At the same time as seeing the so-called side quest, Jon's gaze was also attracted by the remaining options.
[Side Mission 2: Legend of the Sea King. Hand over the rivers and mountains and indulge in pleasure. The so-called territory is nothing but a place to make money. Life is short, why not learn from the Usurper and live a life of drunkenness and dreams!]
[Reward: Significantly increase Charm and Affinity. Ladies' secret doors will involuntarily open to you, allowing you to become a legendary new noble renowned throughout Westeros through fame and luxury.]
This option was in line with Jon's previous expectations, but he chose to continue reading.
[Side Mission 3: Power-Hungry Noble. Don't miss any opportunity. Comprehensively build this territory adjacent to King's Landing, turn it into an iron bucket, and begin to encroach on Westeros, recreating the glory of the Targaryens!]
[Reward: The System will be further upgraded and display (???)]
It wasn't until this moment that the transmigrator showed a satisfied smile and decisively selected this option.
As for the reason, it wasn't actually because "adults want it all," but purely out of rational consideration.
After all, given the nature of this dog System he carried, even if he chose the seemingly simple column, he would eventually be slowly bent back to this last one.
Instead of wasting time being played by the System, it was better to be decisive and directly choose the most difficult one.
Anyway, Jon had already understood that from the moment the System was activated, he had started the most realistic Game of Thrones experience.
So combining these, he had now accepted the facts and was ready to resist this damn life.
After the System faded away with a "ding-dong," Jon's attention also began to turn to the present.
Regarding this fiefdom proposed by Varys to occupy, Jon neither liked nor disliked it, and even had no concept of it at all.
If one had to say there was any convenience here, it was that it was only sixty leagues away from the capital, and it only took half a day to arrive by fast horse if leaving early.
Of course, this place was by no means a desolate land far from the capital.
Because it was located in the gap between King's Landing and Earl Rosby's territory, the land here naturally belonged directly to the King.
So any noble who wanted to apply for a piece of land to live on only needed to register with the Royal Herald to get what they wished.
Therefore, when Jon saw the huge complex of buildings covering the hilltop, his originally worried brows were completely knotted.
He even suspected that the bastard Varys was seriously digging a pit for him.
Fortunately, the Master of Whisperers had given him a heads-up early on: as long as Jon could gain a foothold here, the sixty thousand Gold Dragons embezzled by his cheap father could be earned back in just half a year.
Hearing such a conclusion, Jon expressed doubt.
Now, he had long had a clear estimate of prices in Westeros. If there really was such a profitable business as Varys said, presumably it wouldn't be the turn of a rookie like him.
Moreover, high risks always bring high returns at any time.
In other words, a business that could earn sixty thousand Gold Dragons in a year would definitely cost him his life.
Fortunately, now with the surname Stark and the title of Baron, Jon didn't have to worry too much about having his throat slit quietly.
In addition, the reason why the transmigrator obediently followed Varys's advice and chose this territory was naturally for its most significant locational characteristics.
It could be said that this place was neither far nor close to King's Landing, happening to be on the edge that the nobles could still tolerate.
A little further away, nobles accustomed to luxury were destined to camp in the wild with their squires and traveling guards to avoid having no castles or taverns to stay in along the way.
Too close would be meaningless; if anyone could look back and see King's Landing, they would lose the freshness of an outing.
Therefore, this distance was just right, and it could also realize some of Jon's own ideas and purposes.
Of course, leaving aside these factors, the most critical thing was to give some uncertain personnel trust.
Like Queen Cersei. After hearing that Jon was preparing to leave King's Landing and was granted a territory, the lioness, who had already lost confidence in the Stark family, naturally wouldn't let Jon slip away!
And a journey that could be reached in just half a day allowed the Queen to summon Jon, her "guest behind the curtain," at any time.
In other words, the reason Cersei made such a request to him was entirely based on her suspicion of Duke Eddard's attitude.
Regarding this, Jon had no better way for the time being other than working harder.
Fortunately, even though he was now given the surname Stark, he was an illegitimate second son who could not inherit Winterfell, and in the line of succession, he couldn't even rank before Bran and Rickon.
Therefore, if the transmigrator wanted to continue to climb up or maintain his current prominent status, he must cling to the big tree of the Queen.
Precisely because of this, Cersei was temporarily reassured. She only chose to drain Jon thoroughly at the moment of parting before letting him leave with satisfaction.
Thinking of this, Jon Stark subconsciously rubbed his kidney area, and this action made the Bull feel particularly unhappy.
Even though the bastard was arranged outside the city before, in fact, Gendry knew King's Landing far better than Jon and missed it more.
So Gendry not only secretly watched the tourney but also knew clearly about his lord's subsequent actions, including his frequent visits to brothels to prove he wasn't interested in men.
But the more he understood, the more unhappy and bitter the Bull felt.
Not to mention that the two were similar in age, and even their origins were extremely similar.
But now, this bastard in front of him, because of having a powerful father, plus various luck, actually successfully turned regular and became a member of the Stark family, a millennial noble family of the North.
How could this make the still-virgin Bull feel at ease?
Moreover, after being handed over to Jon, this lord, apart from leaving arrangements for modifying the armor and some Gold Dragons, hadn't paid any attention to the Bull from beginning to end.
And this made the bastard feel extremely cold-shouldered.
Taking a step back, even if the status between a noble knight and a squire was unequal, in terms of daily life, they still needed to be closely connected.
After all, without such running-in, once on the battlefield, communication between the two would probably be a problem.
However, these were just Gendry's own positioning.
From the beginning, Jon didn't intend to use the Bull as a servant.
You know, just Gendry's bloodline inherited from Robert was already a rare resource.
Although the two were similar in age now, and their physical fitness seemed not much different.
But any noble, even just a landed knight, clearly understood the key here.
Although the former Jon Stark was a Snow, in terms of clothing, food, housing, and transportation, he strictly followed the treatment of high-ranking nobles raising their offspring.
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