There were no words that could perfectly describe the current situation in the underground prison.
After a few seconds, only the people's heartbeats could be vaguely heard in the air. It was as if even breathing loudly had become a luxury.
A few seconds later, the torch in Barney Junior's hand was finally extinguished after the last few sparks were burned out in despair.
The underground prison sank into endless darkness. The only thing left was the unpleasant smell of smoke. The few living people seemed to have turned into corpses, and they did not move at all.
It was as if he had returned to the former Black Track.
Hence, in this silence and darkness, Thales spent the most special few seconds of his life in a daze as he sensed the barely discernible sounds of breathing in front of him and behind him.
At that moment, the darkness seemed to have become his shield. It buried his fear, numbed his pain, and blocked all sorts of gazes.
Finally, with a few rustling sounds, someone in the guards fumbled around with his trembling hands and lit another torch while the sound of flint was heard.
Thales narrowed his eyes and got used to the firelight. He felt as if he had returned to the world.
"I don't, I don't understand … Calamities, Mystics … They shouldn't be … immortal … a thousand years ago …" Canon, who was a scout, held the new fire source and shook his head subconsciously. His lips trembled, but he could not form a complete sentence.
His gaze never left Thales. Bruley, who was by his side, was completely stunned.
But as Canon reacted, the crowd began to boil like the surface of a hot spring!
"Your Highness, this joke …" Penal Officer Beldin could not digest the latest news at all. He stared at Zakriel and spoke incoherently.
"Watchman, commanding officer! He said that he is, he can, he will … This is another lie, isn't it? "
Tardin's eyes were filled with shock and bewilderment as he stared at Thales. "What the hell … The prince is a calamity?
"The Jadestar Royal Family … Damn it, what did they do this time?"
Thales quietly stared at the wound on his palm and ignored the uproar around him.
Strangely, Thales felt that he was incredibly calm at that moment. It was not the 'calmness' he felt when he knocked on the Door, which was so indifferent that it scared him. It was also not the 'calmness' he felt when he was in danger due to the Sin of Hell's River. Instead, it was the calmness of a chess player staring at a chessboard.
"My God."
Samel's gaze shifted back and forth between Thales and Zakriel.
"Zakriel, what you said earlier, about how Queen Fiosa is a calamity and how you are determined to complete your mission … Those weren't all lies, were they?" Zakriel did not say a word. He only stared blankly at the composed Thales. His eyes were filled with grief and puzzlement.
Samel gritted his teeth and tried his best to maintain his composure between shock and anger.
"Impossible, his age … Is he really only fourteen years old? If not, what does he have to do with the Bloody Year? "
"What is that damned mission of yours!"
Thales observed their reactions from the side, and he understood many things as he inhaled and exhaled.
Therefore …
The corner of the youth's mouth slowly curled up.
That was the feeling.
He could even feel that the gazes directed at him from behind were different.
There were some other impurities in the trust and respect Thales had built up after much difficulty.
Fear? Hate? Doubt? Unknown? Rejection?
But that was no longer important, was it?
"Hey, that fake Wya!"
"I'm talking about you, my 'nephew'. You knew all this a long time ago, didn't you?" Tardin seemed to have understood something. He turned around and looked at Quick Rope, who lowered his head and hunched his chest, trying his best to eliminate his presence.
"Wya? Nephew? Huh? "
Quick Rope, who was staring at Thales in shock, shuddered. He hugged his crossbow tightly in embarrassment and forced an innocent smile.
"Oh! I, no, erm, that … It's my first time too … "
Just when the underground prison was about to descend into chaos, a muffled sound exploded out of nowhere!
* Thud! *
"Silence!"
The sound traveled very far in the empty storage room. Everyone immediately fell silent.
It was Barney Junior.
He had just thrown away the extinguished torch in his hand, and he attracted everyone's attention.
The vanguard's face was ashen. He swept his sternest gaze over everyone before he finally turned to Thales.
Thales sucked in a breath, smiled, and turned his head to meet his gaze.
"My sword slipped from my hand."
After a long while, Barney Junior finally spoke with a conflicted expression.
"Just now, when I …"
He looked at the broken sword lying behind Thales.
As Barney Junior spoke hesitantly, everyone began to recall their previous memories.
