In the spacious banquet hall, Thales and Zayen faced each other from a distance.
There were few figures in the distance. The guards and servants were still sending off the nervous guests, looking over cautiously but reverently from time to time.
"Now?"
Zayen's look of surprise only lasted for a second. His good manners made him keep his expression under control.
The Duke of Iris Flowers did not say a word, nor did he care about the nervous gazes of a few people in the distance. He just slowly stepped over the mess and walked towards Thales.
Thales stared at him coldly.
Until Zayen stopped and stood in front of the short sword.
"So you were just a blind cat running into a dead mouse, casually bluffing, and trying your luck?"
The master of Covendier looked at the short sword on the ground, unhurriedly, with a faint smile on his face.
He was at ease, without the slightest loss of composure or self-awareness of having his plot exposed — just like when Thales exposed "New Star's" plot at the National Conference six years ago.
This made Thales even more uneasy.
"I got it out of him," Thales said without changing his expression.
"This sword was indeed given to him by a guest, and not some other unknown channel."
The prince glanced at the few exits.
"Unfortunately, the banquet tonight has strict security.
"And there aren't many guests who don't need a personal search to enter the venue."
Zayen spoke unhurriedly and cheerfully.
"Then why are you so sure it's me?"
He looked so interested that a stranger might have thought the two dukes were talking about something amusing over a cup of tea.
And not a thrilling political conspiracy.
Thales frowned slightly.
The youth suddenly realized that compared to the young and promising Duke of South Coast from six years ago, Zayen's aura was much more restrained now, and his body was much stronger.
He's different.
Thales told himself silently.
He's less lively and bright, and more somber and steady.
A thought flashed through Thales' mind: His experience in Northland may have made him tougher, sharper, and more skillful.
Then these six years in Constellation.
What did it make Zayen like?
"Our discussion fell through."
Thales said calmly, maintaining the shrewdness and dignity of the Duke of Star Lake.
"Before the banquet."
Zayen's eyes moved.
"But in the middle of the banquet, you came over to talk about the gains and losses of politics."
Thales stared straight into the man's eyes.
"Or to put it more bluntly …"
"I'm just trying to find something to say."
There was a short silence.
Thales looked at the pillars of the hall in the distance and watched the indistinct servants come to clean up the mess from the banquet.
"I know you have good self-restraint, Zayen, and I know you're thick-skinned."
"But it's not that good."
Zayen nodded slowly. His lips curled up as if he was savoring a glass of fine wine.
"Can't it be that I really want to chat with you …"
Thales interrupted him coldly.
"You noticed."
Zayen's gaze froze.
"You noticed that the royal guards were frequently mobilized to strengthen their defenses. You realized that someone had unexpectedly discovered Anker's existence."
The teenager looked at the short sword lying alone on the ground and walked forward.
"You can't sit still."
"You need to hold me back to ensure that the plan goes smoothly. Make sure that even after the king leaves, Anker's target is still present."
"This is your biggest flaw."
Zayen did not speak.
"And based on my experience, every time you're acting suspiciously and hypocritically, something bad happens."
Thales stopped in front of the short sword, looked straight at the Duke of Iris Flowers opposite him, and called out his name.
"Zayen Covendier."
Old friend.
Thales said quietly.
Zayen smiled, looking nonchalant.
"You're really paranoid, Your Highness."
"Perhaps when you were still in the North, you were schemed against and harmed by all sorts of people?"
Schemed, harmed.
Thales swept away the images of Nuven, Chapman, and even the Black Prophet from his mind.
He chuckled as well, "And perhaps you didn't realize, Zayen, that tonight, when you were trying to find something to say …"
"King and vassals? Land and security? Rule and resistance? "
Thales' words were sarcastic.
"What you say reflects what you think."
Zayen's smile faded.
"I think, before today, you've probably been troubled by the matter of Crow Caw City and Mirror River, the grudge between Byrael and Doyle, and the problem of how to take advantage of the opportunity to profit from it for a long time."
