'"Many people had the same thought — that Mystics could coexist peacefully with other races, and even help each other."'
At that moment, a conversation from a long time ago flashed in Thales' mind.
It was in Dragon Clouds City six years ago.
Giza had just disappeared under the Blade of Purification.
Amidst the ashes that filled the sky, when Thales vowed to search for a new future for the Mystics, the scholarly and elegant Asda spoke to him casually, intentionally or otherwise.
'"Whether it was Mystics, humans, or even elves, there were countless similar efforts and attempts …
'"They all failed."'
That pleasant voice lingered in Thales' ears, but the cruel truth before his eyes shook his heart.
'They all failed.'
Thales stared at Zakriel solemnly, but he was thinking about another figure.
'Asda.
'How many things have you … hidden from me?
Eighteen years ago, you and Giza, and … what did you do? '
In the extreme silence, Tardin spoke in disbelief, "His Majesty … formed an alliance with the calamities?"
"Aura and blood? Oh, I still remember, Blood Bottle Gang, right … "Naer, who seemed to be deep in thought.
Their voices broke the silence, and the shocked people began to speak.
In the midst of the uproar, Barney Junior suddenly took a step forward and shouted,
"Silence!"
The noisy underground prison instantly quietened down.
Barney Junior's expression was still stiff, but Thales could see that there were surging emotions hidden under his calm exterior.
Barney Junior said coldly, "That's it?
The alliance of three calamities? "
Across him, the Knight of Judgment withdrew his gaze from Thales, as though he was immersed in his own world.
He murmured, "Those calamities … they did not have good intentions. They did not care about Constellation's future. On the contrary, they only wanted to use the kingdom to achieve their goals, regardless of the misfortune and disaster they would leave behind for us.
"And that was just the beginning."
Zakriel's dry and hoarse voice rose into the air, as though he was disillusioned from a dream.
"It was as if the kingdom was struck by endless natural disasters overnight. Grain harvests failed, goods were blocked, sea routes were blocked, the trade and agriculture in the kingdom were in chaos, all industries were abandoned, conflicts broke out, and rebellions rose one after another. The situation deteriorated, and it was out of control …"
Everyone's faces sank when they heard this.
"At this time, when we are busy suppressing rebellions and trying to pacify the country, the entire world seems to have received a certain order at the same time …"
The Knight of Judgment stared blankly at the air.
"Our allies and companions are strangely and coincidentally silent. Whether it is the Three Kingdoms of the Mystery Sea, the Sacred Tree Court, the Hall of King's Chronicles, or even Taixuan Palace on the other side of the sea, they are all very secretive about aiding Constellation.
"Our enemies and opponents are united like never before. From Camus Union's trade boycott to the Great Desert's military invasion, the Kasai's plunder at sea, Hanbol's blockade of the sea route, Eckstedt's provocation in the north, even the rebels seem to have endless support behind them. It's as if they have agreed to attack together."
He recalled the history of the Bloody Year bit by bit, and the sorrow in his words infected the atmosphere, causing the expressions of the Royal Guards to become more and more unsightly.
Thales frowned without realizing it.
"Unfortunately, the source of the Mystic Guns purchased from the Empire has been cut off for no reason. The Eternal Oil and Crystal Drop Ores can't keep up with the demand. It has become extremely difficult to obtain conventional weapons and military supplies."
Zakriel continued to speak. His voice grew tighter, as if he was slowly suffocating.
"We did not just lose the war … The king and his vassals were at odds with each other. The nobles' protests rose one after another. The relationship between the Three Great Temples and Renaissance Palace fell to a freezing point. The shameless Tower of Eradication even sent a letter to criticize His Majesty's rule.
"Everything came together and turned into the most disadvantageous situation for us …"
His eyes were filled with pain and sorrow.
"And what you can see is the number of our brothers in the Royal Guards dwindling. For duty and honor, they abandoned their wives and children to follow the Jadestars. One by one, they set out for the battlefield. They would either reply with a letter every half a month to inform us that they are safe, or they would never be heard from again."
At that moment, the Royal Guards, including Samel, did not speak. But each of them had their own reactions. They either lowered their heads or averted their gazes in an unnatural manner. Canon even whimpered softly.
"But do you think that everything that happened that year was really just a coincidence?"
Zakriel stared at the firelight in Nalgi's hand in a daze. As he recalled, his words slowly became savage.
"I know. I know why. I know why we have become the target of public criticism.
"No matter what His Majesty's original intentions were, walking with the calamities is the origin and beginning of our disaster. It caused Constellation to fall into an unprecedented predicament and turned the entire world into our enemy."
"F * ck!" Nalgi slapped his thigh and cursed.
No one knew whether it was for King Aydi or for Zakriel.
'The entire world will become our enemy …'
Thales' breathing became disordered without his knowledge.
"Why?"
When he heard this, Barney Junior interrupted Zakriel coldly.
"If you think that this is the source and reason …
"Why didn't you tell us at that time? Why didn't you ask for help from the old captain, or even my father?
