In the courtyard of the red door house, after finishing their martial arts training, there was still some free time for the few people to chat.
Ser Roland Lake's talk of the knightly way still sounded a bit peculiar to the Braavosi.
"This knightly dance of yours, all slashing and hacking, favors those with a larger build," Syrio commented.
"Most of the time, that's true, Syrio," Roland said. "People who are too skinny can't even wear armor. The top knights are as strong as bulls. Of course, even these warriors have their limits..."
"That's very reasonable," Viserys sharply remarked. "A tall person, with longer and stronger arms, is naturally more threatening."
From a biomechanical perspective, Westeros knights almost all trained to build muscle. Those who were robust, tall, and had firm muscles especially had an advantage.
"Robert Baratheon, Barristan, The Mountain, The Hound, Kingslayer, The Red Viper, Greatjon, Victarion," Viserys murmured, listing these knights with higher attributes.
These were all known for being tall and agile, with The Mountain being a heavy tank.
"Viserys's physical talent is good; he can achieve a balance in several aspects," Moro said, looking at Viserys.
"It's very good, but Your Majesty, to defeat The Usurper and his cronies, it's not just about being skilled in martial arts; you need to be the strongest," Ser Roland said after some thought.
At that time, Robert had just quelled the Ironborn rebellion and was not as obese as he would later become, still a formidable strongman.
Not to mention there were still some first-rate and super-first-rate experts under the iron throne.
"Only the strongest," Viserys said, running his hand through his naturally silver-white hair.
Besides diligent study, his method was to relentlessly allocate attribute points to see the limits of his stats.
"Your Majesty, I was fortunate enough to participate in the Battle of the Trident. Although Prince Rhaegar was a skilled warrior, he still died under Robert's heavy hammer. On the battlefield, even a slight difference can be fatal. Once the commander collapses, the entire army collapses with him," Ser Roland said after a moment of consideration, then quietly glanced at Viserys.
"The Warrior (one of the Seven) is fickle and does not always favor one person. A great knight can win a difficult joust but might lose a simple skirmish. A small pit in the grass, unclean water drunk at dinner, might mean defeat. And a sudden change in wind direction might grant victory, or perhaps the call of a loved one."
Roland Lake recalled that bloody battlefield, the black-armored prince struck down and falling into the river, the rubies on his chest scattering like shattered stars, prompting soldiers from both sides to scramble for them.
The death knell tolled for the Royalists, for the Royalist knights who fought alongside Rhaegar Targaryen that day.
The dragon banner fell to the ground, replaced by the crowned stag on a field of gold.
"My brother was a good warrior, but The Usurper was stronger than him," Viserys said. If he lost, he lost; there was no need to make excuses.
Even with Rhaegar's and Aerys's outrageous actions before, if he had won the Battle of the Trident, he would still be a true dragon of the Targaryen.
Remember our 101kanshu.com
But he failed. Rhaegar's strength and combat experience were inferior to Robert's, and a longsword was a weaker weapon.
Still not strong enough, Viserys's idea was still very realistic: keep pouring resources into strength attributes.
Strength must be high, and vision must be sharp.
Frankly, Viserys didn't hold that much malice towards Robert, the brute, as The Mad King and Rhaegar were truly quite abstract.
But this was a cruel power struggle; for that ugly iron throne, it had to be a fight to the death.
Ser Roland looked at Viserys. Although this was the view of an eyewitness, it was not appropriate for a subordinate to speak so bluntly.
However, seeing that Viserys took it in stride, Ser Roland also breathed a sigh of relief.
Frankness and magnanimity are among the virtues of a monarch.
Even Royalists had to admit that Robert, in his youth, fought like a king.
Neither Aerys's violent personality nor Rhaegar's melancholic style was truly normal.
Compared to those two, the current Viserys seemed perfectly normal.
"Few people truly understood Prince Rhaegar. I only saw him at tourneys and heard him play his silver-stringed harp," Ser Roland said. "After all, I am merely a low-ranking, landless cousin of a second or third-tier lord, of humble status."
Syrio frowned, "In Braavos, we also heard of that melancholic prince."
"The tragedy of Summerhall haunted him," Ser Roland said. "The prince's Squires might know more. Prince Rhaegar's first Squire was Myles Mooton, followed by Richard Lonmouth. Both were later knighted by him personally and became his lifelong companions. Besides them, His Royal Highness also had many close friends at the time, including the young Griff and Dawn's Sword (Arthur Dayne)."
"They are all in the past," Viserys said. "I heard they were a group of proud young nobles who gathered around my brother, primarily Griff and Dawn's Sword. Besides them, my brother rarely trusted others, not even Ser Barristan at the time."
"That is so, Your Majesty," Ser Roland nodded. "Pure-hearted people rarely integrate into the mundane world, and Prince Rhaegar was not a crude young man like Robert, who enjoyed drinking and chasing women."
Viserys also found it difficult to say who was right or wrong; it was a distinction of lifestyles and habits. However, a social butterfly and bright, outgoing rogue like Robert was destined to clash with the melancholic and socially awkward Rhaegar.
"Although most of Rhaegar's followers died, when your royal banner appears, the families of those deceased will still be eager to fight for you," Roland said, choosing his words carefully.
"I hope so," Viserys said.
Viserys also needed companions and retainers, but at the moment, he seemed to have found no opportunity.
After a while, Syrio and Moro left separately, leaving only Viserys and Roland in the courtyard.
"We also need manpower, especially your knightly companions, Your Majesty," Ser Roland said. "Restoring the kingdom requires military support, just as Prince Rhaegar had Myles, Richard, Griff, and Dawn's Sword by his side then."
"Syrio and Moro are Braavosi; they are skilled, but they are not our knights," Viserys said.
Roland looked at Viserys with admiration. Even at a young age, Viserys already understood the intricacies of power.
"Then, Your Majesty, have you considered mercenaries?" Ser Roland continued to ask.
"No. Mercenaries, even the Braavosi sailors at the port, are extremely unreliable; at best, they can serve as auxiliary soldiers. I need simple peasant soldiers or miner soldiers, and those people won't be in Braavos."
"Then it can only be an outpost elsewhere," Ser Roland whispered.
"We don't have much room in Braavos; sooner or later, we need to be like fish entering the vast ocean."
Viserys wouldn't be able to return for a while, but he now had a preliminary plan.
Viserys had already secured some funds, and his practical combat skills were advancing by leaps and bounds.
Viserys would wait to finish 'krypton' (investing heavily in) dragon bone, then mobilize funds.
The next step was to leverage the Sealord of Braavos to establish an outpost in Andas or along the Rhoyne River.
Using this offshore outpost as a base, he would then rally the remaining Royalists, awaiting the dragon egg and the red comet.
Even if this outpost faced harassment from bandits or the dothraki, the greater the risk, the higher the reward; this was an inevitable choice.
Øóffer going on for diamond tier
pàtreøn (Gk31)
Final Reminder
Grab the offer soon it's going to end If you buy diamond tier you will able to access all my stories