Damn it.
This was Thales' first thought. Half of his face was pressed against the cold stone floor, and he could feel the dust and pain.
From the moment the Prince entered the room to force the Emperor to abdicate and raise his sword against his neck, to the moment he was careless and was captured, the situation had changed in the blink of an eye, beyond imagination.
The entire Ballard Room was so shocked that they didn't even have time to react.
Marico, the center of attention, tightened his grip on Thales' twisted arm. He took a deep breath and reported to King Kessel with a face full of excitement.
"Your Majesty, the intruder has been captured!"
King Kessel did not reply immediately.
He only stared deeply at Thales on the ground.
His face was as dark as the sea.
No one knew what he was thinking.
The royal guards were about to swarm forward, but Captain Adrian, who was frowning, raised his hand in a timely manner and stopped them five steps away.
Many people finally reacted and heaved a sigh of relief.
"Is it over?" Solder stared blankly at the immobilized prince.
Gilbert did not say a word. His face was dejected, and his eyes were red.
Prime Minister Cullen remained silent as well, lowering his head in deep thought.
"My God, thank God, thank Sunset, I knew it …" Majordomo Kirkirk struggled free of Solder's hand that was covering his mouth. He was still in a state of shock.
Finally, the atmosphere in Ballard was no longer as oppressive as before.
But Marico keenly noticed that his superior, Adrian, who was standing beside His Majesty, had a serious look on his face as he shook his head at him.
The King's voice rang out, silencing the room once again.
"By the looks of it …" Kessel stared at Thales, who had slipped and been captured, and he seemed to be deep in thought.
"It won't be that easy for you to commit suicide."
"Child."
Everyone had different moods, and their gazes all turned to the young captive on the ground.
"Of course."
Thales tried his best to resist Marico's suppression. He sucked in a mouthful of air between the dust and the ground and gritted his teeth.
"Stop wasting time."
Vanguard Marico, who was riding on him, snorted disdainfully.
Seeing that the Duke of Star Lake remained defiant and unruly despite his defeat, whispers broke out in Ballard Room.
King Kessel narrowed his eyes. The sharp glint in his eyes almost tore Thales apart.
Beside the meeting table, Gilbert, who had witnessed the entire process, heaved a long sigh and slowly stood up.
"Your Majesty, as you said."
The Foreign Affairs Minister was in a daze and did not look at Thales on the ground.
"Prince Thales is overtired. He indeed needs … rest."
Kirkirk rolled his eyes.
"Erm, Your Majesty, why don't we call it a day …"
"If there is a need, Your Majesty," Archdeacon Stylia Nydus sighed and said,
"The Sunset Church can confess the lost prince and redeem himself …"
"No." Viscount Kenney frowned and looked at his colleagues.
"Everyone, today's matter concerns the stability of the kingdom. Please keep your mouth shut …"
The officials were all talking at once, and the meeting room became lively again.
"Silence!"
At this moment, Prime Minister Cullen suddenly shouted.
The entire Ballard Room fell silent.
"It's a royal household affair."
Out of character, the Duke of Eastern Sea turned to the king in a calm and unquestionable manner.
"His Majesty has his own decision."
Everyone looked at the end of the long table again.
But King Kessel did not react.
Half of his body was in the shadow of the throne, and only his head and chest were exposed to the light of the fire, which made his eyes flicker.
The king's silence seemed to have a magical power as it gradually infected the entire meeting room. From the ministers to the guards, everyone could not help but fall silent. They did not even dare to breathe loudly.
Except for one person.
"Please, father!"
Even though the rebellion had failed, Thales' laughter was still unrestrained and piercing outside Ballard Room.
"When the time comes, do you choose to be a stupid idiot, or a suicidal coward?"
King Kessel's gaze grew sharper.
Vanguard Marico's expression turned cold. He exerted force on his knee and cut off Thales' words with a hiss of pain.
At this moment.
"Marico."
King Kessel's voice sounded faintly.
"Let him go."