"That wasn't a coincidence. It was you?"
Thales paused for a few seconds and pursed his lips.
"Yes."
The prince said in a low voice.
Barney Junior opened his mouth and stared at him in disbelief. A few seconds later, he turned to the two corpses on the ground.
"Why, why is it me …"
Barney Junior stared at the dead Nalgi and Naer. His expression became very complicated.
"Why didn't you save … them?"
Thales paused for a moment.
At that moment, the scene of him using mystic energy while he was still a contactor after Taurus' teachings flashed before his eyes.
It was an absolutely unreasonable indifference.
And the blood all over the ground.
It was as if the underground prison had entered a strange stage. Everyone was filled with astonishment and questions, but under the strange atmosphere and tacit agreement, no one spoke. They only stared at Thales in unison.
"I want to, but I can't."
Thales sighed and lowered his head.
"I'm sorry."
Barney Junior was silent for a long time. In the end, he also lowered his head.
"Is that so?"
Faint sorrow spread. Barney Junior's words seemed to have some sort of magic. Thales suddenly felt that the gazes behind him were no longer so piercing to his eyes.
Then, Zakriel's voice rose in the air.
"Why?"
The Knight of Judgment's dry and sluggish voice attracted everyone's attention.
"Why? Why did you tell them? "
Zakriel raised his head in the darkness and stared at Thales. There was a mixture of hesitation, pain, sadness, disappointment, and sorrow on his face.
"You may not be afraid of death, but at least … you don't have to … you don't have to bear this …"
Zakriel's gaze suddenly became very sad.
"You can die amidst their admiration and respect, and not …"
Under the Knight of Judgment's sad question, Thales sighed.
"But they will hate you."
The Knight of Judgment froze for a moment.
"Them?"
Thales stared at Zakriel quietly. He looked at the blood and dust all over his body, the obvious fatigue on his face, and the fact that he was enduring the pain with great difficulty. He looked at the conspicuous and ugly brand on his forehead.
'Zakriel.
'This powerful, almost invincible warrior.
'I wonder how heroic he was when he was young?'
Thales smiled. "I know that for a certain reason, you will not tell me my identity even if you die. And you are already prepared to keep your mouth shut after this, and then willingly die in their hands."
Thales turned his head and glanced at the Royal Guards behind him. Many of them were still immersed in shock and doubt.
Barney Junior was stunned.
"Us?"
Thales ignored him. Instead, he turned around and sighed at the knight.
"They respect me. So, yes, they will hate you.
One more time. "
Zakriel was stunned.
"If I don't tell you, then after I die, the misunderstanding that you solved after much difficulty will deepen again."
Thales' expression was a little gloomy when he said this.
"Once again, you will be abandoned by the companions you once valued the most. You will hate them, and you will be seen as a madman and a traitor.
"You will die with their hatred."
Barney Junior and the others watched the conversation between the two in shock and bewilderment.
Zakriel was completely frozen on the spot.
After a while, he panted and said,
"I don't understand."
Thales snorted softly, as if he had figured something out.
"Zakriel, in order to serve the kingdom, protect the royal family, protect your companions, and protect your beliefs," Thales said sadly with a heavy heart.
"Over the past eighteen years, you have shouldered so many things in the past and paid such a heavy price …"
Thales raised his head and stared at the air. A dazzling silver figure seemed to appear in front of him.
The hero that was forgotten by the world.
There was also a voice that seemed to echo in his heart.
"'I have been dead for a long, long time … so long that I don't even remember how long it has been …"'
Thales was a little absent-minded.
The silver figure stood in the bottomless darkness and faced countless souls of the deceased alone. The scene of him shining with a light that was both great and small seemed to appear in front of him again.
That figure was alone for countless years. He sacrificed himself and shouldered the greatest and most selfless mission to protect the people and things he once loved the most.
But no one knew about it, and no one understood it.
But he still smiled. He held no grudges, did not ask for help, and remained calm.
"'May the mountains tolerate your footsteps, and may the earth bless your journey."'
Thales took a deep breath and pulled his spirit out of the empty past. He tried his best to return to the present.
He returned to the Knight of Judgment.
"But you have never been understood.
"Never."
