"Alright, he's awake …"
Thales woke up amidst a chaotic crowd. The moment he opened his eyes, he saw Ramon's big nose.
'What happened just now?
The Mystic Gun hit me …
'Did I lose control again?'
He panted. Ramon was squeezed out of his field of vision, followed by Putray's thin face, Wya's anxious expression, and Aida's half face under the cloak.
"What's wrong?" Thales asked weakly.
"Get out of the way, get out of the way! Respect the doctor! "Ramon's dissatisfied voice came from the side." Give us an empty space! His Highness needs further examination! "
The three faces in his field of vision disappeared, and Ramon's big nose reappeared.
"How am I?" Thales asked softly as he felt his entire body.
"You are fine now. In fact, most people do not have your vitality and recovery ability …" Ramon frowned and said with a disheveled expression, "But your body …"
"Alright," Thales interrupted him and struggled to sit up. He exercised his right arm and observed his surroundings. "Now is not the time to talk about this."
Ramon clearly felt the abnormality in his body … But how could he talk about it in this place?
However, Ramon did not seem to want to give up, and his next sentence made Thales clench his fists.
"Listen, Your Highness." Ramon was bandaging his shoulder that was injured during the chaotic battle just now. He clenched his teeth and said softly, "The others might not know, but I can feel that those Mystic Guns did not miss their target … Instead, you did something to make them miss their target …" Ramon wrapped up his shoulder that was injured during the chaotic battle just now.
'What?'
Thales tried his best to control his astonishment and not show that he was too shocked.
'What did he know?'
"I don't know what you're talking about," Thales replied bluntly, "I should get up … and tell them that the prince is fine."
But Ramon still chattered on with a dissatisfied expression, "Whether it's a psionic ability or something else … Judging by their reactions, I guess this is not something that everyone knows. But it's okay, I'm not interested in your secret, there's just one thing …"
He lowered his head and said fiercely, "Let me go after we cross the border. I don't want to join your damn journey anymore! Or else … "
"Or else what?" Thales turned his head abruptly and glared at him. "Use that power of yours that can bring people back to life to deal with me?"
Ramon was slightly stunned.
"You are not a doctor, Ramon," Thales whispered coldly. "Yes, I know this very well. You use another kind of power to treat people …"
"I guess this isn't something that everyone knows, right?" He looked at Ramon's incredulous expression and tapped his forehead.
"We'll talk about this later."
Thales stood up, leaving behind the dumbfounded Ramon.
The Mystic Gun troops in the distance had already retreated. The Fury Guards were cleaning up the battlefield, tying the corpses of their comrades to ropes. Everyone's face was filled with sorrow and anger.
Damn it.
Thales sighed and clenched his fists. 'If this is what I have to face in the future …'
Damn it.
He lifted his head. Eckstedt's military camp was right in front of him.
"What happened?" He waved his hand to indicate that he was fine. "The Eckstedtians … let us go?"
"They retreated after the first round failed." Putray frowned and looked at Thales. "Are you sure you're alright?"
"I'm fine. I was just exhausted just now … I feel very good now," Thales said in an unquestionable tone.
"What exactly is a Mystic Gun?" Thales asked with lingering fear as he clutched his chest.
"A powerful weapon for attacking and defending cities." Putray shook his head. "But each round costs a lot of money, is hard to come by, and is inefficient."
'No.
'That's not right.
'It's not that simple, from the strange name to the mysterious working principle.'
Thales thought to himself.
"With all due respect, Your Highness, are you really alright? You even stopped breathing just now … "Wya shook his head worriedly and walked to his side.
"I said, I'm fine now," Thales interrupted him coldly. "We have more important things to do."
Wya frowned.
'This is a secret that I must keep.
'Sorry.'
Thales raised his head apologetically to Wya and looked in front of him.
"What is that?" Thales narrowed his eyes.
Not far in front of him, Arracca, who was covered in wounds, was glaring at a knight in gray armor who was riding on a horse.
