"Your Majesty, gentlemen."
The Head Guard of the Royal Guards, Lord Fabio Adrian, carried an Everlasting Lamp and walked through the door in a dignified manner. A few well-trained Royal Guards followed behind him.
"Forgive me for interrupting, but it's time for dinner."
Although they were acquaintances, the sight of them fully armed and ready for battle still gave everyone a fright.
"Fabio, you look good." Duke Cullen touched his belt and shifted his butt without batting an eyelid, his eyes never leaving the sword at Captain Adrian's waist.
"Just to call us for dinner?"
"Thank you." Adrian flashed a friendly smile and bowed deeply to King Kessel.
"Please do not panic, we are just doing a small drill. Now, please follow me out of here in an orderly manner."
But an impatient voice interrupted him.
"Fabio, what's going on?"
Advisor Solder frowned as he looked at the Royal Guards and the increasing number of guards outside, paying particular attention to their hands on the hilts of their swords.
"Why are there so many people in this guard formation?"
Lord Adrian smiled. He first glanced at the King at the end of the long table, then said politely, "It's nothing.
Sir Solder, we brought forward the drill this month, that's all — "
But Solder did not buy it.
"That's enough, Fabio!"
The military advisor snorted coldly.
"We served in the regular army together and experienced the Bloody Year together. You and I both know that this is not some bullsh * t routine drill.
"You are facing the entire Imperial Conference, and everyone here is an elite of the kingdom. What is there that you can't say?"
This sentence made many of the ministers, who had no military experience, nervous.
As they spoke, the commotion outside Ballard did not stop, but grew louder and louder. Shouts and hurried footsteps could be heard from time to time.
Captain Adrian looked at Solder solemnly and sighed deeply.
He glanced at the King again, hesitating to speak.
At the end of the table, King Kessel was as calm as ever. He crooked his finger and gestured for Adrian to come closer.
"Lord Adrian."
Gilbert could see some clues, and he spoke gently.
"If there is any inconvenience, of course we can cooperate — we are hungry anyway, aren't we?"
But just as Adrian approached the table, the footsteps outside the door suddenly grew louder, almost deafening.
What followed was the sound of weapons being unsheathed!
"They're here!"
"Guard Division, hold steady!"
"Who the f * ck called the sniper team over?!"
"Protect His Majesty!"
"Back off!"
The shouts of the Royal Guards rose and fell one after another. They were all different, but it made Lord Adrian's face turn pale. The Captain of the Royal Guards turned around and protected King Kessel behind him.
Solder immediately reacted. He instinctively reached for his waist, only to remember that he had left his weapon at the palace gate.
Only then did the officials in the room realize that something was wrong.
Duke Cullen sprang up nimbly from his chair and drew a small dagger from his belt.
Gilbert grabbed his staff and rushed towards the king.
Kirkle disappeared with a whoosh, leaving only his butt exposed under the table.
Viscount Kenney was the first to rush to the door, but he remembered something and quickly returned to approach the king.
Lord Krapen's face was ashen, but he forced himself to remain calm. Archdeacon Guy closed his eyes and muttered something.
"Enough!"
Lord Adrian's angry roar shocked everyone.
Following his order, the chaos outside the door was the first to stop.
In Ballard Room, three crisp thuds came from the conference table and drifted away.
Thud, thud, thud.
"Hold steady."
King Kessel retracted his fingers and calmly looked at the officials who had different reactions.
"It's not like I haven't seen it before."
He remained seated behind the conference table, seemingly unaffected.
The officials who had overreacted finally reacted. They were either embarrassed or embarrassed as they hurriedly tidied themselves up.
Gilbert exhaled and sat back in his seat. Prime Minister Cullen nonchalantly tucked the dagger that should not have been there back into his belt.
Solder, on the other hand, bent down disdainfully and lifted Kirkle out from under the table.
Everyone returned to their proper appearance. They then realized that the originally spacious door of Ballard Room had been completely blocked by the wall of Royal Guards. They could not see the scene outside at all.
Every guard was facing the door, leaving only their backs to the officials in the room.
The officials looked at each other, confused.
