Harrenhal.
The Hall of a Hundred Hearths was utterly silent.
Tywin stood at the head of the long council table, quietly studying the map spread across it.
On either side of the table stood the principal commanders of the Westerlands, the Reach, and the Stormlands.
Every one of them wore a solemn expression as they stared at the messenger kneeling before them.
"My lords, it is absolutely true..."
The messenger sent by Gregor Clegane was trembling under the weight of so many eyes.
"Glover has returned!
And he brought... the entire army of the Vale with him!
Blue banners stretched as far as the eye could see. There must have been at least twenty thousand men!
They have already joined the northern army at the crossing..."
Tywin did not look up.
His gaze remained fixed upon the point on the map where the Trident flowed into the sea.
At that moment, Lord Shalor of Silverhill in the Westerlands gave a cold laugh.
"That fool Littlefinger actually allowed Glover to secure the army of the Vale. We have completely lost our best opportunity for a surprise attack."
Garlan Tyrell, standing first on the right side of the table, frowned deeply.
"With another twenty thousand men from the Vale, does that mean our enemy now has more than forty thousand troops?"
His younger brother, Ser Loras, had a hint of excitement in his eyes.
"Isn't that even better? We can wipe them all out in one battle!"
But beside Loras, Randyll Tarly shook his head, caution and gravity filling his eyes.
"We cannot afford to underestimate them... Our opponent is Glover."
Tywin finally raised his head and looked toward Randyll. "Lord Tarly, how much do you know about Glover?"
Randyll took a deep breath.
One piece of intelligence after another concerning Galon surfaced in his mind.
Then he spoke with undisguised admiration.
"Galon Glover's mastery of warfare can be called the greatest the North has seen in centuries.
I have studied every battle he has fought.
There are still some circumstances I cannot fully understand, but I can say one thing with certainty.
He is perhaps the greatest commander alive when it comes to seizing opportunities on the battlefield.
Whether it was the Battle of Horn Hill in the North or the Battle of the Green Fork, where he crushed Lord Kevan's army, Glover always manages to identify his opponent's most fatal weakness at the most critical moment.
And then... Strike with a killing blow."
Randyll's assessment caused every person in the hall to grow more solemn.
Tyrion, standing beside Tywin, added:
"That's not all.
Glover is... difficult to read.
It feels as though if we stood in front of him, he could casually guess even what kind of undergarments we were wearing.
When fighting him, we have to commit all our strength and crush him in one overwhelming attack.
Otherwise, the moment he finds a weakness, our entire army could collapse."
Ser Ponros of the Stormlands glanced contemptuously at Tyrion and sneered.
"By that logic, we might as well not fight at all. We should simply surrender.
The enemy has only forty thousand men.
We have more than fifty thousand.
We outnumber them by ten thousand. If we cannot even defeat them with that advantage..."
He shook his head, clearly considering such a possibility absurd.
The others thought about it and found that there was some truth to his words. Their expressions relaxed somewhat.
Tywin, however, remained unmoved.
"More than forty thousand..."
He once again studied the map before suddenly looking at Garlan Tyrell.
"Ser Garlan, where is Lord Redwyne's fleet now?"
Garlan was momentarily surprised before answering.
"The last report said they were pursuing Stannis's remaining forces.
Judging by the time, if nothing unexpected happens, they should reach the Bay of Crabs within five days.
However..."
He paused, his brow furrowing.
"Not long ago, we received word from the Arbor that the Ironborn launched a sudden attack against them.
Lord Redwyne was worried that the Ironborn would continue their attacks, so he sent part of his fleet back to reinforce the Arbor.
At present, Lord Redwyne has only five or six thousand men under his command."
"Enough." Tywin struck the table and made his decision. "Send a message to House Crabb on the Claw."
"Tell them to keep watch over Lord Redwyne's fleet in the Bay of Crabs.
Have them inform Lord Redwyne that he must reach the waters near the Quiet Isle within a week."
Loras lowered his head and studied the map before asking Tywin:
"Lord Hand, House Crabb has been suppressed by the Iron Throne for years.
Will they actually listen to us?"
Tywin answered without hesitation.
