Everyone else stared blankly at the terrifying black hole on Raphael's arm, and listened blankly to the Black Prophet's voice ringing in their ears, unable to react at all.
Thales' thoughts stopped at the brand mark on Raphael's hand and the unknown thing underneath it. The little slippery man grabbed his arm tightly, trembling slightly, not daring to look at the black hole.
One glance.
Huaiya stood in front of Thales with an ugly expression on his face, and unconsciously held down the single-edged sword at his waist. Rolf's expression was hidden under half of his mask, but his constantly twitching brows said everything.
Cohen opened his eyes wide and looked at the strange appearance of his old friend in shock, while Miranda stared at Raphael's arm, breathing disorderly.
"Communication category: Flying Squirrel," Raphael seemed very weak. He straightened up with a pale face, and while using his eyes to signal others to be calm, he said something that others could not understand about the strange black hole on his arm:
"The white gloves are stained with blood, and the double-edged spear has been broken."
Thales frowned slightly: Is this a password?
After Raphael finished speaking, the cell suddenly fell silent.
Suddenly, the sharp teeth around the black hole suddenly started to squirm.
Almost everyone's breath tightened, and Huaiya was so nervous that he even unsheathed his sword.
The next moment, that ethereal but clear voice came from Raphael's arm again as the black hole moved:
"Who is there?" Black Prophet's voice was cold and authentic.
Raphael raised his head.
"The second prince, his entourage," Raphael's red eyes swept over the prince and the people behind him, and then over to Cohen and Miranda with complicated eyes: "And the two people I mentioned before."
The black hole became quiet again.
"Your Highness," Raphael's breathing calmed down, and the weakness when he opened the black hole from his arm seemed to have gradually disappeared: "requests to know the 'Dragon's Blood'."
Thales endured the nausea at the disgusting, sharp-toothed black hole—his tolerance for nausea has greatly increased since he met the Blood Magician—the prince took a breath and frowned.
He raised his eyebrows and asked:
"What exactly is this?"
Nothing could be seen inside the black hole, only a bottomless darkness, but Thales knew that it was definitely not Raphael's arms or flesh and blood.
Under the dim light, the prince looked at the black hole in disbelief and asked everyone's doubts: "Is that... Morat's voice?"
Raphael looked at him deeply and said nothing.
What answered him was the black hole that started to squirm again.
"Your Highness Thales," a hoarse voice came, but the person he was talking to was changed: "Do you know who I am?"
All eyes turned to the second prince.
Raphael nodded to him and pointed the black hole on his arm at Thales.
Thales did not look at the black hole, but closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
He dismissed any distracting thoughts from his mind and forgot about the unpleasant encounter in Mindis Hall.
"Of course, Lord Hansen," Thales opened his eyes and said calmly to the black hole, "I am very impressed, I dare not or forget it."
Others looked at this scene with different expressions.
The black hole squirmed again, and Morat's hoarse and old sneer came from inside.
"Don't be nervous, Your Highness, I'm not by your side," the Black Prophet's voice was like a poisonous snake's message, which made people feel uneasy: "Of course, you can also pretend that I am by your side - if this makes you feel at ease.
"
Thales showed an awkward and ugly smile.
Although he didn't know if the Black Prophet could see it.
"So, what do you want to know?" Black Prophet said slowly.
"Fifteen minutes," Raphael reminded silently, "don't forget their next inspection."
What do I want to know? - Thales clenched his fist slightly, his brain started working quickly, and scenes flashed before his eyes.
"Everything," he raised his head and said without hesitation: "About this operation of Lumba, about the death of King Nun - I want to know everything that the secret department has."
There was laughter coming from the black hole.
Cohen and Miranda looked at each other with very uncomfortable expressions.
"Okay," finally, the Black Prophet's voice became brighter, although it was still unpleasant: "Where should I start?"
Thales didn't speak, he was waiting for Morat.
"Well, there is a good time," the black prophet on the other end said softly: "The Year of Blood."
Hearing that term again, Thales felt his heart start beating again.
Miranda and Raphael both raised their heads and looked at each other silently, reading emotions that only each other could understand.
"During the most difficult time of the stars, a count from the Black Sand Territory brought Exeter's credentials, or declaration of war." The Black Prophet's voice was as hoarse and ugly as ever, but surprisingly calm: "That person
The earl has just become famous in the Northland - he followed the traditional and cruel ancient customs of the Northland, stepped over his brother's corpse, and seized the inheritance rights of the Grand Duke of Black Sand."
Thales felt Little Slippery's grip on his hand tighten slightly.
"When he told the entire court Nuln's request, when the war between the dragon and the stars was inevitable," Morat's words continued: "The late king detained the envoy of Exeter——
The identity of the heir to the Black Sand Territory must be very suitable to be used as a bargaining chip in the war."