"One of Eckstedt's' Five War Generals', the wielder of the legendary anti-mystic equipment 'Rising Sun Saber'," Putray said warily. "The Fiery Knight, Rom Tolja."
Putray shook his head. "It seems that Lampard sent him here alone to make peace. If Lampard really went crazy and wanted to kill us all, why did he give up halfway?"
'Yes.
'At the end of the day, Lampard has no reason to kill me.
'Then why …'
"But we have already come this far," Putray said slowly. "There is no turning back now."
Thales nodded lightly.
"You are Prince Thales?" Tolja saw Thales from afar.
"I am Rom Ford Tolja." The knight in gray armor looked at Arracca warily and said slowly, "Sir Chapman Lampard invites you to meet him."
Thales sighed and strode forward.
"The Archduke of Black Sand Region … I thought he would be friendlier." Thales looked around and saw the charred corpses on the ground, as well as the soldiers and diplomat group members covered in cuts and bruises. He suppressed the dissatisfaction in his heart. "He wouldn't hypocritically extend an invitation after killing most of our people."
Tolja raised his head and looked at Broken Dragon Fortress in the distance.
"If you have any opinions, you can ask the archduke himself." The Fire Knight's gaze under his gray helmet was sharp and profound. "I am only responsible for bringing you to him."
Thales clenched his teeth and exhaled.
At this moment, the ferocious-looking Arracca strode towards Tolja. "Have you forgotten something? An Eckstedtian? "
The Kingdom's Wrath's words were filled with anger.
"Forget it, Arracca. Go back." Tolja looked at the Kingdom's Wrath, whose gaze was hostile, and turned his horse around. "The archduke does not welcome you … neither you nor your guards.
"You are only here to escort the prince, aren't you?
"Lampard does not welcome me. What kind of joke is this?" Arracca said fiercely. "His brother died in his hands, and his father died in my hands. With this in common, we should be able to chat very well."
Thales furrowed his brows.
"Especially when I killed so many of his soldiers, and he also killed so many of mine …" Arracca said coldly, "We will definitely become 'good friends'."
"The battle is over. You cannot change its outcome." Tolja answered nonchalantly, as though he was already used to the other party's provocation. "The dead who died in the battle are certainly worthy of commemoration, but the living cannot forget their mission.
"What is your mission? Arracca? "
Arracca lowered his head and looked at a charred corpse that was tied to a makeshift tow rope nearby. He clenched his fists tighter and tighter.
"You fought very bravely, but your mission has been completed." Tolja stared coldly at his opponent. "You should be glad that we did not take the opportunity to snatch the Motionless Bow.
"Why don't you try?" Arracca fiercely grabbed the Motionless Bow and stood one end in the snow. "You brought that knife anyway, didn't you?"
"One day, I will." Tolja's eyes shone brightly. He shook his head. "But not now."
"One day," he said slowly, "we will settle all our debts of blood."
Arracca stared at him and let out a disconcerting sneer.
"Your Highness?" Tolja did not look at Arracca again. He nodded slightly on his horse and extended his hand in the direction of the military camp.
Thales glanced at Putray. The latter gave him a supportive look.
"I think we do not have any other choice, right?" Thales looked at the gray-armored knight. The latter smiled at him.
"Alright." Thales looked at the messy battlefield and exhaled. He walked forward. "Let us go and see the organizer of this welcoming ceremony."
Thales looked at Arracca, whose expression was hard to read. "Thank you, Baron Murkh."
"And your … Kingdom's Wrath," Thales added hesitantly.
Arracca did not respond. He only watched silently as his guards cleaned up the battlefield.
Thales sighed and lowered his head. He turned around and walked towards the military camp.
Putray was the first to catch up with Thales. Wya and Ralf followed closely behind him. Aida looked at the corpses around her and walked to the back of the group.
Willow supported Genard. Ramon, on the other hand, followed Thales in dissatisfaction after being pushed by a few soldiers.
