"You, you can't do this."
Thales' despondent voice rang in Ballard Room.
But what welcomed the teenager was the king's nonchalant reply, as if the thrilling confrontation was over.
"Get out."
Thales' breathing froze. His nails dug into his palms, bringing pain.
'No.
'It's not over.
'It can't be over …'
Thales took a deep breath and made one last effort.
"That orphan girl is a bargaining chip to control Western Desert, but it's just an excuse, even though it's a shocking excuse."
He leaned forward on the table and gritted his teeth.
"And the real bargaining chip, as you said, is me."
But the king was unmoved, his expression indifferent.
"Are you going to protect your dignity and get out, or are you going to wait for the royal guards to come and drag you out?"
Thales tried his best to ignore the king's words and refocused on the topic.
"Without me, Fakenhaz won't go along with you.
"Without me, Amolei's orphan girl is worthless in your hands."
But King Kessel had clearly lost interest. He lowered his head and pondered again, no longer responding.
'Damn it, damn it, damn it.'
Thales was anxious as he looked at the king's stubbornness.
"The Duke of Western Desert won't let you get what you want."
Thales unconsciously raised his voice.
"Since he dares to take the risk and offer a bargaining chip, he must be prepared. He might even lead the Western Desert people to retaliate fiercely, causing the situation to deteriorate …"
But he was disappointed.
King Kessel still did not respond.
"When that time comes …" Thales stopped. He looked at the king, who was deep in thought with his eyes closed, feeling tired and annoyed.
What to do?
What to do?
Anxiety and resentment burned in his chest at the same time, causing the Sin of Hell's River to become untimely excited, making Thales even more irritated.
The man in front of him was stubborn, headstrong, not threatened, unwilling to compromise, self-centered, and did not listen to advice.
He refused to be convinced by the hard way, and refused to be hooked by the soft way.
He was covered in thorns and disgusting.
Why wasn't such a person beaten to death when he was young?
How did he become king?
Were the nobles who made him king all blind?
"Hey!"
The king's attitude angered the teenager. He stood up abruptly and slammed the table, "Hey! Buddy!
"Didn't you hear what I said?"
King Kessel seemed to have turned back into a statue and did not move an inch.
"I'm fucking talking to you!"
Thales threw away all manners and shouted rudely and angrily,
"Kessel Motherf * cker Jadestar!"
There was a cracking sound behind him.
The door to Ballard Room opened.
What followed was a cold wind and a cautious request, "Your Majesty, we're ready —"
"The king is still alive!"
The Prince interrupted angrily.
"If you really want to kill your father, for the sake of the Sunset Goddess."
Without turning his head, he roared angrily,
"I will warn you before I act, Vanguard Marico, son of a b * tch!"
Thales' roar echoed in the corridor, eliciting whispers from the Royal Guards outside the door.
A few seconds later, as if someone had given them a hint, the air became completely silent.
On the other side of the long table, King Kessel finally opened his eyes and frowned.
"Very well." Thales looked at the king and exhaled. His anger had yet to dissipate.
"I thought you'd had a stroke, Father."
A friendly cough came from behind, but it was not Marico.
"My apologies, Your Highness."
The voice of the Chief Commander of the Royal Guards, Lord Adrian, was heard along with his footsteps.
"I'm just here … to deliver dinner."
Thales turned around and saw the Chief Guard Captain walk steadily into the room with two trays in his hands.
The Royal Guards stood guard outside the room, still vigilant.
Thales was a little surprised, but he slowly came to his senses. After he calmed his breathing, he became more and more disappointed.
It's over.
The Royal Guards came in.
That meant …
"I know. Dinner is supposed to be Baron Quentin's job."
Lord Adrian walked to the king's side and served the food nimbly to ease the atmosphere.
"But after he settled the bill with a few glass merchants, he had a headache and asked for sick leave …"
King Kessel interrupted him, "You're right.
"No need, Adrian."
The king glanced at Thales coldly, then looked at the vigilant guards outside the door.
"We're done talking."
Thales felt a chill in his heart.
Captain Adrian had just finished preparing the king's meal, and his movements also froze when he heard that.
He put away his smile and turned to Thales, deep in thought.
"Really? So fast?"
King Kessel did not move.
Thales took a deep breath and slowly exhaled.
