When Thales returned on horseback, Heroic Spirit Palace was already prepared. The road north from the First Gatehouse to the palace gate was swept and looked brand new. The personal guards and soldiers' armor were especially neat and tidy, and they stood in formation. This was probably the limit for the Northlanders who were used to being rough and violent.
"Perhaps the next time you come back, you won't bring bad news with you."
With a heavy heart, the second prince carefully held Jennie's reins and spoke to Putray, whom he had not seen for a long time with a straight face.
"I see." Putray's eyebrows twitched. He narrowed his eyes and revealed a strange expression. "The young Roknee proposed to the archduchess to strengthen the stability of Dragon Clouds City. This is actually bad news for you, Your Highness …"
'Huh?'
The prince was stunned for a second because of this sentence. Then, he understood something.
He sucked in a breath.
Thales slowly turned to Putray and put on his most unpleasant expression. He enunciated each word clearly, "You just had to mention —"
But he was interrupted.
"Ah, sorry." The thin man smiled profoundly and shrugged helplessly on the horse. "Before you flare up, I swear I didn't mean anything else."
Putray revealed a harmless smile. "You know … what 'that' means."
Thales widened his eyes. His lips moved a few times in the air, but in the end, no sound came out.
The prince could only snort in dissatisfaction and turn his head around.
Who could understand the gloominess of having his resentment forced back into his chest by a single sentence?
The second prince resisted the urge to fire the former vice diplomat. He slanted his lips and said through gritted teeth, "Based on the current situation, anything that breaks the status quo can be a threat to us. For example, the archduchess' sudden marriage and the interests involved behind it — that's what I mean."
"Of course." Putray still had that infuriating expression. He did not care that Lord Justin's face had darkened behind him. He flicked his pipe and looked at ease.
"You are a prince, after all. Whatever you say must be true, regardless of whether it is true or not."
'My God …'
Thales covered his face and sighed in pain. He gave up on the idea of explaining anything to this stubborn old man.
"Unbelievable." The prince stared listlessly at the slowly approaching palace gate. "These words actually came from the mouth of a subject who did not care about his prince for more than ten days."
Putray snorted, but did not reply.
Nicholas was already waiting in front of the palace gate with the Archduchess' Guards. But this time, when the Star Killer saw Thales, he did not put on a deadpan expression. Instead, he stared at him deeply, then gestured towards the direction of the stables with his chin, signaling him to continue.
This was not common.
The puzzled Thales got off the saddle in front of the stable.
"Good luck," Putray said calmly. "After the welcoming ceremony, I will wait for you in your room."
"That's really comforting." The prince, who was already annoyed, waved his hand in dissatisfaction.
Thales handed the reins to the coachman. Then, accompanied by Wya and Ralf, he walked towards Nicholas, who was standing at the entrance of the palace.
"The Archduchess and the Count are in the Hall of Heroes. Go and meet them." Nicholas waved his hand without changing his expression. "I still have to welcome the vanguard of the diplomat group here. They are especially formal this time."
"Because the matter is especially serious?" Thales snorted. "What happened to the matter last time? You know, regarding the Archduchess — "
"Be good and shut your mouth," Nicholas interrupted him stiffly. "The vanguard of the City of Faraway Prayers is here."
Thales turned his head. As expected, a group of cavaliers with different banners slowly rode out of the First Gatehouse. Under the gazes of countless Dragon Clouds City Guards on both sides, they walked towards the palace gate.
Their banners were embroidered with a thick book that was flipped open. The pages were engraved with several letters of the Empire, but their meaning was unknown.
The Knight's Canon, the emblem of the Roknee Family, the legitimate and noble rulers of the City of Faraway Prayers.
It was said that they were a prestigious family of knights that had been stationed in the north since the era of the Ancient Empire. They had nurtured countless great knights who left their mark in history. Even when the Emperor demolished the Temple of Knights and the tradition of knights gradually declined, they still maintained a great reputation in the north.
Until the Battle of Eradication.
Thales recalled the knowledge given to him by his teachers in Northland over the years.
