"Do you plan to visit the Citadel in Oldtown? The maesters there will surely welcome you with open arms once they hear that you've brought advanced medical knowledge!" asked a maester excitedly, eager to extend an invitation to Jason Liu.
Jason shook his head and replied, "I'm sorry, but I cannot leave the North for certain reasons. I have no choice but to refuse the invitation to Oldtown."
The Citadel was located at the southernmost part of Westeros, thousands of miles away from Winterfell. Even if he set sail from White Harbor, it would take at least twenty days to reach Oldtown. Traveling that far just to visit the Citadel was simply not an option.
The gathered maesters, upon hearing Jason's refusal, couldn't hide their disappointment. However, his next words gave them renewed hope.
"Although I cannot go to Oldtown, the Citadel can send maesters, maester's assistants, or even apprentices here to learn advanced medical knowledge from me. I've established a hospital where patients are treated, currently managed by Boris and a few apprentices."
Jason continued, "However, the apprentices I have now are mostly village children. Since they barely know how to read and write, their learning has been slow. If the Citadel sends trained maesters, assistants, or apprentices who already have a foundation in literacy, it will be much easier for me and Boris to teach them."
He looked at the maesters and asked, "Do you know the normal range of human body temperature? How do you measure it? Did you know that human blood is divided into different types? How do you identify them? These are the basics of medical knowledge—essential and important. They should be taught personally by me."
Boris, who stood behind Jason, frowned slightly. His mind raced with doubts.
How does he know so much about medical knowledge? I thought he wasn't trained in medicine?
Jason spoke with such clarity and confidence that even Boris found himself believing every word. His eyes flickered with uncertainty. Does he actually understand all of this?
Boris sighed internally. If the Citadel really does send a large number of maesters, assistants, and apprentices, will Jason even have time to teach them personally? Didn't he say he wasn't a doctor? Then how does he explain all this knowledge?
The more Boris thought about it, the more he felt a sense of frustration. All this time, I thought I was the one he valued most. I thought I was the one responsible for managing the hospital. But now, he's speaking as if he knows more than I do! Why hasn't he taught me these things? Am I not worthy? Am I too foolish for him to bother teaching?
Boris suddenly found himself in deep self-doubt.
Meanwhile, Jason was completely unaware of Boris's internal struggle. Instead, he focused on the maesters before him, encouraging them to write a letter to the Citadel requesting for people to be sent north to learn advanced medicine.
"Respected maesters, rest assured—anyone who comes to my hospital to study, whether they be a maester, an assistant, or an apprentice, will be provided with a salary, along with food and clothing. Each apprentice will receive at least 20 silver stags per month, while maesters will be paid even more."
Jason knew the best way to attract talent was with financial incentives, and he eagerly watched the maesters' reactions.
As expected, the northern maesters were completely stunned. They had never heard of such an offer. The Citadel often sent people to various places to learn, but usually, the learners had to cover their own expenses. Here, Lord Jason wasn't just offering to teach them for free—he was offering to feed them, clothe them, and pay them a salary!
If word of this reached the Citadel, there would be an overwhelming number of volunteers eager to come.
"Lord Jason, are you certain about this? Food, clothing, and even a salary?" Maester Terry, the oldest among them, asked with wide eyes, his voice trembling slightly with excitement.
Jason raised his hand solemnly. "I swear in the name of House East and as the Lord of Starfire City that every word I said is true. Everyone present can bear witness!"
The gathered maesters exchanged glances before nodding in unison.
"We trust you, my lord."
"There is no need to swear, we believe in your generosity and honesty!"
One after another, they spoke words of praise, flattering Jason without hesitation.
The rumors in the North had painted Jason East as a kind, generous, and honorable nobleman, and after hearing his proposal, the maesters finally believed those rumors to be true.
Jason welcomed their admiration. He knew that a good reputation, while seemingly unnecessary at times, could prove invaluable during critical moments.
Looking at the excited maesters, Jason felt even more assured of his decision. These men may not realize it yet, but talent is the foundation of all success. If I want to accomplish anything in this feudal world, I will need people who can read, write, and possess specialized knowledge.
With enough skilled individuals, his workload would become much lighter.
For example, Jason planned to establish a lumberyard soon, and he would need educated individuals to manage it.
The Citadel was a treasure trove of talent. Education there was not limited to a single field—its maesters were trained in multiple disciplines. Those who earned their chains had mastered at least two or more areas of study. If Jason could recruit such people, he was confident he could keep many of them under his service.
The world will be plunged into chaos in a few years. Jason thought grimly. If I don't seize the opportunity to recruit talent now, I may never get another chance once Westeros descends into war.
With that in mind, Jason turned back to the maesters. "Respected maesters, I ask that you all write a joint letter to the Citadel, requesting them to send scholars here to study medicine. Is that acceptable?" He smiled as he posed the question.
The maesters nodded eagerly, fully convinced of the benefits Jason offered.
And so, Jason Liu took one step closer to securing the foundation of his ambitions—through the power of knowledge and talent.
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