The fire in Blade Fangs Camp had died down, but the black smoke continued to rise.
The Legendary Wing's subordinates stood in formation and watched the prisoners wolfing down their food in puzzlement. The mercenaries stood further away cautiously.
"What happened?"
Tardin stuffed a piece of dry food into his mouth. He did not even have time to drink water.
"Is this … a parting meal?"
As he ate, he cast a glance at the sand dune in the distance.
There were three figures, two big and one small.
The first two were standing very stiffly, while the small figure sat cross-legged on the ground and also wolfed down his food.
Beside him, Tardin shook his head and continued to bury his head in his food.
"What does it matter?"
Barney Junior grabbed a piece of hard bread. There was a thoughtful look in his eyes.
"I can't think of anything worse than today."
Zakriel sat a little further away from them. He chewed on the jerky in his mouth and stared at the three people in the distance.
"If I want to … enter … the Prison of Bones …"
Beside him, Quick Rope ate heartily while tears streamed down his face.
"At least I won't … sob … Can I take a bite of your jerky? Thank you … sob … I mean, I won't leave … grass, it's not tasty … I won't leave any regrets … sob …"
His sincere cries made everyone frown.
At that moment, Barney Junior put down the bread in his hand and spoke airily.
"Why did you come back?"
All the Royal Guards froze. Only Quick Rope was left to stuff himself with food.
Barney Junior raised his head and looked at the Knight of Judgment.
"You can't possibly think that we can go back to the past just because we killed a few people together, right?"
The vanguard's eyes burned.
"Do you think that everything can be the same as before? Brotherhood? Brotherly love? "
Beldin patted Barney Junior's shoulder with a troubled look on his face.
The latter snorted coldly.
Zakriel did not speak. He just stared into the distance without moving. The wounds on his face and shoulder were clearly visible.
"So what are you going to do," Barney said sarcastically.
"Still want to kill the prince?"
The Knight of Judgment shuddered slightly.
"And you are still not going to tell us anything, even if we already know his secret?"
By the side, Beldin sighed and tried to persuade him.
"Barney."
Zakriel was silent. All the guards were silent as well.
Quick Rope was the only one who carelessly swallowed his food. When he sneakily extended his hand towards the food of the person beside him, Tardin slapped him away.
"Barney." Finally, the Knight of Judgment raised his head. His gaze was unfocused.
"Don't ask."
Barney Junior was stunned, then he gritted his teeth.
"You bastard …"
But he was interrupted.
"Do you know, there was once a disaster in this world. It was invisible and limitless, but it was endless — because it lived in everyone's mind."
At that moment, everyone, including Quick Rope, was stunned.
"Even someone as wise as Prince Tormond and as brave as the hero Raikaru are helpless against it."
The Knight of Judgment looked into the air. There was an unquestionable coldness in his voice.
"There are some things … the less people know about them."
"Constellation will be safer."
His voice fell.
What was left was a lingering silence.
And the endless sandstorm.
However, in the distance, the three people under the sand dune did not have such an atmosphere.
When Thales painstakingly tore open the fifth piece of jerky, he could even feel the two pairs of eyes above his head exuding a cold aura that was as sharp as a blade.
He was forced to swallow it in two mouthfuls with water.
The prince wiped his mouth with his sleeve without a care for his image. When he touched the swollen part of his mouth that was hit by Quick Rope, he could not help but grit his teeth.
The Legendary Wing and the leader of the mercenaries stood in front of him and watched him eat. One of them had his hands behind his back, and the other stood with his arms crossed.
The two of them looked at each other, and their gazes became more and more impatient.
Thales burped. Before he was torn to shreds by their gazes, he finally spoke.
"The key."
Roman and Ricky were stunned by the word.
"What?" Ricky asked, puzzled.
Thales' next words caused Ricky's expression to change.
"The key that can open Black Prison and even the exit."
"If I remember correctly, you told Stake that you coincidentally found another key outside the camp?"
The prince noticed the gradual change in their expressions.
"But when you told me that fate is a bigger prison, and you have the key, perhaps the only key to open it …"
Thales narrowed his eyes and pointed at the Legendary Wing, whose expression became more and more unpleasant.
"I can't help but think, 'What if there is really only one' key '?'"
At that moment, it was as if someone had struck the air with a heavy hammer.
Ricky furrowed his eyebrows.
The Legendary Wing stood dumbfounded and did not move.
Thales burped again.
"Ah, I ate too much. Sorry. Then, I followed this clue and retraced everything that happened."
