"Boy, I know what you are thinking. But if you continue to look at me with that strange look..."

Ada was walking beside Thales's mount. She clenched her fists, protruded the knuckles of her index fingers, and said in an extremely impatient tone: "You know what will happen."

"Okay." Thales, who was full of curiosity, stuck out his tongue and turned his head.

"Forget it if you don't want to answer."

The traveler sighed slightly in his heart.

Ada let out a breath and resealed the memories of the past in her heart.

Bright star.

Damn bright star.

"But speaking of which, Ada, how did you become the secret guard of the Bright Star Royal Family?" Thales looked at the blurry mountains gradually revealed in front of him and asked quietly: "How could an elf be employed by the human star kingdom?

?”

"I heard they are extremely proud and their service to humanity is unique."

Ada lowered her head slightly.

"Hey, kid," the elf's voice sounded a little awkward: "I told you, I'm not your family's guard."

"and……"

Ada crossed her arms and said with disdain in her tone: "As a little brat, how much do you know about elves?"

Thales could only stick out his tongue and shook his head helplessly.

This elf who is full of doubts, this elf who may have lived for hundreds of years, and has met the former sage Lord Mindis and Prince Keira, must have a rich and colorful story.

It’s just my personality...

Just after the team crossed a snow-covered hillside, Putilai drove his mount and came to Thales' side. The thin deputy had a solemn face and raised his hand to point in the direction they were heading: "We are here.

"

Thales reacted, quickly raised his head, and looked down the hillside.

In the blurry vision of the snowy sky, a silver and black giant appeared in front of the mountains.

No, not a giant.

Its outline in the snow appeared dimly in the distance - it was a majestic city built on the mountain.

The red and black flags are faintly visible flying over the city.

Its gray-black walls are dotted with silvery white snow. The highest point of the city just falls on the top of the mountains. From a distance, it looks like a giant leaning on the snow-capped mountains. There are many villages and small towns around it.

Standing on the land in the north among the guards.

Thales signaled Wyatt to stop his restless mount.

He took a deep breath of the cold wind unique to the north and quietly looked at the thick and powerful city in the distance, feeling a little excited in his heart.

This is the Northern Dragon, the capital of the Kingdom of Exeter?

Unknowingly, they had crossed the Welland Snowfield and entered a new territory.

"It's my first time to see such a grand scene," Nikolai rode up to them, his lips raised, his face full of nostalgia and reverence: "This huge city with mountains on its back is the largest and most majestic in the North.

The most magnificent and oldest city."

"The holy place in the hearts of Northlanders."

"Longxiao City."

At this time, an inappropriate snort came from the side.

"It was not originally called Longxiao City."

Nicolai turned his attention to the star guest who interrupted.

"It has been established as early as the era of kings and is one of the northern gathering places of mankind. In the ancient empire era, it was the central capital of the northern province of the original empire," Putilai took Nikolai expressionlessly.

if:

"The fortress built on the mountain was originally called Fort Allende. It was the residence of the Allende family who governed the Northland under the emperor's orders for generations. After the collapse of the empire, the place fell into chaos and power transitions that lasted for three hundred years. Until

One day, the armies of Nekaru and Thomund met nearby and won the first victory of the End War."

"It was Nekaru who led the army and rushed to the rescue of Tormund, who was in danger." Nikolai shook his head indifferently and used his own opinions to 'correct' the Starman's words: "That's why that battle was called 'Reverse the Cold Wind' -

—It is said that in an open space near here, Nekaru's troops marched so fast that they almost seemed to fall from the sky, defeating the enemy from the rear."

Thales curled his lips helplessly.

Okay, another little "difference of opinion" between the Exeters and the Starmen, and the Northlanders and the Imperials.

And - even though they are both from the North, Nicolai seems to be even more stubborn than Cambida.

Sure enough, Putilai exhaled with disapproval on his face.

"So, how did this place become the capital of Exeter?" Thales immediately spoke up at the right time, interrupting the "heated discussion" that the two were about to start again.

Nicolai motioned for them to continue marching. The commander of the White Blade Guards rode his horse and began to speak slowly like a real receptionist:

"This piece of land centered on Longxiao City belongs to the Walton family - the family from which Nunn VII was born. It is also the most prestigious ruling family in Exeter and has passed down the title of Grand Duke of Longxiao City from generation to generation."

"The human hero, Nekaru Akers, became the lord of this place more than 600 years ago. He formed an alliance with the Nine Knights here and vowed to jointly guard the North and their hometown in the chaos after the End War.

, to regain the pride of Northlanders."

"From then on, the proud Northlanders called the new country 'Exter', and the Exeter Alliance was born."

"And the next year, the Nine Knights, who opened up the territory and expanded the territory, returned here with unstoppable power, and jointly raised Nekaru Akers, the king who was sincerely convinced by the people of the North and followed them to the death. The Nine Knights led all sides and defended him.

Longxiao City.”

