Kingdom’s Bloodline

Exeter, Dragon Clouds City, Heroic Spirit Palace.

The officer in charge of Nun VII, Lord Byrne Michael, stood quietly in the corridor outside the Hall of Heroes, looking at the slowly growing falling snow outside the stone window, thoughtful.

The warriors of the White Blade Guard stood around with sharp eyes.

Michael couldn't remember how many times he had looked at the falling snow in the north like this in his more than forty years of life.

The captain of the king's personal guard and the current leader of the White Blade Guard, Nikolai the Meteorite, came from behind and stood beside him.

Lord Michael didn't look back: "This year's extreme cold, it is estimated that it will be terribly cold."

"Yeah, old man," Nicolai looked at the heavy snow outside the window, narrowed his eyes, and showed a strange smile:

"Do you still remember the days when we first joined the White Blade Guard and trained in the extremely cold and snowy days?"

"Of course," Lord Michael, who has been an official for many years, smiled slightly when he thought of the past, "Caslan is just like you now, with a stinky face every day, training us to death... We all call him behind our backs." Bingshan', even when he was talking in his sleep every night, he was cursing him to die early or not be able to get a wife."

"Until his mother-in-law came to see him in the barracks," Nicolai laughed, "and looked straight at Monty's eyes...God knows how 'Iceberg''s mother-in-law can be so beautiful, it's really unfair!"

Michael's eyes drifted into the distance▽长▽风▽literature▽literature, ww▲w.cfw↙x.n♂et.

yes.

He still remembered more than 20 years ago, when he first joined the White Blade Guard, the famous "Earth Shaker" commander, Kaslan Rumba, used a leather whip to drive their group of "new recruits" to the end of the day at four o'clock in the morning. Although it is cold outdoors, those who can be selected for the White Blade Guard must be iron-blooded men who have experienced the front line.

"Do you think it's cold? The north wind and severe cold are the most generous gifts from the Lord of the Mountains to the people of the North! They make you stronger, harder, and more unstoppable!" These were Kaslan's words at that time .

Michael still remembers the old boss's huge body comparable to a bear in the snow, and his ferocious face covered with frost and snow: "Don't dawdle, take off all your clothes, run to the finish line and get ready for the heat!" Water, if you can’t run within half an hour, you’ll freeze to death on the road!”

Thinking of this, Michael's eyes moved, and he asked Nicolai: "Are you still continuing the 'meeting ceremony'? All new guards have to run around naked in the extreme cold?"

"certainly,

We suffered so badly back then," Nicolai said with a light smile, "Wouldn't it be a pity if we didn't let newcomers experience it? "

Michael smiled at him.

At that time, in the White Blade Guard, the almost invincible legendary Kaslan was in his prime, and "Blood Hammer" Dominic hadn't yet died in Baishan. Extinguish the fire" Tyrande was still carrying his silver and black immovable bow, and his every move was majestic.

At that time, three of the future "Five Warlords" gathered here: Siri Nikolai was a stinky, hard-to-see head soldier who hadn't yet earned his nickname "Meteor Star" under the fortress , and no one believed that this thorny head who was always beaten could become Kaslan's successor in the future; later, Isaiah Solian, who was nicknamed "Stinger Wind", was named by everyone because he was picky and complained about food every day "Prince of the Guard", seven years later, he will usher in the legendary battle at the Thirty-eighth Outpost; probably no one will believe that the dreaded "Death Raven" Ned Monty, Shi is a dirty talker, with a pair of thief eyes looking around, and he likes to chatter about a country crossbowman with the size of a girl's ass passing by.

They are all young and passionate fighters, one is more proud than the other, and the one is more impulsive than the one. Slan whipped his skin to pieces with a barbed whip, biting a piece of wood and moaning.

Under Kaslan's cruel hands, they were forged into His Majesty Nun's most reliable sharp knives and the most solid dragon guards. In the tragic Broken Dragon Fortress, he fought bloody and fiercely, leaving countless corpses of his comrades, weeping and mourning when he failed, singing war songs during fierce battles, drinking heavily after victory, and finally engraved his name on the "Book of White Blade" The Platinum Page, alongside those heroes of the North since the ancient empires.

