The hall was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop.
The nobles watched the confrontation between the archduchess and the envoy from the City of Faraway Prayers with different expressions.
Ian widened his eyes in surprise, as if he could not understand the archduchess' words.
Almost everyone in the hall stared at him with hostile expressions.
Ian took a deep breath and raised his head with a puzzled expression. "But … the war with the Alliance of Freedom is right before our eyes."
In her seat, Saroma's lips twitched slightly.
She nodded slowly. "Yes."
Ian raised his hand in puzzlement and contradiction, as if he wanted to express something, but he put it down halfway.
The heir of the City of Faraway Prayers gritted his teeth and frowned deeply. "You know, right? This is a war that means a lot to you and your family, especially after Dragon Clouds City lost its king."
His tone was slightly anxious. "Do you also know that the person sitting at the other end of the chessboard is King Chapman, who hates all of you to the core?"
The vassals' expressions became even more tense.
Saroma lowered her head weakly and sighed as she said, "Yes, I know."
Her voice was weak, like a whimper.
Ian seemed to have received encouragement. His gaze became lively, as if he was looking for support. He smiled in a rather relaxed manner. "Very good."
"Then you should know your current situation. You know that your prestige is far from enough to support you, especially …" Ian paused for a moment.
Ian paused for a moment. He looked around and sighed in a seemingly regretful manner. "Especially since you are a woman — a female archduchess."
At that moment, the prince felt the nobles in the hall adjust their expressions unnaturally.
In the seats of the six counts, Lyner tilted his head and ground his teeth gently. Karkogel stared at the archduchess without blinking.
Hearst's eyes looked as if they were about to spit fire. Count Cotterson's eyebrows were almost knitted together.
Lisban and Count Nazaire looked at the archduchess with complicated expressions. The meaning in their gazes was difficult to decipher.
The archduchess raised her head.
Thales' heart tensed.
The girl exhaled and put on a relieved expression.
Her eyes were very calm. "Yes, I also know this."
Her tone was normal.
It was as if the other party had only said trivial things like "the weather is good today", "this bowl of soup is not bad", "read the book patiently", and "don't rush me to update".
Ian frowned. "Then you …"
The archduchess interrupted him.
"Still, I am a Walton."
Her voice was still very soft.
But there was a kind of unquestionable firmness.
The eyes of her six vassals moved in unison.
Ian was slightly taken aback. "What?"
"Walton."
"King Raikaru's heir, Walton, Cloud Dragon Spear's Walton, Dragon Clouds City's Walton." Saroma stared at Ian indifferently. "Do you know the meaning of this surname?"
Ian first narrowed his eyes, then a look of disbelief appeared on his face.
"Walton?"
He exhaled impatiently. "Saroma! Wake up! Think about the scene just now, think about the attitude of your vassals. "
"Then, think about my suggestion." Ian waved his hand in exasperation. "This is the only way for you to salvage your predicament!"
The viscount's words echoed in the hall.
The vassals' expressions became unnatural again.
Saroma smiled.
Her gaze met with Ian's in the air.
"No," the archduchess said softly, "it isn't."
"The Waltons are the Waltons." Saroma turned her gaze and looked at each of the vassals with different expressions. "Cloud Dragon Spear has never fought alone. Seven hundred years ago, Raikaru stood in the sky with his spear, and the young Waltons followed closely behind him …
"And under the clouds parted by the dragon's wings, behind the eight knights on the ground …
"Lisban, Nazaire, Karkogel, Hearst … Countless Northland knights, whether they are famous or nameless, charged forward without hesitation."
"They stood together, and together, they cast the battle that reversed the cold wind, tore apart the darkness shrouded by the calamities, and won a future for the world."
Under her seat, Count Hearst's expression changed. "My Lady …"
The other vassals' expressions became increasingly solemn.
'Seven hundred years ago.'
Thales sighed.
He could not help but think of the portrait of Tormond in Mindis Hall. The sorrowful King of Renaissance also charged forward with his spear, and the six knights beside him, riddled with wounds, raised their reins and charged forward without regret.
He also thought of the madness of Giza and Asda's duel.
* Thud! *
At this moment, Saroma slapped her seat and unexpectedly stood up!
The entire hall was slightly startled.
But nothing was more shocking than the archduchess' next move.
