"Really?"
King Kessel's voice came from the other side of the long table, extremely cold.
"This is what you can't forget?"
The king's shadow was dragged to the wall behind him by the firelight, and there was faint mockery in his eyes.
"Your … mother?"
Thales stared deeply at King Kessel.
TherrenGirana.
Head Ritual Master Liscia, Queen Keya, the Old Crow, Gleeward, almost everyone who knew his mother had a different evaluation of this woman.
Then, what about his father?
"Don't forget," the prince said softly.
"I inherited her name."
'Or more.'
The king snorted softly.
"Gilbert should not have let you choose that middle name."
He spoke slowly, but his words were as cold as ice.
"Meaningless."
Thales also smiled softly and shook his head.
"As far as I know, you were the one who told Gilbert her name.
"Then what did you expect?"
The King's response was swift and cold.
"Expecting your mother to be an outstanding woman with an extraordinary background? An erudite and talented female scholar, a daughter of a noble family, or a brave and fearless female warrior? So that you could be proud and have someone to rely on? "
Thales looked at King Kessel's expression and was surprised to find that this was one of the few topics that could elicit a long response from the king.
The prince probed.
"Then, was she?"
The king sneered, but his smile immediately disappeared.
"She was a whore."
Thales' expression changed slightly.
"Just like most prostitutes," King Kessel's expression was indifferent, his tone disdainful.
"She was unscrupulous and greedy, putting on airs in front of her customers all day long, selling herself for payment — until she died.
"I don't even remember her face."
After hearing the king's words, Thales was silent for a long time.
"Whore?"
Thales muttered in a daze.
"Prostitute?"
Hearing such adjectives, he first thought of the desert slave described by Old Crow Hicks, the magical Theran.
Then, the portrait he saw in the Secret Intelligence Department flashed in the teenager's mind — 'Oriental Beauty' Elf.
Then, he remembered the 'Philanderer' Felicia he saw in the Secret Intelligence Department, and her strange and seductive movements under Raphael's hands.
"Exactly."
"Your questions and expectations are meaningless." The king's tone was indifferent. "You will not find any comfort or reassurance from her."
"To her, you're just an accident after a certain transaction."
It was an … accident during a certain transaction.
Thales could not help but clench his fists.
He suddenly remembered the look in Quick Rope's eyes when he talked about the girl he liked in Blade Fangs Camp.
[That girl.]
[She's not a whore.]
[No.]
"And your garrulous attitude," King Kessel said coldly, "isn't it just a matter of time?
"What a disgrace to the royal family."
Thales took a deep breath and gently unclenched his fist.
"You are right, Father."
"Gilbert's biggest mistake was to let me keep her name."
The king's expression did not change.
"Because …" Thales' gaze turned cold.
"If she was just an insignificant prostitute, you wouldn't even bother to remember her appearance."
Thales raised his head and looked straight at the king.
"Then why do you still remember her name?"
At that moment, King Kessel's eyes widened slightly!
Thales stared at his father and softly uttered that special name.
"Theran … Gerana?"
The moment he finished speaking, Thales had an illusion.
It was as if winter had suddenly fallen in Ballard Room. The temperature plummeted and the air stagnated.
Even the lights no longer flickered.
And the source of all the coldness was at the end of the long table.
The embarrassing silence lasted for a whole ten seconds.
"I have given you a chance, child." The king's voice returned to its usual toughness and coldness.
"And you have ruined it."
He stared deeply at Thales. There was only dead silence in his eyes.
The Sin of Hell's River in Thales' veins began to flow again, as if it wanted to break through the frozen atmosphere.
At that moment, the teenager suddenly felt that the king's patience had come to an end. His next words were to summon the guards.
So Thales was faster than him.
"Amorey."
The prince spoke softly and successfully froze the king's gaze towards the door.
King Kessel looked back.
"Amorey?"
Thales took a deep breath and nodded.
"Yes, Western Desert's Amorey Town.
"This place is ruled by the Amorey family and has a long history. The suzerain's surname is the origin of the name."
