Chapter 16

POV Daeron

Preparations at Last Hearth were in full swing, as we were expecting not only the Mormonts but also Roose Bolton and his son Domeric. The feast predominantly featured game dishes, mostly venison and wild boar, sourced from the nearby forests.

From my observations, the cuisine of the North primarily consists of meat dishes, as this region isn't particularly abundant in vegetables. HowFever, noble families did have greenhouses where they grew essential produce even in winter. If I were to compare it to the cuisine from my old world, it most closely resembles Scottish fare, with an abundant variety of stews, meat pies, and diverse meat dishes.

This array was prepared for the distinguished guests who arrived this morning. The Mormonts were as memorable as ever. Lady Mormont remained the stern and formidable woman she always was, while Dacey had changed quite significantly, showing the first signs of adolescence, yet her character, I'm sure, remained unchanged. Upon seeing us, she said something to her mother and practically ran over to us. Embracing me so tightly that I thought my ribs might crack, she exclaimed: "How have you been? What's new? ...Jon, are you listening?!" she shouted the last part.

"Ha, of course, my lady," I responded.

Pretending to believe me, she said:

"Maybe you could introduce us now?"

Her informal manner was one of her most endearing traits, which Robb greatly admired. Shaking his head, Robb introduced them both, and surprisingly, the two quickly found common ground. And just like that, they roped us into a hunting trip.

"They sure move fast..." I whispered to Robb.

"Yeah..." he whispered back.

Afterward, Dacey, practically starry-eyed, turned to us and said:

"I heard you'll be coming with us to Bear Island?"

"Yeah," we chorused. "Well, then I'll show you how we hunt on our island!"

I didn't know how to respond other than to agree. At that moment, Roose Bolton and his son Domeric arrived. His son resembled him physically, with the same cold grey eyes, but unlike his father, they did not convey detachment and terror but rather loneliness and sadness.

While most of the castle enjoyed the feast, we boys decided to slip away. Seeing Domeric sitting reluctantly, I made a decision to take him with us.

"Hey, how about we get out of here?" I asked Domeric, surprising my friends with my suggestion.

Domeric nodded after a brief pause. We decided to walk in the nearby forest, which was safe for me as my partner had already claimed dominion over this territory. Telling Tun to try not to terrorize the prey we were after, we headed deeper into the woods. But before that, Domeric finally asked: "Why did you bring me along?"

"Why? You looked like you were ready to sink through the floor to escape," I said, genuinely surprised.

Domeric seemed about to say something but just shook his head instead. At that moment, Dacey and the others curiously asked:

"Domeric, what can you do? And where have you been?"

"I'm good with swords, can play the high harp, and I think I'm fairly well-read. I was raised by my mother's relatives, probably why we never met."

The rest of our walk became more conversational, everyone asking the newcomer questions, and the newcomer enjoying the attention. It seemed to me that he also relished just being among friends.

But our active conversation was interrupted as we stumbled upon deer tracks. The hunt lasted over three hours by my reckoning. The moment we found the deer was one of the most pleasant. However, the actual battle with our prey didn't happen as we had planned, and the archers, Dacey and Domeric, managed to calm the animal's spirit.

After a few hours, we sat around a fire we had made, cooking the venison, the duty of which fell to me... Not to say that I can't cook, rather the opposite; as a student in my previous life, you learn whether you want to or not. Yet, cooking time and again showed me the difference between the medieval and the modern era, where most of the ingredients here would have been considered premium in my past life. I was lucky to have ended up as a member of a Great House; it's frightening to think what would have been if I had ended up as a wildling... With these somber thoughts, I cooked the deer, having to make do with the spices we found in the woods, but even so, it should turn out well enough. Though if it were up to me, I would have let it marinate for another day or two... But my friends clearly couldn't wait that long.

