Three days later.
It had just snowed in Eternal Star City this morning, and the roads were muddy and dirty.
However, the road in front of Mindis Hall was swept clean.
A few carriages arrived one after another.
"Time is a little tight. It is said that Archduke Lampard did not withdraw his army, but continued to deploy his troops at the border. I wonder if King Nuven did not restrain him, or if he can no longer be restrained."
Gilbert and the neatly dressed Thales stood in the study room on the third floor and looked at the carriages that entered Mindis Hall through the window.
Gilbert spoke with a solemn expression.
"It seems that a tentative conflict cannot be avoided. Even though Baron Murkh and Lady Sasere are guarding the fortress, and the Zemunto and Friess Families have promised full support, I heard that the vassals of Cold Castle and Arunde are in chaos after receiving the news of the duke's imprisonment … It is best for us to arrive as soon as possible to avert the disaster of war. "
Thales nodded slightly and listened quietly to Gilbert's report.
"According to tradition, as a Prince of Constellation, Your Highness, you will need three instructors to guide you in military affairs, politics, and etiquette. You will also need an attendant, who will usually be your assistant in the future, and two guards …"
"But you are about to go on a diplomatic mission … We can only simplify everything and make up for it when you return to the kingdom.
"Considering that we are going to an unfamiliar place in Eckstedt, and the purpose of this trip is to apologize, we have no choice but to reduce the number of attendants. Other than the thirty Jadestar Private Soldiers led by Chora, there are three special candidates.
"An instructor. I will introduce a knowledgeable scholar to you later. He will be the vice diplomat for this trip. An attendant has already been selected and is currently in the carriage. As for a bodyguard, your safety is extremely important, so he must be an experienced supreme class elite …"
When Thales heard this, he could not help but be stunned.
"The candidate for instructor and protector … Gilbert, do you mean that you, Yodel, and even Jines … will not follow me on this trip?"
Gilbert revealed a helpless smile.
"Hmm," he said flatly, "I am the signatory of the 'Fortress Treaty', and I have a notorious reputation as a 'schemer' in Eckstedt … My appearance in Dragon Clouds City will only bring you unnecessary trouble."
As for Yodel … "
Gilbert shook his head. "In Northland, for the past ten years, there have been five famous supreme class elites, commonly known as the 'Five War Generals'. They are under King Nuven and a few archdukes respectively. Their positions are equivalent to the 'Three Marshals' in Constellation, who are in charge of the legendary anti-mystic equipment. Your Highness, if you meet any of them, please do not mention the 'elite with the dark purple mask' and the fact that he is now the secret protector of the Supreme King of Constellation. "
Thales was stunned.
After a month of learning, he knew the three Commanders of Constellation … but the Five War Generals of Eckstedt …
The former Foreign Affairs Minister sighed. "Yodel … has a grudge with each of them …"
Thales took a second to understand this sentence. Then, his face twitched as he said, "Every … every single person? What kind of festival? "
Gilbert only stared at him silently.
Thales sucked in a breath and flashed a resigned smile. "Alright … I guess it's the more troublesome kind …"
The prince had one more question in his heart.
Yodel's past.
What exactly did he do to provoke the 'Five War Generals' at the same time?
It was like a person going against the 'Three Marshals' at the same time — it was practically unimaginable.
"As for Madam Jines …" Gilbert watched as the carriage stopped outside the window and a few people came down one after another. "Her identity is more sensitive … You know, her relationship with the king …"
Thales sighed. "So, other than the Corleone Family's' allies', I probably won't see any familiar faces, right?"
"This is exactly what I wanted to say." Gilbert's expression froze. "Are you really going to bring the Corleone Family's people?"
Thales said with a solemn expression, "After all, I have made a promise to them. I don't like to go back on my word."
'Also, even though that old witch Serena is annoying, she did use the Blood Clan's voice transmission to help me at a critical moment. It would not be an exaggeration to say that she saved my life. '
Thales furrowed his brows. "After all, they have a supreme class elite and two supra class elites. Serena also hopes to rely on my identity to restore her position. This is a bargaining chip that can be used. On the way to Northland, they can disguise themselves and hide among the attendants … "He paused for a moment and thought of that strong and muscular figure." Also …
"His Majesty allowed it, didn't he?"
