"Ha! You underestimate the character of the Northlanders, Imperial people," Archduke Olesiu shook his head and sneered: "You don't even understand Nunn, when he was young..."
But Thales heard the emotion in his words.
It is no longer as unequivocal as it was before.
It is a kind of self-persuasion that "No, he has always been loyal" when a wife first learns that her husband is having an affair.
"Are you so confident in your Majesty's personality?" The second prince raised his head, his eyes burning.
"Stop provoking, you don't understand Nunn," Olesiu turned his head, his tone seemed to be full of resentment: "Our relationship is closer than you think."
"I heard that when he was young, he might have been a good king, generous and righteous, and would even sacrifice his life to protect an unknown person," Thales said softly without caring: "He is from the North, but before that, King Nunn
First of all, a person will grow old."
Archduke Olesio looked at him steadily.
"This is what one of Nunn's most trusted people told me. I met him in his tavern," the time traveler said with a smile: "The famous former commander of the White Blade Guards, Kaslan Lumba——
I believe you know him better than I do, and I believe he knows your Majesty better than you do."
"The old man always wants to arrange things after his death... By the way, this is what the Duke of the North of Stars said. He was responsible for the part of Stars in the assassination of Prince Morar."
Taken out of context.
This is what is called.
Thales sighed silently.
Archduke Olesiu did not speak, but his face was expressionless.
"And you also saw his performance in the Hall of Heroes," Thales said with a dim look, "What do you expect a lonely old man who has lost his only son and the last hope of his family to do?"
silence.
Until Olesiu took a deep breath and then slowly exhaled.
"It's just your conjecture." The bearded Archduke said in a low voice: "Everything is based on the absurd inference that 'Nun is so sensible that he can endure the pain of losing his son.'"
Thales pursed his lips.
Olesiu's thinking is still very clear.
But Thales curled up his lips inwardly.
He breathed a real sigh of relief.
it's time.
He wanted to add one last weight to the conversation.
"If you want to wait until there is evidence," Thales sighed: "Just wait until we welcome 'King Charmaine'."
Archduke Olesiu's beard trembled slightly.
"Moreover, when we were in the stars, the Exeter envoy to our country, Baron Russell," Thales lowered his gaze, "we monitored some information in the post house."
Ole Xiu showed a puzzled expression: "That little pawn of Rumba?"
"It seems that Lomba was not the real mastermind behind the murder of King Nunn's son," Thales nodded and showed a mysterious smile: "There is another person who murdered Prince Morar."
It was a much longer silence than any previous one.
Thales stared motionlessly at the Archduke Olesiu in front of him.
Watch his expression change from confusion to shock, from shock to deep thought.
Could it be him?
Finally, Grand Duke Olesiu breathed a sigh of relief: "The news coming back from the stars is not..."
"The news coming from the stars is the news we want you to know!" Thales said calmly: "Identify Lumba from the Black Sand Territory as the mastermind behind the murder of Prince Morar, so that you can turn against each other and fight against each other.
Massacre."
"And we don't know for sure who the murderer is!"
"Don't forget, the only clue that can unravel the death of Prince Morar is the confrontation between several Star Lords in the palace - even whether it was the hand of Black Sand's leader cannot be confirmed."
Archduke Olesiu's pupils gradually narrowed.
Obviously, this information was somewhat beyond his expectation.
"This is the 'Black Prophet' Morat, the method of the kingdom's secret department." Thales shook his head helplessly: "In other words, what you have always believed in is the so-called 'Walton and Lumba, Longxiao City and Black Sand'.
The enmity between the leaders may not exist at all... This means that if Lumba can convince King Nun, he was not involved in the death of Prince Morar..."
Olesiu stared at Thales in disbelief.
"Nun Walton and Charmaine Lombard," Thales shrugged and sighed: "They have no grudge over the loss of their son, so they can definitely form an alliance."
"On the contrary, Nunn will not trust you, because maybe the real murderer..."