Distracted from the cooking, I turned my attention to my companions, and surprisingly, Domeric had fitted in well with the group and was already sharing stories from his life. From his tales, it was easy to discern that Roose was a lackluster father, from upbringing to parental affection. It was also clear that Domeric was somewhat afraid of his father; no wonder, if I were his age, Lord Bolton would also instill a mild fear in me with his icy eyes showing nothing but unemotional resolve.

"Jon! Is the food ready?" Robb asked me.

Snapped back to the present by his question, I checked the venison and estimated it needed at least another hour. But as an amateur chef, I had to be sure, so I carefully sliced a small piece from the thigh.

"Ouch, that's hot!" Tasting the meat, I confirmed it needed a few more hours to cook properly. The flavor of the spices wasn't as strong as I'd have liked.

"Ah... Just a bit longer and it'll be ready," I told my companions, who were almost drooling by now.

Hearing this, they brightened up; indeed, food always tastes better after a hunt. After everyone had finished eating, Domeric suddenly started.

"You know, I don't have many friends. To be honest, I could count them on one hand. My family is quite contentious, my father as cold as the northernmost reaches. The only people I had good relationships with were from my mother's house. She was the one who made this world a happier place for me, and after her death, I couldn't stay in Dreadfort. And honestly, that castle instills a subconscious terror in me... If it were up to me, I wouldn't want to become a lord; I'd rather be a bard or someone else who can travel freely... I don't know why I'm telling you this, maybe I just needed to talk," he finished with a smile on his face.

At that moment, I realized that I probably couldn't kill him...

One month later

A month had passed since we left Last Hearth and arrived at Bear Island, the ancestral land of House Mormont. At first glance, I could tell that this island had plenty of two things: bears and trees. As far as I know, these lands were wrested from the ironborn by Theon Stark and entrusted to House Mormont. They finally came under the full dominion of the northern lords during King Rodrik's time. Since then, they have served House Stark faithfully. After two weeks here, Robb and I were no longer surprised by the local customs; if not for the cold, I would think I was in Dorne with its Rhoynar culture. For women on this island were equals to men in all respects, able to lead and fight alongside them without any objections.

Lady Maege Mormont also told and showed us their way of life, while Dacey and her sisters demonstrated what the youth here were involved in. What we liked most here was indeed the hunting. Tun enjoyed it no less than I did.

But one day he said to me:

"I sense a magical source on the southeastern part of the island, somewhat reminiscent of... the sea?"

"Can you show the exact location?" I asked, intrigued, as this was clearly not normal.

"Sure, but are you sure you want to go there today?"

"No, we'll go tomorrow."

"Hmm... Alright, it's your treat to shashlik!" he said and literally vanished with flashes of lightning.

Over time, Tun's abilities had grown; he could now fly at much greater speeds. Surprisingly, despite his increased size, his speed had not suffered. Moreover, this flying KFC had developed a particular fondness for shashlik after tasting it for the first time.

"Yeah... I think if he didn't fly so much, he'd turn into a little round ball with wings..."

POV Daeron

Following the provocation, a race against time began as I realized my effectiveness had clearly diminished due to my injured arm. The only consolation was that I could still fight with my left hand, and luckily, my leg was fine.

With these thoughts, I dodged the attacks of this ghost, gradually becoming more attuned to his rhythm. For instance, he feigned a strike in hopes of hitting my torso with a horizontal slash, but his real intent was to finish me off with a subsequent sharp horizontal blow.

Unfortunately for him and fortunately for me, he missed again.

"If you weren't a ghost, I'm sure you'd be mimicking the Lannister family crest right now," I taunted mockingly.

"Ha! You were trying to kill me, weren't you?" I asked, provoking him further.

Enraged by my words, he charged at me, ignoring the chains and the opportunity to use the distance. This was the best outcome for me... Crash

I barely had time to think of my next move, reacting instinctively to block Ravos's attack with my injured arm.

"So, you ready to die?" he asked with a mad smirk of utter superiority.

Summoning a tanto to my right hand, I aimed at his face. Surprised, the pirate managed to dodge at the last moment, but fortunately for me, I achieved my goal and blinded him.

