King Kessel was silent for a second before he chuckled.
"Me?"
The king put down his knife. He looked interested, but his words were cold.
"Let me guess, Fakenhaz thinks the same?"
Thales shook his head.
"When the branches rot and the leaves rot, one must ask the root.
"If there is a problem with your rule, Your Majesty, the first person in the kingdom to pay the bill, and the first person to reflect and hold accountable, is definitely and only you."
The king's disdainful sneer rang out in the room. He lowered his head again and continued eating.
Thales smiled as well, unperturbed.
"Yes, you probably think that if the kingdom's rule is unsatisfactory and there is a problem with Constellation's development, it must be due to the officials' deviation in execution and the poor governance of the lower ranks. Minor adjustments and corrections will not harm your grand strategy of ruling the country, nor will it harm the wisdom of the nobles before you, or the wisdom of your king?
"Just like the 'Sand King', in your eyes, how could it be wrong?
"It must be that the people who do things are not courageous, there must be mistakes in execution, the enemy is too cunning, there must be accidents that happen more frequently than expected, it must be … that unlucky prince's problem.
"But," Thales' smile turned cold.
"Only the simplest and kindest of citizens would have such naive and beautiful fantasies.
"Only the most sinister and vicious scoundrels would say such slanderous words."
Thales pointed at the king and said seriously,
"No, the reason why the 'Sand King' failed is because of you, Your Majesty."
The sound of a knife clashing with a plate responded to him.
"Yes." Perhaps certain that victory was in his grasp, King Kessel did not even raise his head as he spoke perfunctorily.
"I, the king of Constellation, am the kingdom's weakest link?"
But Thales shook his head decisively.
"On the contrary, Your Majesty Kessel."
Thales smashed his spoon on the plate.
"In fact, you are the strongest link in the center of the kingdom."
King Kessel's knife cut the food in front of him into two.
He raised his head slightly. The tip of the knife in his field of vision was facing Thales' face.
"But that is precisely why I failed."
The prince said calmly, as if this was the most common sense.
"Your Majesty, it is precisely because you are too powerful, too outstanding, too wise, too terrifying, and too decisive."
King Kessel looked at Thales at the end of the knife and was silent for a while.
"Flattery won't absolve you."
Thales shook his head. He scooped up a spoonful of soup made of some unknown substance and put it into his mouth.
"Think back, Your Majesty. Before the Sand King, from the Desert War until now, from Blade Fangs Camp to Blessings Town, from the Emergency Control Order to the Border County Development Tax Exemption Order, from the Legendary Wing to the regular army, how many things have you done to Western Desert? How many times have you stabbed them, and how many times have they gritted their teeth but could do nothing?"
Thales raised his head, and his voice grew sharper.
"And since when did you replace the treacherous desert and become the greatest enemy that threatens their survival?"
Across the long table, King Kessel's gaze was focused on the tip of the table knife.
"So much so that today, before you had the idea to take action, the Western Desert people had already made hundreds of contingency plans, like birds startled by the mere twang of a bowstring. There was nothing else but how to resist the threat of Renaissance Palace. Even in their dreams at night, they imagined the scene of the regular army of the royal family invading Western Desert.
"Under this premise, Your Majesty, whether it's the army, the tax, the land, or the rule, no matter what you want to do with that land, the people of the Western Wilderness will never let you get what you want."
Thales said coldly,
"So, how could the Sand King succeed? How could he succeed? "
This time, King Kessel was silent for an exceptionally long time.
Finally, the king raised his head slightly.
"You overestimate them."
Thales chuckled and nodded.
"Is that so?
"So, you think that when you ordered the army to march west, everyone believed that they were going to rescue me?
"You think that the suzerains of Western Desert really took your bait and were unaware of the conspiracy?
"You think that the main forces of the three great families did not fall into the trap only because the Legendary Wing dragged things out?
"You think that the Kingdom's Secret Intelligence Department and the regular army messed up the plan because they were not capable enough?
"You think that between you and Fakenhaz, who was the first to find me in the desert and seize the initiative in the Sand King?"
At that moment, King Kessel's gaze turned sharp.
Thales sat up straight and said solemnly,
"You are the one who underestimated them.