Those days were like a dream.

Of course, there was also the young man with a hearty smile who hid his identity and trained with them once fought with himself over a bowl of broth.

that jerk.

Thinking of this, Michael couldn't help smiling slightly, and then his eyes darkened.

Michael sighed: Now, even his daughter is twenty years old.

At this moment, Nicolai sighed: "The time has come."

Michael put his thoughts back to the bottom of his heart. He turned around and bowed slightly to the two small figures beside him: "Please come with me, Miss Alex."

"It's past four o'clock in the morning!" Wearing a thick robe, one could see the beautiful girl who had just been pulled up from the bed, Alex Walton, rubbing her sleepy eyes with one hand, and holding the other hand in front of her mouth. Breathing heat, he said angrily, "What's the matter, can't we talk about it tomorrow morning?"

Lord Michael looked at Alex's appearance and couldn't help sighing secretly in his heart.

This girl is spoiled too much.

So much so that his temper is like those of the daughters of merchants, or the nouveau riche nobles.

This is not a good thing, especially since she is the last direct blood of the Walton family, even though it is a girl.

"I said that this is His Majesty's order," the Lord nodded slightly expressionlessly, "And please believe me, the next thing is very important to your future, honorable lady."

The king's granddaughter turned her head and snorted coldly, expressing the discontent and anger in her heart at the moment.

Alex tightened his robe, then glanced behind him, his childish tone was full of dissatisfaction: "But why did you bring her to this lowly maid!"

Michael frowned slightly.

Behind Alex, a thin girl with thin clothes, platinum blonde hair, and thick black glasses, shivering in the cold wind of the night, took a step back timidly.

"It's still His Majesty's order," Lord Michael replied lightly, "We must obey."

Alex stopped talking, and she gave the little slippery guy behind her a hard look, who hugged her arm tightly in aggrieved way.

Michael nodded, and walked towards the Hall of Heroes with the two little girls.

Alex yawned and raised his head proudly, while the little slippery man flinched and followed step by step, occasionally taking a small step back in fear when he caught a glimpse of a ferocious White Blade Guard soldier.

At this moment, Nikolai behind Michael suddenly called out and stopped him.

"Byrne, do you still remember that we held up our white knives and swore our sacred oath to the "Book of Legends?" Nicolai took a deep breath, his eyes full of nostalgia for the past: "The last few words?"

Michael felt that today's Nicolai was a little strange that he was not so nostalgic.

Michael stared straight at Nicolai, trying to find something in his old friend's face.

"Of course," but the training that year has penetrated into his instincts, so Michael still chuckled, then raised his face, and said word by word: "I swear by my blood, by my body, by my blade, My soul is a sacrifice..."

Nikolai's eyes flickered, he nodded, and together with Michael, he said the next sentence with a complicated expression: "To resist a strong enemy, one hundred battles will be fought until the blood runs out."

The members of the White Blade Guard next to the two suddenly turned serious, and they all pressed their fists to their hearts silently at the same time.

"Defend life and sacrifice fearlessly until the extinction of mankind."

Alex, who was waiting, rolled his eyes and exhaled impatiently.

On the other hand, the little slippery man beside him looked at the serious White Blade Guards, his eyes were full of excitement.

"Guard the future, honor faith, until the sun and the moon dim."

"This is the new oath of the White Blade," the little slippery man couldn't help muttering in a low voice: "In 1386 of the Imperial Calendar, Sail Arend retrieved the "Book of the White Blade", and he rebuilt the famous White Blade Guard, combining the ancient The old oath of the white blade and the oath of the knight canonization of the empire..."

"Shut up, idiot!" Alex interrupted her viciously: "You're annoying."

Little Slick's eyes turned red, and he lowered his head deeply.

Nicolai and Michael looked at each other and recited the last sentence in unison:

"Inherit hope, bloom glory, until everything sleeps forever."

The two were silent for a while, then looked at each other and smiled.

Michael nodded, and he took the two little girls into the Hall of Heroes.

And the person he respected the most, Nun VII who had just experienced a duel, was sitting on the steps at the edge of the hall.

Beside the king, sat the young and precocious Prince Thales Canxing, who made all the officials talk about the stars.