The teenager's finger slowly moved and pointed at the long closed exit of the Prison of Bones.
Thales' eyes lit up.
"Guess what? I connected all the strange clues one by one. "
The prince smiled. His tone was a little relaxed and dramatic, but it was obvious that the other two did not have a sense of humor.
They only stared at Thales coldly.
It was obvious that they were in a bad mood.
Thales looked around him and awkwardly put away his smile, which showed that no one was supporting him. He chuckled dryly.
"Ricky, after you walked out of the prison, you were not in a hurry to escape. Instead, you were leisurely waiting for the so-called 'opportunity'?"
The mercenary leader's expression became worse.
"And Williams, who should have led the light cavaliers to search for me in the desert, just happened to appear here?"
The Legendary Wing in front of him became even more gloomy.
But Thales persisted. He continued to attack the two with his words.
"After Williams appeared, even if he did not care about my existence, he only vaguely and anxiously asked you about the 'mission', even if he did not care about my existence. What is' accident '? "
The teenager looked at Ricky again with a smug expression.
"In front of an overwhelming army of cavaliers, you unwittingly used me, who was not even in your hands, as a 'hostage' and arrogantly threatened the famous Legendary Wing. Perhaps it was because you were not threatening him, but handing over a mission to your employer?"
Thales took a deep breath and narrowed his eyes.
"And just now, I specifically mentioned the Prison of Bones to the two of you."
Roman and Ricky were stunned again. They recalled what happened just now.
Thales sighed.
"Williams, you were indifferent to the strange fact that he appeared here with the prisoners from Black Prison. You turned a blind eye to why Black Prison was breached.
"Ricky, you were not worried about Samel, who also had a brand. It was as if you were confident that even if Samel's identity was exposed, you would have a way to escape unscathed.
"And both of you seemed to have forgotten about the damn exit of the Prison of Bones that we just walked out of.
"Look?"
Thales waved the jerky in his hand and bit into it.
"There are too many suspicious points, too many strange things, so much so that things have become very clear."
At first, Roman and Ricky would exchange glances to exchange their dissatisfaction and anger. They even opened their mouths to speak.
But as Thales spoke more and more, and his reasoning became more solid, they no longer looked at each other. They only stared at the ground in a daze.
Thales pointed at Ricky with the tip of the jerky he had bitten, then at Roman.
"The two of you have been in cahoots since the beginning. From the moment you obtained the key to Black Prison without any obstacles, to the moment he stood here and watched Blade Fangs Camp burn."
Thales said a long string of things and looked at the two people's almost petrified expressions. He finally nodded in satisfaction, grabbed his waterskin, and drank a mouthful.
Both of them were silent.
It was as if a few centuries had passed.
Finally, the Legendary Wing closed his eyes and let out a long sigh.
He extended his hand to Ricky and flattened his palm.
On the other side, the leader of the Disaster Swords stared at the teenager indignantly. With an expression as if he had eaten sh * t, he brought out the rectangular crystal-green strip that Thales was all too familiar with from his bosom.
'The key.'
Thales smiled.
"As expected of someone from Renaissance Palace." Roman coldly took the key to Black Prison from Ricky's hand.
"You were born cunning."
Thales raised his eyebrows and bit the last bit of jerky into his mouth.
"No, this is just a simple observation and deduction," he said vaguely.
"I think that any normal person would be able to tell."
His words made Roman's expression turn even more unpleasant.
Ricky let out a long sigh.
"Key?"
He laughed in resignation, snorted, and shook his head.
"Hahahaha …
"Just because of a damn key?"
Ricky's laughter stopped. He gritted his teeth and exhaled. He stared at Roman indignantly and discontentedly.
"That's why I told you that you can't ignore this just because there are few people who know the truth about Black Prison. At the very least, you should put on a show of a theft, but that damn pride of yours …"
Roman snorted coldly in response.
"And you brought a large group of 'tourists' in for a free tour, and you even flaunted the key in front of everyone for five minutes?"
Thales watched the two argue through the corner of his eyes.
'They …
'Are more familiar with each other than I thought.'
As his thoughts wandered, the Legendary Wing turned his head to look at Thales.
"So, you know, prince."
Baron Williams said coldly,
"We were the ones who destroyed Blade Fangs Camp."
At that moment, Thales felt a chill run down his spine when he was stared at by Williams' sharp and deep eyes.
The Legendary Wing raised his head and looked around. He gestured to his subordinates, who were waiting anxiously for him, to hold their horses.
"Then, how dare you expose our scheme so brazenly?"