King Kessel frowned slightly.
Thales recalled what the two Western Desert people, Derek Kroma and Anker Byrael, had told him. Unhurriedly, he began to recount the story.
"A few years ago, the suzerain of this town, the baron, suffered injustice. He wanted to turn to Renaissance Palace and appeal to the king for help.
"But he met with misfortune on the way, and his entire family died of an epidemic."
Thales observed King Kessel's reaction. The latter did not move, but did not interrupt him.
In the next second, Thales' tone changed.
"But in fact, as a legitimate vassal of the kingdom, Baron Amorey did not die of an illness."
Thales gritted his teeth.
"He and his family were ambushed and silenced by the allied forces of his vassal and peers — the three major families in power in Western Desert, Fakenhaz, Kroma, and Bozdorf."
Both of them were silent for a few seconds.
"Interesting."
The king thought for a while and said slowly,
"Where did you learn of this?"
Thales' eyes dimmed.
In the Secret Intelligence Department's prison, Anker's pained voice rang in his ears.
"He also said that if I failed, if I had to use this bargaining chip …
"I must give it to you.
"And I can only give it to you."
As his thoughts reached this point, Thales took a deep breath.
"It's not important." He composed himself and shifted his attention to the matter at hand.
"What's important is …"
Facing the king's burning gaze, Thales spoke calmly. His words were loud and clear.
"In Year 414 of the Calendar of Eradication, the 'creditor', Herman the Second, issued the 'No Bloodshed Order', forbidding the vassals within the kingdom from waging war and killing each other …"
His voice became serious.
"However, the vassals of Western Desert were lawless and acted recklessly.
"As vassals, they abused their right to armed self-defense excessively and murdered Baron Amorey to avenge a personal grudge."
As Thales spoke about Western Desert, he stared at the Iron Hand King's face.
"Their methods were cruel and terrifying, and their crimes were shocking."
The Iron Hand King's eyes brightened and the corners of his lips curled up.
The prince's gaze turned sharp.
"This reason, this bargaining chip, this horse, is it enough to complete the 'Sand King'?"
As Thales' voice faded, the Everlasting Lamps around him flickered.
He stared at the king.
King Kessel was silent for a long time, the light in his eyes surging back and forth.
A few seconds later, the king closed his eyes gently and buried all his emotions in the bottom of his heart.
"But we can't use it."
King Kessel said softly,
"The plague in Amorey Town is no longer news. The people of Western Desert dealt with it very cleanly. Dead men tell no tales."
Seeing the other's reaction, Thales could not help but chuckle.
"That's right."
He said confidently,
"Unless it's not that dead men tell no tales …"
Thales' words came to an abrupt halt.
"Wait."
He looked at King Kessel's indifferent expression and figured something out.
The youth's expression changed slightly in disbelief.
"You know."
Thales stared at Kessel and frowned.
"You knew about Amorey Town and this case a long time ago?"
The next second, King Kessel opened his eyes gently.
The king was expressionless and did not answer.
But Thales had already gotten his answer.
The youth could not help but frown.
"When?"
King Kessel replied calmly,
"When it happened."
Thales was stunned.
"What? Why? "
Thales realized that at some point in time, the conversation between him and King Kessel had become extremely tacit.
For example, now, he did not even need to complete a sentence like "why did it happen".
King Kessel stared at Thales quietly.
"A few years ago, the 'Border Development Tax Exemption Order' affected a group of suzerains.
"Lord Amorey of Western Desert was just one of them," the Iron Hand King narrowed his eyes, "the most impatient one.
"With a little provocation, he took the bait."
Thales' gaze froze in midair.
With a little provocation …
He took the bait …
At that moment, 'Raven' Derek Kroma's words rang in Thales' ears once again.
"According to the baron, the countless nouveau riche spawned by that decree are nibbling away at his interests every day, taking away his subjects and cutting off his livelihood."
At the bottom of the Secret Intelligence Department's prison, Anker Byrael's desperate words reappeared.
"Obviously, Baron Amorey could not bear the pain. The king's decree dealt him a huge blow …"
King Kessel sighed slightly. His next tone was slightly regretful.
"However, that Western Desert bumpkin is especially sensitive to the slightest disturbance at his doorstep.
"Before he could reel in the fish, the line was cut."
Thales was stunned.
Reel …
A tangent …
Derek and Anker's words continued to appear.
"Baron Amorey recruited soldiers and mobilized his army, intending to cross Western Desert and create a" big news "for all of Constellation to" protest "against His Majesty and the kingdom."
"So much so that he decided to abandon his tacit understanding with the Three Main Families and act rashly …"
Thales froze in his seat.
"It's you."
Thales said in a daze,
"Baron Amorey raised his army to protest because you secretly pressured him and deliberately instigated him? To find an excuse to intervene in Western Desert? "
The Iron Hand King scoffed.
"As I said, he's just one of them."
One of them.
At that moment, Thales thought of Anker, who was tortured and bruised in the Secret Intelligence Department.
And his lover, whose family was ruined and whose identity was unknown.
"So, the tragedy of Baron Amorey being silenced and his entire family killed."
Thales' voice was hoarse.
"You're the instigator."
Thales stared blankly at the table in front of him. The king's figure was projected on the opposite wall, dark and oppressive.
These people.
Their misfortune.
But …
The dust that power crushed.
"You flatter me," the king's voice was still calm, as if he did not care.
"I didn't ask the Western Desert bumpkins to silence them.
"Nor did I ask them to be ruthless enough to wipe out the entire family in the castle, including the militia and servants. Not a single person was left alive — looks like they learned a lot from Williams."
Silence them.
Everything was wiped out.
Amorey.
Byrael.
And that miserable family in Blessings Town whose name he could not recall …
And that night in Blade Fangs Camp, where countless families were destroyed …
"Nobles, nobles, ha, these scumbags, what kind of f * cking trash are they?" On the Land of Barren Rocks, the sentiments of the Raven of Death echoed in his ears.
At the thought of this, an indescribable weariness came over him.
The youth could not help but feel suffocated.
Thales took a deep breath, trying to maintain his emotions.
"I understand."
The prince lowered his head, avoiding the other person's gaze, holding back the disgust in his words.
"I see, good plan.
"No, it's not good."
But King Kessel's voice still penetrated his eardrums unstoppably.
"We underestimated the Western Desert people's sharpness and decisiveness. Not only did we get a headless case with no evidence, but we also alerted them and made them even more vigilant."
The king's gaze sharpened.
"Until now."
Thales trembled slightly.
King Kessel raised his head abruptly, "It's not that there's no evidence, right?"
"You have evidence."
His attitude was firm and unquestionable.
Thales' arm tensed.
Evidence.
Anker's final voice echoed faintly.
"No matter what, His Majesty will be very happy with this bargaining chip."
"Very happy."
Thales took a deep breath and swallowed.
He looked up with difficulty and looked straight into the king's eyes.
But at that moment, there was only endless depth in Kessel's eyes.
A few seconds later, the youth used all his strength to squeeze out two words through gritted teeth,
"I have."
His tone was extremely tired.
"Ironclad evidence."
Ironclad evidence.
His voice trailed off.
"Not bad."
King Kessel's expression did not change as he said calmly,
"I'm listening."
I'm listening.
Thales took a deep breath, but paused the moment he opened his mouth.
"So, Your Highness, what's the price?"
Anker's despairing voice rang out of nowhere.
Thales coughed unnaturally and forced himself to continue.
"In that tragedy, there was another person …"
"And Tina, Tina …"
"She will never, never, never forgive me."
Thales froze again.
"There was another person …"
Thales' lips parted, his words stuck.
Wait a minute.
Once he told her about it, she would be the first one to speak.
That girl, Anker's lover, who had been ruined by the savagery of power and her family.
And Anker's siblings, who had lost their parents and brothers and were isolated and helpless in the Western Desert.
What kind of future would they face?
