Renaissance Palace.
"Den — Den — Den —"
A hurried sound came from outside the door.
It was the sound of high-heeled leather boots tapping on the stone floor.
* Bang! *
The heavy door to the bedroom was pushed open!
"What's wrong with you?!"
A clear female voice filled with anger rang loudly.
The maid who was sweeping by the side was so frightened that she quickly lowered her head and rushed to the door.
From the corner of her eye, she saw Jines Bajkovic, His Majesty's lover, the first-grade female official, the once famous lady in the capital, the legendary police officer, and the exciting and undulating life story that could be written into a bard's poetry collection.
The valiant and heroic female official stepped into the room angrily and shouted at Kessel the Fifth, who was standing in front of the window sill, "Do you know what you're doing?
"Do you want to murder your own son so badly?!"
In front of the window, Kessel the Fifth Jadestar slowly turned around as he looked at the king who was surrounded by the people in Renaissance Palace.
"As a king, I have to do this.
That's all. "
The dignified voice answered.
* Slap! *
A resounding slap rang out behind him!
The maid did not dare to dawdle anymore. She retreated from the room, drenched in cold sweat.
"He is not only a prince, but also your bloodline. He is not the mastermind who destroyed the Jadestar Royal Family and harmed Constellation!" Jines was furious. She did not seem to be aware that she had just given the Supreme King of Constellation a hard slap.
Kessel the Fifth touched his face that was slapped. He was in a daze.
The valiant and imposing 'Limited Time Police Officer' from the past appeared before his eyes.
And their first meeting.
That was also a slap, was it not?
But the supreme king still came back to his senses and said nonchalantly, "What a coincidence. Yodel said something similar to that boy."
"That boy?" Jines looked at the king in disbelief. "That is your only son!"
"Yes, my only son." Kessel's eyes shone with a complicated look. He took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. "So, I have chosen the best path for him — the training that an heir of the kingdom must endure."
'Training?'
Jines struggled between her brows as she looked at the strong man before her.
Kessel the Fifth took a deep breath and a cold glint appeared in his eyes. "Without experiencing true hell, how can one be qualified to be a true king?"
Jines' heart trembled.
Hell?
Hell.
Jines heaved a deep sigh. "F * ck, there are some things … we have to learn to get used to, and even … forget."
The king sneered expressionlessly. "Is that so?"
He took a step forward and looked straight at Jines. "I heard from Gilbert that you encountered assassins on your way to Renaissance Palace."
"Can you really get used to or even forget those things?"
Jines shuddered violently and looked at Kessel with a complicated expression.
Jines lifted her trembling hand and placed it on Kessel's shoulder. She stroked his swollen face and said in pain and desolation,
"F * ck, you can't live in the past forever."
She gritted her teeth and said,
"Please."
Kessel the Fifth's entire body trembled. As he looked at Jines' watery gaze and pleading gaze, a sour feeling rose in his heart.
"The past is history," he answered quietly. "All I see is the future."
The past.
The future.
Really?
Jines gritted her teeth lightly. A young and adorable boy appeared before her eyes.
She felt a sour feeling in her eyes and almost cried.
The king looked at Jines and unknowingly clenched his fists.
"As for that man … Thales …" The king gritted his teeth and closed his eyes. "You do not have to worry about him. I will prepare everything for him. Everything that a Jadestar needs.
He will definitely not … not become the next Lydia or Luther … "
Jines' hand trembled.
She lowered her head slightly and revealed a desolate smile.
"You know, for the past twenty years, I have experienced countless interrogations and seen countless gazes." She gently wrapped her arms around Kessel's waist and snuggled into the king's wide embrace.
The female official said desolately, "All of you Jadestars, be it Midier, Horace, or King Aydi, their eyes were always filled with vigilance, world-weariness, and struggle, regardless of whether it was towards the world or themselves. And now … "
She leaned against the king's chest and continued with a pained expression, "After that year, your eyes were also filled with that color."
When Kessel heard the names of his two elder brothers and the late king, there was sorrow in his eyes.
"But his eyes are different. I can feel that he is different from all of you —"
"Even if this is so unusual in a seven-year-old boy …" The king sighed.
The king sighed. 'That's because that boy hasn't experienced what I've experienced …'
Jines quietly said, "Even if his mother … was that kind of existence."
At that moment, Jines could feel the strong body that she was leaning on suddenly stiffen.
"Don't worry, Jines." The king suddenly hugged Jines tightly. He gritted his teeth and said with a pained expression, "He will be fine …
"He will be very safe.
"He will live.
"He is not only a Jadestar, but also a descendant of the Imperial Family. He is also that woman's son. Forget about a mere Eckstedt, even if he is in hell, he can still grit his teeth and live!"
