So from the beginning, Jon was given almost maximum-level treatment, meeting almost all the material conditions required for knight training and war skills.
In contrast, Gendry was worlds apart. Eating his fill was probably met, and wearing warm clothes wasn't difficult in King's Landing, but as for exercise, it was probably just blacksmithing from a young age.
Looking at it comprehensively, there didn't seem to be much difference, but thinking about it carefully, it was undoubtedly a completely low-end or even "beggar's version" treatment.
But even so, just looking at Gendry's bulging arms and his figure half a head taller than himself, the transmigrator's gaze revealed a satisfied expression.
However, his appearance, coupled with his past "reputation," immediately made the Bull feel a bit restless, constantly shifting his butt back and forth on the horse's back.
Seeing this, Jon, who already had expectations for the Bull, naturally had to express some concern.
"What's wrong, Bull? Are you feeling uncomfortable somewhere?"
The teachings of the Maester of Winterfell made the new baron's etiquette impeccable, carrying a gentleman's unique modesty and casualness.
"Eh?! Nothing, My Lord, I'm fine, very fine!"
However, this gentleness, which was obviously contrary to the North, made the Bull feel a chill down his back and almost fall off the horse.
Seeing his squire a bit flustered, Jon didn't continue to question but slowed down and began to look around.
As a small town in the northeast of Blackwater Bay, Jon's fief didn't have many outstanding industries. At most, there were some yeomen farmers and fishermen providing vegetables and aquatic products for King's Landing.
But compared to the Reach, their share was actually a drop in the bucket.
However, in the eyes of Varys's little birds, this small town half a day's journey from King's Landing had an enviable wealth channel—smuggling.
Although there was no evidence to identify the source of these smugglers, anyone with discerning eyes could guess that the vast majority of goods from the Eastern Continent circulating in King's Landing did not enter Westeros through customs.
After grasping this situation, even Jon's mood, steady as an old dog, beat uncharacteristically a few times upon hearing of this industry.
Even with his meager common sense of luxury goods, he could know the profit gap involved.
Simply put, a barrel of frost sugar produced in Braavos only cost one Silver Stag to load when departing from the Free Cities of the Eastern Continent.
However, when it was sold to King's Landing and repackaged in clay pots, the selling price per pound was as high as five Gold Dragons.
The only local specialty comparable to it was the top-grade rose honey produced in the Reach.
But in terms of output and price, these by-products of the slack farming season were ruthlessly crushed by the commodities of the Free Cities.
And many unscrupulous Tyroshi merchants formed a mature trade route based on this.
The first step was to load frost sugar from Braavos, cross the Narrow Sea, and sell it to Westeros in exchange for various bulk commodities, such as coarse cloth, grain, ale, or ironware.
The second step was to dock along the coastline and use these commodities to exchange for shiploads of slaves from lords or mountain wildlings.
The third step was to sail the ships full of slaves back to Essos and sell the slaves to the slave-holding Free Cities in exchange for gold coins.
Just like that, a sinful triangular trade successfully closed the loop.
Such a trip usually only took three months to half a year, but the profit obtained was fully dozens of times over.
And this despicable industry criticized by others, in the eyes of many merchants in the Free Trade Cities, was simply the scum lowering the class, completely contrary to the original intention of freedom and trade.
In the eyes of higher-level merchants, distributing luxury goods from the Eastern Continent was far faster and easier to make money than this black industry.
Many times, a ship full of silk, nutmeg, pepper, spirits, and handicrafts only needed one trip to allow all crew members, including the captain and sailors, to retire directly, and even buy their own industries or merchant ships.
However, the fact was that the vast majority of merchant ships traveling between King's Landing and the North came from Tyrosh.
These ship owners with hands full of sin were inextricably linked to many lords on the coastline.
They not only sold expensive goods from the Eastern Continent to earn money but also didn't forget to spend the Gold Dragons they got back in Westeros.
Even in Duke Ned's territory, this gray-black trade couldn't be eliminated. Many nobles were righteous on the surface, but in reality, they often chose to trade with them secretly.
Especially when these slaves came not only from their own farms but from wildlings and poachers in the valleys, the vast majority of lords would turn a blind eye, except for Duke Ned, who was known for his fairness.
As for the traded goods, they were naturally the bankrupt yeomen farmers that were constantly generated, and the wildlings not protected by the laws of the kingdom.
When they were loaded onto the ships, they all became slaves unacceptable to the Seven Gods.
Although Westeros prohibited slavery, this was only limited to ordinary commoners.
Actually, in the eyes of many nobles and lords, the so-called servants and squires were nothing more than cheap paid slaves, with no essential difference.
Thinking of this, Jon couldn't help muttering to himself that Jorah Mormont was really an unlucky wretch, stupid enough to be held accountable and expelled from his hometown.
But perhaps this was the most real and contradictory side of Westeros.
So after synthesizing these, Jon felt somewhat clueless about the next arrangements.
Although he was a qualified corporate slave ("cow-horse") in his previous life and often traveled far from home, never feeling lost about going out to make a living...
But now, having lived two lives, the memories of the past had long merged and become blurred.
It could be said that he was now a child leaving home for the first time, somewhat unsettled in his heart.
However, Gendry on the side appeared extremely excited, completely ignoring Jon's confusion.
Although the Bull and Jon were similar in age, he had never been far from King's Landing, so he was full of the joy of traveling for the first time for such a trip that wasn't considered a long journey.
On this point, after witnessing the Bull's reaction, Jon finally understood why Theon Greyjoy always targeted him.
As the saying goes, happiness is comparative. As long as one can feel a trace of superiority over others, the heart will be satisfied and peaceful.
This is a bad habit generated by people born into classes. Although Jon was a transmigrator, he couldn't be exempt from vulgarity and felt the pleasure brought by power differentiation for the first time.
Of course, since this thought could be captured and analyzed by him, the dopamine secreted also decayed rapidly synchronously, making Jon, who saw through all this, feel bored.
Just as Jon saw through this principle, the pleasure just now disappeared synchronously, replaced by indifference, making the original vague hesitation disappear.
Then, Gendry saw that his lord had returned to his facial paralysis, or rather, mysterious calmness.
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