"Of course, that was a promise made by a Prince of Constellation … a promise made by Jadestar." Gilbert exhaled softly. "However, in Constellation, with the king and our forces of power by our side, they would not dare to be too impudent. As for Eckstedt, which is a foreign place to us … I hope that they will not bring us any trouble.
"After all, Yodel and I are not by your side." Gilbert furrowed his brows. "You have to be careful of that old butler, Chris … I feel like I have heard his name somewhere before."
Thales rolled his eyes at Gilbert. "Hey, don't forget who was the one who made this alliance happen."
Gilbert flashed a perfect smile and tipped his hat.
"Also, Gilbert, about what I told you yesterday …" Thales put on a worried expression.
"Yes, Your Highness. Since there is no longer a need to keep your identity a secret, and Mindis Hall has been reopened … I will send someone to Lower City District in the afternoon. It is not easy to sneak into that place. The people from the Secret Intelligence Department are more suitable than us. They will investigate the matter of those child beggars and that female bartender. If possible, I will try my best to take care of them, even though we do not have any manpower in Lower City District."
"Thank you." Thales looked at the former Foreign Affairs Minister gratefully. "This way, I do not have to look for Morat."
"But you must understand that the Black Prophet's words are not without reason, Your Highness." Gilbert was slightly hesitant, but he still raised his head and said, "You are different from them, after all. Also, being too close to you might not be a good thing for them … Your help might not be of any use to them, and it might even bring about disaster."
Thales was silent for a while.
"I know."
'I know.'
He nodded and exhaled. He turned around and adjusted his collar.
"Midira! Are you ready? It is time to go. "
A strange and faint sound of metal rubbing against each other came from outside the room.
Midira Ralf staggered into their field of vision while stepping on a pair of strange metal prosthetics. He gave Thales a slight bow that was not quite up to standard.
Gilbert's eyebrows twitched slightly.
Ralf's neck and half of his face were covered by a strange silver mask. It blocked his bloody throat and the tattoo on his face. However, what was even stranger was the pair of prosthetics under his knees.
Constellation and the dwarves of Steel City had a good relationship, and even the craftsmen in the country had benefited greatly from it. The skillful royal craftsmen only spent two days to create a pair of simple prosthetics for Ralf. Two pieces of high quality steel that were elastic and could withstand wear and tear were bent into the shape of an L, then hammered into the shape of a J with outstanding elasticity. The bending point was reinforced with Crystal Drops, and a fixed plate was made to connect the prosthetics to his knees and buckle onto his belt, allowing Ralf to walk on foot without the help of crutches.
Of course, he would have to rely on his own Wind Manipulation Psionic Ability to move and dodge in battle.
Thales raised his eyebrows. "Not bad. It's just that the part below the knee is too eye-catching … Next time, you should cover it with pants."
Midira Ralf lowered his head and pulled out a stack of papers that were stapled together.
Gilbert suddenly realized that Ralf was not hesitating, but was flipping through the sign language drawing in his hand.
The clumsy Ralf found the drawing he wanted. He looked at Thales, raised his right fist, bent his wrist, and tapped it twice.
"Yes."
Thales smiled softly. "Very good. You only lack proficiency in sign language and prosthetics. Just nice, you can continue your lessons on the way."
Ralf flashed a smile. He found another piece of paper and made a hand gesture.
"Thank you."
Gilbert sighed. "Since you have decided to follow His Highness to Northland, to Eckstedt, I hope you can understand the difficulty of this trip and do your best to protect His Highness."
Ralf lowered his head slightly. This time, he did not need to flip through the 'cheat sheet'. Instead, he recalled the necessary hand gestures and gestured.
Gilbert, who did not understand, frowned. In the end, he could only look at Thales helplessly.
Thales smiled as he answered, "He said to do his best."
Gilbert exhaled and shook his head helplessly. "Alright, at least it is a good way to send secret messages …"
This Psionic from a gang whom they rescued from Vine Manor … No, he was a supra class. Even though he was still very inexperienced in battle, strictly speaking, he was already considered a Psionic Warrior … What was it that made him so convinced by His Highness?
Thales waved his hand gently and snapped his fingers.
"Very well, let's go."
