214. Noisy Breakfast

Ed Stark took a deep breath of the crisp morning air before speaking. "So you're telling me this was all just a misunderstanding? The East family made a mistake, and we made a mistake as well?"

The captain lowered his head respectfully. "Yes, my lord. Jon came and said that the villagers arrived too early. Master Jason didn't want them gathering here and causing unnecessary misunderstandings in Winterfell, so he personally led them to the lumberyard wasteland."

Ed Stark found this whole situation a little absurd. He hadn't expected Lord Jason to move so quickly. In just two days, he had already recruited so many people to work at the lumber mill. But since he had already given Jason permission to hire workers as he pleased, there wasn't much he could say against it.

With a sigh, Ed ordered half of the guards to remain on the city walls while the other half returned to their quarters for some rest. Then he made his way back to the main castle.

"Father, what's going on?" Robb asked as he approached. He was already dressed for the day, walking beside his good friend, Theon Greyjoy.

"My lord, did the savages attack Winter Town?" Theon asked urgently. He was wearing leather armor, gripping his prized bow, and carrying a quiver full of arrows. "Allow me to take a group of men out to hunt those bastards down!"

"No, there were no savages. It was just a misunderstanding." Ed shook his head and gestured for the two young men to walk with him as he explained what had happened.

Robb listened with an incredulous expression before finally commenting, "Master Jason certainly knows how to keep people on their toes."

"Hmph, it's all just money," Theon scoffed. "Building a lumber mill and making such a big deal out of it. If you didn't know better, you'd think he was building his own City."

With the misunderstanding cleared up, Winterfell returned to its usual calm.

Jason Liu spent half an hour traveling to the wasteland where the lumberyard was being established. It took another several minutes before more than two thousand villagers arrived.

Exhaling deeply, Jason stepped out of his carriage, looking at the morning sky that was now fully lit. The northern air was still chilly, so he wore thick thermal clothing beneath a sleek black bearskin cape. Lena and Masha had made it for him, using bearskin he had purchased in the market town. The luxurious fur was something he could only wear in Westeros—back in the modern world, it would be difficult to explain.

dicken and the others were also dressed warmly, wearing thick wool sweaters beneath their field camouflage and black stab-resistant suits. As Jason's personal guards, dicken, Kent, Chris, and Rubin remained close to him, their eyes scanning the large crowd of villagers gathered on the wasteland opposite them.

Fortunately, Jason had no intention of mingling with the villagers. He was not interested in putting on a show of solidarity with the common folk. Instead, he stood near his carriage, watching as Jon, McCann, Bud, and Marbu directed soldiers to maintain order.

The masons were shouting instructions, calling out names from the lists Jon had prepared and organizing the workers into designated teams.

Tollant, the old mason from Bidong Market Town, had brought several skilled masons with him. More had arrived from nearby villages, bringing the total to just over twenty. The workforce of more than two thousand people was split into twenty teams, each led by a mason who would oversee their work.

Chaos filled the air as workers scrambled to find their teams. The shouting of the masons, the grumbling of impatient villagers, the cries of children clinging to their mothers—it all blended into a deafening morning commotion.

Jason, watching from a distance, couldn't help but smirk. It was a noisy mess, but at least things were getting organized.

After more than an hour of sorting, the teams were finally set. Villagers were grouped based on their home villages, making coordination easier. If they had tried organizing them randomly, the process would have taken until noon.

Each team was assigned a designated area to work in, spaced several meters apart. Meanwhile, several older women and weaker laborers, who were unfit for the hard work, had been tasked with preparing meals. Dozens of large iron pots had been set up in the open space, with fires roaring beneath them. The rich aroma of onions, carrots, and small chunks of meat cooking in thick broth filled the air.

The scent quickly spread, making the villagers' stomachs rumble. Many of them, having traveled since dawn, had not eaten yet. Their eyes were drawn to the steaming pots, and they swallowed hungrily, waiting for their turn.

The breakfast was simple—just a hearty soup with vegetables and a bit of diced meat, served with toasted bread. Jason considered it more of a flatbread than actual bread, but it was enough to sustain them.

Since there were too many workers to feed at once, they would have to eat in shifts. Jason instructed Bud, who was in charge of cooking, to prioritize feeding the women and children first. The men could wait their turn.

The sight of shivering children huddled close to their mothers in the cold morning air made Jason firm in his decision. He wouldn't let the little ones go hungry.

Bud and a few soldiers walked through the crowd, loudly announcing Jason's orders. "Lord Jason has instructed that women and children will eat first! His lordship cares for your little ones, and he does not want them to suffer from hunger or cold."

The villagers were relieved. Many had worried that bringing their children along might anger Lord Jason, but instead, he had shown kindness by allowing them to stay and even feeding them first.

The news was met with cheers. The poor villagers had no complaints about the arrangement. Most of them had come with their entire families, leaving only a few behind in their villages to watch over their homes.

There was always the fear of bandits or wildlings attacking their villages. With most of their able-bodied men working here, leaving their children behind would have been risky. It was safer to bring them along.

Watching their wives and children clutch steaming bowls of soup and break off pieces of warm, toasted bread, the men finally allowed themselves to smile. It had been a long time since they had seen their families eat a meal without worry.

Grateful for Lord Jason's generosity, many of the villagers silently vowed to work as hard as they could. They wanted to prove themselves worthy of his kindness.

Jason Liu stood back, observing the scene with satisfaction. The noise of breakfast—chatter, laughter, the clinking of wooden bowls—was a welcome contrast to the earlier chaos. This was just the beginning, but things were moving in the right direction.

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