—
"Kill me and avenge Prince Moriah to eliminate King Nuven's hatred. That is what His Majesty said, right?"
Thales walked to the hall on the first floor and looked at Gilbert as he gestured towards the scullery.
He continued, "From the looks of it, Eckstedt seems to be a very dangerous place. After all, we have an old grudge against the 'Fortress Treaty'. Moreover, the diplomat group was assassinated, and the only heir of their common-elected king was among the dead. King Nuven is currently in a rage, and the suzerains of Eckstedt are also drooling over our territory. Under these circumstances, the Prince of Constellation is practically a sheep walking into a tiger's den."
Thales heaved a long sigh of relief. "But is my current situation better than when I go to Eckstedt in the future?"
Gilbert was slightly startled.
"As the only heir of the Jadestar Family, I was born to oppose all the suzerains. Look at Nanchester, look at Covendier, not to mention Arunde, who has just been imprisoned. After all, if something happens to me, they will have a chance."
Thales walked up the stairs and passed by the portraits of the Three Kings of Constellation. His gaze was blank. "Before I appeared, their focus was on His Majesty. After I appeared, I was destined to be a new target. Even with Renaissance Palace's power, they could not guarantee my safety. There is a Far Eastern proverb: 'A spear from the front is easy to dodge, but an arrow from the dark is difficult to defend against'.
"But in comparison, the suzerains of Eckstedt may want to take advantage of Constellation. They may be unhappy with me, but it is not to the extent that they want me dead. On the contrary, whoever is stained with the blood of the Prince of Constellation is destined to become the target of public criticism. The whole of Constellation will become their enemy. The loyal want to avenge the royal family, and the ambitious want to obtain a righteous title.
"Eckstedt adopts a king selection system. The ten archdukes will choose the next common-elected king during the King Selection Congress after the death of each common-elected king. The next common-elected king will rule for life. Every archduke will have a chance, and every archduke will compete with each other. In terms of the degree of division, Eckstedt is even greater than Constellation.
"Constellation may not have recovered its power and is not strong enough to go against Eckstedt, but under the temptation of the crown, it is more than enough for them to work together to crush one of the suzerains of Eckstedt. Besides, the other suzerains of Eckstedt will probably be happy to stand by and watch their competitors in the King Selection Congress fall.
"In the words of the Far Easterners, I am like a hot potato. No matter which suzerain of Eckstedt it is, once I am in their territory, not only can they not harm me, for the sake of their own interests, the suzerains have to do their best to protect me.
Gilbert raised his eyebrows.
It seemed that he was indeed overthinking things. After all, after spending so many days together, he could tell that His Highness was mature and steady. He was not a person who would make others worry.
"In that case, the only person I have to worry about in Eckstedt is King Nuven."
Thales walked into the study and watched as the guards brought in lunch. He flashed a smile at Gilbert, whose eyebrows had visibly relaxed. "However, perhaps a lot of people will overlook something. When Prince Moriah died in Constellation …"
"King Nuven was already destined to be my ally, the Jadestar Royal Family."
Gilbert finally revealed a smile.
Thales yawned and sat down on the chair in the study. He pushed away the books and notes on the desk, which were in a mess because he had stayed up all night.
He continued to speak confidently, "In the absence of a direct male heir, Constellation allows female heirs to inherit their father's title, territory, and property. Our Duchess of Blade Edge Hill is such a person.
"However, Eckstedtian women do not have the right to inherit … Since the old King Nuven has lost his only male heir, it means that the succession of Dragon Clouds City will be problematic. The Walton Family no longer has any hope of winning the next king selection. They are destined to enter a period of decline.
"In this situation, Eckstedt declaring war on Constellation or killing an heir of equal status like me might be able to alleviate King Nuven's pain and hatred from losing his only son. However, once he calms down, he will realize that this will only usher in the final destruction of the Walton Family.
"The territories that can be obtained through war or negotiation with Constellation are all near the three archdukes in the south of Eckstedt: the Archduke of Black Sand Region, the Archduke of Prestige Orchid Region, and the Archduke of Reformation Tower. They are all popular candidates for the next king selection. Even if the lands obtained under this situation belong to the Walton Family as an enclave, they will be slowly eroded by the three archdukes in the near future because they are too close to the three archdukes.
"In other words, in the conflict between Constellation and the Dragon, the three archdukes, who are the biggest beneficiaries, will only become stronger. The Walton Family, who has lost its direct heir, will only become weaker after King Nuven's death. In the end, they will fall.
"In this situation, King Nuven can only do his best to prevent the conflict between Constellation and the Dragon, be it war or negotiation. He can't let any of Constellation's territories or resources fall into the hands of the three archdukes in the south. Only then can he maintain the balance of power between the ten archdukes in Eckstedt and ensure that the weakened Walton Family will not fall.
"Moreover, in order to divert the attention of the three archdukes in the south and exert pressure on them, is there a better ally than Constellation, a colossus that is the 'shield of the Western Peninsula', and a prestigious and powerful family like the Jadestar Royal Family? Only by treating Constellation or the Jadestar Family as natural allies and ensuring that we recover our strength and become even stronger can the Walton Family survive and have another chance at the next king selection.
"In this situation, the interests of the Walton Family and the Jadestar Royal Family will be aligned like never before.
"The Walton Family and the Jadestar Royal Family are already natural allies.
"Presumably, having King Nuven 'kill' me is just the king's way of making the other party calm down. After King Nuven's rage subsides, tacit understanding will sprout in both King Nuven and King Kessel's hearts at the same time. There is no need for agreements, no need for oaths, no need for negotiations. This is a natural alliance.
"The 'Alliance of Two Kings' that belongs to the Walton Family of the Cloud Dragon Spear Flag and the Jadestar Family of the Nine-Pointed Star Flag."
Thales heaved a deep sigh. "The descendants of the two human heroes of the Battle of Eradication, Raikaru and Tormond, can only cooperate with unprecedented sincerity when the two countries are unprecedentedly hostile toward each other. How ironic."
Hence.
From this, it could be seen how immature the two feudal countries of Constellation and the Dragon were in this world that was clearly a feudal society but had a lot of unreasonable black technology. On the surface, the highest ruler controlled the country's foreign affairs and military power, but in reality, they were treading on thin ice in a life-and-death battle with the local suzerains, advancing step by step.
'What a pitiful and unbearably weak state autonomy.'
The prince put away the memories of the past, raised his head, and continued to speak.
"So, compared to Constellation, which seems calm but is actually full of danger, Eckstedt, which seems to be full of hostility but is actually safe and secure, is the best place for me to go. This is His Majesty's intention, right?"
'Let's hope so.'
Thales added in his heart.
After all, the expressionless king appeared in front of him … 'I can't see any kinship in that king's eyes.'
He snapped out of his daze and said with a smile,
"So, as the representative of the Jadestar Royal Family, I might be tested by King Nuven in Dragon Clouds City. I might be troubled by vile people, ridiculed by suzerains, and used as a bargaining chip against Constellation. I might even encounter conspiracies from various forces with different motives. However, I will definitely be safer than being in the country …"
In the next second, Thales' eyes shone with strong confidence and certainty.
"So, I will definitely live on!"
Gilbert chuckled softly.
But then, he raised his head and solemnly said, "Since you think so, Your Highness, I have nothing to worry about. I came here today to discuss with you about the candidates for the diplomatic mission, as well as the candidates for your attendant."
Thales nodded.
"However, before that …" Gilbert bowed slightly.
Gilbert bowed slightly. "Your Highness, there is someone who wishes to see you."
"Meet me?" Thales had just picked up his knife and fork when he heard that and raised his eyebrows.
'He wants to meet me at this time?'
Thales nonchalantly picked up a piece of potato and put it into his mouth. "If you're interested in watching rare animals, come here because of its reputation, and hope to see the last Jadestar Prince, please reject it for me. Be more polite with your wording, I have already offended too many people."
But Gilbert shook his head.
"No, I think this person might be one of the few who did not visit you because of your status as a prince. In fact, he has been recuperating in the barracks at the back for more than a month."
"You mean …" Thales seemed to have remembered something. He raised his head in surprise.
Thud, thud, thud came from outside the room.
Gilbert nodded and said with a sigh, "He suffered such a serious injury that he could only eat through a tube. Even the doctors thought that he would not be able to survive, but his will to live was truly astonishing, and we never ran out of medicinal herbs."
Gilbert gave way to the person at the door of the study room and sighed slightly.
"Come in, this is the person you insisted on meeting.
"The Second Prince of Constellation, Prince Thales Jadestar."
Thales put down his knife and fork and furrowed his eyebrows.
The person's left hand was wrapped in thick bandages and wooden planks. He was also leaning on a pair of crutches. It was obvious that he was not very skilled. With great difficulty, he walked into Thales' room.
His throat was a mass of twisted flesh with terrifying scars. His legs only reached his knees.
Even though his face was full of stubble, he was extremely thin, his hair was cut short, and the tattoos on his face were much fainter, Thales still recognized this man at first glance. He was the man who once wept in despair, but was now recovering from his serious injuries.
The Phantom Wind Follower.
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.
