Kingdom’s Bloodline

In the cold wind, a team with complicated and strange personnel pulled out a long team and walked on the way to Dragon Clouds City.

Although they avoided the misfortune of being tied to Dragon Clouds City, the next day, Nikolai's White Blade Guards still "invited" them—the Star Envoys—out of the escort range of the Black Sand Collar. They closely "escorted" them to Dragon Clouds City.

The army of the Black Sand Territory was slowly and orderly following the sides and the rear, and Cambida and Tuleha still dutifully sent out scouts to confirm the safety of the surrounding roads.

And the White Blades—the group of masked elite soldiers who were indifferent, rude, and unkind, and on several occasions nearly fought with the soldiers of the stars because of pushing and shoving.

"...The renewing of the Canxing family's royal line, and the successor of the Xingchen Kingdom are of great significance to the entire Western Continent...I mean, the change of the ruling royal family may bring chaos that is difficult to calm down for Xingchen for many years, that is The entire Western Continent, including us—comas people don’t want to see..." The middle-aged marquis with golden ponytails rode gracefully on the horse, and said to the second prince of the Star Kingdom with a kind smile:

"Thank you very much for your concern, Your Excellency the Marquis Shiles of Shanliu City." Thales, who was riding stiffly on the horse, nodded to the guest from the Comex Alliance with the same stiff smile on his face.

This is this uninvited guest, who seems to be quite acquainted.

Just like those clean-dressed, respectful and courteous people in front of the west gate of Eternal Star City who serve as "local guides" for the first-time visitors to Eternal Star City—there are many such young men in the Black Street Brotherhood Or tomboys, they often have good cooperation with beggars and thugs, and they will act decisively when they encounter suitable goods, and the best end for those guests is to be cheated out of their wallets in a daze, and a little more The wallet was stolen, or even worse was robbed in a dark alley. Of course, the worst outcome...you don't want to know.

"Be careful, boy," a lazy voice came from beside Thales: "The people from Commas approached you for no reason, there must be a conspiracy, not for money or for...for...for... ...Ah Choo!"

Ada under the cloak was talking, holding Thales' mount, sneezed a lot, and rubbed her nose pitifully.

"Ada, are you okay?" Thales asked worriedly, "You have been ill since you entered the Northland."

"Don't bother! What is this temperature!" The elf waved his hand fiercely at forty-five degrees to the front left, regardless of the rudeness of this action: "I think back then, I carried a big knife on my shoulder across the wild mountains, and fought with heads in my hand. The leader of the feast... Ah Choo!"

"Oh," Thales sighed, "Let's add another bonfire to you tonight.

"

"This lady who hides her beauty under the cloak must have misunderstood something." Marquis Shiles laughed nonchalantly: "Although the Commas Alliance is famous for business, we are not those who deliberately cater to the immediate interests." Short-sighted people, we are pursuing long-term interests and mutual benefit... Only this kind of business can go on.”

"Therefore, if there is a conspiracy, it must be your friendship, Your Highness Thales."

Ada snorted: "The people of Kangmasi are all liars, and there is no good thing—especially in Shanliu City."

Rolf on the other side of the horse touched his head in embarrassment, while Marquis Shiles on the horse smiled and said nothing.

"It may be too biased to say so," holding the rein of Thales's mount tightly to prevent the mount from violently attacking ("Oh, I must have been put on the aura of 'Enemy of Horses'." ——The crazy words of the second prince Wyah of Crazy Talk) shook his head and said: "There are also some Kangmas people in the Tower of the End, although most of them are from poor backgrounds in the Kangmas Alliance, but in terms of ability and character, I think it is similar to us and Ike. Sturt's apprentices are about the same."

"Thank you for your righteous words," Marquis Shiles said with a smile, "Your Excellency Caso's attendant."

"That's because you haven't--Ah-choo--seen the worst of them." Ada sneezed again, and said with her arms akimbo in displeasure, "I promise you will be impressed."

"So, have you ever met such a Comas person? Ada." Thales asked curiously.

"That's right," Ada pouted viciously, "You vile liar, you flamboyant guy! You talkative, opportunistic... Achoo!"

The elf shivered while washing his nose.

Thales shrugged.

It seems that he was deceived by the Comas people.

It's not easy to cheat.

He turned his attention back to the Marquis of Shiles Bermuda, who came from Shanliu City in the west of the mainland and belonged to the Commus Alliance.

"I heard that Commas Alliance is a country of merchants, Your Excellency the Marquis," Thales asked slowly, "I wonder if it's true?"

"Of course...many people understand it this way, and I can't say that this description or description is completely wrong." Hearing His Royal Highness's question, Shiles said happily, as if suddenly motivated: "But everything It's all about history, my lord, history."

"History? I heard," Thales was also aroused to research and explore: "The Commas Alliance is a country composed of several city-states after the War of the End? A country that relies on the start of business?"

"So this forms your tradition and your roots?"

"To be precise, we are not a country, at least not a traditional country." Marquis Shiles looked at Thales' expression and smiled slowly: "After the War of the End, the four cities in the west of the Western Continent formed The alliance, helping each other in the chaotic world, tried their best to protect themselves—including Shanliu City, which is located in the southwest of Exeter and the northwest of the Great Desert, this is the origin of the Commas Alliance."

"We lack resources and heritage, and are sandwiched between several major powers. Commas can only seek to survive in the form of commerce and trade. We use a free environment and loose tax policies to support our businessmen to go out and work hard, and serve as the major powers. Transporters of goods and resources, struggling to survive as middlemen. From this perspective, we are indeed a nation of merchants.”

