Thales woke up in a chaotic crowd and saw Ramon's big nose when he opened his eyes.
What happened just now?
The magic gun shot me...
Another "out of control"?
As he panted, Ramon was squeezed out of sight, and then Putilai's thin face, Wyatt's anxious expression, and half of Ada's face under the cloak squeezed in.
"What's wrong?" Thales asked feebly.
"Get out of the way, get out of the way! Respect the doctor!" Ramon's dissatisfied voice came from the side: "Give us an open space! Your Highness needs further examination!"
The three faces in the field of vision disappeared, and Ramon's big nose reappeared.
"How am I doing?" Thales asked softly, feeling his whole body.
"You are fine now. In fact, most people don't have such vitality and resilience as you..." Ramon, who looked embarrassed, frowned and said, "But your body..."
"Okay," Thales interrupted him, struggled to sit up, moved his right arm, and looked around: "Now is not the time to talk about this."
Ramon clearly felt something was wrong with his body...but how could he talk about it in a place like this?
But Ramon seemed unwilling to give up, and his next words made Thales clenched his fists.
"Listen, Your Highness," Ramon gritted his teeth and whispered while bandaging the shoulder he had just injured in the melee: "Others may not know it, but I can feel it: those magic guns didn't miss the mark.
It's...but you did something to make them misaligned..."
What?
Thales tried his best to control his surprise and not to show too much surprise.
What did he know?
"I don't know what you are talking about." Thales replied rudely: "It's time for me to get up...tell them that the prince is fine."
But Ramon still kept chattering with a dissatisfied look on his face: "Whether it's superpowers or something... Judging from their reactions, I guess it's not something everyone knows, but it doesn't matter, I'm not interested in your secrets either.
a little……"
He lowered his head and said fiercely: "Let me go after you cross the border. I will never take part in your damn journey again! Otherwise..."
"Otherwise, what about?" Thales turned his head suddenly and glared: "Use your power of bringing people back to life to deal with me?"
Ramon was slightly startled.
"You are not a doctor, Ramon," Thales whispered coldly: "Yes, I know this clearly: the power you use to treat illnesses and save people is another kind of power..."
"I guess this isn't something everyone knows, is it?" He looked at Ramon's disbelieving expression and nodded his forehead.
"We'll talk about this later."
Thales stood up, leaving Ramon stunned.
The magic gun troops in the distance have withdrawn. The Fury Guards are cleaning up the battlefield and tying the corpses of their comrades to ropes. Sadness and anger are gathered on everyone's face.
Damn it.
Thales sighed and clenched his fists: If this is what I have to face in the future...
Damn it.
He raised his head, and Exeter's military camp was in front of him.
"What happened?" Thales walked towards Putilai with difficulty and waved his hand to indicate that he was fine: "The Exeters...let us go?"
"They retreated after the first shot failed," Putilai frowned and looked at Thales: "Are you sure you are fine?"
"I'm fine, I just lost strength...I feel good now." Thales said without any doubt.
"What exactly is a magic gun?" Thales grabbed his chest and asked with lingering fear.
"A powerful weapon for siege and defense," Putilai shook his head: "But each shot is expensive, hard to come by, and inefficient."
No.
wrong.
It's not that simple - from the quirky name to the mysterious workings.
Thales said secretly.
"With all due respect, Your Highness, are you really okay? You stopped breathing just now..." Huaiya shook his head worriedly and walked to his side.
"I said, I'm fine now." Thales interrupted him coldly: "We have more important things to do."
Huaiya frowned.
This is a secret I must keep.
Feel sorry.
Thales raised his head while apologizing to Huaiya and looked forward.
"What is that?" Thales narrowed his eyes.
Not far ahead, the scarred Araka was glaring angrily at a gray-helmeted knight on horseback.
"One of the 'Five Generals' of Exeter, the leader of the legendary anti-demon armed force 'Saber of the Rising Sun'," Putilai said warily: "The fiery knight, Rom Tuleha."
"Lumba sent him here alone, it seems to be to make peace," Putilai shook his head: "If Lumba is really crazy and wants to kill us all, why did he give up halfway?"
yes.
After all, Lombard had no reason to kill me.
Then why...
