Chapter 76: The King Favored by the Gods

Viserys had spent a long time on the returning ship, contemplating the strategic relocation plan. He eventually decided to temporarily set the location at the starting point of the River Lorne.

However, this place was far from the coast of Braavos, and the fleet Viserys relied on could not play a role on land. They could only rely on the sailors disembarking to fight, which was undoubtedly giving up their advantage.

Fortunately, according to Viserys' understanding, there were no powerful forces on the Andal plain.

At most, there were only some bandits and mountain thieves, as well as the Andal villagers who had lived on this land for generations.

Viserys led thousands of well-equipped Targaryen naval forces, and even if they fought on land, conquering these bandits and villages should not pose a significant problem.

"Of course, we're not going to give up Dragonstone immediately," Viserys continued.

"We can gradually lead the people across the Narrow Sea in stages and build our homes on the eastern continent."

After all, a city cannot be built in a day, and even if Viserys spent a fortune hiring a large number of laborers, it wouldn't be easy.

So this was a major project that would take many years, and since Baelor the Blessed did not have a navy to attack Dragonstone at present, it was the best opportunity for them to get through this difficult time.

When Baelor the Blessed had accumulated enough strength to attack Dragonstone again, they would find that the island had long been emptied by Viserys.

However, Viserys was only proposing a plan. It didn't mean that he would make the decision alone. It still needed to go through the royal council's discussion to determine the best outcome.

"Do the two of you have any good suggestions for the upcoming plan?" Viserys' gaze swept over Prince Oberyn, who was sitting casually in his chair, and the serious and contemplative old knight on his left.

"Feel free to share your thoughts."

Viserys was good at listening to others' opinions and wouldn't be a dictator, nor could he be one.

Although the young king always sat on the throne, the real power of the Dragonstone navy was still in the hands of fleet commander Ser Joffrey. Viserys had never forgotten this and constantly reminded himself to stay clear-headed.

Of course, this didn't mean that Viserys was worried that the old knight would rebel. In fact, besides the Master-at-Arms of the Red Keep, the person he trusted the most was Ser Joffrey.

Without these two, he might have already died.

However, although the current commander of the Dragonstone fleet wholeheartedly supported the young king, it didn't mean that the old knight would always agree with Viserys on everything.

This was a crucial difference.

The old man had always placed himself in the position of a "regent," feeling that he should exhaust his efforts and take on more responsibility.

So, on some critical issues, if there were significant disagreements between the young king and the "hand of the king," the final say would still fall into the latter's hands.

Because the command of the fleet was in his hands, it would be extremely difficult for Viserys to reclaim that power.

The old man only needed to say, "Your Grace is still young, and I'm doing this for your own good. When you grow up, you'll understand," and he could push back anything Viserys wanted to say.

That was the real environment in which Viserys currently lived.

And when they were in Braavos, when Oberyn asked Viserys how it felt to be called a "king" at such a young age, he was actually asking about this very issue.

Viserys cleverly answered Oberyn's question.

However, faced with such a predicament, Viserys did not confront the old knight, Ser Joffrey, for command of the fleet, as the old knight was loyal to House Targaryen and acted with good intentions.

But Viserys didn't completely give up either. He worked hard to gain more influence and control over some of his own power.

This was one of the reasons why he had convinced himself to take the risk and travel to Braavos.

Fortunately, the young king's gamble paid off.

He achieved the desired results in Braavos, securing the backing and support of both Braavos and Dorne.

Now, Viserys' power base was not solely dependent on the Dragonstone fleet; he also had the support of Dorne and Braavos.

Although he couldn't fully control these powers, breaking free from reliance on a single force indirectly increased the young king's influence.

Just like the current situation.

Prince Oberyn of Dorne sat at Viserys' right hand. Although he remained silent, Ser Joffrey had no choice but to consider the prince's opinion.

Viserys could find a moment to breathe and maintain balance among these three powerful forces, gradually gaining control over his own influence.

"Your Grace."

The white-haired old man had been silent for a long time. He first looked up at Prince Oberyn of Dorne, who was sitting across from him, picking his teeth. Then he turned his gaze to Viserys and broke the silence in the council chamber.

"Andals come from Andalos, and you are the rightful king of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men."

"As the king, you have the right to all territories and the ultimate decision-making power. The Andals and their land should be subject to you, so taking back this land is legally unassailable."

Ser Joffrey found the legal justification for Viserys to conquer and occupy the land of Andalos.

"Moreover, it is said that this place is the birthplace of the Seven Gods."

"The Seven descended on this land, blessing the Andals. The Father plucked seven stars from the sky to make a crown for the first king of Andalos, the King of the Hills, Hugor."

"You seek the holy relics in Andalos to ask the Seven for answers on how to save beggars, commoners, nobles, and all beings suffering under the oppression of usurpers."

"Your Grace, you are the king favored by the gods!"

The old knight's powerful voice echoed in the silent council chamber.

"The Seven will crown you once again! You will lead their faithful followers to reunite the Andals' homeland until you return to Westeros."

"Eliminate the suffering of all beings and restore the glory of the Seven, untainted by the despicable usurpers."

"You are the messenger who carries out the divine will!"

...

A month later.

The old knight's resounding voice still seemed to linger in his ears.

Horn blasts sounded over the turbulent sea, stirring the blood with their melancholic melody.

The Targaryen three-headed dragon banner fluttered in the wind as countless ships formed battle formations, cutting through the waves.

And in the distance, the outline of the continent was barely visible.