"Tell me, child, there are so many orcs in the world … Cough, cough … cough …"
His uncle's voice was accompanied by heavy coughs. Even the sound of his personal guards' horse hooves could not drown it out.
"… Which one is the most dangerous?"
He lifted his gaze from the soil under the horse's hooves.
"The kind that is near death."
He was not in high spirits as he rode on the horse. He lagged behind his uncle's carriage by a full body length.
"Yes, the kind that is near death." His uncle's weak voice seemed to have been injected with new energy.
He was like his uncle when he was in his prime. He could point out the world with great vigor.
"Just like a sand scorpion's poisonous stinger hidden behind its tail, a venomous snake's poisonous fangs buried deep in its mouth, and a dangerous quicksand hidden underground."
At that time, his uncle's back was majestic and tall. His arms were strong and powerful, and his voice was deep and sonorous.
When he thought of this, he snorted, tightened his grip on his horse, and urged it forward. He sped up and arrived in front of the carriage.
But his uncle was like a desert after a storm. His spirited voice returned to being dispirited and hoarse.
"Then, which kind of orc is the safest?"
He answered unhurriedly.
"The dead kind."
"That's what old Scholar Mahn taught you." His uncle shook his head and said, "A dead orc is a good orc.
"But I have to say, Cyril, the safest orc …
"Is also the kind that is near death."
He was stunned for a moment.
His uncle's weak voice rose and fell as the horse moved forward.
"Because they are like arrows at the end of their flight, like the tail of a terrifying sandstorm, like the embers of a burnt fuel.
"They have a great momentum, but they have no stamina."
He tightened his grip on his horse's abdomen and frowned.
"This damn riddle … Old man, did you regain your masculinity last night and sleep with a priestess from Dark Night Temple?
Or worse … a male priestess? "
His uncle's voice fell silent for a moment. For a moment, only the sound of his personal guards' horse hooves could be heard.
A few seconds later …
"Alright."
His uncle chuckled in resignation as he coughed.
"Perhaps this is why I like you."
When he heard his uncle's coughing, which was worse than last week, his heart sank. He forced himself to be spirited.
"'Like me' … if those are your last words, old man.
"I have to say, it sucks."
He pretended to be relaxed and whistled.
"Everyone who hears this will think that you are an old pervert who likes to play with his nephew."
Uncle was silent for a while more.
The guards on both sides continued to march forward dutifully. Their expressions did not change, as if they had not heard their conversation at all.
After a long time, his uncle's resigned and weak voice rose.
"… Dying orcs are both dangerous and safe. So, why did the Barren Bone people say that the Desert God is neither doomed nor forgiven? Because calamity and pardon can change back and forth with a single thought. "
"That's why we have to be on guard at all times."
He scratched his ear helplessly.
His uncle continued speaking, and he became even more solemn.
"The royal relatives of the Blade Edge Hill seem to have turned over a new leaf, but it's hard to change one's nature. Sooner or later, they will make mistakes."
"On the surface, the fat profiteer of Donghai has a wide circle of friends and is kind and harmless, but he is used to changing the direction of the wind and burning the bridge after crossing it."
"The Land of Cliffs pretends to be arrogant, neutral, and selfless, but they're just a bunch of rats that rely on the natural defenses of the mountains."
"As for that cowardly old bastard from the south bank, hmph. He's even more conservative than a priestess."
"They can't be relied on."
His uncle's voice became downcast.
He listened quietly for a while before he suddenly said,
"Old man, you …"
"Really slept with a priestess?"
Heavy hammering sounds came from the carriage!
"You …"
His uncle seemed to have choked again. Even his breathing became erratic.
The corners of his lips curled up into a smile.
In the end, his uncle suppressed his anger and sighed.
"Sigh, forget it … In comparison, old Dylan from the Northern Territory is tenacious and constantly strives to improve himself …
"It's a pity that their positions are too bad. Once something happens, they'll be the first to bear the brunt, and it'll be difficult for them to help."
'As expected, if it were my uncle in the past … hearing me joke about him like this …'
Feeling gloomy, he stopped thinking about it. Instead, he raised his head and looked at the increasing amount of vegetation on both sides of the Avenue of Blessings.
"You seem to have missed out on the most important thing?"
His uncle's breathing stopped.
The carriages took a big turn. A few farmers who were driving the carriages by the side of the road shrunk their bodies in fear as they waited for the Four-Eyed Skull Flag to pass.
