Everyone retreated from the meeting hall.
Only two figures, one big and one small, were left, sitting side by side on a flight of steps at the edge of the hall.
Thales felt slightly uneasy.
'This old man, why did he keep me here?
It can't really be for "a drink", right?
King Nuven was draped in a thick cotton robe, revealing his wrinkled but well-defined muscles. He looked at the bandages on his body with an unpleasant expression and raised his goblet.
"I'm old after all." King Nuven gulped down a mouthful of wine and moved his left arm. A pained expression appeared on his face. "In the past, I could have fought a battle of this intensity for a day and a night, but now …"
The old king snorted coldly and poured the rest of the wine down his throat.
Thales did not speak. He was trying his best to calm his slightly nervous breathing.
It was not that he did not have the experience of being alone with a king. In fact, his nominal father, King Kessel of Constellation, gave him more pressure. However, when Thales sat next to Nuven the Seventh, he always felt extremely uneasy, especially when the smell of the mixture of potion and blood wafted into his nostrils.
Perhaps it was because King Nuven had just killed someone with his own hands. Perhaps it was because the old king had lost all his blood relatives and lived alone in the unpredictable world. Perhaps it was because …
"Your plan is very risky." Thales' thoughts were interrupted. King Nuven scooped up another goblet of wine from the wine barrel and slowly said in his old voice, "If the murderer, Poffret, faced with such a situation, remained calm and did not react at all, what would you do?"
Thales exhaled.
'What should I do?'
"There is still a way." The Prince of Constellation tried his best to put on a warm smile. "Then, you can announce to the archdukes that you want to bring them along to meet Chapman Lampard openly and sincerely, shake hands, and make peace … I guess the murderer will definitely not be willing to go. He knows that if you and Lampard combine the information you have, it will be enough to force him into a corner."
King Nuven swirled the wine goblet in his hand and listened quietly.
"Of course, there is no need to take such a risk. We can completely set up the plan slowly and reveal the two pieces of information to the archdukes bit by bit." Thales shrugged. "But there is no other way. Marquis Shiles Bamra informed me that the two archdukes will be leaving in the morning. We only have one night left. We can only think of a way during the banquet …"
At this moment, King Nuven suddenly snorted.
The laughter went on for several seconds.
The old king's cryptic smile stunned Thales, and he stopped talking.
Suddenly, a thought flashed in Thales' mind.
It couldn't be.
"Wait, don't tell me …" Thales looked at King Nuven with an incredulous expression mixed with surprise and dissatisfaction. "You …"
King Nuven tilted his head and looked at Thales with a playful expression. Hidden in his green eyes was an emotionless, cold, and scrutinizing gaze. Thales felt a chill run down his spine.
Thales thought it through.
"None of the archdukes wanted to leave, right?" Thales closed his eyes and heaved a long sigh in indignation. "That was false information you deliberately gave us."
As Grand Dukes, it's impossible for them to just take a quick look at me before leaving.
"A bit of appropriate urging." King Nuven nodded nonchalantly. "It seems to be very effective."
An appropriate urge?
Very effective?
Thales recalled how panicked and flustered he was today, and he resisted the urge to ridicule them.
He adjusted his emotions. After all, this was Heroic Spirit Palace, and the Prince of Constellation was just a weak guest.
"But I have to say …" King Nuven put down his wine cup and stared at Thales. His gaze was complicated. "Well done."
Thales was slightly startled.
"Thank you, but …" Thales turned his head and snorted softly. "That plan was actually thought of by Putray, my vice diplomat and instructor. He reminded me that I could also use Lampard as a bargaining chip …" Thales turned his head around and snorted softly.
"But you are indeed the one who carried it out," King Nuven interrupted him, his gaze sharp. "You deserve this praise … For someone your age, it's practically a miracle to have such a performance."
Thales flashed a fake and ugly smile.
He did not want to appear like a monster — it was all forced by this world.
"Perhaps, the Jadestar Royal Family really produces such geniuses." King Nuven let out a long sigh.
Thales' gaze shifted.
"The Jadestar Royal Family's geniuses?" Thales asked keenly. "Who else?"
King Nuven chuckled. A reminiscent expression appeared on his face.
"Your father's elder brother, your grandfather's eldest son, Midier Jadestar," the old king said flatly. "He was also a precocious genius."
Thales' eyes brightened.
'Midier Jadestar.'
Thales recalled Gilbert and Lady Jines' attitude towards the late king's eldest son, the wise prince who was praised by everyone.
But at the same time, he also recalled Arunde, the Duke of the Northern Territory's despairing evaluation of Midier in Renaissance Palace: 'the gloomy eldest brother of the king'.
"When he was thirteen, he came to present his credentials. Before the two sides started fighting, he mediated the dispute over the hunting range of Pine Forest between Prestige Orchid Region, Black Sand Region, and Overwatch City. That was a year before I was crowned.
