Upon hearing this, everyone gasped.
Viserys Targaryen suddenly felt his vision go black and almost couldn't breathe.
One piece of bad news after another, adding insult to injury, flew to his Royal Navy Fleet on the wings of ravens.
"That inflatable fish is useless!"
Viserys crumpled the battle report in his hand, almost deforming it, filled with regret.
If he hadn't transferred the renowned Lord Randal Tarly, the army of The Reach would not have suffered such a shocking change!
Robert Baratheon, between attacking King's Landing and repelling the enemy, chose to remove the thorn of House Tyrell from his back.
"He finally got to pinch a soft persimmon!"
Viserys Targaryen smiled bitterly.
He had thought that Lord Mace Tyrell of The Reach was vulnerable, but compared to the safety of the capital, King's Landing, he still resolutely transferred Lord Randal Tarly.
"Your Highness, it was House Hightower that betrayed us,"
Lord Randal Tarly looked at the battle report and felt a chill down his spine.
He said with lingering fear, "House Tyrell barely ruled The Reach by relying on the Targaryen Family's royal power.
Even within The Reach, House Tyrell's control over its vassals is far inferior to other lords!
Now that King's Landing has fallen, it's not surprising that House Hightower, under their command, betrayed them!"
"Your Highness..."
Ser Willem Darry hurried over: "The news from King's Landing has been confirmed.
Jaime Lannister, that treacherous kingslayer, killed the King from behind.
Lord Ned Stark of the North discovered a large amount of wildfire created by the King and chose to destroy it all in Blackwater Bay!"
"Phew—"
Hearing this, Viserys Targaryen let out a long breath and slumped onto the main seat, covered in cold sweat.
Fortunately, it wasn't his biological father's doing, otherwise, his army would probably have mutinied directly!
Of the five hundred thousand people in King's Landing, how many were the parents and relatives of his soldiers?
Everyone watched as Viserys slumped into his seat, remaining silent.
The generals and soldiers all thought Viserys Targaryen was saddened by his father's passing, but little did they know, Viserys didn't care about any of that.
A madman whose mind was corrupted by the gods, death was only a matter of time!
"Your Highness, the most urgent task is to quickly reclaim King's Landing and retake the iron throne!"
Ser Willem Darry said anxiously, "The rebels have taken King's Landing; if too much time passes, we will become the rebels!"
At these words, everyone looked at Viserys Targaryen in unison, silent.
With the King's death, Viserys had become the new King of the Targaryen Family!
However, facing a situation where the enemy was strong and they were weak, even if he were a war god reborn, he couldn't retake King's Landing, where the rebels were stationed, with the forces at hand.
"King's Landing is already an empty city without supplies!"
Viserys Targaryen stated frankly.
From the very beginning, he had worried that his father would try to perish with the enemy.
So he had long since transported all of the Targaryen Family's treasury and supplies from King's Landing to Dragonstone, even packing up his sister-in-law, nephew, and niece.
Apart from his incorrigible father, he had arranged everything.
Fortunately, his father, Aerys Targaryen, did not stop him.
"King's Landing... I'm afraid it cannot be taken back!"
Randal Tarly pondered over the map for a long time before stating frankly.
Little did he know, all the soldiers in the cabin were watching him with ill will.
Lord Mace Tyrell had been defeated and surrendered, and as his vassal, Lord Randal Tarly's disheartening words were naturally seen by everyone as a precursor to surrender.
"Lord Randal is indeed correct!"
Viserys Targaryen looked at the map on the table and nodded in agreement: "The disparity in strength between us and the enemy is an objective fact!"
Upon hearing Viserys's agreement, everyone's expressions improved slightly.
"Hmph, a usurper who murdered the King,"
Ser Willem Darry, the The Red Keep's master-at-arms, said disdainfully, "The Seven Gods will surely not allow these rebels to last!"
Facing Ser Willem Darry's anger, all the knights present agreed.
Not only the Royal Knights, but even the allies of House Lannister, especially Ned Stark, scoffed at Jaime Lannister's regicide.
That one sword thrust from behind, which killed the King, completely made Jaime Lannister a perjurer despised by all!
"Your Highness, the most urgent task is to return to Dragonstone as soon as possible to be crowned and rally the people!"
Admiral Ser Joffrey said with worry.
Seeing the current situation of the war rapidly deteriorating, as a staunch supporter of the Targaryen Family, he couldn't be happy no matter what.
The future of the Targaryen Family was intertwined with his own fortune; they would rise and fall together!
"Be crowned?"
At these words, not only everyone present, but even Viserys Targaryen couldn't help but breathe rapidly.
The iron throne was closer to him than ever before, so close that Viserys himself finally didn't have to worry about his actions being sabotaged by that mad King Aerys.
"Yes, be crowned, a country cannot be without a ruler for a single day!"
Ser Willem Darry said with shining eyes.
He was originally the The Red Keep's master-at-arms; if Viserys Targaryen were crowned, given his experience of having rescued Viserys, it wouldn't be impossible for him to become a Kingsguard in the future.
Which one of those present wasn't a meritorious official with the achievement of following the Dragon?
"Yes, ascending the iron throne is the most important thing!"
Everyone's expressions were excited, not caring at all about the death of the Mad King Aerys Targaryen.
Viserys could finally understand at this moment why his father had been so wary of his elder brother, Prince Rhaegar.
Legend has it that every member of the Targaryen Family is like a coin tossed by the gods, possessing both a mad side and a wise side.
No wonder when King Aerys was captured by the rebels, everyone chose to remain silent.
The realm had suffered under the Mad King for too long!
"Compared to being crowned, attacking here is more important!"
Viserys Targaryen was not swayed by the temptation of ascending the iron throne.
He clearly knew that the iron throne was not self-proclaimed; it was a throne forged with blood and fire!
Without strength, even if one ascended the iron throne, they would be ignominiously driven off.
Viserys Targaryen stretched out his hand and slapped the map of Westeros, right on the port of House Lannister.
"Lannisport?"
Ser Willem Darry stared at the direction Viserys was pointing, his face grim: "Your Highness, I understand your hatred for House Lannister, but war is not child's play..."
Upon hearing this, Lord Randal Tarly, who was beside him, frowned and fell into deep thought.
"Good idea,"
Before he could speak, Ser Joffrey interrupted him, then his face lit up with joy: "The Old Lion will never expect us to attack here.
He brought the heavy forces of the Westerlands to King's Landing; at this time, Lannisport is not only under-defended, but it also possesses the richest wealth in Westeros!"
"Your Highness's move to avoid the strong and attack the weak is entirely feasible in military theory."
Listening to Ser Joffrey's words of approval for Viserys's proposal, Lord Randal Tarly also nodded in agreement.
With the joint approval of two excellent military commanders, Viserys Targaryen finally breathed a sigh of relief.
This was originally the route Balon's Iron Fleet used to attack the Westerlands in the original story, but now it had become another one of Viserys Targaryen's risky military plans.
"Set sail, depart!"