"They must have a way!
Why did you make the decision on your own? "
Zakriel's gaze moved.
The knight slowly swept his gaze over the Royal Guards.
Thales noticed that quite a number of people subconsciously avoided his gaze, which was as sharp as a knife.
A few seconds later, Zakriel chuckled in a mocking manner and lowered his head.
"You don't understand.
"By the time I really wanted to do something, it was already too late."
He shuddered slightly.
"The situation worsened, and it went from bad to worse. Even the most elite guards who were protecting the princes would occasionally receive bad news.
"In less than a year, the rebel army's momentum grew stronger. They attacked cities and seized land. Our army's morale was low, and we retreated step by step. The flames of war in Western Desert and the southwest spread to the interior and burned the entire country. The people of the kingdom were in a state of panic, and they could not rest easy …"
With every word Zakriel said, the Royal Guards' eyebrows furrowed a little.
"Until Eckstedt, the terrifying Great Dragon who had just subdued the Golden Passage and the Camians, bared its fangs and joined the ranks of those who hit us when we were down. They mobilized the entire kingdom's army without hesitation. One hundred thousand elites were unstoppable, and their iron hooves thundered as they charged towards us.
"I think that was the final attack our enemies prepared for the kingdom. It was the final chapter of this epic of the destruction of the kingdom."
Thales could not help but think of Nuven the Seventh.
The king who was old, but whose might did not diminish.
The cunning, shrewd, fierce, and valiant lion.
He also remembered what the Raven of Death had told him about the purpose of Eckstedt's army heading south in the past.
When he thought of this, Thales could not help but wonder. 'Did King Nuven really dispatch his army so decisively just for political purposes?
"And we were already badly battered and at the end of our rope. We couldn't even form a decent army …"
Zakriel's words became even more painful and unbearable.
"Just like that, Constellation, which had borne the glory of the Empire and stood for seven hundred years, reached the brink of destruction. It was just one step away from falling into the abyss and completely coming to an end.
"But even so, even though the calamities had already brought the kingdom step by step towards Hell's River, all of you could not imagine how stubborn and stubborn His Majesty was …"
When he said this, the Knight of Judgment raised his head abruptly and looked forward with anger in his eyes.
"It was hard to imagine his unwavering trust in the woman by his pillow … in that monster.
And all of this originated from that night. "
Zakriel slowly stopped talking.
Barney Junior closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
"So, you betrayed the kingdom and rebelled? You sided with His Majesty's enemies? "
The vanguard seemed to be trying his best to suppress his shock and shift his focus to the present.
Zakriel was silent for a long time.
He seemed to be hesitating.
"His Majesty was bewitched."
Finally, the Knight of Judgment spoke faintly.
"He could not see that the calamities were the source of everything.
He had to be clear-headed. "
The Knight of Judgment's gaze gradually became clear.
"As long as we stay away from those monsters with ulterior motives, cast aside their sinister schemes, stop placing our hopes on the taboo, and return to the right track of the kingdom …"
He was like a traveler who was struggling in pain in the abyss and saw hope at the last moment.
"The strange alliance formed by the enemy to hit us while we were down will lose its foundation and fall apart on its own. Even the two great forbidden existences, who are said to be high above us, will shift their attention away …
"The supply of Mystic Guns and Eternal Oil will be restored, the attitude of our allies will be restored, and the hostility that has nothing to do with benefits will be eliminated. The backstage reinforcements for the rebel army will stop, and the predicament of being attacked from both sides will be reduced. The divided and scattered people will gather together, and the precarious situation at the frontlines will turn for the better. The only thing we need to worry about is our old enemies.
"Constellation will be able to survive this catastrophe."
Zakriel's expression became more and more excited, but after a moment, it became gloomy.
"But before that, someone must stand up, shoulder the responsibility, and turn the tide, even if it means the most unforgivable betrayal and the most unforgivable stain on our reputation."
His eyes shone with deep pain. He stared at his own fist with rapt attention.
"Someone must save us, before His Majesty turns the whole world into an enemy and brings the whole kingdom into the abyss.
"Someone has to put an end to this hopeless and unnecessary confrontation."
No one spoke. Even Samel, who had a mocking look on his face, kept his mouth shut. Barney Junior, who stood at the forefront, had his eyes shut. He seemed to be thinking.
Beside Thales, Nalgi heaved a deep sigh. He was not the only one. The others also looked worried, and their hearts were heavy.
The prince's mind was in a mess.
He recalled the time in Mindis Hall when Yodel had a showdown with him regarding the matter of the Mystics. Yodel had encouraged him hesitantly in private.
'"I have seen those calamities more than once … From the moment your family was born, they were destined to be entangled with those calamities …"'
'More than once.
That was definitely not just for Asda. Perhaps it also included Freuland, and even Giza.
Speaking of Yodel, he remembered the Secret Intelligence Department and the Black Prophet. What role did they play in that calamity?
Thales also remembered how Duke Arunde of the Northern Territory questioned and blamed King Kessel hysterically in Renaissance Palace six years ago after his conspiracy failed.