"Child!"
Thales turned around in surprise.
On the snow-covered ground, Arracca lowered his head and put the Motionless Bow back on his back.
"More than half of my soldiers, including your diplomat group, died," the Kingdom's Wrath said quietly, "just to send you here."
Arracca Murkh raised his head. His eyes were filled with emotions that Thales could not understand.
"Do not let them die in vain."
Thales was stunned.
But the Kingdom's Wrath had already turned around.
Arracca grabbed a rope and dragged the corpses of four to five soldiers. Without turning his head, he walked back the way he came.
Behind him were the remaining Fury Guards and the corpses of their comrades, who were either intact or incomplete, who were dragged along the snow-covered ground with ropes.
His back was lonely.
—
The Eckstedtians' military camp appeared wild and crude. The camp walls were simply built from tree trunks cut from the coniferous forest beside them. The tents that the soldiers rested in were built from thick branches. But in comparison, the Eckstedtians left a deeper impression on Thales.
They were really too 'passionate'.
Thales even suspected that if Tolja had not led his horse and led the way at the front, the Eckstedtians would have pounced on them.
The Eckstedtian soldiers who were standing guard stared at the group of Constellatiates with hostile expressions. There was even a sentinel who spat fiercely at his feet.
A group of cavaliers who had just returned to the camp passed by them. They looked at the Constellation flag that they held high and let out provocative laughter at them.
"Go back, Southerners." An Eckstedtian soldier who carried heavy armor and a greatsword shouted at the diplomat group in disgust, "Northland does not welcome the people of the Empire!
"Just keep dreaming about the Empire!" A half-naked burly man sat by the bonfire and sharpened a greataxe. He pounded his chest and roared, "First, we have to spit out our territory! Northland only belongs to the Northlanders!
"They killed our prince, but sent a child to sue for peace!" They walked past a circle of soldiers who were sitting on the left. A leading soldier pointed at the diplomat group and scolded, "This is the shamelessness of the 'Empire'!"
The people around them responded angrily and glared at them.
"Do you know why?" The soldier said loudly, "Because all the men in their country were killed by us twelve years ago!"
The people around him burst into laughter and echoed his words. "They should have sent a princess!"
"A little boy is fine too," a soldier said mockingly, "As long as he's pretty enough, we don't care if he's in front or behind!"
Another round of laughter rang out.
Thales raised his head and sighed. "Should I be surprised? Or is this how the Eckstedtians say 'hello' to the Constellatiates?"
"Do not be surprised, Your Highness." Putray said to the stiff Thales in a relaxed manner.
"The relationship between Constellation and Eckstedt has never been good since the founding of the country more than six hundred years ago. Whether it is the history of the Empire or the competition in the Western Peninsula, they are enough reasons for our hostility. Cold Castle was snatched from Eckstedt by us four hundred years ago.
"History was the first to breed hatred, and hatred is the first to write history."
Putray sighed.
"Only the Peninsular War can make us temporarily forget our opinions of each other and fight side by side, which is rare. During the Third Peninsular War, the hero Chara and the Oath Keeper King Midier were close friends. Together with Camus Union's Prophet Kai Peng, they worked together to fight against the Eastern Peninsula's expeditionary army. Unfortunately, they turned against each other in the end, and the rare chance for the Dragon and Constellation to mend their relationship was lost just like that.
"But this is a military camp. Other places are much better. Many Northlanders do not care about those meaningless things." Wya nodded. "After all, the civilians who work hard for survival are different from the soldiers who have tasted blood."
"They call us' citizens of the Empire '. Why?" Thales frowned and asked, "Isn't the Final Empire a history from more than six hundred years ago? Even if there is a real grudge, it has to be traced back to the Ancient Empire more than a thousand years ago, right? "
"This is their mockery of us." Putray shook his head and said with a complicated expression, "The Constellatiates have always been proud of the Empire's bloodline and inheritance, but unfortunately, the Empire did not leave a good impression on the world.
