"Don't worry, the others in the team won't be back tonight because of various things."
Quick Rope lay on the bed casually and swung his wrist, which was sore from the intense fight just now.
"If I had to guess, Dean deliberately lured them away, and his target was you."
A broken animal oil lamp illuminated the mercenaries' hut. Dean's body had long been covered with a rough cloth, and he lay quietly on the ground. Thales sat cross-legged on the ground, leaning against the corner of the wall. He watched Quick Rope, who was lying comfortably on the bed, warily.
After a long while, Thales, who had finally sorted out his thoughts, spoke softly.
"What's going on? Why, why are you here — "
"What's going on?" Quick Rope put his hands behind his head and stared at the mottled ceiling. "It's what you see.
"I always thought that aside from some old people in Dragon Clouds City, no one would know that I'm still alive."
Quick Rope gestured at the body covered with the rough cloth with his chin.
"Until this guy appeared."
His tone was still relaxed, as if he was on a sunny day without any haze.
"The Secret Room is always pervasive, right?"
"My father and Soria don't like Madam Calshan, so I kept my distance from her."
Thales glanced at Dean on the ground.
He subconsciously clenched his fists.
"I don't understand." He turned to Quick Rope and asked the biggest question he had, "Your hair color, your Camian accent, and your age …"
Quick Rope snickered.
"Did you know that Camus Union is a magical place? There are all kinds of cities, all kinds of races, and all kinds of strange customs." The former prince sighed.
"And on the sea route they opened, the Sante Archipelago in the southwest of the peninsula produces a magical dye. The local tribes use it to dye their hair and even apply makeup, and it won't fade for a month. I only need to worry about the roots of my hair …"
Thales watched as Quick Rope ran his fingers through his red hair and frowned.
"As for the accent and age …"
"Perhaps you haven't noticed it yourself, Prince of Constellation." Quick Rope turned his head sideways and smiled at Thales. "But to me, you've been in the north for six years, and now you have a Northland accent, and you don't look like a simple fourteen-year-old boy."
He arched his shoulders.
Thales lowered his head in silence.
"Are they all fake?"
The Prince of Constellation asked in a bad mood, "Since the beginning of the Great Desert, the Quick Rope who told jokes, the Quick Rope who fooled around with the others, the Quick Rope who fought for the rights of his dead companions, and even the Quick Rope who 'couldn't write' … You've been acting all along?"
Quick Rope's expression became gloomy.
"No," he said expressionlessly, resting his head on his hands. "It's not all fake."
"You know, when a pampered and disheartened prince walks out of the castle, the first thing he discovers is that the outside world is not as beautiful as he thought."
The poor quality light slowly dimmed, and the room became dark again.
Thales did not move.
"As a result, on the first afternoon that stupid prince arrived in Camus Union, the City of a Thousand Sails, Vallier Gang, he was cheated out of what little savings he had left. By the way, the three hundred gold coins to cross the Black Track was ridiculously expensive. He had no choice but to sell himself to a long-distance ship to embark on a maiden voyage that he had never dreamed of, opening an unprecedented chapter in his life."
Quick Rope said in a daze, "In these six years, he abandoned a lot, but he also learned a lot."
When he said this, Quick Rope snorted softly.
"When I first went out to sea, the boatswain was a hot-tempered man, and he always pointed at the sail ropes that were not tied properly or should be loosened, and shouted at me, 'Hurry up! Rope! '"
His tone was filled with emotion. "Just like that, I got the first nickname in my life."
Thales still leaned against the corner of the wall with a solemn expression.
Then, Quick Rope's next sentence traveled into his ears with a slightly downcast tone.
"And not some bullsh * t 'Born King'."
Thales furrowed his brows.
He suddenly thought of King Nuven, but he realized that no matter what, it was difficult to connect him with the optimistic and open-minded Quick Rope, who was strangely complicated.
"What kind of nickname will you get, Thales? Have you thought about it?"