"It has been eighteen years. From the beginning to the end, you can only bear the burden alone and face the price alone."
Thales' heart sank, and his expression became a little gloomy.
He was just like that lone hero who no one knew about.
Even if he was buried deep underground, he did not hesitate to ignite himself to dispel the darkness in a place where there was no light and hope.
Even if he could not get up, he tried his best to reach upwards and help those who fell and drowned to see the light again.
Even if the past was gone, he was still stubborn and persistent. He kept to his initial promise to the past.
No one knew.
No one cared.
There was no end.
There was no forgiveness.
"'Thank you for bringing her greetings."'
He looked at Zakriel seriously and watched as his eyes trembled slightly.
"The worst thing is that in the end, the Knight of Judgment was still misunderstood, hated, detested, and ignored by the people he cared about the most and cherished the most. He was misunderstood as a traitor, a lunatic, and a villain by the people he wanted to protect the most," Thales said in a low voice.
As Thales spoke in a low voice, the Royal Guards behind him reacted one after another, and their expressions varied.
But all of them fixed their dazed gazes on Zakriel.
Zakriel breathed in a daze.
"The story of your life is about other people, Zakriel, the kingdom, the Royal Guards, your brothers and sisters, responsibility, mission … You carry everything on your shoulders." When Thales said this, he paused for a moment. There was fatigue and sorrow in his voice that could not be hidden.
"But you are not the only one."
Zakriel's right hand, which held the weapon, trembled slightly.
Thales let out a long sigh and said dejectedly,
"No one knows what you have done, and no one is grateful to you.
You can only sit alone in the countless cold nights and recount the past. The only comfort you have is the belief in your heart …
"Even the final fall and death …"
Thales' voice was very soft.
"Although you do not care about it …"
Thales said faintly,
"This makes me a little sad."
Zakriel gasped in a daze and stared at the teenager before him in disbelief.
"Zakriel."
Thales paused for a moment before he said slowly, "You have already shouldered too much. You should not continue to be misunderstood and hated."
A few seconds later …
"It is meaningless."
Zakriel's trembling and hoarse voice traveled into the air.
"Do you think you have done something smart? Pity me? Influence me? Sway me? "
The Knight of Judgment lowered his head slightly. His gaze was hidden in the darkness between his eyebrows. He tightened his grip on the handle of his axe and gritted his teeth.
"You are wrong."
Zakriel suppressed his tone, but he could not stop his arms from trembling. He did not know whether it was because of pain or his emotions.
"Everything you're doing right now is meaningless to me."
Thales exhaled and looked at the darkness between Zakriel's eyebrows.
"But it is meaningful to me."
He lowered his head. There was sadness and lament in his voice.
"To us."
Zakriel was stunned again.
"You?"
Thales nodded. His smile was a little bitter.
"My family, Jadestar."
A second later, Zakriel's chest began to visibly rise and fall!
Thales raised his head again.
"If my guess is correct, it was the late King Aydi who appointed you as the Watchman of the Royal Guards.
"It was also him who dragged you into his family's internal strife and ruined your entire life.
"And King Kessel coldly and unfairly imprisoned you, causing you to be reduced to this state."
Thales' eyes were gloomy. He sighed and tapped his chest.
"As for eighteen years later, another Jadestar suddenly barged in and broke your peace, bringing back the nightmare you had eighteen years ago."
Thales tried to look at Zakriel with the most indifferent gaze.
"The tragedy that befell you, Zakriel, no matter what was right or wrong, whether it was right or wrong, all stemmed from the noblest but coldest bloodline of the kingdom."
At that moment, Zakriel still did not speak, but his breathing became chaotic.
"And the most ironic thing is that even today, you still want to carry out your duty as a Royal Guard and protect our reputation.
"Even though due to various reasons, you will not have any complaints against the royal family … it must be very hard."
Thales' voice was a little desolate.
"I think … the Jadestar Family owes you too much."
He saw Zakriel clench his fists tighter.
But Thales ignored him. He continued to look at the corpses on the ground. He remembered the scene when the two of them left just now, and his voice was hoarse.
"You know, as Thales Jadestar, when I face all of you …
"I can give Nalgi and Naer consolation as a farewell before they die.
"I can forgive Tardin and the others and ease their pain.
