The Shield Islands, ah.
Joffrey revealed a joyful smile of harvest from the bottom of his heart, as if he saw wheat seedlings growing and maturing on their own, and prey taking the initiative to jump into his pocket.
Calculating the days, the final hunting ground should be the Shield Islands, where Euron Greyjoy and the kraken would be captured.
There was no reason for failure.
The Third Fleet and the incorporated Redwyne fleet had set off north from Arbor Island this morning, with a total of two hundred and forty warships. Their personnel and combat capabilities had been honed almost to perfection and could be regarded as mature fighting units.
The Shield Islands fleet's dozens of ships probably hadn't had time to hone their combat power, but dealing with a few longships was not a problem.
There was also Theon and the Fourth Fleet, only two days behind, and they should still be able to participate in the hunt.
There was no reason to fail.
Faced with the encirclement and suppression of three to four hundred era-surpassing warships, as well as comprehensive monitoring, reconnaissance, and intelligence support, could five longships and a kraken still escape?
What's more, the kraken had run into a dead end on its own.
The Shield Islands were located in a bay in the west of Westeros. Three sides were land. Just block the outer sea area, and the sea where the kraken was located would become a closed fish pond, with nowhere to escape.
But.
Hadn't Euron Greyjoy thought of this? So confident.
Joffrey was a little puzzled again.
The Ironborn following Euron Greyjoy had not personally seen the battle in the Great Hall of Pyke, so it was normal for them to be subdued by the kraken. But why was Euron Greyjoy not afraid of being surrounded?
Prophecy? What had he seen? Hadn't he seen the power of the naval guns? Hadn't he seen the huge fleet?
Who had given him the prophecy?
The more Joffrey couldn't figure out the answer, the more he wanted to hunt down Euron Greyjoy and the kraken as soon as possible, and find clues and the truth from these two key figures.
Soon, soon.
The red comet, the kraken, Renly.
Joffrey walked out of the large tent. It was almost about to begin—this year, next week, tomorrow.
The specific time of the red comet's appearance was not clear enough, and it could only be predicted that it was likely to be this year, 298 AC, the 298th year of Aegon the Conqueror's coronation.
At the speed of the kraken, it would be able to enter the hunting ground of the Shield Islands next week and walk right into the trap.
As for Renly, he would arrive tomorrow.
In order to welcome such a distinguished guest as "His Grace King Renly I," of course, a gift must be prepared in advance—a heavy, heirloom surprise.
Joffrey faced south and said lightly:
"Advance into Storm's End."
The generals waiting in front of the large tent all heard the king's order.
"Long live!"
Everyone's face was filled with excitement and confidence.
Yes, advance into Storm's End—what appropriate words. Did Storm's End need words like "attack"? Just get close, move your body, and go in.
"Long live Storm's End!"
"Your Grace, please rest assured that you will be able to live in a clean Storm's End before sunset!"
"May the Seven Gods bless Your Grace!"
Everyone couldn't wait to take action.
God knows how they had survived these days, looking at Storm's End all day long, clearly within reach, but only able to look and not touch.
It was too uncomfortable.
It was like being in the same room with a naked beauty but not being able to touch her, and nowhere to vent.
Fortunately, this day had finally come.
The order to act was quickly conveyed in the military camp, and all the soldiers excitedly looked at the mission instructions on the God's Grace Light Screen, and repeatedly confirmed with each other.
It wasn't an illusion! The sweet and glorious fruit of Storm's End could indeed be picked!
The entire military camp cheered and celebrated the victory.
"Long live Your Grace!"
"Haha, we can finally move our hands and feet, it's been so boring these days!"
"That's right."
"It's all Renly's fault, he's too slow..."
"What are you arguing about! Storm's End hasn't been taken down yet, move quickly! Save your strength for charging and catching people!" The commander of the Kingsguard, "The Hound," scolded loudly.
The other officers at all levels also began to urge the soldiers to organize their equipment and line up.
Woo ~ ~ Woo ~ ~
The intense horns sounded quickly, not from the Kingsguard's military camp, but from the Storm's End watchtower to the south.
The action had been discovered.
But Joffrey just calmly mounted the white stag brought by Bran and stood in place to observe the situation.
The Hound himself was leading the First Regiment of the Kingsguard to guard around the large tent. As the headquarters of the Kingsguard, they were responsible for guarding the king, maintaining the formation, and commanding.
The Second Regiment was currently gathering in full swing.
They were the main force of the operation, responsible for breaking through the gate of the west city wall and clearing the traps and obstacles on the way forward.
"Shield warriors line up in the front row, warlocks and fire warriors in the back, prepare to assemble the artillery!"
Aron Santagar, the commander of the Second Regiment, shouted loudly.
Although the instructions had been conveyed to the soldiers on the God's Grace Light Screen, these officers always had to shout it out loud before they could feel at ease.
Especially Aron Santagar.
Having served as an instructor in the Red Keep for many years, he had the loudest voice in the army and liked to issue orders with his voice rather than the light screen.
The Third and Fourth Regiments had already left the military camp.
They were each responsible for guarding the south and north city walls, luring the enemy to divide their troops, preventing personnel from escaping or attacking the city, and waiting for an opportunity to enter the city.
The Fifth Regiment was still scattered throughout the camp, and its task was to organize logistics and collect supplies.
Its commander was Humfrey Waters, who had been the captain of the Dragon Gate garrison during the Gold Cloaks period. The soldiers of the Fifth Regiment were mostly selected from the Gold Cloaks, and were also older.
Humfrey Waters was standing quietly in the open space, distributing tasks one by one using the God's Grace Light Screen.
He was a bit conservative and slick, but could barely be considered reliable.
Joffrey looked out to the sea.
The six warships at sea were lined up in a row, facing the towering cliffs of Storm's End's seaside city wall.
Their mission was not to launch an attack, but to closely monitor and not let anyone or any words escape from under that chalky stone wall.
A combined sea and land attack, surrounded on all sides, and constant reconnaissance.
The result was already doomed, and Storm's End's last struggle would soon end.
With a sigh, he looked at Storm's End.
This fortress, which had never fallen, was a huge tower as a whole, with sturdy battlements neatly arranged, like a huge fist rushing into the sky with spikes.
This fist was dozens or hundreds of meters high, with a skin thickness of more than ten or even dozens of meters, and ancient forces that shielded magic were woven inside.
In this era, it was indeed an unparalleled fortress.
Unfortunately, it was facing the impact of the new era.
Fortunately, the wave of magic's revival came later than Joffrey himself, allowing him to stand at the head of the tide, ride the wind and waves, and rush to the front.
"Your Grace."
Joffrey lowered his head, and the Hound stood on the left side of the white stag to ask for instructions, his head barely reaching the white stag's belly.
"The entire army is in position, awaiting your orders."
Da ~ da ~ da ~
The white stag took a few steps forward, and the image of Storm's End was still so far away.
But Joffrey saw it.
Three thousand Kingsguard were lined up five hundred steps outside the city wall, and the defending troops on Storm's End's battlements were on full alert, ready with countless siege equipment.
Most importantly, cannons made of fire crystal and steel were lined up in the military formation.
"Begin."
In the next instant, the siren wailed — —