Under the sun, the carriage continued to move forward slowly towards Eternal Star City. The people on both sides of the road were separated by the regular soldiers, and only their faces could be seen.
But no one could imagine that there was a strange conversation going on between this unusual carriage and the dozen or so Royal Guards around it.
Gilbert watched in astonishment as Thales raised his right arm expressionlessly and displayed the item in his hand next to the window.
The guards, including Mallos, Doyle, and Glover, frowned. They were either puzzled or in disbelief.
That was …
"This is the Sentinel."
The prince stroked the long and narrow sword hilt in his hand expressionlessly.
"The Sword of the Ancient Empire was forged by gathering the skills of the dwarves and elves, as well as the essence of the earth and the seven seas."
Sentinel.
Mallos was shocked.
Doyle and Glover were both stunned.
"Your Highness, I don't …" The watchman glanced around and suppressed the strange gazes of his subordinates.
Whoosh!
The sound of metal sliding through leather made Mallos' words freeze in his throat.
The teenager sized up the slightly unsheathed longsword and sensed its cold gleam.
"Uyuan, it is the Fakenhaz Family's treasured sword that has been passed down through generations. It once accompanied their ancestor to participate in the Battle of Eradication. It cut through all the obstacles and witnessed the establishment of the King of Renaissance.
"In recent times, it was also the most reliable blade in the Royal Guards. Together with its master, it fought hard to help King Aydi ascend to the throne."
In front of everyone, Thales' fingers brushed past its blade, sheathed it, and praised in a low voice.
"Of great significance."
Perhaps it could not stand the stifling atmosphere, the steed under Mallos neighed unnaturally and turned its head anxiously.
But on the saddle, Mallos' eyes were burning, his emotions unknown.
The uneasiness of the warhorses spurred on their own kind. For a moment, all four sides neighed, and the carriage moved with increasing difficulty.
Doyle tried his best to control his steed while he stared at the sword with a unique arc in surprise. His mouth was wide open.
That sword …
Beside him, Glover pursed his lips and pacified his horse.
Gilbert stared at the sword and thought about something.
In the next second, under all kinds of gazes, the young Duke of Star Lake opened his mouth coldly and left no room for doubt.
"Lord Mallos, from now on."
Thales raised his right arm steadily and sent the hilt of his sword out of the window.
"It's yours."
It's yours.
The air was quiet for a moment, and only the sound of the wind could be heard.
Gilbert snapped out of his daze and looked at the teenager in disbelief.
The guards around them burst into a slight commotion, and Doyle looked as if he had just seen a ghost. It was as if he was meeting the prince for the first time.
Mallos frowned slightly and tightened his grip on the reins.
But Thales did not give him a chance to speak.
"Of course, I hope that's not all."
The young duke continued speaking gently.
"As a matter of fact, with my return, discussions and speculations about this sword will flood the entire kingdom."
"People will come to you tirelessly to ask you about the secrets behind the legendary sword out of curiosity, confusion, or confusion …"
Gilbert's expression was a little strange.
"Especially about how it left Duke Fakenhaz's cane in Western Desert, reached Eternal Star City, Renaissance Palace, Prince Thales and the Duke of Star Lake's hands, and finally fell into your hands."
"Including the reason and meaning of how it passed through so many hands."
Thales swept his gaze over every Royal Guard coldly. His tone fluctuated, as if he was reciting an ancient bardic poem.
From Doyle to Glover, the people who met his gaze instinctively avoided eye contact.
In the end, Thales' gaze returned to Mallos, who did not say a word but was frowning even more.
"But I believe that you can handle it.
Am I right? "
The young duke said nonchalantly and raised the hilt of his sword.
Everyone fell silent.
They looked at Mallos in unison and waited for his decision.
In the next moment, Mallos turned his head around abruptly.
He looked at everyone with a burning gaze.
The Royal Guards seemed to have come to a tacit understanding. They turned their heads away in unison.
They did not dare look at Mallos or Sentinel anymore.