"AAAHHH!!!" screamed the ghost, clutching his face where a horizontal scar now blinded him. My initial hope had been to end him with that strike, or at least blind him should I fail, though the effectiveness of such a wound on a ghost was questionable.

"Heh, what's the hold-up then?" I continued to taunt the wretched creature.

"You're done for, cur!" he shouted with a gruesome expression that became slightly more grotesque after my intervention.

"And it suits you. You're welcome."

The ghost, further enraged, headed toward the source of my voice. How did I know he was using my voice to orient himself? Simple, he wasn't anticipating my movements.

"Heh, much better..."

Bang

At that moment, I coughed up blood, why the hell?

Ding

"User under 'Deadly Aura' effect, advise taking action quickly."

"So, feeling it now? You can't escape, so why not make it easier for both of us?" he said, pleased as a cat who got into the cream.

"Jon!" shouted Dacey.

"Calm down! Do you want to believe his words?! I'll be alright!" I assured her as best I could.

Dacey just gritted her teeth and accepted my viewpoint.

"So, you're scared of dying, you damn kraken!"

The ghost, baring his teeth, rapidly closed the distance between us.

"Are you taking long?!"

"Just a bit left..." replied my partner.

Tap-tap Looking up, I saw clouds gathering with rare drops of rain. But I couldn't enjoy it for long as a dead pirate was disrupting the process. Dodging became increasingly difficult as my body gradually became less responsive. While my mind could anticipate where the enemy would strike, my body moved as if in jelly. Attacking the ghost was disadvantageous as he was superior in many ways, and with each moment, he better controlled his body. All I could do was dodge and attack sporadically, even though those rare attacks were dismissed due to my weakening state.

"I'M READY!" I finally heard what I had longed to hear.

"Now!" I transmitted mentally and heard back, "I know..."

In that instant, the ghost sensed something and just managed to say.

"Why do I stop feeling...BANG

But it was too late as a bolt of lightning, like the wrath of Zeus or, more aptly for these parts, Thor, struck from the storm clouds.

Ding

Quest Completed

Destroyed Cursed Spirit: 1/1

Reward Received: Empathy (Talent)

Curious about this, I mentally accessed more information.

Empathy allowed me to feel people's emotions, though currently, it enabled me to sense only strong and vivid emotions. For instance, at this moment, I could feel an intense emotion from Dacey called concern.

"I'm alright..." Bam

POV Dacey

The day promised to be much like the previous ones had Jon not decided to explore the island. I supported the idea since this dark-haired boy was one of my few close friends.

"Heh... Maybe he'll be something more in the future."

Before setting out, I prepared some gear while Jon said he had everything ready... As always, he liked when everything went according to plan. My thoughts wandered, and soon I was pondering what I knew about my friend. Intelligent, strong, and quite handsome already, many people recognized that he would become a fine man. But I was more interested in what he would become in the future. Many predicted he would be one of the strongest swordsmen in the Seven Kingdoms, at least here in the North. So it was quite obvious why I was eager to find out what he wanted to become; to every question I asked, he either joked or changed the subject. And all I could do was speculate...

"What are you thinking about, Dacey?" I heard the voice of the very person I was thinking about and nearly shrieked in surprise, his footsteps had become increasingly difficult to detect lately.

"Jon, you almost scared me! How do you even walk like that?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, your step is noiseless," and under such scrutiny, he often spilled the truth.

"Ah... That. Just practicing, nothing else to do," he shrugged.

"Next time, warn me, or I might throw an axe or something heavier at you!"

"Hahaha, okay."

What followed were some of the most interesting days of my life as I showed and told him about fascinating places on the island, and everything was perfect until we reached a spot that emanated an inhuman chill. I realized it too late, who could have known that such creatures existed in this world?

The first moments I was in shock, but as soon as I recovered, I realized that Jon was already fighting this demon? My urge to help him was cut short by Jon, his choice and desire to fight alone I could not ignore. All that was left was to believe and wait, and in case of emergency, to heck with his wishes and help.

