[Chapter Size: 3100 Words.]

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Third Person POV

North, 297 AC.

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Jon left the city along with a group of soldiers while riding a wolf, a two-meter-tall beast, though not Ghost. He led the way, accompanied by royal guards and Artican soldiers, advancing toward the area where the captured prisoners were being held.

They headed northeast, where there were mountains that had been excavated many years ago to build the Wall. They crossed the empty grassland until they found a crowd gathered near the constructions. There, the prisoners were being kept under the watchful eyes of two soldiers and city patrols.

The structure had not been built to house so many people — there were more than three thousand prisoners there, captured in recent battles. Although Jon had decided not to keep slaves, he was also unwilling to spend Artica’s resources to sustain foreigners without any return. Therefore, he put the prisoners to work in the quarries.

When Jon approached, the soldiers immediately saluted him.

“The King is here!” they exclaimed.

Jon dismounted the wolf and looked around before walking toward the place on foot. One of the giant soldiers quickly approached him.

“My King, some reinforcements have arrived to help with the situation,” the giant in charge of the prison informed.

Jon nodded.

“Understood. What’s the situation?”

“The group of prisoners is holding two dwarves hostage inside the facility. But it’s only a part of them. Most surrendered without causing trouble, unwilling to get involved in the conflict,” the giant explained, pointing to the prisoners kneeling on the ground, surrounded by guards.

“I see. So, they demand an audience with me,” Jon asked.

“Yes, my King. They request to speak directly with Your Majesty…” the soldier confirmed.

Jon nodded with a neutral expression.

“Then let’s go to them,” he decided.

The guards began ordering the prisoners to stand and led them to an area in front of the prison. As they walked, Jon observed the prisoners, who stared back at him with defiant expressions from the windows.

As soon as they reached the prison, Jon raised his voice.

“Who’s in charge here?” he asked, his voice echoing through the place.

From inside the prison, more and more prisoners stuck their heads out of the windows, and one of them shouted:

“Are you the King of the Wildlings?” he yelled.

Jon crossed his arms.

“Well, I wouldn’t call myself that… Especially now that everyone seems to want your heads,” he replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

The prisoners inside the prison scowled, some of them picking up pieces of wood as makeshift weapons. Jon decided to end this quickly.

“Listen! We want to negotiate! If you don’t meet our demands, these two dwarves will die!” the leader of the prisoners shouted. He was clearly one of the nobles, judging by the way he spoke, though Jon didn’t know which one.

“You’re not in a position to negotiate,” Jon said calmly, his gaze remaining serious.

“If you don’t meet our demands, we’ll kill them!” the man threatened again.

Jon remained silent for a moment, analyzing the situation. Then, he finally spoke.

“What are your demands? I want to hear them.”

“We want freedom and safe passage to the south of the Wall!”

“I want to return to my family and lands!” another shouted.

“And we also want gold!” demanded a third prisoner.

“Yes! At least ten thousand gold coins!”

Jon raised an eyebrow, incredulous.

“They really think they’ll walk away unpunished after what they’ve done… And they still want gold and a passage south?” he murmured to himself at the absurd demand.

He took a deep breath and then, in a firm tone, addressed the prison again.

“I’ll think about it. If you release the dwarves in the meantime, we can forget about this madness — as long as they’re unharmed.”

The prisoners exchanged confused glances. Jon turned around and began to walk away, not wanting to argue with them any further.

“My King,” one of the royal guards called as Jon approached.

“Well, now we just wait…” Jon said as he neared his wolf to mount it again, with everyone watching him. “I’d rather sit, since this is going to take a few minutes,” he calmly remarked.

Jon remained seated on his wolf, observing the situation. None of the men around him made any movements as they waited for the King’s order. The silence was heavy as he kept his eyes on the prison.

Jon stared at the prison.

“It’s a shame Jin Sakai isn’t here. He would love to test his skills by storming that place,” he commented with a touch of irony.

