Under the clear sky, Thales and Kurtz stood outside a small house in the wild and watched two saddled draft horses grazing leisurely in front of them.
"Are you sure you don't need me to send you back?" Kurtz asked as she scratched her head while leaning on a tree branch.
"Even though Dragon Clouds City's search is limited to the city, all the major checkpoints must have been notified …"
Thales inhaled lightly and looked at the small house in front of him with a light heart.
It was a hiding spot outside the city belonging to Gleeward and his brothers.
These bumpkins from Shield District had long since arranged for their subsequent escape through their own people, who were transporting their necessities and excrement (Thales' face darkened again when he thought of this). Two draft horses would graze on the grass while they watched them docilely.
Perhaps the adventures in the Black Track were too exciting, but for a moment after they escaped, Thales almost forgot the main purpose of their trip.
But when he recalled it, all sorts of feelings welled up in his heart.
Thales breathed in the air that smelled like grass in the wild and looked at the stubborn weeds under his feet. He could not help but sigh at the coniferous forest unique to Northland in the distance.
It had been six years.
He had walked out of Dragon Clouds City.
From time to time, the prince would look back at the mountain in the distance and imagine the bustling and messy streets on the other side of the mountain, as well as the rough and majestic palace.
He shook his head and put an end to these past memories with a smile.
"And do you know where you're going?" Kurtz frowned.
"Yes, I know the direction, and I also know where the checkpoints are and where I can't go." Thales recalled the map and remembered the route Raphael had pointed out to him. He found that it was still quite clear. "Don't worry, someone will pick me up ahead."
'And …'
Thales stepped on the ground and felt the strange pulse under his feet.
He said in a low voice, "I know the way."
Kurtz placed one hand on her hip and stared at him fixedly. ‘
It was as if she knew some of his secrets.
It made Thales feel uneasy.
"Alright." After a while, the seamstress spread her hands. "If you reach the place, let go of the reins …
"This is the Fallon Family's old horse. It knows how to go home."
Speaking of which …
Thales looked at the horse with a worried expression.
He remained alert and tentatively tugged on the reins, ready to dodge the horse's hooves at any time.
However, he was immediately stunned.
"What happened?" Kurtz asked curiously.
"It's nothing." Thales tugged at the reins in surprise. He watched as the old horse obediently let him pull it towards him. He reached out to touch its head in a tentative manner. "It's just that … I didn't really get along with animals in the past … Horses are one of them, but today …"
The Fallon Family's old horse looked at him docilely. It even stuck out its tongue and licked Thales' palm in an intimate manner.
Thales suddenly felt a great sense of accomplishment.
What was going on today?
Single dog welfare? Even animals are obedient?
He blinked and felt that the world was really strange. Then, he recalled Nicholas' horsemanship teachings in his memories and nimbly got on the saddle.
Kurtz looked at the obedient old horse, then looked at him in disdain. "Tsk, look at how familiar you are with this. You must have ridden many good horses before, right?"
Thales raised his eyebrows in resignation and was about to leave.
"Wait."
Kurtz suddenly opened her mouth and revealed a strange smile.
"I'll give you one last present. Come here."
"Let me tell you a little secret about Gleeward."
Thales responded in a stunned manner.
However, based on their friendship after they escaped from the cave through life and death, he obediently moved his horse forward and bent down to put his ear close to her.
'Gleeward's little secret?
'Could it be …'
Unexpectedly, the moment he bent down on the horse's back, Kurtz grabbed him by the neck and flashed a mischievous smile, as if she had succeeded in her scheme.
Thales was shocked.
In the next second, Kurtz tiptoed forward and intimately approached Thales' cheek …
* Smack. *
She planted a kiss on Thales' lips.
Thales was stunned for a moment.
In the next second, he was so shocked that his jaw dropped!
"Y-y-you!
What are you doing?! "
With a horrified expression, Thales' reaction was exaggerated. He tugged at the reins and retreated while he wiped his lips!
'It's still wet!
'She actually licked it!
Licked it! '
He felt the sensation on his lips and pointed at Kurtz in disbelief, who was grinning mischievously. "Y-y-you …"
"Hahahaha!" Kurtz held her belly and laughed so hard that she bent over. "Brat, your reaction is really interesting …"
Thales stared at Kurtz in a daze. He realized that she only thought that this action was … a prank?
'She's treating this … as a prank?'
"Are you kidding me?!"
Thales forced himself to put on a disgusted expression. As he wiped his lips, he said in exasperation, "Hey, hey, hey, this joke isn't interesting at all, alright?!
"Who do you think you are …?
"Oh, it's not interesting?"
Kurtz's eyes darted around. She stuck out her tongue and licked her lips nimbly. She winked cunningly at him, who was on the horse. "What, do you want to go further?"
