Other than the indistinct sound of breathing, Ballard Room was so quiet that a pin drop could be heard.
But as the chief commander of the royal guards, Lord Adrian felt that this was one of the most torturous, torturous, and painful moments of his life.
Flames flickered and the shadows of the blades swayed.
The setting sun illuminated the wall, blood red.
Separated by a table, the supreme king and the Duke of Star Lake faced each other in silence.
Everyone else went silent like cicadas in the winter. Amidst their fear and nervousness, they waited for this strange and fragile silence.
Finally, after an unknown amount of time, King Kessel's deep and forbearing voice slowly rang in the room.
"Why?"
'Why.'
The king's words were calm and slow.
But contained an unbearable weight.
The young duke's low laughter responded to him.
Thales rested his forehead on the hilt of the load-bearing sword, exhaled, and stopped laughing.
"Shouldn't you have expected this to happen?"
"After you summoned me to the palace to have an audience with you, and after you raided Mindis Hall …"
Thales raised his head, his eyes like lightning.
"Your Majesty?"
The prince's reply was light and indifferent, but it made many people who had been tense for a long time inexplicably heave a sigh of relief.
The king stared at his son, the blue ocean in his eyes regaining its incomprehensible depth.
He did not think for long before he snorted and turned his head, as if the person in the seat opposite him was not worthy of his attention.
"Adrian, Marico."
The Chief Guard Captain and the Second Vanguard bowed and pressed their hands on their chests.
"Your Majesty?"
"Your Majesty!"
King Kessel picked up the letter on the table and began to read.
"The Duke of Star Lake is overtired and mentally unstable."
The king's casual words instantly made everyone's expressions change!
Even Thales frowned slightly.
"Let the royal guards escort him back to Mindis Hall to recuperate.
"Keep a low profile.
"The Imperial Conference continues."
Marico gladly accepted the order, and before he could wave his hand, one or two of the more daring and disgruntled guards had already stepped forward.
Gilbert's face turned pale with fright.
"Your Majesty! No! "
Even Prime Minister Cullen frowned.
"Your Majesty, will you reconsider?"
The people from Mindis Hall outside the door were just as anxious, but Wya and Ralf, who were the first to move, already had a few swords pressed against their necks. Glover was pinned to the ground by a few of his comrades from the Vanguard Division, and he could not even breathe. Doyle, who was yelling loudly, had his mouth and nose covered. He could only shout, "No!"
The battle-hardened Cohen used the black horse as a barrier and struggled back and forth, causing the royal guards to panic. But at some point, a scar-faced man from Ballard Room appeared behind him. He said something, but the ferocious man suddenly froze. Then, the scar-faced man struck the back of Cohen's head, causing him to fall to the ground.
The restless Jenny bared her teeth fiercely, but an experienced old guard lit a burning torch and pressed it in front of her. The Big Black Horse whimpered and immediately became obedient to protect itself.
Thales looked away from the corner of his eye. He knew that he had no backup, even though they were muddle-headed when they entered the palace.
"But Your Majesty."
Adrian, the captain of the guards, raised his hand to placate Marico, who was about to make a move, and said tentatively:
"From here to Mindis Hall —"
"Fabio Adrian." The king was so absorbed in reading the letter that he did not even raise his head.
When his full name was called, Lord Adrian immediately lowered his head and shut his mouth.
"I've been lenient enough today."
"No matter who it is."
Even though he was speaking to the captain of the guards, everyone present, including Gilbert, the vassals, and the guards felt their hearts tremble.
"Don't test my patience."
At this moment.
Dang!
A sharp sound rose, and the group was shocked. They turned their heads around simultaneously.
Thales held the hilt upside down and smashed the tip of the Load-Bearer against the floor tiles of Ballard Room to check the quality of the Ancient Empire's sword.
Clang, clang, clang!
In front of everyone, Thales ignored the gasps. With the help of the Sin of Hell's River, he lifted the load-bearing person onto his shoulders and clicked his tongue in amazement.
The guards closest to the youth were about to step forward, but when they saw this scene, they couldn't help but stop.
Bearers.