"I can motivate Barney, who has never recovered from his setback, and help him stand up again and face life."
Barney Junior, Beldin, Tardin … The people behind the prince stared at him in a daze.
"But you, Zakriel …"
Thales averted his gaze and avoided meeting the knight's gaze, as if he could relax a little by doing so.
"As a prince with no power, I cannot change the tragedy of the past. I cannot wash away the injustice you suffered, I cannot reopen the old case decided by the king, I cannot give you the justice you deserve, and I cannot even give the people you cherished in the past a reasonable explanation."
Thales stared at the two corpses on the ground in indignation. He remembered the countless corpses in the prison, and he said sorrowfully,
"When I face you, who gave up so much, lost so much, and endured so much, I really do not know what else I can do for you.
So, if you and I are destined to die here … "
"Then I want to leave without any worries in my heart. I want to let go of my own fears, and I want to let go of my guilt towards you." Thales smiled bitterly and in an ugly manner. He looked like a patient in his final moments.
"I also want you to leave peacefully and peacefully."
Zakriel did not move.
"I don't want the others to continue hating you. I don't want you to remain alone in the darkness and bear the sins that do not belong to you.
I want them to understand you, or at least try to understand you. "
Thales lowered his head and heaved a long sigh again. He felt as if he wanted to exhale all the resentment he felt that day.
"Compared to this …"
The prince looked up.
This time, there was no anguish or hesitation on the teenager's face. There was only a relaxed and relieved smile on his face as he faced the swaying Knight of Judgment.
"My secret is not that important anymore, is it?"
Quick Rope stared at Thales in a daze while he stood in the crowd.
He was not the only one who had this reaction.
Zakriel did not answer, and neither did he move.
Thales shook his head and hid the sorrow in his heart even more firmly. He forced himself to smile a second time.
"So, it's not just for me."
Thales stared straight at Zakriel, then turned his head around and looked at the rest of the people around him.
"This is also for them."
"Them?" Zakriel replied in a daze.
When he said this, the guards around him reacted differently.
The prince said calmly and seriously, "
"They should know what kind of person their commander and watchman was in the past and today. Immanuel Zakriel was never a traitor who betrayed his loyalty for his own selfish gain, much less a lunatic who lost his rationality after being imprisoned for many years."
Tardin sighed and lowered his head. Canon's face contorted in pain, and Bruley looked dejected.
"They should know that you are still the Zakriel they believe in, admire, and love. You are still the Knight of Judgment who perseveres in his beliefs, abides by his sacred duty, and loves his brothers."
Samel looked conflicted, while Beldin had a sorrowful look on his face.
"They need to know what you have done for them. They need to know your sacrifices, hard work, and struggles. Even your most unreasonable actions are just to carry out your mission and eliminate the terrifying calamity."
Barney Junior held his injured right arm tightly and bit his lower lip. His gaze as he stared at Zakriel became more complicated.
"They need to know that they owe you and the watchman an apology and a word of thanks."
At some point in time, Zakriel, who had buried himself in the darkness, had stopped moving.
As he listened to all of this, Samel closed his eyes and turned his head away.
Barney Junior, who had just walked out of the darkness, stared at Zakriel. There was endless sorrow hidden in his eyes.
The others were not much better.
There was another indescribable silence.
Thales chuckled softly. His voice was calm and quiet.
"I'm sorry. This is the last thing I can do for you."
He stared at Zakriel seriously.
"At least, you don't have to endure it alone, grit your teeth, and put on a brave front.
"At least, I can let them see the real you, let them understand, let them see the heavy burden you bear. You have suffered too much injustice and misunderstandings, and I don't want my death to be a part of it.
"At least, I hope that after today, the darkness you will have to struggle in in the future will be less cruel and cold."
Thales spoke word by word, but Zakriel only lowered his head and buried his face beyond the light.
In the end, the teenager sighed deeply when he felt a wave of dizziness wash over him.
He curled his lips and sneered as he shook his head.
"So, yes, I am a calamity.
End of conversation. "
Zakriel seemed to be stunned. The others did not say a word either.
Then, Thales sighed and spoke.
"Alright, now." The teenager stared at Zakriel in front of him with a look of relief.
"Let's end this."
The silence lasted for almost ten seconds.