"But we have come this far," Putilai said slowly, "There is no turning back."
Thales nodded slightly.
"Are you His Highness Thales?" Tuleha saw Thales from a distance.
"Your Excellency, Romford Tuleha," the gray-helmeted knight said slowly while looking at Alaka warily, "Lord Charmaine Lombard invites you to meet with him."
Thales sighed and strode forward.
"The Grand Duke of Black Sand... I thought he would be more friendly," Thales looked around, looking at the charred corpses on the ground and the bruised soldiers and members of the mission, suppressing the dissatisfaction in his heart: "Instead of
After killing most of our people, he then made a false invitation."
Tuleha raised his head and looked at Broken Dragon Fortress in the distance.
"If you have any opinions, you can ask the Grand Duke himself," the Fire Knight's eyes under the gray helmet were sharp and profound: "I am only responsible for bringing you to him."
Thales gritted his teeth and exhaled.
At this moment, the ferocious-looking Araka strode towards Tulha: "Have you forgotten something? Exter?"
The wrath of the kingdom contains anger.
"Forget it, Alaka, go back," Tuleha looked at Kingdom's Wrath, who had evil eyes, and turned the horse's head: "The Grand Duke does not welcome you...neither you nor your guards."
"You're just here to escort the prince, aren't you?"
"Rumba doesn't welcome me, are you kidding me?" Araka said fiercely: "His brother died in his hands, and his father died in my hands - with such common ground, we should be able to chat easily.
right."
Thales frowned.
"Especially, I killed so many of his soldiers, and he also killed so many of my soldiers..." Alaka said coldly: "We will definitely become 'good friends'."
"The battle is over. You can't change its outcome." Tuleha replied nonchalantly, as if he was used to the other party's provocation: "The dead who died in battle are certainly worthy of commemoration, but the living cannot forget their mission."
"What is your mission? Araka?"
Alaka lowered his head, watching a charred corpse not far away being tied to a makeshift drag rope, and squeezed his fists tighter and tighter.
"You fought bravely, but your mission has been completed." Tuleha looked at his opponent coldly: "You should be lucky that we did not take the opportunity to rob Fudong Bow."
"Why don't you give it a try?" Araka fiercely grabbed the bow and stood one end in the snow: "You brought the knife anyway, didn't you?"
"One day, I will," Tuleha's eyes flashed, and he shook his head: "But not now."
"One day," he said slowly, "we will settle all our blood debts to each other."
Araka stared at him with a disturbing sneer.
"Your Highness?" Tuleha did not look at Alaka anymore. He nodded slightly on his horse and then stretched out his hand in the direction of the military camp.
Thales looked at Putilai, who gave him a supportive look.
"I guess we have no other choice, right?" Thales looked at the Gray Helmet Knight, who smiled at him.
"Okay," Thales looked at the messy battlefield, exhaled, and walked forward: "Let's go see the organizer of this welcome ceremony."
Thales looked at Alaka whose expression was difficult to distinguish: "Thank you, Baron Mu."
Araka did not respond, he just watched silently as his guards cleaned up the battlefield.
Thales sighed and lowered his head, turned around and walked towards the military camp.
Putilai was the first to follow Thales, followed closely by Wyatt and Rolf. Ada looked at the corpses around and walked to the back of the team.
Willow supported Gennard, while Ramon followed dissatisfiedly, pushed by several soldiers.
"child!"
Thales turned back in surprise,
On the snow, Araka lowered his head and put the motionless bow back on his back.
"More than half of my soldiers, including your envoy, died," the Kingdom's Wrath said silently, "just to send you here."
Alaka Mu raised his head, his eyes full of emotions that Thales couldn't read:
"Don't let their death be in vain."
Thales was startled.
But the wrath of the kingdom has turned.
Araka grabbed a rope, dragged the bodies of four or five soldiers, and walked towards the way he came from without looking back.
Behind him were the remaining Fury Guards, and the complete or incomplete remains of their comrades who were dragged with ropes through the snow.
The back is lonely.
————
The Exterian military camp looked wild and rough. The camp walls were simply built from tree trunks cut from the nearby large coniferous forest. The tents where the soldiers rested were built with thick branches. But in comparison, it was even more impressive.
What impressed Thales deeply was the people of Exeter.
