Nicholas stared at Monty in a daze, as if he was meeting him for the first time.
He subconsciously said, "No."
"That's impossible, Monty."
He frowned and said, "You're … lying."
Monty glanced at him, chuckled in disdain, and shook his head.
"What's impossible?"
The Raven of Death sat on the ground, his emotions unreadable. "The gentle and weak Adele couldn't have an affair with someone else? Or the honest and lowly Mirk couldn't have seduced his mistress? "
With each word, Monty's brows furrowed a little tighter.
As he listened, the Star Killer seemed to have forgotten the pain in his shoulder. He took a deep breath and carefully recalled the past, comparing it to the parts that did not match his memories.
"But this is the truth. That damn b * stard, Byrne Mirk." The Raven of Death gritted his teeth and said, "That quiet, simple-minded, inflexible country soldier who only knows how to follow Soria and say 'yes' all day long.
"Can you imagine? Him? With Adele? "
Once he said this, Monty spat out a mouthful of blood and sneered.
But his eyes were filled with indescribable pain, like a cornered warrior.
"So, Soria has her body, and Mirk occupies her heart." Monty's smile slowly turned mocking.
"And the only thing I can touch is her death."
But the Star Killer still stared at him in disbelief.
"Impossible." Nicholas suppressed the anger in his chest and refuted with certainty, "Prince Soria … He couldn't have given such an order. He already promised to let Mirk and the others go."
As he listened to Nicholas' words, Monty sneered nonchalantly and said, "Do you believe it? Soria wants to let them go? "
The Star Killer froze a little.
Monty's expression changed, and he said coldly, "Soria is the one who lied. That's all. He wanted to create a chance for me, who was in the dark, to get rid of the two of them without leaving a trace."
Nicholas' expression changed rapidly between doubt and bewilderment.
"No." He gritted his teeth and raised his head. He denied it again. "We all know him … Soria. He's a good warrior. He trained with us, killed enemies, drank with us, laughed with us, and fought with us. He even dragged us to the countryside to celebrate Byrne's wedding. He's not that kind of person! If he wants to solve the problem, then at least … at least he won't ask you to assassinate … "
But before he could finish, he was interrupted by the Raven of Death.
"You know nothing!"
"Many people gave him the same evaluation as you did, including that damn Mirk." Disgust and fear appeared on Monty's face at the same time. "But for countless years, I served Prince Soria and worked in the dark for him."
"No one knows him better than I do. Only the eyes of a black crow can see the truth under the moonlight."
"Soria Walton grew up under the guidance of the scheming Lisban and the undefeated Kaslan. He's like the younger King Nuven. He's majestic and doesn't bother about trifles, but he's colder and more decisive than his father."
Monty stared at Nicholas solemnly. "Most importantly, Soria is far-sighted and ambitious. Every step he takes is for the sake of power and benefits."
With every sentence Monty said, the Star Killer's pupils focused a little more.
"Our prince has never cared about the gentle and graceful Princess Adele." Monty's voice continued coldly, causing Nicholas to shudder. It was as if there was winter snow that had not fallen for decades hidden in his voice.
"His original intention of marrying her was to cause trouble for the Camians, to pave the way for the war twenty years ago when Soria led an army to fight against the Alliance of Freedom, shook the Golden Passage, and intimidated the City of Faraway Prayers and Defense City.
"And in the future that Soria planned, even if there was no problem with Mirk, Adele was still destined to die."
Nicholas looked puzzled. "What?"
Monty leaned against the rock behind him. His gaze was profound. "That year, I was sent to Constellation to investigate and liaise with them because of this. I even occasionally heard the conversation between Soria and King Nuven. I know …
"Eighteen years ago, in the war between Eckstedt and Constellation, Soria was the original commander-in-chief. His goal was very clear. He didn't want to conquer Constellation in a war, but to pave the way for the future."
Monty raised his hand weakly and pointed to the south. "First of all, Dragon Clouds City gathered the strength of the entire country and attacked Constellation until it was riddled with holes. It was so desolate that it would not recover even after decades.
"Second, the nine untamed and greedy archdukes of Eckstedt would pay a huge price in this war that King Nuven deliberately allowed. Only Dragon Clouds City would retain its strength."
