No one spoke.
There was dead silence in the prison cell.
"Any other questions?" The Black Prophet's cold voice rang out.
No one answered.
Until a crisp, childish male voice rang out.
"Yes."
Everyone's gaze once again converged on Thales.
But he did not speak immediately.
Thales heaved a long sigh. He looked exhausted, as if he was hesitating, or deep in thought.
After a while, the second prince's voice rang out with difficulty.
"His Majesty … Did he know about this plan? Before I left for the north? "
The Black Prophet did not speak.
But Thales already understood.
"So, the rumors are not wrong." Thales raised his head with a gloomy expression and looked around at the crowd. His gaze paused slightly on Little Rascal, who was at a loss. "The Constellatiates colluded with the calamities and murdered King Nuven in an attempt to cause civil strife in Eckstedt."
A sense of helplessness overwhelmed him.
"Why?"
The image of the old, tired, but powerful, white-haired king flashed before Thales' eyes. He was dispirited. "If it was to ensure that Eckstedt would not invade Constellation, then I could have achieved it through diplomatic mediation. In fact, we have already achieved it."
In his vision, Little Rascal lowered her head. Her expression could not be seen clearly.
There was only endless silence on the other side of the black hole.
Raphael did not bother to hide his faint smile.
"Just a few hours ago …" Thales looked dejected.
His eyes were in a daze. It was as if he could see the king's head rolling to the ground again.
"King Nuven proposed to form an alliance with us." His tone was gloomy and hoarse, as if he wanted to incorporate the suffering and torture of the past few days into his words. "The Walton Family and the Jadestar Family.
"We helped him keep the feudal vassals in check and maintain the existence of the Walton Family after King Nuven's death. In exchange, he would do his best to maintain the peace between the two countries and give us time to recuperate," Thales said weakly. He felt a headache and his mind was in a mess. "The predicament brought about by Moriah's death has been easily resolved, and now …"
Wya opened his mouth in shock. Cohen was slightly startled, and then seemed to be deep in thought. Miranda remained silent, her expression cold.
Thales closed his eyes and let out a long sigh, which was filled with fatigue and exhaustion.
Now, everything that King Nuven said was gone with the wind and clouds after his death.
Calamities, Lampard, assassination.
The disaster of Shield District.
Damn it all.
The strange black hole on Raphael's arm trembled.
"Hehehehehaha …"
What answered Thales was the Black Prophet's cold and hoarse laughter.
The laughter continued for several seconds.
Thales started to frown.
"Put away your pointless naivety, Your Highness. You are not like this in the Hall of Stars." Finally, Morat's laughter turned into cold words that echoed faintly in the empty prison cell. "Do you really think that we will rely on your diplomatic mission to create a miracle and put an end to the war?"
As he listened to the Black Prophet's mocking words, Thales took a deep breath and held back the impulse and anger in his heart.
"The problem was already solved," he said through gritted teeth. "With Dragon Clouds City's power, Eckstedt and Constellation could have coexisted peacefully …"
"Solve it?" The Black Prophet interrupted him.
"Of course. The genius prince used superb means to persuade King Nuven to stop causing trouble for Constellation," the Black Prophet said flatly. His words were full of what Thales heard as a lame and unpleasant mockery. "The two countries that were on friendly terms welcomed peace from then on …"
"How long?" The head of the Secret Intelligence Department changed the topic. "Five years? Ten years? Or fifteen years? "
Thales exhaled impatiently.
With an extremely uncomfortable rhythm, the Black Prophet's cold laughter rang out slowly.
"Your Highness, do you really think that an alliance between the two families can maintain the peace between the two countries?
"Do you think that the Great Dragon's ambition and greed can be dispelled by the prince waving his hand at Dragon Clouds City on horseback and nodding to the archdukes in the secret chamber?" The Black Prophet's voice suddenly rose. There was a hint of solemnity and sternness in his words.
"Even Tormond and Raikaru couldn't do this six hundred years ago."
Thales was slightly startled.
"Do you know how many times King Nuven dreamed of planting the Red Dragon Flag on Broken Dragon Fortress in the past thirty years and bringing the Northern Territory of Constellation under the rule of Eckstedtians?" The words of the head of the Secret Intelligence Department were like a venomous snake's tongue, hissing and making people feel inexplicably terrified.
"It's been twelve years. From the king to the archdukes, from the nobles to the commoners in Eckstedt, they dream of going south again." The Black Prophet sneered. "The three archdukes have never stopped provoking us at the border. Dragon Clouds City has been testing us every year. Why do you think Prince Moriah went to Constellation as an envoy?"
Kohen lowered his eyelids and added silently in his heart, "Revise the Fortress Treaty."
Thales stared at the strange black hole on Raphael's arm without saying a word.
"They are not nameless pawns." The Black Prophet's words came slowly from the black hole on the young man's arm. "They are Northlanders. They are born to wield swords in battle. They are Northlanders who have been famous since the Uncivilized Era. You better remember this for the rest of your life, Your Highness.
"They have the ancient Northland customs of joining the army and killing the enemy as their pride. They have strong bodies honed in the cold and hardships. They have a tenacious army forged with blood and honor.
"They have the hunters and commoners who can draw their Winter Pine longbows halfway without training. They have the invincible heavy cavalry who are good at charging with Mystic Guns and spears. They have the Glacier Sentinels and White Blade Guards who dare to fight the orcs head-on.
"They also have the enlisted soldiers who have no complaints about serving and sacrificing themselves. They can travel dozens of miles in a day with just a few pieces of bread. They have the elite standing army who undergo training three times a year and can withstand seventy percent casualties without collapsing." There was a chilling aura in Morat's words.
"They are born for war."
Hearing all this, Miranda's expression grew colder. Recalling the battles of the past three years, she slowly clenched her fists.
The Black Prophet paused for a second. The lights in the prison seemed to have dimmed, casting everyone's faces in shadow.
Thales pursed his lips. "But …"
The Black Prophet did not let him continue.
"Little prince, have you seen the war twelve years ago?"
The Black Prophet's words made Miranda, who was supporting Raphael, stiffen. The swordswoman could not help but frown.
"Have you ever seen the Northland Heavy Cavaliers charging at us, the heavy swordsmen and axemen swarming up the city walls in an overwhelming manner? Have you heard the sound of siege awls hammering on the city gates and catapults bombarding the city walls? Have you seen corpses strewn all over the fields and starving people everywhere? Have you ever seen the eyes of the starving people who have lost all hope as they wander in a daze? Do you know how long the Northern Territory has been desolate? "
Thales clenched his fists, but he felt that he had nowhere to vent the strength in his hands. The scar on his palm began to ache again.
Before his eyes, the light infantry under Broken Dragon Fortress who swore to besiege them and did not flinch even when facing the ferocious beast-like Arracca Murkh — those Northlanders.
At the same time, Miranda's face became extremely pale.
She seemed to see the past again.
A nightmarish past.
It was a vast expanse of white snow.
Raphael pursed his lips slightly. Intentionally or unintentionally, he grabbed the swordswoman's hand and exerted a little force.
Kohen, who saw all of this, sighed in his heart.
Miranda, and Raphael.
The two of them were the ones who experienced those disasters most directly.
Thales stared at the squirming black hole. His mind in a mess, he gulped and sighed. "We have reached a consensus — Nuven is old. He needs to be concerned about the king's death, the survival of the Walton Family and Cloud Dragon Spear, the game between Dragon Clouds City and the archdukes, not Constellation …"
The one who answered him this time was the red-eyed young man.
"You've hit the nail on the head, Your Highness." Raphael raised his head slightly. His red eyes shone under the Everlasting Lamp. "The biggest problem is that Nuven is old."
"Yes, he may still be able to restrain Eckstedt and the nine archdukes with his skills and remaining power, allowing Broken Dragon Fortress and the Northern Territory to be peaceful for a few years," the young man from the Kingdom's Secret Intelligence Department said coldly. "But what happens after that?"
Thales' breathing suddenly stopped.
The foul air in the prison, which was already unpleasant to begin with, seemed to have become even heavier.
A long sigh came from the other end of the black hole.
"In Eckstedt after King Nuven's death, it does not matter who ascends the throne." The Black Prophet's voice seemed to carry a hint of exhaustion. "But what do you think the new king will rely on to reap the greatest benefits and reputation with the smallest cost, in order to prove, accumulate, and consolidate his position and prestige as the successor king?"
"And what methods will he use to appease the archdukes who lost in the king selection? What bargaining chips will he use to reward the archdukes who supported him?"
Thales closed his eyes and exhaled a breath that had been gloomy for a long time.
He knew what the Black Prophet was going to say.
"Isn't it Constellation in the south, which has yet to recover its strength and whose royal family is unstable because of the disaster twelve years ago?" Morat's voice became extremely cold. "Isn't it Cold Castle, Overwatch City, Lonely Old Tower, and Broken Dragon Fortress that Eckstedt has been eyeing for three or four hundred years? Isn't it the supreme glory of reuniting the Great Northland where their ancestors lived for generations? "
Thales' heart trembled slightly.
He subconsciously looked at Little Rascal, and a terrifying thought emerged in his mind.
King Nuven wanted him to marry his granddaughter.
Under the premise that Jadestar and Walton took care of each other, one of their children would inherit the Jadestar surname, while the other would inherit the Walton family name.
From then on, Constellation would have an excuse to meddle in Dragon Clouds City's internal affairs and restrain Eckstedt. It could ensure the survival of the Walton Family, and increase Constellation's prestige and bargaining chips.
But …
What about the other way around?
If something happened to him, Thales, would Eckstedt and Dragon Clouds City also have a bargaining chip to interfere with the Jadestar Royal Family and demand from Constellation?
As he thought of this, Thales felt a chill in his heart.
He suddenly remembered the saying of the One-Eyed Dragon Duke of Constellation, the Koshder Nanchester Family: There is a price for every battle, and there is a reward for victory.
Raphael quietly let go of Miranda's wrist and calmly continued his superior's words. "Defeat Constellation, take down the fortress, and unify Northland. No matter which of these three goals is achieved, it will be enough to add color to the new king's crown and lay the foundation for the throne of the king."
The Black Prophet's cold snort rang in the air. Even the black hole in Raphael's hand trembled.
"The conflict between Constellation and Eckstedt will never disappear because of the decision of one family, even if you are crowned in the future," Morat said flatly. "We fear them.
"Just like how they are afraid of us."
"So, once there is a chance, a benefit, and a condition — how can they not go south?"
Thales lowered his head.
The Black Prophet's words gave him a sense of pressure that was almost tangible.
"Once they go south, how long do you think we can hold on with our orphans, widows, and defeated soldiers in the Northern Territory when faced with such an opponent?
"Lady Sonia Sasere is known as the Fortress Flower and is stationed at Broken Dragon Fortress. People say that if Sonia blooms and does not wither, the fortress will be impregnable. It may seem glorious, but did you know that on the first day she set out to defend the fortress, she made a will and entrusted it to the royal family for safekeeping. It has been twelve years since then.
"Because she knows that one day in the future, when the northern wind blows and the Great Dragon roars and rises into the sky, the Fortress Flower will wither in the north, never to return.
"Do you know how much we have paid in exchange for the peace of the 'Fortress Treaty'? Do you think it is just because of the Cunning Fox of Constellation's glib tongue?
"Do you know how much we have paid to maintain this fragile peace, to protect the dying Northern Territory and the weak kingdom from the scourge of war?"
All of Thales' words were stuck in his throat. He felt an indescribable annoyance surge in his heart.
"The nobles are all blaming His Majesty, blaming him for bringing an empty and fragile kingdom to fight the Desert War that had no benefits to speak of five years ago." The Black Prophet's voice sounded eerie and cold, but it contained a deep sense of power that made one's heart palpitate.
"However, those fat, short-sighted vermin will not know, and do not want to know, that if Constellation did not fight the seemingly crazy Desert War after the Bloody Year, if we did not use a desperate victory to display our national strength, if we did not pay a terrible price to wash away our determination, if we did not use the skulls of the orcs and the altars of the Barren Bone people to prove that our swords are still incomparably sharp …"
When Kohen heard this, he suddenly understood. Wya even clenched the sword hilt in his hand so hard that it made cracking sounds.
The Black Prophet's voice continued, "I am afraid that as early as the winter five years ago, the 'Born King' Nuven the Seventh, who shrouded the entire northern sky and ruled over the entire Northland, would have torn up the 'Fortress Treaty' and brought the Northlanders, armed to the teeth, to take back what they lost at the negotiating table.
"There would be no 'after', no dispute over the royal succession, and no day where you would be addressed as' Your Highness'!
"Do you think that after Nuven, there would not be another king like this?"
Thales did not say a word. He only stared fixedly at the empty ground.
Raphael nodded slowly. The young man continued the Black Prophet's words and said expressionlessly, "And after five years, Eckstedt gradually figured out our trump card. The Desert War's confusing and deterrent effect was no longer there. You saw it in the Hall of Stars. With just a slight poke from Lampard and Arunde, the split between the royal family and the nobles made those Northland barbarians fearless.
"Why do we carry out 'Dragon's Blood'?" Raphael lowered his head and said calmly in the darkness, "This is the answer.
This is also the meaning of 'Dragon's Blood'.
"What we want is not just a few years of false peace. We don't want to live in fear every year. We don't want dangerous negotiations and confrontations." Raphael's face was pale and his pupils were blood-red. With a complicated expression, he bowed slightly to the prince.