They are so "enthusiastic".
Thales even suspected that if Tuleha hadn't been leading the way with his horse, the Exeter people would have pounced on them.
The Exeter soldiers standing guard stared at the group of Starmen with unkind expressions, and one sentry even spat viciously at his feet.
A group of cavalry who had just returned to camp passed by them, looked at the star flags they held high, and laughed provocatively at them.
"Go back, you Southerners," an Exeter soldier carrying heavy armor and a sword shouted in disgust at the mission: "The Empire is not welcome in the North!"
"Go ahead and dream of your empire!" A naked upper body man sitting by the fire sharpening a giant ax thumped his chest and roared: "First we have to spit out our territory! The Northland only belongs to
Northlanders!”
"They killed our prince, but let a child sue for peace!" They walked past a circle of soldiers sitting around on the left. A leading soldier pointed at the envoy and shouted: "This is the shamelessness of the 'Empire'
!”
The people around them responded angrily and glared at them.
"Do you know why?" The soldier shouted: "Because we killed all the men in their country twelve years ago!"
The people around him burst into laughter and echoed him: "Let them send a princess!"
"Little boys can do it," one soldier said sarcastically: "As long as he is pretty enough - we don't care about the front or the back!"
Another burst of laughter.
"Should I be surprised?" Thales raised his head and sighed: "Or is this the Exeter's way of saying 'hello' to the Star People?"
"Don't be surprised, Your Highness," Putilai said easily to Thales, who looked stiff:
"For more than 600 years since the founding of the People's Republic of China, the relationship between Xingchen and Exeter has always been poor. Both the history of the empire and the competition in the Western Continent are enough reasons for our hostility - Cold Castle is where we were from 400 years ago.
It was snatched from Exeter's hand."
"History first gave birth to hatred, and hatred will write history again."
Putilai sighed:
"Only the Continental War can make us temporarily forget our feelings about each other and rarely fight side by side. During the Third Continental War, the hero Sarah and the oath-keeping king Midir were close friends. Together with Kaipeng, the prophet of the Conmas Alliance,
We worked together to fight against the Eastern Continent's expeditionary force. But unfortunately, they eventually broke up and turned against each other, and the rare opportunity for dragon and star to reconcile was lost."
"But this is a military camp, and other places will be much better. Many Northlanders don't care about those nihilistic things," Huaiya nodded: "After all, civilians running for life are different from soldiers who have suffered from blood."
"They call us 'Empires', why?" Thales frowned and asked: "In the end, isn't the Empire a history of more than 600 years ago? Even if there is real hatred, it must be traced back to more than a thousand years ago.
The ancient empire, isn’t it?”
"This is their mockery of us." Putilai shook his head and said with a complicated expression: "The Star people have always been proud of the blood and heritage of the empire, but unfortunately, the impression left by the empire on the world is not good."
"Not only the people in the North, but also the Kingdom of Allenbia in the Thornlands and the Principality of Anrenzo in the Dragon's Kiss Basin, the people there also have a bad opinion of us. Whenever there is a need - such as a war, this kind of thing is passed down from generation to generation.
The ancient emotions will be exaggerated and amplified, which is much more effective than increasing the reward money for soldiers."
empire.
Imperial people.
Thales sighed and hid this information in his mind.
"Speaking of this, the recruitment and mobilization of more than 10,000 people is almost the limit of the Black Sand Territory." Putilai looked at the densely packed military camps in front of him: "I think Lomba's supplies and expenses are not enough, and the Black Sand Territory is not wealthy.
The place."
"For the northern border, they must have been planning for a long time and spent a lot of money."
Xingchen and everyone finally followed Tuleha and walked to a huge tent.
A tall nobleman in military uniform who had been waiting in front of the tent came forward and nodded gently to Tuleha.
The tall noble bowed to Thales and said, "Is this His Highness Thales? This is the first time we meet. I am Lhasa Kambida."
"Viscount of the Kingdom of Exeter, whose fiefdom is located in Menton City in the Black Sand Territory."
"Everyone in the mission, please follow me to rest. As for His Highness," Viscount Cambida nodded and looked at Thales: "The Grand Justice is waiting for your visit."
Thales raised his eyebrows.
