Conspiracies and tricks, sin and ugliness, many are born in secret rooms in the dark.
But conspiracies can also be created in broad daylight.
For example now.
As winter was approaching, at noon on November 16, in a spacious horse farm, a broad and fat elderly nobleman, wearing a thick mink shawl, lowered his head and frowned under a parasol.
While he was watching the training of several horse trainers in the field, he tremblingly listened to the words of another nobleman on his left.
After a long while, he sighed leisurely, looked at a disobedient horse in the distance, and curled up the corners of his mouth.
"What kind of missing royal treasure deserves our respected Majesty to seal off the Mindis Hall indefinitely? What a pity. I plan to go to the Mindis Hall next week to visit Master Colvin's legacy."
The nobleman beside him was younger and slender, with a relaxed expression. He naturally and easily grabbed the agarwood pipe in his hand and took a deep breath.
"Also, Gilbert rushed to the Mindis Hall overnight to report to His Majesty the situation of the gang war in the Lower City." He said happily while blowing smoke rings.
"Really? Your Majesty the Iron Fist King, since when have you ever cared about the life and death of the untouchables in the lower city? If His Majesty had half the kindness and kindness to his people as the late King Eddie -" The fat old noble touched his heart sadly.
Thigh - The recalcitrant horse broke its front hoof.
"——Then why do we need to meet at the horse training farm?"
"The royalist party must be planning something, and I can guarantee that it won't be anything trivial - maybe it's a move that can turn the tables in one fell swoop." The young nobleman smoking a pipe had bright eyes.
"The Mindis Hall is really a good place. If the royal treasure is lost - I hope it is not Master Colvin's painting - I think there must be a heightened level of vigilance." The elderly nobleman suddenly said something without any beginning or end.
But the young nobleman nodded knowingly: "And I have news. Gilbert has been ordered to find out the truth about the theft case, and he will frequently inspect the Mindis Hall recently - with that man here, even the white eagle can't attack him.
.”
"We can test it, but we can't go too far - we have to use other methods to disrupt their position."
The young aristocrat took another puff of top-grade Fesola tobacco, which is produced only 600 pounds a year, felt intoxicated for a moment, and then blew out a perfect smoke ring.
"The Exter envoy will arrive in the country next month," at this time, the old noble's face showed sincere worry, "Alas, the peace between Xingchen and Exeter is hard-won after all."
"Yes," compared to his predecessors, the young noble could not hold his breath after all, and his sharpness and vigor were evident in him: "If the envoy had an accident within the country, and faced with domestic and foreign pressure, it would surely
Our Majesty will also be very passive."
"If Your Majesty handles it improperly," the old nobleman watched the horse in the distance climb up, breathed a sigh of relief, took a sip of tea, and said helplessly: "Oh, it is true that a country like ours with a hereditary throne is backward."
Both of them were silent for a while.
The elderly nobleman moved his body and asked casually: "What's going on in Xihuan District?"
"Don't ask me, sir, you know I hate magicians the most."
"Well, let's talk about the Black Street Brotherhood?"
"Those guys still don't let go," the young noble's face suddenly became unhappy, "It's only been about ten years, but they are already talking so loudly. Presumably, they have more confidence in their backers than they have in our 'new stars'
It should be enough."
"Don't underestimate young people."
The old man grinned helplessly, his eyes shrewd and sharp:
"Children scare people - that's called scary."
————————————————————
Compared to the fleeting glimpse from last night to dawn, the Mindis Hall that Thales saw in the afternoon seemed larger, more gorgeous, and of course, more empty.
The first floor is a conference living room, a grand banquet hall and an open-air garden. It is equipped with a large kitchen, basement inventory, and even military storage.
In addition to the open-air balcony with a panoramic view of the outdoor garden ("For your safety, I do not recommend that you appear on the balcony or outdoors within a month." - Gilbert), the huge second floor
There are three large rooms with different functions, aristocratic banquet hall, conference hall, game room and rooms of various sizes.
Although the corridors and various entrances and exits from the first floor to the second floor are filled with majestic armored guards according to the rule of ten steps and one sentry, their faces are hidden behind the hooded helmets, and everyone is as scary as a sculpture ("Although they are members of the Bright Star Family"
Private terminal swordsmen, but I still don’t recommend you stab them in the belly, little sir.” - Gilbert), but from a distance, Mindis Hall is still scary and empty.
But Tails' living room and bedroom, including the dining room and the study room where classes are held, are on the third floor. There is only a narrow staircase accessible from the second floor to the third floor, and the eight terminator swordsmen are fully armed and focused on their work.
This place is guarded fourteen hours a day, with shifts every six hours. As for the windows and the roof of the hall, I heard that there are also guards standing guard in the open air ("With Yodel here, please don't worry about the threats from the windows." - Gilbert)
.
Every dish, from broccoli and bread to beef and water, is taken out from the equally tightly guarded kitchen and underground storage that has been prepared in advance ("Please forgive me, I cannot guarantee their freshness."
——Gilbert), everything from cooking to food delivery has gone through strict detoxification, poison testing and poison testing procedures.
This is really an incredible security measure.
It seems that I am much more important than I thought.
Should it be said that it is worthy of being the ruling class that holds power?
I wonder if Yara can sneak in with her skills? What if she is a magician?
Speaking of which...
"No, no, forgive me for refusing, little sir."
Thales raised his head and looked at Gilbert with a puzzled expression.