Finally, Zakriel slowly raised his axe in the darkness.
His hand was very slow, and it even trembled.
But he still raised it.
Thales quietly closed his eyes.
He waited for that moment.
And he did not have to wait long.
* Clang! *
A muffled sound of metal clashing against metal rose.
"You know, if he is who he says he is," Barney Junior's weak voice rose.
"Then your efforts will be in vain."
Thales sucked in a deep breath and opened his eyes.
Above him, Barney Junior raised the longsword he once used to commit suicide against Zakriel's axe.
The heavily injured vanguard's right arm was broken. He was holding the sword with his uninjured left arm, and it looked like he was having a hard time.
Across him, Zakriel had also lost his left arm. By the looks of it, they were evenly matched.
Barney Junior cast a glance at Thales, who was as calm as ever, and sneered.
"You can't kill him without a legendary anti-mystic equipment?"
In a corner where no one was paying attention to, Quick Rope, who was drenched in cold sweat, subconsciously tugged at his clothes to cover the bow in his bosom.
Zakriel still lowered his head and hid his eyes in the darkness.
He gritted his teeth and spoke laboriously.
"He's not a qualified calamity. There are records in the Secret Intelligence Department … that he can still be stopped before the final step leads to a great disaster."
Thales curled up the corners of his lips. He sighed and nodded.
"He might be right."
However, Barney Junior replied bluntly, "That's right.
"I didn't ask you, young prince."
Thales' expression froze.
Barney Junior turned to face Zakriel and shook his head.
"Records in the Secret Intelligence Department? Qualified?
So what? Do you need to take a test to be a calamity? "
Zakriel's axe began to tremble.
His tone was already unstable, and at that moment, he became unhappy. "This is not a joke!
Move aside, you already know who he is … "
But Barney Junior suddenly shouted!
"So what?
Based on what you said, the late king had sex with another one! "
Thales watched Barney Junior's actions in silence. He gritted his teeth and felt his chest sink slightly.
The vanguard shook his arm. The sword and axe, which were intertwined with each other, separated in the air.
Zakriel fell silent.
After he saw Barney Junior, Beldin and Tardin, who had already rearmed themselves at some point in time, walked behind Thales.
Canon and Bruley followed closely behind them.
They stared at him with faces filled with relief.
The knight's axe trembled slightly.
"You don't understand …" Zakriel's words were filled with conflicting emotions.
"The Empire … The kingdom cannot fall into the same trap."
Barney Junior snorted.
He seemed to have returned to being the Chief Vanguard of the Royal Guards who found Zakriel an eyesore.
"I know that even if you are heavily injured, I still can't stop you." Barney Junior hissed in pain and raised his sword again laboriously.
"Not to mention … I'm not much better."
Barney Junior raised his leg. His eyes were burning with anger. He walked towards Zakriel with difficulty until the two of them were face to face.
"But listen to me, Zakriel."
In the darkness, Zakriel did not move. He tightened his grip on the axe in his hand.
But unexpectedly, when Barney Junior stood in front of him, his expression suddenly relaxed. He sighed dejectedly.
"I'm sorry."
At that moment, Zakriel, who had been prepared, was stunned.
"Barney, you …"
Barney Junior turned his head to look at the ground. He spoke stiffly, as if he was talking to the air.
"I have never been convinced by you, but today, ah …"
Zakriel did not speak. He only opened his mouth in slight shock.
"I have to say that His Majesty and the old captain have very good judgment." Barney Junior's expression was one of disappointment and self-deprecation.
He stuttered, "You are indeed better than me as a watchman."
Barney Junior opened his mouth and deliberated for a long time before he finally said that word.
"Commanding officer."
Zakriel shuddered slightly.
"And that …" Barney Junior stared at the floor tiles under Zakriel's feet, as if he did not dare to raise his head.
Barney Junior's left hand was holding the hilt of his sword. He hesitated for a long time before he raised it with a trembling hand.
"Thank you."
In the next second, he clenched his left fist and quickly and hesitantly hammered Zakriel's right shoulder twice.
Thud. Thud.
Two dull thuds could be heard when the fist touched the shoulder.
It was like a dragonfly skimming the surface of the water. No, it was a little venomous.
