Ralf, Blood Bottle Gang's former star of hope, the only supra class elite among the Strongest Twelve. After experiencing hell and despair, he finally reunited with Thales after a month.
"Congratulations. In the end, you still managed to struggle through." Thales smiled and nodded. "You did not lose to this damned world."
Ralf trembled slightly and suddenly opened his mouth. His throat, which was knotted with flesh, trembled slightly, but he could only mutter something indecipherable.
He also knew that he could not say anything now.
Faced with such a situation, Thales did not know how to react for a moment.
"It's okay. What do you want to say?" He scratched his head. "Just write it down with a pen."
Ralf's gaze darkened.
"We tried." Gilbert sighed. "He is illiterate. Other than numbers, he can't even write his own name."
Hearing this, Ralf closed his eyes in self-abasement and lowered his head even more.
Thales felt a little awkward.
He had almost forgotten that Ralf was a gangster. Thales, who had been a child beggar before, knew that most of the people who joined the gang had unfortunate encounters. They had to earn a living in illegal activities every day, so naturally, they did not have the chance to receive a decent education.
But in the next moment, under Thales' astonished gaze, Ralf gritted his teeth and struggled to support himself with his walking stick. He lowered his crippled body and bowed towards the short and thin Thales …
He bowed deeply.
Thales sighed.
"Alright, I've received your gratitude."
Ralf raised his head and trembled as he looked at Thales.
"What are your plans after this? Do you have anywhere else to go? I don't really recommend you to return to Blood Bottle Gang … "
Ralf trembled slightly.
'Return to Blood Bottle Gang? Return to Big Sister … Catherine's subordinates? '
He looked at his leg and revealed a pained expression.
'And there's still Nikolay …'
When he thought of the enemy who stabbed him in the back, Ralf's eyes shone with a fierce light.
A few seconds later, Ralf exhaled with his psionic power and shook his head sadly.
Thales stared at him.
"Alright." The prince smiled. "Then you can stay with me for the time being … I should be able to support you."
Ralf's eyes brightened.
This boy … Apart from being his savior, he also had a powerful background …
"Gilbert." Thales turned his head and looked at Count Caso. "How much longer before we depart for Eckstedt?"
"Based on the time it takes for the messenger crow to contact Dragon Clouds City, it will take at least three days," Gilbert said with a smile. "At most a week, Your Highness."
"It should be enough."
Thales nodded and looked at Ralf.
"For the next few days, come to my study during the day."
Ralf revealed a surprised expression.
The boy who had always been confident and optimistic, who had been asked to choose whether to be freed or to struggle in a desperate situation, smiled.
"I'll teach you how to read, and at the same time, teach you how to speak with gestures."
—
Thirty-one-year-old Genard, the captain of the city defense team of the Eastern City District Police Station, collapsed in the dungeon of Vine Manor and panted harshly.
He was covered in cuts and bruises, bound by heavy chains, unable to move.
But there was a voice in his heart telling him that he absolutely could not … absolutely could not open his mouth.
No matter how much the subordinates of these great nobles tortured and beat him, no matter how much they threatened and tempted him …
No matter how much they wanted to know the background of the cavaliers who appeared outside Vine Manor in Eastern City District that night …
He had to grit his teeth and grit his teeth.
After the National Conference ended, Genard was relieved of the task of maintaining order in Star Plaza. The next morning, his superior brought a group of police officers to Eastern City District, where he was supposed to be on duty.
In front of him and all the soldiers under his command, his superior read out Genard's crimes. Someone reported him for accepting bribes while he was on duty in Eastern City District.
Genard immediately sighed.
It was not because this was a false accusation. Instead, it was because in Eastern City District, it was a widely acknowledged custom and custom to collect tips from the subordinates of the nobles. Every soldier in the city defense team and even the police officers would collect such tips, and the police station knew this very well. They would always take a cut of the commission and take some extra money. This was also the only extra income that Genard could get for his team members, who were only paid a meager salary.