It's just that both of them were silent and in a bad mood, as if they had had an unpleasant conversation.

Michael came before the king with two puzzled little girls.

"Your Majesty," the officer in charge nodded to the king and stepped aside: "Miss Alex."

Thales raised his head.

what happened?

He looked at the brown-haired and blue-eyed Alex in surprise, and the little cunning guy behind her who didn't dare to speak out seemed frightened by the situation in front of him.

Alex felt his gaze, and the teenage girl glared back at Prince Star Star unceremoniously, making Thales frown slightly.

This is……

my future wife?

Thales, who was disturbed by the secret just now, turned his head involuntarily and sighed.

This move made Alex pouted in dissatisfaction.

"Grandpa, what's the matter?" Alex Walton, the only remaining direct female bloodline of the Grand Duke of Dragon Clouds City, raised his mouth, and said to the calm-faced King Nuen, "I'm very tired now..."

Little Tricky hid behind Alex, she poked her head out, and looked at Thales with dim eyes cautiously and curiously.

That boy... what happened to him?

Not happy?

Nun VII didn't answer his granddaughter's words, he just scooped up another glass of wine from the barrel beside him and took a sip.

"Milk," the old king's vicissitudes of voice sounded: "my granddaughter will marry this kid."

"As the former White Blade Guard and my officer, what will you do?"

Michael frowned slightly.

Although I had expected it, but when I actually heard it...

"What!"

Miss Walton's exclamation sounded.

Alex's small eyes were wider than her mouth, and she looked Thales up and down in disbelief: "Grandpa, you want me to marry... this... this..."

"Want him to be my husband?" Alex's breathing quickened. Seeing the listless Thales met in the library this afternoon, and even taught her boy a lesson on the spot, a sense of grievance surged in her heart.

"He's thin and small, and he's not as tall as I am!" Alex turned his head angrily, and hurriedly said to his grandfather, "It's almost as good as letting the little slippery man marry him!"

The little slippery head behind her suddenly turned pale, and flinched again.

"Come on, Miss Alex," Thales, who was in an extremely bad mood, didn't have the energy to maintain his relationship with a teenage girl, and without raising his head, he said flatly, "Marrying you is nothing. Something to be happy about."

Alex was taken aback for a moment, then turned anger into anger: "You..."

But at this moment, Michael's voice came in time, interrupting Alex who was about to lose his temper.

"Although His Royal Highness Thales comes from the stars, if this is your wish," Lord Michael bowed his head respectfully, while calmly reminding Alex: "I will be as loyal to him as I am loyal to you." Miss Alex."

King Nuen stared at him for three full seconds.

"That's right." King Nun then turned his head and said to Thales: "I believe you have seen it before, this is when Byrne Michael was still in the White Blade Guard, he was Suriel's most trusted subordinate .”

Suriel?

Thales' expression changed.

Is he the eldest son of King Nun?

He raised his head to look at Michael, who also turned his head and nodded respectfully to him.

Angrily, Alex wanted to speak, but was forced back by Michael's stern look.

It seems that Thales said silently in his heart that this bad-tempered eldest lady still listens to her father's old subordinate.

"Then, in order to thank you for your help, and to prove that there is no longer any hostility or conflict between us, according to the customs of the Northland," King Nun narrowed his eyes, he raised his glass and put it in front of Thales : "Take a sip of Canxing and Walton from my glass, and we've been friends ever since."

Thales frowned, and looked at the old king with doubts.

What is he doing?

Reaffirm my identity to Alex and Michael? Or our relationship?

is this necessary?

The Prince of Stars thought for a few seconds, and sighed: "You know, Rumba from Heisha collar did the same thing. Pushed a glass of wine in front of me, and invited me to form an alliance with him, but I declined."

"A wise choice," King Nuen said with a funny expression, "What about now?"

Under King Nun's provocative gaze, Thales pursed his lips.

"Shouldn't you wait until tomorrow, when you release the raven, and then wait for my father to reply?" Thales asked tentatively, "If my father has any other opinions..."