Thales recalled a little boy in a blue suit and glasses in the animation of his previous life. He pretended to touch the bridge of his nose, then narrowed his eyes and pointed decisively at Olesiu!
"Among you!"
"The murderer also did something." Before Thales could finish speaking, he narrowed his eyes and threw out the next message: "And this is what King Nunn told me."
Archduke Olesiu's pupils slowly narrowed.
"He was also the one who framed Lomba under Broken Dragon Fortress and used the magic gun troops to try to murder me."
Archduke Olesio's breathing became heavier and heavier.
Thales didn't miss his every expression.
A few seconds later, Grand Duke Weiland lowered his head and chuckled:
"If all this is true," Olesiu said with sharp eyes, "then they may indeed form an alliance - but you are just talking nonsense and there is no evidence."
"Marquis Slys," Thales anticipated Alessio's reaction, and he did not panic: "The city envoy from Camas - I had a good chat with me along the way."
"From his sources, I learned that on the night when Nikolai arrived at the military camp in Lombard to welcome me... he released three messenger crows in the middle of the night."
"You might as well go and confirm with him... raising and selling letter crows is also one of Zenliu City's agent businesses."
"I'm just here to greet an envoy from an enemy country who is about to arrive... Why do you have to contact Longxiao City three times in the camp of the Black Sand Territory?"
Olesiu's face was already ice-cold.
Thales nodded heavily towards him: "At least one of them is trying to contact the other."
Grand Duke Olesiu pressed the hilt of his sword and said nothing.
"If Nunn is looking for allies who can successfully choose a king for the future survival of the Walton family, then neither I nor Ronnie from Qiyuan City are better choices than the Black Sand Territory." After silence,
The Grand Duke said calmly.
"Moreover, even if they secretly form an alliance, so what? Exeter is not a star, we choose our own king! Could Nunn still designate Lombard as his heir before he dies?" Olesiu asked resolutely.
road.
Will it feel like an imperial decree? - This sentence suddenly popped into Thales' mind for no reason.
This made him smile.
"No!" Thales interrupted him decisively: "Black Sand Territory, Charmaine Lombard, has the greatest advantage in becoming the next king."
Olesio said nothing, he was waiting for the foreign prince's answer.
"Your Majesty the Grand Duke, do you think that after something like Prince Morar happened, and there were old grudges like the Fortress Peace Treaty, why didn't a war break out between our two countries?" Thales asked calmly.
Olesiu's eyes moved slightly.
"You," the Grand Duke's eyes slowly changed as he looked at Thales: "You were sent to Exeter."
"Your father's oath to the throne, with your safety, ensures that the war will either not break out, or it will break out into a full-scale war that requires all the strength of Exeter to win. The price is heavy, and no Grand Duke can face it alone."
war."
"In order to contain the Black Sand Territory, King Nun must stand on the same side as you, Bright Star, to prevent the war..."
Olesiu's face became more and more ugly.
Thales finally smiled:
"Yes, these two factors are the main reasons that prevent the war from breaking out from Exeter's side. Once they all disappear..."
"Once King Nun is no longer afraid of the cost of all-out war, he will no longer hesitate to mobilize all the grand dukes in the country in the name of a common king, eliminating the worries of each grand duke 'confronting the enemy alone'."
"Once King Nun no longer has the need to curb the expansion of the Black Sand Territory, he will even need to help them expand to ensure that the other party gets the bargaining chip to choose the king..."
"Lumba of the Black Sand Territory will undoubtedly become the biggest beneficiary of the war... approaching the northern border of the stars, and with the overt and covert support of Nunn..."
Olesiu raised his head and stared at the ceiling, Thales couldn't see his expression clearly.
"Now you know why King Nun asked you about the war and tested your attitude towards killing me, right?" Thales lowered his eyebrows.
The noise of the party continued to ring in my ears.
Archduke Olesiu lowered his head.
The second prince chuckled:
"I wonder if you are ready," Thales raised his eyebrows and spread his hands: "What is the honorific title for 'His Majesty King Charman'?"