Thales clenched his fists slightly. The story Lumba told in the carriage was cut off from the day he went on his mission to the stars. But what the prince did not expect was that he could actually hear the follow-up from the Black Prophet's mouth.
Just listen to the Black Prophet continue: "However, a wise His Highness, after combined with the investigation of the secret department, concluded that the purpose of Longxiao City is to use our hands to execute Charmaine Lombard - King Nun probably hates him for this.
A nephew who killed his brother."
Thales' eyebrows moved: Your wise highness?
"So, after a secret conversation, Charmaine Lombard was successfully 'escaped' under the 'rescue' of his subordinates," the Black Prophet let out a hoarse laugh, as if he enjoyed the memory: "His Royal Highness Midir told me
, he saw something unusual in the eyes of the young Earl of Lombard."
Midir Shining Star.
Thales extracted this name from his memories: the eldest son and crown prince of the late king, his uncle.
"Unusual?" Thales frowned slightly: "You mean Rumba's hatred for Nunn VII, Walton and Longxiao City?"
Morat's emotionless snort came from the black hole, which seemed to be mocking and sarcastic.
"Throughout the ages, every Grand Duke of Exeter has hated the person sitting on the joint throne. It may not be Walton or Lumba," the Black Prophet said hoarsely: "But why is it only Charmaine?
?I think His Highness Midir has his own reasons."
"A seed was buried like this and grew in the dark for twelve years," Morat seemed to be sighing: "Even though Midir can no longer see it."
Thales' nerves became tense.
"Wait a minute, the connection between the secret department and Lomba started twelve years ago?" The second prince raised his head in surprise: "Then why didn't you stop his plot to assassinate Morar and prevent the war between the two countries?
Crisis? And Broken Dragon Fortress..."
His response was interrupted by the Black Prophet.
"Contact? You misunderstood," the hoarse voice in the black hole hummed: "Rumba has always been independent and free, and the secret department neither bribed nor controlled him: that is the most efficient method."
"This is a tacit understanding."
"We did not interact with each other for twelve years and turned a blind eye to each other."
"But when the time comes, we will open our eyes together from dormancy and see each other in the boundless darkness."
The Black Prophet's words became colder and colder. At that moment, Thales even felt that there was a ferocious beast hunting at the other end of the black hole.
No, it's a venomous snake.
In the dark cell, Thales stared blankly at the black hole in Raphael's hand without saying a word.
Opposite him, Cohen let out a long sigh, with a look of hesitation on his face.
"Damn conspiracy." The security officer muttered in a low voice.
No one paid attention to him, everyone was listening to the words of the Black Prophet:
"Since your highness's identity was established, especially after you were assassinated under Broken Dragon Fortress..."
"Lumba and Perfitt's conspiracy to break Walton's throne monopoly has been exposed," Morat from the other end of the black hole laughed coldly:
"The secret science knows: the time has come."
Thales bit his lower lip lightly and exhaled: "Since then, have you known that Perfitt did it? Do you also know about Lomba's plan?"
The Black Prophet sneered but did not answer.
It was Raphael who answered him.
"No, we don't care about the truth and details." The young man from the secret department held his right arm and looked at the hideous black hole on his arm quietly. "What we care about is very simple and pure, and that is 'Ek
It's an ironclad fact.
"Yes, we are not only cooperating with Lumba," Raphael lowered his head and whispered with an unclear expression: "We also provided him with the only help, which is also the most critical part of his plan."
Miranda looked at him steadily, with an unpredictable expression on her face.
Thales closed his eyes, swallowed, and then spat out the word with difficulty: "Disaster."
Raphael nodded.
"Not long before Your Highness went on your mission," Raphael raised his head, all the emotions on his face disappeared: "A long-established gangster related to magicians suffered a disastrous defeat in the royal capital where almost the entire army was annihilated.
"
"Because of this tragic defeat, the Blood Scourge, which had disappeared for many years, was forced to reappear."
The Black Prophet's laughter came again.
"Perfect time, perfect chess pieces," Morat sighed meaningfully, as if admiring a work of art: "And the perfect executioner - for Charmaine Lombard, there is nothing more
Good 'help'."
Thales felt a chill in his heart.
The Black Prophet's laughter came again.
"We forged some little news," the master of the secret department said with interest from the other side of the black hole: "We threw out a half-truth and half-false bait, which is enough to lure the blood magic master northward."
"Ramon, I remember that he is the person the Blood Bottle Gang is chasing," Thales came back to his senses and suddenly realized: "So, he didn't enter my team by accident, right?"
Raphael gave him an almost non-existent smile.
"In this way, the Blood Magician was introduced to Longxiao City by us," Black Prophet said calmly: "This chess piece has completed the layout and is only waiting for qualified people to activate it."