"The history of the Alliance ends here, and the history of the Kingdom of Exeter begins here."

"Adhering to the spirit of taking turns to rule and governing fairly, the supreme ruler of Exeter, the king of co-existence, was elected from among the ten grand dukes, and the rest obeyed his authority and orders - this was the time of Nekaru

The vow to make an appointment to govern together shows that his prestige and influence continue to this day."

"Because His Majesty Nunn also holds the title of Grand Duke of Longxiao City, Longxiao City has become the capital of the entire Exeter."

At this time, a messenger from the Black Sand Territory struggled to overcome the obstacles of the White Blade Guards and came to Nicolai, asking him to go over and meet with Viscount Cambida.

After Nikolai left, Thales turned his head and looked at Putilai.

"You have something to say." The time traveler said affirmatively.

"Of course," the deputy envoy shook his head with disdain: "Don't believe our hot-blooded friend from the North. His nonsense about 'rule by turns and rule by fairness' is just used to deceive the people of the North. The facts are

In the Northland - or anywhere in the world, power has always spoken, and strength has always been king."

"Oh?" Thales chuckled softly: "Since that enthusiastic friend from the North has left, would you mind telling me more about my knowledgeable deputy, the versatile Mr. Northland Pass?

?”

Putilai reached into his arms and wanted to take out his pipe, but whether because of his pity for the lack of tobacco or because of his conscience, the former bard withdrew his hand with a look of pain after hesitating for a few seconds.

He then said to the second prince: "I wonder if you have noticed that the first ruler of Longxiao City and the first co-king of Exeter was Nekaru Ex. But what we are talking about now

The Dragon Sky City I saw was under the rule of Nun Walton VII."

Thales quickly reacted: "Akers and Walton, these are two surnames - that is to say, after Nekaru, the people who inherited his name and title are not his direct blood relatives?"

Putilai raised his eyebrows and nodded: "The real history, or the history recorded in the records that can be found in the stars, is: Nekaru died young without giving birth to an heir, and the dragon dragon left behind after his death

The position of Lord of the City will be succeeded by his nephew, Noon Walton."

"That was the first Nunn after the Walton family became the lord of Dragon Sky City, Nunn I."

"Since then, the Walton family, marked by the Dragon Spear in the Cloud, has taken over this land and this city and has ruled it to this day."

"But the bloodline of Nun I caused the lords to question his legitimacy, and also aroused the lords' covetousness for the position of king - no matter how many times he emphasized that his mother was Nekaru's sister,

Therefore, Nun himself is the closest orthodox heir to the late king Nekaru, and he cannot extinguish the ambitions of the nine lords - even if they were all knight models who were loyal to Nekaru."

Thales frowned slightly.

At this moment, what he thought of was not Nekaru and his nine knights, but the huge portrait in the center of the Mindis Hall: under the sunset battlefield, the scarred young knight, accompanied by six people

Charge fearlessly.

The resurrected king of the stars, Tormund Brightstar I, and the six knights around him, are today's most prominent duke families, the six wealthy families.

Arend of the White Eagle, Cullen of the Sun Sword and Shield, Kevin Dill of the Tricolor Iris, Falkenhausz of the Four-Eyed Skull, Nantryster of the Giant-horned Deer, and Teback of the Blood Moon.

They, even the ancestors of the thirteen noble families, fought by Tormund's side back then.

Were they also "loyal" to the King of Revival back then?

Just like the nine knights and nine lords behind Nekaru?

"For the orthodox inheritance of the throne of Exeter, a violent conflict broke out between Nun I of Longxiao City and the Nine Knights and their descendants." Putilai continued: "After the war, the stalemate between the major lords

The confrontation lasted for decades. At that time, Exeter was almost composed of ten fragments. They were called one country, but in fact they were enemies of each other and were incompatible with each other."

"During this period, the originally insignificant new country established by the remnants of the final empire on the banks of the Mu River in the south, on the territory of the former Shavin Province, began to slowly rise and continue to expand to the surrounding areas."

Thales responded knowingly: "Tormund I, the Revival King?"

"Yes," Putilai nodded, his eyes shining with strange colors: "Kingdom of Stars."

"In the end, under the pressure of the emerging star kingdom, Nun I and the nine lords reached the last and most embarrassing compromise."

"With the joint support of the nine lords, Nun Walton succeeded to the throne of the co-king. And Nun I re-demarcated the territory of Exeter in the name of the great former king Nekaru, and divided the ten

The lords, including himself, were canonized as the ten orthodox grand dukes of the Kingdom of Exeter. However, after the death of Nunn I, the king's position must be re-selected among the ten grand dukes, and they will vote for a new one.

They elected a king together and ruled for life. In this way, Exeter's kingselect system was established and lasted for six hundred years."

"This is the so-called 'Nikaru's Co-Governance Oath' - because it was an oath sworn by ten people in the name of Nikaru and under the signature of Nikaru. The irony is that it has nothing to do with Nikaru at all.

No connection.”
To be continued...