Thales was so frightened that he lifted the reins again and took a step back.
Thales was in a mess. He felt that the whole world was filled with malice. He really did not know what kind of expression he should use to face this crude and violent woman.
"Tsk." When she saw his reaction, Kurtz said in disdain,
"It can't be your first kiss, right? How lame! "
Thales' expression darkened. The pride in his heart made him feel that he could not show any signs of weakness.
"Hmph, conceited woman!" Thales put on a disdainful expression. "My first kiss was much more beautiful than yours!"
'But he's a pervert who kills without batting an eyelid.'
Kurtz laughed out loud in response.
Thales shook his head in embarrassment. He was just about to fling the reins and leave.
"Thank you, child."
Kurtz's voice traveled into his ears.
It was a little deep.
Thales turned his head around, puzzled.
"I remember.
"When you grow up, you have to be a good man." At this moment, Kurtz's expression was a little gloomy. "You have to take responsibility, and you have to be the kind that others can entrust their shoulders to.
"Even in the deepest darkness," she said absentmindedly.
There was a desolate expression on her face.
No one knew what she was thinking about.
Thales paused for a moment. He felt a little sour in his heart.
"Thank you, Kurtz," he said quietly.
But Kurtz giggled and shook her head.
"Kurtz is a nickname, not my official name."
Thales put on a puzzled look.
"The cripple has a big tongue. He thinks that my name is too long, so … after so many years, I'm already used to 'Kurtz'." Kurtz ran her right hand through the hair in her forehead. She swung her head backwards and combed her messy hair to the back of her head.
With the toss of her head and the stretch of her waist, Kurtz's movements were smooth, natural, elegant, and neat. Coupled with her graceful figure, there was a strange sense of beauty in her movements.
At that moment, Thales suddenly had a thought that made him feel slightly ashamed.
'This woman with a gruff voice before me … seems to be … rather charming?'
Thales coughed softly and quickly shook his head. He chased away the boring thought and the strange feeling that had just returned to his lips.
"Christina." Kurtz smiled charmingly.
"Christina Ramon, that's my real name."
Thales shrugged. "Alright, Miss Ramon …"
But he was immediately stunned.
"Ramon …" Thales mulled over the family name, and his expression changed slightly.
His gaze when he looked at Kurtz was different.
"I heard from Gleeward that your father was a military doctor?"
Kurtz furrowed her eyebrows. "Yes, a lunatic. He was abnormal before he disappeared.
"And my biggest gain from being by his side was learning how to suture people, whether they were dead or alive."
She shook her head in disdain. It was obvious that she did not think much of her father.
"Is that so?" At that moment, Thales was in a strange mood. He could not put his feelings into words. "How did you come to Dragon Clouds City and Shield District?"
Kurtz froze for a moment.
"More than twenty years ago, my father shoved me into the hands of an old comrade and disappeared." Kurtz shrugged. "I ran into a few bastards and a bunch of bullsh * t in the military camp … Then I met the cripple, and he brought me out."
A few seconds later …
Thales said with great difficulty, "Your missing father, what's his name? Maybe I can help you find him. "
Kurtz fell silent.
"Cobb, or Cobo? I can't remember. "She waved her hand in a seemingly indifferent manner." It's okay, I've always thought that he was dead anyway … "
Kurtz snorted softly. "I never counted on him either."
But she immediately noticed that Thales shuddered slightly.
The prince looked hesitant, and his expression was unusually solemn.
He lowered his gaze.
It was as if he did not dare to face her.
"What's wrong?" Kurtz asked, puzzled. She then deliberately put on a bashful smile, raised the corners of her lips, and teased him again, "Oh, you can't bear to part with me, right? You want to marry me and bring me back to the castle? "
But Thales had no intention of teasing her.
He did not pay attention to Kurtz's words at all. He only nodded anxiously.
"Kurtz, I will pay attention." The prince's voice was a little gloomy. He turned his horse around. "If I can find him.
Find your father. "
He said dejectedly, "And, thank you."
"Miss Ramon."
Kurtz looked at him strangely, but in the end, she did not say anything. She only snorted softly and waved at him with a slightly solemn expression.
"Take care.
"Brat prince."
Thales did not dare to turn his head anymore.
In the next second, he raised the reins and galloped in the direction of his memory.
'Dragon Clouds City, along with the memories of that place …
'Stay behind.'
The sun set in the west.
Thales rode cautiously in the wilderness outside Dragon Clouds City. He was neither fast nor slow.
He still remembered the rendezvous point marked on the map by Raphael. Dragon Clouds City was still locked down, and the guards and search teams were still inside the city. He was very close to the rendezvous point. As long as he left the city smoothly, he could reach it in less than a day.