“Can you tell me exactly who’s in there?” Jon asked the guard in charge of the prison, someone who, in a way, knew the situation better than he did.

The man nodded and handed him a list.

“There are about thirty men, all of them deserters and criminals captured in the recent campaigns. Whether from the south, the Redwyne territories, or men caught after the southern attack on Artica,” he explained.

Jon read the names carefully.

“Well, maybe this will end quickly,” he remarked with a casual tone as he handed the list back.

Meanwhile, more and more people from the city began arriving on horseback, coming as reinforcements to help with the ongoing situation.

“Your Majesty, I’ve heard about the incident,” announced the Minister of Justice as she approached with a cautious expression.

Jon, still mounted, kept his gaze fixed on the prison.

“This will be resolved soon… unless those people want a horrible execution,” Jon said to the minister, who nodded in agreement.

Suddenly, a murmur of surprise swept through the crowd. Everyone turned around, astonished, as a large number of animals rapidly approached.

“Looks like they’ve arrived,” Jon commented with a small smile.

A wave of giant wolves emerged from the forests southwest of Artica, from its woodlands. More than three hundred animals ran toward the area, circling the city from the north before heading to the prison.

Even the Artican horses, accustomed to the presence of wolves, began to grow restless, nervously neighing. It was a terrifying sight.

The wolves, ranging from one and a half to two meters in height, advanced swiftly in response to Jon’s call, which he had made as soon as he assessed the situation and realized he needed this type of reinforcement. They now appeared as an imposing force.

The sight threw the prison — and everyone inside it — into panic. Prisoners rushed to the windows, shouting and pointing at the approaching wolves.

“Hold the horses. Now we’ll negotiate more clearly,” Jon ordered coldly. He had waited for this precise moment, holding off until the wolves arrived, because now he had a real way to threaten the prisoners.

“Since I’m going to negotiate, I want everything to remain under control,” Jon said to his men.

The wolves began to surround the prison. Jon moved forward, still mounted on his wolf, while his Artican soldiers observed from a distance after their King had declared he would handle this alone. The horses, clearly agitated, tried to move away from the mass of gigantic creatures.

He was now very close to the prison. There were no archers there, and he knew he was safe. Behind him, the wolves lined up, their presence drawing fearful looks from those inside the structure.

“Well, I hope you’re all listening to me now. Let’s start real negotiations,” Jon said in a firm tone.

“Here’s the deal: you have ten minutes to release the dwarves and surrender. Otherwise…”

Jon paused and pointed to the wolves behind him.

“Well, do you see all these giant wolves? They’re going to storm the prison and devour every single one of you. They won’t leave anyone alive. Tell me… is there a worse death than being eaten alive?” he asked in a threatening tone.

The wolves began to growl, a deep and terrifying sound echoing through the area. The more than three hundred wolves seemed ready to charge at any moment. The sound of growling sent the prisoners inside the prison into a new level of panic. Screams and frantic shouts echoed as they desperately debated what to do.

Jon remained still, watching the prison with a cold gaze.

“Also, if any of the Artican men are hurt… well, I’ll send in the wolves anyway,” he continued.

At that moment, the first prisoners began running out of the prison, their hands raised in surrender.

“Please! Please! I don’t want to die! I surrender!” they shouted, kneeling before Jon and begging for their lives.

Jon watched calmly and, after a moment, spoke.

“Good. You learn quickly. Anyone else? If there’s still someone inside, I warn you — you won’t have an easy death.”

Soon, more and more prisoners started coming out of the prison. They were terrified and knelt on the ground, fearing the wolves that observed their every move.

Jon spotted a familiar face among the prisoners surrendering.

“Well, even you, Lord Hightower,” Jon commented, already aware that his name was among those inside the prison, as he looked directly at the man he had captured during the attack on Oldtown.

Hightower was pale, staring at Jon and the wolves with evident fear. He remained silent, unable to formulate any response.

“Anyway, you’ll follow my men’s orders,” Jon declared.