It was as if the former was not their superior, and the latter was not a famous sword.
The place fell silent again.
But there was no longer any hint of relaxation on Mallos' face.
He tightened his grip on his steed in a slightly stiff manner and forced it to calm down.
Time seemed to have turned into a distant mural. It was dim and silent, and as Mallos moved, it peeled off piece by piece.
"Your Grace." He stared at Sentinel, which had half of its body sticking out of the window.
"What does this mean?"
Mallos' words were very soft and soft.
It was like the sound of an old page being flipped.
But the guards around him held their breaths. They did not even dare to breathe loudly.
Logistics Officer Stone, who was at the back, even subconsciously gulped.
Gilbert did not say a word, either.
"What I mean is …"
Only the Duke of Star Lake was different. He smiled in a relaxed manner.
"Congratulations, Lord Mallos."
From now on … "Thales' gaze met Mallos', and it was as if they were fighting in the air.
"'Sentinel' has a long history and is of great significance. It is the heirloom of the noble and loyal Mallos Family, one of the Seven Jadestar Attendants."
He said softly,
"Remember, pass it down to your son …
"And to your grandson."
Mallos froze on his horse. His face was so dark that it looked like it was about to drip water. He could only let his steed move him up and down.
And Thales just watched him quietly.
The guards looked at each other. Their expressions were different.
They did not know how to deal with it.
"Ahem … Although the prince admires you very much, I do not think that this is a good time to accept the reward," Gilbert said stiffly and slowly.
"What do you say, Lord Mallos?"
No one responded.
After what Doyle felt was about a century, Mallos' voice traveled into his ears slowly. It sounded as if a rock stratum had cracked open.
"This gift is too precious and too heavy.
Forgive me, but I cannot accept it. "
Once he finished speaking, without waiting for Thales to react, the watchman whipped his horse, and its hooves swept past Thales' window.
Mallos raised his voice and ordered with a stern face.
"The prince is tired!
Hurry up and continue forward! "
The Royal Guards, who had long since felt very uncomfortable being stuck between the prince and their superior, turned around and obeyed the order.
But Thales' voice traveled through the crowd again and rang clearly.
"Then this is no longer a reward!"
Everyone subconsciously stopped what they were doing.
The young duke in the carriage said coldly,
"It is a responsibility that you cannot shirk from."
"Lord Tormond Mallos."
Mallos' figure also slowed down in the air.
'Responsibility?'
"You are the watchman of the Royal Guards, right?
"Watchman …"
Under everyone's gazes, Thales easily put away his sword hilt and toyed with the black gemstone embedded in it.
"If I remember correctly, this position has been sacred and important since Constellation was founded. It is second only to the captain of the guards.
"One of its duties is to protect the royal family's treasury and control the movement of secret treasures."
When he said this, the Royal Guards around him were all stunned.
Doyle frowned and looked at Penal Officer Gray Parson, but the latter could only look at him with a gloomy expression.
Even Gilbert sank into deep contemplation.
Thales stared at Mallos' back. His tone allowed no room for doubt.
"So, protecting the secret treasures of the Jadestar Royal Family, including the Sentinel … If I remember correctly, it is my family. This is your duty.
You cannot shirk it. "
The Sentinel trembled in Thales' palm and flipped over.
The duke's young voice rang in everyone's ears.
"Take it well and place it in the most eye-catching spot. No matter what occasion it is, I want to see it … with you."
The sun was still shining, and the sound of hooves thundered.
However, Mallos' back had completely stiffened.
Doyle looked at his superior cautiously, but the latter did not show any reaction.
A few seconds later, the watchman's voice rose slowly.
"Abusing the rules and abusing public office to avenge personal wrongs are not the qualities a king should have."
"Your Grace."
His voice was no longer as relaxed and indifferent as before. Instead, there was a solemn and gloomy tone.
Thales smiled.
"I am sorry to make you feel this way, Lord Mallos."
