For three seconds, no one said a word.
Until …
"Cut the nonsense." Nicholas tilted his head to reveal the hilt behind his back. There was a fierce glint in his eyes, and his words were as cold as frost. "Or do you like to joke?"
Kohen narrowed his eyes.
Even Little Rascal shook her head.
Thales raised his eyebrows and smiled awkwardly. "But I am serious …"
He looked at everyone's hostile and doubtful gazes, and his heart skipped a beat.
The prince could only shake his head in the end. "Alright, let's get to the main point …"
"Ever since King Nuven was assassinated, I have collected a lot of information while on the run." Thales sighed. "There are many details about Lampard's plan this time."
Putray and Raphael glanced at each other, inwardly surprised.
Miranda frowned slightly. "Collecting information while on the run?"
Thales shrugged. "I can't just run for my life in a panic."
Nicholas focused his gaze. "For example?"
"For example, Lampard's true objective." Thales' breathing slowed down. "Whether it was the army that he did not need to bring or his personal appearance, it has far exceeded the scope of 'self-preservation by counterattacking Nuven'."
"We talked about this in the prison cell," Miranda said keenly. "Do you have an answer?"
Under everyone's gaze, Thales lowered his head slightly.
He recalled the oppressive conversation in the carriage.
"After King Nuven died and I fell into Lampard's hands, he said something to me," the second prince said absentmindedly, replaying the scene in his mind. "That sentence has been bothering me, until just now."
Raphael subconsciously leaned forward a little and narrowed his eyes.
"Chapman Lampard's original words were," Thales said in a hoarse voice, imitating the ambitious and ruthless man's tone, "'What's next?'
"'To save this country.'"
Aside from Little Rascal, everyone was stunned.
There were a few seconds of silence again.
"What?" Putray was bewildered.
Raphael and Miranda lowered their heads and pondered.
"Hmph." Nicholas shook his head and exchanged glances with Mirk. "The self-justification of the shameless, the cunning words of the king slayer."
Thales shook his head solemnly.
"No, I can feel it." The prince exhaled. His gaze was solemn. "He is serious. Lampard really believes that what he is doing is saving Eckstedt."
The Star Killer's expression slowly froze.
Cohen scratched his head. "Maybe we should stop this guessing game and get straight to the point. Say something that I can understand?"
"There's something wrong with this sentence." Putray took a puff of his cigarette, and an undercurrent surged in his eyes. "What does this country have to be saved?"
"Could he be referring to the overthrow of King Nuven?" Miranda crossed her arms and thought carefully. "As far as I know, Nuven the Seventh's thirty years of rule made the archdukes respect and fear him."
"To Lampard, Nuven's death is the rebirth of the country. They can finally break free from the oppression of the Walton Family and Dragon Clouds City?"
Mirk sighed.
But the prince still shook his head.
Thales inhaled and said quietly, "The biggest reason Lampard wants to overthrow King Nuven is because he is afraid of King Nuven's revenge on Black Sand Region. It is to protect himself.
"But this problem has been solved." Thales raised his head and organized every element in his mind. "King Nuven is dead. He will not crawl out of Hell's River to look for him."
Raphael did not say a word, but he suddenly smiled.
The young man from the Secret Intelligence Department had a scrutinizing gaze. "According to Lampard's original words, he is about to 'go' to save this country — but King Nuven is already dead. Judging from the chronological order, it is not right."
Thales nodded absentmindedly.
"Unless Lampard has never taken grammar lessons, and can't even distinguish between the present and future tense," Thales said flatly.
"Otherwise, what he said about saving the country …"
Thales raised his head. His gaze was extremely solemn. "It is definitely not just to overthrow King Nuven. It is not just to get rid of Dragon Clouds City's oppression. It is not just to change the king.
"He wants more."
"He wants an unprecedented change.
"He wants to 'save this country' in the most thorough way possible."
Everyone fell silent.
"I bet." Thales exhaled. His tone was solemn and serious. "This is why Lampard brought his army to Dragon Clouds City. This is why he is heading to Heroic Spirit Palace right now. It is also the key to our counterattack."
"He can save the country by bringing his army to Heroic Spirit Palace?" Kohen asked doubtfully. "What does he want to do? Kill all the nobles in Dragon Clouds City, from the archdukes to the counts? "
Putray sneered.
"In the first few decades of my life, I've learned one thing." The vice envoy exhaled a puff of smoke and said faintly, "Violence is the shortest, simplest, and least effective way to solve a problem. It's best to use it as a last resort."
Thales sighed. All the clues became clearer in his mind.
"During that memorable journey, I heard another detail."
Everyone's gaze was once again drawn to the prince.
"Shadow Shield told Lampard," Thales said quietly, "when Charleton assassinated King Nuven, he spent a long time searching for the king's traces."
Putray raised his head abruptly!
As if he had thought of something.
Raphael also opened his mouth in surprise.
Thales lowered his head.
'Thank you, Kaslan …
'Thank you for giving me Gu's hiding place …
'Otherwise …
'Otherwise, I probably wouldn't have seen the meeting between Lampard and Shadow Shield.'
He thought silently.
Wya raised his eyebrows. "Is there something wrong?"
"Very wrong." Putray's eyebrows were tightly furrowed. His tone was tense. "Arranging an assassination, but not being able to determine the target's location and time …"
The thin man's gaze became solemn. "For an assassination that requires prior planning and thorough preparation, this is one of the most fatal and unforgivable mistakes.
"This means that … Shadow Shield and Charleton's assassination had an accident that they did not expect."
"Oh." Beside him, Kohen slapped his head in realization. He then gave a thumbs up and said sincerely, "It seems like you are very experienced, uncle."
At that moment, Putray's gaze darkened.
Thales took a deep breath and raised his head.
"Flying Locust Blade jumped down from the Cliff of the Sky to assassinate the king," the prince said solemnly. "He had been hiding on the Cliff of the Sky."
Even Asda and Black Sword did not notice him.
Thales clenched his fists, thinking and organizing his thoughts.
"How did he get up there?" Nicholas said suspiciously, "Even at night, Charleton could not have climbed the Cliff of the Sky without being noticed."
Thales shook his head.
"This is not important.
The second prince's pupils shrank slightly. "What's important is that the Cliff of the Sky is connected to only one place."
The eyes of Lord Mirk, who had been the king's administrator for many years trembled. He answered, "Heroic Spirit Palace."
No one said anything. Everyone knew what this meant.
Thales nodded slightly. "In other words, Bannette Charleton originally planned to enter Heroic Spirit Palace from the Cliff of the Sky to assassinate King Nuven.
"Heroic Spirit Palace was the place where King Nuven would die in their original plan."
Raphael flashed a strange smile and looked at the prince quietly.
"Everything makes sense now." Thales was lost in thought. "After Nuven was assassinated, Lampard appeared with his army in an illogical manner. He even wanted to silence us. But he should not have done such an unwise thing that would arouse suspicion."
* Smack! *
Thales punched his palm, and his eyes shone.
"Now I understand. Lampard and his army appeared there." He exhaled. "There was an accident in the assassination plan. King Nuven should not have died in Shield District. He should have died in Heroic Spirit Palace, just like the accident in Project Dragon's Blood."
Raphael sneered silently.
"Charleton could not find the king in Heroic Spirit Palace, so Lampard had no choice but to send his army into Shield District to search for Nuven's traces." Thales clenched his fists. "And after confirming that Charleton's assassination was a success, the first thing he thought of was to silence the witnesses."
On the other hand, Nicholas' face turned green. There was pain in his eyes.
"King Nuven," the Star Killer said bitterly. "He should have stayed safely in Heroic Spirit Palace during the crusade against the calamity. But he chose to set off with the White Blade Guards and came outside the palace.
"He said he believed that the place where the White Blade Guards were was the safest place in the world."
Mirk lowered his head. His voice was hoarse. "We all failed to live up to our duties."
Thales' eyes dimmed. "Although choosing to leave the palace would inevitably lead to the tragedy of being assassinated, it was perhaps the wisest decision the old king made before he died.
"He left us a chance of survival."
The police officer raised his hand.
"What does this mean?" Kohen waved his hand and thought hard. "Lampard did not want the people outside the palace to know that Nuven was dead?"
Miranda raised her head. Her eyes were cold.
"If King Nuven had followed Lampard's original plan and died mysteriously in Heroic Spirit Palace, what would have happened?" the swordswoman asked coldly.
Putray shook his head. "It's not about what would have happened …"
Thales hummed in acknowledgment. A few high-ranking figures appeared in his mind. He muttered to himself and continued the vice diplomat's words. "It's about four friendly and amiable old friends who were also in Heroic Spirit Palace at that time …
"It's about what would have happened to them."
Thales raised his eyes abruptly and looked at everyone.
"Let's go," he said resolutely.
"Where?" Nicholas narrowed his eyes.
Thales smiled.
"To verify my final guess," the prince said softly. "To find Lampard's weakness."
— —
At the same time, the conversation between the five archdukes in the Hall of Heroes in Heroic Spirit Palace was getting more and more intense.
"Regarding His Majesty's misfortune …"
Chapman Lampard looked at the four archdukes in front of him coldly. "It seems that you have something to say?"
Roknee of the City of Faraway Prayers snorted coldly.
"Don't treat your peers as fools."
Archduke Roknee said coldly, "We are not the noble background characters in knight novels who only know how to serve as foils for the protagonist and let him f * ck their daughters for free."
Lampard narrowed his eyes.
"As His Majesty's greatest enemy, Chapman," the bearded Olsius raised his chin and crossed his arms. His expression was solemn. "But you found out about his death so much earlier than us. That's not easy."
The Archduke of Black Sand Region snorted softly.
"And you appeared not too early nor too late. You appeared not long after His Majesty was assassinated?" Archduke Trentida hid half of his face in the shadows where the brazier's light could not reach. He stroked his beard and said sarcastically, "It seems that the horses of Black Sand Region are really fast. They're almost as fast as Great Dragons. How about selling some to me?"
The corners of Archduke Lampard's lips curled up slightly.
"I thought …" The experienced and prudent Archduke Lecco shook his head, making his bald head even more conspicuous. His eyes occasionally sparkled. "If you're just here to talk to us … don't you think you brought too many 'attendants' outside the door?"
Chapman Lampard raised his head and glanced at the stone carving of the Cloud Dragon Spear above his head.
He placed his hand on the old saber at his waist.
In the next second, he nodded slowly.
But on Lampard's unsmiling face, his gaze became colder and colder.
"I didn't know that all of you started learning how to act in stage plays." The Archduke of Black Sand Region lowered his head and snorted softly. He looked around at the four of them.
"One line for each of us?"
* Bang! *
Archduke Roknee slammed his fist on the rectangular table. His gaze was cold.
"Cut the crap," the Archduke of the City of Faraway Prayers said fiercely. "What on earth are you thinking in that big head of yours that has been blown by the wind and sand in the south for forty years?
"Killing the king and destroying the greatest rule and tacit understanding between us for more than six hundred years?
"Do you think you can escape?"
The archdukes stared at Lampard coldly and did not reply.
Lampard also furrowed his brows in the face of Roknee's questioning.
A few seconds later …
"I thought all of you would be very happy," Lampard said softly. His voice was a little hoarse. "After all, he's dead. All of you can finally get rid of that tyrant.
"Get rid of his officials.
"Get rid of his unreasonable demands.
"Get rid of his increasingly greedy desires.
"Get rid of his growing power.
"Get rid of his unreasonable interference in the affairs of your territories."
Chapman Lampard swept his gaze over the archdukes coldly. "Isn't that so?"
At that moment, different emotions flashed in the four archdukes' eyes.
The hall was silent for a moment.
The Archduke of Prestige Orchid, Reybien Olsius walked forward.
The corners of the bearded archduke's lips curled up. His tone was cold as he said, "But this is not how the game is played.
"You can't overturn the chessboard just because you're temporarily at a disadvantage."
He narrowed his eyes. "You're acting like a gambler who throws caution to the wind. This makes us very nervous."
Lampard snorted coldly, as if he was disdainful.
"Nervous?"
He extended his palm and patted his chest. He said in a deep voice, "Ask yourselves, my fellow archdukes.
