"Your Highness! You are really well-loved among them. The subjects have not forgotten that it is Constellation and the Jadestar Royal Family that ensure their prosperous lives. "
The one who spoke was Baron Limor. As the suzerain of four local villages, his castle stood at the center of the four villages. To the south, one could see the Central Territory's Renaissance Avenue, which was covered in yellow fallen leaves. To the north, one could see the birch forest unique to the Northern Territory.
This was the fourth morning of their journey north to Eckstedt. Along the way, they stopped a few times to resupply. If everything went smoothly, they would enter the Northern Territory this afternoon and reach Broken Dragon Fortress tomorrow night.
Baron Limor might only be in his thirties, but his obesity was comparable to that of the old Duke Cullen. The baron was smiling so widely that his eyes could not be seen. He spoke enthusiastically to the Second Prince of Constellation, Prince Thales Jadestar, who was surrounded by his smiling subjects of various sizes.
"The subjects are looking forward to your arrival and feel honored. The continuation of the Jadestar Royal Family is really a great favor from the Sunset Goddess." Baron Limor stroked his belly and said with a smile, "I believe that in the future, under Your Highness' rule, Constellation will be even more prosperous and happy than it was in the past!
"At the end of the day, we are the descendants of the Empire!"
Thales walked in the clean and spotless village, where even the snow stains had been swept away. He maintained the most basic smile and waved at his subjects, who were dressed in bright and beautiful clothing.
Wya, Chora, and five Jadestar Family's private soldiers stood by his side, nervously separating him from the crowd. Behind them was Aida, who was obviously lethargic from the way she walked.
"It is best that we leave immediately, Your Highness," Chora, the leader of the Jadestar Private Soldiers, said with a serious expression, "This is really not a good idea."
"Indeed." Wya stopped a squire. "Your mission is an envoy, not an inspection. You are just passing by."
Thales nodded. In an inadvertent moment, he made a few gestures that no one could understand.
"How is it?"
Wya looked at the prince's gestures and frowned.
He looked at the other direction of the village in displeasure. As expected, Ralf's figure appeared in a secluded spot in the distance. He racked his brains and made two gestures at Thales.
"The ones behind are fake. Everything."
'Fake.
Sigh.
Thales' heart sank. He looked at the child who was seven or eight years old who was closest to him.
She was about his age.
The child's skin was dark and he was so thin that he was just skin and bones. He was wrapped in a set of thick clothes that clearly didn't fit him. His small hands were hidden in his sleeves and he couldn't take them out at all. His eyes were filled with fear and cowering, but he still forced himself to reveal a fake smile.
The muscular man with numb eyes waved his rough and deformed hands strenuously.
A timid woman with a headscarf wrapped around her head was wearing clothes that did not match at all. Her top was clearly closer to the style of the King's City.
An old man in his sixties, wearing a funny cloak that seemed to be used by nobles to shelter themselves from the rain, was shivering in the cold in a corner where no one else could see.
'Also … a spotless village where all the citizens lined the streets to welcome them.' Thales sighed and looked at Baron Limor with a smile.
Did they take him for a fool?
So there was a Potemkin village in this world.
"The supplies should be complete." Thales then made a gesture that no one else could understand towards Ralf in the distance. He shook his head and said softly to Wya and Chora, "Let's go."
Wya even glared fiercely at Ralf in the distance, who had a dark expression on his face. He then followed Thales with Chora.
He was the second prince's attendant.
Under Baron Limor's reluctance to leave and endless thanks, the fleet of Constellation's diplomat group headed north to Eckstedt was ready to set off.
"I thought you enjoyed the feeling of being supported by thousands of people."
The vice diplomat of the diplomat group, Lord Putray took out a pipe out of nowhere and lit a thick cloud of smoke that did not look pleasant. He inhaled and exhaled and looked at the second prince in a mocking manner.
"No."
"I would prefer to enjoy that kind of sincere, unpretentious, but sincere support." Thales smiled as he took the water handed to him by the guard. "I do not want to see them being forced by their suzerains to wear the clothes they prepared beforehand, to force the most deliberate smiles, to tell lies about their happy lives, and to unreasonably welcome a prince they actually do not like in a village that has already been cleaned long ago." Thales took the water the guard handed him with a smile.