"Why, is there an assassin?" Solder asked in confusion.
"Adrian?" King Kessel spoke again, with dissatisfaction and questioning in his voice.
The Captain of the Royal Guards responded with an apologetic and ashamed smile.
"Sir!"
At the same time, a high-ranking Royal Guard parted the wall of guards and squeezed into the room in exasperation.
"Captain Adrian!"
Adrian's expression darkened as he called out his subordinate's name.
"Marico?"
The Second Vanguard of the Royal Guards, Marico held down his weapon and shook his head regretfully before bowing to the other important people.
"Your Majesty, my lords."
Aydrian sighed bitterly as he understood what he meant.
"What's going on outside the door?" The king's voice rang steadily, voicing everyone's thoughts.
"Get them out of the way, don't block it."
Adrian turned around, bowed, and forced a smile.
"Your Majesty, this is just a routine measure, we only need one minute …"
Unexpectedly, King Kessel, who had been calm all day, suddenly raised his voice and shouted angrily at the wall of people at the door.
"Royal Guards, get out of the way!"
The guards could not be more familiar with the king's voice. The guards guarding the door instinctively retreated to the left and right, revealing the first row of guards, then the next row, then the next row, and the next row … until they revealed the deep corridor outside the door that was dotted with lights.
Everyone was stunned the moment they saw the corridor outside the door.
Only the king remained calm, and his gaze was cold.
Adrian could not stop him in time. He could only sigh.
Outside the door, the Royal Guards were densely packed and ready for battle. With Ballard Room as the center, they filled all the spots in the corridor where people could stand.
All the guards had solemn expressions as they faced the depths of the corridor warily and nervously.
It was as if the most terrifying enemy was there.
The noisy Renaissance Palace fell silent at this moment.
* Thud … Thud … Thud … *
A strange but clear sound came from the depths of the corridor, from the end of the line of sight.
The people in Ballard Room widened their eyes.
A tall horse stepped on the stone slabs in Renaissance Palace. While facing the countless guards and lights around it, it slowly walked over from the corridor.
The Royal Guards at the front were under the most pressure. They held the hilts of their swords tightly, but kept retreating as the horse approached.
"What's going on …" Lord Krapen was in disbelief, but he immediately shut his mouth.
Because around the black horse, a few people who were clearly dressed differently from the Royal Guards gradually appeared in front of everyone.
It was a small group of people. They nervously surrounded the horse and moved forward with trepidation.
"I don't want to say this, but I recognize that big guy."
Solder looked at the tall man leading the group with a headache. The latter was sweating profusely as he looked at the Royal Guards around him and raised his hands.
"It's the boy from the Karabeyan family. His father sent him to the army for training. He seems to have made some contributions. I even praised him when I went to the Western Desert to work in the army …"
Karabeyan?
Everyone was stunned.
"Damn it, that's the youngest son of the Glover family." Jolene narrowed her eyes and looked at the companion beside the tall man who was even stronger than the former.
"Lozano asked me to do him a favor and help his younger brother solve the problem of jealousy in Red Street Market …" Lin Yun said.
'Glover.'
This surname increased everyone's suspicion.
"Ah," Duke Cullen's voice rose in a thought-provoking manner. His gaze focused on another person who was panting and limping.
"That unlucky guy who got into a duel last night, from the Doyle family … What's his name again? I think it's Danny? David? "
Doyle.
Everyone's mood became more and more solemn.
The small group of people was getting closer and closer to Ballard Room, but the Royal Guards in front of them did not stop them. They just kept retreating.
"Uh, if that's the case, that horse, I remember now …"
Viscount Kenney's gaze was focused on the beast and he said in confusion,
"When I went to Northland, I brought along a gift and a mount from my country for Prince Thales …"
Among the ministers, Gilbert did not say a word.
He just stared blankly at the young swordsman at the front who was holding a single-edged sword and facing the Royal Guards with a nervous expression.
It was as if he was hit by something.
However, these invaders of extraordinary origins were nothing.
When their figures dispersed and revealed the person they were escorting, the air completely froze.
It was a teenager.
Compared to the nervous expressions of the people around him, he strolled forward leisurely, as if he was not worried at all.