"This is a separate meeting," Cambida looked at Thales with burning eyes: "The Grand Duke of the Black Sand Territory and the Prince of the Stars."
"Don't worry," Viscount Cambida raised his hand, stopped Putilai and Huaiya who were about to say something, and said resolutely: "His Royal Highness is already here, at least until he arrives at Longxiao City to see His Majesty, he will not
Something will happen."
Thales sighed softly and smiled: "I guess we still don't have much choice, do we?"
"You know, Your Highness, I suddenly figured it out." Putilai said silently, his eyes shining: "Rumba is not crazy."
Thales's heart moved.
Cambida frowned and made a "please" gesture to Thales.
————
The Grand Duke's tent was very tall and spacious, but not very bright. The floor was covered with a thick carpet with a powerful iron fist pattern embroidered on it.
Sitting next to a thick square table filled with food is a rough-looking man, about forty years old, with gray hair and blue eyes, a stubble on his chin, wearing a chainmail with fine iron rings, and is chewing on the table
a plate of barbecue.
An iron brazier burned brightly on one side, making the man's face look even more mysterious.
Thales noticed that a sword with a polished leather scabbard was also lying across the table.
He looked calmly at the actual ruler of the Black Sand Territory, Grand Duke Charmaine Lombard.
Lumba put a piece of barbecue into his mouth and looked at him intently, which made Thales feel uncomfortable for a while.
"You're a little more calm than I thought."
The Grand Duke said slowly.
Thales sighed.
"Maybe," he walked to the table, climbed up on the chair and sat down: "But facing the enemy who owes me hundreds of lives, I really can't think of any other expression... Even anger seems redundant."
Rumba picked up a wooden wine glass and poured it into his mouth, his Adam's apple swelling as he swallowed.
The Grand Duke put down his wine glass, wiped the flowing wine with the back of his left hand, grabbed a piece of hind leg meat, and took a bite.
"According to the news from the stars... you really don't look like a seven-year-old child."
"When life is not easy, you have to learn to mature earlier." Thales shrugged.
"Eat the best venison," Rumba pushed a plate of roasted meat over: "The prince of the stars cannot starve to death in my military camp."
Thales looked at the plate of rude barbecue and frowned.
"You are very talented. The reverse impact is indeed beyond my expectation," Lomba said coldly:
"Who made this decision? Maybe I should reward him well so that all my planning over the past few years will be ruined."
"You." Thales pulled the plate in front of him, took out the dagger without raising his head, and began to cut the meat.
Lumba raised his eyebrows.
"This is your decision, His Excellency the Grand Duke," Thales said calmly while cutting the venison: "You killed half of our people on the first day I stepped into Exeter's border...forcing us
You can only choose the path that is most unfavorable to you."
"How long have you been standing here looking at the fortress opposite every day? Two weeks? Three weeks?"
"I guess it's not easy to maintain supplies, food and accommodation for more than 10,000 people?" Thales shrugged: "I'm really worried about the finances of the Black Sand Territory."
He picked up a piece of venison about the size of his thumb and put it into his mouth.
tasty.
Lumba stopped eating and drinking. He looked straight at Thales with a stern look in his eyes.
"You know," the Grand Duke said slowly, "I originally planned to keep you alive. It would be enough to just kill the people around you."
Thales frowned.
His venison was not well cut.
"But we encountered an attack of that magnitude by the magic gun force," Thales snorted and began to cut off a piece of meat: "Just to kill me."
"That was an accident." Lumba said calmly.
"Accident..." Thales laughed angrily and put down the dagger in his hand: "You have a magic gun..."
But he was stunned immediately.
etc.
Putilai said that Lumba was not crazy.
so……
Thales looked at Lumba blankly.
Could it be that.
"That was an accident?" Thales asked in disbelief.
"It was an accident." Lumba put his arms on the table, his eyes burning.
Thales closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
Half a moment.
"You didn't send out the magic gun troops." Thales opened his eyes and said with certainty.
"I didn't." Rumba put down his wine glass and shook his head slowly.
"You didn't intend to kill me either." Thales continued.
"I didn't." Lumba's eyes were burning.
Thales gritted his teeth.
"I see." He exhaled and laughed out loud: "There is someone else commanding the magic gun unit."
Rumba had no reason to kill himself from beginning to end.
The magic gun unit is an uncontrollable killing weapon... No matter how stupid he is, he will never use such a thing to deal with me.
Thales sighed.
Lumba fastened the wooden plate of venison, pulled it in front of him, and grabbed a piece of meat.
"You are much smarter than I thought." Lumba's face was ugly. He put the meat into his mouth and narrowed his eyes: "You understand why we met here.
"Yes, I understand." Thales wiped the dagger with his sleeve, inserted it back into his waist, and sighed: "It's just that I really didn't expect that the famous Black Sand Duke would have a magic gun under his command.
The troops were easily defrauded of command authority."
Lombard suppressed his anger: "The officer's name is Hardy. He has been responsible for training my magic gun unit since three years ago. The commander of the unit fell ill in bed this morning. He is only temporarily in charge of the command."
"How is he?" Thales asked silently.
"After the retreat horn sounded, he still ordered the second firing, but some soldiers immediately questioned his order," Lombard said gloomily: "Hardy immediately cut his neck and committed suicide without hesitation... We are still investigating the person behind him.
.”
"This also explains why you hastily blew the retreat bugle after just one shot." Thales sneered: "Even the command failed... I'm sorry, I really don't know what expression to use at this time.
"
The Grand Duke of Lombard pursed his lips tightly and said nothing.
"Their goal should be to use your hands to kill me, or to use my death to plot against you." Thales sneered: "I think the latter is the majority. My enemies are all at home."
"The higher you stand," Lumba said silently, "the more enemies there will be."
"So, the sudden accident also caused you to cancel your plan," Thales snorted and said, "Were you originally planning to humiliate me and capture me to see if the fortress would be shaken?"
silence.
Rumba opened the rye bottle next to him and filled his empty glass.
"I hate to say this, but King Kessel made a good move and pushed you out," Grand Duke Lombard said calmly: "When you step into my military camp, I will never be able to capture the fortress and the north."
The situation is over.”
"And the oath he swore in the Fuxing Palace is like using the ownership of the royal power to build a suit of armor for you." Lombard picked up the wine glass and said silently: "If you die in Exeter, no matter who did it,
The bordering Black Sand Territory will only suffer."
"So, once you found out that you couldn't take the Broken Dragon Fortress, and found out that someone was actually watching you from the side, you immediately changed your attitude and wanted to win over me, right?" Thales said coldly.
Lumba took a sip of wine expressionlessly and said: "Kaiser's oath has dispelled some people's desire to take your life, but it has also aroused the ambition of other people to take your life."
"Today's magic gun is just the beginning - we have a common enemy lurking in the dark, whether it is for the throne of Exeter or the throne of the stars," the voice of the Grand Duke of Black Sand was steady and solemn: "You step in
Exeter, from the moment we stepped into the Northland, our interests were tied together."
"Yes," Thales lowered his head, his voice steady and indifferent: "My death in Exeter is not a good thing for both of us."
"I will allocate two thousand people, led by Cambida, my most trusted subordinate, to escort you to Longxiao City." Grand Duke Lomba's expression softened a little, "You will directly arrive at the territory of the Walton family.
——The king’s messenger is already waiting for you.”
"But my people died on the battlefield. They stood in front of me one by one, and were pierced by knives, swords, and spears." Thales raised his head with a gloomy face: "Your people were also killed by us.
Killed a lot."
Lumba closed his eyes and pondered for a moment.
Thales stared at him expressionlessly.
"Those soldiers... neither my soldiers nor your subordinates died in vain. They deserved their death." Lomba opened his eyes: "It is because of their efforts that we can understand each other and sit here and work hard for each other."
We must make a choice about the future destiny of our two countries...even if it is extremely difficult."
"We are not enemies in the first place. The hostility on the battlefield is only forced by the situation," Lombard said softly: "For the future, and in order that the senseless bloodshed today will not happen again, we should put aside the grudges of the past. This is natural."
"War is for peace, isn't it?"
Thales suddenly laughed.
"Well said, His Excellency the Grand Duke." He chuckled with an unclear expression: "There are no eternal enemies, only eternal interests."
