Seeing King Gryn nod, Pufferfish Lord's hand holding the wine cup trembled slightly. "Are you certain?"
After a brief pause, Gryn nodded again. "I'm certain. After setting foot on The North's soil, I 'smelled' the scent of a war unlike any other. You could call it... the instinct of a famous general."
A war unlike any other...
A famous general...
Hand Mace's Adam's apple bobbed as he blurted out, "This is wonderful!"
The moment the words left his mouth, the surroundings fell silent.
He immediately realized his lapse and hurriedly forced an unnatural expression of grief onto his face. "Uh, what I mean is... uh... the Seven Kingdoms have suffered so much!"
Gryn smiled gently. "War may be cruel, but like you, whenever I catch wind of war, I become... excited."
Shrugging, he sounded as though he were joking. "Perhaps this is the resonance between famous generals?"
The resonance between famous generals!
Hand Mace could barely suppress the upward curl of his lips. He could not help asking, "King Gryn, does that mean I count as... cough, as a famous general too?"
"At the Battle of Eastwatch-by-the-Sea, you decisively used cavalry to launch a surprise attack on Stannis's Wildling army. All I can say is that it was truly splendid."
Hearing Gryn's personal praise, Hand Mace immediately burst into laughter. Stroking his beard, he said with a hint of modesty, "Ah, I must admit, there was a little gambling involved."
The corners of Gryn's lips curved faintly. "I call it an inborn sense for the battlefield."
"Hahaha..."
Mathis Rowan, who had silently watched the two interact from the side: "..."
Gryn raised his right hand slightly, his thumb and index finger nearly touching. "But honestly, my Hand, this decisive battle between the living and the dead may be a good