At that moment, behind the meeting table, King Kessel's pupils suddenly constricted!
And in Ballard Room, all the ministers sucked in a cold breath.
"Prince?"
"What the hell …"
"The Duke of Star Lake!"
"Prince Thales!"
"The troublemaker is in trouble again …"
"May the setting sun protect him …"
No one noticed that the scar-faced detective from the Secret Intelligence Department clenched his fists tightly under his sleeves.
The king's voice rang faintly.
"Fabio Adrian."
The Iron Hand King slowly called out the full name of his personal guard captain, as if it was chilling to the bone.
"What? What? Happened?"
In Ballard Room, the ministers immediately quieted down.
Lord Adrian's body stiffened. Then, he turned around and responded with a salute. His words were formal.
"Your Majesty, Prince Thales missed his father dearly and came back carelessly … carelessly …"
Looking at the tall horse approaching, Adrian's eyebrows twitched.
"Speak human language," the king's reply was simple, slow, and strange.
Adrian took a deep breath and continued.
"The prince is still young and accidentally entered the palace gate …"
* Thud. *
A soft knock cut off Adrian's words.
"Obviously," the Iron Hand King's voice was very soft, as if he was speaking quietly with his breath, gentle and indifferent.
"Your commanding officer does not know how to speak human language, Marico."
The second vanguard, Marico trembled slightly.
Adrian closed his eyes and sighed, but this could not stop the king's request.
"You answer."
Within two seconds, Marico's chest rose and fell. He glanced at his commanding officer and gritted his teeth.
"Your Majesty, from what I saw …"
Marico took a step forward and pointed angrily at the corridor.
"The Duke of Star Lake and his entourage of eight trespassed the palace grounds with weapons without an appointment or notification!
"Their intentions … unknown!"
Everyone was shocked!
Duke Cullen dug his ears desperately, as if suspecting that he had heard wrongly. Gilbert stared at Thales in disbelief, his lips moving.
At first, the air in Ballard Room was only stagnant, but after these words, it turned cold.
"Hmm …"
At the end of the long table, King Kessel's pupils reflected the slowly approaching Thales.
He snorted nonchalantly in response.
"And you let him in just like that?"
Marico frowned and was about to respond, but Adrian beat him to it.
"Your Majesty, the guards on duty at the palace gate today are not good with words and are rigid in their actions. They had a conflict with His Highness' men. There was some verbal friction and some pushing …"
But the king's voice rang again.
"Marico?"
The second vanguard gulped and glanced at his commanding officer again. Adrian looked at him, troubled.
In the end, Marico no longer hesitated and said indignantly,
"Your Majesty, just now, Duke Thales tried to force his way into the palace. The guards at the gate were loyal to their duties and refused to let him in, so they fought with the duke's men. There was blood on both sides —"
"Since you are loyal to your duties," King Kessel interrupted him mercilessly, his tone was flat, but inexplicably frightening.
"Then how did he get in?"
Marico shuddered and immediately lowered his head, unable to hide his shame.
The vassals' gazes moved back and forth between the slowly approaching Thales and Marico, and finally returned to the king.
"Marico …" Adrian reminded him softly by the side.
But Kessel glanced at him and cut off Adrian's words.
Marico took a deep breath and gritted his teeth.
"After the blood, things became strange. Many people quickly gathered at the palace gate to watch, and the scene was very big …"
Adrian coughed and continued Danger's line of thought.
"I was the one who made the decision. We had to let His Highness in and deal with this matter in the palace, or else the entire Eternal Star City would have seen that scene. For the sake of the kingdom —"
* Bang! *
There was a loud sound, but it was the king who slammed his fist on the table!
What followed was his extremely cold and angry rebuke.
"Is there no one who saw it now?!"
Once he said this, Adrian and Marico bowed together and knelt down on one knee.
The vassals in the room did not even dare to breathe loudly.
At that moment …
"Father!"
The unique voice of a young man came from afar.
"Why are you angry?"
The vassals turned their heads in unison. At some point, Thales had already walked to a distance where they could see his movements clearly.
In this tense moment, the prince's voice had a hint of laziness and ease.