Thales did not look at Zayen's expression. He looked around at the countless tables, chairs, cups, and plates that were shattered because of Anker's ruckus at the banquet.
"And all of this jeopardizes the prestige of Renaissance Palace, alienates the Seven Jadestar Attendants, incites conflict among the nobles, and reveals the contradictions of governance …
"Just to make trouble for me?"
In the hall a distance away, Glover and Procca, who had sent off the last batch of guests, were about to enter when Mallos reached out to stop them.
The watchman looked at the two men who were confronting each other in the hall and shook his head.
The lights were still bright, Mindis Hall was still quaint, but compared to the bustling scene before, the banquet hall was silent, cold, and empty.
Only Thales and Zayen stood in the middle of the hall, facing each other and staring at each other quietly.
The only thing between them was the sharp-edged shortsword on the ground.
After a long time, Zayen walked to the long table at the side, picked up the wine glass the butler had left for him, and poured himself a glass of Sera Dukedom's famous grape wine.
"Like most people in Western Desert, Anker Byrael is both realistic and pragmatic, and not someone who will be easily swayed by words."
Thales looked at his actions and frowned.
Zayen raised his wine glass, leaned against the long table, and turned around.
"How can you be so sure that he will give up and back down?"
He looked at Thales carefully, as if trying to match the young man in front of him with the boy from six years ago.
"Not to the extent that he will risk everything in a fit of rage, to the point where blood splatters everywhere?"
Anker Byrael.
Thales turned his head, and a shadow flashed across his face.
"Just like you," he said in a low voice.
Zayen swirled the wine glass in his hand and smelled the aroma.
"Oh? Why? "
Thales looked at the wine glass in Zayen's hand and felt thirsty.
"Before he became a pawn, he was a person.
"He is a person, a very complicated, but also a very simple person."
The Duke of Star Lake came to another long table, swept away the clutter, and casually picked up a wine glass.
He did not care who had drunk it before, and simply flung it behind him, spilling the rest of the liquid inside.
The wine fell to the ground, and a few drops splashed on Zayen's boots, causing the owner of Iris Flowers, who was savoring the aroma of the fruit wine, to frown.
Thales picked up a jug of water, leaned against the long table, and turned around.
"No matter who instigated him, who influenced him, and who coerced him, all his thoughts and actions ultimately originate from himself."
Zayen left the spot without batting an eyelid.
"Did you know him before?"
"No," Thales filled the glass, "but it was written in the intelligence that Anker has a younger brother and three younger sisters, all young, living in Crow Caw City."
Thales' gaze froze on the wine glass in his hand.
"At the time, I was thinking, if he died avenging his father, what would happen to them?"
Zayen looked at him and curled the corner of his mouth.
Thud.
Thales put down the jug.
"Single-handedly, breaking into the palace, pleading his case, and killing his enemy to avenge his father.
"This sounds heroic and satisfying," Thales said in a low voice.
Thales said in a deep voice as he stared at his own reflection in the wine glass.
"But in reality, this won't solve anything: the royal family won't tolerate assassinations, and his actions will only be seen as a crime against order. As a bad example of destabilization, he will be severely punished as a warning to others."
"As Byrael's family, they, who are already in dire straits, will only be met with disaster."
Zayen's smile became even more subtle.
And Thales' gaze gradually froze into ice.
"But when I thought about how he wanted to duel Doyle, I understood."
"Anker doesn't want to kill, or even seek justice. Perhaps revenge is just an excuse."
Thales looked up suddenly.
"Under the triple pressure of his father's huge debt, the vassals' betrayal, and Doyle's scheme, the inexperienced and helpless Anker only wanted to fight for one last guarantee for his family: to win the public's sympathy, to force the royal family to step in, and to ensure that his family safely gets through this disaster, and not go bankrupt, lose their land, and destroy their family."
Zayen was still calmly savoring the wine with his nose, but he did not put it in his mouth.
The prince's tone became tense.
"He took the risk, not for revenge, not even for justice, but for a future.
"And in order to not leave any loose ends, to perfectly complete this goal …"
Thales clenched his teeth.