"Then tell them that once the task is completed, the king will not be stingy with his rewards.
He will help House Crabb restore its former glory."
His sharp eyes swept across everyone as he issued the final preparations before the decisive battle.
"Once this meeting is over, the entire army will advance slowly toward the Trident and join Ser Gregor.
We will first test Glover's strength, but avoid engaging him in a large-scale battle.
Only after Lord Redwyne's fleet reaches the Quiet Isle will the time come for us to fight Glover in earnest."
Randyll immediately understood Tywin's intentions.
"Lord Hand, you intend to use Lord Redwyne as a hidden force while we engage Glover, then strike the decisive blow?"
Tywin nodded, a cold gleam flashing through his eyes.
"Yes.
Since Glover excels at seizing opportunities, we will simply use our entire army to force him into a direct confrontation.
When the moment comes, Lord Redwyne and his men will be like a dagger plunged directly into Glover's heart.
One decisive strike."
Everyone studied the map and discussed the strategy among themselves.
No one objected.
Tywin waited for a moment.
When no one offered any further suggestions, he turned toward his son.
"Tyrion, you will ensure the army's supply lines.
Afterward, send a raven to House Clegane. Then send men to the Quiet Isle and wait for Lord Redwyne's arrival."
The Imp nodded, indicating that he understood.
"Meeting adjourned."
Tywin clapped his hands and spoke decisively.
"Everyone, return immediately and prepare to march!"
The commanders said nothing more.
They left the Hall of a Hundred Hearths in small groups.
Once Tyrion had also departed, a trace of worry finally appeared on Tywin's otherwise composed face.
'Too fast...'
'His movements are far too fast.'
'Just how did Glover manage to wrest control of the Vale from Littlefinger?'
'And the Iron Islands... What is that sea monster planning?'
He quietly stared down at the map.
His mind continued turning over the situation, desperately searching for a path that would lead House Lannister to victory.
Time passed.
Even after the army had assembled and was ready to depart, Tywin still could not completely make sense of the situation.
He sat upon his horse and gazed toward the northern sky.
Yet one thing was perfectly clear.
He could only win this battle... He could not afford to lose.
'Whatever happens, Lannister glory cannot end with me!' A sharp light flashed through Tywin's eyes.
He raised his whip and pointed toward the North.
"March!"
Tens of thousands of soldiers from the Westerlands, the Reach, the Stormlands, and various mercenary companies began their mighty advance toward the Trident.
After they departed, a raven took flight and headed toward the Claw.
Meanwhile, far out at sea, dozens of large ships belonging to the Redwyne fleet had just weathered a storm.
They were less than two days away from the Bay of Crabs.
At the same time.
More than a hundred miles south of Tarth, more than a hundred longships bearing golden kraken banners struggled through the storm.
Ever since Asha had decided to sail for Dragonstone, they had traveled day and night, following the currents and sea winds around the Stepstones.
As they sailed north through the Narrow Sea, the Iron Fleet lost several ships and men to a number of storms.
But they unexpectedly encountered part of the Redwyne fleet that had split away from Dragonstone and was preparing to return to the Arbor.
After a brief engagement, Asha learned of Lord Redwyne's movements.
She also learned that the royal fleet in King's Landing consisted of only a dozen or so ships.
Therefore.
Asha immediately changed her plans once again.
She headed straight for Blackwater Bay.
She intended to block King's Landing's sea route before Galon could arrive.
Several days later.
The Redwyne fleet anchored in the Bay of Crabs received a message from House Clegane.
After a brief rest, they followed Tywin's orders and set sail toward the Quiet Isle.
At that moment, the Iron Fleet was less than fifty miles from Storm's End.
Asha stood at the bow of the Black Wind, staring at the increasingly distant shores of the Narrow Sea.
Her heart was pounding with excitement.
'Galon, I'm almost there.'
'Where are you?'
Meanwhile, the Galon Asha was thinking about was still far away at the Trident crossing.
At that very moment, he was busy experimenting with the magic he had obtained earlier.
He was preparing to give Tywin a little surprise.
A watery version of the Battle of the Seven Armies.
__________
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