Roman lowered his head and observed his surroundings. At the same time, his tone was threatening.
"Do you really think that the Nameless can protect you?"
Ricky stood beside him and flashed a similarly malicious smile at the youth.
Thales' heart froze.
He gulped.
"No, but I thought that what you want can help me."
The Legendary Wing snorted coldly.
"Then, what do I want?"
Thales met his gaze and raised his finger with great difficulty.
Roman and Ricky turned their heads and looked in the direction of Thales' finger. Then, they immediately frowned.
The prince pointed at the cluster of fortresses in the distance, which had smoke rising from them.
He said softly, "Blade Fangs Camp."
Roman and Ricky fell silent again.
Thales sucked in a deep breath.
"My past experience told me that if a series of events happen one after another, they must be connected. There must be an invisible clue that connects everything.
"In the beginning, I thought that I was that clue, because the Secret Intelligence Department wanted my return, Shadow Shield wanted my secrets, and the Northlanders wanted the value of my identity …"
Thales raised his head and looked straight at Ricky.
"But gradually, all of you appeared. You got involved in the situation out of nowhere and mixed everything together. I couldn't sort everything out, so I thought that it was a coincidence that connected us together."
The leader of the Disaster Swords seemed to be deep in thought.
"But what if … it's not a coincidence?"
Thales changed the topic. There was wariness in his eyes.
"What if all of you appeared because of me?"
Roman and Ricky looked at each other.
The teenager's lips curled up.
"Then, I remembered that the Disaster Swords, no, Blood Whistle is first and foremost a group of mercenaries, and second, a loser's support group."
Ricky was instantly stunned.
He immediately protested in dissatisfaction.
"Hey!"
But Thales did not pay attention to him and continued to speak.
He continued, "Yes, all of you are 'selling swords'."
With a serious expression, he punched his palm.
"What if your goal tonight was to fulfill your employer's wishes first?
Then, the Sin of Hell's River, Black Sword, the secret in the Prison of Bones, and Zakriel? "
Thales looked up, and his expression became extremely serious.
"Then, who is the most likely to hire a hundred-man group like you, which is strong enough to fight a series of battles, and can even cause chaos in Blade Fangs Camp?"
Ricky pursed his lips.
The teenager was a little thirsty from talking.
He picked up the waterskin, but found that it was empty. He could not help but frown a little.
But unexpectedly, in the next second, a heavy waterskin was thrown into his arms.
Thales looked up and saw that the Legendary Wing had retracted his arm.
"Continue."
The teenager raised an eyebrow. He gulped down a mouthful of water and said eagerly,
"Ricky, tell Zakriel that more than a hundred years ago, your leader made a deal with the Red King of Constellation, and the Disaster Swords were able to operate as mercenaries in the Western Desert.
"You also told the tavern owner, Kampa, that you know the background of My Home. You know that it is the place where Queen Erica, the Conqueror of the North, and her remaining followers, who were ousted by the Red King more than a hundred years ago went into exile. You said it as if you saw it with your own eyes."
Ricky's expression changed slightly.
Thales sighed.
"I guess it's not a coincidence, right?"
Ricky's expression as he looked at Thales became more and more solemn.
Thales took a deep breath and sensed that his senses and balance had recovered slightly. He stood up again.
He looked at Ricky seriously.
"So, I guess that more than a hundred years ago, the Disaster Swords came to the Western Desert for no other reason than to accept the Red King's employment to destroy the remaining followers of the Conqueror of the North?"
No one spoke.
The wind stirred the sand slightly. The horses in the distance neighed uneasily.
Ricky suddenly spoke.
"It's even simpler."
Thales was puzzled.
"What?"
Ricky raised his head and looked at the rising sun in the sky above the desert. He felt the wind and sand wash over him.
He said with a sigh, "The Red King is a person who does not like complicated matters. He sent Hill Crassus to the Western Desert to bring back his own sister, Queen Erica's …"
The mercenary's gaze became fierce.
"The head on her neck."
Thales immediately felt a chill run down his spine.
'Bring back his own sister's … head.'
The old saber by King Chapman's side appeared before his eyes again.
Thales could not help but start thinking about the origin of the Red King's title. He also remembered what Gilbert had said to him when he was young.
"The history of Constellation has never lacked bloodshed."
Roman's gaze was cold. He did not say a word.
Thales resisted the urge to look at the skull on his shoulder and asked tentatively, "Yes?
He asked tentatively, "Then, Crassus … did he succeed?"
Ricky only gave him a mysterious smile.