At that moment, everyone was stunned.
"Yes —" Marico first accepted the order excitedly, then reacted and looked up in shock.
"Your Majesty?"
"What, what … did you say?"
He was not the only one who had this question. But Prime Minister Cullen's expression was thoughtful, Gilbert's eyes lit up with hope, and more people had doubts and fear.
Only one person was not surprised.
On the ground, at an invisible angle, Thales endured the pain and curled the corners of his mouth.
"I said …"
King Kessel snorted coldly. His voice was not loud, but it made everyone subconsciously quiet down.
"Jadestar has made a promise."
The Iron Hand King gazed deeply at his unfilial son.
"As you wish, child.
"Let's talk."
As the king's voice faded, there was a moment of silence in Ballard Room. Many people exchanged looks of bewilderment.
Marico took a deep breath, violently pulled Thales up from the ground, and pressed him heavily against the table, causing the latter to groan in pain.
"Your Majesty, Prince Thales is plotting a rebellion. Once he escapes, he may harm you …"
He was not the only one worried. The ministers in front of the king spoke at once.
"Alone?" Adviser Solder looked at the Load-Bearer's sword that had long been confiscated by the royal guards, "But Your Majesty, at least let Adrian be present to protect …"
"Well, if we want to interrogate him, we can find a cell, the kind with bars …" This was the shaken Chief Kirkirk.
"What about the Secret Intelligence Department? Let them handle it … "
"No, today's matter is not to be leaked …"
Bang!
There was a dull thud. It was King Kessel's heavy punch on the table!
The teacups on the table rattled noisily. Everyone was shocked.
The ministers and guards came to their senses. They lowered their heads and waited nervously for the king's reprimand.
The room was instantly silent.
But the Iron Hand King said nothing.
He merely lowered his eyes and maintained his silence, calm and steady, like a hunter patiently waiting for his prey.
A full ten seconds.
During this time, everyone lowered their heads and dared not breathe too loudly.
Thales was still pinned against the table.
He panted as he waited for the oppressive silence.
Finally, Lord Adrian, who was closest to the king, sighed and took a step forward, "His Majesty has made a decision.
"Royal guards, everyone, leave the room immediately!"
When the guards heard this order, they looked at each other in dismay.
"Sir!" Marico looked up hurriedly, "We can't take the risk …"
"The Emperor's Praetorian Guards!"
Guard Captain Adrian's expression changed, and he yelled,
"Why do you wave your sword?"
As soon as he said this, all the royal guards, including Marico, were shocked.
The king did not say a word and watched the scene coldly from the sidelines.
Marico glanced at Thales, who was pinned down by him, and swallowed with difficulty.
"This sword is only swung for the Emperor.
"It has no other use."
Adrian nodded expressionlessly and did not say anything else.
Seeing this, the ministers whispered to each other, but the guards looked solemn.
The next moment, Thales felt his arm loosen. The pain, restraint, and weight on his body disappeared.
"By His Majesty's order, Your Highness." Vanguard Marico took a step back and stared at the teenager on the table with vigilance and indignation. He gritted his teeth but was polite.
"Please rise!"
Thales groaned and propped himself up from the table in pain.
'F * ck.'
He spat out a mouthful of blood, panted, kicked a chair away, and sat down heavily.
Seeing that Thales had escaped, the expressions of the ministers changed slightly. The guards subconsciously put their hands on their weapons, but under Adrian's stern gaze, no one dared to act rashly.
With a cold expression, Marico bowed in the direction of the king and the commander, then turned around and arranged for the royal guards to leave the room in an orderly manner.
"My lords, the kitchen is ready for dinner," Lord Adrian said again, attracting the attention of the courtiers.
"Please?"
The guard captain raised his hand towards the door, his face beaming with joy and respect.
It was as if this was just an ordinary court meal.
From Gilbert to Solder, from Kirkirk to Kenney, the ministers looked at each other. They looked troubled, doubtful, or worried, but none of them moved.
