In the Mindis Hall, the most important and embarrassing meeting between father and son in the entire kingdom was taking place.
Thales stared blankly at the sturdy nobleman in front of him, his father.
He turned to Gilbert and Yoder with a bit of fear and confusion, but both of them lowered their heads in silence.
He looked at the guards around the corridor again, but the well-equipped soldiers hid their eyes behind their helmets and remained motionless.
Until the thick voice of Kessel V came to my ears:
"He looks like a skinny clay monkey."
Thales's current situation is indeed not very good. His short black hair is cut into pits (Xinti's craftsmanship) and covered with dust. His little face is covered with mud marks and hand marks. Although the magician Aixida used
Mysterious methods stopped the bleeding of all his wounds, big and small, but the scrapes, scratches, and bruises left in the abandoned house and Hongfang Street still hung sparsely on his body. His body was also covered with dust.
The burlap suit the beggar was wearing was also in tatters, with a big hole on his chest, almost exposing the burns on his chest. Before entering the Mindis Hall, he even shivered in the cold wind.
"I believe you are not mistaken." Kessel's voice echoed in the corridor.
Thales raised his head again and looked at Kessel.
His king, his father.
But Kessel had turned his head and no longer looked at him.
Thales felt a slight sense of disobedience in his heart, but he immediately suppressed the discomfort.
Kessel’s thick voice continued to echo:
"You all know how important this matter is. Now, the only people who know about it are the three of us. Of course, I will bring Ji Ni over. He needs qualified care, so the four of us are the people who know about it - wait until Morat comes back.
Later, I will tell him in person."
"From now on, the Mindis Hall is completely closed. It is said to the outside world that a royal secret treasure has been lost. I am furious."
"According to the previous preparations, fifty Terminator Swordsmen, all private soldiers of the Bright Star Family, will stay here for a whole month. They can keep the secret. And Yoder, for the sake of caution, you will also stay here. I
Ada and the royal guards are responsible for the security during this month."
Yodel did not speak, but moved his masked head slightly.
"Gilbert." Kessel still didn't look at Thales. He stroked the crystal on the scepter and spoke in a deep voice, his tone full of majesty.
"Have you thought about the reason for your visit to Mindis Hall this early in the morning?"
"Of course, Your Majesty, the excuse is ready - there was a gang war at the junction of XC District and Xihuan District, resulting in numerous casualties. I rushed to the royal palace where Your Majesty was resting overnight to report the matter." Gilbert replied respectfully.
"Not enough. I will go back to Fuxing Palace tomorrow, but you will have to visit here frequently in the next month. There must be a better reason." King Kessel shook his head.
"Then the royal treasure disappeared mysteriously. Your Majesty, you specifically ordered me to investigate the matter thoroughly?"
"It's a bit stiff, but a month is enough." King Kessel thought for a while and nodded.
Then, the King of the Stars finally turned his attention to Thales, who was at a loss.
His eyes were so sharp that Thales unconsciously took a step back.
The feeling was nothing like a father looking at his son.
But the king didn't seem to care about Thales' appearance at all.
"A month, Gilbert, a month."
"Before his identity is officially recognized, Gilbert, you will be his personal tutor and be responsible for all his teaching matters."
"Yes, Your Majesty. As you wish, I will do my best." Gilbert replied respectfully.
Thales' heart sank.
Kessel clicked the scepter with confidence and pondered for a while.
"You must prepare him. He cannot appear like this in front of the entire kingdom and the six major families, as well as envoys from other countries."
"From etiquette to temperament, knowledge to appearance, you must have a decent appearance. What we need is a decent heir to the kingdom, not a down-and-out street beggar."
Street beggar?
After hearing this, Thales clenched his fists slightly.
"Based on the welcome banquet of the Exeter Mission, I hope he can make an appearance by then - it will not be easy, but I believe you can do it well."
Thales was trembling slightly in his heart, but he still listened silently to King Kessel's unquestionable order and planned his future step by step.
But in Thales' future, there seems to be no place for his own wishes.
how so?
He had just escaped from the place of suffering that he had gritted his teeth and endured.
He still had many questions and doubts in his mind.
But King Kessel in front of him didn't seem to care about his thoughts, he just issued his orders and stated his wishes sentence by sentence.
"No one needs to know what his past is, but there must be an explanation, Gilbert, a story about his origins."
"As long as his bloodline can be confirmed - I will discuss this with Li Xiya. It is not impossible for gods to trade - we are not afraid of gossip."