'"Just like your damn father, both of you knew what your choices would bring, but you never cared … If you didn't bring that monster back …"'
'They were probably talking about the new queen, Freuland.'
He had seen Kessel's face, especially the scene where the Iron Hand King coldly sent him to Dragon Clouds City. It was still fresh in his mind.
'Was my grandfather, Aydi the Second, also like this?'
Thales also remembered Archduke Poffret's evaluation of Aydi the Second inadvertently revealed in the Hall of Heroes in Heroic Spirit Palace after losing the duel.
'"Sooner or later, a madman like Constellation's Aydi the Second will appear, dragging his entire kingdom to hell!"'
Thales stared at Zakriel with a stupefied expression.
As the trusted watchman of the Royal Guards, he should have been the most loyal guard.
'But …'
"No."
In the dungeon, a faint, emotionless whisper rose in everyone's ears.
"Even if it has to be someone …
"It shouldn't be you. You shouldn't be the one to do it."
Thales turned his head in surprise and saw Barney Junior slowly raise his head. His gaze was sharp and cold as he stared at the Knight of Judgment.
"Imanu Zakriel."
Zakriel was silent.
"You are not His Majesty.
You are not Crown Prince Midier, not Prince Horace, not the prime minister, not an administrative officer, and definitely not His Majesty's military and diplomatic advisor. "
Barney Junior seemed to have gotten over the shock brought about by his colleague's betrayal and the truth of what happened that year.
He seemed to have figured something out. At that moment, his voice was not loud, but his words were sonorous, forceful, and firm.
"You are not even the captain of the Royal Guards. You are only His Majesty's servant, the second son of Viscount Zakriel!"
Barney Junior sucked in a deep breath, gritted his teeth, and asked,
"What right do you have to arrogantly predict the future of the entire kingdom?"
Zakriel did not speak, but there was a deep pain in his eyes.
The vanguard's voice grew louder and more determined.
"What right do you have to stand in the depths of the filthy darkness and claim that you 'save the world'?!"
The guards were stunned. They looked at each other, and their scattered gazes gradually became unified. They looked at the Knight of Judgment at the same time.
In the face of Zakriel, who was frowning and struggling, Barney Junior snorted coldly.
"Do you still remember the Praetorian Oath?"
The Knight of Judgment was slightly startled.
'The Praetorian Oath.'
But before he could react, Barney Junior opened his mouth and spoke.
"I swear that I will dedicate my life to the throne, and will forever serve the royal power. There is no other master.
"I swear that I will only wield this sword for the Emperor, and will only break it for the Emperor. There is no other use for me.
"I swear that I will either be buried in the throne's resting place, or my bones will be buried in the middle of my royal life. There is no other end."
There were only three sentences, but Barney Junior's voice was very loud. It echoed in the walls, and the hatred from before was gone.
He seemed to have returned to the solemn, calm, steady, and magnanimous vanguard.
As Zakriel listened to these familiar sentences, he slowly became absent-minded.
"They did it.
The old captain, Tony, and even my father. "Barney Junior suppressed the bitterness in his throat and kept his voice calm." And all the brothers who sacrificed their lives in and outside Renaissance Palace, and even on the frontlines.
"No matter where His Majesty wants to go, they swore to follow him until death. They did not ask why he left, and they did not suspect him."
Zakriel's body trembled.
'Old Captain Cullen …
'Chief Protector Tony …
'Vice Captain Quill Barney Senior …'
Thales did not just see Zakriel in his eyes. All the guards were in different states of mind.
Samel lowered his head and sank into a deep melancholy and internal struggle.
Canon leaned against the wall and covered his face as he trembled slightly. The big Bruley covered his chest tightly. Nalgi stared at his torch expressionlessly, as if there was a beautiful magic trick in it.
Tardin, Beldin, and Naer were all in a daze.
"I believe, even when we are on our way to Hell's River."
Barney Junior's voice also began to tremble.
"They will also do their best to snatch the boat to ferry His Majesty.
And what about you? "
The Knight of Judgment's chest heaved.
But Barney Junior's words were like a sharp sword that pierced through his weak points.
"What you have said, Zakriel, does not absolve you of your sins."
It is just a dream that you convinced yourself of because of your own selfishness. "
Barney Junior finished his words, leaving behind only a disgusted and scornful gaze.
His words were obviously very forceful, and the Royal Guards seemed to have figured something out.
They cast aside the hesitation and reluctance they had for their former brothers, and their gazes were replaced with the same disgust and rejection.
This time, Zakriel was silent for a long time.
Then, he opened his mouth with great difficulty.
"I do not want to absolve myself of my sins or shirk my responsibilities, much less ask for forgiveness."
"You said you wanted answers," the Knight of Judgment said softly. "This is my answer.
"Everything that happened in the past, all the sins …
I will bear them all. "
Barney Junior stared at him for a very, very long time.
Then, Barney's expression returned to normal. He seemed to have figured something out, and he shook his head with a wan smile. "No."
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