"Your Majesty."
King Kessel did not comment, but his gaze flickered.
"I know, I made the same mistake."
Thales was slightly dazed as he recalled the past.
"Before the new year, when I escaped from Dragon Clouds City, I thought that my plan was flawless and that no one could see through it.
"With the help of the Kingdom's Secret Intelligence Department, such a complicated political situation, such a strange situation, and such a coincidental time, anyone would first suspect that Prince Thales was kidnapped by the forces of Dragon Clouds City and did not sneak away on his own."
Thales heaved a deep sigh.
"But I was still caught — on the first day I escaped from Dragon Clouds City."
King Kessel's gaze shifted.
Thales stretched out his left hand and rubbed an abnormal bone. He furrowed his eyebrows tightly, as if he was feeling the pain of it cracking again.
"I was caught by a boorish man in Dragon Clouds City who was one of the best in the Western Peninsula when it came to sword-wielding, but whose political IQ was said to be the lowest in the world."
Thales sneered faintly.
"Even though it was later proven that the reasoning logic that the Star Killer relied on to track me was simply mechanically copied and made no sense at all — that damned Ryland paper."
Thales raised his head and looked straight at the king with a solemn gaze.
"So, just like you, I lamented my bad luck countless times, cursed the guy who made me give myself away, and cursed that stupid logic of a lucky hit. But I never doubted my own plan and reflected on my own responsibility."
King Kessel did not say a word.
"I was wrong." Thales sighed and said calmly and helplessly,
"Because no matter how powerful my methods were, or how brilliant my schemes were, he was destined to catch me at that time and that place.
"Because during the six years of good times in Dragon Clouds City," Thales clutched his left arm tightly and sullenly said, "Soray Nicholas, the Star Killer, regarded me as his greatest and most dangerous enemy.
"Soray Nicholas, the Star Killer. He treated me as his greatest and most dangerous enemy. If he ran into an accident, he would suspect me. If he was attacked, he would be wary of me. If he made a mistake, he would look at me. If I suddenly disappeared, he would still think of me."
"Even if one of the sewers in Heroic Spirit Palace was clogged," the prince sneered indignantly, "in his eyes, I must be the one playing tricks behind the scenes; it was a shocking conspiracy that I had been planning for six years.
"So, I was caught, and almost brought back to Dragon Clouds City."
Thales looked into the distance, which he could not see.
"And later, I understood that the reason why I was targeted by him was because I was caught in a trap of my own making. I went on a rampage that night in Dragon's Blood and turned myself into the most terrifying, bizarre, and dangerous variable in Dragon Clouds City in the eyes of others. I changed the fate of all of Eckstedt."
The king listened quietly, his thoughts unknown.
"It's the same in Western Desert." Thales sighed and returned to the reality before his eyes.
"Especially when they see you as the strongest enemy, Your Majesty."
King Kessel pursed his lips.
"Them?"
The king said coldly.
"With that group of selfish, fat, and short-sighted rotten nobles?
"They are like a sheet of loose sand, fighting incessantly among themselves. They can't even unite under one flag."
Thales' voice became stern.
"Then it's even more impossible for them to be obedient and obedient to you!"
King Kessel raised his chin.
"They will do it."
King Kessel's gaze sharpened. He also raised his voice, resolute and unquestionable.
"They have to do it.
"They have to."
Thales smiled.
"Yes, just like how King Nuven once thought that he could make the Troubled Citizens of the Alliance of Freedom bow their heads and obey Eckstedt with just a bloody massacre and a little political maneuvering. That way, they would never rebel against his granddaughter and shake up the entire political situation in Northland," he said sarcastically.
In the next second, the youth's expression turned cold. His tone changed.
"But do you really think that as long as you are strong enough and clever enough, everyone will bow their heads and everything will go smoothly?
"Then why don't you simply declare that everyone in Western Desert is a traitor and rebel, and order the regular army to attack and annihilate them in order to pacify the country?
"Why do you still do everything possible to bypass the Imperial Conference and keep a low profile to advance 'Sand King'?
"Why do you still use me as a famous chess piece and bait?"
Thales paused, looked at the king, and called him by his name.
"Because you also know this, Kessel."
The king frowned.
