Thales followed Michael, twisting and turning in the Palace of Heroes, which had an imposing and uniform layout.
After avoiding the eyes and ears of the five Grand Dukes, Thales finally saw the two people who made him hate him in front of an open-air observation deck.
"You look so calm - it seems you are adapting well, little prince."
The leader of the White Blade Guards, Nikolai, who had already taken off his cloak and turban, turned his back to the scenery outside the observation tower, and looked at the Star Prince in front of him, who looked like he was going to attack the enemy. His expression was calm.
"If you mean, I was almost forced to commit suicide by cutting my neck in front of six old men with a sword that I couldn't even lift..." Thales exhaled a long breath and said angrily: "
Yes, I am doing well."
"Old man? I remember that Grand Duke Perfit of Fengzhao City was still very young, not quite old." Nicholas chuckled mockingly, making Thales even more dissatisfied.
"I'm beginning to wonder, is what you conveyed really the wish of King Nunn?" A furious Thales looked at the two of them with an unkind expression: "Or is it that 'my life' is not at all in his consideration range?"
!”
"As for this question," Marquis Slys of Camas said with a scornful expression, "I have warned you before that His Majesty Nunn's attitude may be a bit... tough and rough..."
Thales turned his head sharply and stared at him.
"Well, it seems that maybe he is not only tough, Your Majesty, he is also a little bit, well," under Thales's glare, Shless rubbed his cane and smiled awkwardly. After thinking for a while, he finally
After finding two more appropriate words, he blinked and said:
"Wild and unrestrained?"
Thales took a deep breath and resisted the urge to curse.
"Next time you encounter this kind of thing, for example, before you push me into a certain death trap, please inform me in standard human lingua franca without northern or western accents and in line with rhetorical conventions..."
Thales' eyes were cold as he watched the two of them speak word by word: "Is this your attitude towards collaborators and allies? And..."
"Is there any honor in forcing a seven-year-old to commit suicide?"
Nicolai and Shless looked at each other. The former's face remained unchanged, while the latter leaned on his cane and bowed politely.
"Force? Honor? I think you misunderstood," Marquis Slys sighed, and his face became serious: "Grand Dukes - what they are talking about from the beginning to the end is to kill you and bring you later.
The interests and consequences of killing you. As for the way of killing you and whether it is contrary to honor, it is just the way the chef serves the dish, which is harmless."
Thales frowned fiercely: "So, actually you know what kind of situation I will face from the beginning?"
Nicolai shrugged.
"As for seven-year-olds and children," Shless said with a solemn expression, "I think maybe you should realize it."
"Because of your reputation and performance, no one dares to treat you as an ordinary seven-year-old child, and more than that..."
"You are a symbol in Exeter. In the eyes of many people, you are called the 'Heir to the Stars'." The Marquis of Camas took a deep breath and looked at the floor tiles of the Palace of Heroes in ecstasy:
"It is far more important than your age, your quality, your reputation, or even yourself."
"No one cares if you're a kid."
Thales, who was in a complicated mood, twitched his face, and then couldn't help laughing.
damn it.
These politicians.
"Don't be like a wronged girl, little prince," Nicolai hugged his arms tightly and snorted coldly, "Courage and courage are the qualities that people in the North admire the most. If you can't even pass the first level...
"
"You know, not everyone is qualified to be His Majesty's ally."
Thales gritted his teeth.
"Hey," the second prince sneered, "This kind of review method for alliance qualifications is really rare."
"It's not that often, that's right," Nicolai shrugged, lowered his head and looked at the prince in the stars, his eyes flashing with strange colors: "Welcome to the Northland."
The three of them were silent for a few seconds.
"So, has Nunn found his enemy? The collaborator and framer of Lombard?" Thales tried his best to calm down.
"At the same time, he is also your enemy," Marquis Slys smiled softly: "Now that we have met for the first time and the first step of the trap has been completed, our follow-up plan is..."
"There is no follow-up."
Thales said calmly.
Shless and Nicolai were both startled.
Thales raised his head, the anger in his eyes turning into determination.
Never follow their rules.
otherwise……
Images of Serena Corleone and Charmaine Lombard flashed before his eyes.
...I don’t even know when it was sold.
"Nunn's plan ends here," Thales heard himself saying word by word with suppressed emotion: "I am not that old man's doll to be manipulated by him."
Shless showed an ugly smile.
"What do you mean?" The temperature in Nicolai's eyes gradually cooled.
"Listen, if Nunn wants my help, then he'd better respect my wishes and his life!" Thales said decisively, confronting Nicolai's fierce eyes without flinching: "The next thing
, you do as I say."
The leader of the White Blade Guards closed his mouth and exhaled a thick breath from his nose.
"Now is not the time for you to lose your temper, little prince." Nicolai stared at Thales with narrowed eyes, a chill in his eyes, and said in a horrifying tone: "Don't forget that you are in Exeter, in Longxiao City.
, far away from your kingly father, and all your attendants are not with you."
