Jason Liu's ears buzzed with the chatter of old maesters, their eyes gleaming with curiosity. Frustrated by the noise, he raised his voice and shouted, "Quiet, ladies and gentlemen! Please, be quiet and listen to me!"
The room fell silent at once. Unlike the unruly common folk in Bidong Market Town, these were educated men. As soon as Jason Liu spoke, the more than twenty maesters present immediately calmed down.
He sighed, rubbing his ears before gently pushing aside dicken, Kent, and the others who stood protectively in front of him. "Relax, I'm fine. These maesters aren't going to harm me."
Though they stepped aside, dicken and the rest remained behind him, watching the maesters warily. These men, usually seen as dignified scholars, had acted so frantically that Jason's guards couldn't help but stay on alert.
"Alright, my learned friends, let's take a seat inside and have a proper discussion."
He turned to Jon, McCann, and the other soldiers standing at the edges of the gathering. "Jon, bring the maesters inside. Let them sit and rest."
"Yes, my lord!" Jon nodded before leading McCann, Bud, and Marbu in escorting the maesters into the store, half-guiding and half-pulling them along.
The scholars, eager to speak with jason, did not mind where they sat. They obediently followed inside and took seats previously occupied by the northern lords.
Lena, Martha, and the other young women moved swiftly, pouring fresh water into glasses and placing trays of fruit on the tables.
Watching the northern maesters settle in, Jason pulled Boris aside and asked in a low voice, "What's going on? Weren't they supposed to meet you at the hospital? Why are they blocking my way here instead?"
Boris wiped sweat from his forehead, offering a wry smile. "My lord, I tried to handle them! Yesterday, they requested to meet you, but you were in Winterfell attending the Stark family's banquet with the northern lords. Since they knew you were occupied, they agreed to wait patiently."
He sighed. "But now that you've finished negotiating business with the northern lords, they couldn't wait any longer. They left the hospital and came straight here to find you."
Boris looked exasperated. "I've been arguing with them for two days! I repeated everything you taught me about medical knowledge from your homeland, but they kept asking questions I simply couldn't answer."
Jason rested his chin in one hand, deep in thought. After a moment, he nodded. "Alright, let's see what they want. Maybe we can use this opportunity to help you out. At the very least, we need to get you recognized as a maester."
Boris blinked in shock before his face lit up with excitement. "Me? A maester? My lord, are you saying I could be granted official status as a maester? Can that really happen?"
Jason shrugged casually. "That depends on how influential these northern maesters are and whether the Citadel sees value in the medicine we possess."
He patted Boris on the shoulder and smiled. "Don't worry. I chose you for this role. You're the future maester, and I trust you to run the hospital. You just have to prove yourself."
Otherwise, Jason thought to himself, he'd simply find someone else to do the job.
Boris, encouraged by the words, straightened up and declared, "You have my word, my lord! I'll dedicate myself to mastering medicine and ensuring the hospital thrives with the help of the incredible remedies you brought from your homeland."
Jason nodded approvingly before walking into the store with Boris.
"Lord East!"
"Master Jason East!"
The maesters, who had just sat down, quickly stood again to greet him as he entered.
Jason smiled politely. "Please, be seated."
Displaying the grace of a noble, he walked to the head of the long table, motioning for everyone to sit.
An older maester with gray hair, standing at the far end, immediately introduced himself. "Lord East, I am Maester Reed from Torrhen's Square."
"A pleasure to meet you, Maester Reed," Jason replied with a nod.
The elderly man clasped his hands in his wide maester's robe, his wise eyes fixed on Jason. "I wish to know whether the remarkable medicines you brought from your homeland can be reproduced here in Westeros. If we can manufacture them in large quantities, we could save countless lives."
Jason sighed. "I'm afraid I must disappoint you, Maester Reed. With Westeros' current level of medical knowledge, it is simply impossible to produce these medicines here."
Hearing this, the old maester's face fell in disappointment.
Another maester, a chubby man with a bright forehead and sharp eyes, spoke up. "Lord Jason, I am a Maester from Karhold, serving House Stark. I have a question about something you told Assistant Maester Boris. Is it true that tiny creatures, like bacteria and viruses, cause infections?"
"Yes," Jason confirmed with a nod. "That is correct."
Maester's eyes gleamed with excitement. "Then the device you mentioned—the one that allows people to see these tiny creatures—does it truly exist? You called it a 'microscope,' I believe?"
Jason smiled. "Yes, microscopes do exist. In fact, I plan to bring one from my homeland if the opportunity arises."
Another maester, a younger man with short blond hair, leaned forward. "Would you be willing to share the advanced medical knowledge of your homeland with the maesters and apprentices here in Westeros? If you taught us, we could serve the entire realm better."
Boris whispered to Jason, identifying the man as Maester Ornett from White Harbor.
Jason took a sip of water, then set the glass down before answering. "I have no objection to sharing medical knowledge with Westeros."
The room buzzed with excitement. The maesters exchanged eager glances, sensing an opportunity to revolutionize medicine in the Seven Kingdoms.
Jason, however, knew that knowledge alone wouldn't be enough. Westeros lacked the technology and infrastructure to produce modern medicine. Still, he saw an advantage in earning the support of these scholars.
He glanced at Boris and smirked. "But there will be conditions."
The maesters quieted, listening closely. Jason leaned forward, ready to negotiate terms that would benefit both himself and Starfire City.
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