"That's between me and your father," King Nun's firm eyes proved his seriousness and seriousness, "but you are you, Thales, not the son of Kessel Canxing, Or the second prince of the Star Kingdom, it has nothing to do with whether you will marry my granddaughter, whether Canxing is in the Walton alliance."

"I'm just asking about your attitude, Thales." The old king raised his glass, his eyes burning. "Are you willing to dissolve the hostility with me and the Walton family?"

"Just you."

Thales' heart skipped a beat.

He suddenly realized that this was the first time after becoming a prince, someone just asked "Tiers" a question in such a formal manner.

Not any ancient or important title with the word "Thales" in it.

Thales looked at King Nun.

Finally, the Star Prince sighed.

"Of course." Thales silently took the king's wine glass with both hands, looking at the half glass of rye wine inside.

Under Michael's cautious eyes, Alex's puffy face, and the little slicker's curious and nervous eyes, the old king smiled.

Thales closed his eyes and took a small sip into his mouth.

He thought he had already anticipated the alcoholic beverages in this world. Yala's Sunset Bar back kitchen often had different alcoholic beverages, and Thales didn't miss out on poking here, digging there, but until the drink flowed down his throat. After drinking it, he realized that even in this world, wine is different from wine.

At least, the rye wine exclusively for King Exeter is really...

"Cough cough cough..." Thales smashed the wine glass on the steps and began to cough violently!

The pungent and strong smell of alcohol surged up, passing through his throat, mouth, nose, and reaching his brain!

In the previous life in the memory fragments, he was the type who would drink as soon as he touched it. Thales doesn't know if the body in this world will be better, but at least he knows that he is definitely not suitable for rye alcohol!

"Ahem..." Thales coughed, his face flushed, and tears came out.

"Hahaha," Nunn looked at him and laughed boldly, "Maybe we should start with something lighter."

Thales felt a little fever on his face.

"It's okay... Kaslan told me," Thales finally adjusted himself, he looked at the glass with a bitter face, snorted softly, shook his head and said, "Children don't drink, but they won't grow up. "

Michael's expression moved.

Kaslan?

Hearing this name, King Nuen's smile suddenly stopped.

Little Slick seemed to have heard of this name before, and her eyes behind the glasses lit up, staring at Thales radiantly.

The king's expression was subtle, and he looked at Thales strangely: "Caslan?"

"The old man who sells wine in Heisha?"

The smell of alcohol slowly left Thales' nose and mouth, and he chuckled a little guilty.

Am I saying something wrong?

"Um," under King Nuen's gaze, he stammered, "I heard from Putillai that he used to be your personal guard captain and the former commander of the White Blade Guard."

King Nun's eyes stopped on his face, making the latter quite embarrassed.

Until the king's voice sounded again.

"Exeter's best job ever," sighed King Nun, "though it's not fair to Nikolai."

Lord Michael, who was standing aside, nodded slightly, and at the same time, once again used a warning look to scare Alex, who was left alone, was about to cry and was about to have a seizure.

King Nuen pondered: "Caslan, you have seen him...he mentioned me to you?"

"Yes," Thales smiled shyly, and nodded, "Caslan said, you used to be a good king."

Nun VII was taken aback for a moment, but then he slapped his thigh and laughed loudly: "Hahahahaha!"

"'Once'?" King Nuen quickly grasped the key words, and he laughed out loud without any scruples, "It's such a good use of the word!"

Thales was taken aback for a moment, but shrugged helplessly.

The king's laughter echoed in the empty hall.

Michael bowed his head slightly.

King Nun stopped laughing, and he let out a breath, as if recalling the past years.

"Tell me, what did that old guy say about me?" King Nuen asked with a snort.

"He said," Thales carefully observed King Nuen's face: "You are also a human being, you will also grow old, and there will be a day when you will be confused by slander and teasing, and be swayed by desire and impulse."

The smile on the king's face disappeared.

His eyes flickered several times, his expression was uncertain.

Thales' mood went up and down.

Finally, King Nuen let out a long sigh: "I can't say he is wrong."

The field returned to silence.

"Now, Thales, why don't you invite our beautiful lady to have a drink too?" King Nun said suddenly, he raised the glass and handed it to Thales, then nodded slightly in Alex's direction: "Since Your future relationship."

