In the face of the reversal of the situation, Nicholas, who was injured on top of his previous injuries, had an unpleasant expression on his face.
He tried to pull out the arrow that pierced through his left arm and left shoulder, but the arrow wound on his right side affected his right hand. He could only attempt to pull it out repeatedly while grunting.
Nicholas could only sigh softly. As he moaned, he ended his sixth attempt to pull out the arrow.
"How did you hit me?"
The Star Killer stared at the inconspicuous black crossbow in indignation, then angrily looked at the arrow that nailed him to the rock wall.
"What is the ability of that weapon?"
Monty, who was also on the verge of death, lay weakly on the ground. The badly burned man stretched out his hand with great difficulty to support himself against the rock. He tried to sit up and quietly recover his strength.
The Raven of Death snorted in disdain.
"I don't have to tell you."
Nicholas looked at him and could not help but clench his teeth lightly.
"Then come." The Star Killer was drenched in sweat due to the intense pain, but his lips still trembled as he squeezed out a few words from between his teeth.
"Break my neck and end this."
The Raven of Death stared at his wretched appearance. After a while, he suddenly grinned.
"I won't take the risk to get close to you again, Spiky." Monty endured the pain and tore off a piece of clothing that was still intact. He gently wiped his wound with it, and his slow bandaging technique was the same as Nicholas'.
"We're both in a bad state right now …"
Monty raised his head with great difficulty and forced a smile. "If we engage in close combat again, God knows what other surprises you've prepared to turn the tables on me."
Nicholas narrowed his eyes.
"You're afraid of me," the Star Killer said coldly.
The Raven of Death shook his head. He tore off the cloth with his teeth, and while he grimaced in pain, he bandaged his right arm, which did not look good for him. "On the contrary, I've already controlled the situation.
"I just need to wait for me to recover, maintain this distance, reload the bow, and load a few more arrows." Monty panted. He pointed at the Crossbow of Time in the distance with a trembling finger, then pointed at his opponent. His gaze was sharp.
"All that's left is a fixed target."
Nicholas' expression darkened.
The Star Killer's right hand grasped the arrow shaft in front of his shoulder powerlessly, trying to break it. However, crossbow bolts were much harder than ordinary long arrows. Without a sharp weapon like the Rising Sun Saber, coupled with his injured and weak right hand, the effects of his efforts were limited. He could only gasp in pain as he tried again and again.
When Monty saw this, he laughed loudly.
His whole body was trembling, and he was sweating as he tore off the clothes stuck to his chest. He tried to stand up, but in the end, he fell to the ground.
"Hahaha." Monty, who fell down in a pathetic manner, laughed in a nonchalant manner. "So, this has become a game of 'last till the end', is it?"
On the Desolate Stone Ground, the two injured men stared at each other, sparks flying in the air.
The Raven of Death turned over. His severe burns made him groan in pain. "Remember the 'welcome gift' we gave to the newcomers? That bastard Iceberg stripped us naked and threw us into the snow on the first night. He told us that there would be hot water once we reached the finish line. So, a bunch of naked men ran for their lives while shivering …"
Nicholas furrowed his eyebrows tightly.
Monty spat on the ground. "We were so frozen that we couldn't reach the finish line no matter how hard we tried. It was only when we couldn't take it anymore that we realized there was no finish line at all. The so-called welcome gift was a tradition of the White Blade Guards. It was just to test our limits."
His gaze froze in midair, as though he was talking to himself, "Lies are always the most effective whip."
Nicholas shook his head with a stiff expression.
"You don't have the right to mention guards." The remaining Power of Eradication in his body surged to his wound, and he tried his best to relieve the pain in his shoulder. "Traitor of the Oath of the Blade."
The Raven of Death froze a little, and his breathing became a little heavy.
"The Oath of the Blade … Traitor …" At that moment, Monty looked a little absent-minded.
