Thales, who was rather injured, was carried by a guard. He was dizzy from the swaying, but his speed did not decrease as he followed the group.
The pain in his left shoulder and left arm snapped him back to consciousness.
'Where am I?'
He shook his head hard.
The prince only realized after a while that he was being escorted by the elite Royal Guards, led by the cloaked woman, in a daze. They were marching forward at a steady pace.
Gilbert and Jines were walking together with the cloaked woman. They seemed to be whispering to each other.
Thales took a deep breath. Dragging his tired spirit, he raised his head to look.
They passed through a thick, grayish-black palace wall that seemed to have no end. The wall was mottled and occasionally damaged, as if it had been through a long time.
The guards marched in orderly steps, arriving in front of a giant steel gate controlled by complicated ropes. Under the dozen or so city guarding giant crossbows at the top of the palace walls, the guards exchanged commands with the sentries who were on strict guard duty before they were allowed to pass.
Thales opened his mouth in a daze and stared at the starry sky and the moonlight in a daze.
The ground under his feet changed from muddy wasteland to coarse stone to exquisite tiles made of an unknown material. The Everlasting Lamps on both sides grew larger, more exquisite, and more dazzling.
When a magnificent pyramid-like building, which looked like a huge slope, rose from the ground and appeared before his eyes, he saw the Royal Guards standing guard every ten steps, teams of patrolling soldiers, and the servants who came and went nodding at them to greet them, Thales suddenly came to a realization.
They had arrived.
It was the tallest, largest, most magnificent, and most honorable building in Eternal Star City.
Thales relaxed and lowered his head again.
—
When he woke up again, it was already the morning of the next day.
Thales found himself wearing a set of coarse pajamas and lying on a cushioned stone bed.
He was slightly stunned. He moved his bandaged left hand and left shoulder. When he felt that he was fine, he nimbly jumped off the stone bed and stepped on the ground, which was also made of cold stone.
The cold temperature and coarse touch came from the soles of his feet.
Thales furrowed his eyebrows.
He took a step forward and touched the stone wall, which was also cold. He sized up the place.
The ceiling wasn't high, but it was made of the same stone material as the walls, floor, and bed, emitting a faint chill.
He walked to the windowsill and opened the wooden window. The cold wind poured in, making him shiver.
Fortunately, the winter sun shone into the room made of pure stone from the tall stone windowsill.
But unlike the warm Mindis Hall, even daytime and sunlight could not dispel the uncomfortable feeling of coldness and dampness in this room.
Just like … just like the Abandoned House.
A thought struck Thales, and he remembered the place where he had stayed for four years.
He glanced out of the window.
The prince instantly sucked in a breath of cold air.
The moment he stuck his head out, he saw a crowd as small as ants, a carriage the size of a fingernail, a house the size of a chessboard, and a street with fine lines. Without a doubt, this room was at an extremely high place, overlooking the various scenery of the King's City below.
Just like in another life, he told himself.
At this moment, the only door in the room made of thick wood was pushed open.
Jines Bajkovic, the First Lady of the Court, appeared at the door of the room.
"Madam Jines?" When Thales saw a familiar face, he instantly felt a lot more at ease.
"Looks like you have recovered quite well." Jines' face was a little pale, and she did not seem to be in a good state of mind, but she still forced herself to stay upright.
'It's more than' quite well … '
Jines thought. 'I was hit by a dagger the day before, and the next day … Even orcs do not have this kind of recovery ability.'
She sighed.
"Right, Jines! Err, Madam Jines! "Thales was so anxious that he even forgot to use honorifics. He hurriedly took a step forward.
"Yesterday … Yodel, and Gilbert …"
Jines extended a hand and interrupted Thales' words.
She said quietly, "Don't worry, Gilbert is by His Majesty's side. They have important matters to deal with.
And Yodel, he is still alive … "
'Still alive?' Thales was shocked. 'Does that mean …'
Jines seemed to have realized that her words were a little too harsh. She immediately corrected herself and said, "He was hit by a few arrows and is currently recuperating. Yesterday, it was also thanks to him informing His Majesty's other secret protector in time that the Royal Guards rushed over in time."
Thales heaved a sigh of relief with complicated emotions.
He remembered the conversation he had with Yodel last night.
'Thank goodness.
'That was not the last time.