The new Duke of Star Lake's next sentence sounded familiar, and it caused everyone's expression to change.
"After you enter the palace, you can bring this sword and protest to His Majesty at any time. You can suggest that he remove you from your position. Of course, I guess that in the end, he will still put this sword into the royal family's treasury."
Thales narrowed his eyes, and his words were cold.
"But before that, according to tradition and rules, as the watchman of the Royal Guards and the person in charge of my personal guards …
"I am afraid that your duties as a member of the guards will take precedence over your personal preferences."
At that moment, the muscles on Mallos' arm tensed.
Thales snorted softly and said in the end,
"It is my duty, please forgive me."
Mallos still had his back to the carriage. His expression could not be seen, but the guards who drove the carriage did not dare to look at his face.
In the dead silence and awkward atmosphere, Thales knocked on the window with the hilt of his sword.
"Sir Watchman?"
At that moment, Doyle coughed violently and interrupted him with a laugh.
"Ah, about that, as the watchman, you have a rather high rank. You need to report to your superiors before accepting gifts … How about this, our flag bearer, Hugo Fuble, will record everything that happened today, and His Majesty will make the final decision …"
Perhaps it was because of his talent, Doyle's words made the atmosphere become much more relaxed.
Thales frowned slightly.
"So troublesome?"
Doyle rushed to the window and gave the prince an apologetic smile.
The young duke also smiled.
"Then forget it.
This sword will not be given to Mallos. "
Hearing this, everyone heaved a sigh of relief.
But …
"Young D.D?"
The sudden address made Doyle subconsciously perk up.
"Huh?"
But he immediately realized who was calling him.
"Yes … Yes, Your Highness?"
The duke leaned against the window and sighed.
"Did you know, sixty years ago …"
"The Silent Sumer the Fourth's widow, the Witch Empress Vera from the Covendier Family, once worked together with the Tabark Family from Blade Edge Hill to murder my grandfather. They tried to support John Jadestar, the previous Duke of Star Lake before me, to be crowned king."
Thales' tone was very mysterious, and it made every noun that came out of his mouth even more stirring.
'What?'
There was a small commotion among the Royal Guards again. Even Gilbert could not control his expression.
Perhaps it was because his impression of Doyle was too different from before, or perhaps it was because there were too many secrets in his words, but Doyle was stunned for a moment before he answered in an extremely unnatural manner.
"Ah, yes, yes, yes, is that so?"
But Thales did not care. He only stared at the Sentinel in his hand in a daze.
"It is thanks to this legendary sword that my grandfather did not lose his throne and was successfully crowned."
Doyle quirked his eyebrows slightly. He wanted to send his superior a questioning look, but Mallos did not even turn his head around.
"But can you feel it?"
The prince's expression of fascination slowly turned into solemnity.
"Can you feel the bloody storm between the supreme royal family and the two aristocratic families sixty years ago from this sword?"
'Bloody storm …'
Doyle's eyelids twitched.
"I …"
But Thales did not give him the chance to answer.
"Today, I have decided to bestow the Sentinel to you, Protector Danny Doyle."
At that moment, Doyle's entire body trembled.
The Duke of Star Lake turned to Doyle and handed over Sentinel with a stern expression.
"As the most reliable person among the six protectors under me, perform well."
Thales narrowed his left eye.
"Do not disgrace it."
Just like his peers, Doyle was stunned on the spot.
"All right … Ah … Ah?" He first nodded subconsciously as he stared at the sword. Then, he realized something, and his face instantly turned pale with fright!
But Doyle reacted very quickly. Before his peers' sympathetic gazes landed on him, his expression became stern. He straightened his back and held the weapon by his waist in a relaxed and straightforward manner.
"Ahem, no, Your Highness, in truth, my current sword was left to me by my grandmother …"
Doyle looked a little sad, but he immediately became determined, like a loyal young man who was encouraged by something.
"I swore on my grandmother's grave that I will not be disloyal before it breaks …"
Thales snorted and shook Sentinel.