After a long while, his uncle's weak voice rose again. It was filled with indignation and resentment that had not disappeared for years.
"The stars beyond the heavens … are high above us.
"You can only look at them from afar, and not be delusional.
"You can't trust them either."
He felt a deep chill in his uncle's tone.
"Remember this."
His uncle's words turned into a thick and ominous cough.
He did not speak.
After a few seconds, he released his grip on the reins, which were about to break.
As his uncle coughed in discomfort, he took a deep breath and forced himself to smile.
"From what you've said, we should be mavericks and loners."
"We don't get along with everyone, and everyone hates us?"
His uncle stopped coughing, but he did not speak immediately. For a time, there was only the sound of horse hooves and carriage wheels.
Finally, a long sigh came from the carriage.
"Isn't that … the meaning of our existence?"
There was resignation, but also relief.
Duke Fakenhaz opened his eyes.
Before his eyes, the prince was staring at him nervously.
Thales' arm was stiff behind him. He pressed down on the dagger under the blanket.
He looked through the Duke of Western Desert's half-smiling eyes, and seemed to see another bloody and ferocious dead man's head with empty eye sockets.
'Stake.
'Wait.
'If Fakenhaz is the mastermind behind Herman's assassination …
'Why is he telling me this now?
What's in his interest if he admits this in front of another Jadestar?
Is he trying to gain the upper hand with a show of strength, a sign that he is going to turn against him, or does he have other motives? '
As usual, Thales took a deep breath. He deliberately pretended to be surprised and lost his composure to satisfy the other party while he began to think about the key to this matter.
From his days as a child beggar to his life as a prince, this move was quite effective against people like Quide and Nicholas, who were not very bright and thought highly of themselves. It was even effective against people like the annoying Ian and Monty, the Raven of Death, who were as cunning as ghosts. They could always gain a sense of superiority from Thales' panicked behavior, and from there, they would reveal their greatest weakness in their contempt and satisfaction.
After going through so many ups and downs, this was already Thales' most familiar instinct.
He was so familiar with it that he could not even tell when his loss of composure was real, and when it was a deliberate act.
But there were times when this move failed.
Such as when he faced King Chapman in the carriage.
Such as …
Now.
"What? Are you living too comfortably in Northland? You're already scared? "
The Duke of Western Desert's contemplative words rose again. He stared at Thales, who seemed to be stunned by the shock, and seemed to be a little dissatisfied.
"How about this?"
'Which one?'
Before Thales could think too much about it, he saw Cyril stretch out his hand and hold the handle of his walking stick …
'Longsword.'
The prince shuddered.
* Whoosh! *
As the sound of metal rubbing against leather rose, the blade was unsheathed, and it drew a silver arc in the air!
'Sh * t!'
The Sin of Hell's River flooded his nerves. Thales instinctively flipped off the bed and rolled on the ground!
'What kind of joke is this?'
He got up and bent his knees when he was a safe distance away from the silver light. He held his dagger horizontally and got into the Iron Body Style.
Thales looked at Cyril Fakenhaz, who was still sitting calmly on the chair.
The longsword that had just been unsheathed was in the duke's hand. As the duke turned his wrist slightly, the sword slowly drew an arc in the air.
It was filled with coldness, and its presence was awe-inspiring.
There was a faint sense of intimidation.
"Very good. At least you are not as cowardly as you appear."
Cyril smiled eerily, completely ignoring the prince's pale face.
'What's going on?'
Thales stared at Cyril in disbelief.
'He … turned against me just like that?'
But there was another thing that concerned Thales even more.
Yodel, who was hiding in the dark, was still silent. He did not react even when he saw that Thales was in danger.
'What's going on?
'Is that guy really angry because of what happened just now?
'The kind that can't be coaxed?'
But just as Thales thought of a way out of this with a headache, a familiar hoarse voice rose softly in his ears.
"Calm down."
The Masked Protector's voice was faint, almost like a mosquito's, but it made Thales relax his tense breathing.
"It's not him."
'It's not him.'
The familiar voice made Thales' heart fall back into his chest.
'It's not him.'
But at that moment, when he saw Cyril's malicious smile, Thales seemed to have grasped something.
This was Blade Fangs Camp, the territory directly under the royal family. A considerable number of regular soldiers were stationed here.
The Legendary Wing was at the side, and King Kessel was at the back.