How many people's fates would be affected and changed because of his words?
Thales breathed in a daze.
Seeing him like this, the king frowned.
"That girl named Tina … She's good?"
"The best …"
A face that had been tortured to the point of being bloodless appeared before his eyes.
Anker Byrael.
The young man who, in helplessness and despair, planned to sacrifice his life in desperation, but ultimately failed miserably.
What kind of feelings did he have when he told him this bargaining chip?
"But now, it doesn't matter.
"It doesn't matter anymore."
Thales took a deep breath and swallowed hard.
Use it. Use this bargaining chip.
Because this was also Anker's choice.
This was what he had expected.
Wasn't it?
And, if he wasn't here, he would end this matter.
Thales' gaze turned to the table, to the letter on which Iris Flowers had volunteered to pay taxes.
The wheels of the kingdom would not stop.
If this horse didn't work, King Kessel would find another one.
Even if he had to face more bloodshed.
Thales clenched his fists.
So he had to continue.
He had to.
Thales looked up and forced himself to appear resolute.
"Baron Amolei, who died a wrongful death, still had an orphan daughter."
The king's eyes lit up.
"That poor girl witnessed a terrible scene. She escaped the butcher's knife and was lucky to survive."
Thales clenched his teeth, concealing his dazed and dispirited look.
"Her identity and experience will prove to the world that the most powerful families in the West Desolate Continent have made a grave mistake."
"And Renaissance Palace's reform of the military system to restrict the vassals from abusing their military power is a matter of course and urgency."
As his voice trailed off, Thales let out a long sigh, his gaze dejected.
He had said it anyway.
The color in the king's eyes slowly changed.
He stared at the prince across the long table for a long, long time.
As if he was sizing up a fine steel weapon.
Finally, King Kessel laughed.
His laughter was soft and faint, but it effectively lightened the atmosphere in the room.
"This orphan girl who survived."
The Iron Hand King slowly leaned back, his tone calm and relaxed for the first time.
"Where is she?"
Where is she?
Thales was saddened to realize that the king did not even bother to ask for her name.
But.
But …
"Then think about it carefully. What have you become after you became a prince?"
A long time ago, Quick Rope's sentiments in the small house rose again.
"Can you still choose your own path? Follow your own heart? "
Thales' arms trembled slightly.
"Are you still you, still Thales?
"Or have you … become something else?"
"I'm listening." The king was interested.
"Duke Thales."
Thales took a deep breath and forgot about these thoughts that caused him to hesitate. He then adjusted himself.
"You will know."
Thales suddenly looked up, his expression firm.
"But first of all, everyone who followed me into the palace today must be acquitted.
"And I don't want to try Vanguard Marico's whip, even though he did his duty."
At the end of the long table, King Kessel said nothing.
Thales let go of the anxiety in his heart and gritted his teeth.
"Secondly, unseal Mindis Hall and release my guards. If there's anything in the future, come to me. Don't make things difficult for them."
The king still did not speak. He just tapped his fingers on the table.
"Also, Anker Byrael, who barged into the banquet with a sword and offended the royal family."
Thales frowned.
"You have to forgive him, release him, and show the king's magnanimity.
"Including properly resolving the conflict between him and the Doyle family."
But when he thought of this, Thales froze again.
Anker. No matter how the king forgives him …
"She will never, never, never forgive me."
Thales lowered his head sadly.
"Before I show my bargaining chips," King Kessel snorted softly, seemingly in a good mood,
"You really want a lot."
Thales exhaled and forced himself to look up.
"And I'm not done yet.
"Finally, about 'Sand King'."
Sand King.
King Kessel's gaze shifted.
At this moment, Thales' expression was firm and cold.
"Your plan to expand your army in Western Desert, including how to deal with the local suzerains, must be handled by me personally and completed by me."
* Thud. *
The Iron Hand King's fingers knocked heavily on the meeting table, producing a shuddering thud.
The king slowly raised his head and met Thales' eyes.
The prince did not avoid it, but stared back at him resolutely.