But after a moment, a smile appeared on the man's face, and he shrugged. He endured the pain from the sequelae of the burns and hissed, "Whatever you say, anyway …"
The Raven of Death's expression became solemn, and his gaze was cold.
"Those are your last words."
Star Killer. "
Against his expectations, Nicholas smiled.
He leaned against the rock wall and stared at Monty with an extremely complicated gaze.
"If half of what you said is true, Big Mouth … then at least, at least in the beginning, you weren't a member of the Secret Intelligence Department."
Nicholas narrowed his eyes. "What made you turn traitor, or did the Secret Intelligence Department get hold of something against you?"
Monty was first stunned, then he burst out laughing. "My God, the way you talk is really becoming more and more like Kaslan."
Nicholas ignored his attempt to change the topic.
"Your life as a White Blade Guard may have brought you torture, but you won't improve much by turning to those maggots in the night from the Secret Intelligence Department. You don't really think that they're your saviors and can save you from your predicament, do you?"
Monty's smile disappeared.
"That's a worse step." The Star Killer stared at the Rising Sun Saber and the Crossbow of Time in the distance. "You walked out of one abyss, but jumped into another abyss. You must have some other reason."
Monty was silent for a few seconds, then he flashed a painful and happy smile.
"Some things don't need a reason."
The Raven of Death snorted coldly. "Perhaps I was born a traitor, heartless, unfeeling, and lacking in conscience. That's why Kaslan chose me to be that dirty blade."
But Nicholas still ignored him. He continued to speak, "That was your first betrayal, wasn't it? That assassination attempt. "
Monty's eyebrows twitched.
The Star Killer looked like an old man who was reminiscing about the past. He said flatly, "After Prince Soria died, you thought of a way to leave Dragon Clouds City and the late king, because you were also afraid, afraid that he would discover the truth.
"And the reason that instigated your betrayal might have been in that assassination attempt eighteen years ago."
Nicholas fixed his gaze on Monty.
The Raven of Death stared back at him with a solemn expression.
"Damn it, you've not only become stronger," Monty muttered, "but you've also become more paranoid."
Nicholas glanced at the unconscious prince who was moaning softly.
The Star Killer said coldly, "If you fight against a cunning, treacherous, scheming Prince of Constellation day and night for a whole six years, and you can't even lay a finger on him every single day, you will be able to do anything to him.
"You would become like me."
Monty shook his head and could not help but laugh.
"None of this matters anymore." The Raven of Death tried to struggle to get up again. His expression became fierce again. "Just wait for me …"
At this moment, Nicholas spoke softly and uttered another name.
"Adele."
At that moment, Monty, who was trying his best to get up, froze on the spot.
After a long while, the Raven of Death, who had always looked relaxed, sat down.
He was like a chess piece that had lost its center of gravity.
As he watched Monty, who had lost his composure, Nicholas sighed deeply.
"You haven't forgotten her, have you?"
The Raven of Death's neck moved up and down like an old, rusty clock. He turned to Nicholas with great difficulty, and his expression was stiff. "What?"
The sun set another angle, and their shadows gradually slanted to the east.
The Star Killer was like an old man who had been dealt a heavy blow. His expression was gloomy, and his tone was dejected. "I can only think of this reason why you harmed others and yourself, turned to Constellation and the Secret Intelligence Department, and why you wanted Prince Soria dead."
Monty stared at his old superior in shock. "You, you …"
"You thought you hid it well in the past, and no one knew." Nicholas chuckled with an indecipherable expression, but his words were filled with fatigue. "But the way you looked at Madam Adele, and the abnormal frequency and location of your duties …"
"No, no." Monty's breathing quickened. He stared at Nicholas with a gaze filled with disbelief. "You knew?
So, you saw through it a long time ago? "
"Son of a b * tch." Nicholas only stared at him coldly and said with certainty, "So, your betrayal is indeed related to that woman.
"Am I right?"