"He must die," Zayen looked up and finished the sentence coldly.
Thales' mind was in a daze. He suddenly remembered Doyle's expression when he declared his stance and entered the duel.
The voice of the Duke of Iris Flowers floated in the hall, ethereal yet mysterious.
"He can only use the most legitimate excuse of revenge and justice as an excuse, bear all the responsibility, and use his death to take away all the blame and disgust.
"It would be best if he died honorably, in awe, dramatic, and legendary fashion.
"Like a hero."
"Become a perfect victim who is not subject to harsh criticism, and only leave behind nostalgia and sympathy."
Zayen observed Thales' expression and said playfully,
"Only in this way can the mean, vicious, selfish, and hypocritical onlookers be at ease and release their pitiful empathy.
"Only in this way can the royal family and the kingdom, under pressure after this sad story, have no choice but to lend a helping hand and take care of his struggling family, so that it does not fall into ruin and decline."
The clear water in Thales' wine cup began to swirl slightly.
Like the surface of the sea where a storm was brewing.
"Anker Byrael."
Thales was expressionless.
"He is not a selfish hero who, in a fit of rage, commits suicide for a just cause, and does not care about the cries of loneliness and widows behind him.
"Nor is he a scumbag hero who, in a moment of helplessness, becomes hot-headed, and destroys everything indiscriminately just because of some bullsh * t idea."
Zayen looked at him silently, the wine cup in his hand calm.
The prince slowly raised his head, his eyes still.
"He is just a run-down squire from a remote place, with a family and siblings.
"Shouldering responsibility in an unbearably difficult life, bearing burdens and humiliation.
"A man who, under power, painstakingly plotted, struggled to support his family, and sought a chance of survival for his loved ones …"
Thales' breathing quickened.
"An ordinary person."
That was why Anker backed down.
Thales thought bitterly.
He had to back down.
Because he was not alone.
Not just living for himself.
Thinking of this, Thales could not hold back the indignation in his heart and raised his voice.
"And you, Covendier, you took advantage of this, of his humanity, of what he was born as a human being, of what he cared about the most.
"You turned him into your pawn."
Thales' words were chilling.
"To deal with me."
Zayen looked at him quietly. After a long while, he finally cracked a smile.
Like a spring breeze and rain.
"Aren't you?"
Thales trembled slightly.
Zayen swirled the wine cup gently, watching the liquid in the cup swirl orderly and steadily in one direction.
"Didn't you also take advantage of this, appearing to 'persuade' him, but actually coerce him?"
Zayen's smile turned cold.
Thales' wine cup trembled.
"Not long ago, when Byrael came to me," Zayen's tone was casual,
"What I saw was a wounded, desperate, pitiful man who wanted to ask for help from the Iris Flower family, who were famous for their amiability.
The eyes of the Duke of Iris Flowers flashed.
"He needed hope.
"So I gave him hope."
Zayen paused and raised his eyebrows.
"And perhaps, relief from a heavy burden.
"I told him that to reverse his family's fate, he could only rely on one person.
"A 'newcomer' who returned with a heaven-sent halo, and was completely different from the king on the throne and the nobles in the court."
Thales clenched his teeth and stared at the water in his cup churning back and forth, creating ripples.
Zayen left the long table and walked forward, approaching Thales. His tone could not help but be smug.
"Until you took the field for the duel.
"Until you used your power to cut off this hope: regardless of victory or defeat in the duel, life or death, whether you killed the prince or never overturned the case, his family would be doomed eternally."
Thales shuddered and closed his eyes.
Covendier's master snorted coldly.
"You took advantage of his humanity, forced him to give up the duel, and even forced him to live. You were so stingy that you were not even willing to grant him the mercy of death.
"Only crueler than me."
Thales was speechless.
The Duke of South Coast leisurely strode over the short sword on the ground.
"Do you know what kind of future he will face when he walks out of here alive tonight?"
Thales' breathing stopped.
Covendier came before Thales with a mysterious smile and gently swirled his wine cup.