King Kessel's gaze gradually turned cold.
"Just in time, I've been hungry for a long time! Let's eat, let's eat! "
Duke Cullen's cheerful voice rang out just in time to break the tension and awkwardness.
The prime minister stood up excitedly and stuck out his belly. At that moment, he seemed to have reverted to the charmingly naive, potbellied duke.
"Although Renaissance Palace's dishes are famous for being shabby and inflexible, and they never change …"
Just as they were about to reach the door, Prime Minister Cullen paused and turned around to give Thales a deep look.
"But I think, there might be a surprise for this meal?"
There was a hidden meaning in his words, but no one dared to respond.
Only the Iron Hand King snorted coldly.
The prime minister chuckled, squeezed through the line of guards, and disappeared outside the door.
Kirkirk, who had been fidgeting for a long time, looked left and right, shrugged with an awkward smile, and quickly caught up with the prime minister.
With Kirkirk and Cullen as precedents, and the king's resolute attitude, the other ministers, despite their doubts and worries, did not delay. One by one, they filed out of the room.
"Your Majesty, if you need anything," Solder said solemnly before he left,
"I'll be next door, waiting to be summoned."
King Kessel seemed to come back to life and nodded imperceptibly at the military advisor.
"Don't worry, Sir Solder," Thales tapped the arm of his chair and looked tiredly at King Kessel, "I'll take good care of him for you.
"This will be a frank, sincere, cordial and friendly conversation."
The teenager narrowed his eyes.
"Father, and son."
King, and prince.
Jadestar, and Jadestar.
Thales snorted softly.
"Isn't that so?"
King Kessel did not respond, but his gaze deepened.
Solder frowned and turned around decisively.
Gilbert was the last minister to leave. He looked hesitant and hesitated, but in the end, he could not help but turn around.
"Your Majesty, even if the knot in your heart is difficult to resolve, please consider the fact that you are related by blood, and that His Highness is still young …"
King Kessel's gaze, sharp as a sword, turned and landed on the Foreign Affairs Minister.
Gilbert paused for a moment.
But Thales' voice rang out again.
"Thank you, Gilbert."
With his back to Gilbert, Thales smiled and said in an unquestionable tone, "But according to the standards of the Age of the Empire, I am already an adult."
Gilbert was startled.
Thales turned around and flashed him a bright smile.
"I can already wield a sword and fight, marry a wife and have children."
King Kessel did not move, but Gilbert's gaze was complicated.
The Foreign Affairs Minister sighed and said nothing else. He staggered away with his colleagues.
Seeing that all the important figures had left, Adrian secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
On the other side, Marico led the last few royal guards out of Ballard Room while keeping an eye on Thales.
"Be careful, Vanguard."
Thales' sudden voice caused Marico, who was holding the bearer, to stop in his tracks.
"That sword is the heirloom of the Karabeyan Family." The prince turned his head.
"It's very heavy."
Marico took a deep breath.
But before he could reply, Adrian had already spoken.
"The sword may be heavy." The Chief Guard Captain came forward and tidied up Thales' messy clothes. He did not forget to tear off some clothes and bandage the wound on Thales' neck and shoulder.
"But it is our duty to carry the burden for the royal family."
Looking at Adrian, who was bandaging his wound, Thales' tone became much better.
"Thank you, Lord Adrian. Please apologize to the guards at the palace gate on my behalf …"
"They do not need to apologize."
Adrian interrupted the prince. His attitude was still gentle, but his gaze was different.
"What awaits them is the examination of the flag bearer, the sentencing of the penal officer, and a lifetime record of dereliction of duty."
Thales froze when he heard that.
His tone became gloomy.
"I … am sorry."
Lord Adrian smiled slightly, treated the prince's wound, and patted him on the shoulder.
"I have already said, Your Highness." The Chief Guard Captain nodded slightly.
"It is our duty to carry the burden for the royal family."
Marico, who was behind him, snorted angrily. He pushed the bearer heavily against the ground and turned to leave.
As Adrian was the last to leave, the door of Ballard Room closed with a bang.
Only the king and the prince were left. They sat on opposite sides of the meeting table, facing each other under the illumination of the setting sun.
Ballard Room was not large. It was crowded and lively when the Imperial Conference was held.
But now that there were only two people left, it gave off a frightening feeling of loneliness.
"Speak." King Kessel did not waste any time. His cold words rang from the other end of the meeting table, as if separated by mountains and seas.
"How do you 'live for Constellation'?"
Thales did not answer immediately.
He first touched the corner of his mouth, which was gradually becoming red and swollen. He cursed Marico's old fist in his heart, then patted the seat under his butt and sighed with emotion.
He finally sat down.
After all, he had risked his life to get this seat.
And it was not Gilbert who gave it up for him.
And now, his battle was just about to begin.
"If you want to fight, be fully armed."
As he thought of this, Thales raised his head and gave his opponent the most sincere smile.
"Oh, I thought you didn't understand …"
The second prince picked up a teacup on the table. He did not care who had used it before, and drank the rest of the tea in one gulp.
"Or you simply understood, but pretended not to know."
"Jadestar?"
Hearing this surname, King Kessel moved slightly.
Thales finished his tea and tossed the expensive teacup behind him.
Crack!
The king looked at the prince's rude and undisguised actions. His gaze turned slightly cold.
Seeing his father's gaze, Thales wiped the tea stain from the corner of his mouth and snorted.
Alright, for the sake of this teacup, Baron Quentin would definitely criticize him in a sarcastic manner again.
But … who cares.
"I say, why don't you step down as well?"
Thales suddenly turned his head and looked at the void around him.
"Yodel?"
Hearing this name, King Kessel narrowed his eyes.
But Ballard Room was silent. There was no response except for the flickering firelight.
Instead, King Kessel snorted coldly and looked at his son thoughtfully.
Thales did not wait for an answer, so he scratched his forehead and laughed self-deprecatingly.
"I … thought he was here."
King Kessel snorted coldly without mercy.
"Following Constellation's tradition, if a member of the royal family makes a mistake."
The Iron Hand King's eyes were as sharp as blades, pinning him firmly to his seat.
"Their punishment will be personally carried out by the chief penal officer of the royal guards — from flogging to hanging."
Penal officer.
Personally carried out.
Recalling the scene of Mallos whipping Glover and Doyle, Thales was silent.
"Therefore, this position tends to favor those who scrupulously abide by the law, are impartial, and do not fear the powerful."
King Kessel had no intention of waiting for Thales to answer. There was a hint of threat in his gaze.
"Based on what happened today, the Second Vanguard, Marrick, is a good candidate."
Marrick.
Candidate for penal officer.
Thales recalled Marrick's glare at him before he left. Feeling the pain in his chin and lower abdomen, the corners of his mouth twitched slightly.
He said with a headache, "Yes, Vanguard Marico is quite good. Even Cohen and Glover together couldn't take him down — of course, these two big guys don't cooperate at all, and they get in each other's way …"
"No matter what you're going to say next."
King Kessel interrupted him coldly.
"Your foolish actions tonight have made the situation extremely ugly: the worst consequences have already occurred.
"Irreversible."
King Kessel's gaze swept across him like a sword.
"The same goes for punishment.
"Including you and all those who followed you in your foolish actions."
Punishment.
Him.
And.
The people who followed him.
Wya, Ralf, Cohen, Glover, Doyle … When he recalled these people who followed him into Renaissance Palace in a muddle-headed manner, the corners of Thales' lips curled up.
Just like six years ago, when they followed him into Heroic Spirit Palace, didn't they?
The teenager exhaled and leaned against the back of the chair.
"Alright, I admit, now it seems that my actions were a little hasty and hasty, as well as risky."
Thales shrugged and accidentally affected his injury. He could not help but grimace.
"I … I'll pay attention next time?"
Unfortunately, his father's face was still cold, and he had no intention of cheering for his joke.