Thales, who took the wine glass, couldn't help being slightly taken aback.

What's going on here?

Make that arrogant young lady... drink?

Lord Michael, who was watching, also showed doubts.

"Ah?" Alex's face changed, she looked at Thales in horror, then at the iron wine glass, then shook her head resolutely: "No, Grandpa, I don't want to..."

King Nun looked at her quietly with cold eyes.

Alex seemed frightened by the old king's eyes, and her voice gradually weakened.

But the king's granddaughter seemed unwilling to give up. She frowned, and suddenly her eyes lit up. She turned around and pulled the little slippery head over: "She! Let her drink! Anyway, she is my maid!"

The unprepared little slippery head was suddenly pulled out by Alex, and the little girl with glasses looked at King Nun and Thales in horror, almost crying: "I... that... no... "

Thales narrowed his eyes and looked at all this in puzzlement.

At this moment, Michael's voice sounded at the right time:

"Miss Alex!"

The king's officer looked at Alex sternly, with undeniable anger in his eyes: "That's the end of this nonsense!"

Alex's voice froze for a moment, and she seemed to shrink back in fear.

"That's your grandfather, your king is his order!" Michael pulled Alex away unceremoniously: "Go, obey his orders, whether it's wine..."

"It's still your marriage."

Under the stern lesson of Michael and the urging of King Nun's eyes, Alex took a step forward with great aggrievedness.

She reluctantly took Thales' wine glass, her eyes were red, she gave the innocent Thales a vicious look, and looked pitifully at King Nun, but the latter showed no expression.

Thales spread his hands, expressing that he was powerless.

Alex, who had no choice but pouted, gulped down his wine in pain and anger.

Alex threw down his wine glass angrily, glared at Thales, and coughed a few seconds later.

The king chuckled.

"Milk, this reminds me of Suriel's drinking capacity." King Nunn laughed loudly, "I once heard Kaslan say that when he was training in the White Blade Guard, he drank a large number of people down."

"Yes," Michael also smiled, and he nodded: "His Royal Highness Suriel... is very bold and good at drinking."

"Yes, I remember, you have a good relationship with him?" King Nunn looked up at Michael, with nostalgia in his eyes.

"We met when you let him hide his name and went to the White Blade Guard for training." Michael smiled slightly, and he nodded: "He is not only a prince, but also my comrade and friend. I still remember him. His hearty laugh."

King Nun curled his lips.

Thales ignored Alex's dissatisfied eyes. He looked at the pair of monarchs and ministers who were missing the prince's eldest son Suriel Walton in the past, and began to think secretly: Should I go?

"Yeah, he's a laughing guy a lot like me."

"Unfortunately, he just married a wife who looks sad all the time," King Nuen sighed, "I still remember that every time the couple dined in front of me, they didn't even look at each other."

"Ms. Adele is from the Vine City in the southwest of Commas, where the climate is warm and humid. She is the daughter of a Marquis of a city, and she is not very used to the hard life in the North." Lord Michael glanced at Alex, Sighing, "Miss Alex obviously inherited many of her mother's characteristics."

Alex pouted for the third time.

King Nun snorted lightly.

"Thales," just as Thales was about to leave, King Nun suddenly raised his head and looked at him coldly: "I told you, my eldest son didn't die by accident, he died by assassination."

Michael's face moved slightly.

Suriel?

He looked at Thales, then at King Nun, as if he hesitated to speak.

And the old king's next words made Michael really change his face.

"Tell him, Michael," King Nunn said indifferently, "how did my son, Suriel, die."

Thales held his breath, looked at Michael, and had new doubts in his heart.

Not quite right.

The king's eldest son? Why bring up things from so many years ago?

Moreover, King Nun's turnaround is not natural. Did he bring up this topic on purpose?

Alex seemed to know the seriousness of this topic, and she also became quiet, with a slight fear on her face.

"Your Majesty," Lord Michael objected with an ugly face, "As His Highness Thales..."

But King Nun interrupted him.

"Tell him! He needs to know." The old king grabbed the wine glass on the ground and said with a cold face: "From the process to the result."

Michael stared blankly at King Nunn, whose expression had become very serious and terrifying.

