Chapter 150: Preparing for War

The Royal Fleet had just quelled the rebellion of the Iron Islands, and morale was high. The kingdom had also recovered from the heavy blows dealt during the usurper's war and was gradually getting back on track.

"We must be vigilant..."

Lying in his sickbed, the old lord's thoughts remained clear as he made his final preparations for Viserys.

Regardless of whether he could survive this ordeal, he would not be able to participate in this battle.

Viserys' expression was somber, and he nodded slightly.

"I know."

He and Robert Baratheon were destined to clash, a fact Viserys had understood for quite some time.

Previously, various reasons had forced Robert to allow the Targaryens to grow on the continent of Essos, but Viserys knew this grace period wouldn't last forever.

As the Targaryen power swelled, the man seated on the Iron Throne across the Narrow Sea grew increasingly uneasy.

Viserys knew Robert Baratheon to be a hot-tempered, fiery individual. If Robert learned that the Targaryens now had dragons, he wouldn't sit idly on the Iron Throne and await his demise.

He would choose to strike first, to snuff out the threat in its cradle.

"This battle has been destined from the start, hasn't it?"

Viserys sat by the old lord's bedside, holding the frail hand of the old man.

Sunlight streamed in through the window, illuminating the young Targaryen's face, his long eyelashes, and the sharp contours of his cheeks.

He gave the old man's hand a tight squeeze before standing up, turning around, and leaving the sickroom.

"Your Grace."

The maester waiting outside bowed as Viserys emerged.

"He must be healed."

Viserys stared intently at the maester before him, issuing a rare command.

The maester's body trembled slightly as he bowed once more.

"Lord Jeorrey's age is advanced, but his constitution remains strong."

"There should be no issue."

"That's good."

"As long as that's the case, I leave it to you."

Viserys nodded and strode past the maester, his footsteps echoing as he descended the stairs.

With such an incident, Andalos had to actively prepare for war, guarding against a sudden attack from Baratheon, reminiscent of the War of the Nine Penny Kings.

Viserys' figure hurried away, and the maester exhaled softly. Watching Viserys disappear from sight, he straightened his robes before re-entering the sickroom.

...

Andalos was gearing up for war, staying on guard against any unexpected events.

Meanwhile, far away in King's Landing.

The king couldn't help but indulge in a few more drinks, and a tall, rotund man was swaying unsteadily before accidentally knocking over a jug of wine on the table, spilling the fine drink all over the floor.

A beautiful woman with golden hair and a regal air watched the scene coldly, her gaze not so much directed at her husband as it was at a wild boar.

However, this all came to a sudden halt when the drunken, half-naked man turned around with his cup in hand.

The woman's face returned to a perfectly balanced smile, neither overly cold nor so sickening as to make her want to vomit.

With a protruding belly and thick chest hair, Robert raised his cup, his face flushed red, and then he burst into laughter and exclaimed,

"By the Seven!"

"Stannis has not disappointed me once again."

The king's elation was naturally due to a victorious battle - the naval battle at Dragonstone was brilliantly executed. With the aid of House Targaryen, inside collaborators were bribed, and then a coordinated attack took place.

Had it not been for the experienced commander of the Dragonstone fleet decisively ordering a retreat, there would have been a risk of total annihilation.

It was a chance for Robert to get back at the Targaryens who had burned his entire fleet years ago.

As a reward, upon receiving news of the victory, Robert immediately granted Dragonstone to Stannis.

However, Stannis, who had just returned from his victory the previous night, did not seem too pleased upon hearing the news.

Stannis had never been to Dragonstone before and had held some expectations for the place.

After all, it was the starting point of Aegon's Conquest of Westeros, and it was rumored that Dragonstone held an unimaginable wealth, which he believed to be dragon eggs.

But Stannis' pleasant dreams were shattered when he set foot on Dragonstone, only to find it as barren as his own pockets.

As the king's brother, Stannis now had no lands to his name. The powerful royal fleet he commanded was under the name of his older brother, and he had no real claim to it. He didn't even have to demand payment for the troops, as it was fully funded by the Iron Throne.

However, Stannis still needed to support the knights and soldiers who had chosen to follow him.

When the three Baratheon brothers of Storm's End had divided their inheritance, Stannis, as a penalty for the defeat and annihilation of his army, was passed over as the first heir, with the lands falling to his younger brother Renly instead.

Nevertheless, a group of soldiers who had once defended Storm's End with Stannis chose to continue following him when he left.

This included the maester of Storm's End, Cressen.

"Lord Stannis,"

"Remember not to quarrel with your elder brother when you see him today."

The two hurried through the gardens of the Red Keep, with Maester Cressen offering his advice.

As a servant of Storm's End, Cressen had watched the three brothers grow up. The eldest, Robert, was hot-tempered, while the second, Stannis, was stubborn.

The two had clashing personalities, and every meeting would result in an argument.

"This time, we will merely discuss the possibility of dealing with the Targaryen remnants across the Narrow Sea."

Maester Cressen shook his head slightly at this.

"If we had known the current situation, we should have killed that mother and child who fled to Dragonstone at any cost."

Hearing the maester's words, Stannis' expression soured, but he said nothing.

Now, the Targaryen forces had revived, and they could no longer be exterminated by a single fleet.

According to the information currently available, to conquer Andalos, King Robert would need to gather at least 30,000 troops, hundreds of warships, and arrange supply lines along the way. Transporting supplies from the mainland was impractical, and it was best to gain the support of a Free City.

Moreover, as the defenders fighting against invasion, the farmers of Andalos could take up arms and join the war at any time.

The difficulty of conquering Andalos had risen exponentially; after all, the territory of Andalos now rivaled one of the Seven Kingdoms.

If this war were to break out, the burden on the entire nation would be no less than that of the Usurper's War once again.

"It's difficult..."