At the main entrance of Mindis Hall.
"How have you been recently, old friend?"
In front of a few carriages, Gilbert extended his hand and shook hands with the skinny man who was leading the group.
"Very bad." The skinny man's expression was unpleasant. "The administrative efficiency of Eternal Star City is far inferior to that of the frontline camp in Western Desert. I came to the capital for the documents in the Great Library, but I lost my high-grade pass a month ago, so I could only wait in the capital until now. In the end, they told me that it would take half a year to replace it. "
"I guess you probably ran out of money for your journey, that's why you came to me …" Gilbert answered with a smile.
"And you gave me such a troublesome task …" The skinny man sighed and looked at Thales with a measuring gaze.
"You don't want me to give you money directly, do you?" Gilbert turned his body sideways and revealed Thales' figure.
"This is Lord Putray Nemain from Western Desert Hill's Crowing Raven City. We used to study under the same tutor." Gilbert introduced the forty-year-old man in front of Thales, who spoke in a straightforward manner.
"Putray was once a bard and traveled half the world. He has a deep understanding of the geography of the continent and the customs of the various countries. He has also stayed in Northland for a long time. Your Highness, you have complained to me before that you do not understand the basic situation of the world. I think Putray will be a good candidate. He will be your vice diplomat and your instructor as you head north.
"Putray, this is the second prince, Prince Thales. His intelligence will shock you."
Putray, the skinny man, looked displeased, but he still raised his right fist to his chest and saluted Thales.
"I am very happy to have the opportunity to ask for your help … Putray, can I call you that?" Thales smiled and returned the salute.
"Of course, you are the prince, you can call me whatever you want." Putray shrugged indifferently. He did not show the slightest bit of excitement and respect when he saw the only prince of Constellation.
"I am sorry, his temper is a little strange, but I think you will admire his knowledge and his rich experience," Gilbert said to Thales with a smile. He was not worried that his old friend's disrespectful attitude would cause the second prince to feel bad about him.
Thales looked at the skinny Putray before him, then at the highland boots on his feet. His expression did not change, but he sighed deeply in his heart.
'Oh, fate.
It's him. '
On the day Quide went crazy, the people from the Sixth House met a skinny man wearing highland boots at the Western City Gate. He had an unpleasant expression on his face, but he refused to give them any money. Hence, Ryan and Kellet gave him a 'lesson' and took away the only card he had.
It was the pass to enter the Jadestar Grand Library.
At that time, Thales thought he was a scholar who had fallen from grace.
Thales rolled his eyes where no one else could see. 'I am sorry, Mister Putray. Your library pass is in an abandoned house in the lower city district.'
Gilbert brought him to the next person.
It was a young man in his twenties. He had a sword at his waist, a determined expression, and a tall and straight figure. His face was ordinary, but his gaze was sharp.
"This is the person His Majesty and I have unanimously chosen. He will be your attendant, regardless of whether you are in Eckstedt in Northland or in Constellation after you return. He has just returned from the Tower of Eradication a few months ago." Gilbert looked at the young man before him. His gaze was filled with complicated and indecipherable emotions. "Wya Caso."
Thales immediately reacted and looked at Gilbert in puzzlement. "Caso?"
"Hmm, I hope this will not cause you to be disgusted. After all, nepotism … But I can guarantee that he is an elite who has been selected after going through many rounds of selection." Gilbert sighed. "But he is indeed my son."
The young man, Wya Caso, did not even look at his father. He bowed respectfully towards Thales. "Nice to meet you, Your Highness.
"My sword and wisdom are yours to use."
"For the rest of my life, I will serve you wholeheartedly."
Thales felt a little awkward. 'Is it really okay to use' for the rest of my life 'and' for the rest of my life 'the moment we meet?'
But he still nodded and returned the greeting with a cheerful expression. "I will rely on you for the rest of my life, Wya."
Wya lowered his head respectfully. "This life and this body are at your disposal."
Thales rolled his eyes in his heart again.
'Gilbert is obviously very good at socializing, but why is his son …
'Is he a little … serious or dumb?'
But he could also feel that Wya and Gilbert did not seem to get along.
'Is the relationship between father and son cold?'
Gilbert sighed and continued forward with Thales.