'Why was I the only one who was reported?' The soldiers under him also looked shocked.
However, there was no way Genard, who had been in Eastern City District for almost twelve years, did not know that he had probably offended someone important.
Under the watchful eyes of ten police officers, Genard only had the time to take out the saber that he had treasured and maintained for twelve years. It was the saber that the Duke of Star Lake had casually removed and handed to him when he saw that Genard was unarmed after the retreat at Walla Corridor. "Use this in exchange for the flour in your hand. Because of you, at least we can have a full meal." He handed it to the young man he thought most highly of in his team. Then, his hands and feet were chained, and his head was covered as he was brought into a carriage to a manor.
The carriage took many turns, but Genard had been patrolling Eastern City District for more than ten years. He had not lost the habit of observing and memorizing roads he had developed in the Starlight Brigade when he was a soldier. How could he not recognize that this was the Covendier Family's Vine Manor, which he would pass by three times a day on his patrol?
A group of people who looked like soldiers had tortured Genard for two whole days.
It was for no other reason.
It was for the sake of asking about the cavaliers who broke into Eastern City District at night. They might even have broken into the Covendier Family's Vine Manor …
'Where did they come from?'
But Genard could not say.
He could not say.
It was for no other reason.
It was for that group of cavaliers. They … came from … the Jadestar Royal Family under the Nine-Pointed Star.
It was John's Nine-Pointed Star, the Duke of Star Lake's Nine-Pointed Star, the Starlight Brigade's Nine-Pointed Star, and the Nine-Pointed Star under which the ignorant Genard had once fought and fought tirelessly with passion.
How many of his comrades were among them?!
Twelve years ago, he had wandered numbly on the war-torn land. Amid the cold, hunger, pain, and torture, he had witnessed murder, arson, rape, and plunder in a daze every day.
That was until Genard entered the city stupidly. When he was so hungry that his vision was blurry, he walked towards the recruitment office in a daze.
That was until he met the Duke, the humorous, confident, optimistic, and approachable Duke of Star Lake, and his Starlight Brigade.
A nineteen-year-old peasant boy who was often bullied, foolish, and could not survive, learned how to work together for the first time. He learned how to sacrifice selflessly for the first time. He was recognized and praised for the first time. He was taught how to read and write for the first time. He raised his sword and shouted for victory. He was the first time he sang happily around a bonfire. He was the first time he made up his mind to cover the retreat of his comrades.
Also, he understood for the first time that there were things in the world that were more important than having a full meal and being able to survive.
Over there, he felt like he was more like a human than a wild beast who only cared about finding food to fill its stomach.
The Duke's Starlight Brigade, the Duke's personal guards, was his home, his home, his everything. It was the place where he thought he would fight for the rest of his life.
Until the tragedy of Zodra, until that shameful and hateful betrayal, until that despicable and despicable ambush, until that cowardly and despicable stab in the back.
Until the Duke lay calmly among all his personal guards and told them to "take good care of themselves" while the entire brigade cried in regret and anger. Then, he smiled with tears in his eyes, closed them, and passed away.
'It's all their fault. It's their personal guards' fault. It's their personal guards' sin.
'If we had discovered it earlier … If I had reacted a little faster … Then the Duke wouldn't have … Our family wouldn't have …'
So, when the group of soldiers from the noble families insulted, interrogated, beat, and threatened him in disdain, and forced him to tell them the identities of the cavaliers who also belonged to the Nine-Pointed Star …
Genard felt that his stubbornness, clenching his teeth, enduring through it, and responding with silence, even when he was covered in wounds and on the verge of death, was a form of atonement.
At least, by doing so, he could make his heart, which had been filled with guilt, regret, and self-blame for the past twelve years, feel a little better. He could more or less repay some of the guilt and regret he felt during the twelve years he spent in a dull and apathetic manner.
All of this was for his former 'home', for the duty of the Duke's personal guard, which he always remembered even though he was no longer around.
"My master just wanted to confirm some things," the white-haired old man asked him calmly from outside the prison cell again.
