I have slackened, I have slackened, I have slackened.
As he stared at King Chapman's steady and aloof expression, Thales, who was drenched in cold sweat, suddenly realized this in sorrow.
Even though he thought that he had been very vigilant during the past six years, and he had also been on tenterhooks under the gazes and whispers of the Northlanders, compared to the days when he was surrounded by danger and was forced to fight with all his might, the prince's current life was still too comfortable and leisurely.
At some point in time, even Thales did not realize that he had unknowingly gotten used to this comfortable rhythm. So much so that when he suddenly faced a terrifying and powerful enemy like Chapman Lampard, and in a game that was even more thrilling than the one he faced six years ago, he, who had been away from the battlefield for a long time, was at a loss for what to do and what to do.
Thales even began to suspect that the reason why Lampard would suddenly and boldly seek him out at this time was to catch the unprepared prince off guard.
"You know." Across the carriage, King Chapman did not care about the prince's expression. He nodded in satisfaction.
"It's good that you admit it instead of pretending to be deaf and dumb."
There was a dangerous glint in his eyes. "Saves me the trouble of 'field testing' the power of this truth."
Thales' expression became increasingly unpleasant.
'It's been six years.' Thales breathed absentmindedly. Lampard stood at the highest point of this country. He trained and honed himself to become more experienced and brilliant in his life-and-death battles against the archdukes and vassals. One careless move, and he would lose everything.
As for himself, the Prince of Constellation, a guest in name, but a pawn who was actually a hostage, he was imprisoned at the highest point of this famous city by the king's order for a total of six years.
Under the company and protection of the guards, under the surveillance and isolation of many forces, he spent his days in silence and solitude with his books and servants as his companions.
He couldn't get in touch with more people, and he couldn't get further information. He was far away from the most dangerous and complicated games. He was lost and corrupted in the illusion of peace.
In a way, Lampard won. He fought for six years, and at the same time, he took six years from me.
Thales clenched his fists.
'Maybe …' There was a voice in Thales' heart calling out to him. 'Maybe it's time for me to go.'
He left Dragon Clouds City and returned to …
However …
Thales raised his head slightly and looked into King Chapman's eyes expressionlessly.
Breathe, Thales, breathe.
The chess game was not over yet. It was not the time to give up.
In fact, the battle had only just begun.
Isn't that right, old friend?
The familiar Sin of Hell's River spread through his nerves and blood vessels, spreading through his entire body. It was like the flames of hell, but also like the frost of the Northernmost Region. It made Thales shudder.
'Think carefully, Thales.
Fear, nervousness, frustration, dismay, bewilderment, and countless other superfluous emotions instantly left him.
Thales leaned against the back of his seat, crossed his arms, and furrowed his eyebrows.
First of all, Thales thought coldly, 'Lampard said that the Red Witch did not tell him a single word.
Is this true?
If it was true, it meant that the king had learned of Dragon Clouds City's greatest secret from another source.
He needed confirmation.
King Chapman did not panic. He waited thoughtfully for the prince's response, as if everything was under his control.
"You're not sure either, right?"
"When it comes to this bargaining chip that can overturn Dragon Clouds City and yourself at the same time, the 'field test' and whatnot is just empty talk," Thales said expressionlessly. "When did you start suspecting it?"
There was considerable interest in King Chapman's eyes.
"From the first day."
Thales gritted his teeth lightly. 'The first day, in other words …'
"'Triumph' is the token that the King of Renaissance gave to Raikaru. It has a high status and extraordinary significance. Over the years, it symbolizes the Walton Family's legacy and Dragon Clouds City's authority. It has always been worn by the successive Archdukes of Dragon Clouds City, passed down from generation to generation, and known by all."
The king's voice traveled into his ears coldly, and it gave people the illusion that it was not cold. "But that night, when my men carried Nuven's corpse away, his finger was empty.
"Until I saw you put the ring on that girl in the Hall of Heroes."
Thales moved slightly. He remembered the confrontation in the hall that year.
"You suspect that I took the ring in private and put it on Saroma?" the prince said softly. "That seems a little arbitrary?"