Even so, he still acted cautiously and tried his best to search for places like hills and bushes. He would rather take a long detour to ensure his safety. He stayed away from checkpoints, villages, and any places with human habitation. Every time he arrived at a new place, he would use hell's senses to observe his surroundings.
Even though he was very tired, he tried his best not to stop and rest too much. He used the dry food and water Kurtz prepared for him on the horse to stave off his hunger.
Thanks to the riding skills Nicholas taught him, he traveled in circles for most of the day. He tried his best to avoid some farmers and woodcutters who worked in the wild, praying that they would not notice this suspicious pedestrian. Finally, when it was almost dusk, he arrived at the designated rendezvous point.
Thales saw the coniferous forest Raphael told him about. He compared it to the symbolic hills around him. After he confirmed that it was the place in front of him, he could not help but breathe a sigh of relief.
According to the plan, the first batch of people from the Secret Intelligence Department would wait for him here and escort him across Rubble Hill, Sunset Snow River, and the boundaries of Spear City. He would then arrive at the Land of Barren Rocks, the border between the City of Faraway Prayers and Dragon Clouds City.
Thales used hell's senses to try and sense the movements in the bushes. After he confirmed that there were only the usual sounds of birds chirping and small animals running back and forth, he breathed a sigh of relief.
He rode into the bushes and got down in front of a tall fir tree. He patted the old horse's neck gratefully.
The old horse snorted in response. Then, it happily ate the weeds under the tree. Even though it was not fast, its temper was much better than Miss Jennie's in Heroic Spirit Palace's stable.
Thales turned around and took another deep breath of the wild air. He looked at the small coniferous forest, which was usually unfrequented, with satisfaction. That was why the Secret Intelligence Department had chosen it as their rendezvous point.
He leaned against the tree and sat down. He took out his waterskin and poured a mouthful of water into his dry lips to relieve the soreness in his limbs caused by climbing the Black Track, as well as the damage caused by the friction on his inner thighs.
'The first step is complete.'
Thales said quietly. He used his finger to draw a small circle in the soil. 'The hardest part is over. Dragon Clouds City is already behind me.'
He drew a big circle to the west.
He was in Rubble Hill, one of the largest fiefs under Dragon Clouds City. It was in the western part of the forest under the rule of the old Count Nazaire. If he walked southwest from the forest, he would pass by a tributary of Sunset Snow River.
Thales continued to draw a line downwards.
After crossing the river, he would arrive at Spear City under Dragon Clouds City. Then, he would head to the Land of Barren Rocks. That was the territory of the City of Faraway Prayers. If he walked south from the Land of Barren Rocks, the Great Desert would be right before his eyes.
'Once I enter the desert, I will be facing Constellation's army.'
Thales thought absentmindedly.
At this moment, he suddenly heard a strange bird's cry.
'Hmm?
Is the person we agreed on here? '
Thales stood up curiously and wanted to search the forest at dusk.
* Bang! *
In the next breath, almost at the moment he heard the loud noise, Thales felt pain in his back!
He lost his balance due to the huge force behind him.
He fell to the ground with a thud!
The pain in his chin had just arrived. Before Thales' nerves could give him a normal response, he felt his back tighten!
* Bang! *
A heavy pressure came at him.
Thales was shocked to find that his hands were firmly gripped by someone!
'What's wrong?
Thales instinctively wanted to struggle, but only then did he realize that his whole body was pressed to the ground. His hands were locked behind his back, and he could not move. Even the Sin of Hell's River could not react in time!
* Thud! *
His waterskin fell to the ground at this moment. Water dripped weakly into the soil.
"Wow." A rather familiar male voice rang out. It sounded like the sound of a gong being struck. He laughed loudly and said, "Look what I caught!
"A big, lively fish!"
When Thales heard this voice, he thought of something, and his face instantly turned pale!
The prince gritted his teeth and tried his best to raise his head. With his face covered in mud, he looked behind him. "It's you!"
Thales cried out in grief and indignation.
"The Raven of Death!"
As the prince roared angrily, a flock of birds was startled away from the bushes.
Under the setting sun, the vanguard of the City of Faraway Prayers' diplomat group, the Raven of Death, Ned Monty, one of the Five War Generals, was kneeling on Thales' back. He pressed down on Thales' struggling hands.
With a malicious smile, the Raven of Death slowly moved closer to Thales' ear.
"Shh … young prince.
For the sake of our mutual convenience, let's be a little gentler … okay? "
Thales could only see the man's brown hair from the corner of his eye.
But he could feel that Monty's method of suppressing him was very professional. Whether it was turning over or kicking, he was in the worst position. He could not exert any strength at all!
Not to mention that Thales had already used up most of his strength because of the Black Track.
The prince's heart sank.
'He …
'How could it be him?
Why is he here?
'Where are the people from the Secret Intelligence Department?
