From a hired knight to a master of Game of Thrones

Nathan stood there, stunned, unable to react for a moment.

A few seconds later, he exclaimed in surprise:

"Sir, are you going to take in another squire? Can my son also become a squire?"

Don Quixote nodded and smiled:

"Of course! As long as you don't resist the Seven Gods' faith, your son might one day become a true knight!"

Nathan hesitated for a moment, then finally said seriously:

"The Old Gods surely want my son to succeed!"

The North is bitterly cold, and the nights are long and arduous.

The harsh winter snow can easily swallow a person's life.

Ordinary people relied on hunting in the forest, farming in the frozen soil, and drawing water from streams.

The Old Gods are the gods of the forest! The gods of the rocks! The gods of the streams!

Before entering the forest, woodcutters would reach out and touch the grain of the weirwood, whispering prayers for safety.

When planting, the peasant woman would scatter a handful of wheat seeds facing the direction of the sacred tree forest, hoping for a bountiful harvest from the frozen soil.

When a child gets lost in the forest, the first thing the family does is not to cry and shout, but to go to the sacred forest and light pine branches, asking the old gods to guide the child home.

For the common people of the North, the vehicle for the belief in the Old Gods is very simple.

There were no priests, and no scriptures.

It is maintained entirely by stories passed down orally, the admonitions of ancestors, and rituals passed down from generation to generation.

Most of the lower-class commoners in the North are illiterate.

I don't understand the complicated doctrines of the Seven Gods, which include "Father, Mother, Warrior, Maiden, Blacksmith, Old Woman, Stranger".

I can't remember those fancy prayers either.

They only believe in the power they can see and touch.

The branches and leaves of the weirwood tree can provide shelter from wind and rain!

The shadow of the heart tree can dispel the fear of the long, cold night!

The "existence" of the Old Gods is hidden in every blade of grass and tree in the North, serving as their only spiritual support in the face of a harsh and cold world.

Meanwhile, the Andals sailed longships from the continent of Essos across the Narrow Sea.

They launched an invasion of Westeros that lasted for hundreds of years, and the faith of the Seven Gods also arrived.

Due to the harsh and extreme environment of the North, the spread of the Seven Gods faith in the North has always faced fierce resistance from the Old Gods faith.

Especially when the Seven Gods' faith aggressively invaded, it actually strengthened and solidified the Old Gods' faith among the common people at the bottom of the North.

But centuries have passed.

Trade, marriage alliances, and exiles from the South quietly seeped into the North.

Some nobles from the North converted to the Seven Gods in order to curry favor with the powers of the South or to facilitate trade with them.

For example, the Wells family and the Leswell family.

Within their fiefdom, the sanctuary replaced part of the sacred woodland.

The Mandalay family, which controls the largest port city in the North, is the core family of the Seven Gods of the North.

This is, of course, related to the history of the Mandalay family.

The Mandalay family were not native to the North; they were originally nobles from the Reach.

They were exiled due to political struggles, and the Stark family took them in and granted them White Harbor.

The Mandalay family preserved the Southern Seven Gods faith, chivalry, culture, and trade traditions, making White Harbor the most prosperous commercial city and major port in the North.

The Mandalay family members were mostly knights and were most influenced by southern culture.

Their main fortress, White Harbor, houses the massive "Snow Sanctuary," one of the few Seven Sanctuaries in the North.

In addition, the belief in the Seven Gods also came with merchants from the Southern Territory.

They built small chapels in many towns in the North.

They used cloth, spices, and food from the south to attract the common people who were struggling to make ends meet.

Tell them, "Pray to the Virgin Mary and you will have food and clothing; pray to the blacksmith and you will have iron tools."

Thus, the struggle between the Seven Gods faith and the Old Gods faith in the daily lives of the common people of the North transformed into a hidden confrontation that lasted for hundreds of years, far more vivid and chilling than the political maneuvering of the aristocratic class.

In many cases, the beliefs of the common people at the bottom of the North are a mixture of two belief systems!

Especially on certain special occasions, some common people pray to the seven gods and offer sacrifices to the old gods, forming a unique survival strategy of "coexistence of two gods".

These people once firmly believed in the Old Gods in order to fight against the harsh, cold world of the North.

It's all for survival!

Now they are beginning to accept the simplified doctrines of the Seven Gods.

It's all for survival!

In those desperate moments, when they see no hope and can find no way out, they will seize every opportunity that may change their fate.

At that time.

Old beliefs will waver, and new beliefs will rise!

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Don Quixote was not surprised by Nathan's choice.

This includes his careful observation of Nathan over the past month.

He also had a familiarity with the religious plight of some of the lower-class civilians in the North.

After all, he spent the first half of his life in this world living among the poor and impoverished in the North.

Their despair, their hope.

He has experienced it to some extent.

In other words, his memories from his past life had too much influence.

Otherwise, he would have already devoutly believed in the Old Gods, or the Seven Gods, or perhaps a mixture of two gods!

Don Quixote thought for a moment, then smiled and said:

"Bring your son here tomorrow morning."

"Yes, sir! I'll bring him over first thing tomorrow morning!" Nathan readily agreed, a genuine smile spreading across his face.

After Nathan disappeared from sight, Don Quixote and Adele continued to drink and eat around the campfire.

After eating and drinking to one's heart's content.

Adele whispered expectantly:

"Sir, I'd like to go to the trade market too, is that alright?"

Don Quixote, of course, would not refuse, and nodded, saying:

"If you want to go, then come along."

Upon hearing this, Adele, who was nestled in Don Quixote's arms, immediately revealed an undisguised joy.

She glanced up at Don Quixote's profile, then, taking advantage of his inattention...

She quickly and gently bit his earlobe, then immediately stood up and ran into the cabin.

"Sir, I'm going to change my clothes."

"Where did you develop this bad habit! Oh, it seems like I encouraged it." Don Quixote paused for a second, muttered something, and got up.

After tidying up the somewhat messy scene, he brought the horse over.

Adele just then opened the wooden door.

She was wearing a woolen short coat with a thick white wool trim sewn around the collar and cuffs.

He wore a well-fitting animal cloak over his clothes.

He carried a small, coarse cloth basket on his arm, with a layer of oiled leather sewn along the rim and a soft leather wrap around the handle.

Adele looked at Don Quixote expectantly.

It was as if they were waiting for his evaluation.

Don Quixote glanced at the pretty girl before him, with her rosy lips and bright eyes, blinked, and finally managed to utter:

"nice."

Upon hearing this, Adele happily hurried to Don Quixote's side.

Don Quixote picked up Adele and placed her on the horse's back, then mounted his own horse.

The two bickered and rode their horses toward the trading market outside Seven City.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

"Greetings, sir!"

Several free knights patrolling around the trading market spotted Don Quixote and hurriedly approached him respectfully.

"Thank you for your hard work."

Don Quixote gave them a brief greeting and continued on his way.

At the entrance to the marketplace, Don Quixote and Adele dismounted.

The market was bustling with people at that moment.

The wooden stalls on both sides were filled with all kinds of goods.

Many ordinary people are haggling with merchants.

Smoke rose from the chimneys of those stone and wood huts.

The air was filled with the faint aroma of food.

……

PS: (Please recommend and read this!)