At the dukes' long table, Prime Minister Cullen sighed with lingering fear. Zayen smiled coldly, One-Eyed Dragon was expressionless, and Duke Val continued to drink as if no one else was around.
'Banquet speech, banquet speech …'
Thales muttered desperately, but his mind was blank.
It was like the dead-line for handing in homework at midnight, but the document in your hand was still empty until 11: 50 p.m.
'Wait a minute.
'Banquet speech is not without reference, is it not?'
The next second.
"My lords, welcome, welcome to Mindis Hall."
Thales raised his wine glass with one hand and slowly walked out of his seat so that everyone could see him.
Out of politeness, the guests stood up.
He looked around the hall slowly and unhurriedly ("Quick, quick, what should I say next …" — Thales' inner monologue). His voice reverberated and could be heard clearly.
"Our door is filled with honored guests and distinguished friends."
"I've only attended such a grand banquet once in my life."
Thales lowered his head, as if reminiscing. He paused for a few seconds.
He looked up and smiled.
"You know, in Dragon Clouds City.
"King Nuven wants to thank me … uh, for killing his son."
Laughter rang in the banquet hall.
Except for the Northland guests, all of them looked livid.
Thales shrugged helplessly.
'Banquet.'
At that moment, King Nuven's bold and boorish appearance inevitably emerged in the teenager's mind as he raised his wine glass.
The Born King's powerful and shocking voice from the Northland welcoming banquet also came to mind.
"Come on! Eat! Drink! Fight! F * ck! Do whatever you want!
"Until you're lying, rolling, limp, crawling, and being carried out of my palace!
"Bastards!"
The corners of Thales' lips curled up. He quietly glanced at the guests from Constellation, who were all well-mannered.
He decisively kicked the roaring King Nuven out of his mind.
"Trust me, you don't want to be there."
Thales sighed.
"The food in Dragon Clouds City is terrible, and the wine is terrible. It's torture."
Some of the guests chuckled.
Thales shrugged, and his eyebrows danced.
"I guess this is why he wants to thank me — for killing his son."
The laughter in the hall rose and fell again.
Elise glanced at Thales with a strange expression, worried about his boldness.
Mallos comforted the nervous Gilbert in a soft voice, telling him that this was the duke's way of complaining over the past few months, and that he just had to get used to it.
Jorge snorted in displeasure.
"Yes, this is also why, when the Archduke of Black Sand Region sat on the throne and drank Dragon Clouds City's terrible special wine …"
Thales swirled his wine glass.
"He regretted it."
The laughter in the hall became the norm.
"King Chapman hated me and imprisoned me for six whole years …"
Thales looked at everyone and was rather puzzled.
"But I really can't help him, I mean …"
The Duke of Star Lake shrugged at the hall, his expression helpless.
"I can't possibly kill every king of Eckstedt, can I?"
The laughter in the hall grew louder and louder. Unexpectedly, Duke Val was among them. He stared at his wine glass and did not bother to hide his laughter.
King Kessel narrowed his eyes.
Thales took a deep breath and pressed his hand to stop the laughter in the banquet hall.
"Alright, many of you may know me."
At the dukes' table, many people had mixed reactions.
"That's right, I have just ended a six-year journey." Thales faced the guests with a straight face and was satisfied to see that they were also sitting upright and still. He raised his glass and said,
"Civilized, elegant, peaceful and peaceful."
Some of the guests could not help but laugh.
But Thales' tone immediately took a sharp turn for the worse.
"And my return must have brought many surprises, because I can see in your eyes: doubt, wariness, alienation, hostility."
The last word made the originally relaxed and cheerful atmosphere in the banquet hall turn cold.
The One-Eyed Dragon and the Duke of Iris Flowers stared at Thales, deep in thought.
Thales turned halfway to avoid looking at the king's expression.
"This prince who suddenly appeared six years ago, what has he become after returning from the enemy country? What will he bring to you? What will he bring to the kingdom? Will it be stability or turbulence, stability or change?
"Understandable, because I have the same suspicions."
Thales' expression was solemn.
"Some are happy, some are confused, some are observing, some are hesitant. Of course, there may be some who do not want to see my appearance."
Even the entire hall became completely silent.
"But I remember six years ago, when I was about to leave the kingdom and head north, a lord warned me." Thales looked at the wine glass in his hand with a serious expression.