'Taking the blame and threatening the prince … No matter what, Fakenhaz should not have done this.
The prince's thoughts were interrupted because of his battle stance. He took a few deep breaths and forced himself to think from the beginning.
'Then why …
'Why …
It was not him.
After Yodel's reminder, Thales, who seemed to have figured something out, immediately asked. However, he did not dare to relax his fighting stance for even a moment.
"Are you the murderer or not?"
Cyril stared fixedly at him. The longsword in his hand was extremely steady, and his eyes were shining with extraordinary splendor.
Finally, in the tense confrontation, the Duke of Western Desert chuckled and shook his head.
"Looks like you don't know."
Under Thales' solemn expression, Cyril's cold smile slowly faded away.
The duke placed the longsword across his knees and played with it slowly. He did not look at Thales again.
I don't know?
The confused Thales took a deep breath and slowly exhaled.
"You said that you placed the assassin in front of Prince Hymin …"
The prince gritted his teeth and asked,
"But why …"
Fakenhaz did not turn his head. He only stared fixedly at the exquisite longsword on his knees.
"Because that is his wish."
Thales' question came to an abrupt halt.
His will?
This time, before Thales could ask further, Duke Cyril answered softly. His voice drifted, and his emotions were complicated.
"He was the one who took the initiative to find them."
"Find those assassins, Shadow Shield."
Thales was stunned.
However …
However …
Hymin?
And Shadow Shield?
Thales understood the duke's words, and he immediately widened his eyes.
"Eighteen years ago," Cyril said faintly.
"Hymin came to me and asked me to do my best to help him avoid the personal guards from the Royal Guards and Jadestar Personal Guards, and complete his private meeting with some unfamiliar 'guests'.
"More than once."
'Avoid personal guards.
'Unfamiliar guests.'
Cold wind blew into the room, causing the Duke of Western Desert's leather robe to flutter slightly. His gray hair fluttered lightly.
The wind also brought up endless dust. Under the sunlight, countless particles that flew to and fro in a strange manner tumbled about in the air.
Cyril's eyes were still spinning, and there seemed to be light in them.
"Until … the last time."
'The last time.'
For some reason, Thales suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.
"Shadow Shield avoided the eyes and ears of the Royal Family to meet, so …"
Thales put down his dagger in disbelief and straightened his back.
He moved his lips laboriously.
"The Bloody Year … was done by him?"
"Hymin?"
At the top floor of Ghost Prince Tower, the narrow room became quiet.
Only faint noises could be heard from outside the window.
There was also the fierce, chilly wind at such a high altitude.
But the prince only felt that he had fallen into a deep and thick fog.
And he was getting closer to the truth behind the fog.
In the underground prison, Samel's words, which were filled with hatred, rose in his mind.
"'Is it the Beauty Hymin who only has good looks and literary talent, but is narrow-minded, sinister, and ruthless?"'
"'Is it the son who killed his father, or the brother who killed his brother?"'
'The fourth prince, Hymin Jadestar?'
Cyril did not answer.
But Thales was only dazed for a few seconds before he immediately shook his head. Countless mysteries rushed into his mind.
"But why … Why?
If he is the Jadestar behind the scenes …
"Then why did Shadow Shield want to kill him?"
'This doesn't make sense.'
He stared at Fakenhaz, who seemed to be in a daze.
The duke closed his eyes gently before he opened them again. He placed his arms on his knees and leaned forward.
He schooled his expression and turned to look at Thales. He smiled faintly but frighteningly.
"I want to know too."
Thales was stunned.
"You don't know?"
Cyril chuckled, as if he was not bothered.
"No."
"Maybe he was just too stupid, and he was betrayed."
"Maybe he was a victim, and he was destined to be betrayed."
"Maybe he was just an insider, and he could not escape his fate in the end."
"Or maybe he was just unintentionally involved, and he wanted to turn the tide."
Cyril lowered his head, and the corners of his lips curled up slightly. No one knew whether he was being sarcastic or mocking.
"But … he didn't want me to know."
'He doesn't know.'
Thales was not satisfied with this answer.
He took a deep breath, walked forward slowly, and sat at the end of the bed again. He was facing the duke.
"Really?"
He asked you to do him a favor so that you wouldn't know the truth, and you agreed to it? You didn't even ask? "
Thales said coldly.
"Aren't you being too generous?"
Cyril turned his head around slowly.