The Raven of Death lowered his head and remained silent for a long time.
The Star Killer stared at him like an interrogator. His gaze was as sharp as a sword.
Monty suddenly moved.
He curled up the corners of his mouth, and as his cheeks twitched, he threw his head back and laughed. "Hahaha …"
Nicholas closed his eyes. His expression was one of anguish.
"Adele." The Raven of Death exhaled softly and repeated that name with a desolate expression. "Adele, yes, she was the turning point of everything."
* Bang! *
Nicholas did not know if it was because his injuries were affected, or because he was too agitated, but he elbowed the rock wall on his back. "Damn it, damn it …
"Damn it!"
The Star Killer gripped the arrow shaft tightly again, trying to break it. While he grunted in pain and broke out in cold sweat, he said falteringly, "Back then, when I arranged the sentry duty, I deliberately transferred you away … I used all sorts of methods to make you stay away from the Blood Court and Madam Adele, so that you wouldn't be able to see her for a few years …
"I even acted out of character and asked you to drink, and advised you to quickly find a girl and get married …"
Monty was slightly stunned.
"Ah!"
Nicholas, who failed to escape again, cried out in pain. He angrily smashed the rock wall. "I've done so much, don't you f * cking understand what I mean? Stay away from her. Stay away from that ominous, ridiculously beautiful Camian woman. Abandon your senseless, taboo, and senseless feelings!"
Monty froze on the spot and did not move.
In the next moment, resentment and anger appeared on the Raven of Death's face.
He slammed the ground and stood up while swaying without caring about his injuries. He glared at the Star Killer as if he wanted to eat him alive.
Monty supported himself against the rock while trembling. He gritted his teeth and roared hoarsely, "So it's you, it's you, Spiky?
"During the first few years when Adele married into Dragon Clouds City, you deliberately transferred me away just to ensure that I stayed away from her? Couldn't see her? Couldn't get close to her? "
The Raven of Death, who was covered in wounds, swung his arm in grief and indignation. "It's you!"
A small, handleless throwing knife flashed through the air.
Nicholas' breathing froze, and he subconsciously swung his right hand!
* Ding! *
The throwing knife grazed past Nicholas' gauntlet and hit the rock wall, falling powerlessly to the ground.
Monty, who threw the throwing knife, lost his balance and fell to the ground with a thud, stirring up sand and dust.
But he did not care about it at all. He only used his badly mangled arms to prop himself up again.
"Even when she suffered the most, suffered the heaviest, and was the most exhausted, I wasn't there. I couldn't see her, and I couldn't help her …"
For the first time, Monty's voice trembled. "It's all because of you?"
The Star Killer looked at the throwing knife, and his anger burned even more.
"That's for your own good!"
He spat on the ground. "I thought that by doing this, you would be able to get rid of those unrealistic fantasies …
"You idiot, can't you tell?!"
But Monty did not care about Nicholas' words at all. The resentment on his face suddenly turned into sorrow, then into disappointment, and then into sadness.
Dozens of seconds passed. Only the breathing of the two men could be heard in the air.
In the end, all the expressions on the Raven of Death's face disappeared.
He stared at the ground in a daze and fell into the sand and dust again.
"I thought that my method worked." Nicholas lowered his head. His gaze was surly, and he clenched his right fist. "I thought that you would just have to get drunk, find a few women, and forget about her like how you used to …"
Monty turned over with great difficulty. He first looked at Nicholas in a daze, then laughed in a strange manner.
His laughter was so big and wide that even tears fell from his eyes.
"Forget about her?
How is that possible? "
The man covered in burns exhaled slowly. His voice was filled with endless melancholy and resentment.
"I will never forget the day I entered Vine City. The gentle and graceful Lady Adele Geste, who was at the prime of her youth, wore a light veil and bid farewell to her parents and siblings with reddened eyes. Under the reluctance of all the citizens in the city, she slowly stepped into the wedding carriage of Dragon Clouds City's diplomat group.