As expected of the blockhead's family heirloom sword.
Not only was its quality up to standard, it was also very heavy.
Just maintaining this posture without collapsing had used up a lot of his strength.
Not to mention, he also had to prevent the blade from accidentally injuring him when it was right in front of him.
It was just like his title.
"I keep thinking that this room is too monotonous."
Feeling the cold blade on his shoulders, the prince raised his head and faced the tense people with a cheerful attitude, "Maybe I should hang one more painting, such as …"
Thales narrowed his eyes, and his tone instantly became serious.
"'Ascension King's Sacrifice'?"
At that moment, many people could not help but hold their breaths.
Thales saw their reactions and smiled coldly. He became even more unruly and unruly.
"Or 'The Iron Hand King Kills His Son'?"
'Kills his son.'
The group was first stunned, then they looked at the king nervously.
"Stop fooling around, Your Highness!"
Seeing that the situation was getting worse, Gilbert spoke sternly. He had always been polite to the prince, and his face was filled with pain. He called Thales by his name.
"Thales!"
But Thales only returned him a smile and said nothing.
Only the setting sun shone on his collar, casting a bright red hue.
Faced with the prince's response, Lord Adrian sighed helplessly and looked at the king again.
At the end of the long table, the Iron Hand King seemed to come back to his senses and slowly looked up from the letter.
"This is the kingdom's Imperial Conference."
He glanced sideways at his son and snorted without a care.
"I don't have time to listen to an aggrieved brat cry his heart out."
The vassals looked at each other. King Kessel's tone suddenly turned cold.
"If he wants to commit suicide, let him be."
Let him be.
In the midst of his shock, Thales could not help but clench his teeth.
"Jadestar does not need idiots."
The Iron Hand King lowered his head and returned his gaze to the letter.
"Or cowards."
Everyone's gaze returned to the Duke of Star Lake.
The vassals nervously paid attention to his gaze and words, while the guards stared at his movements and the tip of his sword.
Thales felt a chill in his heart.
At that moment, it was as if he had returned to Dragon Clouds City and the Hall of Heroes in Heroic Spirit Palace six years ago.
At that time, the Born King and the five archdukes' gazes were the same as now. Like thousands of sharp arrows, they shot towards the sword in his hand that was too heavy to hold.
They were waiting.
Waiting for him to commit suicide.
Or surrender.
It had been six years.
Nothing had changed.
Except for one thing.
Thales' gaze became determined. The Sin of Hell's River gathered like a trickle, helping him to grip the bearer on his shoulder.
The sword in his hand was no longer unbearably heavy.
"Then you must be an idiot and a coward, father?"
Thales spoke calmly, but his words were as sharp as a knife.
"Or, you don't want to be a Jadestar again?
"Is that so?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the content insulting the king was met with a dead silence before it caused an uproar.
The king did not move. Only his eyes emitted a cold light.
It had been eighteen years since Kessel Jadestar was crowned king after the Bloody Year.
During the era of the Iron Hand King's rule, the last time someone directly contradicted or even insulted the supreme king was during the National Conference six years ago.
The duke who committed treason and spoke rudely was already in prison. He was destined to spend the rest of his life behind bars.
Many people who hoped that the situation would calm down had their hopes dashed. They could not help but sigh in pain.
The Royal Guards' gazes were solemn. They pressed on their weapons and nodded to each other as a final confirmation.
"Your Highness …" Gilbert's face was ashen. He closed his eyes and did not speak anymore.
But unexpectedly, the king moved slightly and put down the letter.
"Oh?"
King Kessel's questioning voice rose, stopping a few guards who were prepared to launch a sneak attack from behind.
The king stared at the prince for a very, very long time.
But this time, there was something else in Kessel's gaze.
"Why?"
Even though it was just a word that came out of nowhere, Thales knew what he wanted to ask.
It was like a telepathic connection unique to Jadestars.
"You know why."
Thales tapped the ridge of the sword and said calmly,
"Regardless of the reason, if the heir to the throne dies in Renaissance Palace, your rule will suffer an unprecedented destructive blow.
"The same goes for Constellation."
The heir to the throne.
Die in Renaissance Palace.
With just a few words, the vassals in front of the king frowned, their hearts filled with countless schemes.
King Kessel continued to stare at Thales, his eyes slowly widening.
"Father, if you force me to my death here, you will be destroying your own path and digging your own grave.
"Of course," Thales shrugged, relaxed and content.
"If you want to commit suicide, it's up to you."
In that second, the Iron Hand King's gaze was cold.
But Thales did not avoid it. His gaze met the king's.
"Anyway, Jadestar does not need an idiot.
"Or a coward."
Thales' voice faded away.
At that moment, everyone present stared at their prince in shock.
Lord Adrian pressed his forehead helplessly and painfully.
There was nothing more horrifying than a father-son conversation.
The temperature in Ballard Chamber returned to its lowest point.
A few seconds later, King Kessel laughed.
He sneered.
"Too late."
He leaned forward slightly and appeared from the shadows, allowing the setting sun to carve out the outline of his determination.
"Too late."
The Iron Hand King's laughter stopped abruptly.
"From the moment the heir to the throne trespassed into the forbidden palace with the intention of rebelling."
Upon hearing the word 'rebellion', several ministers turned their heads in disbelief.
"The rule of the kingdom has been severely damaged and irreparable."
Thales' face darkened.
Gilbert covered his face in pain, the prime minister pinched the bridge of his nose in pain, and Vice Bishop Guy closed his eyes in a prayer posture.
"It is because of your shortsightedness and foolishness, child."
King Kessel said faintly.
"Your threats and bargaining chips are no longer worth a dime."
Thales exhaled, closed his eyes and lowered his head.
That's right.
Kessel had not changed.
He still had this personality, exactly the same as when Thales first met him.
He would not compromise.
He would not give in.
He would not retreat.
He could only become more determined and decisive.
The sunlight disappeared from the prince's hair.
The hilt of the load-bearer's sword dropped and rested on his knees.
Kessel snorted coldly and turned to the others.
"What are you waiting for?"
But in the next second, before the royal guards could react, Thales suddenly opened his eyes!
"Then why?
"Why do you still say that I am insane?"
The Duke of Star Lake's voice rang loudly, echoing inside and outside Ballard Room.
"Why do you still want to drag me back to Mindis Hall?
"Since it is irreparable, why don't you just give the order to kill me on the spot?"
Thales gripped the load-bearer tightly and sat up straight again.
He faced his opponent.
King Kessel snorted coldly and reacted just as quickly.
"Are you so sure that I do not dare?
"Of course you dare!"
The prince replied sternly.
"You can kill me here, secretly send my corpse out of the palace, then announce that Prince Thales died of an acute illness and passed away in Mindis Hall, just like the former 'Fog King' Mindis the First!"
Fog King.
"No …" Gilbert realized the worst outcome, and his face turned pale.
The Iron Hand King's gaze was as sharp as a knife, piercing straight at Thales.
But Thales did not wait for the other to reply and stood up with a bang!
"But the premise is …"
Amidst the sounds of unsheathing and shouts, the prince held his sword with one hand and pressed the other against the table.
He shouted angrily, "Everyone who witnessed the king killing his son, be it the ministers or the guards, must keep their mouths sealed for years, decades, or even a lifetime! Even if you have to kill them! "
At that moment, Viscount Kenney, Lord Krapen, Advisor Solder … the ministers looked at each other in disbelief.
"Ah!"
Chief Kirkirk reacted quickly. He pressed a hand to his eyes and said with a trembling voice, "That, I-I-I-I'm only here for a meeting, I didn't see anything today —"
But before he could finish, Duke Cullen stopped the Chief of Finance like a lion.
"Shut up, Kirkirk!"
The Chief of Finance was about to say something when Solder swiftly pulled him to his side and sealed his mouth.
Lord Adrian hurriedly made hand gestures, trying his best to appease the defense line that was on the verge of losing control due to the sudden turn of events.
The atmosphere was extremely tense.
"That's the only way!"
But Thales did not care about anything else. He only stared at the king in front of him, gritted his teeth and panted.
"You won't leak the news, repeat the evil example of the Ascension King's son, endanger the authority of the royal family, and threaten your rule."
But he had obviously miscalculated.
"The Ascension King? Evil example? "
On the throne, King Kessel laughed angrily.
"If we can recreate Alan the First's greatness, why not sacrifice a prince?"
As soon as these words came out, the ministers and guards were shocked again.
Thales frowned hard and gritted his teeth.
No one knew that his shoulder was starting to go numb from the pressure of Cohen's Duanmu Sword.
The Sin of Hell's River surged into his veins, soothing his pain, but tightening his nerves.
Compared to his many enemies — King Nuven, King Chapman, Zayen, Fakenhaz, Asda, Giza, the Ugly-Faced Woman, Stake — the Iron Hand King might not be the strongest, the strangest, or the scariest.
But he was definitely the toughest.
Impervious to the slightest threat.
Fearless of the worst outcome.
Not hesitant to perish together.
Compared to him, Roman Williams, with his skull on his shoulders, was simply the most gentle, considerate, and easygoing person in the world.
"Your Highness! Your Majesty! "
Seeing that the situation was spiraling out of control, the host of the Imperial Conference, Prime Minister Cullen, had to speak up to ease the situation.
"We are both Jadestars, and we are father and son." The old duke sighed. At this moment, he spoke earnestly.
"Is there a need for this?"
We are both Jadestars.
We are both father and son.
These words made Thales clench his fists and size up the Iron Hand King's sharp face again.
But at the same time, what echoed in his ears was the desolate question of the traitor Samel in the Prison of Bones.
"Is it a son killing his father, or a brother killing his brother?"
A son killing his father.
The Sin of Hell's River began to roar like a fierce beast, tearing at the cage that trapped him.
Thales stared at the Iron Hand King's neck expressionlessly.
He could not help but think of the night of Dragon's Blood, when the Born King's head fell to the ground.
Reality told him that the king's head was nothing special. Like an ordinary person, it would make a sound, roll, and bleed when it fell to the ground.
Like a hollow, rotten watermelon.
Thales tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword again.
"Stay in your seat, Bob," Kessel said coldly, rejecting the prime minister.
"Since it's a family matter, outsiders have no right to butt in."
These words were blunt, vulgar, and merciless. The senior and respected Cullen's expression immediately turned sour.
No one else dared to interrupt.
'Family matter.'
Thales snorted and tried hard to get rid of it.
"Yes, such as domestic violence."
Thales lowered his voice and said coldly,
"If you don't kill, no one will listen."
Perhaps because his tone was completely different this time, the king's gaze paused.
On the other side, Adviser Solder thought of something and could not help but sigh.
"You remind me of His Highness Horace, Duke Thales."
Lord Adrian frowned. For the first time, he put his hands behind his back and gave a secret order to the guards.
"Horace. Horace? "
The king sneered.
"He's still a long way off."
The next moment, Kessel the Fifth did not give him a chance.
"The farce is over, child.
"You have ten seconds to put down your weapon." The Iron Hand King's smile faded and he raised his hand coldly at the royal guards.
"Or your head will fall to the ground."
The Sin of Hell's River boiled restlessly. Hell's senses were activated naturally, allowing Thales to hear the shuffling of footsteps and clothes as countless guards quietly surrounded him.
Put down your weapon.
Or your head will fall to the ground.
Ten seconds.
All of this.
In exchange for his … ten seconds.
The Sin of Hell's River surged uncontrollably.
Thales stared hard into King Kessel's eyes and resisted the urge to leap up and swing his sword.
He knew that King Kessel was serious.
But it was a pity.
So was he.
"I know, father."
Thales' expression was grim and his tone was cold, just like his opponent.
"You disdain compromise and never show weakness. You still want to solve the problem as resolutely and decisively as before."
Thales knocked on the spine of the Load-Bearer's sword and was greeted with a dull metallic sound.
"But in the end, you're not doing this willingly."
The young man forgot the different looks of the courtiers, forgot the footsteps of the guards following the king's gesture, and even forgot the heavy sword on his neck. He only had eyes for the end of the long table, for the opponent he could not choose and could only face.