Quick Rope suddenly asked with great interest, "King of Adventurers? King of Hostages? "
Thales snapped out of his daze and sighed softly. "Moriah …"
"Ah, I got it."
In the darkness, Quick Rope's voice rose and fell slightly, and there was a hint of smugness in it. "King of Misfortune."
Quick Rope's chuckles rose again.
Thales did not respond.
Then, Quick Rope's laughter slowly faded away.
"Why.
"Six years ago," Thales asked hoarsely, "why did you leave?"
This time, the room was silent for a long time.
Quick Rope sighed softly, like a prisoner who was being judged and prepared to face his fate.
"During the first few years, I asked myself this question countless times."
Quick Rope's voice rose faintly. "The answer was different every time.
But in the last two to three years, the answer gradually became clear. "
In the darkness, he slowly sat up. His clear eyes sparkled slightly under the moonlight.
"Because it was my choice."
Thales' breathing became faster.
King Chapman's words to him and his evaluation of Moriah appeared in his mind one by one.
Everything he experienced six years ago also flashed before his eyes as if it happened yesterday.
"But you left so irresponsibly?"
Thales subconsciously gritted his teeth. "You left your country, your people, your family …"
Quick Rope's silhouette trembled slightly under the moonlight.
"Do you know how much Dragon Clouds City has suffered because of your disappearance? Do you know that your willfulness almost caused the two countries to fight each other and caused countless deaths and injuries? Do you know what kind of fate your decision caused me, Lampard, Saroma, and your father, King Nuven, to face? "
At that moment, Thales felt as if he had returned to the underground tomb of Renaissance Palace. He heard that heavy, awe-inspiring, and slightly powerful voice.
'"Fate will prepare you."'
In the past six years, there was blood, death, betrayal, murder, politics, helplessness, powerlessness, helplessness, and regret. 'If this is the prince's fate …'
Thales' emotions became more and more chaotic.
'But in the face of fate, the person before me …'
"How is he?"
"My father." Quick Rope spoke hoarsely, interrupting Thales' thoughts, which he did not know whether it was jealousy or indignation. "Six years ago, when he was about to die … how was he?"
Thales was slightly stunned.
'Nuven the Seventh.
'The Born King.
'The apathetic old man who rubbed his ring.
"All these years, all I heard were rumors. But you were there, Thales," Quick Rope said faintly. There was a barely noticeable tremble in his voice.
"You were there."
For a moment, only their breathing could be heard in the house.
Thales was silent for a while.
'Dragon's blood.
That night six years ago was too unforgettable.
"I don't know how to describe it, but at that time …"
Finally, Thales sighed and suppressed the indignation that had suddenly welled up in him.
"He was not bad. Nuven still retained the domineering and awe-inspiring aura of the Born King."
He told Quick Rope about the past, as if he was telling the story of his family to a son who did not return home all year round.
"At that time, he had just punished Beacon Illumination City and united the forces of the other archdukes. Black Sand Region was nothing to worry about."
Thales pondered and said, "And he survived the calamity's crisis, witnessed the return of the Queen of the Sky, and was thinking about teaching the calamities who broke his toys a lesson."
The prince said dejectedly, "He even planned everything and planned the future of the Walton Family and Dragon Clouds City."
'And … the future of the Prince of Constellation.'
Quick Rope smiled.
"Heh, he's still the same." His tone was nostalgic, but there was an almost overflowing melancholy in his voice.
"He controls everything … in his hands."
Thales nodded.
"That was how he was before he died, the last King Nuven," the prince said with difficulty, "until …"
He did not continue.
"Is that so?"
Quick Rope took over his words. His tone was unclear.
Thales sighed and said, "Don't worry, everything happened very quickly. In an instant, he passed away without feeling any pain."
There were two seconds of silence.
"Is that so?"
Quick Rope leaned against the wall and hugged his knees tightly. "What about Dragon Clouds City?"