The strange thing was that the prince was actually carrying a sword on his shoulder. The blade of the sword was pointed backwards, and as he walked, it swayed and swayed, pointing straight at the ceiling of Renaissance Palace.
King Kessel frowned.
"Marico, what happened?"
The second vanguard who knew his mistake was shocked and did not know how to answer.
Adrian, who was beside him, immediately understood. He knew what the king was asking, and he answered respectfully.
"After entering the palace, we were about to capture him, but His Highness immediately put the sword to his own neck. He used so much force that it even drew blood."
The vassals were shocked. They focused their gazes, and only then did they realize that there were traces of unusual red on Thales' collar.
"He walked forward step by step, and his sword never left his neck. We did not dare to act rashly. To prevent accidents, we could only retreat."
After listening to the Royal Guards' explanation, Duke Cullen's gaze on Thales became more and more interesting, while Gilbert became more and more worried.
Compared to his previous rage, King Kessel did not immediately reply.
He leaned his back against the chair again, and his brows were tightly furrowed.
"So, these are my Royal Guards."
The king exhaled. His tone returned to its previous calmness, but there was a hint of mockery in it.
"Now, I finally know how my father died."
Everyone's breathing froze.
These words were extremely heavy. Lord Adrian could only lower his head, close his eyes, sigh, and apologize.
On the other side, the younger Marico gritted his teeth and said indignantly,
"Your Majesty, please let us —"
But Thales' words came again, interrupting everyone's thoughts.
"Father!"
Everyone looked over. The Duke of Star Lake and his attendants had stopped at some point in time, and they stopped in front of a row of guards who would rather die than retreat.
The prince laboriously shifted the heavy sword to his other shoulder, causing the Royal Guards around him to feel nervous.
But he did not look at the people in Ballard Room. He only scrutinized the portrait near him. Sand King Kessel the Fourth was fully armed and riding on a horse. He raised his head and looked into the distance. His gaze was firm, his posture was straight, and he looked heroic.
But Thales knew that a century ago, the direction the Sand King in the portrait ran to …
Was a war that was destined to be lost.
"The meeting has been going on for so long. Aren't you tired?"
Thales shifted his gaze back to Ballard Room. He activated his hell's senses, allowing him to see King Kessel clearly under the lights and the setting sun.
He ignored the Royal Guards who had terrifying gazes around him, smiled slightly, and raised his voice.
"Shall we talk?"
In Ballard Room, everyone's gazes returned to King Kessel.
Behind the meeting table, the Iron Hand King stared coldly at his son. After a while, he spoke.
"Let him in."
Marico quickly turned around.
"Your Majesty?"
King Kessel sneered.
"I said, let him in."
Adrian shook his head at Marico, then ordered the Royal Guards inside and outside the room.
On the invaders' side, the prince's attendant, Wya, gulped when he saw a gap in the Royal Guards' defense line.
"Your Highness?"
Thales exhaled.
"All of you, stay." The prince bared his teeth as he felt the soreness in his shoulders and the cut on his neck.
"Cooperate with us later, don't resist."
Cohen, who was in charge of clearing the path, was stunned. His face was pale from fear.
"Huh?"
Ralf, who was at the back of the formation, also turned around. His gaze was displeased.
"Don't worry, all of you are my subordinates, they probably won't …"
Thales paused for a moment and swallowed the second half of his sentence.
'Won't beat them up too harshly?
'After all, this is a rebellion.'
Around them, the densely packed Royal Guards were still nervous, as if they were facing a great enemy.
Beside Thales, Jenny, the black horse, felt the terrible atmosphere and neighed uneasily.
"I know, it's too dark here. You don't like it, right?"
Thales turned around and comforted Jenny quietly, "It's okay."
"Me too."
Jenny whimpered and quieted down, feeling wronged.
The Duke of Star Lake stopped smiling. He carried the incredibly heavy longsword and strode forward.
Just like countless times in the past, he walked forward alone.
The prince's sudden approaching figure made the Royal Guards around him spread out abruptly. Like a whistling arrow shooting into the forest, it startled countless birds.