"However," Marquis Shiles changed the subject, "Although these cities belong to the Kangmas Alliance, they all operate independently and govern independently. Apart from the "Union Public Law", each city has its own laws and regulations, and its own laws and regulations. The ruling family has its own customs and habits, of course, each has its own characteristics. For example, this time I am representing Shanliu City in the alliance to go to Exeter. In this regard, we are not like a country, but more like a group of people Mutual aid organization of merchants."

"But you are called an alliance, aren't you?" Thales couldn't help being full of interest, and asked, "Should there be an alliance? For example, a supreme authority that every city obeys?"

"Of course," Shiles said with a chuckle, "The so-called Supreme United Council of Commas is responsible for allocating resources within the alliance and coordinating the relationship between city-states—at least in name, and many people think so, but the reality is always Stranger than imagined...much stranger."

Shiles shook his head and laughed as if mocking himself.

"But I still heard that the power of Commas should not be underestimated." Thales mobilized the knowledge reserves in his mind - most of which were taught to him by Gilbert in just one month: "Conmas Si is rich and abundant...you are the 'pockets of Westland'. Someone put you together with Xingchen and Exeter, and called you the top three in Westland."

"Money bag?" Shiles smiled wryly, "Do you really think that's a good nickname?"

Thales shrugged.

All right.

It's really not a good nickname, just like no one is happy to be called "Fat Sheep".

"It took us a lot of energy to negotiate and protect ourselves between countries for hundreds of years."

"And a force that should not be underestimated? It's better to say it's a broad business route," Marquis Shiles shook his head: "As I said just now, until today, the alliance's business is getting bigger and bigger, and its routes are going farther and farther. .”

"So the four small cities became four city-states, and new cities gradually joined our alliance. Up to now, the Kangmas Alliance has sixteen commercial city-states that operate independently, and our trade routes are all over the entire western continent. .”

"The entire Western Continent? How did you do it?" Thales asked curiously, "Can you explain it to me in detail?"

"It's not as exaggerated as imagined. These are the routes developed by the sixteen city-states." Marquis Shiles happily pulled out a gentleman's staff from the saddle, and drew lines in the void:

"From Qiyuan City and Welland Land in Exeter in the north, to the Kingdom of Allenbia in the Thornland and the Duchy of Anrenzo in the Dragon's Kiss in the south, to the White Mountain and the Freedom League in the east, and even the western edge of the Great Desert, This is the direct route of our overland caravan—the place we can visit on the way occupies only a small half of the western continent, and even the entire left half of the continent is within reach."

The Marquis continued beaming and said:

"And we are close to the western port of the Devil's Sea, which extends the business of the Commas Alliance farther: there are three devil islands in the west, countries on the west coast such as the Kingdom of Allenbia, and the Tarundi Commonwealth; and the south , after crossing the Sea of ​​Despair to reach the Sea of ​​Promenade, there are countries on the south coast such as the Principality of Norton, the Principality of Anrenzo, the Promenade Islands, and the Principality of Sera;”

"If there are fleets whose trading ambitions are not limited to this, they will continue eastward, sail out of the Promenade Sea, cross the Sea of ​​Misty and the Sea of ​​Fog, and arrive at one of the thirteen prominent families of the Star Kingdom, under the rule of the Shokader family, which hangs alone in the southwest Overseas, the rich Changqingdao, and even all the way to the east, sailing through the Jingbi City built by the mermaids in the West Sea, along the sea trade route of the Star Kingdom, to the Sea of ​​End and even the Eastern Continent—in this way, the mainland’s The right half is also included in the Alliance's trade routes."

"Sounds amazing," Thales frowned, and said seriously, "Your influence is all over the continent...it's not an exaggeration to say that."

"On the contrary," Marquis Shiles shook his head and said, "The Kangmas Alliance only has city defense teams subordinate to the major city-states. Without a unified military force, it is absolutely impossible to start a war—just the squabbling in the United Council Can last three years."

"Because we rely on commerce and trade to survive, even if we are nobles, we must go out to explore and trade - I went to the Kingdom of Allenbia with my father for the first time when I was thirteen years old, and our family's caravan was detained there. "

Rolf on the side of the mount walked in the snow, slightly clenched his fists.

"So you can understand, I am really happy about the re-establishment of Prince Xingchen, which means that Xingchen, a big country in the Western Continent, is stable and safe," the Marquis shook his head: "...Even the king selection system has become a common practice Exter, once the royal power is transferred to a new grand duke family... For example, from the Walton family in Dragon Cloud City to the Perfet family in Beacon City, or to the Olesio family in Welland, all It was quite a shock, and our established trade routes and long-term commercial agreements had to be reconsidered or even overthrown in accordance with the ruling order and habits of different families, not to mention the hereditary royal family like Xingchen."

"Like this, our business is often suffering from the ever-changing situation in various countries." Shiles sighed deeply: "If there are any nobles who have a harder life than commoners, remember to vote for Commas. "

"Hmph, it deserves it," Ada snorted coldly, "I want to make money, but also want to be comfortable. How can there be such a good thing."

"Your words are true and reasonable, ma'am," Marquis Shiles sighed, and put the gentleman's stick back into the saddle: "So you see, at the age of thirty-eight, I still have to go out and work hard."

"So it's justified for you to come to me," Thales laughed dryly, "Is it to open up future business contacts in the stars?"

"It's for friendship." Shiles blinked amusedly, "Of course, if you have any—I mean any—needs outside of your kingdom, please let me know."

The Marquis of Shiles laughed: "As the Marquis of a small city, I have no other specialties, except that I still have some contacts and contacts in various countries."

"Wait, Marquis?" Thales frowned: "Grand uncle, male honor... But I don't seem to have heard that there is such a title as Marquis in the world?"

Hearing this, Shiles looked at Thales with helpless eyes.