Thales' breathing froze for a moment.
"Really?" The prince asked with faint resentment, "You're asking me?"
"The calamities came to Shield District and fought against the Queen of the Sky until dawn. There were many casualties … After the king died, rumors spread everywhere, and order was in chaos. The army of Black Sand Region entered the city at night and met with Lisban's soldiers." Thales took a deep breath and spoke, as if he was listening to a stranger tell an unfamiliar story. "The White Blade Guards suffered heavy losses. Nicholas led the last of his men and fought back desperately."
Thales' tone became more and more anxious.
"Lampard occupied Heroic Spirit Palace for a time. The five archdukes held each other's future and lives in the Hall of Heroes. Their hands were on the hilts of their swords, and it was a battle of life and death. Archduke Roknee and Archduke Olsius even drew their weapons and planned to fight to the death against Lampard.
"Kaslan, Mirk … Countless people died in that damned tug-of-war."
With every word he said, Quick Rope's shadow trembled.
"In the end, Saroma — I mean, Alex Walton inherited the throne with great difficulty under heavy pressure and under their malicious gazes."
In the end, Thales widened his eyes and stared at the figure on the bed.
"Under countless hateful gazes, Chapman Lampard wore a blood-stained crown, stepped on countless corpses, and was crowned king. He was Chapman the First."
Quick Rope exhaled heavily.
"Over the past six years, Dragon Clouds City has been in turmoil. The archduchess' qualifications have been questioned, the vassals are in conflict, the king harbors malicious intentions, the suzerains are eyeing me with hostility, and I have been trapped there as a hostage and a chess piece until now.
"That's the answer you want."
Are you satisfied? "
Thales said coldly, "Moriah Walton, the one who evaded responsibility and caused all this."
Quick Rope did not speak for a long time.
More than ten seconds later …
"So this is the answer. Thank you," Quick Rope answered weakly.
"I regret it."
Thales frowned.
"You regret it?"
The Prince of Constellation sneered. "That's your kingdom, your city, your hometown.
And you 'regret it'? "
Quick Rope shook his head.
"Thales."
His tone was a little gloomy.
"When you told Dean that you didn't want to ask so many questions, and that you only wanted me to disappear forever, I thought that you would at least understand a little."
Quick Rope seemed to have lost something. His tone was listless, but there was an indescribable sadness in it.
Thales took a deep breath. "If you were still around six years ago, I mean, if you had at least chosen to return to Dragon Clouds City after you avoided the assassination …"
Quick Rope raised his head swiftly!
"That won't change anything!"
He said coldly.
Thales was stunned.
"It's still the same. Conspiracies, tricks, politics, interests …" Quick Rope said through gritted teeth, "Whether it's Dragon Clouds City or Eckstedt, whether it's Lampard or the Waltons, nothing has changed."
Thales stared at him in a daze.
"Of course I know that the casualties are great, and the price is high."
Quick Rope said sadly, "This is the struggle for power.
You accuse me of bringing disaster to myself by evading responsibility.
"But how do you know that if I were the Archduke of Dragon Clouds City or even the King of Eckstedt, I would have caused fewer deaths than I do now? Would the disaster I caused be smaller than now? Would the crimes I committed be lighter than now? Would Dragon Clouds City be luckier and more stable than now? "
Thales clenched his teeth.
"You don't know, Thales."
Quick Rope said coldly.
"Do you think that the disasters and calamities in Dragon Clouds City, and the upheavals and drastic changes in Eckstedt were really just brought about by Lampard's conspiracies, my willfulness, or my father's loss of control?"
He straightened his back from the wall.
"My father, the Born King, intimidated the Western Peninsula when he was alive. He subdued the feudal vassals, used all his military might to build a military empire, and pushed Dragon Clouds City's prestige to its peak over the past three generations. He planted fear and obedience in and out of the kingdom.
Quick Rope's tone was cold.