Feeling that the atmosphere was not right, Alex took a step back with his head down, and touched the little slippery head.

"What's wrong?" Thales carefully controlled his tone: "Your Majesty, you just said that the assassin from the stars, right?"

Michael was taken aback for a moment, as if he didn't expect Thales to already know.

King Nun cast a stern glance at Michael.

Thales rolled his eyes, observed the situation, and regretted not leaving earlier.

It seems that the atmosphere is not very good.

The officer in charge sighed, and finally said:

"Twelve years ago, at the turn of summer and autumn, Prince Suriel took Mrs. Adele and Miss Alex, who was less than one year old, out to Dragon Clouds City to play."

"Because I was responsible for the safety of Prince Suriel, Nicolai assigned me to lead a team of white-bladed guards to defend them," Michael lowered his eyelids, his voice was low and painful, as if that memory was very unbearable : "But the accident still happened."

Thales listened quietly without saying a word.

"I don't know if it's a coincidence. Harold Rumba, the eldest son of Grand Duke Black Sand, was a guest in Dragon Clouds City at the time, and he went to the same place to hunt," Michael said here, heaving a sigh of relief. But the words began to tremble slightly, "That assassin... is mixed in with Harold's entourage."

"The assassin sneaked under Mrs. Adele's carriage, waited for the return of Prince Suriel after chatting with Harold, and then..."

Michael clenched his fists, gritted his teeth and let out a breath.

King Nuen was silent, sitting on the steps expressionlessly, his eyes were numb.

"I shot the signal crossbow to ask for help," Thales could tell that the day that Michael had experienced must have been quite painful and difficult. The latter closed his eyes and his face twitched: "Nikolai stopped that man on the road. Assassin...but in the end he escaped."

"Prince Suriel was seriously injured and lost a lot of blood. On the spot... Mrs. Adele, in order to protect Miss Alex, also..."

Having said that, Michael closed his eyes in pain: "I failed to protect them..."

Alex lowered his head, just staring blankly at the ground, and the little slippery head behind her was even more arrogant and didn't dare to speak out.

A few seconds later, Lord Michael finally came to his senses. He swallowed his throat and said sadly: "Although there is no evidence, the dark room is very sure after investigation..."

"The assassin came from the stars and was even directly ordered by the court."

Thales frowned.

King Nun raised his head slightly:

"Thales, it was not without reason that we sent troops to the south."

Star Kingdom, Eternal Star City, an unknown underground place.

"Clang!"

The sharp metal sound of an iron gate being roughly pulled open echoed clearly in this dark place.

Two torches soaked in eternal oil were lit, and two men dressed as guards appeared in a dark corridor.

The firelight illuminated the cells made of thick iron fences on the left and right.

With the sound and fire, commotion broke out in the cell.

"Damn it! Don't you have any sense of time!" In a prison cell, a well-groomed but poorly dressed man who seemed to be a nobleman seemed to have just been woken up. He was lying on his bed with sleepy eyes. Angry: "It's definitely early morning or late at night! If this was in the past, in the Department of Foreign Affairs..."

The two guards with torches ignored him, as if they were used to it.

They respectfully backed away from the two sides, letting out a strong figure in the middle.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty Eddie! You are finally here!" This is a scruffy old man with disheveled hair and a confused and fanatical expression. He rushed forward under the stimulation of the lights, shaking the iron fence desperately, and shouted crazily : "Please be sure to consider my words! Even if you don't think about yourself, what about His Highness Midil? Are you willing to give him a star full of holes?"

Under the signal of the strong figure, the two guards looked at each other, walked ahead, and began to lead the way.

Prisoners on both sides woke up one after another, and behaved differently, but most of them were abnormal or screaming frantically.

"You are all going to die, hahaha," this is an old prisoner lying on the ground, he yelled frantically: "Even if it is the royal family, you are all going to die...how dare you, how dare...haha..."

The three figures ignored them and continued on their way.

"Look who we have ushered in," an imposing adult prisoner leaned on the fence, squinting at the fire, he seemed to be very sober: "Isn't this the fifth prince, a disgrace to the royal family... you Why didn't you work hard for your poor blood on the woman's stomach, and came here to blow the cold wind?"