Looking at King Kessel's deep expression, Thales understood something.
Unlike his previous opponents, this time, he could not hold up a sharp sword and face the Iron Hand King.
"In the face of a ruler, a person may cooperate, be loyal, or obey." Thales recalled the conversation in his memory.
"But a large group of people? That is a giant beast with a bottomless appetite, an insatiable shark, who will always respond to the ruler unexpectedly and catch you off guard. "
The youth pointed behind him.
"If you order Vanguard Marico to whip me, I can guarantee that he won't even bat an eyelid."
"But what if your order is given to a group of people, such as the entire royal guards? I can also guarantee that there will be people who hesitate, some who are doubtful, some who are uneasy, some who are troubled, some who shrink back, some who are secretly indignant, some who deal with the situation, and some who pretend to comply but secretly oppose. "
At that moment, Thales' thoughts returned to the Prison of Bones in Western Desert.
He thought of the former group of guards.
King Kessel did not speak. He just stared at Thales.
The youth gulped, walked out of the past, and continued,
"When your army wreaked havoc in Western Desert, Your Majesty, would you have thought that a few months later, one of the sons of a Western Desert noble would hide a sword, crash a banquet, and commit murder, causing the entire kingdom to be in a mess and caught unprepared?"
"When the Sand King failed and you were trapped in the royal court, did it ever occur to you that the master of the West Desert would bet on me crazily and riskily, offering a bargaining chip that was disadvantageous to himself in exchange for an alternative way out for you?
King Kessel still did not speak, but his expression became more and more tense.
Thales leaned back in his chair and looked at the ceiling, feeling something in his heart.
"As a ruler, Your Majesty, you have countless subjects, from the three great families who have high statuses to the criminals and prisoners in Blade Fangs Camp. But they will never, never, never obey your will step by step."
The king narrowed his eyes.
"These are not your own words."
Thales lowered his head and met the king's eyes without flinching.
"But this is something you have to admit, something you can never control. 'Sand King' is just one example, and this situation is not limited to Western Desert."
Thales got up from the back of his chair, pushed away his plate, and leaned back on the table again.
It was like returning to the battlefield, to the place where he fell.
"Yes, Amolei's orphan daughter, she may be able to help you solve your difficulties and awkwardness for a while, and the three noble families may humbly cooperate with you to avoid the fate of being ruined. But what then? What then? "
Thales' expression was solemn as he repeated,
"What then?
"What about beyond Western Desert?
"What about Land of Cliffs, Eastern Sea, Blade Edge, and the Northern Territory? After the military reform, when you become stronger and more powerful, what if you want to do more and more outrageous things, and have no choice but to provoke more and more enemies? "
Thales' expression was stern.
"Are you hoping that there will be a second Fakenhaz, a second old man who is bold, adventurous, and slippery, who will hand over the chips to you by accident and let you butcher them however you want?"
The Iron Hand King still stared at Thales without saying a word, but the emotions in his eyes were different.
"As for, as for this letter …"
Thales reached out and grabbed the 'Jade City's Petition for Servitude', which had been forgotten for a long time. He snickered.
"Why, do you really think that the young Zayen Covendier, the Master of Iris Flowers, the Guardian Duke of South Coast, is really as elegant, easygoing, and knowledgeable as he appears? And that this temporary inferior horse will successfully pull the chariot, starting from South Coast Hill, benefit the entire country, and bring you the ending you want? "
In the next second, the king's gaze changed.
Thales exerted force in his hands and tore the letter in half without hesitation!
King Kessel finally spoke, unable to hide his shock and anger, "You —"
But Thales' smile faded and he interrupted him.
"Believe me, Your Majesty, even if you march the regular army into Jade City's Palace of Clarity, the crafty Zayen — do you know what method he used to make the vampires catch up to me back then — can still cause you a lot of trouble, and it will not be any easier than in Western Desert.
"And this is only Western Desert, only South Coast, only the powerful feudal lords here disgust you, obstruct you, and frustrate you.
"And next time, there will be other people in other places, countless people, for the same reason and concern, who will use more and more complicated ways to disgust you, obstruct you, and frustrate you."
Thales was unusually determined. He tore the letter into pieces without hesitation.