"Everyone, today, at this time, and in this place, I, the Archduchess of Dragon Clouds City, Saroma Walton, officially issue Dragon Clouds City's wartime enlistment order!" The girl's light and clear voice rang in the Hall of Heroes, echoing between the thick stone bricks.
"Dragon Clouds City declares war on the Alliance of Freedom!"
Thales' breathing froze.
'It's here.'
Before everyone could react to the stupefied and horrified scene, the archduchess took a step forward with a determined expression.
Her voice was cold and harsh, but it was filled with an unprecedented sense of power. "In a few days, the Walton Family will take the initiative to send troops to the west to assist the City of Faraway Prayers and fight against the Alliance of Freedom!
"With the blood of those who repeatedly betray their faith, with the heads of those treacherous villains, we will once again prove Dragon Clouds City's honor!"
The hall instantly fell silent.
Ian stared at Saroma in a daze, his mouth wide open, as if he could not close it.
The vassals were not much better. Their eyes were filled with shock as they stared at the archduchess. The six counts were much more composed, but their body movements were enough to show that they were abnormal. Hearst almost broke his seat, Cotterson clenched his fists tightly, and Karkogel's broken arm was firmly pressed against the armrest of the chair.
Regent Lisban and Count Nazaire, the most senior among them, stared at each other without saying a word.
No one seemed to be able to give an appropriate response to the archduchess' words.
Then, Ian suddenly gasped, like a drowning man who had finally surfaced from the water.
He rubbed his chin and said anxiously, "Don't worry.
"Madam Saroma, as I said … We don't need you to send troops to aid us. What we value is only a stance and stance …"
What greeted him was Saroma's stern reply.
"This has nothing to do with you, Your Grace!"
Ian's words were cut off at the tip of his tongue. He spread his arms in disbelief and stared at the archduchess in a daze.
"This is just my determination."
The archduchess said coldly, "It is also something that Dragon Clouds City must do."
Everyone was stunned by the young lady's sudden unyielding stance.
Only Thales, who was in the corner, curled up the corners of his lips slightly as he stared at his partner of six years. He was also the only one who noticed out of habit that the outline of the girl's fist, hidden under her left sleeve, was trembling slightly.
'Good job, Saroma. Continue.'
He said in his heart.
"And I need everyone — the response of the twenty-three noble families seated here." The archduchess slowly turned her gaze around and swept her gaze over everyone in the hall. "Just like twenty years ago, and just like six hundred years ago, you and your ancestors stood by the two King Nuven's side with unwavering loyalty and without complaint."
Her voice was still clear, and there was a hint of reckless determination in it.
But there was no response as expected.
No one spoke.
All the vassals stared at her quietly. After the initial shock, suspicion and caution gradually appeared on their faces, and as they stared at each other, it slowly deepened.
The hall was still quiet.
Even Lisban was silent.
Saroma's face turned pale.
Thales shut his eyes in his seat.
'Not enough.
'Saroma.
'This is not enough!'
The archduchess swept her gaze across the hall with an unpleasant expression. Every vassal whom she swept her gaze upon turned their gazes away unnaturally.
"Everyone!" Saroma gritted her teeth and said, "The war horn has sounded. Dragon Clouds City needs you!"
But still, no one responded.
Thales extended the tip of his foot and poked Ian without anyone noticing.
The Viscount of the City of Faraway Prayers moved a little.
Ian turned around nervously.
When he saw that no one in the hall spoke, he heaved a sigh of relief and put on a calm smile.
"Lady Saroma, I hate interrupting you …"
Ian clicked his tongue, turned around, and shrugged.
"But your vassals have already made it very clear just now. You want their response? Then give up your right to marry. "The viscount nodded slightly, his eyes sparkling." You can't ask for a deal without something in return. "
Many of the vassals' expressions darkened. Some of them stared coldly at the viscount.
"And since it's a deal, why don't you choose the most practical —"
Saroma gritted her teeth and raised her head indignantly.
The young lady spoke again and interrupted Ian, "Everyone!
This is not a deal, nor a compromise, and it has nothing to do with my marriage.
It's just my will! "
But in the large Hall of Heroes, on both sides of the oval stone hall, no one answered.
It was as if someone had isolated the sound.