"So, you don't want it?
Even if it is a precious sword of the Ancient Empire? "
Doyle shook his head like a rattle.
"Alright then." Thales sighed regretfully.
Doyle then breathed a sigh of relief.
But …
"Vanguard Glover!"
When Doyle sighed in relief and Thales suddenly called out his name, the nearly expressionless Glover first tensed up. Then, he looked at the prince with a wary gaze.
Thales waved at him with a smile.
"I heard that your grandfather once served in the Royal Guards, and he held a high position.
Then, I think that the most suitable family to pass down this weapon is the Glover Family … "
Glover trembled a little.
But he subconsciously shook his head, and he said firmly,
"No."
Thales' smile froze a little.
"No?
You don't want it either? "
Glover's expression remained the same. He shook his head like a log.
"No."
Thales sighed heavily.
When he raised his head again, he suddenly noticed that at some unknown point of time, the Royal Guards around the carriage had all turned their faces away. They were either dutifully investigating the enemy's situation, or they were talking to their peers in a seemingly serious manner.
Even Doyle was holding Glover's hand, who did not say a word. They seemed to be chatting and laughing.
"Alright."
Thales shook his head in resignation. He turned around and exchanged a glance with Gilbert, who had a strange expression on his face.
"Then, I can only tell them that regardless of whether it is the Mallos, Doyle, or the Glover Family, all of them disregard Sentinel, which represents the relationship between the powerful families and Renaissance Palace, and they cast it aside like it is an old shoe."
Mallos' hooves trembled slightly, and Doyle's smile froze.
The prince chuckled and extended the longsword out of the carriage with a regretful expression.
"On the first day I returned, they abandoned Sentinel by the side of the road …
"Since then, its whereabouts have been unknown."
In the next second, Thales let go without hesitation.
* Thud. *
Under the Royal Guards' incredulous gazes, the precious Sword of the Ancient Empire, the heirloom of the Fakenhaz Family, and the extraordinary Sentinel fell off the carriage and crashed on the ground.
A lot of dust was stirred up.
'What?'
Doyle's eyeballs almost popped out of their sockets. Glover also tightened his grip on the reins.
A few of the Royal Guards subconsciously tugged at the reins and turned around to avoid stepping on the precious sword that had been passed down through the ages.
In an instant, the formation of the entire convoy was a little chaotic.
Mallos turned his head around swiftly and stared at the young duke, who did not care at all.
He gave Doyle a look, and Doyle quickly urged his horse to catch up to them. He wanted to scoop up Sentinel before it was covered in dust …
"Very good, Doyle."
Thales placed his elbows next to the carriage window, and his eyes lit up.
"Thank you. In the end, you still accepted this weapon that no one dares to take."
Doyle had already stuck his body out of the saddle, and he froze in midair.
His feet were hooked in the stirrup, and his palm hovered above Sentinel. It was only one foot away from the hilt of the sword.
Doyle's strange posture showed that he was a great horseman.
That is, if you did not look at his expression.
"Remember, it holds great significance. You must treat it well …" Thales looked at Doyle, who seemed to be frozen above the longsword, with great interest.
"Enough!"
Finally, Mallos pulled the reins and pulled his horse back. His expression was sullen.
"Your Highness, what exactly do you want to do?"
The entire convoy stopped because of him.
Gilbert sighed. He looked at Thales with a slightly complicated gaze.
Doyle, who was frozen in midair, looked as if he had been pardoned. He tumbled and crawled back to the saddle. He did not even look at the extraordinary sword.
"What do I want to do?"
Thales repeated these words slowly, and his tone became solemn.
He turned to Mallos, and his originally humorous and relaxed expression became serious and serious.
"It's very simple."
Thales swept his gaze over every Royal Guard and spoke in a deep voice.
"I want to tell you that my sword is very heavy and very heavy."
Mallos' eyes sparkled slightly.
"From Central Territory to Western Desert, from Constellation to Eckstedt, it carries the weight of many people.