"Not just the 'Sand King', not just the military, not just the suzerains and vassals, not just the Imperial Conference.
"Further away, there's the National Conference six years ago, 'New Star' and Val Arunde whom you defeated.
"Even closer, there's the accident at the royal banquet, and Zayen's hypocritical petition that has buried countless holes in it."
Thales spread his hands, letting the pieces of the letter fall to the ground.
King Kessel stared at the pieces from afar, gripping the arm of his chair tightly. His eyes were filled with anger.
"Once their interests are harmed, their rule is in trouble, and their living space is squeezed," Thales' voice continued, sounding cold and ruthless.
"Their first reaction will always be to resist and counterattack, and the first target they will fight against will always be Renaissance Palace."
"It's you."
At that moment, Thales' gaze was as sharp as a sword.
"Because to them, the Iron Hand King is too powerful, too terrifying.
"So powerful that you can't do anything. As long as you're still sitting on the throne, you're already everyone's enemy. You're bound to encounter their instinctive vigilance and resistance, whether it's on the surface or in the dark.
"Because to them, the Iron Hand King is too obvious, too special.
"Now that things have come to this, the excuse and convenience that the Bloody Year gave you to 'revive the kingdom' have been used up. Your actions can no longer be hidden, and Renaissance Palace has long surpassed all threats without them realizing it, becoming their main enemy."
King Kessel took a deep breath, suppressed his raging anger, and closed his eyes.
But Thales was not affected at all, as if everything was within his expectations.
"So when you look around, there are enemies everywhere, and when you move forward, every step is arduous.
"So from the inside to the outside, everything is not going well for you. From the top to the bottom, nothing is going well for you."
Thales shook his head gently, "No, Your Majesty.
"You can't do anything.
"Can't do anything."
His voice was deep and sorrowful.
"Can't do anything."
In the next second, King Kessel suddenly opened his eyes!
"Alarmist."
He said coldly, "Eloquent and eloquent."
Thales hummed in agreement and spread his hands.
"But there's nothing you can do."
The youth's eyebrows gradually furrowed.
"You can defeat them, but you can't destroy them. Faced with a pile of loose sand and a mess, you are caught in a dilemma and don't know where to start. You don't even know where they will jump out to stop you, or which part of the chain will go wrong. Throughout the 'Sand King', you looked awe-inspiring and took the initiative to attack, and no one dared to face you head-on. In fact, most of the time, you were just swinging your sword in vain and suffering from hidden losses. "
At that moment, King Kessel's expression became a little ferocious.
But Thales' words continued, making him feel uneasy.
"And they, they are all over the kingdom, at all levels, all over the world, north, south, east, west.
"They are hiding in every gap of interests, ambitions, desires, stances, and will. They are unexpected and unpredictable. They can change from cowardice to fearlessness at any moment, from meekness to zealotry, from indifference and selfishness to fury and desperation, and from conformism to boldness and aggressiveness.
"You can never see them. When you swing your sword to kill, the opponent is nowhere to be seen. But when you suddenly look back, you are shocked to find that enemies are everywhere."
Thales thought of something and could not help but snort softly.
"It's just like a police officer on the streets of the capital. It's useless to only kill the most ferocious and vicious criminals, because he's facing the entire lower city district. His enemies are hiding in the unreachable corners and the most inconspicuous mediocrity. They are constantly sprouting and sprouting, leaving him overwhelmed and powerless."
Thales raised his gaze and looked straight into the king's eyes.
"And you, Your Majesty, what you are facing …
"is the entire Constellation."
At the end of the long table, the king sank his face into the darkness where the light could not reach.
"The enemy is weak, I am strong; the enemy is rotten, I am new; the enemy is scattered, I am one."
Thales said in a low voice.
"That is your greatest and only advantage."
"But the enemy is divided and I gather; the enemy is hidden and I show; the enemy is in the dark and I am in the light; the enemy is confused and I am clear; the enemy is outnumbered and I am outnumbered; the enemy is strange and I am upright."
Thales said coldly,
"These are your most painful and uncomfortable predicaments."
King Kessel looked at Thales with a strange gaze.
"If you behave as usual and act as usual, Your Majesty," Thales said.
