"How are we going to end this?"
In the moving carriage, Lampard lowered his head and absent-mindedly fiddled with his saber. His expression was subtle, but he did not answer.
"King Nuven is dead, but Dragon Clouds City is still powerful. There are still four important archdukes in Heroic Spirit Palace. I don't think they're fools." Thales observed the archduke's expression and said cautiously, "And the Prince of Constellation assassinating the common-elected king — this result will definitely not satisfy everyone, especially when the army of Black Sand Region suddenly appeared."
Thales stared at Lampard's face and said softly, "How are you going to explain this to them? Or do you want to kill them all and be done with it? "
Lampard did not say a word. His expression was wooden.
Thales clenched his fists slightly.
The carriage was still moving forward. He did not know how far away it was from Heroic Spirit Palace.
He also did not know how far away he was from the end of his life.
'There's no other way.
I have to take a drastic measure. '
Thales took a deep breath and said flatly, "If nothing goes wrong, once the news of Nuven's death spreads, the King Selection Congress will be held soon. Do you think you still have a chance?"
As expected, Lampard's gaze moved and he looked at him.
Thales suppressed the nervousness in his heart and responded with the calmest expression.
"Not to mention that you're Nuven's enemy and have a terrible reputation for killing your brother," Thales said word by word. "The archdukes will not let you become king."
Lampard's gaze was fixed on his sword.
"King?" The archduke raised his voice and uttered the word in a questioning tone. Then, he snorted softly and repeated it sarcastically.
"King!
"You were born in the Jadestar Royal Family, a descendant of the emperor, the natural, legitimate, and legal ruling family of Constellation," Lampard said faintly. "Of course you don't have such concerns, do you?"
Thales' heart skipped a beat. At that moment, he seemed to have caught on to something.
"Concerns?" he asked naturally.
Lampard ignored him. His sharp gaze was still fixed on his old sword. "Since Nuven's grandfather, they've viewed Black Sand Region as a thorn in their side. At that time, the Walton Family had already monopolized the throne of Dragon Clouds City."
Little Rascal blinked.
"When it came to Nuven's father, the Walton Family began to attempt to control Black Sand Region," Lampard continued. His gaze was a little dazed.
"For example, recruiting the youngest son of the Archduke of Black Sand Region into the White Blade Guards, or marrying his daughter, the noble Princess of Eckstedt, to her father, the heir of the Archduke of Black Sand Region, in the name of the king."
Thales furrowed his brows slightly.
He seemed to have heard a similar story during the duel between King Nuven and Poffret.
"That's how my parents got married." Lampard sighed. Then, a rare smile appeared on the Archduke of Black Sand Region's face. "Unexpectedly, this marriage, which was purely based on the king's will, turned out to be a good one. According to the old servants, my mother did everything she could to make my father fall in love with her. She gave birth to two sons and three daughters for him. This love lasted until my father became the archduke."
The carriage entered a narrow alley. It seemed to be taking a shortcut or taking a detour.
Lampard continued to speak.
"Just like that, my father resisted the corruption of Dragon Clouds City with his own power, even though this corruption originated from the woman he loved the most by his side — his family and power. He hovered in this balance all his life."
Thales and Little Rascal listened quietly.
Such an Archduke of Black Sand Region was rare.
"Since we were very young, Harold and I were brought back and forth between Dragon Clouds City and Black Sand Region by our mother." Archduke Lampard exhaled. His eyes were filled with nostalgia. "Until we came of age, until Harold took over the governance of Black Sand Region."
"Harold?" Thales' heart skipped a beat. The name seemed a little unfamiliar. "He is …"
Lampard paused for a moment.
"Harold Lampard, my eldest brother." Gloom and mockery flashed in the archduke's eyes. "A ridiculous fool.
"There's no one more foolish than him in the world."
He said faintly.
Little Rascal seemed to recall something. She stared at Lampard with a slightly pale face.
Thales sensed a different emotion in Lampard's tone.
"You don't have a brother, do you?" Lampard's gaze was still fixed on the sword. A few seconds later, he said desolately,
"How lucky."
Thales raised his eyebrows. He remembered the two small stone jars in the Jadestar family tomb. His elder sister and brother in name.
Lydia and Luther Jadestar.
Lampard gently pulled out his saber.
The archduke's expression was complicated. His fingers gently stroked the sharp blade.
"Until twelve years ago." Lampard raised his head slightly and looked at Thales. His tone turned cold.
"Everything changed."
His actions sent a chill down the prince's spine.
'Wait a minute.'
