Just as Thales and the others were escaping from the city gate, in the Palace of Heroes, in front of the Hall of Heroes, a tense confrontation that had rarely been seen since the founding of Exeter was taking place.
In the flickering light of the fire, the guards of the four grand dukes and the entourage of a few special nobles - other nobles at the dinner were not allowed to bring their entourage - stood together with the remaining White Blade Guards and the palace guards, using the north
With the unique tacit understanding of the local people, they stood in formation, bows and crossbows were cocked, swords were unsheathed, and they stood in front of the Hall of Heroes with ugly expressions, guarding the nobles in this oval stone hall.
Opposite them were strange soldiers with a superior number but unknown identities, firmly guarding the corners and corridors.
Their men were all dressed in the uniforms and equipment of the patrol, and they were densely packed, almost filling every doorway outside the hall. As these soldiers stepped on the historic floor tiles, many of them couldn't help but feel a sense of wonder and awe.
He looked at the surrounding decorations with his eyes, as if it was his first time here, and he was still a little uncomfortable with this palace, which was of great significance to the North.
What's even more strange is that the leader of this group of uninvited guests is actually a female swordsman with short hair. Her eyes are calm and fearless, and the fingers of her right hand are constantly flicking on the hilt of the sword.
Under the illumination of the brazier, Grand Duke Ronnie of Qiyuan City walked out of the dim Hall of Heroes with a cold and sullen look on his face. The guards and entourage on both sides made way for him, but the vigilance on their hands never stopped.
Not let go.
The long-haired Grand Duke of Qiyuan City waved away an entourage who wanted to put a cloak on him, and looked coldly at the uninvited guests in front of him, his eyes turning on their swords.
"Show up, there's no need to hide anymore."
Grand Duke Kulikun Roni retracted his sharp gaze and said coldly: "Three floors of stone steps apart, we can smell the disgusting smell that belongs to your territory alone - although we both belong to the Northland, your soldiers are particularly special.
different."
The "patrol" soldiers in the first row exchanged a few glances, but they seemed to be well-educated and remained silent. They just stared coldly at the guards and guardsmen defending the Hall of Heroes.
"Where is the Fire Knight?" Grand Duke Ronnie snorted coldly, without even looking at the leading female leader: "No matter what you are going to do - whether it is besieging the Palace of Heroes or murdering the Grand Duke, you will not let a weak woman
Will you lead the troops?"
The short-haired female swordsman's face turned cold.
Her right hand no longer moved, but clenched the hilt of the sword, taking a provocative step forward.
"Be careful, Your Majesty the Grand Duke," she said in an unkind tone, her eyes full of contempt and contempt: "Your life is in the hands of this weak woman."
"Little girl," Grand Duke Ronny shook his head disdainfully: "Go home and weave. The sword is very heavy."
Sonorous!
The female swordsman's weapon suddenly unsheathed.
Like a flock of birds frightened by the bowstring, the guards around the Grand Duke, whether they were White Blade Guards, Palace Guards, or followers from Qiyuan City, all swarmed nervously!
But they suddenly stopped: Archduke Ronnie raised his right palm and stopped them firmly by his side.
The female swordsman looked at Grand Duke Qiyuancheng with a frosty face, her sword edge stopped in front of Grand Duke Roni's throat.
The Grand Duke remained motionless from his eyes to his body, he just looked at her without flinching, as if what was being pressed to his throat was not a sword.
"It doesn't matter," Ronnie said coldly: "Let's see if our little cutie is really capable of holding a sword."
A cold light flashed in his eyes: "And the courage to kill - to kill an archduke."
The female swordsman's eyes turned cold, and the sword tip moved forward without hesitation, touching the skin.
Ronnie's pupils shrank.
His neck felt cold and blood was already flowing from it.
Behind the Grand Duke, the breathing sounds of the entourage could be heard clearly.
But Ronnie's resolute face remained expressionless.
At this moment, a deep and deep male voice came from the "patrol team".
"Be polite, Croache," a middle-aged nobleman in military uniform with a weathered face and steady steps slowly walked out of the crowd: "We are not here to fight."
Behind him were two nobles, one wearing plate armor with a stern face, the other tall and thin with sharp eyes.
The female swordsman—Cloë Xi sneered slightly, then stepped back and put back her sword.
Ronny slowly lowered his head, stretched out his hand and wiped it on his neck, looking at the blood on his hand with a subtle expression.
The soldiers of the "patrol" made way for the newcomers.
"Don't be so nervous, everyone," the tall and thin young nobleman smiled and bowed politely to the guards: "We are not enemies, and we should not fight each other with swords."
Ronnie put down his hand, his eyes turned to the three newcomers, and he hummed without any shame.
"Sure enough, surprises are never late," Archduke Ronnie's face became colder and colder as he stared at the middle-aged noble:
"Charmaine Lombard."
His followers all frowned.
The Grand Duke of Lombard nodded imperceptibly.
The eyes of the two Grand Dukes met in the air, one was as cold as ice, the other was as calm as ice.