This time, when Thales saw the figure under the cloak, he did not need to be introduced. He already cried out in surprise.
"It's you!"
The petite figure under the cloak turned around with her hands on her hips.
"Yes," the person said in a carefree manner. She was neither respectful nor cold. Instead, she made people feel that she was sincere. "It's me!"
Gilbert (who seemed to be like this after meeting his son) said expressionlessly, "You should have met this person before. She is the same as Yodel. She was originally one of His Majesty's secret protectors. This time, His Majesty specially transferred her out —"
"Hey, hey, hey, what do you mean transferred out? Kessel can't order me around! " The cloaked woman who covered her face interrupted Gilbert's words. She walked in front of Thales without any trace of politeness. In front of the dumbfounded prince, she patted his shoulder with her left hand and pointed at herself with her right thumb.
"Brat, my name is Aida!"
"Aida?"
Thales was stunned. "Aida Wong?"
* Thud! *
While Gilbert and the others had unpleasant expressions on their faces, Aida knocked on Thales' head fiercely!
"What 'Wong'?! I'm not from the Far East … "As Thales grimaced and touched his head, she whistled." Listen up, my name is Aida Rorakat Gisele … "
Aida seemed to have encountered some kind of obstacle. She scratched her head desperately for a few seconds.
Finally, the cloaked woman put down her hand weakly and said dejectedly, "Haih, forget it.
My name is too long. Sometimes, I can't remember it … You can just call me Aida. "
Thales stared at Aida, dumbfounded.
He felt that his originally serious outlook on life had been refreshed once again.
'But … this feeling of being hit on the head … is really familiar.'
A few familiar figures appeared before his eyes. He did not know how Jala and the children were doing. He had only received some vague information from Morat.
"Madam Aida." Gilbert's face was ghastly pale. "Next time, please pay attention to your behavior towards His Highness …"
Thales touched his head, which was gradually no longer hurting. He noticed that although Gilbert was dissatisfied, he had no intention of holding him accountable.
So, he also tacitly agreed. 'This person has the right to hit the prince's head?'
"What's wrong with that?!" Aida said unhappily, "Can't I hit him? When I hit Mindis's head in the past, even Keira did not dare to have any objections …"
Thales' expression froze. He noticed that Gilbert did not refute her.
'Wait.
'Mindis? Keira?
Which Mindis of the royal family?
'Keira, could it be the supreme class elite of the royal family?' Enemy of the Wolves' Keira Jadestar from two hundred years ago?
'Her voice sounds very young, but …'
Thales raised his eyes and looked at Aida. 'Just how old is she?'
Thales forced a smile on his face.
"Madam Aida … Hehe, you are really … very lively."
"Yes!"
Aida seemed very happy under the cloak. She punched her palm. "My whole family said the same thing!
"It's because of this! They chased me out! "
Thales did not hide it. He rolled his eyes fiercely.
Gilbert coughed violently and attracted the attention of a few carriages.
"Everyone, if there are no questions, we can get used to each other on the road … I believe that everyone knows the destination and mission of this trip.
"But if there are no questions, let us get on the carriages," he said loudly, "His Majesty and the dukes are waiting at the North City Gate to send the diplomat group off."
Chora nodded. The thirty Jadestar private soldiers got busy.
Gilbert nodded at Thales and sent him to the carriage.
The prince's attendant, Wya Caso, stared at Ralf, who had a strange expression on his face. But under Thales' smiling face, he still followed the Phantom Wind Follower and the second prince into the same carriage.
"Putray!"
Gilbert called out to the thin man who was about to get on the carriage.
Putray turned around expressionlessly.
The former Foreign Affairs Minister, Count Gilbert Caso said with a solemn expression, "I am handing over the prince and the future of Constellation to you.
"You have traveled through half the world. From the naval battle of Crystal Jade City, the Bloody Year, the Desert War, the civil war of the Alliance, the Steel and Tree Rebellion, to the Eastern Peninsula's Hanbol Succession War and the Night War, you have seen countless wars and chaos. You know how cruel they are, and your trip this time is to put an end to the war in Constellation …"
"Enough!" Putray interrupted his old friend.
The thin man still had a displeased expression, but his eyes shone brightly.
"I will accept it.
It is the same as twelve years ago. "
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