Thales could feel that when he crossed the threshold and brushed past the Royal Guards, the vanguard named Marico stared at the longsword on his neck. His muscles twitched rhythmically, as if he was waiting for an opportunity to attack. But Adrian, who was beside him, held him down firmly.
"Finally." Thales stepped through the door of Ballard Room unscathed and saw King Kessel behind the meeting table.
"This journey was really not easy."
The prince stopped in front of the meeting table and seemed to be in high spirits.
"You are well protected, father."
Even your own son had to shed blood to meet you. "
King Kessel only stared at him coldly. There was not even a hint of obvious expression on his face. It was just as Thales expected.
Unlike before, the prince did not pay attention to the king. He looked around with interest.
In front of him, the ministers of the Imperial Conference stared at him with dumbfounded expressions. Their expressions were interesting.
Behind him, countless Royal Guards glared at him resentfully and gritted their teeth.
"As expected, Anker was right …"
Without waiting for the others to react, Thales sighed and tightened his grip on the sword beside his neck. He lamented to himself, "That's right.
He sighed and lamented, "If I don't kill, no one will listen."
'Even if it's my own life.'
He narrowed his eyes and looked back at King Kessel.
'Similarly, if I don't rebel, the tyrant will be fearless. He might even think that he is very popular.
'What kind of world is this?!'
"Your Highness!"
In the Imperial Conference, Gilbert was the first to be unable to hold back. He tried his best to hide his anxiety and forced a smile.
"What are you doing …?"
Thales turned his head, and his eyes lit up.
"Gilbert, how are you?" The prince's tone was very bright. There was no hint of gloominess, and it was a stark contrast to the atmosphere in Renaissance Palace.
"By the way, Wya is back."
Thales flashed his thumb behind him. He did not care whether his thumb was correct or not. He just chuckled.
"A reunion between father and son. How touching."
For some reason, Thales, who had been filled with pressure when he entered and left Renaissance Palace a few times, actually felt relaxed and happy at that moment.
It was as if he had removed all his burdens.
But his smile did not last long.
Because at that moment, Gilbert's expression was extremely complicated.
He stared at Thales' face, then at the sword on his shoulder. He seemed to be smiling bitterly, grieving, sighing, and feeling grief.
It made Thales stunned for a moment.
"I know, Your Highness!"
Gilbert sucked in a deep breath and lowered his head. When he looked up again, he was beaming with joy.
"You are not satisfied with your marriage."
Gilbert's smile froze, and he suppressed his rapid breathing.
"I understand."
When he said this, many people were confused.
Thales was also stunned.
"Marriage? What marriage — "
"But you don't have to be so anxious!" Gilbert cut him off fiercely. While he talked to himself, he gave Thales an anxious look.
"I told you, just wait for me at the entrance of the palace. I will explain it to you …"
Gilbert laughed, turned his head, and smiled bitterly at the others.
"You know, young people are not satisfied with their marriage candidates. They are a little impulsive and wanted to clarify things with me …
"And our meeting went on for too long. He could not stay, so he …"
Thales blinked and gradually understood. He could not help but feel warmth in his heart.
But it was a pity.
'Gilbert …'
"I see." Deputy Bishop Guy reacted quickly. He smiled faintly and nodded.
"Marriage is indeed a big matter. May the Goddess bless …"
Viscount Kenney was born noble. He also reacted and laughed heartily.
"Oh, yes, yes. Of course, we were young once, we understand …"
Prime Minister Cullen also blinked and shook his head like a kind and amiable old man.
"I still remember that His Majesty once made a fuss about marriage in front of the late king …"
The ministers in the Imperial Conference laughed continuously. They had excellent chemistry and soon got along well, making the atmosphere in Ballard Room much more comfortable.
Most of the Royal Guards also understood what was going on. Unknowingly, they began to laugh and relax their tense muscles.
But Adrian sadly noticed that in the face of such an atmosphere, only two people were unmoved.
King Kessel did not laugh. He stared blankly at Thales, as if there was no one else in his eyes at that moment.
Thales put on a fake smile. There was no warmth in his eyes when he looked back at the king, only an eager challenge.
