Longxiao City, in the doorway behind the first city gate.
Countless soldiers from the Black Sand Territory were fully armed and surrounded the two carriages and their entourage tightly, blocking the way. They looked at these uninvited guests who dared to rush into the city gate with unkind expressions.
Thales was sitting in the carriage, looking through the window at the densely packed enemies in front of him with numbness.
Really bad.
This was the scene they faced on the other side of the city gate after they risked being attacked from both sides, rushed through the rain of arrows that passed over their scalps, and then rushed into the city gate with all their might.
Thales clenched his fists, gritted his teeth, and suppressed the panic in his heart.
calm.
Calm down, Thales.
It's not that bad.
In front of his eyes, there was a scene of the black sword being suppressed by Aixida. At the critical moment, he was still calmly looking for hope and a way out.
I also think of King Nunn’s step-by-step approach in the duel, with interlocking strategies and tactics.
Thales took a deep breath and forced himself to think.
The accident in front of the city gate, whether it was the appearance of Lisban or the Scarlet Witch, disrupted their plan - Shless should have taken him into the Palace of Heroes in the name of Lombard allies, instead of the current chaos
appearance.
The accident happened so quickly that they didn't even have time to discuss their next move.
Thales could only think desperately about a way out.
People inside and outside the carriage were still panting rapidly, and even the horse pulling the carriage was gasping for air. The carriage Thales was riding in even had a tether rope broken.
"We, we rushed over...but..." Outside the carriage, Cohen held the wheel with one hand and pressed his abdomen with the other, gasping for air.
He looked at the hostile soldiers in front of him with an ugly expression, and said to Miranda, who was breathing more heavily than him: "Sunset, Goddess above... Why do I feel that our choice is a bit impulsive..."
"At least they didn't nail us like hedgehogs outside," Miranda calmed herself down and squinted her eyes to observe the surrounding situation. She then looked at the doorway and the nearby Palace of Heroes outside the cave, feeling uneasy.
: "Take care of yourself quickly."
Cohen raised his head in pain and exhaled.
In the carriage, Thales looked at Putilai.
"It seems that the way we came in was too high-profile, and with so many people," the prince looked at the scene outside the car worriedly: "They are indeed suspicious."
Neither the White Blade Guards nor the others in the stars were part of Thales' original plan.
"We have already done this, even though we have put the remaining people in danger," Nicolai checked his disguise for the last time and said with a serious look on his face: "At least, we don't have to face the Scarlet Witch."
"There is no choice," Putilai shook his head: "Once the Scarlet Witch knows our movements, even if there are a hundred backup plans, there is a high possibility of failure."
"It's better to think about the next step - how to deal with these people outside."
Thales sighed, feeling as if his head was as big as a bucket.
He turned and looked at their "good friend" from Camas.
Their original plan was...
"Oh, I guess," Marquis Slice also saw the scene outside the carriage, but he became more and more calm, slowly adjusting his collar that was skewed due to the rapid speed of the carriage, as if the arrow rain that just passed over his head was just a noble horse.
Ball: "That's when I suddenly became important, didn't I?"
Thales frowned.
Ever since he entered the city gate, Shles had become very restless, which made Thales quite uneasy.
Nicolai snorted: "Are you going to bet your chips on this guy again?"
Putilai exhaled helplessly: "We can't break through forcefully - the number of guards at this gate is at least a hundred times greater than ours."
Shless spread his hands innocently towards him, but his expression was completely different from when he was still outside the city gate, with a look of "What price are you prepared to pay?"
Just like in a casino, the dealer has just taken back the chips from the players.
Thales took a deep breath.
The accident just now put the people of the Northland in danger, which made Nikolai's previous threat to Sles seem a bit feeble.
And now, they probably can only rely on Slash.
But first…
"I know that the way we invited you here is a bit unpleasant, Mr. Marquis," the prince said calmly: "But in street gambling, 'winner takes all' often means crowding out other players - the Grand Duke of Black Sand is no exception.
"
Slice's eyes flashed.
"Handing us over will not solidify the fragile alliance between you and Lombard," Thales calmly stood from the perspective of the Marquis, thinking about all this and how to minimize the possibility of Slys betraying them again.
Sex: "But send me to Lombard and several grand dukes..."