Among the cavaliers, the leading knight looked rather special. His face was dark, his eyes were rather flat, and his temples were shaved, leaving only the short, reddish-brown hair on the top of his head. He had a sturdy body, but he wore light leather armor, which was not commonly seen in Northland. All sorts of small tools that Thales could not understand were tied to the belt around his shoulders. Other than a short knife at his waist, he only had a crossbow on his back and a quiver of arrows hanging on the saddle.
What caught people's attention the most was that even though he was riding on a horse, his demeanor and temperament made him look as if he was taking a stroll in a park.
'The vanguard of the City of Faraway Prayers' diplomat group actually has this kind of attitude?
'That means …'
Just as Thales furrowed his eyebrows, Nicholas, who was beside him, reacted faster than him. The Star Killer revealed a surprised expression, which was rarely seen on his face. He stared fixedly at the brunette knight who was the leader.
"Oh, what a surprise." The Star Killer's expression slowly became serious.
Thales narrowed his eyes and looked at Nicholas, then at the knight in leather armor who was walking forward leisurely. "You know each other?"
Nicholas ignored him. Instead, he made a few gestures to his subordinates and went forward alone. It was only then that the prince noticed that a few of the Archduchess' Guards, who were experienced and experienced, also had the same expression on their faces.
Thales looked strangely at the brown-haired knight, who did not look like an ordinary Northlander.
'He is …'
Nicholas walked slowly to the front of the cavaliers from the City of Faraway Prayers. He watched them get off their horses in unison with a cold expression.
The brown-haired knight was of medium build. He was even slightly shorter than the slightly skinny Nicholas. He held the belt by his waist and stared straight at the Star Killer in front of him without flinching. He flashed a malicious smile.
Thales sighed. The Sin of Hell's River gathered beside his ear and listened to their conversation.
Nicholas and the knight stared at each other for a long time.
Then, he took a deep breath, pursed his lips, nodded slightly, and snorted coldly.
"How could it be you?"
His tone was cold and blunt.
Thales' heart clenched. 'It looks like they don't have a good relationship?'
'In the upcoming storm, the relationship between the City of Faraway Prayers and Dragon Clouds City will probably depend on the outcome of this diplomatic mission.
'And now …'
As he listened to Nicholas' unfriendly greeting, the brown-haired knight grinned and revealed an inexplicable roguish air. It was only then that Thales noticed that the knight's lips were extraordinarily wide.
'A special person.'
The prince said quietly and rejected Wya's suggestion for him to leave first.
The brown-haired knight tilted his head, opened his mouth, and let out a voice that sounded like a gong.
He said to Nicholas, "Have you heard a joke?"
Nicholas furrowed his brows.
"There was a man who ran around doing business all year round. He was very worried that his wife in his hometown would be unfaithful to him." The brown-haired knight shook his head and chuckled.
"So, he snuck home one night. Fortunately, aside from his wife who was sleeping soundly, the man did not find any traces of his adulterer. So, he was gratified and became in the mood to have fun with his wife. "
Nicholas' brows furrowed even tighter.
The brown-haired knight snorted and raised his finger to point at the unhappy Nicholas. "After that, his wife lit up the lamp and saw her husband's face clearly. She could not help but exclaim in surprise …"
The knight widened his eyes, and with an exaggerated expression, he repeated Nicholas' words.
"How could it be you?"
The entire place fell silent.
In the next second, the brown-haired knight burst into laughter. He laughed so hard that he rocked back and forth.
"Hahahaha …"
It was as if the joke was really funny.
But Nicholas' expression did not change.
The companions behind the knight had strange expressions on their faces. They averted their gazes, and someone coughed softly, as if deeply ashamed of their leader's joke.
Thales could not help but frown as he listened to all of this from afar.
'What's going on?'
Only the brown-haired knight continued to look at Nicholas with a strange smile. He shrugged.
Finally, after what felt like a few centuries, Nicholas relaxed his cold expression and let out a long sigh.
"It's the same as before." Nicholas lowered his head and snorted coldly.
"It's not funny at all."
The brown-haired knight stopped smiling. His expression changed.
"Oh, my God." The knight looked at the Star Killer with a disappointed expression.
"Your sense of humor is still as shitty as ever."
Thales listened to their conversation curiously and began to doubt their relationship.
'That brown-haired knight, just who is …'
Nicholas stared at him quietly.