"And the Palace of Heroes is very dangerous, and many supernatural stories that cost lives have happened here." Nicolai's eyes were burning.
"I can't help it. After all, I'm only seven years old." Thales ignored it and decided to take the initiative in his own hands: "You know, if I accidentally die here, then you..."
Nicolai interrupted him coldly: "We have countless ways to deal with disobedient children without endangering their lives."
"And don't forget," Nicolai tilted his head, revealing the unique-shaped hilt of the knife on his back, and threatened without concealment: "I am very good at dealing with people named Canxing, especially those with the title of 'Second Prince'
title person."
Thales gritted his teeth secretly.
"You killed the Light-Retracing Sword on the battlefield eleven years ago, are you so complacent?" In Slais's eyes, the time traveler replied rudely: "I have seen the battlefield and know that battle...
He fell down with eleven wounds, and you were just one of the hundreds of besiegers who happened to stab him with the last knife."
"Compared to forcing a seven-year-old to commit suicide, your glorious record is no better."
Nicolai looked at him silently, slowly lowered his arms, and the expression on his face slowly changed from threat to murderous intent.
"Okay, okay," Marquis Slys quickly walked between the two of them and smoothed things over with a smile: "As an alliance, we should not break the contract before the goal is achieved... This is not a good way to make a deal."
"Maybe King Nun should find another ally," Thales replied coldly: "One who can sacrifice his life for him at any time."
"This is not a star where you can give orders, little Imperial brat," Nicolai sarcastically said, "You'd better figure this out."
"You must do what we say carefully..."
"How about this!" The second prince interrupted Nicolai.
In front of Nicolai's frightening expression, Thales laughed and his expression turned cold instantly: "I'll go find the five Grand Dukes and have a heart-to-heart talk with them."
Shless frowned.
"For example: King Nunn is looking for the murderer behind his son's death, and you are all on his suspicion list..."
The expressions of Nikolai and Slash slowly changed.
In front of Nikolai's murderous gaze and Slice's frown, Thales threatened lightly:
"And in the end, no matter who he identified, Nunn would rip off the person's skin."
"What will happen next? By the way, the murderer is even more vigilant, and Nunn's revenge fails - unless he wants to kill five archdukes at the same time."
"The next day, the murderer will go back to his own territory and continue to live freely, and the hatred will only deepen."
"Then, for ten or eight years, wait until Nunn dies, wait for the King Selection, wait for the new King of the Commons to be crowned..."
Thales narrowed his eyes: "I wish the Walton family good luck - I look forward to representing the stars in the future, establishing good diplomatic relations with the new king, and supporting him and the Grand Dukes in handling Exeter's internal affairs."
"For example, granting Longxiao City, which has no heirs, to another ruling family?"
The expressions on Nicolai and Slash's faces became increasingly ugly.
"So, it's best to respect the future supreme king of the stars, the Northlanders." Thales snorted coldly: "Use your words... carefully and do what I say..."
"Also, don't call me an Imperial. Every time you remind me, it makes me feel like I'm not in Exeter." Thales looked at ease. He raised his right index finger politely and tapped it in the air, leaving
A sentence that made the leader of the White Blade Guard turn blue:
"But in the great empire..."
"Northland Province."
Prince Xingchen ignored the two people with wonderful expressions and turned to leave.
————
"What are you looking at?"
On the streets of Kai District, Miranda turned to ask Cohen.
"Nothing," Cohen muttered as he looked away from the alley, "I just saw a strange man in the alley with two swords on his waist..."
"Sword?" Miranda looked sternly: "Could it be our target? What does it look like?"
"He looks like... No, I didn't pay much attention just now," Cohen scratched his head and frowned: "I can't remember his face..."
Miranda sighed: "Be alert, Big Belt said, there are some new faces coming here recently."
Just like us.
The two of them turned a corner and came to the door of a cold butcher's shop.
"Uh... are you the boss here?" Cohen knocked on the big wooden window of the butcher shop and asked the busy Far Eastern man inside: "Mr. Gu...?"
The Far Eastern man who was chopping meat slowly raised his head.
With a medium build, flat eyebrows, straight hair and dark eyes, he is no different from the Far Eastern people in the stars - Cohen thought.
The Far Easterner glanced at the two of them, then lowered his head again and started cooking his meat.
Cohen was startled, then continued: "Hey..."
But the Far Easterner spoke directly, choking on his words.
"One silver coin for the city, two for the city, one for the upper three districts, and one for the nobles and officials." The owner of the butcher shop chopped a large bone on the chopping board, and said skillfully: "For those above the earl, two more."
, the Grand Duke, the King and even the temple, two gold coins jumped."
"What?" Cohen looked confused.
Miranda looked at Gu's chopping board thoughtfully.
"The price of information," Gu said in his special Northland accent without raising his head, "No bargaining."
"Huh?" Cohen frowned: "A silver coin?"
"If you cause trouble, you have to mediate." Gu ignored him and hung up a piece of cut meat on a hook, speaking without any delay: "It depends on who you provoke. Generally speaking, it costs nine silver coins.