The next second, Ronnie's eyes moved back to the female swordsman.
"Hey, Chloe, is that right?" Archduke Ronny changed his words, his eyebrows raised in an interesting way, and a different look appeared in his eyes: "Your sword is very stable."
He looked at Croash's long sword, felt the pain on his neck, and nodded approvingly: "Very talented."
But Croache just stared at him coldly and said nothing.
Grand Duke Ronny's eyes moved.
"It's been a year since my wife passed away."
"Both the Ronny family and Qiyuan City are in need of a grand duchess," Grand Duke Ronny showed an unrestrained gaze, looking at Croash from head to toe, and then said seriously: "Are you interested?"
Lumba looked at their interaction and frowned slightly.
Chloe also narrowed her eyes.
"Find an obedient female worker who can only weave, Your Majesty the Grand Duke," she put her long sword back into its scabbard, her words cold and fierce: "Save me on the wedding night..."
Kroesh glanced at the Archduke's crotch without concealment: "Cut off your two balls."
Grand Duke Ronnie laughed boldly, but his eyes towards Croache became more and more subtle.
"Blatantly poaching my subordinates," the Grand Duke of Lombard said calmly, "I'm afraid it's inappropriate, right?"
Grand Duke Ronnie turned to Lombard, and the original smile on his resolute face became devoid of warmth at all: "It won't hurt to ask."
Lumba raised his eyebrows.
The tall nobleman beside him, Viscount Cambida, whispered something in the Grand Duke's ear.
"Why, if I don't take this blow," Grand Duke Ronny pulled his long hair to the back of his neck and said coldly, "Are you never ready to show up?"
"Of course not," Lumba's expression remained unchanged, "I just want to wait for everyone to gather."
At this moment, another voice intervened in the conversation under the sword.
"Don't bother," a smooth and sophisticated voice subtly appeared in the gap between the two people's conversation: "We are all waiting for your arrival."
Behind Archduke Ronnie walked out a man with a pot head - Grand Duke of Reconstruction Tower, Perseus Trudida of the Trudida family, with a playful smile, but his eyes were full of vigilance and coldness.
"When was the last time we met, Charmaine?" Trudida said with a smile, "Twelve years ago?"
Lumba looked at this neighbor of the Reconstruction Tower who was also in the south of Exeter and adjacent to the Black Sand Territory, with fear and deep thought in his eyes.
"Five years ago," he said calmly, "when Xingchen was at war with the orcs, we had an emergency meeting with the three archdukes in the south."
"Oh? Really," Trudida patted his pot head and said suddenly: "That's right. If there is no benefit, it will not appear. This is you."
He chuckled.
"He ignored the king's invitation, but when the king disappeared and Longxiao City was in chaos, he led thousands of people into the Palace of Heroes - the Grand Duke of Black Sand?" Grand Duke Trudida's protruding chin moved slightly.
, he looked at the soldiers around Lomba and asked thoughtfully.
"This is the reason why I came here to find you." Grand Duke Lombard said slowly: "We are facing an extraordinary situation, which is related to your vital interests."
Grand Duke Ronny tilted his head and sneered disdainfully.
"An extraordinary situation?" Another rich voice entered the conversation between the three people: "What do you mean?"
Rebien Alessio, who had a rough appearance and classical attire, also appeared at the entrance of the Hall of Heroes. The beard of the Grand Duke of Welland was extremely conspicuous and impressive.
At this moment, he looked at Lumba coldly, his eyes full of suspicion and warning.
Lumba's eyes swept over the three Grand Dukes one by one.
"The king died last night," Charmaine Lombard said calmly, as if he was telling an unsurprising little thing: "We need to talk about Exeter's future."
As soon as this statement came out, there was a lot of commotion on both the Black Sand Leader's side and the Heroic Spirit Palace side.
Viscount Cambida and Croache suppressed their subordinates dissatisfied.
But Lumba's eyebrows furrowed secretly.
Because he clearly saw that the three princes in front of him were still as calm and calm as before.
It's like I already knew everything.
Um.
It seems more difficult than imagined.
Lumba said to himself.
But so what?
But there is another hurdle to overcome.
But another Nun.
"oh?"
Finally, an old voice sounded from behind the three Grand Dukes. The oldest Grand Duke of the Guard City, the bald Rogers Lecco, coughed and walked out slowly: "That's really unfortunate."
"I think, regarding the death of the king," the old Grand Duke sighed: "You, Charmaine, who suddenly appeared here, have some important news to tell us?"
"As you said, Rogers," Grand Duke Heisha said solemnly, "I'm here to tell you something."
Grand Duke Lecco laughed, looked at the floor tiles of the Palace of Heroes, and said playfully: "Then we might as well... talk in the Hall of Heroes?"
He raised his eyebrows slightly, turned sideways and let out the door of the stone hall, revealing the flickering light of the brazier: "There are only five of us, that's enough."
"You don't need so many pawns."
As soon as these words came out, the three grand dukes on the side of the Palace of Heroes all looked at Lumba with different eyes.