"How many years has it been?" the Star Killer asked softly.
The brown-haired knight's smile slowly disappeared.
"Eighteen years." He stroked his brown hair and snorted softly. "Since I returned to the City of Faraway Prayers, we haven't seen each other for eighteen years."
The Star Killer nodded slowly.
But the brown-haired knight's expression suddenly became lively again.
"I guess you still don't have a wife, right?
"And with your status, it's impossible for you to have an extravagant affair. The noble ladies probably don't like you either." The brown-haired knight looked at Nicholas in disdain, and revealed a rather profound, naughty smile. "Don't tell me that you still used your hands to settle these eighteen years!"
This time, his companions behind him coughed unnaturally.
Nicholas remained motionless as he stared at the brown-haired knight who uttered those indecent words.
Then, the corners of his lips curled up, and he suppressed his laughter.
Nicholas' laughter and the brown-haired knight's laughter gradually overlapped, as though they had laughed at each other countless times.
Thales stared at the Star Killer's smile in puzzlement. Based on what he knew, aside from sneering and sneering, Nicholas, who could be said to have a dead face, rarely smiled.
In the next second, Nicholas and the brown-haired knight swung their right hands almost at the same time!
They struck each other!
'What?'
At the moment Thales narrowed his eyes, the two palms violently clasped together in the air, as though they had cooperated with each other thousands of times!
* Slap! *
Nicholas held the other person's palm tightly, and a rare smile appeared at the corners of his lips.
"It's good to see you, Big Mouth."
"Hahahaha." The brown-haired knight threw his head back and laughed, making his mouth even wider.
"Same to you, Spiky!"
Thales watched their actions in surprise. 'It seems like my previous guess was wrong.
'Their relationship …
'Is very good.'
'After all, not everyone can mock and tease the famous Star Killer without any qualms.
'That brown-haired knight … Who is he?
'This guy was sent as a member of the diplomat group from the City of Faraway Prayers. This means that Archduke Roknee is …'
Nicholas and the brown-haired knight let go of each other and walked towards the palace gate side by side.
The people from the City of Faraway Prayers seemed to heave a sigh of relief and followed behind them.
The brown-haired knight raised his head and observed everything in Heroic Spirit Palace. There was a lot of emotion on his face, as though he was revisiting an old place.
"So, I heard that you single-handedly killed the boss six years ago?"
The Star Killer's expression instantly turned cold.
"You can say that, with some help from Byrne and you," Nicholas said softly.
"Me?" The brown-haired knight seemed to be deep in thought. "As expected, you used the secret I told you?"
"Yes." The Star Killer's face seemed to turn paler. "And I'm not proud of it. Besides, he was already heavily injured at that time."
There was silence.
Their footsteps did not stop, but their conversation came to a slight halt in the subtle atmosphere.
"I understand that feeling," the knight said faintly a few seconds later.
"When the boss recruited us into the guards, you probably didn't expect this day to come."
Nicholas did not speak.
The brown-haired knight raised his head and looked at the Cliff of the Sky above Heroic Spirit Palace. His gaze focused on Raikaru's statue and he said with a sigh, "It's hard to imagine that in the blink of an eye, we're almost fifty."
'Guards.
The boss. '
Thales moved slightly. He already had a guess about the knight's identity.
"Everyone will grow old," Nicholas said softly, seemingly with a profound meaning. "Be it the king or the commoners."
"Speaking of this, for the past year, my chest will hurt whenever it rains." The brown-haired knight seemed to be a chatterbox. Even though Nicholas was a man of few words, he still chattered endlessly. "Do you have a similar problem?"
Nicholas shook his head. "I guess it's because you stayed in the snow pit for too long when you were young."
However, for some unknown reason, Thales did not feel that there was anything out of place when he saw Nicholas, who was usually quiet and had his arms crossed, walking together with the knight, who talked nonstop and moved in an exaggerated manner. They chatted casually about their daily lives.
It was as if they had always been like this.
"A long time ago, a military doctor named Ramon told me before." The brown-haired knight rudely dug his ears as he said, "After we pass the age of forty, our physical strength will obviously decline. Our bodies will start to gradually age, and some of our illnesses will also show up. My God, I even laughed at him at that time …"
Nicholas sneered. "But at the same time, our experience and skills will gradually increase and accumulate. Our emotions will gradually become stable, and we will get rid of impulsiveness and madness to make up for the deterioration of our bodies.