"Go to Eckstedt, to the place between the North Wind and the Dragon's children. Go to another angle, another world, and see another star. Maybe I will gain something."
The way the Duke of Nanchester looked at him changed.
"I have indeed gained something."
Thales raised his head and raised his eyebrows.
"Most importantly … don't drink Eckstedtian wine."
The guests roared with laughter again.
But Thales quickly got back on track.
"But I am still confused."
This time, the Duke of Star Lake's eyes were no longer teasing.
"Jokes aside, there is no doubt that Nuven the Seventh was a great king.
"He was decisive, far-sighted, generous, heroic, and wise. Even a born king like him could not avoid his own misfortune. He could not save Dragon Clouds City from the disaster, and he could not stop Eckstedt's decline."
Many of the guests began to whisper.
Thales looked like he was in deep thought.
"This makes me suspicious.
"Living next to them, how do we live, how do we rule, how do we move forward so that we do not end up like this and leave no regrets?"
Thales paused for a few seconds to let the guests' discussions ferment. Then, he raised his head with a straight face.
"To be honest, I do not know."
Thales said loudly.
"But when I stepped into this hall, I think, at least I know where the answer lies."
Thales raised his wine glass.
"Today is not just about me …
"Three thousand years ago today, the ancient kings marched north with their entire army. They staked everything on one throw and fought against the orcs. They traveled a thousand miles to pursue the Holy One."
Thales recalled the Errol World History class.
"Not just King Anzac of Rock Ridge, but Rudor, Shawen, Northland, Thornland, Faraway Mountains, Karenza, Salt Lands … It was the countless nations, nations, and cities of that era that united as one. They were selfless and fearless. Only then could they create miracles and write epics."
Thales raised his voice.
"They stood on the glaciers, stepped on the skulls of the orcs, and announced to the world that as long as they worked together, humans would be invincible!"
Many of the guests looked serious. They raised their wine glasses and returned the toast from afar.
"On the contrary …"
Thales' expression darkened. He carefully looked at each guest: the innocent-looking Duke Cullen, the gloomy Zayen, the thoughtful Koshder, the silent and dazed Val …
"Division leads to decline, internal strife leads to weakness, selfishness is despicable, and mutual destruction leads to the end."
Thales' voice became deep. He looked around and said in an unquestionable tone,
"Believe me, I have seen how the descendants of Raikaru the Hero lived. King Nuven's domineering and tyrannical ways brought about suspicion, King Chapman's tyranny made him countless enemies, the archdukes' wild ambitions caused the kingdom to be in turmoil, and the Northlanders' fanaticism, blindness, and self-righteousness since ancient times worsened the situation until it was irreversible."
He said solemnly,
"So I understand, whether it is the Holiness Exorcism Campaign or the kingdom today, only by overcoming these weaknesses, only by being united, and only by working together can we have a foothold on the earth and look up to the heavens."
Thales said loudly,
"Just like today, just like yesterday, just like tomorrow, just like the countless days and nights that I and all of you here will be loyal to each other until the end of our lives!"
Gilbert and a few of his friends had strange expressions, as if they were surprised by the prince's impromptu performance.
In the next second, Thales raised his wine glass over his head and shouted angrily,
"To Constellation!"
Thales said in a long voice,
"To bask in her light for the past seven hundred years, to be grateful for her greatness, to shelter her wings, and to share her glory!"
There was a second of silence.
Then, the shackled Duke of the Northern Territory, Val Arunde, unexpectedly raised his glass and shouted in response,
"To Constellation!"
The one-eyed Duke of the Land of Cliffs, Koshder Nanchester smiled and raised his glass as well.
"To Constellation!"
Immediately after, Queen Keya also raised her glass expectantly and cooperatively, leading a large group of guests who were not used to it to raise their glasses.
Soon, under the urging gaze of the queen, the king also snorted softly and raised his glass nonchalantly.
With a precedent, the guests were stirred up. They raised their glasses in unison and echoed,
"To Constellation!"
The hall immediately boiled over, and the sound shook the dome.
Jorge and Levi Trentida, who were sitting in the corner, looked around. In order to fit in, they still raised their glasses awkwardly.
Thales sucked in a deep breath and chased away the anxiety in his heart, which made him feel like a duck on a perch.
"To the king!"
Thales turned to King Kessel and raised his glass from afar, trying not to read the complicated meaning in the latter's eyes.