"Select his peers from the list of nobles, as well as the instructors and attendants of the successor - after he is recognized, these will be the focus, and there must be advance filing. I want to see the list before next week."
"To be on the safe side, Gilbert, you need to re-confirm the terms of royal succession in the "Sacred Star Covenant" and the precedents like his in the Bright Star Family. If there are any disputes, we still have time to remedy them.
"
Thales frowned and listened as they continued to plan their future and their lives.
Like a puppet on strings.
"As for his engagement, I have an idea. We will discuss it later. Exeter——"
At this moment, Gilbert interrupted the king with a respectful expression.
"Your Majesty, there is still time." The gray-haired middle-aged nobleman seemed to feel something was wrong, but he still tried his best to express his opinion: "If you need to be alone with this child, we can-"
But Kessel suddenly stopped Gilbert's words with a wave of his hand.
At that moment, Thales saw the king's deep eyes tremble. He
I felt a strange emotion emerging from Kessel's expression.
Thales wanted to say something, but when the words came to his lips, he swallowed them back.
I - what should I say?
What can I say?
What should a seven-year-old child say when he meets his father for the first time?
Hey, it’s my first time meeting my father, can I say a word?
Maybe you should listen to my thoughts instead of talking to yourself?
So weird.
Kessel seemed to want to turn his head to Thales, but he suddenly turned back midway. He was seen holding the scepter with both hands, looking at the portraits of the three former kings on the wall, and said nothing for a long time.
It seems that only at this time, he becomes more like a human being.
After a while, Kessel turned around. He didn't look at anyone, but the majestic voice of King Kessel V sounded again.
"In short, you have a very heavy task. The Kingdom of Stars has not had an heir for twelve years. And just last week, Coste mentioned in his letter the King Selection System of the Kingdom of Exter, intentionally or unintentionally - you know the six major
How will the family react?"
"His appearance is a variable, but it is also an unexpected bargaining chip and advantage for us... It is time to revise the plan to ensure that we are one step ahead of our opponents."
"Making sure he gets the most out of him."
Thales was stunned.
This is - his father?
variable.
chips.
Advantage.
Maximize... effectiveness?
Is this what a father should say in front of a son he has never met?
Thales sighed in his heart and lowered his head.
I see……
This feeling of being out of place...
It doesn't look like a father and son getting together at all - more like a chess player moving a chess piece as if nothing had happened.
Thales was obviously not the only one who felt this strangeness.
Gilbert's expression changed, as if he wanted to say something.
But in the end, he just lowered his head and sighed slightly while the king couldn't see him.
However, some people still interrupted the king regardless of the atmosphere.
"His Majesty."
Thales turned around in surprise, but it was the silent Yodel who spoke.
The secret guard’s expression behind the mask is unknown, but his hoarse voice is extremely firm:
"He is your bloodline first, your son!"
"In the end, he is your heir."
"And you can't turn a blind eye to that."
Thales raised his head and saw King Kessel V exhaling a long breath.
Then he closed his eyes.
"Yes, he is my son," the king said solemnly with his eyes closed, holding the scepter tightly, "that's why I am here today."
"I handed him over to you. Remember, one month."
After all, Kaiser V didn't say much.
The lenses on Yoder's mask paused for a moment, and finally he lowered his head and stopped talking.
A touch of doubt and surprise spread into Thales' heart.
The king nodded, looked at Gilbert and Yoder who were kneeling on one knee, and looked at Thales who was stunned with complicated and unreadable eyes, and turned around and left without hesitation.
Gilbert and Yodel slowly stood up.
The strong figure slowly walked down the stairs.
The footsteps were heavy but majestic.
The majesty of the king.
What?
Is this—the end?
Thales was shocked and looked at his leaving "father" in disbelief.
This is not right.
This so-called father...he is the father of this body, isn't he?
but why.
He seems so... emotionless?
and.
Things related to my future...
So decided?
I didn't even have a chance to speak...
"Wait a moment!"
Thales finally couldn't help it and shouted.
He was tired of being a powerless chess piece.
The strong figure paused and turned around.
Gilbert looked at Thales in surprise, while Yodel's expression was still hidden behind the mask.
Looking at the king who was gradually turning around, and bearing his sharp gaze, Thales actually felt that his back molars were a little heavy.
But he still spoke with difficulty.
"I, although we have never met..." Thales hesitated, he stretched out his hands and waved helplessly in front of him, thinking about his words: "But since you are mine... I mean, since we are
…”
The king held on to the handrail of the stairs and looked at Thales with an indescribable complex look.