"So, compared to those young people in their twenties and thirties, we, who are forty years old, have a balance in our experience and physical strength. This is the most powerful and terrifying stage of a veteran." The Star Killer shook his head. "Don't belittle yourself just because you listen to some liars."
"No, no, no. That military doctor said that once we pass fifty …" The brown-haired knight disagreed.
"No matter how much we increase our skills and experience, we will never be able to make up for the defects in our physical strength and physique. Every time we get injured, it's a heavy blow that's difficult to recover from. The problems left behind when we were young will follow us like a curse. From the moment we wake up to the moment we lie down and close our eyes, it will never end …"
Nicholas snorted softly.
They were getting closer to the palace gate.
The knight's gaze swept across the Archduchess' Guards on both sides of the palace gate. "Even though most of them are newbies, I see Gala and Lum. What about Byrne? Isn't he the one with the best official luck among us, aside from you and Isaiah? Lord Mirk, Administrator Mirk? "
'He knows Mirk, and he also knows the veterans who were once White Blade Guards,' Thales thought quietly.
'The knight's identity is already obvious.'
"Byrne left," Nicholas said faintly. "Six years ago, he was injured too badly and could no longer work."
The brown-haired knight moved his eyes slightly. His expression was amused. "Is that so? Is it that serious?"
"Six years ago, Dragon Clouds City didn't just lose a king," the Star Killer said casually. "Sometimes, mental wounds are harder to heal than physical ones."
The brown-haired knight stopped in front of the palace gate.
"I have a feeling, Spiky." He looked at Nicholas with great interest. "You're not quite the same as before. You don't seem so annoying anymore."
"And you're still as annoying as before," Nicholas retorted mercilessly.
The knight laughed out loud. "Only then can we live up to our reputation as the 'Double Disgraces of the White Blade Guards'!"
Thales listened to their conversation with a frown. 'It's hard to imagine that someone can actually chat with Nicholas …'
While Thales was distracted, the brown-haired knight and Nicholas had already walked up to him without him noticing.
"So, this is our dear Prince of Constellation?" The brown-haired knight looked at the prince with great interest.
Thales exhaled. "Hello, I am Thales Jadestar."
The brown-haired knight lowered his head and sized up the prince carefully.
However, the moment the brown-haired knight's light-colored eyes stared at Thales, the prince suddenly shuddered!
A sense of danger spread from Thales' spine to his shoulders.
The Sin of Hell's River began to surge non-stop.
Thales stared back at the brown-haired knight with a solemn expression. He raised his guard to the highest. 'This is a feeling I don't even have when I'm fighting against Nicholas.
'What's going on?
It's like … like I'm being targeted by a terrifying hunter.
'Could it be that this guy, who talks about strange things, is even more …'
"You know, a long time ago, I told Spiky that the Empire's royal family is the Gods' favorite, so their blood is golden." The brown-haired knight looked at the nervous prince and laughed out loud. He patted Nicholas beside him. "He didn't believe me, and said that he would help me verify it when he has the chance …"
Thales furrowed his brows.
He remembered his unpleasant first meeting with the Star Killer.
Nicholas coughed.
"Prince Thales is the Archduchess' esteemed guest. He is staying here temporarily on the king's invitation." The Star Killer interrupted the knight without hesitation. "Maintain the necessary respect, Monty."
The brown-haired knight named Monty shook his head in dissatisfaction. "Alright, alright, Archduchess … My God …"
He averted his gaze from Thales, but the man was obviously not done yet.
"So, hey, boy." Monty bent down towards the prince and put on a passionate, naughty smile. He arched his eyebrows three times. "That Archduchess, hehe …
"Have you slept with her yet?"
At that moment, Thales froze on the spot.
'What?'
"Monty!"
Nicholas shouted angrily.
"Watch your mouth." The Star Killer pressed his palm on Monty's shoulder. His expression gradually turned cold, and he no longer looked as indifferent as when he met his old friend again. "Especially when you represent the City of Faraway Prayers."
The brown-haired knight exhaled.