It might have been a figment of his imagination, but Thales suddenly felt that Duke Fakenhaz's ugly and hideous face had become much more relaxed.
"Believe it or not, child."
Cyril's gaze suddenly became very serious. His sunken lips opened and closed under the sunlight.
"Herman is one of the few friends I have. At least, compared to his brothers whose minds are only filled with conspiracies, murder, money, and women.
"He asked, so I helped. It's that simple."
Thales frowned deeply.
'Brothers whose minds are filled with conspiracies, murder, money, and women …'
Cyril observed Thales' expression. He shook his head and chuckled.
But the prince's next sentence caused his expression to change.
"Is this related to Prince Horace?"
Thales relaxed his eyebrows, but the seriousness in his eyes was at its peak.
"The reason why Herman went to Shadow Shield, but died in their hands in the end?"
At that moment, Fakenhaz 'expression froze.
'Horace.'
He stared at Thales. His face was still ugly and hideous, but he no longer had that playful look on his face.
"Why do you ask?"
Thales exhaled and answered him with another question.
"And you, why did you tell me this eighteen years later, at the place where Herman died?"
Cyril stared at Thales for a very long time.
Finally, the duke's elbows left his knees, and he straightened his back in his chair.
Against Thales' expectations, the seemingly serious Cyril did not respond to his question. Instead, he lifted the longsword on his knees again and sized it up.
"Have you ever seen a sword like this, Your Highness?"
Cyril seemed to have walked out of the memories of the past. He regained his scary and relaxed smile.
Thales could not help but be stunned.
It was only then that he noticed that the duke's longsword had a unique appearance. The bronze-colored handguard and hilt were exceptionally long. It did not seem to be the most ideal structure for bearing force, but it was exquisite and neat enough. The two sides of the blade extended in a smooth arc that was like a sand dune, giving people a sense of aesthetic comfort.
There was a pure black gem embedded in the center of the sword guard, but Thales did not know what it was.
Cyril didn't even raise his head. He continued to admire the exquisite sword on his own.
"The Ancient Sword of the Empire, also known as the Ancient Knight's Sword, has a special style and arc. It has an astonishing sense of balance, allowing it to swing with greater ease and smoothness.
"It requires good raw materials and superb craftsmanship. Of course, it also requires a high price. I guess this is why they are destined to be unable to be mass-produced. In the end, they disappeared from the battlefield, and only a few of them are valuable enough to become family heirlooms."
Cyril turned the sword upside down so that Thales could see the bottom of the hilt.
It was an unfamiliar letter of the Ancient Empire that Thales almost did not recognize.
f。
The carving of the letter looked rather crude. Compared to the other exquisite parts of the sword, it did not seem to be in harmony.
'Ancient Sword of the Empire? Ancient Knight's Sword?
'Wait a minute.'
Thales' eyebrows twitched.
'Such an arc …
It's a little familiar. '
"I've seen it before. One." The Eternal Truth of Ricky's silver-hilt longsword with the same beautiful arc appeared in Thales' mind.
"But what does it have to do with what I'm asking, Herman, and Horace?"
Thales asked vigilantly. At the same time, he quietly sat a little further away, ensuring that his legs touched the ground.
Cyril continued to admire the sword that might be the family heirloom of the Fakenhaz Family.
He clicked his tongue and said, "It is said that the first batch of swords of the Ancient Empire were provided by the dwarves and forged by the elves. They used the flames of the earth as the furnace fire and gathered the essence of the seven seas to be presented to the first emperor of this world, the Great Emperor Camelot Carlose, who created the boundless prosperity of mankind."
Thales' thoughts froze for a moment.
Cyril raised his head and chuckled coldly.
"That's right. I'm talking about your ancestor, the one whose blood is said to be gilded with gold and shines."
Thales subconsciously said,
"But you —"
But Cyril seemed to have made up his mind not to be interrupted. He returned to the longsword in his hand.
"This sword is called 'Sentinel'. It participated in the Battle of Eradication with Tiberia Fakenhaz six hundred years ago. He was Tormond the First's sword teacher when he was young. He was also the oldest follower under the King of Renaissance's command until he was conferred the Ruins and became the first Guardian Duke of Western Desert and my ancestor."
'Sentinel.
Tormond the First.
The Battle of Eradication. '
Thales was a little impatient.