'Wait!
'Doesn't that mean …'
Monty's smile was a little scary. With the excitement of catching prey, he said softly, "Are you looking for the people from the Kingdom's Secret Intelligence Department?"
At that moment, Thales' pupils shrank!
His heart skipped a beat.
"I'm sorry, they're all very busy now …"
Monty's words made Thales' heart turn cold.
'All very' busy '…'
Thales looked at his surroundings in disbelief. The quiet forest, the silent air, and the lifeless air.
'Yes, the people from the Kingdom's Secret Intelligence Department should have been waiting for me here a long time ago.
'But …
'There's no movement at all …
'What's going on?'
"The kind of 'busy' that I'm unwilling to do, do you understand?" The Raven of Death chuckled, and for some reason, it sent chills down Thales' spines. "So I volunteered, generously, and 'took the initiative' to take over this task from them."
He licked his lips and looked at Thales, who had his head turned away with a pained expression. With the joy of toying with his prey, he chuckled coldly. "I came to welcome you.
"Why, are you unhappy?"
The Sin of Hell's River surged into his brain. Thales forced himself to calm down.
'How did he know about this place?
'Isn't this … the meeting place that only the Secret Intelligence Department knows about?
'Is there a traitor in the Secret Intelligence Department?
'Was the information leaked?
'Or was the Secret Intelligence Department doing this on purpose, and this is their plan?
'Just like six years ago?'
When he thought of this, Thales immediately broke out in a cold sweat.
"How did you get out? I remember that the Star Killer locked down the entire Dragon Clouds City, and most of the nobles were among them, especially the diplomat group from the City of Faraway Prayers, whose interests are closely related to mine! "
Monty only snorted softly. "Aha, my relationship with Spiky is much more complicated than you think!"
Thales took a deep breath. His nose was filled with the smell of soil.
'Damn it!'
"You want to … You want to kidnap me and bring me to the City of Faraway Prayers?" the prince turned his head and said with difficulty.
Monty's terrifying laughter traveled into his ears again in a sinister manner.
"Hehehehe, don't you think that this is a good choice?
"Don't you get along well with Ian?" There was an inexplicable, fanatical, and satisfied smile on his face. He looked like a lunatic.
"He kept asking me to 'entertain' you if I have the chance to meet you …"
Monty suddenly increased the strength in his grip. Thales let out a pained cry.
But he did not have time to care about that.
In the Hall of Heroes, at the end of the council hearing, the Viscount of Dual Wind City, Ian Roknee's ferocious face and ruthless words appeared before Thales' eyes at the same time.
The cold wind of dusk blew past. Thales only felt chills all over his body.
The soil under him was also bone-chilling.
'Sh * t.'
He quickly recalled all the information he had about Monty.
'Ned Monty.
'The Raven of Death.
'The scout and vanguard. He participated in the war against the Alliance of Freedom and White Mountain.
'The Five War Generals, former White Blade Guards, Nicholas' old colleague and subordinate.
'Now, he's the Lord of the City of Faraway Prayers, the diplomat group's vanguard.
'He's preposterous, has a big mouth, and has a terrifying smile.'
"Wait!"
Thales stopped thinking and said through gritted teeth.
Monty's terrifying laughter stopped for a moment.
"Think about it." Even though Thales looked disheveled and his life was threatened, he still tried his best to maintain his tone. He said coldly, "The Prince of Constellation disappeared in Dragon Clouds City.
"But a month later, I mysteriously appeared in the City of Faraway Prayers …
"Do you know what this means?"
Monty stopped laughing, but his light-colored eyes were fixed on Thales without moving.
The chill in his gaze was terrifying.
"You should also know that I am the key to the war between the City of Faraway Prayers and the Alliance of Freedom," Thales said with a cold smile, "And if I suggest to Archduke Roknee that Constellation can help them, the condition is …"
At this moment, the Raven of Death suddenly laughed out loud!
"Hahahahahahaha!"
Thales, who was interrupted, was slightly stunned.
"Ahhh!" Monty looked very happy. His face was full of excitement, and the curve of his smile was wider than before. He widened his eyes at Thales, and he looked rather terrifying. "I remember now. A professional told me this before …
"Thales Jadestar is not big, but he is very troublesome …
"So, there are the necessary rules to deal with the young prince."
Thales was slightly stunned. "What?"
'Deal with me …
'Necessary rules?'
Monty's expression darkened, and he chuckled softly.
For some reason, Thales was terrified. He instinctively felt that things were not good!
"The first rule …"
The Raven of Death's smile melted, as if ice had turned into ice water, but it was still as chilling as ever.
"Make him shut up."
In the next second, Monty's expression became stern. His right elbow struck the back of the teenager's head at lightning speed!
* Thud! *
A heavy, muffled sound rose.
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