"It's not me, it's really not me!" A prisoner hugged his head, crying and shouting: "I never touched Prince Bancroft's wine glass! No! It's all Jenkins, he poisoned it!"

"Norfolk, yes, Norfolk," this is a prisoner with his back to the corridor, and he is facing something carved on the wall, muttering to himself constantly: "I know, what is he planning, Carrying Duke John and Earl Calabyan...Maybe it has something to do with the rebels, I have suspected him for a long time, but that annoying woman, Sonia Sutherley..."

The three continued to move forward.

"Hey! Boy!" A prisoner with a scar on his face rushed straight up after seeing the person, and shouted, "How is the western front now? After you captured the Altar of the Desert God, did we retake the Saber Dune? What about the orcs, where are the eight tribes under the Throne of Dragon Skeleton? Tell me! Tell me quickly!"

The robust figure turned a deaf ear to the voices on both sides and went straight forward.

Two calm-looking guards took him into the next area. There were no cells with transparent bars. Instead, there were closed cells sealed by heavy iron doors. There was only one horizontally drawn cell on each iron door. The gate, as the only connection between the closed cell and the outside world.

Two guards led the visitor to a room on the innermost floor, and one of them knocked vigorously on the iron door.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Another guard looked at the robust visitor, who nodded slightly.

So the guard grabbed the iron bolt on the iron gate that controlled the gate, and opened a hole that could only accommodate half a face.

It was pitch black in the cell.

and the eerie silence.

Until a rough voice slowly came from the dark cell:

"What a surprise."

"What brought the great iron-fisted king before a treacherous duke?"

The two guards bowed slightly, inserted the torches into the grooves on the rear wall, and left respectfully.

Under the light of the fire, the current Duke of the North, "Iron Eagle" Val Arend's haggard face with a scruffy beard, appeared at the gate on the iron gate.

Outside the door, the Supreme King of the Star Kingdom, King Kessel V, sat down gently on the chair that had been prepared outside the cell.

"I want to talk to you about what happened back then," Kessel said softly with a blank expression on his face, "During the Year of Blood, the Northern Territory fell."

Val's expression changed, and he disappeared behind the iron gate.

Then, his suppressed laughter came from the cell.

While the fire was flickering, Kessel remained silent and did not speak.

"There's nothing to talk about," the Duke of the North laughed enough, he said coldly: "When the battle was the most intense, I wasn't even in the North. My father, brother, wife, sister, they were the ones who were facing the war .”

"If you want to talk, go to Prison River and talk to them."

Kessel quietly looked at the bottomless darkness behind the gate, and let out a light breath.

"What I want to tell you is the real cause of the war." King Kessel V's voice was as powerful as before, but a little more sad and depressed, "Exter's invasion."

There was a moment of silence behind the iron gate.

"What do you mean?" Val's voice came slowly.

"The rebellion back then was very bad. The entire Blade Territory and half of the South Shore Territory... plus the Bone Tribe and Orcs in the West Wilderness Territory, one-third of the Land of Stars was burned in the flames of war," Kessel said calmly, It seems to be describing a very common thing:

"And after the suppression of the rebels' defection...we can't even get a ready-made army."

"So your uncle was sent to recruit new troops," Val snorted coldly behind the iron gate: "Starlight Legion."

Kessel nodded, though he knew Val couldn't see:

"Exter saw an opportunity. Nunn VII frequently contacted the princes. The invasion of the northern dragon is almost a foregone conclusion. They have set a schedule for recruiting troops, and they will go south to the stars in the spring of next year."

"Wait!" Val's tone changed, and he quickly realized something was wrong:

"Impossible, Exeter invaded in the winter of that year!"

This time the silence lasted especially long.

Kessel sighed deeply.

"Yes," the king uttered the dullest and indistinct voice from the bottom of his throat: "Because of an accident, they brought forward the invasion schedule."

Val's face reappeared behind the gate.

His face was cold, staring at Kessel outside the cell.

He realized the strangeness here.

"What accident?" The Duke of the North asked anxiously, "Why did Exeter move up the schedule?"

King Kessel stared at the ground, motionless.

"Answer me." Val gritted his teeth:

"Answer me, Kay!"