"It seems that you have learned nothing in the Secret Intelligence Department.
"Still impulsive, stupid, ridiculous, lame."
King Kessel used four adjectives to complete this sentence.
Thales pursed his lips and nodded politely.
Impulsive, stupid, ridiculous, lame.
"And do you know how many important things you've delayed on this occasion and at this time?"
"I know."
Thales answered quickly.
"But I also know," he collected himself, returned to his battlefield, and looked up at the king, "As we speak, there are still people in the kingdom who are waiting, anxious, and dying in despair."
Thales' expression became serious.
"There are even more people who do not know what kind of fate awaits them."
He met his father's gaze.
"So I had to come."
"Had to come?"
The Iron Hand King sneered, but there was no smile in his eyes.
"I didn't bring the crown, but I brought the head."
The king's voice turned cold.
"Why, do you want to come and get it?"
The setting sun just fell outside the window. Kessel the Fifth's figure was dark and blurry in the scarlet light.
Thales smiled.
He didn't bring the crown.
But he brought the head.
After King Nuven's death, the bloodstained Dragonscale Crown flashed before his eyes.
The next moment, the Sin of Hell's River surged in his veins.
The prince's expression turned cold. His figure flashed and he pounced on the king!
Swoosh!
As the chair rubbed against the ground, Thales' expression was resolute. He leaned forward from his seat and suddenly extended his palm towards King Kessel opposite him!
The Iron Hand King did not move. He was not surprised. He just stared coldly at the approaching Thales.
Smack!
With a muffled sound, Ballard Room returned to peace.
The setting sun and firelight reflected Thales' figure in a bloody red light.
His palm stopped above the meeting table, but was firmly restrained and could not move an inch.
He was only a few feet away from King Kessel.
The light flickered, causing the shadows to tremble, feeling the belated strong wind.
"I say, you're really here."
Thales was expressionless. He did not even look at the mysterious figure that suddenly appeared in front of him.
"Yodel."
Yodel Cato, the Masked Protector he was all too familiar with, was kneeling on one knee on the meeting table. He held Thales' wrist tightly and protected the king behind him.
Yodel did not answer.
His mask was thick and rigid.
His gloves were cold as ice.
His movements were steady as usual.
Thales looked at the place where his palm was and sighed.
"What a pity. Just a little more."
The Masked Protector lowered his head slightly. On the table in front of the king, under Thales' fingers, lay a crumpled letter.
On the cover, the iris-shaped wax was beautiful and exquisite.
Yodel was momentarily stunned.
He raised his head. The deep holes on the purple mask met Thales' eyes.
"Let him go," the king's voice rang coldly.
Thales curled his lips. He looked at the Masked Protector and raised his eyebrows.
"I think he's talking about you?"
Yodel was silent for a moment.
In the next second, the air in front of Thales rippled and stirred up ripples.
Yodel's figure became blurry.
Faced with this familiar scene, Thales just stared at the mask, as if he could stare through it and stare straight into the other pair of eyes behind it.
Soon, Thales felt his wrist loosen.
The ripples disappeared completely.
Thales felt the lingering pain on his wrist. He sighed and chased the hint of melancholy out of his heart.
Since he had already made his decision, he had no spare energy to reminisce about the past.
The teenager reached out to grab the letter, retreated from the meeting table, and sat back in his seat.
"So, this is the letter 'Butt Leader' was talking about."
'Butt Leader.'
King Kessel frowned.
Thales explained absent-mindedly as he read the letter,
"Oh, you know, the Secret Intelligence Department has a group called 'The Prince's Butt' … Forget it, it's not important."
Seeing that the Iron Hand King did not care, Thales shrugged. He hastily scanned the elegant and calm words on the letter and extracted the main points.
"Tsk tsk, paying taxes to serve, and supporting the budget of the regular army?"
Thales put down the letter, his eyes shining.
"Congratulations. I'm sure Lord Solder is very happy, and Lord Kirkirk is also very satisfied. Your wish to expand the regular army has been fulfilled, and everyone is happy?"
King Kessel was silent for a while.
"You broke the ban and barged into the palace," the king said faintly after a few seconds.
"Treason of words and conspiracy of treason, is this what you're saying?"
Thales laughed. His laughter was so loud that it resounded throughout Ballard Room.
But the king's expression remained indifferent, and he only looked at him coldly.
Until Thales' smile faded and he said solemnly,
"Then, where's the pit?"
The Iron Hand King narrowed his eyes.
His silhouette became brighter and clearer under the light, no longer a blurry shadow against the light.
"Where's the pit?"
Thales took a deep breath, leaned forward on the table, and raised the letter in his hand.
"I say, this' petition 'is both flattering and self-justifying. Not only does it want to pay taxes, it also wants to abolish military service, and it doesn't even care about tarnishing its reputation in order to make a public appeal for the nobles in the country to follow suit …
"Other than that …"
The teenager narrowed his eyes.
"How many pits did Zayen Covendier leave for you?"
At that moment, King Kessel's pupils flickered slightly.
"How many traps? How many difficult problems? How many obstacles? How many flowery, beautiful words?
"How many of his smiling, sinister intentions, while you clenched your teeth in exasperation and could not do anything to him?"
King Kessel did not answer, but the atmosphere around him grew colder.
Seeing the other party's reaction, Thales snorted and shook his head. He did not press for an answer, and just leaned back in his chair again.
"I know. Ever since he hired a vampire to assassinate me six years ago, and had to compensate you with a few Crystal Drop mineral deposits, your relationship with him has been pretty good. You and your subject get along well and cooperate at times."
Or … a deal?
"But believe me, father, Zayen and I, we are old acquaintances."
Thales stared at the letter in his hand, his gaze gradually turning cold.
"Better to die for a friend than to perish for an enemy.
"Compared to allies, enemies know each other better."
The king looked at him carefully and was silent for a few seconds before he snorted.
"Interesting, you know Jade City?"
Thales looked up and shook his head decisively.
"No, I know nothing."
King Kessel frowned.
"But I know that Zayen is not a lamb waiting to be slaughtered."
Zayen's image appeared in front of him, leaving Thales in a daze.
"He prides himself on being virtuous, but he is good at scheming, and never makes a losing deal. He puts on airs in front of others, but seeks revenge for the smallest grievance behind their backs. He is an exquisite and troublesome egotistical bastard."
Thales snapped out of his daze and looked at the king seriously.
"He will not 'accidentally' lose a weapon at a banquet, or rather, he will not work himself to the bone for you and dedicate himself to a small matter like murdering the Prince of Constellation."
The teenager's voice trailed off, but King Kessel's expression remained unchanged, cold as ever.
It was as if he did not hear the sarcasm in his words.
"That's it?"
The king said flatly, "Nothing else?"
Thales smiled.
He observed King Kessel's reaction and found that, as usual, he could not sense the subtle changes in the other party's expression and movements. Even with hell's senses, he could only see an iron wall and a cloud of fog.
But so what?
"Of course, you know all this very well. You also know him and understand him," Thales said with certainty.
"You already knew.
"Even though you foresaw all kinds of unfavorable situations, knew that Zayen was not easy to deal with, knew that he would not go along with your wishes …"
The prince was resolute.
"But you still chose him.
"You still took the opportunity to blackmail him, threatened Jade City and South Coast Hill, and threatened him to solve the budget gap for the expansion of your regular army."
Thales stared fixedly at King Kessel and suddenly had a realization.
Nuven, Chapman, the calamity … and now Kessel.
Meet the enemy, observe the enemy, subdue the enemy.
But it was another battle.
King Kessel looked at him for a long, long time before he let out a faint, cold laugh.
"You're wasting my time …"
"Why?"
Thales suddenly spoke, interrupting the king.
"Why does it have to be South Coast?"
Thales leaned forward slowly and pushed the letter from Iris Flowers to the other party. He spoke softly.