'That masked protector.
'He survived.'
Thales immediately shifted his attention back to Jines' words.
'Another secret protector?'
Thales remembered the young woman who wore a cloak.
He saved this piece of information. Before he could digest it, his mind jumped to another matter.
"Also, those assassins, and that Duke Covendier …"
Jines' gaze became stern. This made Thales remember the days when he trained hard. She said, "That is not a problem you should be concerned about. Everything has been taken care of.
"Those problems will not be problems very soon … Also, you have to believe in your father."
'My … father?'
Thales recalled this unfamiliar term with great difficulty. It was not that he did not care, but ever since he came to Mindis Hall from Red Street Market, he had only met his' father 'in name once, not to mention his strange attitude towards him.
"I have asked the servants to prepare hot water and breakfast. Tidy yourself up first. We still have important things to do." Jines looked at him sternly.
"Servants?" Thales was stunned for a moment. He quickly turned his head around and looked at the room that looked more like a coffin than a bedroom. "So, we are …"
Jines nodded tiredly.
"Yes, you are in the largest and most important building in Eternal Star City.
"The palace of the Supreme Kings of Constellation."
Jines uttered three words expressionlessly.
"Renaissance Palace."
Thales opened his mouth wide and remembered the large pyramid-shaped building he saw last night. 'No wonder it's so high up.'
He then furrowed his brows and looked at everything around him.
The mottled walls, the dull color, the dim lighting, the cold temperature, the hard stone slabs, the rough ground, the narrow room — compared to Mindis Hall, this place was like a slum.
Jines saw through Thales' gaze.
"Why? Not used to it?" She crossed her arms and looked at Thales' expression with interest.
"No, it's not that." Thales quickly waved his hands and shook his head.
He wanted to say something, but in the end, he only sighed and lowered his head.
In truth, he wanted to say that this was the best night he had slept in over twenty days.
The hard and cold bed and the rough and uneven floor allowed Thales to regain the sense of security that the soft bed and quilt in Mindis Hall could not give him.
'So …' Thales sadly realized that the best sleep he had was during the four years when he was a child beggar in the harsh and terrible Abandoned House.
But obviously, Jines treated his truthful words as stubbornness. She smiled dejectedly.
"I know what you are thinking. That's right.
"The palace of the Supreme King is not as glorious, luxurious, exquisite, and magnificent as I imagined."
Jines walked to the window and focused her gaze on the countless citizens of the kingdom under the tall Renaissance Palace.
"On the contrary … This so-called Renaissance Palace at the center of the kingdom is not even comparable to a normal house …"
Thales watched in a daze as the arrogant, domineering, and unyielding female official, Jines Bajkovic, sighed desolately in the next moment.
"Very narrow.
"Very high.
"Very cold."
Jines turned around and looked at Thales with a complicated expression.
"And very dark."
—
Thales followed behind Jines Bajkovic and stepped on the hard and rough stone floor that was unique to Renaissance Palace. They walked past the similarly narrow, cold, and dark rooms.
The guards and servants they met on the way lowered their heads and bowed to Jines when they saw her.
The lighting in the interior of this semi-pyramid-shaped palace was so bad that they had to use lamps to illuminate some of the more difficult corners during the day.
Because they were too high up, cold wind continuously blew in through the gaps. The only good thing about this place was that it was usually very difficult to rear insects in such a place.
The narrow walkways and low ceilings made the atmosphere in the palace feel oppressive and uncomfortable. Sometimes, it even seemed lifeless.
'This place …' Thales stuck out his tongue and secretly sighed. 'It really doesn't look like a palace.
Instead, it looks like a mausoleum.
'Weren't the Egyptian pyramids in my previous life the mausoleums of kings with countless ancient histories buried underground?'
Jines suddenly stopped. She returned to her cold self and spoke slowly, "We're here."
"We're … here?" Thales, who had been absent-minded just now, only noticed that he and Jines had walked into a spacious and dark stone corridor. In front of them was a stone door that opened on both sides.
"Go in, child." Jines did not answer him. She only nodded at Thales with a profound expression. "Be polite."
"What polite —" Before the stunned Thales could finish speaking, Jines pressed her hand against the stone door and pushed it open abruptly!