"Then, it is not hard to foresee that not just the 'Sand King', but everything else that you want in the future will be greatly hindered.
In the next moment, Thales' gaze turned fierce.
"You won't succeed, that's what I'm telling you."
"Be it military reform, land inspection, tax reform, centralization of power, or other bullshit."
"You won't succeed."
Thales glared at King Kessel, as if he wanted to use his gaze to cut open the other's skull and see the thoughts inside.
"Until the day you die with unfulfilled ambitions, Your Majesty," Roland said in a low voice.
He repeated, emphasizing each word.
"You, will not, succeed."
His voice fell.
Ballard Room was dead silent.
For a long time, Thales and the king faced each other in silence. Neither of them said a word.
Finally, King Kessel moved.
He reached out and grabbed the knife.
Amidst the hissing, the king lowered his head and began to eat again.
"At the beginning, you changed your address," King Kessel said calmly.
"You no longer call me 'father'."
Thales' gaze moved slightly.
'Yes.'
"Because I am no longer sitting here as your son, Your Majesty."
The prince remained calm, but his voice was steady and firm.
"In the name of the Duke of Star Lake, I attend the Imperial Conference to give my voice to the noble and wise King Kessel."
The king stopped cutting the meat for a second.
"Interesting."
King Kessel's expression was indecipherable, but he began to eat again.
"Then what's your suggestion?"
Thales took a deep breath and spoke cautiously.
"You know I'm right. You've always known.
"It's just that you're used to holding power. You're no longer willing to lower yourself and bow down," the prince said with a frown.
"To listen to different voices."
King Kessel picked up a glass of wine, took a sip, and snorted coldly.
Thales lowered his head and adjusted his breathing.
"The old way no longer works, Your Majesty," the teenager said seriously.
"You need — we need …"
Thales paused and changed his words.
"No, it's still you, only you — in the face of such a predicament, you need to change your mind."
King Kessel's gaze moved imperceptibly.
"Change my mind?"
Thales nodded slightly, his expression serious.
"Let me handle the matter of Western Desert, Your Majesty. I'll take over and fulfill your wish."
The king was silent for a while, then smiled coldly.
"So in the end, this is still the same condition as before."
He looked at Thales coldly and said disdainfully,
"The so-called 'change my mind' is to accept the deal Fakenhaz gave me, push you out in exchange for his bargaining chip, and finally cause the royal family to fight and destroy the foundation of Renaissance Palace."
He was rejected again, but this time, Thales did not react. He just exhaled and shook his head with a smile.
"No, f * ck Fakenhaz."
Thales said with a smile.
King Kessel narrowed his eyes.
The prince chuckled and said rudely,
"F * ck his deal, f * ck his sword, f * ck his bargaining chip."
He said sincerely,
"To hell with that eccentric old man who harbors ill intentions."
"From now on, this has nothing to do with him, Your Majesty."
Thales said solemnly,
"And it only has to do with you and me."
King Kessel parted a piece of meat and responded with a sneer.
"That's you, Duke Thales.
"It's your kindness acting up, or your greed acting up." The king raised the table knife, the tip of the knife pointing at Thales' cheek in his field of vision again.
"You want to advise me to slow down the pace of moderation in the face of those local vassals, and govern gently and gradually?"
Thales smiled faintly and did not answer.
King Kessel's smile disappeared.
"Then I've seen it too, and I'll return your words," the supreme king said coldly.
"You're destined not to succeed."
Thales raised his eyebrows.
He heard King Kessel say faintly, in a tone that he rarely heard him preach, "You're right.
"Moderation means compromise, compromise means retreat, retreat means wavering, wavering means giving up, and giving up …"
Kessel the Fifth paused and snorted.
"It means that you've been on the wrong path from the beginning.
"You'll soon be trapped in their seemingly righteous, but actually sinister and cunning stance. You won't be able to control yourself."
At that moment, a cold glint flashed in the king's eyes.
"And one day, when you're no longer in line with their interests, when you no longer respond to their cries, when you no longer cater to their wishes, you'll be opposed, despised, expelled, abandoned, and betrayed by them."
King Kessel said softly,
"Just like the Sand King in the past."
The king paused and continued faintly,
"And my father."
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.