The Sin of Hell's River kept surging.
"You don't want to lose the entire game because of one chess piece."
Thales looked deeply at King Kessel and moved the blade in his hand an inch closer to his neck.
"The entire game?"
The Iron Hand King sneered.
"Ten seconds are up, and you're not as important as you think, child."
"Then the same goes for you, father!"
Unexpectedly, Thales shouted. He held the hilt of the sword with both hands and placed the blade horizontally in front of his throat.
The Sin of Hell's River surged wildly.
"Compared to a kingdom of 680 years and an empire of two thousand years, you and I are nothing!"
Thales glared angrily. His abdomen pressed against the table and his body leaned forward to the limit. The heavy sword on his shoulder trembled due to the lack of strength.
"Just a speck of dust."
The Sin of Hell's River roared, unwilling and indignant.
King Kessel sneered and raised his hand to swing down.
"Unless, father," Thales gritted his teeth, ignoring the stinging pain in his neck. He felt that everything around him except for the pair of blue eyes had become dazed.
"We were born for Constellation."
Born for Constellation.
The Iron Hand King's expression changed.
His hand gesture stopped in mid-air, motionless.
Time seemed to stop at this moment.
"Stop! Retreat! Retreat! Retreat! "
Lord Adrian spoke hurriedly, stopping a few royal guards who could not restrain themselves and wanted to make the first move before His Majesty gave the order.
"Well," Viscount Kenney took a deep breath and mustered up his courage to smooth things over, "why don't we —"
But Prime Minister Cullen's large palm hit him hard on the shoulder!
The Minister of Trade's sincere words were smashed back into his stomach.
The Duke of Eastern Sea was expressionless. He just put his index finger to his lips.
Accustomed to all sorts of situations, he knew that this was a conversation that only Jadestar could participate in, a language that only the royal family could understand.
The silent oppression lasted for a long time.
Until the king's voice came faintly.
"What are you going to do?"
His voice was like fine sand, and his words were like a blade hidden in a sheath.
Thales took a deep breath and smiled.
At this moment, his tone was relieved and relaxed.
"A quarter of an hour."
The prince said absentmindedly,
"Constellation, the entire kingdom, all we need is for us to be alone …
"A quarter of an hour."
Gilbert's eyes widened. A few drops of scarlet blood seeped out from between Thales' sword and his collar and fell onto the meeting table.
King Kessel did not answer.
His gaze was fixed on the blood on the meeting table.
One second, two seconds.
Finally, the king slowly put down his left hand that was poised to strike.
Instead, his right hand clenched into a fist and slammed it on the table!
"Everyone."
King Kessel's voice was cold and stern.
"Stand down."
As soon as he said this, the crowd burst into an uproar.
Only Thales exhaled fiercely when he heard that.
Damn it.
The Sin of Hell's River subsided unwillingly.
The prince took a few deep breaths. He fell back into his seat and put the load-bearing sword down between his knees.
Only then did he realize that although winter had arrived, the hilt of the sword in his palm was already soaked in sweat.
At this moment.
"No, Marico!"
At that moment, the Sin of Hell's River in Thales' body suddenly woke up and roared violently!
Oh no!
Thales subconsciously wanted to raise his sword.
But he was too late.
Just like Adrian's exclamation.
Thud!
Thales only saw a shadow flash before his eyes. His chin hurt and he immediately saw stars!
Bang!
There was another muffled sound. Thales felt a sharp pain in his abdomen, and all his resistance was drained from his body.
* Clang! *
Under everyone's astonished gazes, the load-bearing sword fell to the ground and swayed endlessly.
Three seconds later, the dizzy Thales opened his eyes and panted in pain.
"The rebellion is over, Your Highness."
The second vanguard of the Royal Guards, Marico, pressed him firmly to the ground. His arms were locked under his armpits, and his knees were pressed against his neck, making it difficult for the prince to breathe and make a sound.
"This punch is for our brothers who guard the palace gate."
The vanguard looked at the blood at the corner of the prince's mouth, and furiously retracted his fist before spitting to the side.
"Brat."
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