"I will have time to listen to your family history, but for now, let us first …"
"And the Sentinel's most recent military service!" Cyril's voice suddenly grew louder, drowning out Thales' voice.
The Duke of Western Desert narrowed his eyes slightly and turned his head to look at Thales, who was frowning.
"It was in the hands of another Cyril Fakenhaz.
He was my great-uncle, and he served under the Silent Sumer the Fourth's Royal Guards. During the crisis of the king's sudden death, he held this sword and led the Royal Guards to fight their way out. From there, he protected the young Aydi the Second so that he could successfully ascend the throne and rule over Constellation. "
As Cyril spoke, he swung the longsword in his hand and swung it in the air. His skillful movements and steady grip on the sword made Thales, who had always thought that Duke Fakenhaz's movements were inconvenient, look at him in a different light.
'Wait a minute.'
Thales' expression changed!
He caught something from the words just now.
'The other Cyril Fakenhaz.
Royal Guards?
The Silent Sumer the Fourth.
The king's sudden death.
And … Aydi the Second? '
Thales stared at Sentinel.
Before he could figure out what was going on, Cyril sighed.
"Fakenhaz is a family as old as Arunde. It has been passed down since the Age of the Empire, and it followed the Jadestar Family to this day."
The duke stared at his Sword of the Ancient Empire.
"From the Battle of Eradication to the Bloody Year, just like this Sentinel, we have witnessed too much and understood too much."
A strange light shone in the Duke of Western Desert's eyes.
"Whether it is the rise and fall of Constellation …
"Or the Jadestar Royal Family …"
Fakenhaz removed the sheath from his cane and cast a sideways glance at Thales. There seemed to be a profound meaning behind his words.
"A reign of terror."
Cyril exhaled slowly and put Sentinel back into its sheath.
"Compared to that, is the answer you seek still important?"
Thales' eyebrows twitched.
When he thought about what he saw and heard over the past few days, the prince suddenly had a guess.
"Aydi the Second, my grandfather.
I heard that he was the one with the longest teeth among Sumer the Fourth's children, and he was also a male. "
Thales spoke slowly.
"I believe that his ascension to the throne and coronation should have been smooth?"
He narrowed his eyes.
"Where did the 'reign of terror' you speak of come from?"
The Duke of Western Desert put away his nostalgic expression and smiled slowly.
He turned his head around and stared at Thales with a burning gaze.
"Perhaps your history teacher did not mention your grandfather's stepmother, the 'Witch Queen' Vera from the Iris Flowers Family, and her sister-in-law who was the Duchess of Blade Edge Field, your grandfather's aunt, the former Princess Helena."
'Iris Flowers Family, the' Witch Queen 'Vera.
The Duchess of Blade Edge Field, the Princess Helena. '
As he listened to these unfamiliar names, Thales' mind started to work.
"They also did not mention how they conspired to falsify an edict after Sumer the Fourth passed away. They wanted to send your underage grandfather to Sunset Temple as a lifelong sacrifice, so that Queen Vera's biological son, John Jadestar, who was still in swaddling clothes, could replace his father and become king."
Thales' eyes suddenly widened!
'John Jadestar.
Conspired to falsify an edict. '
Thales could not help but tighten his grip on his dagger.
Queen Vera's biological son.
'Replace his father with his son.'
Cyril put down his sword and could not help but sigh.
"Of course, if Queen Vera had succeeded sixty years ago, you and I would not have to worry here."
'If Queen Vera had succeeded …
'I would not have to worry here …
'Damn old man.'
Thales took a deep breath and calmed the shock in his heart.
"Enough, Duke Fakenhaz.
"From just now until now …"
Thales' expression darkened.
"What are you hinting at?"
This time, the second prince stared at the Duke of Western Desert. His attitude was hostile.
"Is it the late king's younger brother, the Duke of Star Lake, John, who had the chance to surpass my grandfather and ascend the supreme throne of Constellation?"
Fakenhaz curled his lips.
"Or is it the Covendier Family of Iris Flowers who once tried to interfere with the succession of the throne?"
Cyril's smile did not fade.
"And the Duke of Blade Edge Field, the entire family of Princess Helena's husband who died eighteen years ago, was also involved?"
As he watched Cyril's unhurried and calm expression, Thales gritted his teeth.
"Or are you hinting that during the Bloody Year, it was indeed one of my grandfather's princes who also wanted to replace his father …
"Usurp the throne?"
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