"Now, who is the heartless one, Your Highness?"
Thales was silent for a very long time.
He just stared at his wine cup.
He watched the water in the cup go from churning to overturning, and then return to silence.
Just as Zayen's smile faded and he was about to turn around.
"Aren't you going to drink?"
Zayen frowned.
Thales raised his head, his expression indifferent as he looked at the wine cup in Covendier's hand.
Perhaps a little stunned, the Duke of South Coast looked at the wine in his hand and replied cheerfully,
"In terms of aroma, it's worse than the ones imported from Jade City," Zayen shook his head and swirled his wine cup with a regretful expression, "But if you want to drink it …
"No, it's not my favorite flavor."
Thales did not say a word and only snorted softly.
But the next moment, he suddenly raised his wine cup and poured the water in the cup into his mouth.
He downed it in one gulp.
The Duke of Star Lake finished drinking and soothed his dry tongue. He did not care about his poor image and inelegant behavior. He wiped the water stain from the corner of his mouth and flung it away.
Water droplets splashed. Zayen silently stepped back.
But Thales stood up and left the long table!
"Why?"
Thales strode forward and questioned coldly,
"Just because I didn't agree to your conditions? To be in cahoots with you and love each other? "
Zayen stood still, but he frowned as he realized that Thales kept moving forward and was closing in on him.
"Or have you already made up your mind to shed all pretense of cordiality and fight to the death with me?"
Thales pressed all the way to Zayen until they were less than a foot apart. All that was left was the gleaming dagger on the ground.
Their gazes met and sparks seemed to fly.
Zayen stared at Thales, his leisurely expression slowly disappearing.
"This is a warning."
Thales snorted softly.
"Warning?"
Zayen curled his lips and called him by name.
"At the banquet, I purposely came to find you.
"Thales.
"To be honest, I'm not afraid of you finding out it's me. No, it's more like I want to be found out by you."
Thales furrowed his brows.
"It's not just to create opportunities for Byrael," Zayen sneered.
"Thales, it's to give you one last chance."
Zayen lowered his wine cup and indifferently moved closer to the gloomy Thales.
"Byrael's actions were all spontaneous. All I did was point out the way, give it a gentle push, and make a casual move.
"But even so, you can't take it anymore and are in a sorry state."
He leaned close to Thales' ear and whispered like a lover, but his tone was deep and cold.
"Can you imagine when the game of chess gets serious?"
Thales did not answer. He just tightened his grip on his wine cup.
"I want you to know, Thales, I want to teach you: this is my response."
The Duke of South Coast said in a rare fierce tone,
"As a response to you offending me, rejecting me, and even threatening me six years later."
Thales stiffened.
Zayen's breath left Thales' ear.
The person in front of him turned back into the kind, gentle, and refreshing young Duke of Iris Flowers.
But just a few seconds later, Thales took a deep breath.
He chuckled.
"Me? Rejecting you? "
Thales' expression changed. He sized up Zayen from head to toe as if he was weighing him down.
This made the latter unhappy.
Until the prince said frivolously and sarcastically,
"Sorry, I didn't know you like men."
"My dear Zayen."
In that instant, Zayen's gaze turned cold.
But Thales did not care. He even raised his left hand and gently placed it on Zayen's right shoulder. He also leaned close to the other's ear and shook his head.
"Otherwise, perhaps when I rejected you just now, I could have been more gentle and gentlemanly?"
Zayen stopped smiling.
He did not move, nor did he look at the hand on his shoulder. He only stared coldly at Thales.
"If you choose war, Thales, you are determined to be my enemy.
"Then this move is just the beginning."
Zayen looked at Thales as if he was looking at a corpse.
"The Prince of Constellation? The Duke of Star Lake? The protection of royalty? A good reputation? The loyalty of a subject? Experience in Northland? A lofty stance? "
He asked coldly, his tone flat.
The next moment, Zayen suddenly raised his left hand and pressed down on Thales' left hand!
"I can destroy them," the Duke of Iris Flowers' every word was laced with viciousness.