But they all contain deep suspicion and wariness.
This is Exeter.
Lumba sighed softly in his heart, and then hummed softly.
My Exeter.
His eyes gradually focused.
Under the gazes of the four high-ranking Dukes of Exeter, who were equal to him, Charmaine Lombard calmly stretched out his hand and held down Count Levan and Viscount Cambida who were about to speak behind him.
"Of course," he looked solemnly and glanced at his four colleagues and the white-blade guards and palace guards who were firmly guarding the entrance to the Hall of Heroes in a semicircular formation. He nodded and said, "This matter can only be discussed between the five of us.
It spreads among people.”
Croash cast a questioning look at Lombard, but Grand Duke Lombard just stretched out his palm and made a downward gesture.
The next second, Charmaine Lombard stepped forward without hesitation, and under the eyes of countless people, he left the surrounding soldiers of the Black Sand Territory alone.
He walked past countless gleaming weapons and walked towards the stone door of the Hall of Heroes.
He walked into the airtight formation of the soldiers in the Palace of Heroes, leaving them looking at each other.
He passed Ronnie at the front and received a look of surprise and admiration from the latter.
He walked past Archduke Olesio. The bearded Archduke frowned, his thoughts unclear.
He passed by Trudida and Lecco, who exchanged a look of worry and anxiety.
On the cloak of the Grand Duke of Black Sand, the iron fist pattern representing the Lomba family is faintly visible.
It wasn't until he completely walked into the darkness of the Hall of Heroes that the four archdukes came back to their senses and exchanged glances with each other.
Cambida and Count Levan stared at them fiercely, and Croache even knocked on the hilt of the sword in his hand, the threat was self-evident.
"What do you say?" Trudida rolled her eyes.
Alessio and Lecco both frowned and said nothing.
"No," Ronnie looked into the dim hall and said coldly, "Let's see what he says."
Charmaine Lombard stood quietly in the Hall of Heroes, standing next to the brown-black rectangular table. The big brazier on the six iron frames illuminated his face with flickering light and unsteady momentum.
He knew that just last night, the young Archduke Conkli Perfitt had his neck broken by King Nun just two steps in front of him.
But at this moment, Lumba was just looking forward quietly, looking at the seat of honor at the innermost seat of the rectangular table.
He remembered that during the countless years in the first half of his life, his father and mother had brought him and Harold here countless times to bow to the throne.
Noon Walton VII was sitting there, on that throne, giving orders to the citizens of Exeter, from the Grand Duke to the officials, from the nobles to the common people.
The king of Gongju sits here and controls the entire Northland - no, most of the Northland. After all, the northern border of the stars is not in Exter's hands yet.
His eyes turned around the stone hall and paused briefly on the Yunzhong Dragon Spear flags that could be seen everywhere.
On the innermost ledge, the gun rack where the soul-killing gun should have been placed was empty.
Just like Walton who was once at the height of his power, just like the Dragon Spear in the Cloud that shocked the Northland.
Dragon Spear in the Cloud.
At that moment, Lumba actually wanted to laugh.
"Okay," Archduke Olesiu's voice came from behind unceremoniously: "We won't invite you to sit down."
"Say it." The bearded man said coldly.
Lumba closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
Then slowly open your eyes.
"Kingdom of Stars," Charmaine Lombard slowly turned around and faced the four Grand Dukes with sharp eyes: "That Prince of Stars and their secret department carefully planned a conspiracy aimed at Exeter.
conspiracy."
Grand Duke Ronny frowned slightly.
"They even took advantage of the disaster," Lombard said lightly: "Unfortunately, King Nun died in the conspiracy."
Lecco and Trudida looked at each other with deep meaning.
Lumba took a step forward and clenched his fists.
"The kingdom of the dragon is facing unprecedented difficulties," the Duke of Black Sand said coldly, with an undoubted meaning in his voice: "It's time for us to unite as one."
Lumba's voice fell.
The four princes looked at each other.
No one made a sound.
No one moved.
No one responded.
It wasn't until several seconds later that the four Grand Dukes chuckled in unison.
A chuckle turned into a laugh.
The laughter turned into a sneer again.
The sneer lasted for almost a minute.
The Grand Duke of Lombard looked at the sneers of the Grand Dukes and couldn't help but frown.
There was a deep chill in Olesio's smile, Trudida's smile had a playful depth in it, and Lecco's smile was forced, maybe he didn't want to smile at all.
Only Grand Duke Ronnie's laughter was the loudest, longest, and coldest, and the family crest of the Knights Holy Book from Qiyuan City shone brightly on his shoulders.
Lumba's face also turned cold.
Finally, the Grand Duke's laughter subsided.
The next second, Grand Duke Ronnie took a step forward and looked at Lumba without flinching.
I saw Kulikun Roni speaking coldly and without politeness in his unique heroic voice:
"Go home and fuck yourself, Charmaine Rumba."
He let out a loud sigh, his eyes filled with disdain and contempt, as if they were filled with thousands of years of ice: