According to the 'Brief History of DarkStar', in Year 679 of the Calendar of Eradication, the Iron Hand King's second son and heir, Thales Jadestar, who was also known as the 'North Star', escaped from his dangerous life as a hostage through complicated political mediation. He was courteously escorted out of the country by the Northland dukes and returned to Constellation. He was then conferred the title of Duke of Star Lake Fort.
(There is also a saying that the Northlanders did not want to let the prince leave. After the prince fought his way out, he managed to escape in a sorry state. However, he was separated from his followers and had no choice but to cross the Great Desert alone. Then, he returned to his country with the help of the orc tribe. However, the source of this saying is the folk bardic poems and tribal ballads circulating around the Independent State of Caligri and Blade Fang City. It is more like a literary interpretation by poets who are filled with passion and fantasy. There is no logic in this saying, and there is also a lack of evidence.
On the 2nd of November of the same year, it was recorded that Duke Thales attended the Imperial Conference for the first time and officially participated in the kingdom's politics.
This meeting was of great importance, mainly to solve two thorny problems:
First, there was a vicious incident that offended the royal family. A Western Desert squire, who was in debt and had nowhere to go, barged into Mindis Hall (it could be said that he was invited in by someone with ulterior motives). At that time, the North Pole Star was having a banquet. In front of all the high officials and nobles, the former pulled out his sword and threatened the guests, accusing the royal family of harming a foreign minister of the Western Desert. Although the uninvited guest in Western Desert was eventually killed by Duke Thales ("His Highness' bravery is not inferior to the kingdom's wrath.") Count Godwin, who was present at the scene, lamented to his sons after the incident. However, this incident disgraced the royal family, and shocked the court and the public. Rumors flew everywhere.
The second was an even worse political incident. A few months ago, the greedy Western Desert vassals led by Viscount Lugo of War's Rest Fortress (now Floating Sand City's Four Points Area) did not hesitate to spread rumors and slander in order to monopolize the trade route in the desert. They forced away Marshal Williams, who was known as the Legendary Wing and represented the Royal Family to protect Blade Fangs Camp (now Blade Fangs City's Four Points Area). Just a month later, the feudal vassals of Western Desert who had lost the support of their regular army and had their military discipline lax were attacked by the Barren Bone people and orcs (or desert bandits who disguised themselves as their own people and sneaked into the camp). They almost lost Blade Fangs Dune, and Viscount Lugo and his two sons were killed on the spot. Fortunately, Marshal Williams was stationed not far away and led his troops back in time. Although he despised the conduct of the nobles in the Western Wilderness, he still disregarded the former enmity and helped his allies. He held the front line and repelled the foreign enemies, so that the border would not be lost.
Of the two incidents, one was more shocking than the other (let's not talk about the fact that they strangely happened at the same time). There was no doubt that the arrogant and despotic attitude of the suzerains of Western Desert had given the Jadestar Royal Family a heavy blow as a congratulatory gift for the reunion of the father and son.
Meanwhile, the entire kingdom was waiting for Renaissance Palace's reaction.
It was said that the Imperial Conference lasted from morning to late at night and lasted for a whole day. During the conference, the Imperial Ministers had serious disagreements.
Military Advisor Solder Ryder believed that the two incidents were proof that the feudal vassals of Western Desert were incompetent and disdainful of the royal family. He suggested that the Iron Hand King take a strong stance and appoint Marshal Williams (whose biography can be found in Dr. Thales Daniel Doyle's "Records of the Famous Ministers and Generals at the End of the Century") as the royal envoy. He was to send troops to the Ruins (now the Duke's District of Floating Sand City) to hold the Western Desert vassals led by Duke Fakenhaz accountable. The implication was that he would not hesitate to go to war to establish his authority as a warning to others. Those who shared the same opinion as him included the Minister of Commerce and the Faith Advisor.
On the other hand, Prime Minister Duke Bob Cullen was more willing to believe that the two incidents were accidents and was worried about the possible consequences of such a move. The Chief of Finance, Kirkirk Mann, lacked confidence in the budget for the expedition, and the Minister of Agriculture did not want the military to affect production. All three firmly opposed the military advisor's radical opinion. Strangely, this time, the king's party, the well-respected 'Cunning Fox' Caso, who had always supported the king in attacking the local vassals, was also on their side.