"So," Rebien Olesiu looked directly at Thales, but this time, his eyes lost the previous disgust and hatred, and became particularly serious:
"You came to me...even if their alliance is just your suspicion."
Thales nodded painfully and sighed heavily:
"Yes, maybe Lumba is still trying to contact King Nunn," he moved his neck and rubbed his hands in annoyance, "Maybe they haven't come together yet. Even if they do form an alliance, you still have room for relaxation."
"Nun is suspicious that you are the murderer of Morar, and Lomba may become the king - these are your losses, Grand Duke Olesiu..."
"But these consequences won't show up so quickly, so you don't have to worry."
"But I'm different." Thales raised his head and looked at Olesiu seriously.
"Once things turn into what I imagined... Longxiao City and the Black Sand Territory will kidnap the entire Exeter and start a war," the second prince said the following in a calm tone with a hint of anxiety.
if:
"Then when I am still on a mission in Exeter, I will be the first to suffer - I will face the judgment of fate earlier than any of you."
"That's why I came to you."
"For my life," Thales looked at the stiff-faced Archduke Alessio, gritted his teeth and said, "and your future!"
The two fell into silence again.
The noise and the crackling of the brazier came alternately.
"Why come to me?" Olesiu croaked, "and not someone else? Ronny Perfitt? Maybe they are more reliable?"
Thales stared at him and nodded slightly: "Only you and Trudida's territory is bordered by the stars and close to the Black Sand Territory... You cannot turn a blind eye to the affairs of the Black Sand Territory and the Stars."
"And Trudida? I don't believe in his treachery."
The prince of the stars said softly: "In all the great kilometers, you, Rebien Alessio of Welland, are the most likely to stand with me."
Olesiu took a deep breath and looked out the window.
next moment.
"This is what we have said," Archduke Olesiu turned to him sharply, his eyes sharp:
"If you have any other plans, let's tell them together."
Thales snapped his fingers in his heart.
He smiled openly: "We are still in the palace of King Nun, and there are not many opportunities to meet and communicate."
"After you have confirmed the details I said, if you think what I said makes sense and think it is necessary to take some precautions," Thales said lightly: "I bribed Marquis Slys with a promise.
He will provide me with information that tonight’s banquet will last until tomorrow morning or even noon.”
Archduke Olesio nodded.
"At four o'clock in the morning, the gates of the palace and Longxiao City will open. At that time, the first wave of guests will leave. The guards are as tired as they are. You should avoid their eyes and ears and leave the banquet hall.
," Thales said cautiously:
"Come to me in the chamber - I'll leave midway and find a reason to rest there."
"There... we finalize a plan - a plan that can not only save my life, but also bankrupt the alliance between Nunn and Lumba."
Olesiu looked at him steadily.
"I will consider it." The bearded Grand Duke had a complicated expression: "But you know, I'm just thinking about it."
"Of course," Thales raised his eyebrows: "Come or not, it's up to you."
The Grand Duke fell silent.
Just when Thales was feeling uneasy, Olesiu suddenly chuckled.
"Kid, maybe you are really a rare smart person," the Grand Duke shook his head: "But I still don't like you."
"It doesn't matter," Thales reacted quickly and said with a smile: "Anyway, we - Canxing and Olesiu are feuding."
Olesiu glanced at him for the last time, his eyes complex and subtle.
The Grand Duke turned and left.
Huaiya came to Thales.
Thales watched Olesiu's back disappear around the corner and exhaled sharply.
He was relaxed and slumped down, and was gently supported by Huaiya.
"Your Highness," the attendant said softly, "How is it?"
"He saw through my relationship with Nunn from the beginning," Thales said with lingering fear, feeling the cold sweat all over his body, "Fortunately, I improvised..."
He raised his head and looked at Huaiya:
"What did Rolf say?"
Huaiya hesitated and made a few gestures that he didn't understand.