Thales' brain began to work.
'Twelve years ago … Twelve years ago again?
'That means …'
"An unprecedented civil strife broke out in Constellation. It was extremely chaotic." Lampard's voice rang in the carriage, narrating the history that Thales was all too familiar with. "Since the Fourth Peninsular War, Eckstedt has been waiting for a rare opportunity in a hundred years: to unify Northland and completely eliminate the threat from Broken Dragon Fortress."
Thales stared at the sword in Lampard's hand in a daze.
"Nuven is ready to send his troops south. He has contacted almost every archduke. As a response, Harold, as the heir of Black Sand Region, was sent to attend the meeting of all the archdukes in Dragon Clouds City." Lampard inhaled a mouthful of cold air slowly and continued.
"An accident happened."
Thales thought of something.
"One of Harold's followers suddenly went berserk and assassinated Nuven's eldest son." Lampard's rough voice was deep and dignified, as if there was a hidden power in it. He snorted coldly. "Prince Soria, who thought himself infallible, was cruel and bloodthirsty, and was practically carved from the same mold as his father, died in Harold's group."
At that moment, Thales' heart skipped a beat.
The second prince digested Lampard's story without moving. Little Rascal's grip on his hand grew tighter and tighter.
He had heard this story before.
Last night.
"The news reached Black Sand Region." Lampard pressed on the hilt of his sword. His expression was cold. "Father was even prepared for Nuven to make a big fuss and start a war with Dragon Clouds City.
"Unexpectedly, Harold, who was supposed to be responsible for this, was not reprimanded at all, let alone imprisoned or detained.
"Nuven comforted him with soft words and personally exonerated him. He even allowed him to participate in the conference and sent him back to Black Sand Region with great courtesy." Lampard sneered. "Even though Nuven lost his most important eldest son, Harold was not put in a difficult position. Father felt that something was wrong at that time."
Lampard stared at his saber, but his gaze began to lose focus, as if he was looking at something else. "I still remember the day Harold returned. He told Nuven's opinion at the dining table and advised father to support Dragon Clouds City. He even wanted to allow the king's officials to be stationed there in preparation for the war.
"Father and him had a heated argument.
"I had to stand between them so that they would not draw their swords against each other," the archduke said slowly.
"It was also on that day that father suddenly realized that Harold Lampard, the eldest son and heir he had high hopes for, had become the strongest supporter and follower of Dragon Clouds City and the common-elected king over the past thirty years, just like his youngest brother, Kaslan."
Thales frowned deeply. "Just like Beacon Illumination City?"
Poffret's despairing expression appeared before his eyes.
Lampard turned to him expressionlessly.
Thales' heart clenched.
"Just like Beacon Illumination City," he calmly confirmed Thales' words. "Father could not accept this fact.
"Father felt that if this continued, when Harold inherited Black Sand Region, it would only be a matter of time before we became the king's vassals." Lampard's expression was cold and threatening. "Even the position of Archduke of Black Sand Region would soon become a vassal matter that Dragon Clouds City could decide with just a word.
"Sincere talks, threats, scolding, lecturing, and even having me advise him from the side. Father tried everything to change Harold's mind.
"But it was all in vain."
Little Rascal shrank behind Thales with a pale face.
The terrifying Archduke of Black Sand Region lowered his head. His expression was rather gloomy. "Finally, father made up his mind to take back Harold's right of inheritance."
"Things became chaotic at that time." Lampard shook his head slowly. "Father briefly mentioned this idea in front of the vassals, and he was immediately met with fierce opposition and admonishment.
"That's not all. From the day Father insisted on stripping Harold of his inheritance rights, the harvest decreased, the finances were in trouble, and the trade routes were blocked. Strangely, the troubles in Black Sand Region increased. What happened in Beacon Illumination City is now happening in Black Sand Region."
Lampard sneered. There was a deep sarcasm in his tone.
"It was only when the entire Black Sand Region was in an uproar that my father realized with a start that in the past thirty years, the Lampard Family's bloodline was not the only thing that infiltrated Dragon Clouds City. Nuven did not just rope Harold to his side.
"Harold refused to yield, father refused to compromise, and the situation in the territory worsened. The forces supporting Harold, both inside and outside the territory, had already exceeded the scope of father's control. He became more and more desperate and haggard." Lampard's tone became deeper, and the emotions in his words became paler. "Black Sand Region was not Dragon Clouds City's match at all.
"Finally, on the day the king's messenger came again.
"Father, who was both mentally and physically exhausted, called me to his room."
Thales felt a chill run down his spine.
He could not help but think of Chapman Lampard's famous, or rather infamous, or even notorious deeds.
Lampard raised his head and looked at the streets of Dragon Clouds City outside the window. "I still remember father's eyes. They were filled with determination and darkness."
Thales could not help but tighten his grip on Little Rascal behind him.
"He talked to me for a very, very long time." The Archduke of Black Sand Region's gaze became colder, and his tone became calmer. "I hugged his thigh and cried. I begged him with all the words I could think of.
"I even pulled up my sleeves and showed him the wound I got when I was hunting when I was fourteen. Harold dragged me out of the mouth of a snow leopard."
The archduke's words became flatter.
But Thales' heart became increasingly tense.
Archduke Lampard narrated as if nothing had happened. "'Child, we are Lampard, the bloodline of the Rebellion King.' Father said, 'Our clan's motto is' never yield ', whether it's to the outside world or to the inside world.'
"'Whether it's to the emperor or to the king.'"
The archduke exhaled. The darkness in his eyes was incomparably deep. His tone was firm and resolute. "'We will never yield.'"
Thales listened to Lampard's words in a daze.
Little Rascal widened her eyes.
Lampard snorted. He lowered his head and looked at the weapon in his hand. "In the end, he gave me this sword."
It was an old weapon with a worn scabbard and a worn hilt.
It was as if it was his most important treasure.
"A week later, I challenged Harold to a duel in front of everyone, and my father approved."
Thales held his breath. He did not even dare to breathe loudly.
"Mother knelt in front of the study room and cried for the whole night. Father sat in the study room with the light on for the whole night." Lampard slowly turned his saber around and caressed the emblem of an iron fist on the hilt. "Until mother fainted and was sent away by the servants."
There was a moment of silence in the carriage.
For a time, there was only the sound of wheels scraping against the ground.
"This is …" Thales opened his mouth with difficulty, but was interrupted by Lampard.
"On the day of the duel, Harold had at least three chances to end my life and his brother's life," the archduke said calmly, but his voice was a little hollow and trembling.
"At least three times."
Lampard's hand, which was caressing the hilt, stopped moving.
His voice became ethereal, as if he was speaking from a very, very far away place.
"In the end, when I pierced his heart, I saw his face clearly," the archduke said flatly. "He was smiling."
Lampard took a deep breath. With his head lowered, his expression was hard to read. "It was the same smile as the day he dragged me out of the snow leopard's mouth."
Thales sighed.
'This is simply …'
"Harold pulled my collar and whispered his last words into my ear." Lampard snorted softly, as though he was telling a story from someone else's dinner. "'Remember, Chapman.'" Lampard shook his head, and he looked at Lampard.
"'We will never yield.'"
Lampard chuckled, unable to discern his emotions.
Thales raised his head and stared at his sword in a daze.
'The sword that belonged to the Archduke of Black Sand Region, the one that killed his brother.'
"On the second day," Lampard's voice traveled into his ears.
"Mother jumped down from the highest lookout post in the castle.
"On the third day, Nuven ordered me to go to Eternal Star City and declare war on all of Constellation."
Thales and Little Rascal did not move.
A wordless sorrow permeated the carriage.
The story of Lampard's family filled him with mixed feelings.
"A month later, at Rayman Pass, when the Kingdom's Wrath broke through the encirclement with the last of their courage and arrived in front of my father, my father did not dodge or raise his sword. He allowed Mu to break his neck." Lampard chuckled softly. "It was only later that I suddenly realized that my father was probably seeking death.
"Perhaps he could reunite with my mother and Harold under Hell's River."
Lampard did not speak anymore.
Thales exhaled slowly.
"So, everything you did was for revenge?" He frowned and asked in surprise and bewilderment, "Do you want Nuven to pay the price, or do you want Dragon Clouds City to be destroyed?"
Lampard sneered mockingly. He slowly leaned back and revealed his face under the light again. "Hatred? That ridiculous thing? "
"Don't compare me to a coward like Poffret."
Thales furrowed his brows.
"Then why are you telling me this story?" the prince asked, puzzled. "Don't tell me that you just want to talk to a dying man."
The Archduke of Black Sand Region's gaze slowly darkened.
Lampard looked at him condescendingly and shook his head slowly. His voice was low and cold, and his words were chilling. "You are indeed very special, child, but your vision is still stuck at the level of those mediocre people."
"As for what I really want, compared to self-preservation, revenge, the death of a king, and the destruction of a territory," Lampard inhaled slowly and said in a firm tone, "I want a little more than that."
Thales stared at Lampard's face seriously, quickly trying to figure out what he was thinking.
"Of course." Lampard snorted softly. "You were born in the Jadestar Royal Family, and lived in the era after the 'Virtuous King'. You will not understand this kind of sorrow."
The archduke's words ended there. Lampard closed his saber and said no more.
Thales was slightly stunned.
'The Virtuous King.'
It was not the first time he heard this title from the Northlanders.
The last time he heard it was from King Nuven. At that time, Thales did not react.
But this time, Thales remembered.
He subconsciously touched his chest.
The Virtuous King, Mindis Jadestar the Third.
One of the Three Kings of Constellation.
A king is not respected by his bloodline, but his bloodline is glorious because of the king.
Why? Why did King Nuven and Archduke Lampard mention this Supreme King of Constellation from more than a hundred years ago?
What did he do?
And what did Lampard want?
Thales lowered his head deeply.
"I don't understand." Thales panted rapidly, trying to sort out everything that was confusing and confusing. "I thought everything that happened last night was just a desperate counterattack that you had no choice but to do to protect yourself. It was a quick move that you made to fight back with your life on the line …
"If Black Sand Region did not do this, then Dragon Clouds City would …"
Lampard turned his gaze and looked at him thoughtfully.
Thales bit his lower lip.
"You roped in other forces like Shiles, mobilized so many troops into the city, replaced them right under the Secret Room's nose, and even bribed assassins to assassinate the king." The second prince raised his head and said anxiously, "Your plan was not thorough at all.
"If it was not a coincidence like the invasion of the calamities, which caused the king to leave the protection of the White Blade Guards, you would not have succeeded at all —"
At this moment, Lampard snorted coldly and interrupted Thales' words.
"Coincidence?"
The Archduke of Black Sand Region's gaze sharpened again.
"Indeed. Normally, my flawed plan would not have stood a chance at all," Lampard said calmly.
"The common-elected king, heavily protected by the White Blade Guards, sits in the tallest building in the city, Heroic Spirit Palace, controls the indestructible Dragon Clouds City, controls the most abundant and valiant soldiers, enjoys the best supplies and weapons, and even has eyes and ears like the Secret Room.
"Even if all two thousand of my men are supreme class warriors, it is impossible to kill him under these circumstances."
Thales was slightly stunned.
'So …'
"You're right. If there were no accidents brought by the calamities, chaos in Dragon Clouds City, negligence in the city gates and gatehouse, the king's enlistment ban, the White Blade Guards' mistakes, the emptiness of Heroic Spirit Palace, and martial law in Shield District," Lampard said softly.
"Then it would have been impossible to accomplish this with just the cooperation between me, Shiles, Vlad, or other allies."
Thales' gaze froze.
He heard another hint in Lampard's words.
Thales' expression slowly changed.
"What, what do you mean by this?" the second prince asked slowly and with great difficulty, using his most cautious, careful, and lighthearted tone.
'No.
'Impossible.'
Lampard sneered faintly.
"They didn't tell you anything, did they?"
The Archduke of Black Sand Region's tone was as if he was mocking an ignorant child. "Whether it was the arrival of the calamities or the assassination.
"Calamities? Assassination? "
Little Rascal instinctively felt that the atmosphere before her was not right.
As expected, in the next moment, with an incredulous guess in mind, Thales suddenly leaned forward and instantly raised his voice.
"Who are 'they'?
"Who else is working with you?"
Lampard shook his head slowly. His eyes were full of disdain and sneer.
"Take a guess." The Archduke of Black Sand Region's voice was very calm, as if this was a very relaxing conversation.
"What kind of allies and forces of power could cover up everything for me, make connections, formulate a plan, and even create an almost impossible 'coincidence' like the calamities for me to support me in accomplishing such a magnificent feat?
"What kind of existence could stir up such a storm in Dragon Clouds City?"
Thales was dumbfounded.
He did not dare to think about the answer in his heart.
'It can't be.
'It can't be.'
At this moment, the carriage stopped.
Thales snapped out of his daze and glanced outside the carriage.
"This isn't Heroic Spirit Palace." The second prince was stunned for a moment. "What do you want?"
Lampard exhaled slowly. "One of my collaborators wants you alive."
Thales widened his eyes.
"Why don't we take a look?" The Archduke of Black Sand Region opened the carriage door and said coldly, "What price can you sell me for?"
— —
Constellation, Eternal Star City, an unknown underground area.
The torches were gradually extinguished.