"What we want is for the kingdom, which is in a disadvantageous situation, to not make things worse for the kingdom. We want peace and stability in the North of Constellation for decades, or even centuries, so long that Constellation can recover from the great damage of the Bloody Year. So long that your family's name and rule become stable again. So long that we can become powerful again and be fearless, just like in the past.
"With this goal in mind, even King Nuven's life and death become insignificant."
Thales raised his head. He had a realization.
"Lampard's actions signified the shattering of the myth of Eckstedt since its founding. It proved that the so-called Raikaru Joint Ruling Pledge was just a piece of paper. The creed that Northland believed in was also powerless." Raphael smiled faintly. "More importantly, an archduke openly committed regicide. Since then, there has been a precedent."
"The earliest precedent was the Mourning Archduke of Prestige Orchid Region, Tam En." Thales snorted weakly. His gaze drifted to Little Rascal, intentionally or otherwise. "He was not the first."
Little Rascal, who had not dared to breathe loudly since the beginning, raised her eyes and met Thales' gaze. However, all she could see in the latter's eyes was endless exhaustion and gloominess.
Raphael frowned slightly. He stopped talking.
"I understand now."
Thales sighed. His own understanding surfaced in his mind.
"What you need is not revenge, rebellion, or even someone's death." After a deep sigh, the second prince continued their conversation. "Instead, you need to tear off the disguise and whitewash of Raikaru's vow. You need to make the most deep-rooted conflict in Eckstedt public — the opposition between the king and the archduke, and incite it into an unmanageable chaotic situation."
For example, if an archduke of Eckstedt succeeded in regicide through violence and conspiracy, it would bring an unparalleled shock to the children of the Northern Wind and the Dragon. It would also bring a devastating blow to the Northland faith forged by Raikaru. It would break the principle that the ten archdukes had scrupulously abided by for nearly seven centuries.
For example, under the legend of the founding of the country by the hero and the Dragon, he would provoke the archdukes into thinking that they should not have. He would provoke their strange thoughts outside of the King Selection Congress. He would provoke their other ambitions outside of the Joint Ruling Pledge. He would also provoke the greedy thoughts that they could only think about in their dreams during their six hundred years in Eckstedt.
More importantly, and more urgently, there was …
Nuven's death, Lampard's rebellion, and even the possible civil war in Eckstedt that would follow — all of these would cast a shadow and precedent on the next king of Eckstedt. It would also make the new king wary and suspicious of his nine co-ruling archdukes. It would also make the archdukes suspicious of their common-elected king.
When that time came, King Nuven's magnificent feat of gathering seven archdukes and hundreds of thousands of troops to invade the south and cross Broken Dragon Fortress would no longer be so easy to achieve.
Raphael nodded in affirmation of his words.
Although he understood the reason for the Secret Intelligence Department's actions, Thales still could not feel happy.
His heart was as heavy as ever, as if there was a sharp thorn in it, constantly making him feel uneasy.
For some reason, Kessel's words appeared before his eyes again.
'Fight for Constellation, die for Constellation, live for Constellation.'
Thales shook his head, as if that could lighten his heavy mood a little.
Obviously, he failed.
"Did the Secret Intelligence Department succeed?" Thales finally sighed and asked the question he wanted to ask the most, "If they succeeded, why am I here?"
The black hole shuddered again — The Black Prophet spoke.
Out of Thales' expectations, this time, Morat Hansen actually asked a question, "I am also very curious. What happened in Dragon Clouds City?"
Raphael's expression changed and became solemn.
"According to the plan, you should now stay in Heroic Spirit Palace and spend the night as Eckstedt's distinguished guest under heavy protection. Then, when the vassals are at odds with each other after this, you should return to your country by virtue of your neutral status," the young man from the Secret Intelligence Department said with a slightly heavy tone, "But for some reason, King Nuven decided to leave Heroic Spirit Palace and even brought you out of the palace — so much so that you fell into Lampard's hands."
Thales' heart tightened. The person who brought him out of Heroic Spirit Palace was not Nuven.
It was …
He involuntarily glanced at Little Rascal. She had seen Asda.
She had also seen Black Sword and their confrontation.
"What else?" the prince asked calmly, intentionally or unintentionally skipping over this question.
"Apart from that," Raphael raised his eyebrows slightly, "Our plan also ran into some accidents."
"There are still ten minutes before the time you mentioned." Morat's cold and hoarse voice was still unpleasant. "Tell me about it."
Raphael's gaze became solemn as he looked around at the crowd. Countless undecipherable thoughts flashed across his eyes.
Finally, these thoughts converged into three words, which he softly uttered.
"Calamity."
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