"Except for the so-called 'friendship' between Lombard and you due to interests, you won't lose anything," Thales narrowed his eyes: "On the contrary, you may gain unexpected gains."
Shless's eyes lit up: "Is this a promise from the royal heir of the Kingdom of Stars?"
"From my experience, promises are very fragile - even if they are a lord or a prince," Thales shook his head resolutely: "But as you said, doing business can't just focus on numbers and profits.
We also need to build reputation and connections.”
Putilai raised his eyebrows.
Slys narrowed his eyes and looked at Thales.
Outside the carriage, there was shouting from Heisha Ling, and their door had been knocked.
"Please stay outside Lombard," the prince nodded, with an unquestionable tone in his tone: "Use us as your backup."
Shless looked at the prince with interest, the corners of his mouth raised, and the expressions in his eyes kept changing.
Finally, he nodded slightly.
Thales breathed out.
"I will miss today, an amazing show," the Marquis of Camus straightened his collar on the carriage, raised his hat slightly, smiled politely at them, and then gave Thales a look.
, with a profound look in his eyes, "Whether it's Rumba or you, it's worth the price of admission."
Thales' tone was serious: "Remember, all you need to do is to send me to Lombard and all the Grand Dukes."
But the Marquis of Zenryujo just smiled at him, opened the car door, and walked out.
Thales took a deep breath, exchanged a look with Putilai, and jumped out of the carriage.
Only Nikolai and Putilai were left.
"He is just a shameless bastard," Nikolai, who was still in the car, snorted coldly and looked at Slash's back: "He will not cooperate with us obediently."
"Because of this," Mr. Xingchen's deputy ambassador shook his head: "He will not cooperate with Lumba obediently."
Nicolai glanced at him.
"You don't seem to be worried about your prince at all." The Fallen Star said coldly.
Putilai chuckled.
"When I first met him, Thales was just a precocious child with a little cleverness." Mr. Deputy Envoy showed a thoughtful expression: "Sensitive, hesitant, timid, sloppy in doing things, and lacking in self-confidence. Following him from the country
It’s the reputation that comes out of the conference that is far different.”
Nicolai frowned.
Looking at Thales's small back, Putilai sighed.
"But as we get along with him longer, I have a feeling," he said with emotion: "The more encounters he encounters along the way, the stronger he becomes - Thales is constantly learning, adjusting, and adapting."
"Whether it's Vampire, Bane, Flower of the Fortress, Wrath of the Kingdom, or even King Nun or Charmaine Lombard, whether it's his friend or foe..."
Putilai's eyes showed a different kind of light: "I'm afraid they didn't realize what impact their actions had on the child."
The Fallen Star paused slightly.
He turned his head, grabbed his scabbard tightly, and curled his lips in disapproval.
"So much nonsense."
Outside the carriage, Thales followed Slash and nodded slightly with the disguised Huaiya and others.
Thales was not very used to the sudden increase in light, so he squinted slightly and looked at the city gate hole in front of him.
This is the third time Thales has visited the First City Gate in two days.
He still remembered the scene when he first entered the first city gate. Surrounded by the envoys, he watched the gate that separated the Palace of Heroes and the outer city of Longxiao City fall with trepidation, nervousness and embarrassment.
But this time, they are here...
Thales soon saw a "familiar" sight: the rough and majestic Palace of the Heroes was less than a hundred meters away in front of them, with the ten giant columns and eight large furnaces still standing in it.
But the palace guards and sword guards that were originally seen everywhere have disappeared without a trace.
Instead, there were hundreds of Black Sand soldiers.
Their faces were full of vigilance and ruthlessness, and they still wore patrol uniforms. However, the patrol-issued swords used in small-scale conflicts had long been replaced by weapons unique to large battlefields such as maces, fighting axes, and straight-edged sabers.
Anti-personnel weapons, and even crossbows - it seems that the weapons depot in the city gate has just been looted.
In the formation of the black sand collar, a nobleman wearing plate armor strode out with a broad face and a protruding nose.
"Your Majesty the Marquis," Count Levan, the chief vassal under Lombard, stared at the Marquis of Zenryu Castle standing in front of everyone with an unkind expression: "About your behavior of breaking into the city gate without permission."
"I need an explanation."
The soldiers from the Black Sand Territory tightly surrounded the group of people, their eyes showing fierceness.