"One by one."
Feeling the other party's grip on his wrist, Thales pursed his lips.
"Here, on the chessboard that I am familiar with, I can make you wish you were dead."
In that moment, Zayen's gaze was so sharp that it could cut through flesh and pierce straight into the heart.
"When the time comes to shed all pretense of cordiality, even if I have to sacrifice everything, I can and will make you pay the most tragic price."
The Duke of South Coast snorted and moved Thales' palm away.
But to his surprise, not only did the silent prince not let go, but he quickly grabbed Zayen's wrist!
Zayen's gaze froze.
But what made him dissatisfied and even disgusted was not the action itself.
"Is it because of that conversation?"
Thales' voice rang softly.
"Six years ago, when I was about to leave Eternal Star City and head north, our parting conversation."
Six years ago.
Leaving Eternal Star City …
Conversation.
One second, two seconds.
Zayen's gaze was confused at first, then it fell into deep coldness, followed by anger.
"Because I asked about your family, your family?"
Thales' voice rang faintly, like poison flowing into blood vessels, flowing into Zayen's ears.
"And the secret of their misfortune?"
Any expression disappeared from Zayen's face in an instant.
At that moment, the Sin of Hell's River in Thales' body erupted with an inexplicable agitation!
It almost made him lose his composure.
And at that moment, Thales knew that he had made the right choice.
That was it.
Thales restrained the urge to use the Power of Eradication, looked at the Duke of South Coast again, and gritted his teeth.
"See?"
"To a certain extent, you and Anker aren't that different."
Thales felt a counterforce trying to break free from Zayen's grip, but he still held on tightly to Zayen's wrist, refusing to let go — at least, he could not let the elegant man break free gracefully.
"And you ask, who is the heartless one?"
Thales stared at Zayen, at his expressionless face, which was as dull as a Blood Clansman's.
"That depends on you.
"Zayen Covendier."
Silence.
A deathly silence spread as the two stared at each other as if nothing had happened.
In the hall, the atmosphere between the two finally dropped to a freezing point.
At the periphery, the royal guards waiting for the dukes to negotiate seemed to sense something and wanted to step forward, but were all stopped by Mallos.
Finally, Zayen turned his head, avoided Thales' gaze, and stopped trying to break free from the prince.
But he smiled.
"Do you know?
"From 'Black Eye' John, 'Southerner' Herman, 'Ascension King' Alan, 'Oath Keeper' Midier, 'Conqueror of the North' Erica …" Zayen became relaxed and at ease again, but the coldness in his eyes revealed the truth.
"In history, there were many Kings of Constellation who taught Eckstedt a lesson.
"And do you know what I've learned about how to deal with Northlanders?"
Thales furrowed his brows.
Zayen no longer pushed Thales away, but pulled him closer and indifferently whispered in his ear.
"Before they f * ck you …
"You f * ck them to death."
Thales' gaze turned cold.
"Don't imitate me."
But Zayen smiled slightly.
"Do you think that just because you survived the Born King, you have the right to be complacent and do whatever you want?
"Polaris? Hahahaha … "
The master of Iris Flowers said softly,
"Believe me, if you try to imitate Nuven the Seventh's playstyle in Constellation, you will only die faster, more tragically, and more inexplicably."
Thales felt a chill in his heart.
This Zayen was often more unsettling than the gloomy and sullen Duke of South Coast.
The next moment, Thales' wrist shook and was flung away by Zayen with great force!
"Watch your hand, Your Highness."
The Duke of Iris Flowers smiled, as if spring was in full swing and the grass was luxuriant.
"As I said, times have changed.
"Not like before."
Thales was silent.
His threat …
Was not effective.
Or …
Was it too effective?
Zayen took a step back and nonchalantly swept his shoulder, as if it was tainted.
"You don't want to be f * cked to death by me, Your Highness.
"Before you meet a real enemy."
Thales' expression changed.
He slowly raised his head.
"So far, the only enemy I can see is you."
Zayen burst out laughing as if he had heard a joke.