With every moment that passed, I began to understand just how much stronger Jon was than me; even under the weight of poison, he managed to perform wonders with his swordplay. Most of the kraken's blows were dodged by him, but I realized he couldn't keep this up much longer. And then, everything ended with a lightning strike that definitively ended the existence of this creature.

Whether it was the help of the New or Old Gods, I do not know. But I am grateful to them for it. All I could hope was that these same Gods would help Jon recover, as I couldn't carry him home under the rain. So, finding a cave and hastily making a fire, all I could do was wait.

POV Daeron

Consciousness came unexpectedly, I expected to feel exhaustion, but there was only relief and vigor. If only yesterday's wound had been just a dream, if only I hadn't woken up in a cave next to Dacey, who was almost snoring. Nearby, besides Dacey, was a fire that had long since died, and my connection with my companion, who was also sleeping from exhaustion....

POV Daeron

The morning after the battle with the ghost, surprisingly, I felt no pain, neither physically nor mentally. I had suspected as much, but I first needed to survey my surroundings to understand the situation.

Dacey was lying next to me, softly snoring or perhaps just breathing heavily. It was hard to distinguish, but as it seemed rather endearing, I leaned towards the former since snoring is hardly ever described as cute.

Chuckling at these thoughts, I reached out through our soul bond and found Tuna, who was indeed snoring—a fact confirmed even through the bond.

Once assured everything was in order, I analyzed the previous day's fight. Firstly, I was reminded of the magical intricacies of this world. Secondly, it was clear I needed to become stronger urgently, fulfilling the task set by my ancestors...

"My ancestors? Ha... Indeed, I've started to regard everyone around me, including relatives, as my own kin," I thought.

Whether this was good or bad, only time would tell. For now, I had to continue the mission I had started. Thirdly, Valyrian steel could interact with ghosts and possibly other 'magical' beings. Fourthly, I had gained an incredible ability that, in theory, could be of great help... Next, I needed to figure out how all my injuries had been healed.

Without much thought, I posed this question to the System, which promptly replied:

"The user has received a full recovery after completing the task, as it was necessary to bring you back to order. Residual energy from the destroyed ghost was used for the healing."

Clear enough, I then inquired about my new ability, and the System immediately provided all the information.

It turned out that while the ability was granted in its entirety, my understanding or mastery of it was still at an initial stage. Currently, I could only sense vivid emotions, meaning the subtler human emotions were overshadowed by the more intense ones. With proper mastery, the day when I could perceive these finer emotions was not far off.

This encapsulated the future potential of this ability. It was crucial to train my Empathy as often as possible.

"Indeed, if I need to lead people someday, this ability will prove crucial," I thought, and my thoughts shifted to analyzing the battle.

My primary thought was centered on the legends of the ironborn and my observations. The Drowned God, a maritime deity worshipped on the Iron Islands, is a god of the sea, seafarers, and war, presiding over death and rebirth—harsh and unforgiving but promising eternal life to his followers.

In prayers to the Drowned God, there are phrases like "The God who drowned for us" and "resurrect your servant as you were resurrected." There seems to be a myth in the cult of the Drowned God that he willingly drowned himself for the sake of humanity and was resurrected. The islanders, whose lives have long been intertwined with the sea, link their origins to this god, believing the Drowned God created them specifically for raiding and violence. This appeared to be a justification for violence if it were not for my encounter with the ghost.

The Drowned God has an antagonist—the Storm God, who resides in the heavens, despises humanity, and brings only misery and sorrow. A war between the sea and the sky has raged for thousands of years. Acts pleasing to the Drowned God incite the wrath of the Storm God, who then sends storms against humanity. Thus, I hypothesized a vulnerability to the manifestations of the god opposed by the Drowned God, and my assumption proved correct.

I noted this information just in case, as who knows against whom I might have to contend in the future. To fully arm myself with knowledge, I needed to delve deeper into local occult fields since you never know which god or demon might turn out to be real, and for confidence in my powers, I had to study all I could reach.