He said softly, "Why does it have to be Zayen who provides the budget for your army expansion? To make the call for you to reduce the conscription? To open the door for you to reform the military system? To pull the war chariot of the kingdom for you? "
The king's gaze shifted.
"Hmph."
King Kessel sneered.
"Because he bumped into the door, because he was stupid enough to reach out to Renaissance Palace."
Thales closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
"No."
He opened his eyes gently.
"The reason it's South Coast is because of Zayen.
"Because you have no other choice."
Thales stared fixedly at the Iron Hand King.
"And the reason you have no other choice …"
But Thales could not finish.
"Before your people suffer along with you."
King Kessel looked annoyed and gradually lost his patience.
"Don't you have anything else to say …"
With a rumble, Thales stood up, gritted his teeth, and slammed the table.
Bang!
"Because of Western Desert!"
Thales roared, interrupting the king's words.
At that moment, the Sin of Hell's River rolled over, helping Thales roar so loudly that it shook Ballard Room.
"Western Desert!"
The prince's voice was so loud that the candlelight flickered and the shadows trembled.
Western Desert.
Upon hearing this name, King Kessel's sharp gaze froze in mid-air.
"Your Majesty?"
Anxious knocks and questions came from outside the door.
"Your Majesty? What happened? Please answer me! "
But at that moment, both Thales and King Kessel in the room had no time or intention to pay attention to the voices outside the door.
Their eyes met in the air, like two swords intertwining, sparks flying as they rubbed against each other.
"Because your first choice, your best choice, is the horse you've reserved to pull your chariot." Amid the rapid banging on the door, Thales enunciated each word clearly. He used all the strength in his body to force these words out of his mouth.
"It should have been Western Desert.
"Not South Coast."
At that moment, his gaze turned into the sharpest blade, piercing Kessel's eyes.
With a bang, the door opened!
A group of royal guards led by the Second Vanguard, Marico, rushed in anxiously.
"I knew there would be an accident! Protect His Majesty, take down the traitor — "
But in the next second, King Kessel, who was sitting on the throne, turned his head abruptly and roared,
"Get out!"
Marico's words came to an abrupt halt.
He looked at the unharmed but furious King Kessel and was suddenly at a loss.
"Your Majesty, I, I thought …"
But the Iron Hand King no longer paid attention to Marico. He just frowned and stared at Thales.
But Thales smiled.
"Father." The prince took a deep breath and became more certain of his guess. He could not help but smile.
"Why are you so angry?"
King Kessel restrained his anger, his breathing gradually stabilized, but his gaze grew colder.
"Step down, Vanguard Marico." Thales returned to his seat, still having the time to reach out and tidy his collar.
At this moment, although his face was covered in dust, he looked surprisingly elegant and calm.
"We are all decent people, not northern barbarians who would kill their brothers to usurp the throne or rebel against the king."
Marico gritted his teeth angrily.
"By the way, Your Excellency Vanguard …"
Thales' smile was bright and gentle. He clamped his right thumb and index finger into a right angle and playfully made a shooting gesture at Marico.
"His Majesty thinks very highly of you."
Marico was taken aback.
Captain Adrian's hand reached out from behind, pressed on the back of his shoulder, and pulled him away in an irrefutable manner.
Only then did the dutiful Marico realize that the Jadestars' conversation could not be understood with common sense.
The door closed again.
Only then did Thales notice that at some point, the sunset outside the window had completely disappeared.
All that was left was the chill of the night.
"Why?"
The king's voice rang coldly.
Although it was only a question, Thales knew what he wanted to ask, just like before.
"A few months ago, when I was still in the headquarters of the Secret Intelligence Department in Dragon Clouds City, worrying about how to escape back to the kingdom, Putray told me that behind the rescue plan, countless people in Constellation worked hard day and night."
Thales' thoughts flew back to Dragon Clouds City.
He said faintly, "So I asked him.
"Was it worth it?"
