"Just like this," the old man said slowly, "The Soul Slayer Pike will never stop.
"Until all of our enemies are destroyed."
"Or until the Waltons are wiped out.
"But when that time comes, I swear in the name of the previous kings that the world will come to an end."
The old man's words fell softly, but Thales sensed that the five archdukes on either side of him moved, either naturally or unnaturally, in the darkness.
"I believe that this is a great weapon, but destruction and revenge alone may not be enough to sustain its brilliance," Thales said meaningfully, "Since it was once held in the hands of such a great person, I believe that Raikaru's wisdom, valiance, personality, and brilliance are also the reasons why the Soul Slayer Pike is so great."
According to the plan, an expected conflict would occur between Nuven and Thales.
The hunter's trap would be laid at that time.
The old man did not answer.
Although he knew that it was an act, Thales still curled up the corners of his mouth awkwardly.
The atmosphere was very stiff.
At that moment, Thales could understand what the suzerains of Constellation thought when they looked at Kessel.
'"No one knows what a king who lives alone and without any scruples will do …" The scene of the One-Eyed Dragon Koshder forcing Thales to abdicate in the Hall of Stars was still vivid in his mind.
Thales suddenly became inexplicably nervous.
He swallowed a mouthful of saliva and bowed respectfully on the spot.
"Thales Jadestar, as the Second Prince of Constellation, representing my father, His Majesty Kessel Jadestar, the thirty-ninth Supreme King of Constellation, the Southern Islands, and the Western Desert." Thales controlled his body to not be nervous. This became easier after he obtained that fluctuating power. At the same time, he recited the lines he had practiced. "I am here to visit the glorious Eckstedt and the glorious Dragon Clouds City. I am here to visit the Archduke of Dragon Clouds City, who is equally respected and famous …"
"Also the ruler of the entire Eckstedt Kingdom, the common-elected king …
"'The Born King', King Nuven Walton."
'The Born King.'
This was Nuven the Seventh's nickname. Not many people used it, but it was widely known.
Because people often said that when he was young, he showed the talent to be a suzerain who could govern a territory.
He was almost born to be king.
Thales lifted his body and stared at the old man's cold and stern expression, which did not change at all. After taking a deep breath, he slowly said,
"My father and I both deeply understand your loss and sorrow."
"He asked me to represent the Jadestar Family to express his deepest apologies to you and the Walton Family, and to express his condolences for Prince Moriah's misfortune."
It was a matter of enmity between two families, and not between two kingdoms. That was what Putray had warned him before the battle.
"But he believes in your character and ability. He believes that you can make the best choice. The Jadestar Family is willing to provide all possible help to make up for and save the tragic consequences."
"And I am here," Thales said, "with the most peaceful and friendly message from the Jadestar Family."
Now, he was waiting for the other party's response.
What followed was silence.
For a time, Thales could only hear the muffled sounds from the furnace and the cold wind outside the stone hall.
Five pairs of eyes stared at him in the dark.
The old man, the only one who had the right to reply, did not move either. His green eyes were as dull as ever.
Just when he felt as if a century had passed, the common-elected king of Eckstedt, the Archduke of Dragon Clouds City, the Born King, King Nuven the Seventh finally inhaled slowly. He raised his head and looked at Thales with a weary and weary face.
"I am very old.
Only slightly younger than your grandfather, King Aydi of Constellation. But I don't have as many children as he does. "King Nuven sighed. The rhythm of his words was extremely slow, making others feel the eerie chill in his tone." I only had my eldest son when I was thirty years old.
"And Moriah … was a child I only had in my forties.
"I still remember that when he was your age, he used to lean against my seat here and beg me to let him go out of the palace to hunt with the help of the White Blade Guards."
King Nuven's expression was numb. His gaze was filled with complicated nostalgia and sorrow.
"I always agreed with a smile.
"But after his elder brother passed away, I was always careful." Nuven narrowed his eyes and shook his head slowly. "I could not let him suffer even the slightest bit of harm … I could not …
"But logic still told me." King Nuven straightened his body. His tone was calm as he approached Thales. "Children have to grow up in the midst of setbacks."
The hall was silent for more than ten seconds.
Only the breathing of the archdukes on both sides could be heard.
Logic told Thales that even if it was an act, Nuven's current emotions were definitely not fake. It was best for him not to speak.
'If all of this is Nuven's plan …'
Finally, King Nuven exhaled. He closed his eyes and said slowly,
"The day before I sent him south, Moriah told me that he had a sweetheart, but she did not come from a good background.
"So he came to beg for my help, hoping that I would allow and bless their union.
"I was not very happy …"
King Nuven leaned against the back of his chair dejectedly. "Do you know what I said to him?"
As usual, an ominous feeling enveloped Thales' heart.
He comforted himself that everything was under King Nuven's control.
"I said …"
King Nuven opened his eyes and looked at his open right palm. He said numbly and coldly,
"'We'll talk about it when you come back.'
"That's what I said …"
"Wait for you …" King Nuven's voice began to tremble uncontrollably.
The archdukes turned to their king. Their expressions were indecipherable.