"How to choose a friend or foe is an art, Your Highness.
"Constellation is at peace and has a bright future." His smile remained, but his tone became more subtle, "Those who can see are friends.
"Those who can't see are enemies."
Zayen picked up the wine glass in his hand. The wine was still in the glass, and the color was new.
"Better to die for a friend than to die for an enemy."
He smiled warmly and immediately loosened his fingers.
Thales' pupils constricted.
Crack!
The wine glass fell to the ground and shattered into pieces, sending crystal shards everywhere.
Every piece of shard reflected the lights in the hall with a different kind of light and shadow.
Zayen did not linger and turned to leave.
"That's my property."
Behind him, Thales looked at the shards on the ground and said coldly.
"That's right." Zayen did not turn his head.
"So you feel heartache."
Thales frowned.
"Aren't you afraid?"
Watching Zayen walk further and further away, Thales could not help but raise his voice.
"In Eternal Star City, you openly challenged the authority of the royal family, alienated Jadestar and its vassals, destroyed the relationship between Renaissance Palace and Western Desert, and endangered the heir of the kingdom.
"Or are you still planning on your coronation after the Jadestar royal family dies?"
Thales stared at Zayen's back and lowered his voice.
"My father will not be happy."
Zayen let out a cold laugh.
"After what happened, you might be very busy tomorrow."
He still did not turn around and only showed his back to Thales.
He replied loudly, "But if you have time, you might as well visit Byrael in prison."
Thales was stunned.
"Believe me, His Majesty will be very happy."
Zayen's voice was getting further and further away, echoing.
"You might be the only one who will be unhappy."
Thales' heart skipped a beat.
"Why?"
"Because I said, this is just a warning."
Zayen's steps were as elegant as ever, his posture calm and noble.
"So I left you a little surprise."
Thales was puzzled.
"Be smart, Your Highness, and know your place."
The Duke of South Coast's voice gradually lost its emotion.
"I said, if there's a next time, it will be a declaration of war."
What?
A declaration of war?
Thales stared at him in disbelief. Displeasure, anger, and disgust gathered in one place.
What the hell is this damn condescending bastard doing?
A next time?
Does he still think that Thales offended him tonight?
Thales was both shocked and angry. For a moment, he did not know whether to be angry or to mock him.
Zayen's figure disappeared into the distance. He left the hall and met up with his butler.
"It's over?"
Mallos' footsteps came from behind him.
Thales sighed.
No.
It was just the beginning.
When he thought of the ordeal he went through today and what he would face tomorrow …
It was only the first day and the first banquet.
Thales, who had forced himself to act like a pretentious person for the whole night, exhaled and fell into a chair wearily. He felt indignant.
"I still don't understand why he hates me so much."
Thales snorted coldly. Looking at the broken glass on the floor, he became even more displeased and wanted to throw the empty glass in his hand to vent his anger.
But halfway through his arm, the wealthy Duke of Star Lake took a few deep breaths, indignantly but rationally … put the glass back on the table.
"Like I brought disaster to his whole family," Thales was unhappy.
Mallos came behind him and nodded silently.
"Then have you caused trouble?"
The prince turned his head and rolled his eyes at him.
"I had Doyle change shifts in advance. He has to go back and settle his family down," Mallos was obviously used to the duke's death stare. He reported indifferently,
"Of course, tomorrow —"
'Tomorrow.
'Oh, no.'
Thales covered his face and let out a painful groan, interrupting the captain of his personal guards.
"By the way, Mallos."
The watchman appeared to be listening attentively.
"Your temporary sniper team." Thales raised his head weakly.
"They haven't changed shifts yet, right?"
Mallos glanced at the periphery.
"No. Why? "
'Since they haven't changed shifts …'
Thales snorted coldly and glanced in the direction where the Duke of South Coast left.
His expression was dark and his words were chilling.
"Then what if I order them to follow in secret and kill Zayen Covendier …"
"No," Mallos answered quickly.
Thales frowned.
"Why?"
"Because," Mallos turned around calmly and without the slightest hint of guilt,
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