As one of the parties involved, the young Duke Thales wanted to perform well in the conference. But he soon realized that the ministers, including his teacher Count Caso, did not care about this young lad who had been imprisoned in the North for six years and was attending the Imperial Conference with the nominal title of Duke of Star Lake.
Seeing that his words carried little weight, the Duke of Star Lake was extremely disappointed. He left his seat midway and left the palace.
The Imperial Conference continued. The ministers, who had been split into two factions, insisted on their own views and quarreled fiercely. Kessel the Fifth was distraught. "I can tell you that the King is not happy — very, very, very, very, unhappy." Lord Krapen, the then Minister of Agriculture, wrote in a private letter) and even had to interrupt the conference several times.
Duke Thales returned to Renaissance Palace at dusk.
This time, he brought a sword with him.
At first, no one understood the duke's intentions. Even the royal guards who guarded the palace were frightened ("The duke returned in the night with a sword, the guards were shocked." But this time, the North Star at least attracted the attention of the ministers and made them listen to him patiently. Military advisor Solder commented, "His solemn look reminds me of Prince Horace."
The historians of the later generations did not know what happened during that period, but many believed that it was with the Fakenhaz family's heirloom sword that the prince proved his influence in the Western Desert. He succeeded in persuading the king and his ministers to allow him to deal with the crisis in a more ingenious way (than sending his army to the west).
Renaissance Palace quickly sent to the Ruins a letter written by Duke Thales himself, "A Letter to Cyril" (now in the Merry Hicks University Museum, one page of the original is missing).
The Duke of Star Lake's wording in this letter was sincere and neither servile nor overbearing. He recalled his friendship with a few of his old friends in the Western Desert, mentioned the Royal Family's standing army in the Western Desert, which provided important evidence for scholars who studied Constellation's military and foreign policy toward the Great Desert, and especially thanked Duke Cyril Fakenhaz for giving him the sword. The only thing he did not mention was Blade Fangs Camp and the accident at the banquet.
Scholars of later generations interpreted the letter in many ways. Most of them believed that Duke Thales had carefully chosen his words and content. Every word, including the weight of rhetoric, was deliberately polished information. He had hidden a needle in a velvet velvet. On one hand, he was friendly, on the other, he was threatening. On the other hand, he had analyzed the situation in Western Desert in a clear and unique manner. Most importantly, he had left his intentions blank.
"It's impossible for Duke Cyril not to know the seriousness of those two matters. He must have been prepared to bargain. But the more the Duke of Star Lake refrained from mentioning them, the more uneasy, nervous, and fearful he became. Even though the words were not written on the paper, they were loud and clear. This is the highest realm of diplomacy. "— Dr. T. D. Doyle," Research on the Changes of the Feudal System in the Western Desert of the Old Kingdom "
In any case, the letter was effective.
Baron Fakenhaz, the palace advisor of Floating Sand Palace, said that the Duke of Western Desert "thought for a long time" after reading the letter. Soon, under his lead, the arrogant Western Desert suzerains bowed their heads and admitted their mistakes. Not only did they admit that their governance was poor, but they also apologized for the accident at Blade Fangs Camp and the injustice suffered by Marshal Williams. They even took the initiative to request Renaissance Palace to send their troops to Western Desert, completely bowing down to Kessel the Fifth's royal authority.
The successful handling of the Western Desert crisis without conflict or bloodshed greatly increased Thales Jadestar's political status, allowing him to have a stable position in the Imperial Conference.
If Duke Thales' reputation before this (due to his intelligent performance at the National Conference and his experience as a hostage in Northland) was only limited to the "pitiful little prince" in the mouths of the commoners, then after this incident, from the nobles to the officials, from the vassals to the suzerains, the entire kingdom had the impression that "the Duke of Star Lake can only take on great responsibilities because of his political skills".
The king's heir was highly regarded by the people. This objectively strengthened the Jadestar Royal Family's rule, which was not very stable (some scholars believed that it had a stable foundation, but was oppressive and forceful), causing the restless enemies to put away their unnecessary ambitions.
But history was not that simple.
In fact, the strong rise of the Duke of Star Lake caused many people to be dissatisfied, including many of the important figures in the Imperial Conference during the Western Desert crisis. They had been working hard for many years, wholeheartedly supporting the country, but in the end, they were not as good as a teenager who had been imprisoned in the north for many years. This made them feel ashamed.
Moreover, with this precedent, the Duke of Star Lake could actually overstep his bounds and meddle in the affairs of the Imperial Conference by privately reporting to the king. This directly affected the king's party's authority and status in front of the king.
("I can't reveal the details, but I can tell you that the moment the prince walked through the door, none of us even dared to breathe," Kirkirk Mann, who was then the Chief of Finance, once said.)
More importantly, most of the king's party came from the new nobles. They believed that the Duke of Star Lake stood with the old suzerains in many matters, such as land and tax policies, which fundamentally harmed their interests.
And this was not out of thin air.
The gentle and effective handling of the Western Desert crisis had indeed won the hearts of many local suzerains. Many people began to bring their disputes and problems (which the king would not have understood in the past) to Mindis Hall, where the duke was, and hoped to get a similarly satisfactory solution. Reality did not disappoint them. Duke Thales was good at politics and could always take care of many things. He withstood the great pressure from the king and the Imperial Conference, and he was also very charismatic, gently appeasing the many dissatisfaction of the local suzerains.
Therefore, the Duke of Star Lake's reputation grew day by day. Mindis Hall soon became a place that foreign suzerains had to pass by when they visited the capital. One of the protagonists of the Western Desert crisis, Count Lewis Bozdorf of Brave Souls Fort, even sent his heir to the Duke of Star Lake, hoping that he would follow the duke and learn something.
At that time, a country knight who had property and came to the city to handle some affairs said to a friend of his whose family business was in trouble, "Don't worry, there is nothing in this world that cannot be solved … If there is, then go to Renaissance Palace. If there is, then go there twice … If that doesn't work, then go to Mindis Hall."
Later generations did not know how the North Star considered it, whether his actions were really out of sympathy for the local suzerains, or if he was just fishing for fame with wild ambitions. But no matter what, the Duke of Star Lake's actions not only earned him fame, but also made him feared by others, until these fears converged into a stream, turned into slander and suspicion, and surged to the highest place in Renaissance Palace — Kessel the Fifth.
Later historical evaluations did not lack discussions and criticisms of the Iron Hand King's personality. They believed that the king's cold, indifferent, and stubborn character was the main reason that prevented him from maintaining a good relationship with his son. If Kessel the Fifth could not be so rough, unyielding, and suspicious, and could instead be open and sincere with the Duke of Star Lake and understand each other, then during the time of the kingdom's transformation, many of the ruling conflicts between the central and local regions (including the previously mentioned Western Desert crisis, and the subsequent turbulence of the Iris Family) might have been easily solved by the father and son's concerted efforts.
Unfortunately, there were no ifs in history.
Since the spring of 680, sinister rumors such as "Two Stars Rule the Kingdom, Small Things Are Big Things" appeared in Constellation. Some illegal underground gambling dens even introduced bets on "How Long Can the King Live".
According to historical records, in the summer of 680 in the Calendar of Eradication, due to a combination of various factors, Duke Thales, who had reached the age of fifteen, was ruthlessly exiled from Eternal Star City by Kessel the Fifth.
— — —
After a frightening day, the prince's Mindis Hall was finally unlocked, and the Star Lake Guards were also freed from custody. At least Thales had a place to go home and sleep.
Even though Renaissance Palace tried its best to suppress the rumors, the rumors of the Duke of Star Lake breaking into the palace at night and breaking off relations with the king and his son still inevitably spread throughout the capital.
The remaining members of the Star Lake Guards were both shocked and puzzled about what happened to the prince in Renaissance Palace that day (especially after the Flag Bearer Division interrogated them for six hours and retreated in a hurry). The rumors they heard from various places were extremely chaotic. Hence, Doyle, Glover, and the others, who had once "followed His Highness through all sorts of dangerous situations", suddenly became popular. They were sought after and asked about by people everywhere ("Those who understand, of course they understand. As for the others, ahem, sorry, I have to keep the prince's secret." — Doyle, who was rubbing his buttocks with a humiliated look on his face. Other than Jenny who could not speak in the stable, even the newcomer, Ralf, was passed a note by someone.
But as the rumors spread, the winds changed very quickly. One night, Mindis Hall was filled with people celebrating peace and prosperity, but the next day, it became a forbidden area that no one in Eternal Star City dared to approach.
On the third day, the guards and patrols who were always diligently on duty nearby and even enthusiastically took on the responsibility of transporting goods had all left. Mallos had no choice but to send some of the guards who were free (Doyle was indignant about this) and the servants out to purchase supplies every week to support their livelihood. But even many of the servants in Mindis Hall had broken their contracts and resigned due to various reasons.
The avenue outside the manor was originally bustling with activity every day, and the place where everyone craned their necks to catch a glimpse of the prince, was now deserted.
The next day, Jines, who had rushed back from outside the city, learned of what had happened outside Ballard. She rushed to Mindis Hall and flew into a rage. She thought that Thales' actions were reckless, impulsive, and self-righteous. He was no different from his foolish father (Hearing this, Mallos hastily dismissed everyone).
"We just had a breakdown in our discussion." Thales could only smile as he stroked his new ring, and let Mallos send someone (Doyle was indignant about this) to send away the disappointed and incredulous Jines.
"You can deceive other people, but you can't deceive me!"
When the female official left, her expression was furious. Thales could only cover his head and hide.
"I will get to the bottom of this, no matter which coward I have to tear open!"
It was said that after that incident, the Chief Steward of Renaissance Palace, Baron Quentin, was on sick leave for two weeks.
There was no news of Kohen after he returned home. That was until Kommodore found out from his acquaintances in the police station that Director Lorbec of Western City Police Station heard of Kohen's heroic deed. In his rage, he suspended Kohen to reflect on his actions. In the end, Kohen reminded the director in a low voice that he was already suspended. The director was so angry that he announced his reinstatement on the spot. While Kohen was beaming with joy, the director transferred the latter's position to the Highway Maintenance Department at Western City Gate. However, it did not last long, because Kohen used a broom to break the head of a foreign noble at the city gate. Hence, under the pleading and endless gratitude of his colleagues in the Highway Maintenance Department, he was suspended again by the director.
The prince's lessons continued, but due to the heavy workload of government affairs, Gilbert resigned from his teaching duties. Thales was silent for a long time because of this, but Wya breathed a sigh of relief.
At the same time, a few teachers who worked in the Royal Cavalry Academy resigned as well. Baron Quentin had no choice but to put up advertisements throughout the city to recruit scholars, but there were still very few who responded. In the end, the highly respected Scholar Bonar personally appeared and 'invited' a few of his students from the academy to teach the prince.
Thales did not know how the rumors outside had changed, but he did not care much about these things.
He knew that all of this was destined to happen.
And he had a more urgent task.
Using the name of the Duke of Star Lake, Thales hastily wrote a letter. He did not even read it twice before he asked someone to send it to Renaissance Palace. He publicly sent it to Fakenhaz in the Ruins. He caught that sword and did what he could. Now, it was Fakenhaz's turn.
Lord Cyril's reaction did not disappoint him.
Fakenhaz was the first to reply and admit his mistake. If it were not for Baron Williams' timely rescue, Western Desert would have almost lost the important city of the kingdom. For this reason, he requested the royal family to send more regular troops to the Western Frontlines to 'guide the defense'. He was willing to offer part of the taxes as military funds to defend the territory and make up for his mistake.
No one knew what the Duke of Western Desert did, but within a month, Bozdorf of Brave Souls Fort, Kroma of Wing Fort, and many other Western Desert suzerains submitted letters of apology one after another. Not only to Renaissance Palace, but also to Blade Fangs Camp, where Baron Williams was gradually expanding his military camp, guests and gifts came in an endless stream.
In response, King Kessel magnanimously replied, 'I am comforted by your loyalty to the country. If you make a mistake, you should correct it. What crime is there? You should be diligent in the defense. The new army should depart as soon as possible. '
As for Blade Fangs Camp, it was said that the Legendary Wing tirelessly waved his hand and said, 'Accept the gifts. Leave the people behind and lock them in prison in exchange for ransom.'
Along with Fakenhaz's letter, Lord Cyril also specifically gave Duke Thales a bundle of high-quality carriage rope. It was written, 'Made with exquisite craftsmanship, excellent quality, durable, and has the strength to pull a thousand catties'.
According to Wya's attendant, His Highness liked that bundle of rope very much. He treasured it so much that he did not even allow them to store it in the storeroom.
A few weeks later, the Logistics Division reported to Mallos that Mindis Hall's fecal drain was blocked by a piece of tattered rope-like object. The watchman had no choice but to send someone (Doyle was indignant about this) to work hard for a whole hour to clear it.
As for the debt dispute between Byrael and the Doyle Family at the royal banquet, the resolution was quickly announced.
With the full cooperation of Western Desert, the Nobility Affairs Chamber, the Department of Finance, and the Court of Justice jointly reiterated the case and ruled that the Doyle Family had illegally lent money and occupied land. However, the Byrael Family could not escape responsibility. The judge ordered both parties to bear their losses and reach a repayment ratio that was within each other's means.
As for Anker Byrael himself, who had committed treason and offended the royal family at the banquet, he was sent to the Prison of Bones after being stripped of his inheritance rights and imprisoned for life. Thales could only attach a letter, asking for the Duke of Western Desert to the Legendary Wing to take care of him (he was very confident in the former, but he simply gave up on the latter, leaving only a sentence, "for the sake of Ricky and the key").
Thales originally thought that this was the end of the matter, but he had obviously underestimated the impact of the matter.
Within a few weeks, Mindis Hall became lively again — the guests were no longer people from near the Central Territory, but foreign vassals, officials, and even ordinary civilians who could afford the travel fees from all over the country.
It was fine if they were tactful, at least they knew to ask for a notification or send an invitation first before waiting for a response. However, more people barged in in a daze, with a heaviness as if the sky had collapsed, and in the midst of wrestling with the Star Lake Guards (Doyle was indignant about this), they shouted at the window, "I have something to ask of you, Your Highness."
In the beginning, Thales was still interested and insisted on meeting guests every day. He listened to stories ranging from squires and landlords, "My house encountered an old scoundrel while collecting rent", to a certain knight, "Your Highness, I want to report my next-door neighbor as a mountain bandit, I need an army", and even to "Your Highness, do you want this portrait of my daughter?", or "A boss owes us wages", which allowed him to learn a lot about the customs and customs of various parts of Constellation. However, gradually, more and more people came to visit the Duke of Star Lake from other places. Thales found himself completely overwhelmed, and could only rely on Tomallos to receive and screen guests in advance on his behalf (Doyle was indignant about this). Most of the guests only left records, and only those with important matters were received.
Sure enough, not everyone could pull off Little Playboy Zayen's amiable and approachable act.
In the face of these various guests, Thales only needed to listen to them with a smile. At most, he would ask Mallos to reply with a letter full of encouraging words, which he only needed to sign and seal to complete the "Duke's Acknowledgment", and some small gifts. Usually, the other party would go back satisfied. However, some questions were really serious, and Thales needed to enter the palace again to face the king (most of the time, it would be a "get lost" from him) to get an answer, even if it could not be solved.
However, the truly troublesome ones were those who wanted to take the opportunity to defect and join the duke's side. For such people, Mallos rejected them on the spot with the reasons of "insufficient funds" or "full personnel", but there were others that even Thales found hard to reject.
"I am Paul Bozdorf, from the Black Lion Family of Brave Souls Fort. I believe we have met before, everyone. "
The young noble in front of him had a bandage on his head, carried his own luggage, and bowed stiffly.
This was Paul, who led the Black Lion Infantry to escort Thales back to Eternal Star City from Blessings Town under his father's orders. He appeared in front of the prince again, and was as gloomy as ever.
"My father wishes for me to join your guards and follow by your side. In fact, I can be your flag bearer. Where is the flag he gave you?"
Thales was troubled by the Count of Black Lion's obvious intention of sending his heir to him.
"Oh, that flag," the prince said awkwardly. "By the way, what happened to your head?"
"I'm sorry, a carriage wanted to overtake us, so I returned the favor in the old way. This is very common in Western Desert." Paul touched his broken head, and his expression did not change. "Unfortunately, there was a street sweeper at the city gate who meddled in other people's business."
Thales refused repeatedly, but he could only agree in resignation. Tomallos found a place for Paul in Mindis Hall (Doyle volunteered, but Glover was eventually appointed as Paul's introducer).
But even within Mindis Hall, there was still quite a lot of problems.
Aside from the rumors spreading everywhere and the people panicking, which forced Tomallos to call for a reprimand, the integration of Dragon Clouds City's former subordinates ("those fake Northerners" — Doyle's catchphrase) and Star Lake Guards ("those city people" — Willow's complaint) was not as smooth as Thales had imagined.
Ralf's equipment and appearance clearly showed that he was not to be trifled with. A few days ago, he was mistaken by others for being arrogant and unwilling to talk, and he almost got into a fight with Jonveled. Genard was a veteran, and he seemed to have an old grudge against Kommodore. Willow was a village soldier from the Northern Territory who had been in Dragon Clouds City for a few years. He did not bother about trifles, and he always made the guards cast sidelong glances at him.
Hence, to speed up the familiarity between the two parties, Tomallos decided to start from sentry duty. He would disperse the people and regroup them, starting from Thales' personal guards.
But this was a terrible idea.
The combination of Doyle and Wya made Thales feel tired. On one hand, Doyle knew Wya's identity and deliberately spoke to him. His words were flattering and funny, but Wya was rigid, and he felt that he had to answer every question out of courtesy.
As the two of them went back and forth, the scene they formed was called noisy.
"So, Attendant Wya, you have been staying in Dragon Clouds City for the past six years, eating and sleeping with the prince, and never leaving his side?"
"No, Your Excellency Doyle. I leave my post occasionally. Sometimes, it's for His Highness's missions, and sometimes, it's a normal holiday."
"Oh, then do you go home often?"
"Not much, Your Excellency Doyle. I've said it before, I'm not close to my father."
"Oh, sigh, is it because we young people don't like to be close to our parents …"
"I believe not. I have friends who are on good terms with their parents."
"Sigh, I had a stepmother since I was young, but what about your mother?"
"She … passed away."
"Sorry, I didn't mean it …"
"It's okay, I understand."
"Then, Count Caso never thought of remarrying?"
Thales, who was concentrating hard on the exercises, could not take it anymore. He slammed the table angrily.
"Can both of you shut up?"
Wya and Doyle stood at attention in unison.
"Yes, Your Highness!"
"I'm so sorry, Your Highness!"
So, the two of them lowered their voices and spoke with anger.
"Shh … So, Wya, who gave you this name?"
"Erm, His Highness told us not to talk … My mother gave it to me. She used the name of her younger brother who died young …"
"I see. No wonder it sounds so nice. Hey, are you an only child?"
"I think it's better if we don't talk … Yes, my mother wanted to have a second child when she was alive …"
Thales was so angry that he fainted in his book.
Glover was not good with words, and Ralf could not speak at all. They should be a very quiet and comfortable team. But the two of them, who were born on the streets, had a problem.
They stood behind Thales, one on the left and the other on the right. There would always be times when they accidentally met each other's eyes. At this time, neither of them would show any weakness. So, one's gaze would become solemn and deep, while the other's gaze would become cold and sharp. Then, one's gaze would become even deeper and more solemn, while the other's gaze would become even sharper and colder. One side would retaliate even more fiercely, while the other side would not back down an inch …
As time passed, the two of them stared at each other silently. Unknowingly, the air grew murderous and cold.
The atmosphere was ominous and heavy.
Every time Thales snapped out of his daze and lifted his head from his book, he felt that he was between two Mystic Guns. Even breathing was difficult.
It was as if he was in a funeral.
"Can you stop glaring at each other?!"
The zombie and the Phantom Wind Follower snorted coldly and looked away. The air returned to normal.
Until they (inevitably) stared at each other again.
Thales, who was protected by them, felt hopeless.
When Wya and Glover were by Thales' side, it was a different situation.
The attendant regarded himself as the prince's most important confidant. When he wanted to show goodwill to Glover, he would always nod at him in a friendly manner when the two of them accidentally looked into each other's eyes. In the face of the enthusiastic but unsociable zombie, the latter would often jerk his chin back awkwardly and turn his head to look elsewhere. This made Wya momentarily stunned. He thought that he had done something wrong, so he put on a smile the next time. Glover was even more at a loss. He twitched the corners of his mouth stiffly and turned his head to avoid the gaze. If Wya thought that this was a positive response from the other party, he would be encouraged to continue smiling. If he thought that the other party's response was not good, he would reflect on himself and be more friendly and enthusiastic the next time. Glover felt even more awkward, but he did not want to speak …
Thales often saw this scene from the corner of his eye.
On the left, Wya sometimes smiled and sometimes nodded. After getting a response, he was sometimes disappointed and depressed, and sometimes full of confidence. He always tried hard to make eye contact with the other party.
On the right, Glover, who was on guard duty, curled into a ball as much as he could with the least amount of limbs. He twisted helplessly and painfully, avoided eye contact, and forced a smile. He was like a helpless baby who had his face poked repeatedly.
"Enough!"
Thales gritted his teeth and slammed the table again.
"If you want to flirt, go to the bedroom next door!"
The combination of Doyle and Ralf on guard duty was indescribable.
Doyle had a cheerful personality and was overly familiar with people. As usual, he tried hard to talk to Ralf, but he knew that the Phantom Wind Follower could not speak, so he carefully memorized the "interesting hand gestures" between the latter and the prince. When he was on guard duty beside the prince, he would occasionally reveal a mysterious smile and suddenly throw a hand gesture that he himself did not understand.
"Eat."
Ralf rolled his eyes and turned his head to ignore him.
Doyle vaguely knew what he did wrong, but he was not discouraged. He could only become more courageous. He made the next hand gesture and even raised his eyebrows, indicating that he was right.
"You? But? "
Ralf was a little angry, but he knew this person's personality, so he tried his best to ignore him.
Doyle blinked and began to form different hand gestures.
"Do? Toilet? Eat? "
Ralf subconsciously gritted his teeth and gave him a murderous look.
But Doyle was encouraged and became even more excited.
"You? Toilet? Eat? "
Ralf's gaze was so cold that it almost froze Mindis Hall.
Doyle felt that he was on the right track.
"Like, toilet?"
Ralf's anger almost spilled out of his mask.
Doyle was even more surprised.
"Like, do?"
Ralf clenched his fists tightly until Doyle made the last few hand gestures in high spirits.
"Like? Do? You? "
In the next second, Thales, who was engrossed in his book, felt a gust of wind blow past, followed by a series of crackling explosions. The Phantom Wind Follower and Doyle were entangled in a ball until Bastia or Ness, who had rushed over upon hearing the news, separated them.
Thales, who was watching from the side, felt his heart grow heavy. In a daze, he picked up the pages on the floor.
His life in Mindis Hall was constantly alternating between stagnant water, deep depression, and chaos. It depended on what problems he encountered that day, but there was basically no middle point.
In short, for a period of time after he made the agreement with the king, rumors flew everywhere outside. The forces of power in Eternal Star City also took sides, and the Duke of Star Lake obtained a rare freedom. He no longer had to listen to orders from a higher authority, no longer had to be supported by a great army wherever he went, and no longer had to adhere to rigid rules and dogma at all times.
But every time Thales looked at the sunset outside the window, he knew that everything in front of him had a price.
The matter in Western Desert had come to an end, but the kingdom would not stop moving forward.
Thales lowered his head and looked at the "Covenant" in his hand.
The kingdom would not forget him, and Renaissance Palace would not either.
He was the sword and pawn of the king.
He was being swung around and moved again …
It was only a matter of time.
But before that …
"We're out of money."
Thales turned around elegantly and was immediately shocked.
"What?"
The indifferent Mallos and the logistics officer, Durward Stone, stood in front of him with a constipated look on his face.
"You heard what I said.
"Renaissance Palace was responsible for all our expenses before this. We only needed to hand over the account books to Baron Quentin at the end of the month," Mallos said woodenly, "But now …"
Logistics Officer Stone raised the account books awkwardly.
Thales snapped out of his daze.