"Come back …"
The next moment, King Nuven suddenly clenched his right fist and slammed it on the long table.
* Thud! *
Thales did not even dare to breathe loudly. He quietly watched as a father who had lost his son expressed his grief in a very real manner.
"That was my only, only son left …" The old man's expression became gloomy and unreadable.
"I should have watched him become a real man and warrior. Then, before I died, I should have handed over my position, my wealth, my power, my everything to him, to Moriah." Nuven the Seventh's tone was filled with remorse and despair.
"But now, I can only sit here and listen to a brat's insincere apology." King Nuven's tone became flatter, but the atmosphere was getting more and more uncomfortable. "Listen to him say, 'I'm sorry, your son died in our place.'
"And I can do nothing."
Thales' heart sank.
It was still alright before, but now this rhythm …
'This is bad.
'Is the rough part coming?'
He secretly reminded himself.
The old king heaved a long sigh. His sorrowful mood obviously made the archdukes uncomfortable. They quickly looked at each other and exchanged glances.
"Why?" King Nuven raised his head. He furrowed his brows and continued in a low voice, "Because I am a king."
"Because I am almost seventy years old. Because I have a family on my shoulders. Because I have to maintain the balance of the kingdom …
"Because if I do anything to this child, I will have to pay the price of an all-out war. I will not rest until I die …"
Thales' expression changed. He said softly, "Your Majesty, I sincerely brought Constellation and Jadestar's —"
"Sincerely?"
But Nuven did not give him a chance to speak. Instead, he cut him off with a numb expression and a cold tone, "Believe me, when you are my age, when your only son was slaughtered like livestock in the wild …
"You'll find that there's nothing …"
Is more sincere than that kind of hatred and anger. "
The archdukes adjusted their sitting posture unnaturally, but none of them made a sound.
"Especially when, in the face of all this … as a king, I can't do anything."
Thales hurriedly adjusted his breathing and thought about the wording of his response.
'How will King Nuven use this situation to set up a trap to lure out the secret collaborator?'
Nicholas and Shiles did not say much.
He turned his gaze to the five archdukes who hid their faces in the dark.
'Who is it?'
"Do you know, your father is very smart. He asked you to apologize. This way, he protected you and averted the disaster of war at the same time." King Nuven raised his left hand and clenched it into a fist in the air. His voice was still trembling, but it had slowly calmed down.
"But he is humiliating me, humiliating a father's dignity, mocking my incompetence …
"He sent the son he had just found to another father who had lost his son."
"Apologize?"
The king's expression was cold and calm, but Thales became more and more frightened.
'That's not right.
'This is obviously an act. Yes.' Thales felt the atmosphere in front of him and tried hard to calm his breathing. He repeated to himself, 'Just like what Nicholas and Shiles said …
'King Nuven will be very tough on me …
'Even a little … rough.
'What I need to do is …'
* Clang! *
At this moment, Thales' attention was attracted by the crisp sound of metal.
"Your Majesty!"
An archduke who was closest to the king cried out in surprise.
Just now, King Nuven pulled out the saber from the archduke's waist with a cold expression!
Thales sucked in a breath of cold air.
'Isn't this just an act … Really, he has to resort to violence?'
King Nuven relaxed his arm.
* Thud! *
A cross-shaped longsword was thrown from afar.
It landed on the ground in front of Thales with a clang.
The latter could not help but take a step back.
At this moment, the almost indifferent figures of the archdukes entered Thales' eyes.
Thales could only passively wait for King Nuven's next move. At the same time, he forced himself to start thinking about the archdukes in front of him.
'What are they thinking? Can they not react in the face of such a situation as the Prince of Constellation?
'Will they see through this act? It had to be known that even though Nicholas' performance earlier …
'Wait a minute.
'No!'
Thales gritted his teeth and stared in disbelief at the suzerain's longsword embedded with precious rubies.
'Something must be wrong.'
At this moment …
A crucial question that he had not thought of all this while flashed across Thales' mind.
'Nicholas and Shiles, the two people who proposed to me King Nuven's willingness to work together.
'One is the leader of the White Blade Guards, the other is King Nuven's reliable trading partner.
'But … are they really just serving King Nuven?'
Looking at it from a more terrifying perspective, are they really Nuven the Seventh's men? '
Thales felt a chill in his heart.
'If not …
'Then their so-called' Nuven's proposal '…
'The so-called trap … The so-called hunt …'
At this thought, Thales could not help but tremble with his tightly clenched left hand.
'It can't be?'
"You're here to apologize?" Under the gazes of all the archdukes, Nuven the Seventh calmly raised his head. "How brave.
"Let us see how brave you are." King Nuven stared at him expressionlessly.
"A sincere apology, of course, cannot stop at words."
Thales' pupils shrank abruptly.
Marquis Shiles' words rang in his ears again.
'King Nuven will show a tough attitude towards you. It may be … a little rough.'
'A little rough?'
In the next second, Nuven the Seventh's unquestionable words traveled into his ears.
"Pick up this sword."
Under the different reactions of all the archdukes, King Nuven's expression was as cold as ice.
He enunciated each word clearly, "Slit your own throat."
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