"It's about the identities of those cavaliers. That's all. I swear on my master's honor that he did not intend to harm those cavaliers."
Genard clenched his teeth.
"Who will see your persistence? Similarly, no one will see your weakness. As long as you give us some information, even just a little, no one will know. "
Genard continued to clench his teeth.
"We know that you definitely know something. Your soldiers said that they did not have flags or emblems. So, are they people you know? Are they former comrades? Friends who have gone through life and death together? "
Genard continued to clench his teeth.
The white-haired old man sighed and left the dungeon.
Genard loosened his grip on his teeth, panted, and fell limply to the ground.
He made it through again.
However, in a place he did not know, the Covendier Family's old butler, Ashford, had arrived at the upper level of Vine Manor. He bowed respectfully to his young master, the Guardian Duke of South Coast Hill, Zayen Covendier, and said,
"I've asked them. Those cavaliers are from the Jadestar Family."
Zayen turned around from the window that reeked of blood. His expression was contemplative.
"I thought that he refused to speak until the end?"
"Some things can be asked without the other party opening his mouth," Ashford said expressionlessly, "Genard was born in the Starlight Brigade. He was even the personal guard of the Duke of Star Lake, John Jadestar, the Starlight God of War himself. After Sonia Sasere disbanded the original Starlight Brigade, he retired from the army and came to the police station as one of the people who did not want to go north to Broken Dragon Fortress."
Zayen's gaze shifted, and he seemed to be deep in thought.
Ashford nodded slightly. "I can tell that he is an outstanding and tough soldier. If there's something on those cavaliers that made him refuse to speak, it must be related to his military service experience.
"I'm guessing that, with his rich experience in the army and campaigns, he saw through the origins of those cavaliers without flags. He insisted on keeping the secret for those people because he was also from the Jadestar Family when he was in the Starlight Brigade."
Zayen stared at his old butler for a few seconds.
In the end, he sighed.
"So, the only ones who fit the description should be the Jadestar Private Army in Mindis Hall. And that new prince openly returned to Mindis Hall after yesterday."
"The secret treasure of Mindis Hall is missing?"
Zayen shook his head and chuckled.
"Hmph, I'm afraid that the so-called secret treasure that went missing in Mindis Hall is that new prince! Nikolay caught that brat and brought him to Vine Manor … So, they simply broke in and secretly snatched him away.
"Do you know, Ashford, we've held the fate of the kingdom in our hands twice, twice!" Zayen raised his head and shut his eyes tightly. "In the end, he escaped."
Ashford lowered his head indifferently and did not say a word.
After a while.
"Treat that soldier from the Starlight Brigade," Zayen said coldly.
Ashford raised his gaze with a puzzled look.
"You know, that brat, I owe him one, no matter what …" Zayen clenched his fists and said with burning eyes, "And I don't want to hesitate when I attack him."
Zayen turned around and left the manor that reeked of blood without hesitation.
"Do you know, my lord?"
Behind him, Ashford smiled mysteriously. "You're becoming more and more like the boss."
Zayen replied disdainfully without turning his head,
"Then, you will be as stupid as him, plotted against by your relatives, and your throat slit in your own bedroom without anyone knowing?"
Ashford shook his head slightly and sighed deeply.
He bowed his head and reported something else.
"Sir, there's news from Jadeite City … Miss Hillay, she …"
Ashford looked at his master's expression and wanted to say something.
Zayen stopped in his tracks.
The young prince took a deep breath, as if preparing for something.
"Speak." His tone was icy cold. "What inexplicable things has my adorable and foolish twelve-year-old sister done this time?"
When he heard this, Ashford bowed deeply and said carefully,
"Five days ago, Lady Hilly went to Sera Principality under Lord Cassain's protection. None of her men dared to stop her."
Zayen turned his head and looked at Ashford.
"Sera? The Sera Principality that fell apart after the Archduke was assassinated? "He revealed a puzzled expression and frowned." Wasn't there a plague in that place recently? "
"The outside story is that she's going to save the people who are suffering from the plague." Ashford bowed slightly. "But I suspect that she found information about that organization."