The little slipper let out a whimper of fear - Thales knew what she was remembering.
Qualified persons...initiate...
Thales recalled the scene when the black sword rushed towards the blood magician without hesitation.
but.
"Introducing Longxiao City...starting it?" Thales muttered to himself.
Thales clenched his fists.
Before his eyes flashed the scene of countless people in the shield area struggling, wailing, and crying, and then died of suffocation or being trapped in the tentacles.
He thought of his desperate escape with Little Slicker.
In every corner they ran behind, there were countless dead bodies.
"Chess piece?" Thales gritted his teeth and raised his head.
"You treat that...disaster as a chess piece?" The second prince suppressed the unhappiness in his heart: "What gives you such confidence that you can control the legendary disasters and those that destroy the world?
strength?"
Raphael turned his head and glanced at him.
"confidence?"
Raphael snorted coldly:
"In all recorded history, no matter how powerful the power, no matter how terrifying the existence, even those monsters that can shatter the continent in a single thought, they are just a momentary noise, a fleeting cloud of smoke."
"No one has ever been able to conquer everything with strength," Raphael raised his hand and nodded his head: "So you don't have to be superstitious about strength."
"This is the confidence of the secret science."
"In front of a truly strong man, even disaster is just a pawn."
Thales was shocked.
The real strong man...
"This sentence," Thales raised his head, his eyes full of suspicion: "Who told you?"
Raphael's eyelids twitched and he stared at Thales.
But the young man still said silently: "My teacher."
Thales's heart moved.
"Go on," Miranda spoke. Her cold voice stood out in the cell: "How are you going to make use of it, that disaster?"
The Black Prophet let out a low, hoarse laugh again.
"Last night, we launched the Blood Disaster as planned," Raphael took over the Black Prophet's words at this time: "King Nun soon learned the news - there was a legendary man in his city.
Monsters are wreaking havoc."
"This is all our work," Raphael looked around at the people around him, and his tone returned to his previous indifference: "Just to achieve two goals."
"First, distract and mobilize two powerful legendary anti-demon weapons." He said coldly.
Cohen frowned slightly: "Away? Away from disaster?"
Raphael looked at his old friend and showed a mysterious smile.
"No," the young man from the secret department said softly: "Lead away from King Nun."
Thales was shocked. He remembered the man with the gun and Nicolai when the black sword led him into the battlefield.
They are all, they are all deliberately led away...
"The soul-slaying gun that can kill someone with one blow, and the soul-severing blade that can establish an absolute barrier," Raphael explained softly: "They will both be great obstacles for assassins to solve Nunn."
"Where's the second target?" Miranda said coldly.
Raphael turned around and looked at the female swordsman beside him.
This time, there was something inexplicable in his eyes.
"Second, use the same disaster to completely separate Nunn from the heavy protection of the army and guards." He looked into Miranda's eyes and continued.
"The more enemies there are, the stronger the Blood Magician is - in order to deal with it, you must give up your numerical advantage." Raphael moved his eyes away from Miranda, and his eyes slowly focused: "Sure enough, Nunn
As we expected, the king, without waiting for us to remind him, ordered the city to be under martial law, to evacuate the people, to mobilize patrols, and to strictly prohibit the recruitment of militiamen."
The Black Prophet sighed quietly on the other side of the black hole, and Thales could hear it: it was a sincere sigh.
"In the past thirty years of rule, King Nunn has never been as vulnerable as last night, far away from the protection of the army and armed forces," Raphael said softly: "The rest of the matter can be left to Lombard."
His voice fell.
Silence returned to the cell.
Until Cohen couldn't bear it any longer, he spoke in disbelief.
"Is this, the truth about the disaster that befell Longxiao City?" The vigilance officer gritted his teeth, thinking of the cheerful big belt, and said bitterly: "So many people died? Paying such a high price... just for...
"
Raphael interrupted him.
"Of course we can't go to great lengths to bring disaster to Longxiao City just to make it cause some trouble." The young man from the secret department snorted coldly: "Our goal has been clear from the beginning - Nuen.
die."
Cohen lowered his head, clenched his fists, and his expression was indistinguishable.
The words of the Black Prophet appeared again at this time:
"With the help of a Grand Duke of Exeter, we overthrew the throne of all kings."
"For the first time in history, a Northern Duke killed the reigning king."
"Never before has Nikaru's oath of co-governance been so seriously violated."
Thales felt the little slipper behind him shrink slightly, whether it was fear or pain.
"Exter will fall into endless chaos from now on."
"The mighty dragon's blood spilled in the north, and it was dying. The dragon's wings in the sky fell to the ground and could no longer rise." Morat sighed softly, as if recalling those turbulent years in the past:
"This is the top-secret plan that the secret department has been preparing for the past twelve years since the idea of His Highness Midir in the Year of Blood."