This made Thales feel uncomfortable.
Thales coughed and tried hard to get rid of other thoughts. He returned to the topic at hand.
"In short, from the day Blood Whistle was established, it was closely related to Constellation, or more accurately, to the interests of the kingdom's central government in the borders of the Western Desert."
Under the duo's increasingly solemn gazes, the teenager turned to Roman.
"And another veteran who sold swords told me that ever since the Desert War and the Bloody Year, Blade Fangs Camp has been under the direct command of the Baron of Blade Fangs Camp, which is under the jurisdiction of the royal family."
Thales stared at the Legendary Wing with a burning gaze.
"Over the past decade or so, with the support of the royal family and the threat at the borders, your regular soldiers have truly turned this place into your private land.
"The Legendary Wing's … Blade Fangs Camp."
Thales looked at Roman, who did not bat an eyelid.
"It is also a sharp knife that the kingdom's central government has inserted into the vital parts of the Western Desert to control the suzerains in the west, be it in terms of military affairs, politics, or commerce."
The Legendary Wing did not say a word. He only stared at Thales with a piercing gaze. His almost sharp facial features looked like the most perfect sculpture of nature.
Thales sucked in a breath before he exhaled.
"But during this month, I saw many interesting details on my way from the desert to Blade Fangs Camp."
Thales stared into Roman's amber eyes, which were like vortexes.
"For example, Constellation's prince rescue team that ventured deep into the desert was formed by the regular soldiers of the royal family and the suzerains of Western Desert, who did not fight against each other.
"For example, the soldiers who stood guard at the entrance of Blade Fangs Camp and collected tolls were actually soldiers from the Fakenhaz Family. They had been here for so long that they had already surpassed their term of service.
"For example, the amount of supplies sent by the armies from all over the Western Desert was so much so that it was ridiculous. It was so much that some black-hearted merchants could smuggle them out of the camp to earn the difference in price.
"For example, the soldiers who started patrolling the camp and were in charge of capturing people and sending them to White Prison were recruited soldiers who had not set foot in Blade Fangs Dune for many years. They did not even know the severity of the law enforcement."
Every word the prince said caused Ricky and Roman's expressions to become even more profound.
Roman sucked in a deep breath.
"You are very observant, and you are very detailed."
"So?"
Thales smiled.
He lowered his head and recalled the bad old man who smoked a pipe.
"When I was still a hostage in Dragon Clouds City, one of my subordinates once told me that my father had already negotiated with the suzerains of Western Desert, led by the three Great Clans so that I could safely return from Eckstedt through the desert. They were absolutely trustworthy."
Roman furrowed his eyebrows tightly.
Ricky, on the other hand, breathed softly. He seemed to be slightly surprised.
Thales exhaled.
"He said that Renaissance Palace paid a huge price to make the nobles of Western Desert completely stand on our side and welcome my return."
Thales turned his head, and his eyes shone with a sharp glare.
"Blade Fangs Camp, right?"
At that moment, Roman did not speak.
But the Legendary Wing's eyes shone with a complicated light that had never been seen before!
This made Thales even more certain.
He observed the other party's expression and slowly said,
"King Kessel completely or partially handed over the royal family's control over Blade Fangs Camp. He gave up the initiative in the Western Frontlines in exchange for the support of the suzerains of Western Desert."
Thales thought absentmindedly about everything he had experienced since the day of the state affairs hearing in Dragon Clouds City.
"In exchange, he obtained the largest mobilization of military forces and logistics from the Great Clans of Western Desert after the war.
"In exchange, he obtained the Western Desert and the Royal Family to join forces, enter deep into the desert, press against the Alliance of Freedom, and intimidate Eckstedt.
"In exchange, he obtained the chaotic eastern part of the desert. For two to three months, it was uninhabited, and not a single blade of grass grew there."
Thales' heart sank.
'In exchange … for my return.'
The teenager no longer thought about other things. He raised his head.
"But you." Thales' gaze was fixed on the Legendary Wing.
"Roman Williams."
You were not happy.
"Especially when the deal behind the scenes had been completed, and the suzerains of Western Desert entered Blade Fangs Camp in a mighty wave."
His tone was very certain.
Roman looked back at him slowly. His gaze was cold.
"Because you have long regarded Blade Fangs Dune as your exclusive property."
Thales shifted his gaze to the orc skull on Roman's left shoulder. He repeated what the latter had once said to Stake.
"And anyone who wants to take it from your hands … will have to pay the price.
"They all have to pay the price."
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