The observant Ian furrowed his eyebrows.
On the stairs, Saroma looked at the silent hall with difficulty, as if she was bearing a thousand pounds of pressure.
Pairs of confused, suspicious, scheming, and dissatisfied gazes were directed at her.
But there was no response.
It was as if this was just her one-woman show.
Saroma immediately felt her legs tremble slightly.
'No.'
She clenched her teeth subconsciously, and her heart raced.
'No …
Panic surged in her heart.
'This …
'What should I do …'
At this moment, Saroma suddenly noticed that among those gazes, only a pair of eyes remained unperturbed and as calm as ever.
They only stared at her quietly from afar. 'Just like always.
Just like the past six years. '
The owner of the gaze smiled at her, raised his left hand, and tapped his thumb.
Saroma trembled slightly. She suddenly felt a weight on her thumb, which was tucked under her left sleeve, due to her nervousness and absent-mindedness.
It was a ring.
Six years ago, that guy had personally put the ring on her finger.
That pair of eyes blinked gently and immediately looked elsewhere.
But that one blink seemed to have given the young lady strength.
Saroma's cheeks trembled slightly. She took a deep breath.
The young lady did not look at the entire hall aimlessly. Instead, she turned to the most senior count at the lower seat.
"Honorable Count Nazaire, thank you for your speech just now."
Count Nazaire had been staring at Lisban. When he heard this, he slowly shifted his gaze. "My Lady …"
Saroma's expression became solemn. With great difficulty, she said the following words, "You allowed me to see what kind of predicament Dragon Clouds City is in right now. We can no longer wallow in the regrets and misfortunes of the past.
"But this also makes me even more certain that the future of Dragon Clouds City cannot be protected by the suspicions and schemes between the ruler and the vassals."
At that moment, Count Nazaire's gaze flickered.
"So, I will not use my own marriage in exchange for your compromise. Dragon Clouds City is not so divided and weak that we need to rely on internal marriages to free up our hands and unite against a foreign enemy."
Nazaire slowly leaned against the seat behind him. He was still silent.
"The honor and victory left behind by my grandfather and father can only be protected and won by us with our own hands!"
The six counts at the head of the table reacted differently, and their expressions varied.
The archduchess glanced at Ian before she looked at her group of vassals again. "Only by doing so can we truly prevent external forces from interfering with Dragon Clouds City, no matter what method they use."
Ian was a little embarrassed. "This is a little too much, Saroma …"
But Saroma did not give him a chance to speak again.
The young lady took a deep breath. "So, no matter what, the Walton Family will go on an expedition to the west. With King Nuven's remaining prestige, we will follow Prince Soria's footsteps and seize back what belongs to us with our own hands!"
Saroma stood in front of her seat, in front of the Soul Slayer Pike. She looked around at the entire hall, clenched her fists, and her face was pale.
"Even if …"
The archduchess gritted her teeth. "Even if no family responds to me."
The quiet hall was filled with the sound of people inhaling at different speeds.
"Even if we are the only ones to go to war."
In the face of the archduchess' fluctuating tone, many of the vassals' expressions became strange.
Even the guards, who had no right to speak, could not help but look at her frequently.
Ian sighed.
"You know, Saroma, you don't have to do this.
"This will be very ugly." The viscount's eyes began to become solemn and vigilant. "Be it now or when we go to war.
"Forcefully ordering to send troops will only force everyone to the brink of falling out with you. It will further damage your already shaky prestige, and you will only receive greater humiliation.
"You will have no way out."
This sentence seemed to have pierced a hole in the stagnant atmosphere.
The changes in the vassals' expressions became more and more urgent, and they became more and more difficult to read.
"Yes." Saroma flashed a bitter smile. "I know."
The archduchess then looked at her vassals, who had complicated expressions on their faces. Her gaze was unfocused.
"I know that I am far from being comparable to the former King Nuven. Perhaps in this lifetime, I will never be able to compare to him. Everyone, perhaps you don't think highly of me or this little girl on the archduchess' seat. Perhaps you resent me, perhaps you have your own plans."
Count Cotterson tilted his mouth, as if he was deep in thought.
The archduchess sighed and said, "But I still hope that at this moment, all of you can bring your warriors and glory and stand with me and Dragon Clouds City."