"It was also in this hall that he faced my father and the two Archdukes of Prestige Orchid Region and Black Sand Region." King Nuven sized up the Hall of Heroes, which was flickering in the firelight, and slowly said, "I saw the previous Archduke of Prestige Orchid Region, poor old Olsius, being choked speechless by a child in front of everyone's eyes."
"I see." Thales nodded awkwardly. "No wonder Olsius — that bearded man always found me an eyesore. It seems that we are indeed 'enemies'."
"Yes, I guess." King Nuven smiled. "My father passed away a year later, and Midier also played a part in it."
Thales awkwardly did not reply.
"Do you know, in the past, a strange so-called genius like you would have made me extremely fearful?" The old king tightened his robe again. His gaze was subtle. "Especially when you are the first, no, the only heir to the throne of Constellation."
Thales frowned slightly. King Nuven's gaze made him a little uncomfortable.
"Midier's death was really a pity … I have always been curious about what kind of king a man like him would become." King Nuven sighed, turned his head and stared straight at Thales. "But you still have a chance.
And a great chance.
"I believe that once you are crowned king, Constellation will be reborn." King Nuven's gaze began to become fierce. "Eckstedt will welcome a terrifying opponent."
Thales quivered. His nerves, which had just relaxed, tensed up again.
'No way.
'What are you talking about?
'What is this guy trying to do?'
He could not figure out King Nuven's intentions.
Thales endured King Nuven's gaze and tried his best to calm his increasingly rapid breathing.
King Nuven suddenly laughed in a strange manner.
"You don't have to be so nervous," he said flatly. His tone was filled with the unique dignity of a king. "I am not a man-eating beast."
Thales suppressed his desire to refute and forced an ugly smile. He glanced at the center of the hall from the corner of his eyes — it was where Poffret's neck was broken.
King Nuven noticed Thales' gaze and could not help but laugh.
"As the heir of a king, you will have to see blood sooner or later." The king took a sip of wine. His gaze was sharp. "This will help you."
Thales furrowed his brows.
'See blood.'
The look in Quide's eyes before he died appeared before his eyes. He remembered the feeling of the dagger in his hand piercing through flesh.
And the young Psionic assassin who could make a piercing demonic sound, and his wet, warm, beating … heart.
Thales forcibly suppressed a wave of discomfort.
King Nuven put down his wine goblet and asked slowly, "What are your thoughts after watching the duel just now?"
"It left a deep impression," the uneasy Thales answered honestly. "Especially when I saw how an old veteran defeated a young and energetic rookie."
King Nuven sneered.
"And the heroic duel customs of Northland were also an eye-opener for me." Thales carefully chose his words. "Of course, there was also your courage as the king of a kingdom to step into the duel arena."
"Hmph.
"When I initiated the duel, I saw your expression." King Nuven stared at Thales with a profound gaze. "You didn't think much of it, did you?"
Thales was slightly startled.
King Nuven continued to stare at him intently.
"Alright." Thales took a deep breath and said sheepishly, "You know, considering your age — after all, this matter concerns such a large kingdom. What if something goes wrong?"
A few seconds later.
Under Thales' nervous gaze, King Nuven suddenly said something out of the blue, "You know, the Walton Family and the Jadestar Family's relationship and connection started a long time ago."
Thales was puzzled.
King Nuven gently extended his right hand and flashed the black ring on his little finger. "Do you know what this is?"
Thales frowned.
Then, he shook his head honestly.
"This is' Triumph '." King Nuven smiled mysteriously. "It is also one of the origins of our two great families."
Thales could not help but be stunned.
'Triumph?'
He watched as King Nuven took off the ring, turned it to the inner ring, and showed it to Thales.
Thales narrowed his eyes. At the inner ring that King Nuven pointed at, he saw a pattern engraved on it. It seemed to be a …
'A winged horse?'
"This is the coat of arms of the Pegasus." King Nuven said flatly, "It has been the family emblem of the Carlose Family since Emperor Camelot established the Empire."
Thales was slightly startled.
'Pegasus.
'Imperial family? Carlose? '
"More than six hundred years ago, when Eckstedt and Constellation had just been established," King Nuven's tone was profound and distant. "Because of King Tormond's bloody methods against the existing nobles during his expansion, Eckstedt and Constellation broke out for the first time."
'Tormond's bloody methods …' Thales remembered something.
"Raikaru and Tormond, the King of Dragon Knights and the King of Renaissance, the Northlanders and the Empire, led the elite soldiers from the Battle of Eradication and met each other at the outskirts of Cold Castle.
"In the end, the two former kings each took a step back and signed the first peace treaty in the history of our two kingdoms. They agreed that the two kingdoms would govern the north and south separately, expand separately, and not interfere with each other."
King Nuven exhaled.
"That was the earliest contact between Eckstedt and Constellation."