"It's not just the Northlanders. The people in Alumbia Kingdom in Thornland and Anlenzo Dukedom in Dragon-Kissed Basin also do not have a good impression of us. Whenever there is a need, such as during a war, this ancient emotion that has been passed down from generation to generation will be exaggerated and exaggerated. It is much more effective than increasing the soldiers' rewards."
'The Empire.
'The citizens of the Empire.'
Thales sighed and hid this information in his mind.
"Speaking of which, the recruitment of more than ten thousand people is almost the limit of Black Sand Region." Putray looked at the densely packed military camp in front of him. "I think Lampard's supplies and expenses are also quite difficult. Black Sand Region is not a rich place.
"For the Northern Territory. They must have planned for a long time and spent a lot. "
The Constellatiates finally followed Tolja and walked to a huge tent.
A tall nobleman in military attire who had been waiting in front of the tent walked forward and nodded slightly at Tolja.
The tall nobleman bowed to Thales and said, "Is this Prince Thales? It's our first meeting. I am Lhasa Kentvida.
"Viscount of Eckstedt, my fief is located in Black Sand Region's Halting Light City.
"Everyone in the diplomat group, please follow me to rest. As for His Highness …" Viscount Kentvida nodded and looked at Thales. "The Archduke is waiting for your visit."
Thales raised his eyebrows.
"This is a private meeting." Kentvida stared at Thales with a burning gaze. "The Archduke of Black Sand Region and the Prince of Constellation."
"Do not worry." Viscount Kentvida raised his hand and stopped Putray and Wya, who wanted to say something. His tone was firm. "His Highness is already here. At least before we reach Dragon Clouds City and meet His Majesty, he will be fine."
Thales sighed softly and smiled. "I think we still don't have much of a choice, don't we?"
"Do you know, Your Highness, I suddenly thought it through," Putray said quietly, his eyes shining brightly. "Lampard is not crazy."
Thales thought of something.
Kentvida furrowed his brows and gestured for Thales to go ahead.
—
The archduke's own tent was tall and spacious, but it was not bright. The ground was covered with a thick carpet, embroidered with the picture of a powerful iron fist.
A rough-looking man in his forties sat beside a thick square table filled with food. He had gray hair and blue eyes. His chin was covered in stubble, and he wore a chain armor with fine iron rings. He was chewing on a plate of roasted meat on the table.
An iron brazier burned fiercely by the side, illuminating the man's face, making it look even more mysterious.
Thales noticed that a saber with a polished leather scabbard was also placed horizontally on the table.
He calmly stared at the actual ruler of Black Sand Region, Archduke Chapman Lampard.
Lampard stuffed a ball of roasted meat into his mouth while staring at him, making Thales feel uncomfortable.
"You're calmer than I thought."
The archduke said slowly.
Thales sighed.
"Perhaps." He walked to the table, climbed onto a chair, and sat down. "But in the face of an enemy who owes me hundreds of lives, I really can't think of any other expression … Even anger seems unnecessary."
Lampard picked up a wooden wine cup and poured the wine into his mouth. His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed.
The archduke put down the wine cup and wiped away the wine that flowed out with the back of his left hand. He grabbed a piece of hind leg meat and took a bite.
"According to the news that spread from Constellation … You really don't look like a seven-year-old child."
"When life isn't easy, you have to learn to mature earlier." Thales shrugged.
"Eat up, this is good venison." Lampard pushed a plate of roasted meat over. "The Prince of Constellation can't starve to death in my military camp."
Thales stared at the crudely styled roasted meat and frowned.
"All of you have guts. Your counterattack was indeed beyond my expectations," Lampard said coldly.
"Who made this decision? Maybe I should reward him properly. He ruined all my years of planning. "
"You." Thales pulled the plate in front of him. Without raising his head, he took out his dagger and started cutting the meat.
Lampard raised his eyebrows.