'That organization?'
Zayen's expression instantly turned as cold as snow. His face twitched as if he thought of something unbearable.
Until he suddenly exploded.
"Isn't it enough that she killed her own parents?!"
The duke's voice was filled with anger and hatred. "What kind of disaster does she want to bring back to Covendier, to this family?!"
Ashford did not speak.
After more than ten seconds, Zayen exhaled harshly.
In the end, he still waved his sleeve.
"Send more men to ensure her safety." Zayen shut his eyes tightly, gritted his teeth, and said fiercely, "And … ensure that her identity is kept a secret. Absolutely, absolutely, absolutely not leaked …"
His voice trembled as he used the word 'absolutely' three times.
Ashford nodded lightly. Considerately, he left the hall of the manor before the duke did.
After the butler's figure disappeared into the distance, Zayen trembled and held onto the pillar.
Thud!
He punched the pillar with all his might!
Then, the Duke of Iris Flowers leaned his head deeply against the pillar.
He exhaled a mouthful of air in pain.
'The previous negligence and failure … I won't allow it to happen a second time …
'I can't fall.
'I can't fall!
'I must become king.
'I must.
'Only by becoming the supreme king …
'Only by controlling the entire Constellation …
'Otherwise … Hilly …
'Who else in this world can protect you?
Protect … someone like you?
—
Mindis Hall, cellar.
"Congratulations, my ally, Your Highness, the second prince." The silver-haired, red-eyed loli Serena, who was over four hundred years old and a refugee from the Night Kingdom, looked at Thales with a complicated expression.
"We can hear the cheers in the Star Plaza loud and clear."
"That's a little exaggerated … The distance from Star Plaza to here …" Thales said helplessly with narrowed eyes.
"Anyway, we're one step closer to our alliance."
Serena did not blush at all (Thales wondered if she really had the attribute of "blushing"). She interrupted him and continued, "Now, we just have to wait for you to be crowned king and then help me reclaim the throne. Don't worry, I will do my best to help you."
Under the Everlasting Lamp, Thales' face turned pale.
'Do your best to help me?
'You're saying it like I'm not the only heir to the kingdom, and if you don't help me, I can't inherit the kingdom.
On the contrary, her competitor and opponent, the Night Queen or whatever the "Weeper" of the Night Kingdom … '
Thales felt a headache coming on.
He spat in his heart. 'Calculating and taking advantage of an old witch.
'I'm crowned and you're back to the throne?
'Old witch, can we change the order?'
But he did not voice his complaints in the end.
"In that case, you should have heard," Thales coughed dryly, "I'm going to Eckstedt in the near future."
Serena nodded and revealed a mysterious smile.
'This mortal brat.
'Do you think I don't know what you're planning?'
"Before I leave, I will entrust all of you to … erm, father …" Thales carefully chose his words.
"I'll go with you."
Thales continued nodding and thought about his next words. "… You are at least a political figure of a country. He will definitely not neglect you …"
"I'll go with you."
Thales' voice gradually became softer.
"What?" he frowned and asked in puzzlement.
"I said, I want to be with you." Serena flashed a smile. The girl who looked like she was six or seven years old (Huh, wasn't she only five or six the last time I saw her? Did she grow up a little? The red-eyed girl opened her cracked mouth and said, "We still have a monthly blood supply clause, don't we?"
Thales sighed in his heart.
"Besides, allies cannot be too far away from each other. I still have to ensure your safety."
The prince rolled his eyes again.
'Being with me is to ensure your own safety, right?'
The thing he was most worried about had happened.
However, at this moment, Gilbert's voice came from outside the door.
"Good day to the three of you … Sir Corleone, Sir Corleone, and Lady Corleone … You are really responsible. Chora, relax."
Then, someone knocked on the door outside the cellar.
"Apologies for interrupting your discussion, Your Highness Thales, Your Highness Corleone." Count Caso's voice came through the door.
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