The essence of the Night King's creation could ultimately be traced back to that one special dragonglass dagger crafted by the Greenseer.
So what if… the Greenseer had made another?
The mere speculation sent a surge of excitement through Kael.
The Seer noticed the change in Kael's demeanor. "It seems… you've already begun to suspect something."
Kael's breathing quickened. He couldn't help it. At his core, he was still just a regular person—he didn't possess the inner composure to remain calm in the face of such a monumental possibility.
If the Seer truly had another piece of that unique dragonglass, then Kael wouldn't just be able to sever his connection with the Night King—he might even become the next Night King himself. How could he not be excited by that?
"You… you have a second piece of that dagger?"
The Seer didn't answer directly. Instead, he looked thoughtful. "So, you do know something. The origin of the Night King… only a few in the world are aware of it."
Only then did Kael realize that he might've been led into a trap by this ancient monster. He immediately clamped his mouth shut and said nothing more.
Seeing Kael's sudden wariness, the Seer merely let out a quiet chuckle.
"There's no need to be so guarded. You are the successor I've chosen. I mean you no harm. In fact, I need your help to complete a few tasks."
Successor? That couldn't be right. In the original series, the Greenseer's successor was supposed to be the second son of House Stark—Bran Stark.
Now that he understood the Seer's intentions, Kael dropped his reservations and asked directly:
"Why me? Shouldn't your choice be Bran Stark?"
This time, the Seer was genuinely shocked.
If there were still a few people who knew the truth about the Night King's origins, then the matter of him choosing Bran as a successor—only he knew that. No one else in the world.
Still, he was a being that had lived for over ten thousand years. He had long mastered the art of hiding his emotions.
With an impassive face, he simply said, "Until today, yes—Bran was my ideal choice. I foresaw a vision of the future where he would become the protector of the Seven Kingdoms… the King of Westeros."
Kael nodded. That part aligned with the end of the original series. In the final act, thanks to Tyrion Lannister's nomination, Bran Stark did become the ultimate victor.
And the reason was obvious: with the Greenseer's abilities, no one could hide anything from him.
"But ten days ago… the future changed. Became chaotic, unpredictable. My visions turned scattered and incoherent. And in the center of this shifting storm—was you. A mere skeletal soldier."
The Seer's voice carried a hint of helplessness. He had even considered luring this anomaly in and killing him to restore the timeline.
But he knew… even if he did that, he'd only accomplish one of his goals.
Indeed, his original plan for Bran had two purposes.
The first was to pass on the legacy of the Greenseer—his own life was nearing its end, and none of the remaining Children of the Forest were suitable to inherit his mantle. With no other option, he had turned to humanity.
The second purpose was more pragmatic. Once Bran became king and sat upon the Iron Throne, the Seer hoped he would grant the Children of the Forest a piece of land in the south—a safe haven where they could thrive without persecution.
After all, the Frostfangs were too cold, too barren—unsuitable for the Children's survival. Worse still, they lived in constant fear of the Night King's pursuit.
What puzzled him was this: despite Bran eventually becoming king, the Children of the Forest still went extinct. He'd attempted to see that part of the future many times… but could never glimpse it.
Perhaps Bran betrayed them. Maybe he never gave them that sanctuary.
Or perhaps… the Children were slain by the Night King before they ever had a chance to escape the snowfields.
Either way, his most important goal had failed. And outside of Bran… he'd had no better option.
But that changed ten days ago. This unremarkable skeletal soldier began appearing more and more in his prophetic visions.
Then… nothing. Total blackout.
Unpredictable.
So the Seer made a decision—to abandon guiding Bran and seek out Kael instead.
It was a gamble, plain and simple. If it worked out, all would be well. If it didn't—so be it.
He'd gambled once before… and lost. The Night King's betrayal had nearly wiped out the Children of the Forest.
But he wasn't willing to give up. Not yet. In the final chapter of his long life, he chose to roll the dice one last time. And if he lost… he wouldn't be around to regret it anyway.
Kael hadn't expected all of this to revolve around him.
No wonder the old man had gone through so much trouble to bring him here. Now that he had the Seer's approval, it was unlikely he'd be buried alongside the Night King when this was all over.
That was good. He could agree to whatever the old man asked for now—and worry about actually doing it later. If it turned out to be easy, he wouldn't mind lending a hand.
"So… you've chosen me over Bran. What about him, then? Is he still on his way? Are you still guiding him?"
Kael asked the question to get a sense of where the storyline was. Bran receiving the Greenseer's knowledge was a critical turning point.
Once that happened, the Night King would find the Greenseer, wipe out the Children of the Forest, seize the undead dragon, destroy the Wall, and then march south for the climactic battle at Winterfell—where he'd eventually be swiftly killed.
In other words… we're nearing the endgame!
Kael felt lucky. He had arrived just in time. If the Greenseer hadn't found him, he might still be back there making slow and cautious plans. And who knew if the Night King even trusted a low-level skeleton like him?
If the Night King didn't trust him… his head might've ended up as a chamber pot.
Kael didn't dare think more about it. With a better opportunity now before him, of course he was going to seize it.
Let the Night King rot—he was thousands of years old. If he didn't step aside now, how were the younger generation supposed to rise? Clearly, the guy had no understanding of sustainable leadership.
'Old bastard. When you die, I'll use your skull as a chamber pot.'
The Seer giving up on Bran and seeking Kael. Kael giving up on the Night King and turning to the Seer.
In a way, it was a mutual embrace of fate.
"Yes," the Seer replied. "Bran has already crossed the Wall. He's deep in the Haunted Forest now. If you hadn't shown up… I would've met him in just a few days."
"…"
Kael was speechless.
Bran had traveled all that way just to find the Seer—and now, after everything, he was being cast aside like yesterday's news?
This old man was ruthless!
"Without the Three-Eyed Raven's guidance, they'll soon lose their way. They'll likely turn back. Besides, most of the Haunted Forest is filled with wildlings, not White Walkers. It's not especially dangerous."
Kael didn't press the issue. After all, he was the one benefitting from it.
"All right. Tell me your conditions. If it's something I can do, I'll give it my all."
And if he couldn't… well, then tough luck.