"Fabio, very good. You are very responsible. It was just a false alarm." Advisor Solder exhaled and gave Adrian a thumbs up.
"But the exercise was very effective. I suggest that we reward our brothers …"
Clang!
A muffled sound of metal colliding suddenly rang out!
The Royal Guards who had not completely relaxed shuddered and unsheathed their swords!
"Steady!"
Adrian bellowed, calming down a possible conflict.
The Royal Guards who had just come to their senses breathed rapidly and looked at each other nervously. Only then did they put away their weapons under the strict orders of their commanding officer.
The ministers in front of the Imperial Conference were tongue-tied in disbelief.
"Sorry, it's too heavy." The person responsible for the muffled sound, Thales, breathed heavily. He laughed and dragged the blade from the ground.
"No wonder it's called 'Load-Bearer'."
King Kessel narrowed his eyes. The emotions in his eyes became more and more indescribable.
After this incident, the ministers' efforts were completely interrupted.
Gilbert's expression only became more bitter.
This made Thales feel a little guilty.
But soon, he put this behind him. He stepped forward nonchalantly and reached out his hand.
Swoosh!
A few of the Royal Guards unsheathed their weapons again.
"Don't worry."
This time, Thales chuckled and walked to the discussion table. He gestured for everyone to relax.
"I just want to give myself …"
The prince sat down casually, patted the shoulder of the person next to him, and looked into the Iron Hand King's eyes.
"Find a chair."
Near him, Chief of Finance Kirke looked at the prince's hand patting his shoulder and revealed a smile that was uglier than crying.
Sensing the puzzled and uneasy gazes around him, Thales smiled.
'Yes.
'Be it in the Hall of Heroes or here.
'He had to find a chair for himself.
'He had to wield a heavy sword that was beyond his means.
'He bet … his life.'
Thales stared at King Kessel. He suddenly realized that every time he looked into his father's eyes, he could feel the heaviness and pressure …
'Gone.'
Even though the king's gaze was still sharp, he still felt a slight sting when he looked into it.
"Sorry to disturb you, everyone."
Thales slapped his thigh and leaned against the discussion table.
He smiled and said, "I'm afraid that today's Imperial Conference will end early."
In Ballard Room, both the courtiers and the guards looked at each other, not knowing what to do.
The king's gaze became more profound.
Thales looked at the sky outside the window and could not help but smile.
"Perhaps … it's not too early?"
He suddenly had a feeling that on the small table in front of him, there were surging waves that were constantly moving, pulling back and forth lines that were drawn back and forth.
At this moment, he stepped into this room, just like a ship parting the water, cutting the Gordian knot.
'Finally.'
"What are you doing?" King Kessel's voice rang in the silence. He enunciated his words slowly, very slowly.
"Son?"
'Son.'
When he heard this title, Thales felt a little dazed.
"Me?"
Thales paused and showed a sincere smile.
"I'm here to save you."
The prince's inexplicable answer made everyone frown.
"Oh?"
In front of everyone, the Iron Hand King let out a faint laugh.
"Save me?"
He leaned back and blended into the darkness where the sunlight could not reach. He became indifferent again.
It was as if his anger and madness had reached its peak, and he had returned to extreme calmness.
"Yes, father."
Thales' attitude was relaxed and cheerful, as if he was enjoying a conversation between father and son.
"I'm here to save you …"
The prince also leaned back and entered the warm embrace of the setting sun.
Only his gaze suddenly turned cold.
It was like a sharp blade being unsheathed.
"To be free from the burden of that crown."
Thales curled his lips and looked at the Iron Hand King with a smile.
'The crown.'
When he said this, the faces of the ministers in front of the emperor immediately turned ashen. The Royal Guards were all stunned.
Gilbert could not hide his panic. He lost his composure and shouted,
"Your Highness!"
At that moment, the light in King Kessel's eyes changed back and forth.
But in the end, it all came to one.
It was directed at the Duke of Star Lake's smile.
Thales raised his eyebrows and his smile froze.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot."
While countless people lost their composure in fear, Thales reacted and pointed at King Kessel's forehead without a crown. He smiled apologetically.
"It's not on your head."
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