The Raven of Death gritted his teeth. "At the end of the war, Nuven would propose a peace negotiation with the Constellatiates. As an alliance between the two countries, Aydi the Second would marry his youngest daughter to Prince Soria, and Eckstedt would retreat."
Nicholas was stunned.
He suddenly remembered the tragic battle that made him famous eighteen years ago. He remembered the thick smoke and corpses falling from the fortress. He remembered the death and blood on the land of Constellation. He remembered the angry roars and wails of the soldiers.
He even remembered the liberated gaze of the 'Butcher of Constellation' before he died.
"In the years to come, especially after Soria was crowned, he would take over Eckstedt, which was silent among its feudal vassals, and he would face the heavily injured and weak Constellation." With a pained expression, Monty took off a small bag from his body and poured strong wine from it. He poured it on his wound in great pain and began to bandage it again.
"The future King Soria would not only be able to suppress the archdukes and turn all of Eckstedt into the Walton Family's private property … he could also go one step further and use his queen, who was born in the Jadestar Royal Family, to reach out to Constellation, which has yet to recover its strength."
Monty panted as he endured the pain of the strong wine flowing over his wound. "In fact, his descendants, who are half Jadestar and half Walton, will be able to follow in their father's footsteps and fuse the Dragonscale Crown and the Nine-Pointed Star Crown into one, completing a great feat that no one has achieved since the Ancient Empire."
Nicholas' breathing froze. His entire body stiffened.
When he said this, the Raven of Death leaned against the rock and laughed mockingly. "Do you understand now? In Soria's grand plan, if Adele could not bring him more benefits, she would not be fit to become Eckstedt's queen. So, she was destined to die, sooner or later."
Nicholas stared at his former colleague in a daze.
It was only at this moment that the Star Killer suddenly realized that he and this sworn brother, whom he once thought to be extremely close, had always been living in the same mirror. They saw two completely different worlds.
This discovery made him mentally and physically exhausted. He could not help but clench his fists.
They, he and Monty, had clearly stepped into the Guards' camp at the same time. But since when did their paths deviate from each other, and they walked further and further away from each other?
'Kaslan's … two sides?'
Nicholas weakly repeated Monty's words in his heart. His weak body slid down a little, but the sharp pain from his shoulder being pinned made him wake up again in cold sweat.
"Hahaha, can you imagine? This should have been a husband's interrogation and revenge filled with anger and pain." Monty laughed so hard that tears came out of his eyes. "In Soria's eyes, there are only schemes and bargaining chips left."
He shook his head slowly and said in a resentful tone, "Nobles, nobles. Ha, these scumbags. What kind of f * cking trash are they?"
Nicholas did not speak.
'King Nuven, Soria, Kaslan, Monty …'
Many of the living and dead people he thought he understood seemed to have broken free from the shackles of his memories at this moment. They became unfamiliar existences to him.
Monty's laughter gradually became softer.
The warmth on his face slowly disappeared.
"But …
"But when I snuck into the Blood Court with the poison, I saw Adele tending to the flowers and plants while happily playing with the child. When I saw the smile on her face …" Monty's gaze froze. "I knew that I had no right to blame her."
Monty let out a slow sigh.
"She was just a delicate plant. It was me. I brought her into this hell." The Raven of Death's expression was pained. Under the sun, he became one with his own shadow. "I left her in Heroic Spirit Palace to be tortured and humiliated, to be tortured in these scumbags' chessboard."
The Star Killer slowly raised his gaze.
"So, you acted on your own?"
Nicholas said slowly, "You wanted to save her? Even if you betrayed her? "
Monty's expression changed.
He cast Nicholas a cold glance. His gaze was fierce.
"Did you really not know? Spiky? "
The Raven of Death gritted his teeth softly. "Adele has been married to Dragon Clouds City for a long time. As the king's personal guard, as the acting captain of the White Blade Guards, and as the guardian of Heroic Spirit Palace, do you really not notice anything?"
Nicholas furrowed his brows.