Thales closed his eyes tightly and then opened them again and exhaled:
"I think..." He bit the words with difficulty, and his usual sharp teeth disappeared.
Damn...
What attitude and words should I use to face... this man who is both a father and a king?
Rumu?
indifferent?
Dumb?
surprise?
None of them are right.
Gilbert next to him stretched out his hand towards Thales, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he chose silence.
Thales's breathing quickened, and he frowned and said, "I'm actually a little confused. Maybe you, as my... can help me answer it."
"After all, we are... blood relatives. And you have talked so much about heirs, kingdoms, and engagements, but I don't know anything."
"This may not be important to you, and you don't care much..."
King Kessel V held the scepter tightly, but did not reply a word, only his eyebrows slowly frowned.
Thales bit his lip, feeling the burn on his chest begin to hurt again.
hateful.
Even the most failed paper publication is not so embarrassing.
He waved his hands gently and organized his words:
"But this is my future. If you have decided... you should at least let me know a little bit."
"Besides, you said no one needs to know my past...but at least I want to, I mean..."
"At least I need to know my past."
"I really want to know what happened."
"And, the path I will take."
Kessel's eyes changed when he looked at Thales.
It is no longer the gaze of sizing, scrutinizing and inspecting.
It was as if he realized for the first time that Thales was a human being.
And he's his son.
Thales sighed.
never mind.
He opened his eyes and looked straight at "father".
"Yes, I want to know everything about me."
"I want to know my origin, such as...who is my mother, where was I born, and how did I become like this?"
"Also, my identity, my future, the choices I have..."
"Answers like this..."
"Instead of being an outsider, a chess piece, an object..."
"If I am really your...son."
Thales gritted his teeth and said that word.
Although your behavior...is really not like what a normal father should be.
Even if you are a king.
Thales felt a little dizzy. The consumption tonight was already too much for his seven-year-old body.
The king finally looked at him, the sky-blue pupils in his deep eye sockets radiating light.
At that moment, King Kessel V's eyes were quite complicated and difficult to understand, and Thales could not read anything more.
"Child, what is your name?"
Just listen to the supreme ruler of the stars ask in his thick voice.
Thales stared at Kessel.
"Tales," he heard himself say, "my name is Thales."
Did you just remember to ask your son’s name now?
God.
Thales shook his head gently in his heart.
"Tales, listen carefully." Kessel narrowed his eyes and said in a cold tone:
"There are a lot of things you don't need to know."
"Don't worry."
"Your path has been decided."
"Just follow along."
What?
At that moment, Thales felt a chill in his heart.
"If you still have any doubts."
"Ask Gilbert."
Then, Kessel V, the thirty-ninth supreme king of the Kingdom of Stars and the Southern Islands, and the Western Desert.
Just like that, I left Mindis Hall without looking back.
His cloak disappeared from the sight of the traveler.
Damn it.
Thales lowered his head, stared at the expensive black floor tiles, and frowned tightly.
This is the father of this body, are you sure he is not an enemy?
"Kid, Thales." Gilbert behind him couldn't help but patted his shoulder silently.
"Don't worry or think too much. His Majesty just has too many things to do. In fact, he——."
Before Gilbert could finish speaking, Yoder suddenly stepped forward, squatted down in front of Thales, and took out Thales' jc dagger that had arrived in his hand at some point (Gilbert's face changed,
Touching his waist, frowning), he gently put it into Thales' hand.
Thales came back to his senses and was slightly startled.
I saw the dark purple mask slightly tilted, and a hoarse voice slowly came:
"Relax."
"You are his son, connected by blood and destiny. No one or anything can change this."
Thales took a deep breath.
They probably misunderstood.
Think I'm being let down by my "father's" neglect?
He put away the dagger, clenched his fists, and forced a smile.
"Don't worry," he suppressed the dissatisfaction in his heart and said calmly: "Thank you."
Looking at Yodel who interrupted him, Gilbert exhaled from his nose dissatisfied, squatted down in front of Thales, and said softly:
"Tiles, my little sir, you have been through enough tonight."
"Now you need rest and maybe medical attention."
"Tiles, please come with me. Yoder, I will come back to you later. We have to talk."
Thales nodded and followed Gilbert obediently.
Only Yoder raised his head and looked at a vase in the corridor in the distance.
He observed with sharp and terrifying eyes that invisible tiny cracks appeared on the vase.