Thales sighed softly. "Take a guess. How many of them have smiles on their faces, but are actually filled with hatred towards me, the prince who suddenly arrived?"
"None." Unexpectedly, Putray denied his words. "If I have to pick one, it's probably only that fat baron."
Thales raised his eyebrows.
"Don't think too highly of yourself, future King." Putray exhaled a mouthful of smoke in disdain. "In the eyes of many people, the weight of the Nine-Pointed Star is not even as heavy as an ear of wheat."
"If an ear of wheat can feed them, what can the Nine-Pointed Star do? Oh, there are still benefits. "Putray chuckled." For example, the suzerains can feed them a full meal and distribute some unwanted clothes to welcome a certain heir of the Nine-Pointed Star who passes by in a dignified manner. "
Thales' expression was solemn. Before he got into the carriage, he cast one last glance at the village at the junction of the Northern Territory and Central Territory. He could not help but say, "This is the intersection point of Renaissance Avenue and the birch tree forest. The specialties of the Northern Territory and the goods of Central Territory all pass through here. There is no shortage of land and hunting forests, but the people here are still so poor. Is it because of excessive deductions, land problems, or heavy taxes?
"Let's change the words!
"Baron Limor is one of Count Talon's vassals. He delivers taxes to the latter and responds to conscription. The Talon Family is a distant relative and supporter of the Jadestar Royal Family. To put it more accurately, the rulers of the territory are too loyal and patriotic." Putray snorted through his nose and said sarcastically, "The reason why the villagers here are so poor is because the rulers of the territory are too loyal and patriotic."
Thales was silent for ten seconds until Wya interrupted his thoughts.
"Your Highness, that veteran refuses to leave. He is still following us." Wya pointed at a staggering figure behind them and sighed.
"We have already passed the Talon Family's Ice River City. I think the dry rations and supplies he has on him are not enough to support him on his journey back to Eternal Star. Besides, he does not have any clothes to keep him warm. The further north we go …"
"If you ask me, we can hand him over to the baron." Chora touched his red hair. "Then, we don't have to worry about him starving to death or dying on the road."
"You saw his face. I guess that veteran is not very good at dealing with nobles, and the baron will probably throw him straight into the dungeon." Thales shook his head and looked at Genard's stubborn figure in the distance.
"And he is, after all … the late Duke John's personal guard. He can be considered to be of the same lineage as the Jadestar family."
Thales' eyes sparkled. He thought of the late king's youngest brother in the tomb.
[Starlight God of War, Liberator of Zodra, Duke of Star Lake, John L.K. Jadestar, 613-660]
"Then bring him along."
Thales looked at his vice diplomat, puzzled.
Lord Putray was annoyed when he realized that his pipe had frozen out again. He fumbled for his pockets in a flurry. It was Wya who sighed, took out a flint, and walked forward.
"If you ask me, with such perseverance to follow us on foot for three days and three nights … Thank you, you have saved my life. If he is not the most loyal subordinate, then he is the most dangerous enemy."
Putray lit his pipe and looked at the carriage at the back of the caravan, which contained a coffin.
He said disdainfully, "No matter which one it is, you have a reason to bring him in and place him under your observation and control. After all, you have everything in this filthy caravan, don't you?"
Thales frowned and pretended that he did not hear Putray complaining to him about the Blood Clansmen's traveling companions. "Loyal subordinate and dangerous enemy … I do not want to take the risk to bet on either possibility."
"It's hard to say." Putray took a deep breath of his pipe and closed his eyes in comfort. "Sometimes, it is also possible for both to be true."
Thales rolled his eyes in resignation.
"Your Highness, that veteran?" Wya asked tentatively.
Thales muttered to himself for a while before he suddenly strode towards the veteran from the Starlight Brigade. Ralf followed behind him without a word.
Wya was stunned for a moment. He quickly caught up to the second prince and cast a displeased glance at the Phantom Wind Follower. After he passed him, he subconsciously took a step forward and became the person closest to the prince.
Wya felt that his status as an attendant was being seriously threatened by the silver-masked man who needed prosthetics to walk.
For example, the sign language that only he and the prince could understand.
"Veteran!" Thales called from afar. "What is your name?"