"For him, in the face of danger, to turn the tide, to work hard for decades, to protect the kingdom with unwavering determination!"
The guests in the hall gradually got used to it and echoed in unison,
"To the king!"
Thales' words became smoother. He turned around, looked at the entire hall, and turned his glass around.
"To ourselves!
"For all of you here and our ancestors, for us who have worked together for hundreds of years to carry the burden forward, and for the great cause of mankind's most glorious past! And for us to be as unstoppable as ever! "
The guests raised their glasses in response, like a flash flood.
"To ourselves!"
Thales breathed a sigh of relief in his heart. He smiled and looked to the north again.
"And —"
Thales roared with all his heart, "You're right.
"F * ck you! Chapman Lampard! "
There was no need to remind them, and no one seemed to think. Many people followed without hesitation and shouted,
"F * ck you! Chapman Lampard! "
After shouting this, many people were stunned at first, then they reacted and roared with laughter.
This time, the guests from different seats and backgrounds were in unison, including Northerners like Jorge and Levi. They shouted without any grudges and with sincerity.
But at this moment, a different shout pierced through the crowd and rang loudly.
"To Duke Thales!"
Thales was slightly surprised.
It was an ordinary-looking young noble dressed in ordinary clothes. He stood among the foreign guests and resolutely raised his cup and shouted, "Let's go!"
"To his open-mindedness, wisdom, breadth of mind, courage — and youth!"
Everyone was stunned again. But soon, many people responded one after another, "Yes.
"To the Duke of Star Lake!"
"To Prince Thales!"
"To Jadestar!"
The sound of agreement rose and fell in the hall, and it was loud and powerful. However, many people were regretting their decision.
Why didn't I speak first?
Thales listened to the echoes in the hall and took a deep breath, ignoring the king's expression behind him.
"Everyone!"
Thales' expression was firm, and his gaze did not waver. He raised his glass and shouted the last toast with a drawn-out tone.
"If Constellation were here —"
There was no need for anyone to remind them. The guests, whose emotions had been stirred up, reacted in unison and shouted the second half of the sentence that they knew by heart.
"— The Empire shall live forever!"
Thales struck while the iron was hot. He raised his glass, and in order to make it look heroic, he even spilled quite a bit.
Fortunately, it was not Northland's rye distilled wine.
It was Constellation's local grape wine.
Thales lowered his head. When he saw that the guests were almost done drinking, he laughed and said,
"Very well, then let the banquet —"
In the next second, Thales instinctively lowered his glass.
"Let's begin!"
But this time, Thales did not hear the heart-stirring sound when the heavy Northland wooden wine glass collided with the dining table or the stone bricks, which he was very familiar with in the past few years.
Instead …
"Crack —"
Thales shuddered!
This sound …
It was crisp, pleasant, pure …
It made people …
Heartbroken.
Everyone was stunned.
The banquet hall suddenly fell silent.
The Duke of Star Lake lowered his head with difficulty and looked at the expensive wine glass that had been smashed to pieces by his feet.
'Sh * t.'
Thales immediately realized that he had gotten into trouble.
He moved his feet expressionlessly, intending to leave the crime scene. But when his boots stepped on the glass shards, it made a terrifying sound.
This caused even more gazes to be focused on the prince.
The guests of the royal banquet looked at each other.
Many of them were still holding their wine glasses that they had just finished drinking.
They looked at the Duke of Star Lake, who had just committed a grave crime of murdering a wine glass in front of the entire kingdom. They were at a loss.
Until Administrator Jorge from Elaphure City, who was seated at a remote table, finished his wine. He was in high spirits and smashed his glass downwards without any hesitation!
"Crack —"
The sound of glass shattering shocked everyone again.
But in the next moment, Gilbert was the first to react. Without hesitation, he spilled the wine that he could not finish, and similarly smashed his glass on the floor!
"Crack!"
Beside him, Thales' personal guard captain, Lord Mallos, was expressionless, but he also smashed his glass hard!
"Crack!"
With such a precious gem in front of them, many of the observant Constellation guests reacted one after another. They came forward one after another. Whether they were familiar with it or not, used to it or not, liked or disliked it, they all raised their hands high and smashed their glasses hard!
"Crack! Crack! Bang! Rip … "
For a moment, it was as if solid ice had cracked in the banquet hall. Silver bottles exploded, and the crisp and sharp sounds of shattering rose and fell, echoing each other like a marching concerto.