Kessel took a deep breath and looked back at his former close friend.

"When the news from the Northland was received, the entire court was in fear: the stars were powerless to fight on three fronts," Kessel said slowly:

"The court at the time came up with a plan."

"Delay Exeter's invasion schedule."

An unprecedented coldness hit Val's heart.

"Delay?" the Duke asked unconsciously.

Kessel nodded expressionlessly and said: "Stir up the conflict between Dragon Clouds City and Heisha Ling, so that they can't take care of themselves and have no intention of invading."

"boom!"

Val pounced, grabbed the two railings on the gate, gritted his teeth and stared at Kessel: "How?"

"The stars have sent assassins, mobilized all their forces, and targeted the two heirs of Dragon Cloud City and Black Sand Territory, Suriel Walton, and Harold Rumba," Kessel's voice changed. It became more and more hoarse, as if a force was devouring the strength in his strong body:

"That assassin should have blamed the death of one of the heirs on the other party's head, creating an irreparable rift between Longxiao City and Heisha collar."

Hearing this, Val's breathing became heavier and heavier.

"But an accident happened."

"For some reason, the assassin was discovered," Kessel said slowly, "and Suril Nunn's eldest son also died."

Val turned his back against the iron gate, expressionless.

"Although there is no evidence left, Nunn knows that we did it," Kessel closed his eyes. "What's worse, this exposed our falsehood and told them that we are powerless to resist the northern soldiers."

Kessel slowly opened his eyes, and his tone was full of exhaustion: "So Exter moved up the schedule and chose winter, the most unfavorable time for supply delivery, to send troops south."

Another long silence.

Until the Duke of the North broke the silence.

"Hahahaha..." Val smiled sadly:

"The assassination plan that should have delayed Exeter's attack, but instead facilitated and advanced their invasion schedule?"

"Hahahahahaha!"

Kessel didn't speak, just sat quietly.

"Who?" Val grabbed the iron door and gritted his teeth sadly: "Who came up with this damn plan!"

King Kessel looked at Val, seeing his expression of sadness, pain, anger, hatred and shock, and shook his head:

"Father was forced to do so: the Starlight Legion was defeated at first, and John retreated step by step, from the Emerald City to the Field of Fangs, and then withdrew all the way out of the Walla Corridor. The rebels even went deep into the city of Yongxing. Such a big comeback in such a short period of time."

"The entire court is shrouded in the shadow of subjugation," Kessel took a deep breath, "That's why there was that assassination."

Val's expression slowly froze, but his hand holding the cell door was constantly shaking.

"If, without this plan, without that assassination..." the Duke of the North murmured subconsciously.

Kessel put his hands on his knees and lowered his head gently: "Yes."

"If Exeter waits until the beginning of spring to attack," Kessel's face twisted slightly, he tried his best to control his neck, and nodded slightly tremblingly: "Now it seems that John's Star Legion has time to go north to support you The father and the fort."

"The Broken Dragon Fortress will not be breached."

"And neither Cold Castle nor... will fall."

"The North will remain intact."

Val slumped down behind the iron door.

"boom!"

There was the muffled sound of kneeling on the ground behind the iron gate.

And the pained growl suppressed by the Duke of the North.

Kessel just waited quietly.

The flickering fire light illuminated his side face, and the eyes of the Star King were completely numb.

For a long time.

"Where's that stupid assassin?" Val's slightly tuned sad voice came from behind the iron gate: "Did you dig out his heart?"

King Kessel V turned his head and looked at the empty void.

In the air, there was only Val Arend's low and suppressed sobs.

Kessel's eyes were full of complicated and inexplicable emotions.

"For that failed assassination," after an unknown amount of time, the supreme king of Xingchen, King Kessel Canxing V, looked at the void and said slowly with emotions that ordinary people couldn't understand: "That assassin is paying the price."

"He will be imprisoned forever behind a cursed mask, without seeing the light of day," the king's voice was extremely quiet: "In the endless loneliness and the boundless darkness, he will taste all the pain and suffer all kinds of tortures."

"With the rest of my humble life..."

"For the countless lives lost..."

"Serve your sentence." (To be continued.)