Almost everyone on Thales' side held their breath.
Shless lowered his head and sighed slightly.
Everyone, including Thales, waited nervously for his reaction.
When Slys raised his head again, the Marquis had put on his kind and polite smile again.
"Dear Earl," Shless nodded slightly, with an implicit and friendly smile: "I have a surprise for you."
Count Levan narrowed his eyes and looked carefully at Slys and his "entourage".
"Appearing at the wrong time," Lewand said thoughtfully: "It can't be called a surprise - especially when you brought... these people?"
Even with the cover of disguise, Count Levan noticed the strong stature and neat movements of the White Blade Guards, and couldn't help but show a strange look on his face.
Thales's heart suddenly thumped.
But Marquis Slys smiled slightly and raised his hands confidently.
"I heard that there were some minor mistakes made by your prisoners in the city gate?" he said softly to Levan, as if he was watching a good show.
Lewand's expression changed and he felt a little embarrassed: "What's wrong? You misunderstood..."
With an "I knew it" look on his face, Shless raised his index finger and pointed at Lewandowski, tutting and shaking his head: "Oh, it seems like this, Your Majesty the Grand Duke still doesn't know about your mistake?"
Lewand was suddenly speechless.
Shless looked at Lewand's appearance, laughed, and let the boy behind him stand: "Let me introduce him."
"This is the missing 'guest' of your Grand Duke, the noble Prince Thales Bright Star, the sole heir to the throne of the Kingdom of Stars."
"I returned under my escort."
Count Levan's expression froze on his face.
Thales took a deep breath and walked forward slowly, with an unhappy look on his face.
Slys sighed, looking as if he was trying his best to restrain himself but couldn't help but show off his joy. He slowly walked up to Count Levan and patted him on the shoulder.
"Take it easy, this is a 'surprise' that I tried every possible means to bring in from under the Prime Minister's nose."
Shless raised his eyebrows and waved his hand to Michael, who was leading the way: "Look, if it weren't for this team of strong mercenaries I hired from the Western Desert, I probably wouldn't be able to catch him."
Lewan's expression changed, and when he looked at the White Blade Guards and the Star People, his hostility was relieved a lot: "Mercenary?"
Michael, who had put on make-up, had a high nose bridge and a dark face. He grinned with an exaggerated smile and nodded to Count Levan.
"Some of us are from Qiyuan City and are from the North. Others are from other places, sir," Michael said in a rough voice: "We are looking for food in the desert. If you have any needs - we kill people.
Only six gold coins are needed."
The White-Blade Guards all showed innocent silly smiles in unison, which startled Count Levan.
Really good at acting.
Thales rolled his eyes inwardly.
As expected, they are the 'all-powerful' White Blade Guards.
Levan looked at these people, then at Thales who was surrounded by them in the center, and frowned.
Shless still had a smile on his face.
Everyone is waiting for Count Levan's decision.
Finally, after Lewand thought deeply for a while, he relaxed his brows and waved to the soldiers behind him: "Go back to your posts! Hailson, Jason, you two teams stay."
Following his order, the densely packed Heisha soldiers turned around with a rustling step and followed the stairs on both sides back to the city gate. Most of the people in the field immediately dispersed.
Thales breathed a sigh of relief.
"First of all, on behalf of His Excellency the Grand Duke, I would like to thank you for your help."
"Lord Tuleha has already gone to apologize to the Grand Duke. He will be very pleased if he sees your 'surprise'," Count Levan coughed unnaturally, glanced at Thales, and then faced Slys.
Nodding awkwardly: "I will convey your goodwill to the Grand Duke, let me take over now."
"You and your people can rest here..."
Shless smiled and shook his head. He raised his right palm and pressed down what the count wanted to say.
"Oh, no," the Marquis's eyes lit up: "This prince has just informed me of an extremely important piece of new information. I think I need to take him to see His Excellency the Grand Duke as soon as possible."
Lewan paused slightly.
"His Excellency the Grand Duke is busy," the earl of the Black Sand Territory frowned: "No interruption is allowed."
Shless dropped his smile and his expression became serious.
"Please believe me, the information on this prince is related to what the Grand Duke is going to do," Slais' suddenly serious tone made Count Levan become nervous: "You can't imagine it."
Count Levan looked at Slys seriously.