"Alright, I take back what I said." Monty shrugged and freed himself from the Star Killer's hand. His expression was amused. "You haven't changed."
Nicholas snorted softly again. "As the vanguard, I believe you still have work to do. My subordinates will bring you to meet the Archduchess."
"Of course." Monty smiled and shook his head. "I'll leave Sir Ian's hospitality to you."
Once he finished speaking, Monty turned his head and cast Thales a profound glance. He then strode forward and walked towards Heroic Spirit Palace with his companions.
Thales was left behind, staring at his back speechlessly.
"That's …" The prince scratched his head. He could not imagine that such a strange person had come to the City of Faraway Prayers.
"Nate Monty," Nicholas answered briefly. "He used to be a White Blade Guard, and is now a lord under the City of Faraway Prayers."
'As expected.'
'A former White Blade Guard.'
"Grand Duke Roknee sent him here to make use of his friendship with you?"
Nicholas shook his head. "If that's the case, I'm afraid they'll be disappointed."
"Nate Monty." Thales mulled over the name and narrowed his eyes. "Is he very powerful?"
"You mean, other than that stinky mouth of his?" Nicholas snorted softly. "You can say that. Some bored people combined me, him, and the other three, and called us something …
"The Five War Generals, right?"
Thales reacted quickly. "And the Fire Knight of Black Sand Region."
"So, he, Monty has also reached supreme class," Thales said curiously. "Between you and him, who is stronger?"
Nicholas cast him a glance. His gaze was filled with disdain.
"Supreme class … this title has always been deified in many people's hearts." Nicholas snorted softly. "But only when you're on the battlefield will you know that in a battle where there are surging tides of people, the effect of a supreme class will be greatly reduced.
"So, supreme class is more suitable for another type of job where there are fewer people." The Star Killer turned his head and narrowed his eyes slightly. "Assassins."
Thales remembered the assassin who fell from the sky while waiting for an opportunity to make his move six years ago.
"I feel the same way," he answered gloomily. "What does this have to do with Monty?"
Nicholas stared at Thales. There was a profound meaning in his words. "Even though Monty is a warrior, the job he is in charge of is the closest to that of an assassin in the army."
Thales moved a little. "You mean …"
"Back then, he was recruited into the White Blade Guards as an elite sniper crossbowman.
"Later, Kaslan thought highly of his talent and trained him to be a scout." Nicholas nodded. "Soon, Monty became the most terrifying scout in all of Eckstedt.
"Our job is to face our enemies head-on and fight bloody battles. Monty, on the other hand, is better at hiding his tracks and launching sudden attacks.
"Twenty years ago in White Mountain, on the eve of the Battle of the Deep Valley, he snuck into the ancestral altar of the Elven Court alone to spy on the enemy. He left behind countless corpses along the way. It was only when the crow caw he learned was seen through that he escaped from the encirclement and left.
"From then on, Monty received the nickname 'Raven of Death'."
The Star Killer ended his speech.
Thales was deep in thought.
'Raven of Death.
'That's really not a nice nickname.'
"You haven't told me yet. Both of you are 'Five War Generals'," Thales continued to ask, "Between you and him, who is stronger?"
"Him? Monty? "
Nicholas looked as if he had heard the funniest joke. He stared in the direction Monty left and sneered. "Within ten steps, I can snap his neck in five seconds."
Thales felt a chill in his heart.
'That's not right.'
"Then …" Thales understood the hidden meaning in his words. With the principle of not letting the dead face be happy, he asked in a considerate manner,
"What about beyond ten steps?"
As expected, in the next second, Nicholas put on the most unpleasant expression he had ever shown Thales, who was like a curious baby.
The Star Killer crossed his arms and turned his head to the side. He snorted in dissatisfaction. "Hmph."
Thales widened his eyes and scratched his head.
As he watched Nicholas turn around and leave, he had a rough idea of the answer.
So, he sighed in resignation and walked towards the Hall of Heroes.
At that time, Thales thought that Ned Monty was probably the strangest and most unique person he had seen that day.
Then, an hour later, he and Saroma met their real guest in the Hall of Heroes. The heir of the Knight's Canon Family, and the official envoy from the City of Faraway Prayers …
Ian Roknee.
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