Thales narrowed his eyes. He remembered what he saw in the library yesterday afternoon.
King Nuven was probably talking about the peace treaty signed by Tormond and Raikaru.
'If I remember correctly … Calendar of Eradication Year 11, Raikaru and Tormond, Eckstedt and Constellation's Agreement to Deal with the Border Issue?
'That's the name, right?'
"What the history books did not record was that the two former kings exchanged an ancestral treasure in private as a keepsake of the treaty." King Nuven put the ring back on his finger.
"This ring is the keepsake that King Tormond gave to King Raikaru." King Nuven inhaled and said to Thales, "It was passed down from Raikaru to his nephew, then to the Walton Family.
King Nuven took a deep breath and said to Thales, "This ring was the keepsake that King Tormond gave to King Raikaru.
"It has no name, but all the previous archdukes called it 'Triumph'." The king's tone was a little ethereal. His gaze drifted to another place.
'Triumph.'
Thales frowned slightly.
"It's a good name," he said cautiously. "It sounds inspiring."
"Inspiring?" King Nuven could not help but laugh.
"As I said, it was originally an ancestral treasure of the King of Renaissance, Tormond. It came from the first emperor of the Final Empire, who is also one of your ancestors." King Nuven stroked Triumph. His gaze was sharp as he said,
"Kessel Karlose the Sixth."
Thales' gaze shifted.
'Kessel?
An emperor with the same name as my father? '
King Nuven raised his gaze. "This ring once belonged to the famous Emperor Kessel the Sixth. It was passed down to King Tormond, who then gave it to Raikaru as a testament to their alliance.
"This Kessel the Sixth did not have a good reputation. His life was neither long nor short, but it was full of ups and downs. Countless opponents fell under his schemes and schemes." King Nuven inhaled and said solemnly, "And his greatest achievement was to restore the prestige of the Carlose Imperial Family during the chaos after the collapse of the Ancient Empire.
"His greatest achievement was in the chaos that followed the collapse of the Ancient Empire. He restored the prestige of the Carlose Empire and recaptured the City of Triumph from the hands of the rebel army and the feudal lords. That was how the Final Empire was established and lasted for three hundred years."
Thales nodded.
'The emperor who seized back the City of Triumph, the founder of the Final Empire.
'I see.
That's why it's called 'Triumph'.
"Do you know the nickname of that emperor?" King Nuven suddenly raised his head and looked at Thales with a ruminating gaze.
Thales was slightly stunned. He then continued to shake his head.
King Nuven's expression as he looked at Thales became more and more subtle.
This made the latter extremely uneasy.
"This small ring has a wide range of uses." King Nuven sighed and gently flicked the Ring of Triumph.
This time, Thales was truly stunned.
'A wide range of uses?'
Thales stared at the ring in a daze. A terrifying thought crept into his mind.
As expected, King Nuven's next words sent a chill down his spine. "The ring can hide three different types of medicinal foam, two different gases, and even a poisonous needle."
Hidden.
Poisonous needle?
As he listened to the old king's narration, Thales almost forgot to breathe.
However, King Nuven continued to speak.
"For example, when two people in a duel are in a stalemate …"
Thales shuddered violently.
"With a gentle turn of the mechanism, 'Triumph' can release the prepared Saier Grass poisonous gas at close range." King Nuven's gaze was extremely cold at this moment. His tone sounded extremely terrifying.
"The cost of refining it is very expensive, but it can unknowingly anesthetize the poisoned person's muscles and mind. During intense exercise, this poison will spread through the bloodstream. The poisoned person will feel a decline in strength, numbness in their muscles, and irritation and unease."
Decline in strength.
Numbness in muscles.
Irritation and unease.
The second prince was stunned.
Thales turned his head and looked at King Nuven in disbelief.
King Nuven also turned to look at him.
In the next second, the old king finally confirmed Thales' terrifying guess with a suspicious smile.
"What?"
Nuven Walton the Seventh, the Supreme King of Eckstedt, the most respected ruler of the Northlanders, stared at him with a profound gaze. "Do you really think that I, an old man who is almost seventy years old, can do such a thing?
"To be able to easily defeat a man in his prime whose stamina, reflexes, strength, and speed are at their peak, and who has received Northland combat training all year round?"
Thales stared at King Nuven in shock.
Nuven flashed a meaningful smile.
Thales' mind was in a mess.
He replayed every scene of the duel in his mind, and then he grabbed the fragment that best fit the description in front of him.
Poffret gasped for air.
He missed his axe almost every time.
There was also the young archduke's final hysteria.
Seriously?
Thales did not know what kind of expression he should have at that moment. He did not know what kind of expression he should have.
He only stared intently at King Nuven.
"Did I forget to tell you?"
"The nickname of the founder of the Final Empire, Kessel the Sixth." King Nuven smiled. His expression was mysterious as he softly uttered three words.
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