"However, this meant that he was destined to become someone's enemy, the archdukes' enemy, the nobles' enemy, the Western Peninsula's enemy, and even the commoners under his rule. Even if there was no Lampard, no Secret Room, no Bloody Year, even if there was no Soria's accident, even if … even if there was no me running away, there would come a day when these enemies would use other faces and roles, such as Roknee, Lecco, Trentida, and even his most trusted subordinates. They would be played by another group of people who were dissatisfied with him, and they would come back and drown the throne of Dragon Clouds City."
'King Nuven's enemies …'
Thales was deep in thought. The people who were responsible for the night of Dragon's Blood six years ago appeared before his eyes: the Archduke of Black Sand Region who was forced into a corner, the fickle Marquis of Camus Union, the Secret Room that was hidden in the deepest corners, the forces of the black market in the gutter, and even … even the Supreme King of Constellation.
Even a commoner like Gleeward, who had risen to power, scoffed at his king and treated him with disdain.
And King Nuven … only had half of Dragon Clouds City by his side.
"My father's death was not due to the failure of some strategy, an accident, or someone's stupid actions," Quick Rope's tone was filled with grief. "It was because he climbed too high in this era, and too many people wanted him dead."
Thales was stunned.
For countless days and nights, when he recalled the Dragon's Blood six years ago, Nuven's miscalculation, Lampard's ruthlessness, the Secret Room's treachery, the Secret Intelligence Department's secrecy, and the archdukes' schemes and schemes appeared in his mind.
'But …'
"There is only a thin line between extreme prosperity and extreme decline.
"This is the general trend, Thales." Quick Rope's tone became more and more anxious.
"After returning from the sea and narrowly escaping death, I understood that history is not controlled by individuals like us, who seem to have high statuses and extraordinary power. Instead, it is determined by the world's countless unstoppable waves, unfathomable whirlpools, tides that shake thousands of miles, and trade winds.
"If the tide is stopped, no matter how sturdy a warship is, it will still be crushed to pieces. If it is set to sail with the wind, no matter how fragile a sampan is, it will still be able to travel thousands of miles. In front of it, even the mightiest of heroes will be powerless, and even the most insignificant commoners will be able to reach the top.
"Too many people only see conspiracies and schemes, open strife and veiled strife, heroes and bandits.
"But in the face of a raging tide, an individual is too insignificant. There is actually very little that we can do. No one can go against the tide and turn the tide. That is just an illusion that we have for those who have surfaced at the end of the tide."
"Forget about my father, even if the King of Renaissance and the Dragon Knight King are reincarnated, it will be the same … even if my father succeeds in handing the throne to me." His voice trembled slightly.
"I can see it very clearly. No matter who sits on the throne, Dragon Clouds City is destined to decline after reaching its peak. No matter who leads the Kingdom of the Great Dragon, Eckstedt will also have its ups and downs."
Quick Rope stared at Thales silently.
"Just like the royal bloodline that runs through your veins, just like the once insufferably arrogant Empire."
Thales subconsciously clenched his fists.
"Do you think that Dragon Clouds City is in a precarious and unstable state because of an archduchess? Do you think that it is definitely a bad thing?"
Quick Rope lowered his head.
"How would you know that if the current Dragon Clouds City after King Nuven was still inherited by a legitimate male descendant and still held the authority of the Born King, then the new king and the old suzerains would not deal with Dragon Clouds City with pressure and tactics that are a hundred times more terrifying than they are now? Like ants nibbling away at the carcasses of insects, they would eat us until only our remains are left?"
"I'm not them, Thales. I'm not my father, I'm not Soria, and I'm not my cousin, Chapman Lampard, who killed his own brother." Quick Rope crossed his arms over his chest. His voice was trembling.
"I cannot do it. In that kind of abyss-like, hopeless situation, in that kind of air filled with conspiracies and schemes, in that kind of breathless air, in those days when everyone lived in hell, other than bringing Dragon Clouds City to destruction …"
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