"You, say that again?"
The king spoke softly.
Hoarse, but cold.
Thales puffed out his chest and faced his father.
"Yes, I will personally write a letter to the Duke of Western Desert and the others, using this case, this bargaining chip, to threaten them into submission."
Thales said decisively,
"I promise that Cyril Fakenhaz and his vassals will listen patiently, they will be receptive, they will cooperate with Renaissance Palace's schedule, and support all the initiatives of the Military Affairs Division.
"They will reflect on the oversight of their own military system, and gradually reduce the number and frequency of conscription.
"They will accept your regular royal army stationed there, and accept the reorganization of Western Desert's defense.
"They will be happy to support the daily work of the Legendary Wing, and pay taxes to support the expansion of the regular army, to fill your financial gap, and to protect the kingdom's border security."
Thales took a deep breath.
"Western Desert will become a good steed, and your plan for 'Sand King' will not fail."
He said solemnly,
"The chariot of the kingdom will still roll forward."
Ballard Room fell silent again.
But this time, the silence was particularly ominous.
A few Everlasting Lamps burned to the end and quietly extinguished.
King Kessel's gaze changed as well. The fire in his eyes disappeared, and they were overflowing with darkness.
"You?"
He looked at the prince from afar, and his tone was playful.
"You'll do it?"
Thales nodded decisively.
"Me.
"I'll do it."
King Kessel's gaze sharpened.
"Why?"
Thales tidied up his expression and replied seriously,
"Because of that orphan girl. I am the only one who knows this bargaining chip the best, and how to use it."
He paused slightly, gritted his teeth, and told both his father and himself:
"Because this is the only way."
The only way.
King Kessel did not respond immediately.
He just sat quietly in his original position, as if he had turned back into a statue.
A few seconds later, the king spoke calmly.
"Tell me, how did you know the whereabouts of that orphan girl?"
Thales froze.
His expression did not change, and he did not leave any loopholes, "I have my own channels —"
"Fakenhaz."
King Kessel spoke softly, interrupting Thales.
Fakenhaz.
As soon as the surname came out, the prince was shocked.
The king snorted and looked elsewhere. His tone was thought-provoking.
"He gave you far more than a sword, didn't he?"
Thales' expression did not change, but he sighed in his heart.
'He knows.'
The king said coldly,
"His gift is the reason why you have the guts to break into the palace today."
Thales pursed his lips and did not say a word.
Yes, the king saw through him.
But with just a few words, he saw through him.
From just now until now, all his little tricks were exposed in front of him.
Just like in the past.
But …
Thales took a deep breath and slowly exhaled.
"Yes."
Thales looked up at the king.
His tone was calm and indifferent, and his attitude was magnanimous.
"The matter of Amolei Town, including this bargaining chip, was indeed given to me by the Duke of Western Desert — through some means."
The king let out a snort, as if he had expected it.
"And you accepted it, listened to the bewitchment of that old bone, came before me, and bargained arrogantly."
Without waiting for him to reply, King Kessel shook his head slowly.
"Stupid.
"Impossibly stupid."
Thales clenched his fists under the table.
Yes, threats, coercion, flattery, deception, no matter which method, could not restrain the Iron Hand King.
But so what?
He was no longer the child beggar who shivered in the Abandoned House.
Not anymore.
And King Kessel was no longer the tall figure he could only look at from afar in Mindis Hall six years ago.
To fight against an opponent like King Kessel, what he needed was not lies, concealment, or quibbling.
But to rise to the challenge.
Thales fixed his gaze on the king's face.
"In that case, there is even more reason for me to come forward and write a letter to the Duke of Western Desert, my father."
He leaned forward and said sincerely,
"So that everyone can take a step back and solve the problem in a way that is acceptable to many parties.
"The new 'Sand King' may not be so swift, and it may last for months or even years, but it will not be so tragic, and there will not be unmanageable consequences.
"You will eventually achieve your goal, and they will not have to bleed."
The Iron Hand King sneered.
He lowered his head, and his face was slowly shrouded in darkness.