Genard, who was shivering with his arms crossed in the cold, raised his head. When he saw the nine-pointed star embroidered on Thales' clothes, his eyes brightened.
He remembered the time when the languid middle-aged duke walked out of the barracks for the first time and bumped into him.
'Duke.'
"J- Genard," he said while shivering.
"Still not willing to give up, is it?" Thales narrowed his eyes. "But you know, it is impossible for me to let you follow us. You were sent here by Zayen Covendier, and I don't trust him."
Genard was stunned for a moment before he quickly explained, "I am not with them. I was captured by them … I don't know why they sent me here —"
"But it has been three days. Why are you following me?" Thales interrupted him and stared straight into Genard's face. "Give me a reason to believe you."
Genard stared at Thales in a daze.
'That's true.
I am not the duke after all.
'He won't believe me.
If it were the duke, he would probably smile mysteriously, pat him on the shoulder, and generously ask him to collect a portion of food. Then, he would leave behind a sentence of "I will be watching you" and leave with a peace of mind.
'But it is precisely because of this personality of the duke that … that …'
The veteran, who was in his thirties, gritted his teeth and raised his head.
"On the way here, I heard from those who imprisoned me that Your Highness, Your Highness, you are going to Eckstedt? To use your own life to quell the anger and hatred of the Northlanders? "
Thales stared at him without saying a word.
Genard crossed his arms and trembled as he said, "Please let me follow you, follow the Nine-Pointed Star."
Thales did not speak.
While Genard was feeling uneasy, the second prince slowly opened his mouth.
Thales exhaled. "I heard that you were once a member of the Starlight Brigade. You were Duke John's personal guard, my father's uncle?"
Genard's gaze darkened.
"Yes."
'And I have failed him.'
Thales said coldly, "If it is for the loyalty of your comrades in the Starlight Brigade, you can always return to the capital and serve my father and King Kessel."
"I have already served him for twelve years in the capital." The travel-worn Genard panted laboriously and looked at Thales. "And now, I have nowhere else to go."
'Yes.
When the Starlight Brigade was disbanded, most of them followed their captain to Broken Dragon Fortress and fought three bloody battles against the Eckstedtians. After the 'Peace Treaty' was signed, they continued to guard the borders of Constellation in the bitter cold.
But he did not go.
He wanted to stay and continue serving the Nine-Pointed Star and the Jadestar Family in the capital.
To atone for his sins.
'But …
'That Kessel …'
Genard recalled his twelve years in the city defense team where he was apathetic and apathetic, and he smiled forlornly.
Thales looked at him and sighed deeply.
"Go look for Chora, the red-haired one." Under Genard's surprised gaze, Thales pursed his lips. "Since you are a veteran, ask him to arrange a post for you. The diplomat group cannot keep useless people."
Genard shuddered and looked at Thales.
He shuddered, and two streams of hot tears flowed uncontrollably.
Thales was shocked. He could not stand such a scene the most. He quickly turned around and left.
This time, Wya followed him closely and did not forget to glance at Ralf.
But Ralf was looking at the veteran whose eyes were brimming with tears.
'Another one who has lost his way?
'Just like me.'
Thales walked further and further away.
'If he was John's personal guard, if he participated in those wars.'
Thales thought, 'Then he must have experienced the truth behind the Bloody Year with his own eyes.
The truth that I want to know. '
The second prince boarded the carriage without saying a word. The convoy continued its journey out of Renaissance Avenue and entered the birch forest unique to the Northern Territory.
On the evening of the second day, when the convoy with the Double Cross-Shaped Star Flag finally reached the edge of the birch forest, snow began to fall continuously. Everything around them began to turn silvery white.
When they stopped to rest, Wya lit a torch in the bonfire set up by the guards and approached Thales, who was so cold that he was rubbing his hands. "Please pay attention to the temperature, Your Highness. From now on, unlike the capital, unmelted snow will become the norm."
"You've been here before?" Thales gratefully accepted the warm torch and exhaled a breath of hot air.
"Not only have I been here before." Wya chuckled. "The Tower of Eradication is in the southwest of the border between Eckstedt and Camus Union, in the mountain range to the north of the Great Desert. At that time, the Desert War was fierce, and the road to Western Desert was blocked. I could only take a detour from the Northern Territory to Eckstedt and report to the Tower of Eradication."