"This is your decision, Your Grace." Thales cut the venison and said calmly, "You killed half of our men on the first day I stepped into Eckstedt's borders … You forced us to choose the path that was most disadvantageous to you."
"How long have you been standing here and looking at the fortress opposite you every day? Two weeks? Three weeks? "
"I guess it's not easy to maintain the supplies, food, and lodging for more than ten thousand people?" Thales shrugged. "I'm really worried about Black Sand Region's finances."
He picked up a piece of venison the size of a thumb and put it in his mouth.
'It tastes good.'
Lampard stopped eating and drinking. He stared straight at Thales with a fierce look in his eyes.
"You know," the archduke said slowly, "I originally planned to spare your life and only kill the people around you."
Thales frowned.
His venison was not cut well.
"But we encountered the Mystic Gun Unit … That level of attack …" Thales snorted softly and began to cut off a piece of meat. "It was to kill me."
"That was an accident," Lampard said flatly.
"An accident …" Thales was so angry that he laughed. He put down the dagger in his hand. "Your Mystic Gun …"
But he was immediately stunned.
'Wait.
Putray said that Lampard did not go crazy.
'So …'
Thales stared at Lampard in a daze.
'Could it be …'
"That was an accident?" Thales asked in disbelief.
"It was an accident." Lampard placed his arms on the table, his eyes burning.
Thales closed his eyes and exhaled deeply.
After a while …
Thales opened his eyes and said with certainty, "You did not send out the Mystic Gun Unit."
"I did not." Lampard put down his wine glass and shook his head slowly.
"You did not intend to kill me either," Thales continued.
"I did not." Lampard's eyes were burning.
Thales clenched his teeth.
"So that's how it is." He exhaled and laughed. "Someone else is commanding the Mystic Gun Unit."
'Lampard had no reason to kill me from the beginning.
'The Mystic Gun Unit is an uncontrollable killing weapon … No matter how stupid he is, he will not use this kind of thing against me.'
Thales sighed.
Lampard closed the wooden plate with the venison, pulled it in front of him, and grabbed a piece of meat.
"You are much smarter than I thought." Lampard's expression was unpleasant. He stuffed the meat into his mouth and narrowed his eyes slightly. "Do you understand why we met here?
"Yes, I understand." Thales wiped the dagger with his sleeve and put it back on his waist. He sighed and said, "But I really did not expect that the command of the Mystic Gun Unit under the command of the famous Archduke of Black Sand Region would be so easily tricked by someone."
Lampard suppressed his anger. "That officer is called Hardy. He has been in charge of training my Mystic Gun Unit since three years ago. The commander of the unit fell ill this morning, so he is only temporarily in charge."
"How is he?" Thales asked quietly.
"After the signal to retreat was sounded, he still ordered a second attack, but there were soldiers who immediately questioned his orders," Lampard said gloomily. "Then, Hardy did not hesitate to slit his neck and committed suicide … We are still investigating the person behind him."
"This also explains why you hurriedly blew the signal to retreat after only one shot." Thales sneered. "Even the command malfunctioned … Sorry, I really do not know what expression to use at this time."
Archduke Lampard pursed his lips tightly and said nothing.
"Their goal should be to use you to kill me, or to use my death to plot against you." Thales sneered. "I think the latter is more likely. My enemies are all in the country."
"The higher you stand," Lampard said quietly, "the more enemies there will be."
"So, the sudden accident also made you cancel your plan." Thales snorted. "Were you originally prepared to humiliate me by capturing me and see if the fortress would waver?"
There was silence.
Lampard opened the bottle of rye wine beside him and filled his empty goblet.
"I hate to say this, but King Kessel made a good move. He pushed you out," Archduke Lampard said calmly. "The moment you stepped into my military camp, I could no longer take down the fortress and the Northern Territory.
"And the oath he made in Renaissance Palace was equivalent to forging a suit of armor for you with the ownership of royal power." Lampard raised his goblet and said quietly, "If you die in Eckstedt, no matter who did it, the neighboring Black Sand Region will only suffer."