He gestured to his royal guards, who quickly began organizing the prisoners. Some wolves were sent into the prison, accompanied by guards, to ensure no one else was hiding inside.

Shortly after, the guards returned, bringing with them the two dwarves who had been taken hostage. They also recovered the weapons that the prisoners had stolen.

Jon looked at the dwarves and sighed deeply.

“Well, that’s settled… but it still ruined my day,” he muttered, visibly irritated. He glanced at the wolves still positioned around the field.

“Return to the forest,” Jon ordered.

The wolves began to disperse, running toward the forest like a herd of buffalo. The field fell silent once again, except for the fading sound of the wolves’ footsteps.

Jon turned to the two dwarves, who still appeared furious at the prisoners who had captured them.

“Damn humans!”

“They’re southerners! Let’s give them a beating!” they exclaimed, but Jon interrupted them.

“I hope this is the last time you come to work drunk and end up getting caught by the very men you were supposed to be guarding against,” Jon said with a stern look.

The dwarves stopped their angry ranting and lowered their heads, avoiding the King’s gaze. They knew Jon was furious.

Jon turned around and walked toward Minister Kiera, undoubtedly one of the people he trusted most with the kingdom’s affairs.

“I want you to listen to what these prisoners have to say. I don’t want any absurd demands to be accepted, but see if there’s anything reasonable we can consider,” Jon instructed. “But remember to punish them as well — what they did won’t be rewarded,” he said firmly.

Kiera nodded.

“Yes, my King. We will ensure this doesn’t happen again,” the minister replied.

After that, Jon simply returned to the city with his guards. He did not go directly back to the castle, as he had other matters to resolve, having been interrupted that afternoon. Instead, he headed to the Senate, where he had heard the Minister of Coin was currently working.

Jon entered the room and asked for the minister to be summoned. The Minister of Coin quickly made his way to the council chamber, where Jon was already waiting with the royal guards at the door.

“My King, how can I help you?” asked the Minister of Coin upon finding Jon in the room.

“I want some reports on Artica’s current monetary power,” Jon demanded.

The minister nodded quickly.

“My King, you’re in luck. I’ve had these papers ready for a few days now.”

He opened his briefcase and pulled out a document.

“Here’s the inventory report I prepared shortly before your arrival.”

Jon took the document and began to review it. The report detailed Artica’s gold reserves, measured in standardized coins. The gold was minted into coins of a specific weight, extracted directly from the mines surrounding the kingdom and the northern regions.

Artica’s vaults, located in various places around the city and within the king’s castle, held approximately thirty million gold coins. Most of this wealth came from the continuous work in the mines, as the Articans were extremely efficient at extracting precious metals. Furthermore, Jon knew there were still ruby and diamond mines that hadn’t been fully explored — and he could easily locate them if he wished.

“Well… this is interesting,” Jon commented as he analyzed the report.

“My King, I’ve been working on a way, as you requested, to distribute a portion of this wealth to the population,” the minister explained. “After all, Artica isn’t operating under a traditional monetary system. People still barter goods and services directly, but they don’t use gold coins.”

Jon nodded thoughtfully. He knew he needed to introduce the concept of currency to Artican society. The people had lived in tribes before the city was established, and their primary focus had always been survival, not the accumulation of wealth.

“Maybe we can distribute a portion of the wealth to all families… initially,” Jon said, lost in thought. It wasn’t a final decision, just an idea.

“My King, how about using the profits from the companies to pay directly those who work in harvesting, production, and the transport of goods?” the minister suggested. “We could set a fixed amount as a salary for these people.”

Jon considered the idea for a moment and nodded.

“It’s not a bad idea, really. But… more than that, I’m going to sell my share of the ice company and transfer the other businesses to the population.”

The minister widened his eyes in surprise.

“You… will give away the companies?” he asked, incredulous.

“Yes,” Jon confirmed in a calm tone.