"Putray," King Kessel repeated the name, his eyes bright.
"Putray Nemain, he told you?"
But Thales ignored him.
He was just immersed in his own past in a daze.
"The entire Constellation mobilized, thousands of soldiers went deep into the desert, countless officials came one after another. You even handed over Blade Fangs Camp, which was directly under the royal family, and let go of the western battlefront that you had controlled for many years.
"Such a big battle and sacrifice, just to welcome back an insignificant hostage prince who had been silent for six years in a foreign country."
Thales sighed, returned to the present, and looked straight at the Iron Hand King, "Was it worth it?"
"Not a bad question."
Kessel the Fifth stared at Thales coldly and disdainfully.
"But you have a terrible answer."
'A terrible answer.'
Thales snickered, looked at the ceiling, and shook his head in a self-deprecating manner.
"Of course not."
King Kessel did not speak. His silhouette flickered under the illumination of the Everlasting Lamp.
Thales raised the letter in his hand.
"In six years, from the vampire to the banquet, I was murdered twice by Covendier."
At that moment, his eyes were filled with complicated emotions.
"One after the other, you did not forget to ask for compensation from Iris Flowers, and made a lot of money.
"You haggled over the smallest details, you were calculative, and you were shrewd and calculative, father.
"How could you be willing to mobilize the entire country, spend countless resources, and lose an important military town just to do a loss-making business in exchange for an impulsive, stupid, ridiculous, lame …" Thales paused for a moment, and sarcastically spat out the last word.
"Son?"
When he heard Thales use his own words against him, Kessel snorted coldly, unbothered.
"What, are you here to complain to me?
"Son."
Thales snorted softly and laughed self-deprecatingly.
"No, in fact, when I was in Western Desert, I vaguely knew that you had other motives for sending troops here."
Thales' thoughts returned to the faraway Ghost Prince Tower.
"After experiencing the chaotic night in Blade Fangs Camp and seeing the Legendary Wing's untamed nature, I thought you wanted to use the opportunity of my return to the country to beat down those suzerains of Western Desert who dared to use me as a bargaining chip to demand Blade Fangs Camp and the Western Frontlines.
"To show your authority as a king and strike down the local forces of power."
In the next moment, Thales' smile disappeared.
"But I was still too naive, too immature."
The teenager stared at the king.
"Until today, until this Imperial Conference.
Until this letter. "
Kessel the Fifth did not say a word under the dim firelight.
But his gaze as he looked at Thales gradually changed.
"A few months ago, father, the reason why you gathered the royal regular army of an unprecedented scale and entered Western Desert to join forces with the local suzerains was because …"
Thales' eyes dimmed.
"It was not to intimidate Northland and bring back the prince, much less to recapture Blade Fangs Camp and beat down the suzerains of Western Desert.
"It was for a higher, greater, and more shocking grand goal that could affect the future of the kingdom and even the world."
At that moment, King Kessel's gaze sharpened like never before.
"Yes, I underestimated you."
Thales took a deep breath, and with a stern expression, he called out the king's name.
"Kessel Jadestar.
"I also forgot that you are not a merchant in the marketplace, but the king of a country. Your thoughts and desires are not limited to a single item, not even a city or a place."
The light flickered, and the shadows trembled.
The Iron Hand King stared at his son from afar, like a falcon staring at its prey.
Thales furrowed his eyebrows tightly, feeling an unprecedented weight and pressure.
"You should not be described as haggling over every penny, being calculative, and shrewd, but as —"
Thales gritted his teeth and stared at the Iron Hand King in front of him as if he was looking at the most terrifying enemy in the world.
"Stubborn and obstinate."
"Insatiable greed.
"Bone crushing and marrow sucking."
Kessel did not speak.
Thales stared at his father, just as the other man's gaze was fixed on him.
One second, two seconds, three seconds.
"Now, Yodel."
Just when Thales thought he could no longer withstand the king's gaze, Kessel the Fifth's emotionless voice rose into the air.
"You may leave."
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