His heart gradually turned cold.
"You really don't care, do you?"
With despair and exhaustion, Thales said dejectedly,
"I don't understand. If the whole kingdom is destroyed, what's the point of all the things you've done — the expeditions, the reforms, the tax increases?
"What's the point?"
The volume of his desolate question was extremely high, and his words echoed in the corridor.
King Kessel turned a deaf ear to the prince's questioning, and only curled his lips in disdain.
But Adrian's expression changed. He hurriedly turned to the door and signaled his subordinates to close the door.
Once he was done, Adrian sighed and carried the tray to Thales' side.
"Don't bother, Adrian. He won't be eating here."
The king said coldly.
"Of course, but …"
Adrian put down the tray, picked up a small wine pot, and filled Thales' cup. He squeezed out a smile.
"As far as I know, you haven't had a good meal all day, Your Highness. At least have a cup of wine to refresh yourself. "
"Northern rye from the Northern Territory, I hope it's to your liking."
But Thales had no interest in dinner at the moment. He just stared at King Kessel with bloodshot eyes.
"I don't drink."
"Oh, right, I heard Mallos say that before."
Hearing that, Adrian had no choice but to take the wine pot away and sighed.
"It's a pity. From the harvesting of raw materials, brewing in the cellar, long-distance transportation, to the selection of dishes in the kitchen, countless people overcame all difficulties and advanced wave after wave, just to deliver it to you …"
Countless people overcame all difficulties and advanced wave after wave … just to … deliver it to you …
Just like himself, he fought hard just to sit here.
But …
Listening to Adrian's words, Thales looked at the expressionless king, but felt even more sorrowful.
Smack!
A crisp sound rang.
Adrian turned his head in surprise. The wine cup in front of Thales had been swept to the ground and shattered.
"Your Highness —"
Before Adrian could finish his sentence, he was stunned again. Thales' hand had appeared out of nowhere, grabbed the wine pot in his hand, and pulled at it in an unquestionable manner.
The prince still stared at the king. He lifted the lid, aimed at the mouth of the pot, and tilted his head back to drink!
"Pfft!"
The wine entered his throat. Thales only swallowed a mouthful before he spat it out pathetically.
'Damn it.'
"This wine is definitely not produced in the Northern Territory." Feeling the taste that he could never get used to, the prince coughed painfully while he stared at King Kessel with bloodshot eyes.
"It's from further north, from Eckstedt!"
"Is that so?" Adrian was slightly surprised.
"Then I admire them even more. How far did they have to go …"
"Adrian."
The king interrupted the guard captain with a cold expression.
"Escort Prince Thales back to Mindis Hall."
Panting, Thales clenched his fists.
Adrian's smile faded, and he turned to bow.
"Yes?"
The Head Guard Captain, who had been in office for many years, had a telepathic connection. His reply was undecided as he waited for further instructions.
King Kessel paused for a moment and gave Thales a deep look.
"My son is young and frivolous, and he is in love for the first time. He is dissatisfied with the arrangements of the marriage and rashly barged into the palace to demand an explanation."
Thales breathed absentmindedly.
Seeing that a calamity that could shake the throne had been turned into a casual affair, Adrian immediately beamed with joy.
"I see."
Until the king's next words.
"I couldn't restrain my anger. I gave the order to punish them severely."
'Severe punishment.'
Thales' heart skipped a beat.
The Head Guard Captain also frowned.
"Your Majesty?"
King Kessel snorted softly before continuing.
"Fortunately, the ministers in front of the king dissuaded us, so we had a face-to-face talk and finally cleared up the misunderstanding."
Cleared up the misunderstanding.
Adrian nodded and breathed a barely noticeable sigh of relief.
"I see."
"The royal guards, Jadestar Private Army, palace servants, and visiting officials and nobles who witnessed the incident today," King Kessel's tone was very ruminating.
"Make sure that when they are asked, they can give an 'accurate' answer."
"Of course," Adrian's smile faded a little, "they have a good memory, they won't remember wrongly."
Listening to their arrangements for the "funeral", Thales, who knew that the situation was already hopeless, sneered.
"The correct collective memory?"
Thales looked at the king, and what he said made Adrian look sideways.
"I can't convince you with the righteousness of the country, can I?