One gold coin for Rivo, two for Urad, five merchants from Longyi Square, two soldiers, three nobles or officials, and above count, nothing can be done."
"If you offend the temple or the king..." Gu wiped his hands, raised his gray eyes and glanced at the two of them: "Get out of here quickly, don't bring any bad luck."
Cohen asked with confusion on his face: "Why does the businessman ask for five? Is it higher than the price charged by the nobles? You know..."
The next moment, Gu raised his right hand and stopped Cohen's words.
Then, the butcher shop owner calmly stretched out his left hand and spread it upward.
Cohen was stunned again.
But before Cohen could respond, Miranda reached out and took off the money bag from Cohen's waist.
"We would like to ask about what happened in this area recently. Two groups of swordsmen once fought here..." Under Cohen's resentful eyes, Miranda happily took out a Northland gold coin - engraved with the head of Nekaru.
Metal disc with dragon.
That's the money I exchanged for Kaslan - Cohen rolled his eyes.
Miranda calmly loosened her two fingers, and the gold coin fell into Gu's hand.
"It looks like they are generous out-of-town customers." Gu narrowed his eyes, raised the gold coin in his hand, flicked the edge of the coin, and whistled: "If it's just information... I can't find change."
"Tip more as a tip." Miranda's tone remained unchanged, her eyes sharp: "As long as it's worth the money."
tip?
Cohen stared at the gold coin, then looked at Miranda, with disbelief in his eyes:
Do you know how to count, my eldest lady?
Gu chuckled lightly, but the next words made both of them stunned at the same time: "No."
Miranda frowned: "What do you mean?"
"The information you are asking about is about swordsmen fighting. I have never heard of it." Gu shook his head:
"For the sake of gold coins, you can change the question."
Miranda turned her head and thought deeply.
"Are there any new or strange swordsmen around there?" Cohen thought of what he had just seen and muttered: "By the way, I seem to have seen a swordsman with two swords..."
Gu's eyes narrowed.
Two swords.
Strange swordsman.
He sighed slightly in his heart.
Could it be you?
"No," Gu calmly put away the gold coins, lowered his head and continued busy with what he was doing: "Okay, the limit is used up, you can leave."
Both of them were stunned.
The security officer and the eldest lady looked at each other inexplicably.
Miranda's eyes were full of anger, and Cohen spread his hands.
Equivalent exchange... This principle does not work everywhere.
"You-" Miranda was about to speak out, but was interrupted by Cohen.
The blond security officer exhaled and laughed.
The next second, Cohen punched the window frame hard.
"Boom!"
Gu raised his head and looked at him with an unkind expression.
"I know that in many tense places, such as battlefields, whether it is a bar or a shop, there are rules." Cohen curled his lips, looked at the indifferent Gu, and said sincerely: "It's called 'Lesson 1'
',Right?"
Gu didn't speak, just looked at him quietly.
"Newcomers and outsiders will be fooled the first time, lose some money, and learn a lesson." Cohen tapped the window frame lightly.
"At the same time, we also want to test the newcomers' background. If they are strong, those who are tough in the background will come to regain the ground and shake hands to make peace; if they are weak," Cohen closed his eyes and nodded: "If you suffer a boring loss, they will be more polite next time.
.”
Cohen tilted his head, leaned against the window, and smiled.
He imitated the caring attitude just now and whistled:
"So, as a boss, you generally need to have a good eye."
"Don't find the wrong person."
Miranda looked at Cohen's veteran look and smiled silently in her heart.
This idiot.
I also learned a lot on the Western Front.
"Oh," Gu narrowed his eyes and raised the corners of his mouth: "So, are you stronger in terms of strength, or are you a tough one behind the scenes?"
"Maybe both?" Cohen exhaled helplessly and showed the sword on his waist: "Since you have already collected the money..."
Gu Qing sneered and shook his head: "I have already given you the answer."
"That's not an answer we're satisfied with, it's perfunctory." Miranda said coldly, "We don't want to be tough."
Gu raised his eyebrows.
It can be seen from their actions that both of them are ruthless characters.
The man is probably a warrior, good at frontal assault and battlefield techniques, the woman...
Strange, can't see it.
The guys along the street are not blind - thieves, beggars, and liars. You should not dare to touch them.
However……
"Again, we are looking for a group of strange swordsmen, high and low," Cohen said with a smile: "It is related to the arms black market, and they are ruthless. Compared to ordinary swordsmen... they may be slightly stronger."
Gu took a breath and sighed softly.
A group of strange swordsmen?
Really.
I almost thought I was here to find you.
Black sword.
The next moment, in the eyes of Miranda and Cohen, the Far Easterners smiled helplessly.
"Urad is more familiar with black market transactions than me, but the group of people you are looking for..."
"Okay," Gu smiled and calmly picked up the boning knife on the chopping board: "Here..."
"There are indeed a few strange people...with bad tempers, and don't approach strangers..."
"The kind that holds a sword and uses the power of termination..."