The latter also looked back at him solemnly.
A second later, Count Levan sighed: "Okay, I can send someone to take you to see the Grand Duke..."
"I have to take him there," Shless shook his head and said to Tels Nunu: "There are some things that can only be said from his mouth."
Lewand was a little surprised: "Is it urgent?"
Shless shook his head first, then nodded, with a mysterious look on his face: "It's terrible."
Lewand looked at him for a few seconds.
"I understand," the Earl nodded: "You can leave now. The Grand Justice is in the Palace of Heroes, near the Hall of Heroes."
Shless smiled: "Thank you."
Thales felt that a big stone in his heart was finally about to fall to the ground.
As long as I can see the Grand Dukes, I will at least have a chance.
"Wait, your people stay here," Levan directed his team and nodded to Sles with vigilance: "Our people will escort you there."
Shless raised his eyebrows and glanced at the people beside the motorcade pretending to be casual.
"Of course." The Marquis nodded indifferently.
Thales' heart sank.
He watched the people around the two carriages being led away by the soldiers from the Black Sand Command, and also watched a group of soldiers walking towards him and Shres, with the leader nodding politely.
very good.
The prince took a deep breath.
From now on, it's just him.
But at this moment, a rich male voice came from the steps leading to the city gate behind them:
"Please wait a moment!"
Everyone turned around.
I saw a strange middle-aged man in gorgeous clothes, with an ordinary face, but with eight braids on the back of his head, slowly walking down the steps.
Count Levan frowned and asked angrily: "What's wrong, my dear Civilian Order Officer?"
He seemed unhappy with this new middle-aged man.
In the crowd, Michael and Nicolai both frowned and lowered their heads.
They recognized the person.
The middle-aged man shook his head, not caring about Lewand's tone towards him.
"Mercenary, right?" The middle-aged man walked to the two carriages, looked at the group of people, showed an implicit smile, and stopped at Miranda: "I don't know, there is a maid among you.
Soldiers?"
Cohen and Raphael looked at each other, feeling uneasy in their hearts.
But Miranda looked up expressionlessly, with a dark face roughened with paint.
"I come from the land of thorns, sir," the female swordsman replied in a rustic voice with her tongue straight, "where we are full of female mercenaries."
Cohen narrowed his eyes: Good acting.
The middle-aged man raised his eyebrows slightly.
"I see," he nodded slightly, his eight braids swaying slightly: "Can I see your sword?"
"I'm curious how heavy the mercenary's sword is."
Miranda was slightly startled.
"That's enough, Urad," Earl Levan said unhappily: "Maybe the Grand Duke can tolerate your shamelessness, but here is..."
"Please wait a moment, Your Majesty the Earl," the man named Urad turned his head and interrupted him loudly, saying with deep meaning: "You don't want to make any big mistake again."
Lewan suddenly choked.
Thales couldn't help but wonder: What's wrong?
This middle-aged man...if I remember correctly, he should be one of the underground forces in Longxiao City that Cohen and the others said.
Ulad turned his head and smiled at Miranda again: "Is that okay?"
Miranda wordlessly took off the sword from her waist and handed it to the man in front of her.
"Huh," Ulad tried the weight on his hands and couldn't help but sigh: "It's really not light."
Miranda smiled: "I think so too."
Ulad sighed and pulled out a blade.
"By the way, let me introduce myself. My name is Chail Urad." The middle-aged man shook his head and looked down at the sword in his hand from all angles. "Twelve years ago, twelve people in the suburbs of Cold Castle
Responsible for collecting taxes in small villages."
Miranda frowned slightly.
"Oh, Hanbao, I know," she laughed gruffly: "Are you from the Star Kingdom?"
Ulad smiled slightly.
Count Lewandowski on the side shook his head disdainfully.
"Yes, in theory, we are employed by the Tax Department of Cold Castle," Ulad turned over the sword in his hand and said calmly: "The reason why they hired us is because they need us to keep up with the higher level, that is,
The tax collectors from the central territory argued with reason so that they could pay less tax to the king."
Miranda and Raphael, who were listening attentively to the conversation, were slightly startled.
he……
Why do you say this?
"However, we have never seen the great men of Cold Castle once."