Count Hearst's beard trembled slightly.
"To prove to the outside world, to this guest from the City of Faraway Prayers, who claimed that she could save me from my predicament with just a marriage, that Dragon Clouds City is still powerful and united, and that I do not need to bend my knees to outsiders to protect myself."
Count Lyner clenched his fists in an unnatural manner, twisting his knuckles back and forth.
In the next second, Saroma raised her left hand with a solemn expression. Her sleeve slid down from her forearm, revealing her fair wrist.
She also revealed the ring on her thumb.
"Everyone, I believe that no one in this world is more qualified and capable than all of you, my vassals, to fight for me and obtain victory for me.
Because I am Dragon Clouds City. "
When they saw the ring, everyone in the hall frowned.
They seemed to have remembered something.
"But Dragon Clouds City is not just me, it is all of you sitting here."
Before everyone's eyes, the archduchess gently took off the large ring inlaid with a black stone and raised it high.
"Everyone, in the name of the Walton Family, I am going to war!"
The archduchess' gaze turned cold, and she shouted,
"Are you coming?"
Thales trembled slightly.
'Are you … coming?'
The girl's voice echoed in the hall again. But this time, the vassals stared at the black ring.
They stared at the people and things it represented.
Lisban's expression was complicated.
The one-armed count closed his eyes.
Count Nazaire's face tensed up, which was rare.
The vassals looked around in bewilderment and whispered to each other.
Saroma took a step forward and said coldly, "Everyone, I also believe that as vassals, all of you will not allow a foreign guest to happily snatch away your responsibilities and obligations, and then flaunt his prowess in front of you."
Ian was startled.
The girl raised the ring on her hand and pointed it at the stone carving of the Cloud Dragon Spear at the top of the hall.
"The most loyal vassals of the Walton Family, King Nuven's brothers and sisters!"
The girl's voice rang again, "Are you coming?"
As he listened to the archduchess' words, Thales was a little dazed.
He seemed to have returned to six years ago, to the days when he fled in despair. In the shelter of Bright Moon Temple, he was also like this, desperately shouting similar words at Nicholas, who was about to flee.
"But this is my decision …"
"Northlanders?"
"Are you coming?"
The noises of the vassals became louder.
Thales' gaze met Nicholas', who was on the stairs. The prince saw similar surprise in the Star Killer's eyes.
'She …
'Saroma …
'You …
'Little Rascal …'
An indescribable emotion surged from his heart, and he could not suppress it.
He could only recall what happened six years ago, over and over again.
"That's right, we are going to commit suicide.
"Northlanders, are you coming?
"Are you coming?
"Dragon Clouds City!"
In the hall, Saroma's voice was raised to the limit. Her youthful, high-pitched voice echoed in the ancient palace. "Are you coming?"
The hall gradually quietened down.
Many of the vassals had already ended their anxious conversations. Their gazes were all raised, and they looked at the most important people.
They were waiting for their decision.
The archduchess gritted her teeth. The arm that held the ring trembled slightly, and the rims of her eyes were slightly red.
"Northlanders!"
She was practically roaring at everyone in the hall, "Are you coming?"
* Clang! *
A guard, who was suppressing his emotions, accidentally pressed down on the hilt of his sword. The blade collided with the wall and let out a sharp, piercing sound.
This sharp sound made everyone even more tense, and the atmosphere became even more oppressive.
But there was still no response from the hall.
The archduchess was the only one who gritted her teeth. Her gaze trembled as she raised the Ring of Triumph, which symbolized the Archduke of Dragon Clouds City. She stood alone in front of the Soul Slayer Pike and faced the anxious men in the hall.
Among the six counts, Cotterson, Hearst, and Lyner's abnormalities could no longer be concealed. They exchanged anxious glances with each other, as if they could not reach an agreement for a long time.
One second.
The one-armed count still had his eyes closed and was silent.
Two seconds.
Ian narrowed his eyes and exhaled rather gloomily.
Three seconds.
The silent confrontation between Lisban and Nazaire seemed to have come to an end, but they still did not say a word and waited quietly for the situation to unfold.
Time passed.
The atmosphere in the hall became increasingly unbearable.
Until …
Until a suppressed laughter rose from the crowd. It was low and piercing to the ears, and it spread to the entire hall.
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