"So, once you realized that you could not take down Broken Dragon Fortress, and realized that there were actually people eyeing you covetously, you immediately changed your attitude and wanted to rope me in?" Thales said coldly.
Lampard drank a mouthful of wine expressionlessly and said, "Kessel's oath dispelled some people's desire to take your life, but it also aroused the ambition of others to take your life.
"Today's Mystic Gun is just the beginning. We have a common enemy lurking in the dark, whether it is for the throne of Eckstedt or the throne of Constellation." The Archduke of Black Sand Region's voice was steady and solemn. "From the moment you stepped into Eckstedt and the Northern Territory, our interests were tied together."
"Yes." Thales lowered his head. His voice was steady and indifferent. "My death in Eckstedt is not a good thing for either of us."
Archduke Lampard's expression softened a little. "I will allocate two thousand men, led by Kentvida, my most trusted vassal, to escort you to Dragon Clouds City. You will arrive directly at the Walton Family's territory. The king's emissary is already waiting for you.
"But my men died on the battlefield. They stood in front of me and were pierced by knives, swords, and spears." Thales raised his head with a gloomy expression. "We have also killed many of your men."
Lampard closed his eyes and muttered to himself for a moment.
Thales stared at him expressionlessly.
"Those warriors … whether they were my soldiers or your subordinates, they will not have died in vain. They died a worthy death." Lampard opened his eyes. "It is precisely because of their sacrifice that we can understand each other, and that we can sit here and make a difficult choice for the future of our two kingdoms … even if it is extremely difficult."
"We have never been enemies. Our hostility on the battlefield was only forced by the situation," Lampard said softly. "For the future, so that today's senseless bloodshed will not happen again, we should cast aside our past grudges. This is what we should do.
"War is for peace, isn't it?"
Thales suddenly smiled.
"Well said, Your Grace." He chuckled with an indecipherable expression. "There are no eternal enemies, only eternal interests."
"As you said, from now on, we have no reason to be enemies with each other." The archduke nodded and raised his wine glass. "You have eaten my venison. According to Northland's customs, you are my guest."
"This is good rye wine." Lampard pushed his glass over. His gaze was profound. "And according to Northland's customs, we are allies after drinking the same glass of wine.
"From manpower, information, resources, and financial resources, I will provide you with all the conveniences in Eckstedt. Our enemies will not have any chance." Archduke Lampard nodded. "Until you leave Eckstedt and return to Constellation.
"Even until the day you …" Lampard revealed a strange gaze.
Lampard had a strange look on his face. "To be crowned king."
There was silence.
Thales suddenly smiled.
"My experience tells me to be cautious with those who want to become your allies, no matter how sweet and sincere they are," Thales said flatly. "And I cannot trust you, Your Grace."
"Hmph." Archduke Lampard's expression darkened. He snorted coldly. "Just because so many of your men died?
"Not only that.
"It's also because of the indifference and hypocritical coldness you showed towards the deaths and sacrifices of your subordinates," Thales said coldly. "By forming an alliance with you, our alliance is destined to be betrayed. Compared to the possible benefits I might gain from carrying out the alliance, I can say with certainty that when the alliance is broken, the losses I suffer will far exceed the benefits I gain."
"And I am deeply touched by this."
Thales looked at Lampard and watched as the latter's expression slowly darkened.
"Also, I hate what you said." Thales recalled Arracca's lonely back. He clenched his teeth and shook his head. "Those people on the battlefield … they died for your selfish desires.
"As for nonsense like 'they died a worthy death' and 'war is for peace' … I'll leave it to you." Thales grabbed his wine glass and sneered.
There was silence.
"At first, I thought you were mature and steady, with wisdom beyond your age." Lampard snorted coldly and shook his head. "But now, you are acting like a child."
"You are right," Thales said coldly.
He poured the wine in his glass and said to the gloomy Archduke Lampard,
"And children cannot drink."
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