After getting my bearings, I decided to start preparing breakfast to thank the two individuals who had helped me. Since I hadn't forgotten to bring some provisions, the cooking process went quite smoothly and briskly. Of course, what I cooked wasn't anything on the level of Gordon Ramsay's cuisine, but in the current situation, it was the best that could be.

After a while, Tuna woke up first, a fact I sensed quite vividly. It seems Empathy somehow intensified our connection.

"Are you alright, Tuna?" I asked after a while.

"Definitely better than you, how about yourself?" he replied.

"Heh, I feel fantastic, but thanks for the concern," I added after some time. "Alright, come down here to eat."

Soon after, there were grumblings, and this feathered one deigned to descend to the ground. My friend was mostly interested in the meat dishes, thankfully, I had considered this in advance and enough meat remained for both me and Dacey.

As soon as Tuna had eaten, he immediately took to the air, according to him, for scouting. Meanwhile, I quietly began to pack our belongings. And it was under these circumstances that Dacey caught up with me.

POV Dacey

Waking up in the morning, I began to realize what had happened the day before. The morning greeted me with a pleasant smell and warmth... Then it hit me that Jon was the only other person here, and I opened my eyes in surprise... To see Jon sitting there, smiling as if nothing had happened.

Considering yesterday's events, if they were not just a figment of my dreams... How had Jon recovered so quickly?

Seeing something in my gaze, Jon, with a smile, said:

"I see you're wondering if I'm alright and what exactly happened yesterday?"

"Well, I can say that I'm generally fine, even better than yesterday. And what happened yesterday?" Jon paused for a moment and then continued. "First, I need to ask you—do you believe in magic?" he ended quite seriously.

And I nearly froze because although I had felt something magical near the weirwoods, I had never seen such a vivid manifestation of this mysterious force. At least not until yesterday. Gathering my thoughts, I answered:

"Considering yesterday's events, how could I not believe in magic?"

To which Jon laughed and said:

"Haha, that's true. Then I think we should start by saying that my powers come from the Old Gods to some extent..."

And so, Jon began to explain how he had acquired his powers, such as shapeshifting and his close partner in the form of a mysterious bird, which by all appearances was certainly not an ordinary bird. He then described how he had managed to defeat the ghost, asserting and somewhat proving that our world is inhabited by a vast number of gods and various demons.

POV Daeron 

I decided to explain what happened to Dacey through the lens of being chosen by the Old Gods, fortunately in this world, people believe in gods much more than in my previous world. And it's not surprising, considering the weirwoods, the huge ice wall, and dragons. After such precedents, it's very difficult to believe that these things don't exist. However, in recent years, many maesters and people have said that with the death of the dragons, magic also died. And no one believes in the existence of the Children of the Forest and other creatures from the myths and legends of the First Men anymore. But my recent actions prove otherwise.

Another thing that helped convince Dacey was her age; at this age, people's minds are more flexible. It's much easier to consider and even believe in the existence of various things.

As I pondered all this, Dacey discreetly finished her meal.

"Well, since we've finished here, I think it's time for us to get going. We've been away for quite some time, don't you agree?" I asked a few minutes after she had finished her meal. Dacey nodded, and quickly got herself ready. We didn't set off immediately but waited about 30 minutes, as I had to check whether I had forgotten anything when packing. Once sure that I had left nothing behind, we decided to return by a slightly different route than the one we had come by. I wanted to see other places, and we couldn't get lost anyway, as I had birds to assist us and Tuna to cover us in case of anything.

The return journey was surprisingly peaceful, without any predators, paranormal phenomena, or the like. During this time, I managed to explain to Dacey that I would like to keep my abilities a secret, and after some thought, she agreed. Although she still thought it would be better if I told everyone about them.

After a few hours on the road, the place from where we had set out the previous day came into view. Upon our arrival, one of the guards—probably a message from Dacey's mother—passed on a message.

"Dacey, just remember, I'll tell everyone about my abilities later, alright?"