* Boom! *
Thales stared at the scene behind the stone door in astonishment. It was a pitch-black room with Everlasting Lamps lit in a few corners. The Everlasting Lamp in the center was held by a woman with her back to him. 'Is that a woman?'
While Thales was still in shock, Jines pushed him into the room.
* Boom! *
The stone door closed.
Thales managed to find his footing after much difficulty, but he realized that he was already locked in the stone house by Jines.
"So, it's you, boy?"
At this moment, a mellow, pleasant, and sweet voice came from the center of the room.
Thales turned his head in confusion and looked at the woman with her back facing him.
The woman held the Everlasting Lamp and slowly turned around.
Thales' eyes brightened.
It was a beauty with an oval face with bright eyes and white teeth. She was in her thirties. Compared to the charming and mature Jines, she lacked a hint of valiance and cleverness, but was more gentle and charming.
She wore a dark veil and a robe decorated with half a red sun. 'Wait a minute, half a red sun?'
Thales was shocked. "You are … the priestess of Sunset Temple?"
"Sunset Temple? Hehehe … "The beauty chuckled softly. However, not only did Thales not feel a hint of gentleness from her laughter, he even felt a faint coldness.
"Let me take a closer look at you, boy." The beauty's waist slowly moved closer to him, but Thales furrowed his brows. He could not feel any warmth or kindness from her.
He could feel some sort of uncomfortable aura from this woman.
"As expected." The charming beauty in her thirties crouched down in front of him. She narrowed her eyes and observed Thales. "You also have a pair of gray eyes …
"Just like your mother."
Thales' pupils shrank!
'Mother?'
Thales was stunned for a second.
"You know … I'm sorry, Madam. Do you know my mother?" he asked in surprise. At the same time, he remembered Jines' reminder to "be polite", so he quickly changed his tone and used honorifics.
"Of course, your mother, hmm, she is a ruthless character who should not be trifled with …" The charming beauty curled up the corners of her mouth and her gaze was cold. "Did Kessel not tell you?"
Thales' breathing quickened without him realizing it.
"No, Madam." Thales said a little awkwardly, "Apart from her name, my … my father did not tell me anything else."
"I see. Alright, you can leave now." The charming beauty sneered and shook the Everlasting Lamp in her hand. Their figures flashed around the stone house.
"Tell Kessel that I am ready."
'It's over? Jines, or that father, asked me to meet her … What does this mean? '
But he had to know.
'Because …' Thales took a deep breath. He was almost a hundred percent sure that all the abnormalities in his body were related to that suspicious mother of his.
Thales took a deep breath and bowed respectfully with the etiquette he learned from Jines. "Madam, if you can tell me about my mother, I will be eternally grateful."
The charming beauty covered her mouth and chuckled.
But her expression immediately turned cold and she said in an icy tone,
"Since your father didn't tell you, why should I tell you?"
Thales was instantly speechless.
But he could not give up so easily.
"But … But that is my mother. I have the right to know! And I will repay you! "
The beauty only sneered and turned around.
"But you are not my son. I have no obligation to tell you. Besides, I do not need you to repay me. "
Thales was speechless again. From Yodel to Gilbert, other than his own 'father', he had never met someone like this.
'This is even more arrogant than the king.'
But a path seemed to be instantly connected in his mind.
'More arrogant than the king?'
Thales' brain worked continuously. He thought of something.
He took a deep breath and looked at the charming beauty.
"I see."
"I know who you are."
The charming beauty turned her head in surprise.
"I heard my father and Gilbert talk about you." Thales furrowed his eyebrows tightly. He tried to recall the time when he was just saved by Yodel and brought to Mindis Hall.
"I remember now," he said slowly.
"You … you are …" Thales took a deep breath and raised his left hand to look at the faint scar on it.
He looked hesitant for a moment, but then said firmly, "You are that Bloodline Lamp … the lamp used to search for my father's blood descendants … the caster of the Bloodline Divine Art!
"You are the Head Ritual Master of Sunset Temple … Liscia!"
The expression of the charming beauty, Liscia, immediately became unpleasant.
"As expected of your mother's son," she said slowly, "You even inherited her cunning and good memory.
"That's right, I am Liscia Arunde.
"The Head Ritual Master of Sunset Temple.
"The only spokesperson of the Sunset Goddess in the world.
"And also the person who will prove your identity as a member of the royal family."
—
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