Ulad sighed: "They will only send their vassals, those idiots from the Sanles family to check the accounts. Those idiots only know how to use the banner of the lord family to siphon a large amount of oil and water from the tax, and then use it from
We are here to bear the bad reputation, whether it is to the tax collectors above or to the villagers below - they have great hands and eyes, and they are in-laws of the lord's family. We have no way to appeal, and we can only endure our anger year after year."
"So you came to Exeter," Miranda shrugged and hummed indifferently: "It's understandable."
"No!"
Ulad suddenly raised his head, raised his voice, and looked angry.
He startled everyone.
"You do not understand."
Ulad put the sword in his hand back into the scabbard, with a sad expression on his face: "Finally, one year, Cold Castle sent a young master to collect taxes. He was of noble status, young and promising, fair and outspoken, and had a good reputation. At that time, we all thought that something was wrong.
Things have changed—you don’t have to be humiliated and oppressed anymore.”
The former tax collector of the Kingdom of Stars sighed slightly, with a look of nostalgia in his eyes: "I remember very clearly the name of that noble young master - Nolanur Alend."
Miranda's expression did not change.
But there was already a huge wave in my heart!
Raphael and Cohen looked at each other, feeling increasingly uneasy.
Thales looked around and felt that the situation was getting worse.
What happened?
He mentioned the Arend family to Miranda...
Did you recognize something?
"Nuranor told us that Coldcastle finally discovered the anomaly in the tax items." Ulad said softly.
"He also said..."
At that moment, there was pain in Ulad's eyes.
"He said that we, the little tax collectors, have been reported by the Sanles family for our years of 'withholding' taxes," Ulad said sarcastically and hatefully: "We, these victims, have been reported! Withheld taxes
, lining your own pockets!”
Count Lewandow frowned on the side: he felt something was wrong.
Urad may have been of humble origin and had evil intentions.
But he is neither a fool nor a madman.
On the contrary, he is very smart.
Marquis Slice on the side was embarrassed and wanted to say something, but Count Levan raised his hand and stopped him.
"No matter how we begged," Ulad shook his head hard, as if: "That year, 'Just Nurlan Nor', he personally beheaded eight of my colleagues, including mine, amidst the cheers of the villagers.
teacher."
"Eight innocent people."
Ulad said sadly, his expression immediately turned into hatred.
"I will never forget Noranor Alend, that stupid noble young master, I will never forget the feeling of kneeling in front of the execution platform, and I will never forget the contemptuous look they all looked at us," his eyes showed resentment and hatred.
He thought, the eight braids swaying slightly: "Fuck the Allende family."
Urad gritted his teeth and let out a beast-like low sound.
Miranda took a deep breath and raised her head.
"I still remember the righteous and disgusting look on that boy's face before his execution," Ullad said with a cold look in his eyes, imitating the tone of that man back then, with a painful tone: "'In the name of Lord of Cold Castle, Duke Arend
In the name of the name, you will die under the sword of 'Eagle Soaring', to atone for your sins and return justice.' He said this once, and then chopped off a person's head."
Urad said bitterly: "I am the ninth person. I heard him repeat this sentence eight times and watched him wave this sword eight times!"
"Until an order came from Cold Castle to summon him back urgently."
Miranda only felt an endless chill rising from behind.
She snatched her sword back, her face pale and her brows furrowed.
Ulad didn't stop her, just smiled sarcastically.
"Of course," Ulad looked at the sword in her hand with a terrifying expression:
"I will never forget the style of this sword until my death."
"His gleaming sword."
He said coldly:
"The Eagle's Flight Belongs to Nurlanor Alend."
"Yes," Ulad said calmly, with deep hatred and anger in his eyes:
"This Miss Allender?"
Everyone on Thales' side trembled in their hearts.
What they were most worried about finally happened.
Slys looked at the person in charge here - Earl Lewan - with a pale face.
The earl sighed and glanced at the stiff Urad with a complicated expression.
"It seems that you are not telling the truth, Your Majesty the Marquis," Count Levan glanced at the people in the motorcade and said coldly: "You are indeed a Camus person."
Marquis Slys sighed and looked at Thales helplessly.
Thales only felt that his palms were cold.
"They are not from our side."
Earl Lewan turned to Slys and Thales, and said loudly with an unkind expression: "It's a guy with ulterior motives!"
The count waved his hand and coldly ordered to his soldiers: