The others stared blankly at the terrifying black hole on Raphael's arm and listened to the Black Prophet's voice that sounded as if it was right next to their ears. They could not react at all.
Thales' thoughts stopped at the brand on Raphael's arm and the unknown thing beneath it. Little Rascal held on tightly to his arm, trembling slightly. She did not even dare to look at the black hole.
Wya stood in front of Thales with an unpleasant expression. He subconsciously pressed down on the single-edged sword at his waist. Ralf's expression was hidden under the half-mask, but his twitching eyebrows explained everything.
Kohen widened his eyes in shock at his old friend's strange behavior. Miranda stared fixedly at Raphael's arm, her breathing erratic.
"Communication type: Flying Squirrel." Raphael seemed very weak. He straightened his body with a pale face and used his eyes to signal for the others to calm down. At the same time, he spoke to the strange black hole on his arm in a language that no one else could understand.
"The white glove is stained with blood. The double-edged spear is broken."
Thales frowned slightly. 'Is this a secret signal?'
As soon as Raphael's voice fell, the cell instantly fell silent.
Suddenly, the sharp teeth around the black hole wriggled.
Almost everyone held their breaths. Wya was so nervous that he even unsheathed his sword.
In the next moment, the distant but clear voice once again came from Raphael's arm as the black hole moved.
"Who's there?" The Black Prophet's voice was cold.
Raphael raised his head.
"The second prince and his entourage." Raphael's red eyes glanced at the prince and the people behind him. Then, he glanced at Cohen and Miranda. His gaze was complicated. "And the two people I mentioned earlier."
The black hole fell silent again.
"His Highness …" Raphael's breathing calmed down. The weakness he felt when he opened the black hole on his arm seemed to have disappeared without a trace. "He wants to know 'Dragon's Blood'."
Thales suppressed the nausea he felt at the sight of the disgusting black hole with sharp teeth. Ever since he got to know the Blood Mystic, his resistance to nausea had greatly increased. The prince panted, frowned and raised his head.
"What exactly is this?"
He could not see anything inside the black hole. There was only a bottomless darkness, but Thales knew that it was definitely not Raphael's arm or flesh.
Under the dim light, the prince stared at the black hole in disbelief and asked the question on everyone's mind, "Is that … Morat's voice?"
Raphael gave him a deep look but did not speak.
What answered him was the wriggling black hole.
"Your Highness, do you know who I am?" A hoarse voice traveled into his ears, but the person he was talking to was someone else.
Everyone turned to look at the second prince.
Raphael nodded at him and aimed the black hole on his arm at Thales.
Thales did not look at the black hole. Instead, he closed his eyes and inhaled deeply.
He cleared his mind of all distracting thoughts and forgot about the unpleasant encounter in Mindis Hall.
"Of course, Lord Hansen." Thales opened his eyes and calmly said to the black hole, "It left a deep impression on me. I dare not forget it."
The others looked at this scene with different expressions.
The black hole wriggled again. Morat's hoarse and aged laughter came from inside.
"Don't be nervous, Your Highness. I am not by your side." The Black Prophet's voice was like a venomous snake's hissing, making people uneasy. "Of course, you can also pretend that I am by your side — if that makes you feel at ease."
Thales flashed an awkward and ugly smile.
Even though he did not know if the Black Prophet could see it.
"So, what do you want to know?" The Black Prophet said slowly.
"Fifteen minutes," Raphael reminded him quietly. "Don't forget about their next patrol."
'What do I want to know?' Thales clenched his fists slightly. His brain worked quickly. Scenes flashed before his eyes.
"Everything." He raised his head and said without hesitation, "About Lampard's operation this time, about King Nuven's death — I want to know everything the Secret Intelligence Department knows."
A chuckle came from the black hole.
Cohen and Miranda looked at each other, their expressions extremely uncomfortable.
"Alright." Finally, the Black Prophet's voice became clear, even though it was still unpleasant. "Where should I start?"
Thales did not speak. He was waiting for Morat.
"Hmm, there's a good time," The Black Prophet said softly on the other end of the line, "The Bloody Year."
Hearing that term again, Thales felt his heart begin to pound again.
Miranda and Raphael looked up at the same time. They exchanged a silent glance, reading emotions that only they could understand.
"During Constellation's most difficult time, a count from Black Sand Region brought Eckstedt's letter of credence, or rather, a declaration of war." The Black Prophet's voice was as hoarse and unpleasant as ever, but it was strangely calm. "That count had just risen to fame in Northland. He followed the traditional and cruel Northland tradition, stepped over his brother's corpse, and seized the right to inherit the Archduke of Black Sand Region."
Thales felt Little Rascal's grip on his hand tighten slightly.
"When he announced Nuven's request to the entire court, when the Great Dragon and Constellation's war was inevitable," Morat continued, "the late king detained the envoy from Eckstedt. As the heir of Black Sand Region, he was presumably very suitable as a bargaining chip in the war."
Thales clenched his fists slightly. The story that Lampard told in the carriage was cut short on the day he went on a diplomatic mission to Constellation. But the prince did not expect that he could actually hear the continuation from the Black Prophet.
The Black Prophet continued, "However, a wise prince, after combining it with the Secret Intelligence Department's investigation, concluded that Dragon Clouds City's goal was to use us to execute Chapman Lampard. King Nuven probably hated his nephew, who killed his brother."
Thales' eyebrows twitched. 'A wise prince?'
"So, after a secret conversation, Chapman Lampard successfully 'escaped' with his subordinate's' rescue '." The Black Prophet let out a terrifying laugh, as though he was enjoying this memory. "Prince Midier told me that he saw something unusual in the young Count Lampard's eyes."
'Midier Jadestar.'
Thales extracted this name from his memory: the late king's eldest son and crown prince, his uncle.
"Unusual?" Thales frowned slightly. "You mean Lampard's hatred towards Nuven the Seventh, the Walton Family, and Dragon Clouds City?"
Morat's emotionless snort came from the black hole. It seemed to be mocking, but also sarcastic.
"Since ancient times, every archduke in Eckstedt has hated the person sitting on the common-elected throne. It's not necessarily the Walton Family, nor is it necessarily Lampard," The Black Prophet said hoarsely, "But why Chapman? I think Prince Midier has his own reasons. "
"A seed was planted and grew in the dark for twelve years." Morat seemed to be lamenting, "Even though Midier can no longer see it."
Thales tensed up.
"Wait, the Secret Intelligence Department and Lampard have been in contact since twelve years ago?" The second prince looked up in shock. "Then, why didn't you stop his plot to assassinate Moriah and prevent the war crisis between the two countries in the beginning? And Broken Dragon Fortress — "
He was interrupted by the Black Prophet.
"Contact? You've misunderstood. "The hoarse voice in the black hole snorted." Lampard has always been independent and free. The Secret Intelligence Department neither bribed nor controlled him. That was the least effective method.
"This is a tacit understanding.
"We didn't contact each other for as long as twelve years. We turned a blind eye to each other.
"But when the time came, we opened our eyes together from our hibernation and saw each other in the boundless darkness."
The Black Prophet's words became colder and colder. At that moment, Thales even felt that the other side of the black hole was a ferocious beast hunting for food.
'No, it's a venomous snake.'
In the dark cell, Thales stared blankly at the black hole in Raphael's hand. He did not say a word.
Opposite him, Kohen let out a long sigh. There was a look of displeasure on his face.
"Damned conspiracy," the police officer muttered in a low voice.
No one paid attention to him. Everyone was listening to the Black Prophet.
"Your Highness, ever since your identity was established, especially after you were assassinated under Broken Dragon Fortress …
"Lampard and Poffret's plot to break Wall's monopoly on the throne has been exposed." Morat let out a cold laugh from the other side of the black hole.
"The Kingdom's Secret Intelligence Department knew that the time had come."
Thales bit his lower lip and exhaled. "Since then, you knew that it was Poffret's doing? You also knew about Lampard's plan? "
The Black Prophet sneered, but did not answer.
The one who answered him was Raphael.
"No, we don't care about the truth or the details." The young man from the Kingdom's Secret Intelligence Department held his right arm and quietly stared at the hideous black hole on his arm. "What we care about is very simple and very pure. That is the fact that 'Eckstedt is unstable'.
"That's right. We're not only working with Lampard," Raphael said softly with his head lowered and an indecipherable expression on his face, "We're also providing him with help only once, which is also the most crucial part of his plan."
Miranda stared at him with an unfathomable expression.
Thales closed his eyes and gulped. Then, with great difficulty, he spat out the word, "Calamity."
Raphael nodded.
"Not long before you left for the diplomatic mission," Raphael raised his head and all the emotions on his face disappeared without a trace, Raphael raised his head. "An old gang related to the Mystics suffered a crushing defeat in the capital, where they were almost completely wiped out.
"Because of this crushing defeat, the Blood Calamity, which had disappeared for many years, was forced to reappear."
The Black Prophet's laughter rang again.
"Perfect timing, perfect chess pieces." Morat heaved a profound sigh, as though he was admiring and appreciating a piece of art. "And the perfect executor. For Chapman Lampard, there is no better 'help' than this."
Thales felt a chill in his heart.
The Black Prophet's laughter rang again.
"We fabricated some information," the master of the Kingdom's Secret Intelligence Department said with great interest from the other side of the black hole, "We threw out a half-truth bait, which was enough to lure the Blood Mystic north."
"Ramon, I remember that the person Blood Bottle Gang is after is him." Thales snapped out of his daze and said with sudden realization, "So, he didn't join my team by chance, did he?"
Raphael gave him a smile that was almost as good as non-existent.
"Just like that, we lured the Blood Mystic into Dragon Clouds City," the Black Prophet said flatly, "This chess piece has been set up and is only waiting for the qualified person to activate it."
Little Rascal let out a terrified whimper. Thales knew what she remembered.
'The qualified person … activate it …'
Thales remembered the scene of Black Sword charging towards the Blood Mystic without hesitation.
'But …
"Lured into Dragon Clouds City … activate it?" Thales muttered to himself.
Thales clenched his fists.
The scene of countless people struggling, wailing, crying in Shield District, and dying powerlessly from suffocation or being trapped by tentacles flashed before his eyes.
He remembered his and Little Rascal's desperate escape.
Behind them, there were countless corpses lying dead in every corner.
"Chess piece?" Thales gritted his teeth and raised his head.
"You treat that kind of … calamity as a chess piece?" The second prince suppressed the displeasure in his heart. "What gives you the confidence to think that you can control the legendary calamity and the power to destroy the world?"
Raphael turned and glanced at him.
"Confidence?"
Raphael snorted coldly.
"In all the recorded history, no matter how powerful the power, or how terrifying the existence, or even those monsters who can shatter the continent with a single thought, they are just noise for a moment, and smoke that passes by in the blink of an eye.
"No one has ever conquered everything with power." Raphael raised his hand and pointed at his head. "So you don't have to blindly believe in power.
"This is the confidence of the Secret Intelligence Department.
"In front of a truly powerful person, even a calamity is just a chess piece."
Thales shuddered violently.
'A truly powerful person …'
Thales raised his head. His eyes were filled with suspicion. "Who told you these words?"
Raphael's eyelids twitched. He stared at Thales.
But the young man still said quietly, "My teacher."
Thales' heart skipped a beat.
"Go on," Miranda said. Her cold voice was especially prominent in the prison cell. "How do you plan to use it, that calamity?"
The Black Prophet let out a low, hoarse laugh again.
"Last night, we activated the Blood Calamity as planned." Raphael took over the Black Prophet's words. "King Nuven soon received the news — a legendary monster is wreaking havoc in his city."
Raphael glanced at the people around him, his tone returning to its previous indifference. "This is all our work, to achieve two goals.
"First, to lure away and transfer away two powerful legendary anti-mystic equipment," he said coldly.
Kohen frowned slightly. "Lure away? Away from the calamity? "
Raphael looked at his old friend and revealed a mysterious smile.
"No," the young man from the Secret Intelligence Department said softly. "Lure away from King Nuven."
Thales shuddered. He remembered the spear-wielding man and Nicholas when Black Sword brought him into the battlefield.
'They were all deliberately lured away …'
Raphael explained softly, "The Soul Slayer Pike, which can kill with one blow, and the Severing Souls Blade, which can create an absolute barrier, will be a great obstacle for the assassin to deal with Nuven."
"What about the second goal?" Miranda asked coldly.
Raphael turned around and looked at the swordswoman beside him.
This time, there was something indescribable in his eyes.
"Second, we also used the calamity to completely separate Nuven from the heavy protection of the army and guards," he continued, looking into Miranda's eyes.
"The more enemies there are, the stronger the Blood Mystic becomes. To deal with it, we have to give up our advantage in numbers." Raphael shifted his gaze away from Miranda and focused his eyes slowly. "As we expected, King Nuven ordered a curfew in the city without waiting for us to remind him. He ordered for the people to be evacuated, the patrols to be transferred away, and the militia to be strictly prohibited."
The Black Prophet sighed faintly from the other side of the black hole. Thales could tell that it was a heartfelt sigh.
"In the past thirty years of his reign, King Nuven has never been as weak as he was last night. Away from the protection of the army and armed forces," Raphael said softly. "Leave the rest to Lampard."
His voice faded away.
The prison cell returned to silence.
Kohen, who could no longer hold it in, opened his mouth in disbelief.
"This is the truth behind the calamity's arrival in Dragon Clouds City?" The police officer gritted his teeth. Thinking of the hearty Big Leather Belt, he said hatefully, "So many people died? They paid such a huge price … just for — "
Raphael interrupted him.
"We racked our brains to lure the calamity to Dragon Clouds City. Of course, it's not so childish as to let it cause some trouble." The young man from the Secret Intelligence Department snorted coldly. "Our goal was clear from the beginning — Nuven's death."
Kohen lowered his head and clenched his fists. His expression was indecipherable.
The Black Prophet's words appeared again.
"With the help of an archduke of Eckstedt, we overthrew the common-elected king's throne.
"For the first time in history, a Northland archduke killed a sitting king.
"Raikaru's Joint Ruling Pledge has never been trampled on so severely. “
Behind him, Thales felt Little Rascal shrink slightly. He did not know whether it was out of fear or pain.
"From now on, Eckstedt will be plunged into endless chaos.
"The blood of the mighty Great Dragon spilled over Northland, dying. The dragon's wings that soared through the sky fell to the ground, never to rise again." Morat sighed softly, as if he was recalling the glorious years of the past.
"This is the top-secret plan that the Secret Intelligence Department has been working on for the past twelve years, starting from Prince Midier's idea during the Bloody Year.
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