King Chapman shook his head.
"No, I don't think that group of former White Blade Guards had the guts to desecrate the late king's corpse, nor do I think that they would allow you to take the supreme token that represents the Walton Family from Nuven's corpse.
"So, 'Triumph' could only have been taken from King Nuven's finger when he was still alive and given to his granddaughter."
The look in King Chapman's eyes became more and more dangerous. "That makes it even more suspicious."
Thales' expression froze. He had figured out the key.
Lampard's information did not come from the Secret Room or the Red Witch.
This terrifying and ambitious man found this secret on his own.
'If that's the case …'
The king snorted coldly. "Nuven could not have known that he was about to die. Why would he hurriedly take off the ring that represents the Dragon Spear Family and secretly hand it to a girl who could not even be trusted by the vassals?
"Wouldn't it have been better to gather the vassals in public, pass the ring under the watchful eyes of the public, confirm the heir, and use the Born King's authority to endorse the archduke's legacy and pave the way for the archduchess?
"Then I thought of you," King Chapman said quietly. "You were also in Dragon Clouds City that day when the late king privately passed the Ring of Triumph to his granddaughter.
"Thales Jadestar."
The prince lowered his head so that the other party could not see his expression clearly.
"That night, the late king wanted to pass the ring to his granddaughter so that you and the Jadestar Family could see it, right?"
"He chose you, Thales." Strangely, there was respect and disdain in King Chapman's voice at the same time. "Because of the status of the Jadestar Family and the King of Constellation, and also because of the uniqueness you displayed that night, he chose you to be the husband of his granddaughter and the future archduchess. After his death, with the power of Constellation, you will continue the Dragon Spear Family's rule over Dragon Clouds City and protect your wife's family."
The prince could hear his heart beating at a constant rate.
At that moment, the once familiar thinking pattern returned to Thales' mind.
'In the conversation just now, he first probed whether I have an engagement with Saroma.
'Then, he asked about my alliance with King Nuven.
'Both of them …'
"For many years, I have been full of doubts about how this alliance was formed between the two of you," King Chapman said coldly. "You were right about one thing. Thales, the heir of Constellation, how could he marry the Archduchess of Dragon Clouds City under the heavy opposition?"
The king gradually approached Thales' face. The prince could even see his own reflection in the king's eyes.
"There are two doubtful points.
"First of all, how could you possibly believe that this fragile alliance would still be effective and profitable in the face of so many obstacles when King Nuven's life was nearing its end? Moreover, with a fragile marriage, could Eternal Star City really interfere with Dragon Clouds City's affairs?
"Secondly, how could King Nuven be sure that his actions were not like inviting a wolf into his house, that the alliance he formed would not fall apart after his death? How could he be sure that Constellation would not go back on its word and leave while seizing benefits, or even send the Walton Family and Dragon Clouds City to hell just to attack Eckstedt?"
King Chapman returned to his seat. His domineering words came to an end.
Only endless silence and deep thought were left in the carriage.
Thales narrowed his eyes slightly.
'Very well. Lampard's words about not being of the true Walton bloodline did not mean that he knew the whole truth.'
On that cruel night six years ago, what happened in the Hall of Heroes was not as simple as the old king giving his surname to a girl who was not of his bloodline.
'That night.'
Alex's pale face appeared in front of Thales' eyes.
He shifted his attention back to the king.
'If that's the case, the only thing Lampard can be sure of is …'
'Now, it's up to him to make his own move.'
In the dark carriage, Thales took a deep breath.
"A pretty good guess." The Prince of Constellation carefully weighed his words. Every second, he reminded himself of the existence of the enemy he was facing. "But it's still missing a link."
King Chapman raised his eyebrows.
Thales said flatly, "Kroesch, how much did she tell you?"
The carriage sank into silence.
The prince waited patiently.
As expected, in the next moment, King Chapman's face twitched. An emotion similar to surprise appeared in his eyes.
"Interesting."
King Chapman did not seem to have expected this. "How did you know?"
'No, I don't.'
Thales said quietly in his heart.