"As you said, from now on, we have no reason to be enemies with each other." The Grand Duke nodded and raised his wine glass, "If you eat my venison, according to the custom of the North, you are my guest."
"This is the best rye wine," Rumba pushed the glass over and said with a deep look, "and according to the custom of the North, if we drink the same glass of wine, we are allies."
"From manpower, intelligence, resources to financial resources, I will provide you with all the conveniences in Exeter. Our enemies will not have any chance." Grand Duke Lombard nodded: "Until you leave Exeter and return to the stars.
.”
"Even until you one day..."
Lumba showed a strange look: "Be crowned king."
silence.
Thales once again showed an unknown smile.
"Did you also say the same to Duke Arlend in the North, Your Excellency the Grand Duke?" The traveler breathed softly, his smile not diminishing: "For the throne of the stars and dragons?"
"He came to me," Charmaine Lombard said with deep eyes: "Val Arende, he is a visionary and responsible hero who dares to take that step that many people dare not think of - even if it is
What a path that is not understood by others.”
"We - Stars and Dragons have been hostile for too many years, and the relationship between blade and shield should not be like this." Lumba leaned back on his chair, and the firelight reflected his resolute and cold face: "Hero Nekaru I and 'Resurgence'
King Tormund I is a good friend, and the hero Sara and the Oath Keeper King Midir IV are brothers who depend on each other for life and death - the Kingdom of Exeter and the Kingdom of Stars, if we work together, we will be able to
Put an end to meaningless wars and conflicts.”
Work together.
End war and conflict?
The battlefield scene appeared in front of Thales' eyes again.
The warriors of Exeter and Star charged at each other like wild beasts.
Araka roared and killed the enemies layer by layer, leaving them wailing on the ground.
Countless Fury Guard soldiers rushed to both sides of Alaka without hesitation.
Many soldiers were pierced by sharp blades and fell to the ground helplessly.
And at the end, when Araka drags the bodies of his subordinates and leaves with the survivors, the rickety and lonely figure of Wrath of the Kingdom is seen.
"No."
Thales raised his head and said coldly.
The Grand Duke showed a strange expression. He raised his eyebrows and looked at Thales steadily.
"Val Arend, he is not a hero, but a poor man living in his own imagination," the second prince said expressionlessly: "War cannot bring peace, and death cannot repay life."
"And the hatred and anger will not disappear just because of the coronation of the two kings."
The Grand Duke clasped his hands, his expression unchanged: "What do you mean?"
"What I mean is," Thales wiped the dagger clean on his sleeve, inserted it back into his waist, and said nonchalantly, "What you said is just like farts."
Grand Duke Lombard's face darkened.
"You know, you are on a dangerous journey," the Grand Duke said with a grim expression, "And what you are doing now is rejecting a powerful ally who can bring you huge benefits, ensure your safety and even the throne."
"My experience tells me that you should be careful with those who want to be your allies, no matter how sweet-talking or sincere they are," Thales looked at Lumba, watching the other person's expression slowly turn gloomy, and he said calmly:
"And I cannot believe you, His Excellency the Grand Duke Charmaine Lombard."
"Why?" Charmaine leaned forward, his face looking uncertain in the flickering firelight: "Because so many people died under your command?"
"Not only that."
"It's also because of your indifference and hypocrisy towards the death and sacrifice of your men," Thales said coldly: "Our alliance with you is destined to be betrayed. Compared with executing the alliance, we may gain more.
I can definitely say that when the covenant breaks down, the losses I will suffer will far exceed the benefits I gain."
"And I feel deeply about that."
Lumba's eyes began to become cold and scary.
"Besides, I hate what you said," Thales thought of Alaka's lonely back, gritted his teeth and shook his head: "Those people on the battlefield... they died for your selfish desires."
"As for such nonsense as 'a worthy death' and 'war is for peace,'" Thales grabbed the wine glass and sneered, "Keep it to yourself."
silence.
"At first I thought you were mature and stable, with a mind beyond your years," Lombard snorted coldly and said in a bad tone, "but now you act like a child."
"That's right." Thales said coldly.
He threw away the wine in the glass and said to the gloomy Lombard:
"And kids can't drink."
Thales jumped off the chair and walked out of the tent without looking back.