Even the high and mighty Queen Keya threw her hand excitedly. She watched as the queen's special wine glass flew in an arc and landed on the floor …
Dismembered.
Not only that, Gilbert gave the Chief of Palace Staff a meaningful look.
The latter reacted and quickly waved his hand.
Musicians, clowns, and minstrels came forward one after another. They played music and danced.
The servants shouted at each other in a flurry. Their thick soles stepped on the glass shards all over the floor, and they came forward in unison to serve the food.
The banquet began.
Music and performances, food and wine. The atmosphere in the banquet hall finally became lively again.
The guests' conversations, discussions, and laughter finally rang out without restraint.
It overshadowed the uproar, shock, abruptness, and awkwardness caused by Thales' "passing" action.
It was only then that Gilbert exhaled.
The Foreign Affairs Minister touched his forehead. It was already covered in cold sweat.
'His Highness …'
The culprit, the instigator, the honorable Duke of Star Lake, Thales, stepped on the shattered glass on the floor with a lifeless look on his face. He returned to his seat mechanically while the dual "music" rang in his ears and under his feet.
"Thales …"
Elyse calmly dragged her legs and swept aside the half a glass that she had not smashed into pieces due to her inexperience. She asked hesitantly and doubtfully, "What's the matter?
She asked hesitantly and doubtfully, "About what happened just now …"
"I know, I know. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, it's my fault," Thales said with a fake smile. Remembering his aunt's teachings, even though his heart was filled with shame and awkwardness, he maintained a calm expression on his face, as if he was born this way.
"I'm just …
"Used to it."
At the highest seat, King Kessel was expressionless as he gently put down the undamaged wine glass in his hand.
In the entire hall, in addition to toasting each other at the beginning of the banquet, many guests were also discussing, such as the seating of the Seven Jadestar Attendants.
"Is this a Constellation banquet or an Eckstedt banquet?" Baron Stone frowned.
Viscount Patterson snorted softly and looked at Prince Thales, who acted as if nothing had happened.
"Is that important?"
"Haha, liveliness is good," Old Baron Doyle laughed.
"Liveliness makes people love you!"
The rest of the people were silent.
But some people did not think so.
As the chief steward of the palace, Baron Quentin, who came to Mindis Hall to help arrange the banquet, was dumbfounded. Trembling, he ordered his servants, "Clean …"
"Also, send a message to deliver a new batch of royal goblets …"
But he quickly reacted and stopped his servants.
"Wait!"
"Remember, double the amount."
Baron Quentin gritted his teeth in grief and indignation. He looked at the hall full of debris and said to the confused servant,
"Spare."
Just as the atmosphere of the banquet became more and more lively, and everyone was immersed in the food, wine, or conversation, and had no time to care about anything else, in a remote seat that no one noticed, a solemn guest had a dazed look in his eyes as he forked the goose meat on his plate intermittently.
In the next second, his ribs twitched.
The guest's expression changed slightly. He wanted to turn around, but a familiar, experienced voice slowly drifted into his ears, causing his movements to freeze.
"Don't look back."
The experienced voice said slowly,
"You should know how difficult it is to bring this in."
The guest stiffened, but he still put down his right hand and quietly took the 'thing' from the other party under the table.
"Why?" the guest asked, puzzled.
The experienced voice seemed to be faintly discernible, as if it did not care.
"I know what you are going to do, but obviously, this is more effective.
"If you have really made up your mind."
The guest's thoughts tightened.
He looked at the forks on the table and said with difficulty, "Why?"
But the experienced voice did not answer. It only said slowly,
"Remember, find your target.
"You only have one chance."
The guest clenched his teeth.
"I don't understand, he clearly rejected me, why …"
But the experienced voice no longer answered.
It was as if it had never appeared.
The guest took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and stuffed the thing under his ribs into his clothes.
'Find, target?'
The guest slowly raised his head and looked at the top of the banquet hall, at the seat of the king.
Sitting there was a calm and unruffled man with an extraordinary status …
A teenager.
The guest breathed in a daze. His gaze gradually changed from pain, suffering, indignation, jealousy, and hesitation to unshakable determination and viciousness.
He stared at the high-spirited young duke and gently pressed the stranger's gift under his clothes.
The skin on his hand felt cold.
He knew that it was a short sword.
Excellent quality.
The blade was cold and sharp.
Merciless.
(End of this chapter)
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