"Very good, so to speak, Marquis Slice has tripped up the third Grand Duke," Thales wiped the sweat from the back of his head and shook his head: "Give him a gesture like this..."
"Let Putilai pass the note out. The next target is about to begin... I hope Shless's acting skills are good enough and Olesio won't be suspicious."
A few minutes later, Thales stood in another corridor after tidying up.
He thought about the character of the next person.
Then I made up my mind.
There were footsteps behind me.
The next moment, Thales took a deep breath and turned around.
Accompanied by Huaiya, he showed his brightest smile to the people walking in the distance:
"Your Excellency the Grand Duke!"
"You know……"
"Who will be the next co-election king of Exeter?"
The next second, the suspicious-looking Grand Duke of the Reconstruction Tower, Perseus Trudida with a shaved pot head, stood in front of Thales and frowned.
——————
Three fifty in the morning.
Palace of Heroes, Meeting Hall.
Thales was sitting at the long table where King Nunn was sitting in the hall yesterday. He looked at the empty stone hall and felt a little confused.
There was only one thing that could override his fear of darkness and loneliness.
That is the anxiety and panic about the unknown.
Only a few braziers behind him continued to crackle and burn regardless of the situation.
He put his hands on the long table and sighed.
Who will come?
His conversation with the five princes finally ended in fear.
Olesiu from Weyland was the first one, which made him particularly nervous, took a long time, and almost failed because his relationship with Nunn was revealed.
Trudida of the Rebuilding Tower seemed cunning and suspicious, but their conversation was faster than the former. Trudida quickly realized what he meant, and revealed deep suspicion in his eyes - not sure whether he was right or wrong.
Nunn still treated him.
These two Southern Grand Dukes are not the most difficult.
Grand Duke Lecco of the northern garrison city was the third person, but this old bald man was the most difficult to deal with. A glimmer of shrewdness occasionally flashed through his seemingly old and dull eyes, but he sneered at his words until the end: "You must be
"Are you joking" - Thales accompanied the smiling face and spent a full twenty minutes to complete their conversation.
The conversation with Grand Duke Roni of Qiyuan City in the West ended the fastest. The long-haired Grand Duke was taciturn and nodded and shook his head more often than he breathed. This made Thales always doubtful about the effect of the conversation. Looking at his appearance
, Thales suspected that no matter who was the king, he didn't care at all.
Finally, the young Grand Duke of Fengzhao City, the brown-haired young man Conkley Perfitt, was the friendliest one. He was also the most shocked by what Thales said. He was still in a daze and disbelief until he left.
Seemingly, Thales had to comfort him: it hasn't happened yet.
It's just... Thales squeezed the pocket watch that Putilai had handed him before. The cold metal touch made his heart tighten:
Who could it be?
Who...will it be?
Who is the mastermind who hired the Sword of Disaster to murder Moral first and himself second?
Or...no one shows up at all?
If I really can't find the murderer... Thales smiled bitterly:
I hope King Nun will burp tonight.
At this moment.
“Kudeng…Kudeng…”
The sound of footsteps came from outside the stone hall.
Thales was shocked!
He sat up straight.
It was a heavy and rhythmic sound of footsteps.
Step by step, he walked over the stone bricks.
As footsteps slowly approached.
A figure is projected into the stone hall.
It seems that this person is particularly tall
The visitor finally entered the meeting hall.
Under the illumination of the brazier, Thales could clearly see the visitor's shawl-length hair and his unusually serious expression.
There is a pattern from a classic book embroidered on his robe.
The second prince was stunned.
This was his most unexpected choice.
The brazier is still burning brightly.
The man stopped in front of him.
"I'm here." He said calmly.
Thales jumped off the chair and frowned.
He still remembered that in this stone hall, this serious man refused the order given by King Nun to duel with the Prince of Stars and kill him.
The reason is "it is simply a stain on my honor."
And now, he was standing in front of him.
"Hello," the second prince of Xingchen paused for a moment, looked at this slim-faced man with a tall figure, and sighed in disappointment: