"But none of you interrupted him, did you?" Trentida put away his dagger and crossed his arms. He sighed and said, "Look, sometimes, even though his mouth is stubborn, his body will always reveal his inner thoughts."
He raised his gaze. "What do you think?"
Olsius frowned. His gaze moved back and forth between Lampard and Thales.
Ronnie, on the other hand, observed Olsius' expression.
Lampard only raised his sword expressionlessly. No one could guess what he was thinking.
Just as Thales was getting anxious, Archduke Lecco broke the silence again.
The old archduke's voice was hoarse. "You know, the King Selection Convention needs the high priestess of the temple to bear witness."
Thales shuddered and spoke almost instinctively.
"High Priestess Holme is now outside the gatehouse. She will be waiting for your summons within a five-minute journey.
"Her status is extraordinary. Even Prime Minister Lisban can't stop her."
The archdukes frowned.
"You planned this beforehand?" Archduke Lecco asked in surprise.
Thales shrugged. He was drenched in sweat.
There was silence.
Archduke Lecco and Trentida looked at each other.
Two seconds later, the old archduke closed his eyes and let out a bleak laugh.
Trentida glanced at Thales and also laughed involuntarily.
Thales was baffled by what he saw.
Roknee and Olsius looked at each other, seemingly shocked by their companion's decision.
Lampard sighed.
"That's impossible!"
Archduke Roknee clenched his teeth and shook his head fiercely.
"There are only five of us here. The King Selection Convention can't be held when there are not enough people. This is against convention."
He looked at Olsius, as if trying to seek support.
However, that familiar female voice rang again.
"Actually …
"The King Selection Convention can be held when there are not enough people."
The archdukes moved and turned their attention back to Saroma.
The dirty girl said carefully, "In Year 346 of the Calendar of Eradication, the King of Wrath died in the Night Wing King's army. Dragon Clouds City fell into the enemy's hands.
"Without a leader, the war-ravaged Eckstedt could not gather the archdukes to choose a king." Saroma's words gradually became smoother. Her voice was clear and pleasant.
"Therefore, the Grand Dukes of the Sentry Region, the Grand Duke of the Glacier Sea, and the Grand Duke of the Defense City all gathered together and cast their votes. At the same time, they informed the remaining six territories to send in their choices using messenger crows."
Saroma lowered her head and stole a glance at Archduke Roknee.
"That was how Roknee got four votes and sat on the throne during the war," the girl said softly. "And he is one of your ancestors, Archduke Roknee."
Ronnie was tongue-tied and at a loss for words.
As he listened to Saroma's timid explanation, Thales felt as if he had met his savior.
However, there were still people who raised objections.
Archduke Olsius shook his head. "That was just an exception. Besides, we don't even have the time to wait for the other archdukes' votes. Once Lisban takes over the gatehouse, the illusion of peace you've created will be shattered. In the end, we'll still end up fighting to the death."
Lampard looked up. "My men are stronger than you think. They can hold on for long enough. For example, after my army kills all of you."
Olsius and Lampard's gazes met in midair, and it seemed like sparks of hatred and anger were about to erupt.
Thales quickly raised his hand.
"We don't have to inform the other archdukes!"
He said anxiously.
"As long as we can ensure that all of you have an overwhelming number of votes and that the other archdukes' choices won't affect the outcome, we can decide on the common-elected king!"
"Overwhelming number of votes?" The bearded Olsius shook his head in disdain and pointed at Lampard. "Including him, there are only five of us archdukes here. Even if all five of us choose Lampard to be the king, we still lack …"
When he said this, he suddenly froze.
The other archdukes, including Lampard, were also stunned.
In the next second, they turned their heads in unison.
They looked at the same person.
"That's right, everyone." Thales felt as if a huge burden had been lifted from his heart. His arms trembled. "We need six votes among the ten archdukes to decide on the next common-elected king without any objections in the absence of the other archdukes."
His pupils shrank slightly. "Only six votes."
Under all the archdukes' disbelieving gazes, Thales took a few steps forward and walked to the side of the girl who was at a loss for what to do and did not even know where to put her hands.
"Allow me to introduce her again." Thales grabbed the girl's hand and solemnly raised the 'Triumph' on her finger.
"Saroma, Alex, Soria, Walton."
The archdukes looked at each other.
"She is the legitimate descendant of the Dragon Spear Family and the next of Dragon Clouds City."
Thales gritted his teeth and paused for a second before he slowly opened his mouth.
"Archduchess!"
The hall was greeted with a silence that lasted longer than any other moment.
Saroma was dumbfounded as she met the archdukes' shocked and puzzled gazes.
'What?
How could this be?
The girl only felt fear in her heart. She subconsciously turned to the prince beside her.
"But …"
Thales grabbed a handful of her hand and stopped her words in her mouth.
The second last brazier slowly extinguished in the silence.
"No, no." Olsius stared in shock at Saroma, who was about to cry. He shook his head in disbelief. "She is a girl. There has never been such a precedent in Eckstedt, no, in all of Northland.
"Have all of you not broken enough precedents today?"
Thales exhaled. "Plotting to assassinate the king, covering up the truth, dividing up territories, archdukes drawing swords against each other in the Hall of Heroes …
"In comparison, the appearance of an archduchess is simply too conservative!"
Lampard stared at Saroma with a strange expression. He seemed to have thought of something and actually flashed a bitter smile.
Archduke Lecco sized up Saroma with difficulty. He wanted to say something, but stopped himself.
"A woman." Archduke Roknee narrowed his eyes. "Neither the commoners nor the nobles of Eckstedt will acknowledge an archduchess."
Thales said seriously, "So, she needs all of your support.
"She needs the acknowledgment and affirmation of the five archdukes of Eckstedt in the kingdom to secure her position and suppress opposition and dissent!
"And her status as an archduchess will ensure that we …" Thales stopped in time and changed the way he addressed the archdukes. "Ensure that your king selection is successful, and we can solve the dilemma of both sides. Whether all of you die in the chaotic battle or Lampard dies under the prime minister's sword, we can avoid both.
"At the same time, we can compensate for Dragon Clouds City's loss and fill the vacancy left by King Nuven's death."
Trentida glanced at Saroma with interest. He stroked his beard and clicked his tongue.
"I have placed the choice and its consequences in front of all of you, everyone." Thales wiped the sweat on his forehead and wiped off a large amount of charcoal ash, but he did not notice it. He said solemnly, "I only implore all of you to maintain your rationality to the greatest extent."
No one spoke.
Lecco seemed to have aged a few years. The wrinkles on his face became more terrifying.
Olsius pursed his lips.
Roknee continued to stare at Lampard, even though the latter did not move at all.
Thales held Saroma's hand closer and closer. He knew that the archdukes were struggling and hesitating.
"King Nuven's death …" Olsius looked at Saroma with a bitter gaze. "Can she accept it?"
Thales quickly poked Saroma.
"Ah, ah!" The girl seemed to have snapped out of her daze.
"I-I can compromise." Saroma looked at Thales' encouraging gaze and bit her lip. "B-but this is Dragon Clouds City's blood debt. I will not forget it."
Lampard snorted sarcastically.
Olsius closed his eyes. "Very well. What reason should we use to explain Nuven's death to Lisban?"
"Calamities," Trentida interrupted.
There was a rare gloominess in the Archduke of Reformation Tower's eyes. "Just say that the king died in the Blood Calamity's attack. They are evil enough anyway, they don't care about being cursed."
Thales thought of the sealed Giza and remained silent.
The hall fell into silence again.
"Archdukes, what do you think?" Thales asked softly.
"What do you think?"
A long time seemed to have passed.
None of them said a word.
But someone moved.
It was Lampard.
Under the others' gazes, Chapman Lampard raised his sword with a cold gaze.
Thales' heart skipped a beat.
But in the next second, Lampard bent his wrist and turned the blade.
He put the blade back into its sheath.
The Archduke of Black Sand Region looked up and swept his gaze over the archdukes aggressively.
At that moment, Thales held his breath.
He had already given his answer.
Archduke Rebien Olsius sighed deeply. He walked to the square table, slammed his heavy sword on the table, and sat down angrily.
"One."
Thales counted silently.
Trentida snorted and shrugged. He pulled out his own chair and sat down.
"Two."
"Do all of you really know what you are doing?" Roknee asked in disbelief as he watched their actions.
"No." Archduke Lecco was the one who answered him.
The old archduke sounded tired. He shook his head, put away the dagger in his hand, pulled out a chair and sat down. "No one knows."
"Three."
At that moment …
"Hahahahaha." Lampard laughed bleakly.
The archdukes looked at him in dissatisfaction.
"Even in my dreams, I want to destroy the Joint Ruling Pledge." The Archduke of Black Sand Region looked back at the others with a sorrowful gaze. "But now, as the king, I have to rely on this pledge to protect myself."
Thales sighed.
"And all of you worked so hard to protect the Joint Ruling Pledge." Lampard swept his gaze across every archduke's face. "Now, you want to make me king and trample on this pledge."
He spread his hands and said mockingly, "Isn't this the greatest irony?"
The archdukes' expressions became very unpleasant.
* Swoosh. *
The sound of metal rubbing against leather was heard.
"What's even more ironic is that you used the Joint Ruling Pledge to break it in the end." Roknee put away his sword and said coldly, "We broke the pledge to protect it better."
Roknee gritted his teeth and glared at Lampard.
"This is not over, Lampard."
Lampard stared back at him coldly without saying a word.
Roknee walked to the side of the square table and stared at Thales fiercely.
The prince's heart trembled.
'What's wrong?'
"Listen, brat!" Roknee grabbed the back of the chair beside Thales.
"This chair in this order has been the Roknee Family's exclusive seat for six hundred years," he said coldly, "If you dare to jump up there again …"
Thales quickly pulled Saroma and took about ten steps back. He flashed an innocent and ingratiating smile.
'Damn it.
No wonder his expression was so bad just now. '
Roknee sat down heavily.
"Four."
Thales heaved a long sigh of relief. He instantly relaxed and broke out in cold sweat.
He felt his vision blur and his legs become weak. He was about to collapse on the ground.
Amid Saroma's cry of alarm, Thales felt his back stiffen. Someone grabbed the back of his collar and lifted him up.
He avoided the fate of falling.
Thales calmed down the dizziness brought about by his weakness and looked at the person behind him in shock and bewilderment.
"Child."
Chapman Lampard let go of his collar and looked at the prince with a complicated expression. There was a subtle look in his eyes. "You didn't drink that wine back then.
What a pity. "
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