For the first time, Monty's eyes shone with undisguised pure hatred. His chest heaved up and down. "It's hard to imagine. Every day and night, Adele was tortured, abused, and humiliated …
"And all the people in Heroic Spirit Palace, including you, treated it as the prince's private family matter. They turned a blind eye to the misfortune and suffering she went through. They stood by and pretended to be deaf and mute.
"Adele had to turn to that silly Mirk for solace."
Monty shuddered. "And even so, the useless Mirk she looked forward to couldn't give her anything. He didn't have the courage to stand up for her, nor did he have the responsibility to help her escape. He didn't even have the ability to protect Adele!"
Nicholas stared at him expressionlessly.
"Spiky, Mirk, everyone in the White Blade Guards, you're all cowards." Monty spat on the ground. "You watched a pitiful and pathetic woman suffer, but you did nothing, not daring to stand up for her.
"All of you."
Monty lowered his head.
"That night, I looked at the flowers and plants in the courtyard, let go of the poison in my hand, and told myself helplessly, 'No.'"
He said desolately, "I've already sunk into the darkness and can't pull myself out. But at the very least, at the very least, I can't let Adele become my victim. I can't let her become another soul in my blood-stained hands."
Monty's eyes shone brilliantly. The muscles on his arms tightened again, like a sailor who had caught hold of a life-saving driftwood in the middle of a sinking ship.
"Even if the person she likes is that foolish Mirk, if that's the only way Adele can be happy, happy, and smile again …" Monty gritted his teeth forcefully. "Then it's worth it.
"As for the remaining darkness, let me bear it." The Raven of Death stared at his right hand in a daze. His gaze was unfocused, and the expression on his face looked like he was crying and laughing at the same time. "I will protect her only hope in the boundless darkness."
Nicholas took a deep breath. He felt his chest churn with emotions.
"So, you went to Constellation's Secret Intelligence Department?"
Monty forced out a weak smile.
"They were the ones who found me," the Raven of Death said faintly. "That hotel in Spear District. When I was drinking in there … the owner of the hotel from Camus Union could drink a lot, and he was also very good at persuading people.
"He told me the love story between him and his wife. He told me that in a short lifetime, there would always be a time when you would throw caution to the wind and never turn back. Of course, I only found out later that he was the person in charge of the Secret Intelligence Department in Dragon Clouds City."
When he said this, Monty sneered. No one knew whether he was laughing at Nicholas or himself.
"You already know everything that happened after that."
The Star Killer closed his eyes.
Both of them fell silent.
A breeze blew past, and the moans between the cracks in the rocks became even more mournful.
"So …"
"Just for a woman? Monty, who has always been gluttonous and lazy, became like this? "Nicholas asked tiredly.
"A woman you can never have?"
Monty was slightly stunned.
But he immediately burst into laughter.
"Come on, Soray Nicholas, the so-called Star Killer, haven't you also persevered until now in pain and conflict for a woman you can never have?"
The Star Killer stiffened.
"Yes, I knew a long time ago. Just like how you know me, I also know who the person you miss is. The Star Killer is not as cold as the rumors say."
Nicholas stared at the Raven of Death in disbelief. His train of thought stopped.
With a mocking expression, Monty clicked his tongue in a sentimental manner and said, "When she came to the Guards' training camp to visit Kaslan, all of us bastards surrounded her like a waterfall. Hundreds of pairs of eyes could hardly leave that girl …
"Only you, Spiky. Only you turned your head away and pretended to be disdainful, but in truth, you didn't even dare to look at her. Trust me, I know what that feels like."
Nicholas did not speak. He only shut his eyes tightly and tightened his grip on a stone in his pocket.
"Once, when we snuck out to look for a woman, you got drunk and hugged a woman. You even called out her name …"
The Star Killer suddenly opened his eyes!
"Monty!"
Nicholas stared at the pair of bloodshot eyes. He was a little angry, and he interrupted the Raven of Death with a cold expression.
Monty's words came to a halt.
"You know, I suddenly realized that I …" Nicholas took a deep breath and said in a hoarse voice, "I … I almost can't recognize you anymore."
Monty was stunned for a moment before he burst into laughter.
"Hahahaha …"
"It's not just you." At first, he laughed happily, but later on, his laughter became a little forced and even a little miserable. "There are many times when I look at this man in the mirror …"
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