"Even when I use the Bloody Year as a sword, you are still indifferent."
Thales' smile faded and he said coldly,
"When will you understand that the stars don't belong to you alone?"
"Tyrant?"
Adrian's expression suddenly changed.
The Iron Hand King finally raised his head and looked at Thales.
"Adrian."
This time, the king's answer was indifferent.
"Those attendants who instigated the prince to break the rules and surrounded him to break into the palace today …"
Thales' heart tightened.
"Whether they are guards, servants, attendants, lovers, civilians, nobles, descendants of the Seven Jadestar Attendants, or appointed families, make a list and hand it over to the Nobles Affairs Council, the police station, the Department of Discipline, the Flag Bearer Division, and the Secret Intelligence Department."
The king looked at Thales and narrowed his eyes.
"They know what to do."
Thales trembled slightly.
Wya, Ralf, Glover, D.D, Cohen …
"Yes, Your Majesty." Adrian did not hesitate.
"I'll do it right away."
The prince glared at King Kessel, his breathing erratic.
But this was not the end.
"As for Mindis Hall's carelessness in allowing an assassin to sneak into the royal banquet," the king raised his chin and looked down at Thales.
"Tell Flag Bearer Vogel that this concerns the prince's safety and the royal family's reputation …
"Be sure to investigate and interrogate them strictly."
The king paused, his gaze cold.
"Investigate strictly."
'Investigate strictly.'
Thales gradually fell into a trance.
"Also, let Mallos return to his post. Perhaps you are right, he is not suitable for this position."
King Kessel retracted his gaze and scoffed.
"As for the prince's guard captain, we have another choice: Vogel or Marico. Both are good choices."
Adrian did not say a word and only bowed again.
At that moment, Thales' fingernails clenched tighter and tighter in his palms, almost tearing his flesh apart.
"You will not succeed."
The prince's voice rang coldly in the room, full of resentment and anger.
"You will only drag the whole of Constellation to hell.
"Just like the former king."
As soon as he said this, the temperature in the room seemed to drop again.
The king was silent for a moment, and Adrian lowered his head in silence.
"That's all, Adrian."
King Kessel said flatly but unquestionably,
"Now, take him and get lost."
Thales sneered and lowered his head.
"Yes."
Adrian bowed, but suddenly froze.
"Oh, Your Majesty, I just remembered something …"
The guard captain looked up, and the king looked back at him indifferently.
Adrian said hesitantly,
"On the way here just now, everyone saw me come in with dinner."
King Kessel frowned.
"So?"
"So, if the misunderstanding of breaking into the palace is really resolved, and we can reconcile …"
Adrian asked tentatively.
"Then at this time, His Highness Thales should be ashamed, ashamed and embarrassed, and you would kindly and kindly invite him to dinner?"
Dinner together.
King Kessel frowned.
Thales also looked up in confusion.
What.
Adrian smiled warmly and waved his hand towards the door.
"Only then will everyone remember 'accurately'?"
Accurately.
The king was silent for a moment, while Thales looked at Adrian in surprise.
"The Imperial Conference is not over," King Kessel said coldly.
"I didn't spend the whole night with him either."
Adrian's eyes lit up.
"Oh, speaking of this, Your Majesty, please don't worry.
"Half an hour ago, Baron Quentin had already arranged food and lodging in the palace for everyone in the Imperial Conference, in case you need to summon them at any time."
King Kessel's expression changed slightly.
Lord Adrian nodded with a smile and gestured to the dishes on the table.
"Relax, Your Majesty, you do have the whole night."
King Kessel paused for a few seconds, frowned and questioned,
"You just said that Quentin was not feeling well after paying the glass bill and asked for leave."
Adrian raised his eyebrows.
"Is that so?"
In the face of the king's cold gaze, the guard captain chuckled. He looked as if he had been exposed, and he felt helpless and awkward.
"Alright, then I'll take His Highness out and see if we can keep a low profile and not let people see us …"
Adrian sighed and walked towards Thales, smiling apologetically.
At this moment.
"That's enough."
The king interrupted him coldly.
King Kessel glanced at Thales and said disdainfully,
"He's staying.
"Think about the time and take him away later."
Adrian's eyes lit up and he replied fluently,
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Thales stared at Adrian in a daze.
'What … is this?'
