What? How could this be?!"
Viserys and the assembled nobles all changed their expressions drastically.
King's Landing was the capital of the Targaryen Family for hundreds of years, holding immense political significance.
Now, the precarious Targaryen Dynasty could not withstand such a massive blow to its prestige caused by the loss of the capital!
"The Stark army from the North has reached King's Landing, and Lord Varys has sent a raven requesting aid!"
Looking at the raven's message from King's Landing, everyone's hearts sank.
Could King's Landing's dilapidated Mud Gate truly withstand the assault of those barbarians from the North?
"March on King's Landing!"
Viserys Targaryen, without delay, immediately gave the order, and everyone promptly prepared for departure.
At this moment, everyone's morale was high, and they showed no fear of the usurper's threat.
After all, compared to the royal army's continuous defeats on the battlefield, the Stormlands army had already been defeated twice by House Tyrell of The Reach.
Even Robert Baratheon, hailed as the leader of the rebels, suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of Randal Tarly.
With the Stormlands as war spoils, the royal knights were all eager to make their mark and achieve glory.
"Depart!"
Accompanied by the bugle call for the troops to set off, Viserys Targaryen stepped onto the deck, filled with worry.
He wondered if his mad father would listen to his advice.
Before leaving, he repeatedly emphasized to his father, King Aerys: Lannister, a debt always repaid!
"Never open the city gates easily; wait for his good news!"
However, even so, he remained restless.
After all, asking a madman to trust a child seemed utterly unreliable!
"Your Royal Highness!"
Randal Tarly, dressed in dark gray armor and holding his sword hilt with one hand, stood silently and motionless behind Viserys Targaryen like a pillar.
"Count Tarly,"
Viserys Targaryen eagerly asked him, "Based on your experience, how should King's Landing be defended?"
"Your Highness, you need not worry too much!"
Randal Tarly said confidently.
"Although King's Landing's walls are not high and its moats not deep, with thousands of Gold Cloaks and the City Watch guarding it, even a fully armed Northern army would not be able to take it in days and nights while we are well-rested and prepared!"
"Moreover, the Northern soldiers rushed south and didn't have enough time to build siege weapons. They will have a difficult time against King's Landing's defenses!"
At these words, Viserys Targaryen's heart immediately settled.
A renowned general is indeed a renowned general.
With a single remark, he analyzed the battlefield situation with incredible clarity.
Compared to Viserys, who could only take shortcuts by relying on the plot, Randal Tarly's words pointed out the fatal flaw of the Northern Stark army with precision.
Even Stannis Baratheon, the "Dungeon Boy," with only a few hundred men, could, with proper command and relying on the walls of Storm's End, hold back an army of tens of thousands from The Reach.
The current defensive strength of King's Landing was far greater than that of Storm's End!
Looking at the taciturn and quiet Count Tarly before him, Viserys Targaryen's gaze unconsciously drifted to the valyrian steel greatsword, Heartsbane, at his waist.
Viserys Targaryen's eyes narrowed, and a dense row of small black characters appeared in the air.
Two-Handed Greatsword — Heartsbane: Forged from valyrian steel made with blood and Dragonflame.
Lifespan: 1000+
Magic Penetration: 1000+
Armor Penetration: 1000+
Sharpness: 1000+
Purification: 1000+
Durability: 1000+
Looking at this sword with almost maxed-out attributes, Viserys Targaryen gasped.
All things decay, yet this valyrian steel sword showed not the slightest trace of wear.
"Forged with blood magic and Dragonflame magic..."
Viserys Targaryen frowned, muttering to himself.
In the world of Game of Thrones, apart from dragons, which theoretically could have infinite lifespans, perhaps only this Dragon steel could witness eternity.
And dragons had disappeared for hundreds of years, yet the valyrian steel before him still circulated throughout the world!
"Your Highness!"
Seeing Viserys Targaryen staring intently at Heartsbane at his waist, Randal Tarly proactively drew his ancestral sword, Heartsbane, and placed it before Viserys.
"Your Highness may pick it up and examine it!"
Randal Tarly generously offered the hilt of the sword to Prince Viserys.
Looking at the wavy forge patterns on the blade of Heartsbane, Viserys Targaryen, without ceremony, deftly took it and examined it carefully.
On the continent of Westeros, every male warrior's dream was to possess their own valyrian steel sword.
However, such treasures were invariably the ancestral swords passed down by great families; who would willingly sell them?
Even Tywin Lannister, famed for being able to "shit gold" and being the wealthiest man in the world, yearned for a valyrian steel sword but could not acquire one.
"A fine sword, a fine sword!"
Viserys Targaryen held the two-handed greatsword, which was almost longer than he was tall, with effort, his eyes shining.
Heartsbane's hilt was quite long, enough for an adult to grip with both hands.
The end was fitted with a large metal counterweight ball, used to balance the sword's center of gravity, preventing it from being too top-heavy.
It lacked excessive ornate decoration, yet holding it, one could easily feel its immense size, weight, and power.
However, such valyrian steel swords were exceedingly rare, even for the royal family.
Both Dark Sister and the ancestral sword Blackfyre had vanished into the river of history.
"Whoosh~"
Viserys Targaryen swung it hard with both hands, the sharp blade seemingly cutting through the air, producing a whistling sound.
Looking at the prince, who was even shorter than the sword, Count Randal Tarly raised his eyes in surprise.
Viserys's appearance, with his silver hair and purple eyes, and his dashing demeanor, was exactly his ideal son.
Then, thinking of his own chubby, useless son, Sam Tarly, who dared not even harm a cat, Count Randal Tarly's heart was filled with a helpless sigh.
"No, the main account is Waste (wasted). I must have a sub-account to inherit the family business!"
Far away in Horn Hill, Sam Tarly probably never imagined that his inheritance had just shifted because of Viserys Targaryen's casual swing of a sword.
Thump, thump, thump!
Teams of soldiers boxed up the treasures from the Stormlands and carried them onto the warships. Immediately after, a scorching hot brazier was carried onto the deck by four soldiers.
"Prince, won't such a large charcoal fire crack the dragon eggs?"
Willem Darry asked, looking worriedly at the smoky dragon eggs.
Once upon a time, the Targaryen Family was famous for riding dragons, but now dragons had been extinct for three hundred years!
If not for the skull of the giant dragon "Balerion the Black Dread," as large as a carriage, displayed in King's Landing, even the royal family itself might have believed it was just a legend.
But Viserys Targaryen knew this was no legend; this was the true treasure of his family that ruled the world!