jon's victory.
Unfortunately, because Jon's weight was truly beyond the norm, the recruits trying to toss him high found it quite strenuous.
"Alright, alright, put me down!"
Feeling that his height was no longer as high as it was at the beginning, Jon quickly spoke up.
Samwell, watching the show from inside his own body, also laughed happily. By now, he fully believed in Jon's identity.
Because while still within his physical form, he could faintly feel the changes inside—the improvements in strength, speed, and technique were very clear to Samwell.
He knew that once he regained control of his body, he would undergo a new transformation. However, when Samwell noticed Alliser Thorne lying on the ground...
The man's cold, dark expression surfaced in his mind, causing him a sudden wave of fear for no apparent reason.
"My Lord, will this Alliser Thorne retaliate against me?"
"What? Are you afraid?"
Jon replied in his mind after hearing Samwell's question.
"N-no... it's just... once you're gone, will I lose this power?"
Feigning composure, Samwell voiced the thought in his heart. After all, Jon was doing everything today, and he feared being retaliated against once Jon left.
"That depends on you. If you are willing to believe in the gods' blessing, then nothing will be a problem!"
After saying this, Jon encountered Addison Tollett, who had come looking for him. Under the short man's lead...
Jon met the Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, Jeor Mormont, the benefactor who had helped him the most in the original plot.
In that poorly-ended TV series, there were only a few truly good people—or rather, people who truly possessed the spirit of a knight—and Jeor Mormont was one of them.
Jon naturally intended to protect such a rare existence, as rare as a giant panda on Earth. To be honest, with someone like this around, Jon could feel safe having his back covered.
"Greetings, Lord Commander!"
Toward this future superior and person to be protected, Jon naturally showed the proper etiquette and politeness.
"Not bad! Young man, can you tell me what supported you and kept you going?"
Jeor Mormont suddenly blurted this out after seeing Jon's eyes.
Jeor Mormont had seen Samwell on the day all the Night's Watch recruits arrived at Castle Black. Although he lived at Castle Black, the people here were Westerosi from all corners of the realm.
So, Jeor Mormont had some understanding of this discarded son of House Tarly, but the Jon before him now displayed a completely different temperament and state of mind.
This made Jeor Mormont very curious: what kind of conviction had turned a cowardly waste in the eyes of others into a warrior who did not fear death?
"Perhaps it was the warrior who gave me courage. When I was unconscious just now, a voice told me many things. That voice told me that Winter is Coming, and that to cower in fear will only result in death!"
"Oho, is it that miraculous? Little fat boy of the Tarlys, you haven't had too much milk of the poppy, have you?"
Jon's words received Jeor Mormont's affirmation, but the Dwarf beside him offered a different opinion.
"Perhaps we can have a chat sometime, wandering sage!"
When Jon came over, he had noticed a certain Dwarf. The other's flippant words piqued a bit of Jon's interest.
Jon had some thoughts regarding this morally ambiguous 'Imp,' but the man still harbored illusions about his family right now.
So Jon planned to tell him a story to help the 'Imp' avoid certain things ahead of time. That way, he might grow up sooner and become Jon's assistant in the future.
"Hmm?!"
Jon's sudden shift in tone allowed Tyrion to hear some underlying meaning. As a Dwarf loathed by others, Tyrion had always cared deeply about how people perceived him.
Although he usually put on an air of indifference, there were some things he couldn't control.
"I heard you want to join the Rangers?"
Jeor Mormont didn't mind Tyrion's interruption too much, but he had to proceed with Jon's arrangements ahead of schedule.
Jon's act of defeating Alliser Thorne had already established prestige among the recruits. In Jeor Mormont's view, this wasn't necessarily a good thing.
It wasn't that Jeor Mormont was jealous of Jon, but rather he knew the saying 'the tall tree catches the wind.' The members of the Night's Watch came from all over Westeros.
There were people of all sorts of personalities and tempers, including some who were once noble lords. Jeor Mormont himself had become Lord Commander partly due to the prestige of having been the Lord of Bear Island.
Because of this, he knew how terrifying human jealousy could be. Excellent people are not only valued by their superiors but also face jealousy and suppression from the mediocre.
Therefore, Jeor Mormont decided to hide Jon's brilliance early on so that he could grow better.
"I will temporarily assign you to First Ranger Benjen Stark's group. However, they are currently out on patrol. For the time being, you will serve as my steward. By the way, can you ride a horse?"
"Uh, I'll do my best to learn it well during this time!"
Hearing Mormont's question, Jon got the answer from Samwell. Clearly, this former heir of House Tarly seemed to have some trauma regarding horse riding.
"And I'd like to tell you, you'd better deal with your fat first, or else these little horses of the North might not be able to withstand your massive backside!"
Tyrion, who had developed an interest in Jon, chimed in at the right moment.
"I will certainly do that, Lord Tyrion!"
After announcing Jon's arrangement, Lord Commander Jeor Mormont offered encouragement and comfort to all the recruits and had his steward, Addison Tollett, read out the assignment list for everyone.
The history of the Night's Watch at The Wall was longer than that of the Seven Kingdoms. At its peak, it even boasted a force of nearly ten thousand men.
However, the situation had been changing over the years, making the Night's Watch weaker and weaker. Now, there were fewer than 600 men left, and most were elderly.
Most nobles of the Seven Kingdoms treated the Night's Watch like a chamber pot—only remembering it when needed and ignoring it otherwise.
The Night's Watch was divided into three orders based on ability and nature of work: Rangers, Stewards, and Builders. Stewards handled logistics and supplies, while Builders were responsible for the daily maintenance of buildings and The Wall.
Among them, the ones in charge of combat and patrols were the Rangers. However, due to the continuous decrease in personnel...
In the current Night's Watch, the functions of Builders and Stewards had overlapped. Sometimes even Rangers had to participate in the maintenance of Castle Black or go south of The Wall to graze horses.
Today's situation was different from usual, however, because this year's batch of new recruits actually numbered over a hundred.
Furthermore, a large portion of them came from the Riverlands and the north. Jon wasn't overly surprised by this anomaly.
This was because he and Eddard had discussed it beforehand. The goal was to increase the combat strength of Castle Black to deal with the Wildlings and White Walkers that might appear later.
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