"But before I leave."
The king changed the topic at the right time.
King Kessel gestured at Thales with his chin.
"Take this idiot to Marico and tell him that the king is strict with his son and ordered him to replace the Discipline Division in carrying out the punishment of the royal family."
'Strict with his son?'
Thales clenched his teeth.
He stared at the king, a myriad of thoughts surging in his mind.
Adrian was silent for a moment, suddenly remembering something.
"Oh, speaking of this, I'm sorry, Your Majesty, I just remembered …"
The guard captain looked up, his face full of smiles.
"Marico has left for some reason. I just sent him to Mindis Hall to meet up with the Flag Bearer Division to express my condolences to the brothers of the Star Lake Guards who were detained for some reason."
The king sneered.
"Just? Left for some reason? Just like Quentin on sick leave? "
"Yes, just like Quentin —" Adrian answered without hesitation, but he realized something was wrong halfway through his sentence. He chuckled and said, "You're right.
He chuckled and said, "Ah, maybe it's still different."
There was a moment of silence in the room.
The king turned his head and glanced at Thales, who had a complicated expression on his face.
"You take good care of him."
"Of course."
Adrian did not even blink and answered without hesitation, as if he could not read between the lines.
"Marico is still young, he should run more errands and train more."
Bang!
The king slammed his palm on the chair.
"Adrian."
King Kessel snorted angrily, his gaze as sharp as a sword.
"You've made up your mind to go against my wishes?"
Adrian's expression turned solemn.
"It's my fault, Your Majesty."
He took a step back and bowed deeply.
"It may not go against your wishes."
The guard captain said respectfully,
"But it suits your needs."
King Kessel stared coldly at his guard captain, anger boiling in his eyes.
'Suits your needs.'
Thales watched the confrontation between Adrian and the king in silence.
Dinner together.
He suddenly understood what the other party was doing.
'But, but what's the point?
'His battle in Renaissance Palace …'
Ten seconds of silence.
King Kessel did not answer, but the anger in his eyes slowly faded.
"It's Gilbert. Did he beg you to soothe his cheeks?"
Adrian looked up. He was confused at first, but then came to a sudden realization.
"What? Oh, Your Majesty, if you want to summon Count Caso, I'll … "
King Kessel exhaled, feeling a little helpless and annoyed.
"Enough, get lost."
The king waved his hand impatiently.
"I'll give you five minutes. Come back and take him away."
Lord Adrian nodded, obedient and convinced.
"As you wish."
But the guard captain's footsteps immediately stopped.
"But from an outsider's point of view, Your Highness will at least have to finish your meal and chat before leaving with me."
Adrian said awkwardly,
"A quarter of an hour?"
A quarter of an hour?
The king and Thales were stunned for a second.
Clang!
In the next second, King Kessel, who could not take it anymore, knocked over his wine glass and glared at Adrian, "Ed —"
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
Lord Adrian bowed and hurriedly replied before the king, "Lord Adrian.
"Then a quarter of an hour it is!"
Once he finished speaking, without waiting for the king's response, Adrian turned around and left, but he stopped halfway.
"I'm sorry, Your Highness, but I have to take away your knife and fork."
The guard captain walked to Thales' side, glanced at the stunned prince, and apologetically took away the knife and fork beside the plate.
"I believe a spoon will be enough. After all, the Far Easterners can eat with only two thin wooden sticks."
Thales looked at the guard captain with a complicated expression.
"Thank you, my lord," he said hoarsely.
'Thank you and Gilbert for fighting for me …'
'A quarter of an hour.'
But things had already come to this.
'What else … can I do?'
"You're welcome, Your Highness." Adrian smiled as he weighed the knife and fork in his hand.
"By the way, your sword is indeed quite heavy. It's not easy to hold it in my hand."
Thales laughed bitterly and ignored the king, whose expression was almost frozen.
"That's not mine, it's Karabeyan's —"
But Adrian didn't let him continue. Instead, he said to himself,
Instead, he continued, "But after we found its scabbard, it will be much more convenient."
The guard captain of the Royal Guards nodded in a profound manner.
"After all, since ancient times, swords …
"Cannot escape its scabbard."
'Cannot escape its scabbard.'
In the next second, Thales suddenly raised his head!
"What?"