"It is so heavy that sometimes, I do not know if I can even lift it."
Doyle and Glover looked at each other at a loss.
"So, when my mission conflicts with yours …" Thales stared at the watchman's expression, and the rhythm in his words was stretched to the limit.
"So, when my mission conflicts with yours, I hope that all of you can do more than just say sorry.
"My personal guards."
No one answered.
Including Mallos.
Thales averted his warning gaze and sat up straight.
"And next time, if all of you insist on placing His Majesty's orders and my will on two sides of the chessboard …"
He said faintly,
"Then you better first decide whether you, who are in the middle, can lift this damn sword."
The Royal Guards were silent.
Even Mallos stopped where he was. He looked at Thales with an incredibly complicated gaze.
Thales knocked on the carriage and stared coldly at the Sentinel on the ground. "Because, no matter how troublesome you think my will is,
"Do not forget that in this world, there are many more troublesome things than all of you think …
"Even more troublesome things."
At that moment, Thales suddenly understood something with some satisfaction.
'Fakenhaz did not just give me a sword.
Instead, he gave me a direction. '
As he thought of this, Thales returned to his seat.
"Sorry, I am not in a good mood today.
"D.D, can you take my sword back?"
Doyle shuddered. He was about to bend down to retrieve the sword, but he hesitated again.
"Are you saying …
"Your, your sword?"
Thales exhaled.
"Yes."
He flashed a friendly smile at Doyle through the carriage window.
"It is' my 'sword."
Thales said with a profound meaning.
"Because no one can lift it except me."
Mallos was silent.
Hence, under everyone's gazes, Doyle quickly picked up the Sentinel with extreme caution and handed it back to the prince at lightning speed, as though he would be in great trouble if he was any slower.
Thales held the sword, stroked its arc, and sighed softly.
"Now, because of all of you, this sword is covered in dust, and the carriage is filthy." Thales put down the Sentinel and looked at his personal guards indifferently.
"So, before returning to Renaissance Palace …
"I need to go outside and breathe some fresh air.
It would be best if I am on a good, docile, tall, and strong horse. "
He stared at the leader, Mallos, with a burning gaze.
"Is there a problem?"
Under the nervous or uneasy gazes of his colleagues, Mallos did not say a word. He only frowned deeply.
A few minutes later.
Thales sat comfortably on the horse. He swayed and rose and fell as he followed the Royal Guards forward.
As he looked at the scenery of the wilderness in the suburbs of Eternal Star City, he slowly sighed in relief.
The Royal Guards pulled up the cloaks that concealed their identities. They seemed to be in a messy formation, but in truth, they surrounded him tightly and meticulously.
Besides that, Mallos also rejected Gilbert's request to erect the Nine-Pointed Star Flag. He asked the carriage to go first, and they disguised themselves as regular soldiers who came to take over the defense.
'But …
'This is just the beginning.
'Isn't it?'
Thales whispered in his heart.
"You have not only grown up." Gilbert, who was riding on another horse, sighed softly.
"You are also … different."
Thales lowered his head. His emotions were indescribable.
"Is that so?"
Gilbert nodded. His eyes were filled with emotion.
"Just now, I thought I had returned to when I was thirty-five years old."
Thales raised his head.
"Why?"
Gilbert smiled.
He heaved a long sigh, as if he had returned to the past.
"Yes, because I went to Broken Dragon Fortress at that age."
Thales was stunned.
'Broken Dragon Fortress?'
"It was also there that I met him for the first time."
Thales frowned.
"Who did you meet?"
The Foreign Affairs Minister froze for a moment.
"Him."
Gilbert's tone was filled with fascination and wariness at the same time.
"My opponent in the negotiations.
"The overlord of Eckstedt.
"The Born King.
"Nuven the Seventh."
When he heard this name, Thales was stunned.
'Nuven.'
In the face of Gilbert's gratified and respectful gaze, he watched the people coming and going in front of him in a daze. The scenery changed.
He did not reply for a long time.
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