"To the cold north."
Monty stared at the sky. His right hand trembled slightly.
"I remember that when I helped Adele into the carriage, her slightly red face, that innocent smile, and that bashful thank you."
The Raven of Death spoke absentmindedly. His face was full of perplexity.
"I remember the beautiful bow on her wrist, the pattern on her dress, and the way she played the zither and sang in the carriage. That song seemed to have some sort of power that made the Northlanders, who were used to killing, hold their breaths and listen to it."
Nicholas shut his eyes tightly and let out a barely audible growl from his throat. The veins on his arms bulged because he was using too much strength.
"I still remember that I, who was usually a glib talker, suddenly became clumsy. I could only comfort the lady, who was so sad that her eyes turned red from staying up too long. I comforted her that Northland was a good place, that all the people there were bold, uninhibited, tolerant, unyielding, and passionate. I also said that Prince Soria was bold and brave, and that she would definitely be happy. All these words were later proven to be shameless lies."
Monty sat up laboriously and stared at the Star Killer with a dejected and sorrowful expression.
"Yes, I met her earlier than all of you." The man's expression was dejected. "I also lost her earlier."
Nicholas exhaled heavily and stared at Monty in disbelief. "Lost her?
"Damn it, she was never yours!"
The Star Killer punched the rock wall again.
He lost his composure and roared under the double pain of his body and mind, "She was the prince's wife! She even had a child!
"You forgot your identity, betrayed the White Blade Guards, betrayed the king and the prince for a woman! Don't you think it's ridiculous?!"
Monty snorted.
He ignored Nicholas' accusation and only smiled nonchalantly.
"Of course, a maggot like me, who was born in the dark and lived in mud, didn't even have the right to miss Adele."
The Raven of Death lay on the ground and sighed slowly. "I understood a long time ago that as a noble and beautiful princess, she had no reason to care about a lowly protector who was born into a hunter's family in the countryside, spoke rudely, and had his hands stained with blood."
His gaze drifted away, and he smiled bitterly as he panted. "The only thing I could do, and the only thing I desired, was to seize the few moments I had in Heroic Spirit Palace to be on guard duty frequently and seriously. When I passed by her courtyard, I would pretend to be alert of the surroundings, and occasionally glance at the desolate girl.
"The only thing I hoped for, and the only thing I was satisfied with, was to wait until midnight, when there was no one around, to curl up in a dark corner of the Blood Court and daydream. I would stare at the plants she took care of, stare at the stars in the sky, and recall the smile she once had."
"That's enough," Monty, who was immersed in the past, said in a daze.
"Enough."
"Bastard, coward." Nicholas looked at him in disdain. "I really regret talking so much nonsense with you. I should have castrated you when I realized that you were up to no good."
Monty shook his head, as if he did not hear what Nicholas said.
"So …
"When that night came …" The Raven of Death seemed to have regained his composure. He sneered, and the color in his eyes became terrifying and cold again. "Do you know how I felt?"
Nicholas was stunned.
"That night?"
Monty glanced at him. His face was expressionless, but the inexplicable emotion in his eyes made the Star Killer feel uneasy.
"That night, once again, as the Black Raven, I rushed back to Dragon Clouds City from the war-torn Constellation to report to King Nuven and his son."
Monty narrated without any sadness or joy, as if what happened next had nothing to do with him. "It was also that night that Prince Soria summoned me in private.
"Our dignified and valiant Prince Soria Walton calmly and coldly ordered me that there was a scandal in the royal family that should not be made public, and it had to be dealt with urgently."
Nicholas' entire body froze.
At some point in time, the Raven of Death's voice began to tremble.
"He ordered me to get rid of his wife without leaving any future trouble.
"The prince's consort, Lady Adele."
Monty slowly raised his eyes. The darkness in his gaze was boundless. "And the lover she loved with all her heart."
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