Because it was as if he would die if he touched it a little more.
Once he was done, Barney Junior heaved a long sigh, as if he had completed the most difficult task.
He turned around as if he was fleeing from a disaster and ran back to his original position.
The corners of Thales' lips curled up slightly.
"Alright, the debt has been repaid."
Barney Junior's bashful and awkward expression disappeared. He looked at Zakriel coldly again. "Let's fight."
But Zakriel stayed where he was and did not move.
His working face, which was hidden in the darkness, still could not be seen clearly.
Then, another figure moved past Barney Junior and walked towards Zakriel.
What was surprising was that this person actually pressed his body against Zakriel's right shoulder, extended his left hand, and gently grabbed Zakriel's back.
"This might be the last time we hug, commanding officer."
The blade of Zakriel's axe swayed slightly.
Beldin pressed his body against Zakriel's right shoulder and patted his back gently.
He said in a choked voice, "Sunset, I really miss the time when I was under you in the Punishment Division."
At that moment, Zakriel's shoulders trembled slightly.
He took a deep breath and exhaled.
The knight's breathing grew louder.
"You shouldn't have made me the penal officer." Beldin laughed brokenly. His voice trembled as he turned his head away. He tried his best not to look at Zakriel.
"You know … I'm terrible. I've never done a good job."
He patted Zakriel's back forcefully, and the latter swayed even more violently.
Beldin closed his eyes, turned around, and returned to Barney's side. He did not dare to look at Zakriel.
"I'm sorry, commanding officer." Canon did not move forward. The scout sobbed and lowered his head. "That year …
I'm sorry, it's us. We messed up everything …
"It's our fault …"
Zakriel exhaled in pain.
"Sob, sob." Bruley, who was beside Canon, made a muffled sound.
"Sob."
"Ah, he's probably saying that he regrets it." Tardin sighed and ignored Bruley's protests. He flashed a pale smile for the last time.
"But … we're the ones who dragged you and the others into this, Commanding Officer Zakriel."
Tardin stared at the corpses on the ground in a daze.
"But at least, we can rest at the Emperor's side in peace, just like those thirty or so idiots.
We will be reunited. "
Zakriel's axe trembled even more violently.
"Hey."
It was Samel.
"Even though I'm no longer a guard.
"But I owe you a word of thanks, commanding officer." The Disaster Sword snorted softly, as if he did not care, but he did not realize that his attitude was exactly the same as Barney Junior's. "It was all thanks to you that I escaped."
For the first time, Zakriel opened his mouth. He wanted to say something, but he hesitated.
Samel sighed, and his voice became softer.
"And if I hadn't escaped, you wouldn't have had to suffer the punishment of solitary confinement.
"In any case, I still owe you an apology."
Samel looked elsewhere, gritted his teeth, closed his eyes, and said,
"I'm sorry.
I don't have any sense of duty as a guard anymore, but … this child can't die, so … "
Samel shrugged and did not say anything else.
Zakriel did not react, but the veins on his hands twitched slightly.
As Samel's voice faded, the guards sighed in unison as though they had accomplished a great task.
But Zakriel remained silent.
"Now."
The corners of Barney Junior's lips curled up. He stared at Zakriel and said in a tone of relief,
"Let's fight to the death."
However …
"Wait …"
A rather discordant sob rose faintly.
"I-I'm sorry too …" Thales turned his head around.
He saw Quick Rope wiping his eyes and speaking in a dejected manner.
'Huh?'
A second later, under the strange gazes of the people asking, "Why are you crying?", Quick Rope suddenly reacted, and his expression froze.
His mournful expression disappeared in an instant. He subconsciously took a step back and smiled awkwardly.
"That, that … the atmosphere, the atmosphere, the atmosphere …"
But this time, no one scolded him, no one rolled their eyes at him, and no one stopped him.
On the contrary, Barney Junior, Tardin, and Beldin turned around at the same time. They dragged their weakest bodies and stood beside Thales with the deepest resolution. They raised their weapons at Zakriel.
They faced their final battle head-on.
'I know that I was wrong! I haven't even finished writing 'Rebirth', and the word count has already exceeded the limit!
'It's fine. There's still the next chapter. After midnight, it will be published next year.
(End of Chapter)
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