"Why?"
Thales furrowed his eyebrows.
"I will bring out the witness of this case and let her testify, so that the suzerains of Western Desert will fall apart and become the target of public criticism …"
The king's gaze was cold.
"Then, I will let the regular army of the royal family enter Western Desert to punish the wicked.
"It will also achieve its goal."
Thales was shocked.
"Indeed."
Thales spoke again, trying to grasp the topic.
"But forgive me for being blunt, the reason why Fakenhaz offered this bargaining chip was to lower himself and take the initiative to show weakness, to cool down the growing conflict between Renaissance Palace and the suzerains of Western Desert …
"He is not that kind and kind!"
King Kessel suddenly leaned forward and shouted angrily, startling Thales.
"And you are the only one who would be so stupid!"
The king glared at his son.
"Fakenhaz gave me a bargaining chip so that I could clean up Western Desert, reform the kingdom, and achieve my goal …"
He changed the topic.
"But only through … you?"
Thales stared at the king in a daze.
The Iron Hand King leaned back in his chair and sneered.
"No, he gouged out his own flesh and blood to give you a sword, a bargaining chip.
"It was definitely not for you to be the peacemaker."
The youth felt a chill in his heart.
King Kessel narrowed his eyes. His gaze was like a sharpened blade.
"He wanted to use this to show you that the power and energy that you have not enjoyed for the past six years is within your reach.
"As long as you grab the bargaining chip and face me …"
The king spoke softly, his words cold.
"Raise your sword."
Thales tensed up and defended himself.
"Father, I have no intention of being your enemy, nor will I threaten —"
"Then why didn't he come to me directly?"
King Kessel interrupted him again.
"If you want to lower your head and show weakness, why not face the throne?"
Thales' words came to an abrupt halt.
The lights in the room flickered rapidly, causing the shadows to sway.
"And you, do you think I don't know what you want to do?"
Kessel the Fifth looked at him coldly, his gaze piercing straight into Thales' heart.
"Why won't you readily reveal your bargaining chip and the whereabouts of that orphan girl? Why do you pretend to be reserved and wait for the right price? And why do you insist on personally carrying out 'Sand King'? "
Hearing this, Thales shuddered and felt a chill in his heart.
Ballard Room returned to silence.
"Because you also know, right?"
The king's voice calmed down and was filled with a fatal gentleness.
"Because you also like the sword he gave you and can't bear to part with it.
"Unable to extricate yourself."
Thales frowned tightly. His fists were clenched on his knees.
"As the Prince of Constellation, the Duke of Star Lake, and the heir to the kingdom," King Kessel said coldly, "You are being toyed with by a foreign vassal. Not only do you not know it, but you also think you are infallible.
"You are a complete disgrace to the Jadestar Family."
Thales looked up abruptly!
"That's right!"
The prince shouted angrily.
King Kessel was a little surprised by his sudden interruption.
"I know."
Thales' breathing quickened as he stared at the king.
"I know what Fakenhaz wants to do.
"And I have no intention of hiding it, nor do I want to quibble."
Thales stood up abruptly and placed his hands on the table.
"That's right. Empower me, support me, and help me so that I can eventually become strong enough to fight against you, threaten you, and obstruct you. This is indeed Fakenhaz's wishful thinking.
"Simple, clear, and direct."
The king's expression became increasingly hostile.
"But believe me, father."
The prince stared at the king, serious and solemn.
"If you really want to succeed — not just with 'Sand King' alone, and not just in Western Desert, but throughout the kingdom, inside and outside Constellation, realize your grand and crazy plans and ideas …"
Hearing this, King Kessel's gaze changed.
"If you have really made up your mind, father, if you want to 'live for Constellation' at all costs."
At this moment, cold wind blew in Ballard Room, and the chill surged. But Thales felt an unbearable heat in his chest, as if there was a flame.
Thales took a deep breath. His tone was resolute and unquestionable.
"Then this is the only way."
"There is no better choice."
Stealing Fragrance
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.