He looked at Adrian in surprise.
Lord Adrian smiled faintly, blinked, and immediately left. As the door opened and closed, he walked out of Ballard Room.
Thales stared in the direction he left in a daze.
'Tormond Mallos.
'You son of a b * tch, watchman, the guard captain I hate the most.
'Isn't he being interrogated by the Flag Bearer Division and unable to take care of himself?
'And he still has time to care about my business?'
Thales clenched his fists.
The door closed.
The room returned to silence.
"Looks like you're very popular." The king stared at the door and seemed to be deep in thought.
"And this makes you feel uneasy?" Thales took a deep breath, returned to reality, and looked at his father.
The king snorted coldly.
"Eat." King Kessel nonchalantly grabbed his knife and fork.
"Unless you want to starve and be whipped. That doesn't feel good."
Thales grabbed his spoon and stared at his soup bowl.
He could not fight against the king.
He could not turn into another sword.
Just like Temple and Imperial Style, the source of their formation determined that they were bound to fight against each other, and they were as incompatible as fire and water.
Neither of them would easily lower their heads to the other.
And him. Thales stared at his own reflection in the bowl.
So, he could not use the bargaining chip given by Fakenhaz to negotiate terms with King Kessel.
He could not hold the sword given by the Western Desert people and claim credit from Renaissance Palace.
That would not work.
Thales clenched the spoon in his hand and frowned slightly.
Not enough.
He had not given enough.
Not enough.
Far from enough.
The Sin of Hell's River surged and filled his brain, but it made him think more clearly.
He had to give more.
More.
"Since ancient times, swords cannot escape their scabbard.
A thousand blades are sealed, and they are evil. "
Thales stared at King Kessel, who was quietly eating. He slowly became lost in thought and gradually understood.
'Are you ready?'
Deep in his heart, a small voice reminded him.
'Thales?'
In the next second, the prince suddenly raised his head!
"I know."
Thales fixed his gaze on King Kessel. His tone was calm and unperturbed.
"I know that I can't hide Amolei's matter from you.
"As long as I still want to use it as a bargaining chip, I can't hide it from you, much less convince you."
But Thales' tone changed.
"But you won't succeed, even if you have that orphan girl in your hands.
"But it's not because Fakenhaz won't compromise, nor is it because you lack means."
Kessel the Fifth did not say a word. He just lowered his head and ate.
Thales sucked in a deep breath. His next words were directed at the king as well as himself.
"But because this is destined."
The king responded to him with a cold snort.
But Thales was not discouraged, nor was he impatient. He pierced a piece of what looked like a sausage with his spoon.
"Your Majesty, I just figured something out.
"That is, whether there is a 'Sand King' or not, whether you want to centralize power, expand the army, reform, or make the country rich, no matter how many years pass, you are destined to lose everything."
Across the long table, King Kessel, who was cutting meat, paused.
The prince's expression did not change. He continued to focus on his plate.
"Remind me: how did the 'Sand King' fail?
"From vision to goal to assumption, from planning to preparation to execution, it was grand, precise, and logical. But at the last moment, it fell short of success. He was forced to take a step back, fold his cards to stop his losses, and win with less losses.
"What exactly went wrong?"
The king did not answer, but he slowly raised his eyes and looked at Thales.
"Was it the Imperial Conference that held each other back? The Kingdom's Secret Intelligence Department spoiled everything? The regular army was eager for quick success? The Legendary Wing was short-sighted? The vassals of Western Desert were shrewd and vigilant? Or the forces of the desert were unruly and uncooperative and refused to cooperate with your performance? "
The prince chuckled and took a bite of the sausage, but he could not taste it at all.
"Or is it that no one has a problem here, or is it that everyone has a problem?"
King Kessel did not move. He only fixed his gaze on Thales.
"Wait." Thales narrowed his eyes.
"You don't really think that it's my fault, do you?"
The king still did not respond.
But Thales did not expect him to answer.
"No …"
The teenager snorted and laughed.
"The truth is, even if everything goes smoothly for the 'Sand King', and everyone does their duty …"
The second prince's gaze sharpened.
"It is also destined not to succeed.
"Because it has a link, and that itself is the biggest problem."
Thales completely abandoned table manners. As he chewed, he pointed his spoon at King Kessel.
"You."
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