“I don’t want to keep all the businesses under the control of the royal family, holding all of Artica’s wealth. The businesses need to be in the hands of the people who actually work in them.”

The minister still looked astonished but began to take notes on Jon’s words.

“What exactly do you plan to do with them, my King?”

“The tobacco, beverage, and clothing companies will go to the dwarves. The food company, the vegetable fields, and the farms where humans and giants work will go to the giants. And the ice company will be partially owned by the humans, with the royal family retaining 51% of it,” Jon explained. This was his initial move, but he knew it was only the beginning.

“But it won’t be limited to them. After all, anyone will have the freedom to create a business in any field they want in Artica or beyond. I will leave the economy in the hands of the population. I don’t want all the wealth to be concentrated in one place. It will be difficult for progress at first, but there will be a free-market system in Artica, with small taxes to sustain the city.”

“Well, that’s surprising… So, anyone will be able to open a business?” the minister asked, rubbing his chin.

“Even the giants will be able to open tobacco, beverage, and textile companies? And humans will be able to open food companies within Artica?”

“Exactly. I’ll just be transferring the current businesses we’ve created for the trade route to those who can manage them. Only the ice company will remain in my family’s hands,” Jon replied.

That was because the ice company was the most profitable asset Artica had, due to the high demand for ice in the warmer cities outside the North. Even though it was a cheap product to sell, it was highly sought after and would probably become the most consumed product in the world outside the frozen North.

The minister reflected for a moment before asking,

“Well… And how are we going to start this introduction, my King?”

“It will be done in the next few moons. I want to organize a few more things in the city and the kingdom before we begin this plan. Besides, we need to establish a few more trade routes,” Jon explained.

The minister nodded, understanding the importance of what was being discussed.

“Either way, I’ll be leaving this place now. I want you to organize everything within two moons. Find people capable of managing these businesses and bring me their proposals. Also, you’ll be traveling to Braavos on this trip. I want you to do some favors for me with the keyholders of the Iron Bank,” Jon said, staring intently at the minister.

“Yes, my King,” the minister promptly replied, bowing his head.

“We’ll meet at the docks in three days,” Jon concluded.

The minister nodded once more, and Jon left the Senate. As he crossed the main door, he saw his royal guards waiting outside.

“Where to now, my King?” one of the guards asked.

“We’re going to the crafting district. I want to see the chair Thor is making with the Valyrian steel I gave him,” Jon said.

The construction of the chair was an important project. The castle still didn’t have an official throne for the king, and Jon wanted it made from the best material possible. In recent days, Thor, Artica’s best blacksmith, had been working on this project.

Jon advanced toward the southern part of the city, where the crafting district was located. There, he intended to check on the progress of the chair that would be used when he received those who requested an audience with the King of Artica in his castle.

“You’re finally here, my King,” Thor greeted Jon at his workshop.

“This place hasn’t changed at all, huh…” Jon commented. He had been Thor’s apprentice years ago in the forge, so he knew the place very well.

“You know how conservative I am,” Thor said calmly.

“Right… Let’s see what you’ve created,” Jon shrugged.

“Of course, we’re almost done. It’ll be ready tomorrow. So, you can see what the throne of a King of Artica will look like. You still have that crown you took from the South, don’t you?” Thor asked with a smile.

“Yes, the Winter Crown. But I never found the need to wear it again. After all, I don’t need a crown to say I’m king,” Jon said.

“Of course not. But still, it’s pretty cool. You’re the King of Artica, with two royal bloodlines — Winter Kings and Dragon Kings. You need to value yourself too!” Thor said as Jon sighed.

“Alright, let’s see how extravagant you’ve made this chair…” Jon muttered, knowing that Thor had probably gone overboard with his words.

————-Nexts Chapters —————-

Chapter 223 – The Truth 04 

Chapter 228 – A Student from Arctic 02 

Chapter 238 – Destroying Another Khalasar 

Chapter 247 – Queen Daenerys of Arctic.

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