'Until you confirmed it for me.'
"Kentvida's audience," Thales answered straightforwardly. "That cold-faced female warrior behaved very strangely. She was agitated when she faced the herald, her attitude towards Kentvida, and the baffling words she said to the archduchess at the end. Of course, there was also her eagerness to invite me into the carriage, even at the cost of a fight."
King Chapman stared at him quietly. A few seconds later, the common-elected king could not help but snort softly.
"Ashe is a very interesting girl.
"I've never seen someone as arrogant as Lhasa be so infatuated with any woman. I guess the Tower of Eradication does have its ways, right? A long time ago, Kaslan was also infatuated with a woman from the Tower of Eradication.
Thales shook his head. He did not want to listen to the king's nonsense. He went straight to the point. "I guess she introduced you to her father, Lord Byrne Mirk?"
King Chapman's eyelids twitched.
"Not exactly." The king snorted softly. "When we were discussing the Alliance of Freedom, we happened to talk about the eldest son of King Soria Walton, who broke Fort Liberté.
"My lovely vice-captain told me how she grew up under the care of the prince's consort, Lady Adele.
"Of course, her father, the late king's loyal administrator, Byrne Mirk," King Chapman said in a low voice. "And how he tried his best to mediate the unfortunate marriage between Prince Soria and his wife. He protected the pitiful consort and advised the cruel prince."
'I see.'
Thales thought quietly. But then, he thought of something.
'That's not right.
'If Kroesch knew about it from the beginning, there's no need to wait until …'
"Who noticed the problem?"
The prince asked without batting an eyelid. "You can't be sure of anything just based on a little girl's memories."
King Chapman was silent for a whole three seconds.
It was so long that Thales could not help but frown.
This time, Chapman Lampard's voice was very soft. It sounded as if it came from afar, but also as if he was afraid of waking up a sleeping baby. "It was Harold."
Thales was startled.
"Harold?"
'Wait, he means …'
The king let out an indecipherable sneer. It sounded sad, but also angry.
"When Prince Soria was assassinated, my elder brother, Harold Lampard, was the first person to rush to the scene. Of course, the assassin was hidden in his team. Do you remember?"
King Chapman's voice slowly regained its calmness, as if he was narrating a story about someone else's family.
"Harold once described the tragedy to me. The prince was covered in blood and collapsed in the carriage. His body was cold, and his personal guard was holding the body of the princess consort. He knelt outside the carriage and looked at the baby girl in her arms, crying her heart out."
Thales did not speak.
Lampard sneered. "Lhasa was very interested in this detail. Why did Lord Mirk, the White Blade Guard and later administrator, seem to care more about the consort?"
The prince's expression froze. He was getting closer.
"Following this clue, Lhasa also discovered that after the king selection, the archduchess ascended to the throne, but Administrator Mirk, who had guarded Lady Walton conscientiously for the past twelve years and was supposed to continue protecting Dragon Clouds City with his life, disappeared. For six years, even Eich did not know her father's whereabouts. It was as if he became disheartened overnight and gave up on everything, including his Oath of Blades and loyalty."
The king continued speaking.
"Soon, he found more. Some of the servants and guards in a certain area of Heroic Spirit Palace had either disappeared or died during the calamity six years ago. None of them survived, and they happened to be the personal guards of the archduchess, who was the baby girl."
"Viscount Lhasa Kentvida." Thales sighed. "Is this why people call him the 'Night Falcon'? It makes sense. Is he good at hunting with his eyes open in the deep night, which ordinary people do not pay much attention to? "
The king shook his head and did not continue the conversation.
"Lhasa made a bold conjecture, and Kroesch beat him up three times because of it. The current Archduchess of Dragon Clouds City is not her father's daughter, but Administrator Mirk's bloodline."
King Chapman's eyes shone with a terrifying, cold light. "I'm guessing that in order to protect the secret of the bloodline, Regent Lisban made him disappear forever?"
'Very well.
He does not know. '
Thales told himself silently, 'I only know half of the truth.
He only knows Alex.