The first ray of sunlight freely passed through the iron window, which was smaller than a palm, and cast a shadow in the shape of a '#' on the ground.
At this moment, a rough voice came from the sealed prison cell.
"It's sunrise."
Outside the prison cell, the strong figure sitting on the chair paused for a moment before he slowly raised his head.
"Yes," the strong figure wearing the crown said flatly, "it's sunrise."
"I guess you're not the kind of person who can sit across a prison cell door for half a night with a traitor in between you and him." The Duke of Northern Territory in the cell asked in a mocking tone through the sluice on the cell door, "What happened?"
The figure on the chair said in a heavy and imposing voice, "You noticed?"
"Whenever you have something on your mind, you sit alone in a daze." Val Arunde snorted softly. "I still remember when you were sent to Western City Police Station for an internship because you caused a ruckus in Red Street Market.
"On your first day on duty, you came back with a bloody nose and a swollen face. That's how you look."
The muscular figure trembled slightly. At that moment, his voice was mixed with a hint of liveliness and laughter. "You know, Jines is very strong."
The Duke of the Northern Region replied with a disdainful snort.
Silence.
After a while, the well-built figure rubbed the Jadestar Badge on his hand.
"Wa, will you miss them?"
The prisoner behind the small gate seemed to be slightly stunned.
"Who?" the Duke asked in a low voice.
The muscular figure revealed a pair of tired blue eyes, which were filled with unknown emotions.
"Family," he said calmly. His voice was still deep. "The people we are used to, but only remember after we lose them."
The person in the cell did not speak.
Thus, the muscular figure continued.
"For example, old Duke Arunde, your brothers, Lohan, Kurl, Nuranor, your sister, your wife, your eldest son and second son …"
Boom!
A loud hammering sound came from behind the cell.
"Enough." The Duke was panting heavily. He had been suppressing his anger for a long time. "What's the point of saying all this now?"
There were a few seconds of silence.
"No, this is meaningful."
The muscular figure slowly stood up.
"It's about time," he said faintly.
The prisoner behind the cell did not answer.
"I came here to tell you," the visitor outside the cell slowly said, "the culprit who caused the Northern Territory to turn into a river of blood twelve years ago …
"the King of Eckstedt who gathered his army and invaded the south."
The Duke of the Northern Territory behind the cell door paused for a moment.
His face reappeared at the opening of the gate.
His breathing became heavier.
Over there, he looked outside the prison cell at the Supreme King of Constellation, Kessel the Fifth. With his tall and sturdy posture, he spoke in the coldest and most terrifying tone in his deep voice.
"The man who massacred the city for three days after breaking through Broken Dragon Fortress, and then marched his army into the Northern Territory after spring.
"The sinner who hung your father on the city gate, chopped your brothers into meat paste, caused your sister and wife to go missing, your two sons to die, and your youngest daughter to be paralyzed.
"The tyrant who burned, killed, robbed, raped, and plundered your family's land in the Northern Territory. He committed numerous crimes.
"The hateful enemy who made Constellation's disaster even worse …"
Boom!
The Duke of the Northern Territory's hands grabbed the iron bars beside the gate.
His knuckles were pale, and his fingertips trembled slightly.
"What did you say?" The Duke's voice trembled.
"Nuven Walton the Seventh died a violent death last night," Kessel the Fifth said coldly and unquestionably.
"The so-called Born King has already paid the price for his atrocities."
There was dead silence.
It felt like a century had passed before the Duke's heavy breathing slowed down.
"What did you do?" Val raised his head and cast his most incredulous gaze at his former close friend, the current king.
"Kel!
"How did you do it?"
What did you do? "
Kessel did not answer. He only stared coldly at the Duke and spoke slowly.
"Last night, dragon's blood flowed on Northland.
"Eckstedt's chaos began, and the Kingdom of the Great Dragon will fall from now on." There was a terrifying chill in the king's voice. "With a blood-red glow, the long-dimmed stars will rise once again.
"The light is resplendent.
"Even better than before."
As soon as Kessel finished speaking, he turned around without hesitation and left the compartment.
He paid no attention to the Duke of the Northern Territory's hysterical questions.
Expressionlessly, the supreme king pushed open an iron door and walked out of the corridor.
There, an old figure dressed in a black cloak and holding a cane bowed slightly to the king.
"Did everything go smoothly?" the king asked coldly.
"Of course." The Black Prophet Morat, the Chief of Intelligence of the Kingdom and the master of the Kingdom's Secret Intelligence Department, smiled. He raised his body, and his tone was relaxed and calm. "Your Majesty.
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