"Oh, right, we … are responsible for our own profits and losses."
According to the conditions he negotiated with the king, this was one of the signs that Mindis Hall and Renaissance Palace did not get along well.
It was also the condition for his independence.
"Wait, don't we have other sources of income?"
Logistics Officer Stone looked pained as he explained in detail to the duke, who had never done any work and did not know how expensive food and daily necessities were.
"Yes, we have the salary of the Royal Guards, and you also have the living allowance of the Prince of Constellation according to the rules, but …"
"Not enough," Mallos was expressionless and went straight to the point.
"First of all, you've done so many things over the past few months. Just the tea fee for the reception alone is already … And because Mindis Hall's relationship with many departments in the city, including the market officials, we have a lot more expenses for no reason. Oh, the heaviest one is the banquet …"
'Wine glasses.'
Thales, who had nothing to live for, helped him finish his sentence — in his heart.
"And we're still repaying the debt in installments — a total of … Forget it, you're already troubled enough."
Stone calculated in detail.
"After we took responsibility for our own profits and losses, we could not directly purchase from Renaissance Palace's channels. Our expenses have increased by quite a lot. You know, the prices in Eternal Star City …"
Thales knew the prices in Morning Star Region and Twilight Region. He nodded woodenly.
'Eternal Star Residence is not easy.'
So, a thought came to him.
"Wait, I heard from Doyle that there are many rare treasures in Mindis Hall, such as famous paintings …"
Mallos frowned and looked at the portrait of 'Jackal' Sumer the Third behind him.
"Even if you dare to sell it …
"Who dares to buy it?"
Thales' expression became gloomy again.
"Then, perhaps we can open up the first level of Mindis Hall for everyone to visit, and then we can charge two silver coins per person for admission?
"Where did you get this lousy idea from?
"Hehe, I read it from a book. What do you think?
"Which book? Maybe I should report it to the disciplinary hall …
"Umm, in Dragon Clouds City, a Northlander's book. It tells the story of a large family living in a manor …"
"About that," Stone said tentatively.
"In fact, quite a number of your guests these days — the ones with extraordinary statuses — are interested in investing in you, including …"
"No," Thales and Mallos said in unison at that moment, surprisingly in unison.
The prince and the watchman looked at each other.
It seemed that he and the other party both knew what they could do and what they couldn't.
In truth, even though Thales had committed such a rebellious act that could even be said to shock the world and caused rumors to spread everywhere in the outside world, Mallos' reaction was still mediocre. He did not ask a single question and continued to work in silence. He even went back to reorganize the Star Lake Guards who had just suffered a calamity and lost their morale. Then, he continued to oversee the daily activities in Mindis Hall.
It was as if Thales had just gone to Renaissance Palace for a stroll.
He was indifferent and numb as usual.
This made Thales very grateful to him.
'Hmm, it would be better if he did not treat my orders with this attitude.'
"Then, perhaps you can talk to His Majesty and have Baron Quentin transfer our expenditure to —"
"No," Thales refused decisively, even more resolute than before.
"Alright." Stone sighed and closed the account book. "Then, there's only one way left."
Thales and Mallos turned their heads at the same time and listened attentively.
"We can't stay in Eternal Star City anymore. The prices here, we've even taken the guards' salary for next month in advance."
'Don't stay in Eternal Star City anymore.
'Ah, away from Renaissance Palace, away from the king, away from annoying people and things. That's good, but …'
Thales raised his eyebrows.
"Where to?"
"To your fief, of course," Stone said sternly, "According to the sacred Treaty of Constellation, Your Grace, you can exercise your natural rights on your fief — to collect taxes and rent."
"Fief? I have fief that I can collect taxes on? "
Thales was amused.
"Where? D.D's pocket money? "
Mallos coughed.
"Of course. Don't forget, you are the Duke of Star Lake."
'Duke of Star Lake.'
Thales was puzzled. He was a little surprised.
'Isn't this an empty title? The kind that gives us courage to put up a front? '
"And your fief is at …"
The watchman nodded solemnly and pointed at a castle by the lake in a landscape painting on the wall.
"Star Lake Castle."
— —
In case anyone did not know, it was better to say the usual place.
(End of this chapter)
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