But he does not know Little Rascal, and he does not know Saroma. '
"I can't believe you found out the truth just like that." Thales rubbed his forehead with a pained expression and said in a seemingly resigned manner, "Your subordinates are really talented."
The king gently grabbed the saber beside him.
"Finally, I understand the answers to the two suspicious points. In order to gain your trust and entice you, King Nuven must have given you more than the marriage contract. He gave you a bargaining chip that could destroy Dragon Clouds City and the Walton Family. He gave you a bargaining chip that even a trusted official like Lisban would be wary of, so that even after King Nuven passed away, Eternal Star City could still control the restless Dragon Clouds City from afar.
"And all of you are quite satisfied with this."
King Chapman shook his head. It was unknown whether he was feeling sentimental or smug. "I think this is one of the reasons why the Red Witch betrayed the late king, even though she never admitted it."
Thales heaved a deep sigh.
The battlefield was now very clear.
"So, this is a secret that can simultaneously eliminate the legitimacy of the Archduchess of Dragon Clouds City and weaken the legitimacy of the common-elected king. We have each other's weaknesses," Thales said indifferently. "I'm guessing that you want to draw Dragon Clouds City to your side? To stand on your side, or at least not on Roknee's side? "
"Ah, Thales, we have known each other for a long time." King Chapman snorted softly. "We have fought against each other more than once, and this has allowed us to understand each other."
The prince took a deep breath and shook his head. "Why should I do this?"
"This is just a grudge between you and Dragon Clouds City." He shrugged as if he did not care. "If you want to be destroyed together with Dragon Clouds City, then go ahead. I can stay out of this."
Chapman snorted coldly.
"Even if my mutual destruction with the Archduchess of Dragon Clouds City will cause you and Constellation's hopes and interests in Dragon Clouds City to fall through?" the king said meaningfully.
"Hopes for Dragon Clouds City?"
Thales chuckled softly and retorted without showing any weakness. "I am not even the king. It is still too early to talk about this."
King Chapman narrowed his eyes. His gaze became thought-provoking.
"Yes, you are not the king yet, but you have already done so much for Dragon Clouds City …"
In the next second, the king's tone changed. There was mystery and strangeness in his words at the same time. "But what if I say that everything you have done to help the Archduchess ascend to the throne, and everything you have done to maintain in Dragon Clouds City is actually built on a terrifying lie?
"And everything you think you are infallible is just a joke to pave the way for someone else?"
At that moment, as he looked at King Chapman's expression, Thales frowned slightly.
He instinctively felt that something was wrong.
"What do you mean?" The prince subconsciously clenched his fists.
'A joke to pave the way for someone else?
'No …'
"I remember the first time we met, when you rejected my offer, you told me to be careful with those who want to become your allies." King Chapman's expression was so cold that it looked like water was about to drip from it. "No matter how sweet their words are, are they sincere?"
Thales' frown deepened.
"Thales, Thales." King Chapman shook his head. In a tone that made Thales' skin crawl, he spoke flatly.
"Do you really think that our beloved late king, Nuven Walton, is an ally worthy of your trust?"
Thales' breathing gradually became softer.
"Do you think that he will be so magnanimous as to hand you a bargaining chip that can destroy his family, trust you wholeheartedly, and believe that you will protect the Walton Family without regard for your own safety?
"Do you think that you and Nuven have made a win-win deal? That you will obtain a wife who represents Dragon Clouds City, and he will obtain the continuation of the Walton Family, and that everyone will get what they need?
"Do you think that Nuven will be so tolerant as to tolerate a person who is not of his blood sitting on the archduke's throne, and that all he cares about is that illusory and empty family name?"
The king said softly, "You underestimate our late king too much."
Thales stared at King Chapman with a face full of doubt.
"If you have nothing else to say …"
"Moriah is still alive," the king said quietly.
At that moment, Thales, who could not react in time to the slightly unfamiliar name, was slightly stunned.
Feeling uneasy, he subconsciously said,
"Who?"
A strange and terrifying expression appeared on King Chapman's face.
The next moment, the king uttered a name softly, "Moriah. Moriah Walton."
'Mo … Moriah?'