Thales, whose interest and curiosity had been piqued, was about to inquire further when Putray walked over.
"It's a little colder than usual this year. Broken Dragon Fortress will only be colder than here." Lord Putray picked up a handful of thin snow on the ground. His expression became solemn. "This is both good and bad news."
"What do you mean?" Thales, who did not know much about the Northern Territory and Eckstedt, humbly asked the vice diplomat, who was obviously knowledgeable but had never pretended to speak to him.
"The good news is that the Day Before the Bitter Cold, which is unique to the north, will come earlier than usual. No matter how good the Eckstedtians are at fighting in winter, it is impossible for them to mobilize a large number of troops to deploy into battle formations or besiege the fortress when the water is frozen. Their supply lines will collapse due to the bitter cold.
Putray muttered, "The bad news is that if Lampard wants to take down Broken Dragon Fortress, these two days will be his last chance."
Thales felt a chill in his heart.
"Yes, Your Highness. Broken Dragon Fortress is not far away. If you still want to put an end to the flames of war and not just go sightseeing, you better hurry up!" Under Wya and Ralf's unpleasant expressions, Putray unceremoniously snatched Thales' torch from him and extinguished it in the snow. "You better hurry up and hurry up!"
At this moment, the cloaked woman and the secret protector, Aida, who had been dispirited and listless, suddenly shuddered and sat up!
"That … someone …" Aida stammered as she patted the snow off her body.
But she was immediately interrupted.
"Enemy attack!"
In the distance, a loud and angry voice shouted!
It was the veteran, Genard's voice.
Thales stood up abruptly. Wya and Ralf, who were beside him, were faster than him. One of them unsheathed his sharp blade, while the other shielded him behind himself!
"Chora!" Putray shouted calmly.
"Formation!" Chora roared. The thirty Jadestar Private Soldiers shouted, unsheathed their swords, and formed a wall with their shields. They surrounded Thales and formed Constellation's famous Astral Formation.
But Thales, who was firmly protected between two people, the attendant and the Phantom Wind Follower, looked around in confusion at the birch tree forest in the evening.
'Where are the enemies?'
In the next moment, he no longer had to be confused.
Shadowy figures strangely appeared behind almost every tree in the surroundings in an instant.
There were at least twenty of them.
Thales felt a chill in his heart.
He had seen this kind of body movement that suddenly appeared.
It was like a frame skip in an animation.
The Jadestar Guards lit their torches as if they were facing a great enemy. They were teleported to a few key points in the circle formation to provide illumination.
The light from the torches illuminated the surroundings.
Figures dressed in luxurious clothes and armor (both actually appeared on everyone's body at the same time) appeared one by one from the dark forest. There were men and women, and every one of them was tall and handsome.
But everyone's gaze was sharp as they stared at them coldly.
As if they were looking at prey that was bound to die.
Putray also drew a sword and held a torch as he shouted calmly, "Who goes there?!"
Under the astonished gazes of all the Constellatiates, a graceful figure slowly walked forward in a dignified and quiet manner.
It was a woman.
It was the first woman that Thales saw after he transmigrated. She was so beautiful that she was suffocating.
'How should I put it? She's breathtakingly beautiful?'
She was dressed in a well-tailored black gown that perfectly accentuated her figure. Her face was gentle, her hair was silvery, and her purple eyes looked as if they were sparkling with tears. She was an endearing sight.
If she were in Red Street Market, she would definitely be an existence that only nobles of duke-level could meet.
The adorable beauty, whose age could not be determined, slowly opened her cherry mouth.
Her face was clearly an endearing sight, but at that moment, she was like a robot as she said coldly,
"Good day, everyone."
"I am …"
"Katerina van Corleone."
"My enemies like to call me the Weeper."
Everyone's breathing froze for a moment.
The first thing Thales did was to look at the carriage with the black coffin behind him. He was shocked and bewildered.
'Corleone?
Katerina?
Weeper?
Isn't that … '
But everything before his eyes was still going on.
The black-clothed beauty, who had an endearing and innocent appearance, had watery eyes. Her tone was like a bone-chilling wind as she spoke slowly.
"I am now ordering all of you.
Hand over my sister.
Then, all of you … "
Her eyes were fierce as she pressed her hands on her upper abdomen.
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