"In the past thirty years, sixty years, ninety years …" Lampard's expression was as cold as ice, and his words were as sharp as a sword. "Was it me, or the Waltons, who pressured you to the point of suffocation with all sorts of tricks and aggressive actions, who made you more nervous?"
The archdukes did not speak. Years of experience had long since made them used to not show their emotions on their faces. Not everyone was as young as Poffret.
Lampard strode towards the direction of the long table.
"Of course, Nuven and the Waltons are very good at this game. He keeps his chessboard in good order," Lampard said coldly. "Look at that throne. It has been placed in Dragon Clouds City for almost a hundred years!"
The Archduke of Black Sand Region waved his hand and pointed at King Nuven's seat. His gaze was cold. "Don't you find it strange?"
Archduke Olsius spat angrily.
"This has nothing to do with us." The Archduke of Prestige Orchid walked in front of him and confronted Lampard without flinching. "But you did break the Joint Ruling Pledge. His Majesty is still your common-elected king."
* Thud! *
Lampard took a sudden step forward!
His forehead was almost touching Olsius' forehead.
But Olsius did not flinch. His gaze was fierce.
The atmosphere between the two archdukes became increasingly tense.
"Then all of you should know that if he is still alive, my head will be placed in a box for all of you to see in two months." Archduke Lampard narrowed his eyes. He enunciated each word, and it sounded extremely terrifying. "If he is still alive, my head will be placed in a box for all of you to see in two months."
"How do you know that the next head in the box will not be one of you?"
"Stop talking nonsense." The oldest Archduke Lecco raised his head, which was a rare sight. His gaze was very solemn. "Trying to make us believe that the Prince of Constellation killed the king is not a good idea to divert the focus."
"The Northlanders have their own way of doing things," Archduke Roknee continued his sentence and said in a deep voice. "We just have to follow it."
Archduke Lampard narrowed his eyes, seemingly dissatisfied.
Archduke Trentida clapped his hands.
"I don't think he wants to follow the way of Northland." The Archduke of the Reconstruction Tower, who was famous for his cunning, tilted his head. "Look at the bunch of stupid soldiers outside the door."
Archduke Roknee snorted coldly. "Why, do you still plan to exterminate all of us here?"
Archduke Lampard stared at the four archdukes. His expression grew colder.
He clenched his fists.
But the four archdukes before him did not have the slightest intention of backing down. They either sat or stood, staring coldly at Lampard, uncompromising.
After a long while …
Lampard relaxed his fists, lowered his chest, and slowly exhaled.
"I'm not here to threaten all of you," the Archduke of Black Sand Region said solemnly, "and I'm not here to harm all of you."
Archduke Lecco narrowed his eyes, as if he was deep in thought.
Lampard raised his head abruptly. "I'm here today for Eckstedt."
Archduke Olsius and Archduke Roknee exchanged glances and sneered at the same time.
"Come on." Roknee shook his head. "The king slayer wants to negotiate terms?"
"For Eckstedt's future," Lampard said solemnly, "I have an important proposal to make to all of you."
The Archduke of Black Sand Region raised his head. His expression was cold, but his eyes seemed to be burning with flames.
Flames in ice.
"Dragon Clouds City no longer has a direct heir," he said flatly, "I believe that whether it's the selfish Walton Family, or this archduchy that has been a burden to Eckstedt for more than six hundred years …
"Should not continue to exist."
Trentida revealed a puzzled expression.
Archduke Lecco's expression changed.
Olsius pursed his lips. There was a hint of shock in his eyes.
Roknee's smile froze on his face.
But Lampard continued to speak.
"The western part of Dragon Clouds City can belong to the City of Faraway Prayers," he said flatly, as if he was talking about a trivial matter of the winter hunt last year.
"We can let Defense City manage the northern part.
As for the rest … "Lampard narrowed his eyes and stared at Olsius and Trentida." Let Prestige Orchid Region and Reformation Tower respectively. "
The archduke shut his mouth and waited quietly for a response.
No one spoke.
It was as if the air had frozen.
Then, Archduke Lecco's incredulous and trembling voice rose.
"What did you say?"
Lampard turned to him.
"Did you hear what I said?" Lampard's eyes widened slightly. He said in a low voice, "We will jointly manage this piece of land …
"Dragon Clouds City …"
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