Thales mulled over the name, and without realizing it, his face turned pale.
'What?
'That's, that's …'
"When I first found out, I was even more shocked than you were."
The king added as if nothing had happened, "Yes, six years ago, the beginning of everything, the Prince of Eckstedt who was assassinated in Constellation, which led to a series of drastic changes in our kingdoms, laid the foundation for our fates, and made you a hostage …"
At that moment, King Chapman's eyes seemed to burn with terrifying flames.
"Still alive."
Time seemed to have stopped at that moment.
It was as if even the air in the carriage was about to freeze because of this terrifying moment.
Thales was completely stunned.
'What is he talking about?
'That prince?
'That … That Prince Moriah who was jointly assassinated by Lampard, Poffret, Arunde, and Constellation's' New Star '?
'Still alive?
'That means …'
A terrifying thought instantly crept into his mind.
Only God knew how much effort Thales had to use to suppress the trembling of his entire body and the drastic change in his expression.
A few seconds later, Thales widened his eyes. His expression was unpleasant, and he could not believe it. "You … this … is impossible.
"Do you still not understand, Thales?" King Chapman's eyes shone with indignation, and he enunciated each word clearly, as if he was chewing on his deepest hatred. "In Dragon Clouds City, whether it was the late king, Lisban, or the Star Killer, all of them knew and understood this."
Thales' brain was in extreme shock and astonishment, and he struggled to maintain his ability to think.
"All of them knew it. They waited patiently, looking forward to the day Prince Moriah returned. Before he returned, they used a fake archduchess to temporarily preserve the Walton Family's power. At the same time, they feigned civility with you and obtained Constellation's help. "
Chapman the First's words were like the most terrifying poison, seeping into every inch of Thales' thoughts. "From the beginning to the end, only two people were kept in the dark and knew nothing about it.
"This is why I came to you, Thales." The king stared at Thales, whose expression was almost frozen. His gaze swept past Thales' slightly trembling left hand, which was pressed against his knee. "You, and that pitiful archduchess herself. Both of you are just puppets manipulated by King Nuven.
"Constellation thinks that it holds a bargaining chip that can keep Dragon Clouds City in check. It painstakingly maintains its relationship with Dragon Clouds City, conscientiously supports the Walton Family's rule, and hopes that one day, it will reap rewards from the marriage between the king and the archduchess?
"However, many years later, when Moriah returns, his legitimacy will overwhelm everything. The archduchess' existence will be overthrown, your marriage will become a laughingstock, the promise you obtained from King Nuven will be proven to be nothing more than a stupid joke, and everything you built will be reduced to ashes overnight."
'He's lying.
'He must be lying.'
Thales could only tell himself this.
'To make me …'
Thales' eyes were still wide open in disbelief as he stared at the king.
It was as if he had returned to that terrifying night.
Alex, who was convulsing.
Mirk, who was howling in pain.
King Nuven, who was laughing coldly.
And …
Saroma … No, it was Little Rascal.
And the ring in her hand.
At that moment, the prince felt that even his thoughts were about to be frozen.
"I told you, I know my uncle too well, unlike you, who only spent a short day with him.
"Nuven, he toyed with everyone in the palm of his hand."
The king stroked the saber between his knees and sneered as he said these words, "He used an unprecedented lie to deceive your trust and belief. He used a seemingly sweet and sincere bait to catch your persistence and loyalty. From your self-righteous thoughts, he harvested the prey that the Great Dragon wanted the most."
King Chapman slowly raised his right hand and slowly curled his fingers.
"This is King Nuven's real trick and strategy. It is a 'gift' from the late king."
In the next second, Chapman Lampard clenched his right hand tightly.
It was as if he had just seized someone's throat.
Thales' breathing shuddered as he broke out in a horrified cold sweat.
"Welcome to the cruel, real world." In the darkness, an ugly and cold smile appeared on King Chapman's colorless face.
"The Guardian of Dragon Clouds City, Your Highness."
'Passengers boarding the train, for the sake of your health, please fasten your seatbelt at all times.'
Swordless, with a serious expression.
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