"Everything about you is top secret so far," Gilbert shook his head resolutely: "With all due respect, we have sealed Mindis Hall, and our contact with the outside world is limited to a few trusted secret keepers - this kind of
Under such circumstances, the royal family suddenly sent people to go to the gang in Xiacheng District to find three beggars hiding... Whether it is to investigate or to help, it will be extremely detrimental to both of you. "
"Don't underestimate the ability of those who are thoughtful. With a little clue, they can peel off the cocoon and find the source." He said solemnly: "If you want to help your old acquaintance, at least wait until... the right time."
Thales sighed, frowned, and bit into his mouth the last bite of butter bread. It was sweet and greasy. He quickly picked up the cup and took a sip of black tea.
At least the food is much better.
"If you are still satisfied with the afternoon tea," Gilbert said with impeccable etiquette, taking the tea cup from the busy Thales, bowing slightly: "We are about to start the afternoon tea.
course.”
In fact, Gilbert kept his smile unchanged and thought to himself: Maybe we should start with table manners?
"Where's Yodel? Where is he?"
"He is a competent guard, so naturally he is always nearby."
Thales resisted the thought of subconsciously looking around.
After knowing that Yoder was nearby, he felt inexplicably more at ease.
So Thales pulled the tie that was uncomfortably tight on his chest, and followed Gilbert into the study under a slight frown.
"First of all, Thales, I talked to Yodel last night."
Gilbert watched Thales stuff himself into a leather chair and looked curiously at the decoration around the study, especially the bookshelves full of books on three sides.
"You are a special child. I can tell from Yoder's judgment and the few hours we have spent together since I met you."
coming.
Thales still had a curious look on his face, but he was wary in his heart.
"But of course, the heir to the stars is naturally special." Gilbert put his hands behind his back and walked slowly towards the desk engraved with the nine-pointed star logo.
His gray-white temples looked solemn at the moment.
"I believe that since fate sends you back to the stars, she must have some arrangements."
Thales looked at the middle-aged nobleman without saying a word.
"I have a general understanding of your past. Life on the streets must have been difficult."
"But please forget this past."
Gilbert picked up a book that he had prepared long ago from the black agarwood desk, turned around and said seriously:
"You will have a new identity, a new life, and even a new name, but what is really important is the future you will face and bear."
Gilbert's piercing gaze shot into Thales's gray pupils.
forget the past.
Thales thought silently.
He looked into Gilbert's sharp eyes and nodded solemnly.
How can it be.
Thales muttered in his heart.
"I understand. So," Thales considered his words and slowly said:
"What do I need to know about myself and my past now?"
Gilbert's expression remained unchanged, but he nodded slightly in his heart: panic, fear, helplessness, these emotions that a seven-year-old child should have at the moment did not appear in this child.
Some are just calm and cautious, and there is very little excitement.
He is indeed extraordinary.
Was it the experience in the brotherhood? Yodel refused to elaborate, but the assassin admired the child's performance, but could the gangsters in the downtown area really have such an experience?
Or is it that the Star King Vein, which has been passed down from the ancient empire for nearly three thousand years, is indeed something extraordinary?
Or maybe it's his other half...
Thinking of this, Gilbert frowned slightly.
But this worthy nobleman still bowed slightly.
"Tales, dear young gentleman, please allow me to call you this for the time being."
"You are 7 years old this year. On the evening of July 25, 665, you were born in the Mann Manor on the outskirts of Yongxing City, the capital of the Star King." Gilbert said calmly:
"Your biological mother is an aristocratic lady whose name cannot be disclosed. She died of hemorrhage during childbirth. Before her death, she named you Thales after a star."
Thales frowned slightly.
"You grew up in Mann Manor under the secret care of the Bright Star family. Another palace lady and I will visit you from time to time."
"During this period, you have been growing up as a child adopted by Lord Mann when he was hunting, and you do not know your identity."
"Last December, Lord Mann died in battle on the western desert border. Because he had no heirs, his property and territory were taken back by the royal family. At the same time, I will take you back to Mindis Hall in the Evening Star District."
Thales was silent and listened to this narrative.
"And next month," Gilbert squeezed the book in his hand, "as the illegitimate son of King Kessel V, the orthodox member of the Star Royal Family, the only remaining bloodline descendant of the Bright Star Family, you will claim your birthright.
The right is jointly recognized by the royal family, the Sunset Temple, and the High Council of the Stars as——"
The look in Gilbert's eyes was solemn and solemn, with a slight hint of worry and sadness.
"—Heir to the High King of the Stars."
After a long time, Thales breathed out slightly.
It seems to be much more complicated than imagined.
"I understand, some parts are still unclear, but I will remember it firmly. I used to be Thales of Mann Manor, and I was also the adopted son of Lord Mann." Thales' eyes flashed and he put up his hands.
His mind was quickly arranging, combining existing information, and combining elements from Gilbert's words into effective information.
Gilbert nodded and sat down on a leather chair opposite Thales.
"For the rest, I will summarize the details for you to recite and become familiar with."
"This is your current task, and you only need to know this."
Sure enough, although he respects me very much.
But deep down, I still feel that there is no need to talk too much to a seven-year-old child.
Thales' eyes flashed.
"Now I need to know your relevant basics——"
Just as Gilbert was thinking about what course to provide Thales with next, whether it was basic etiquette or written language, the future heir to the stars suddenly spoke, interrupting him.
"So, we have decided on a unified rhetoric to the outside world," Thales, who was curled up in the leather chair, lifted his chin from his hands, his eyes flashing: "Then it's time to tell me the truth, right?"
Gilbert was slightly startled.
"For example, the identity of my biological mother, and why her identity is so-hidden."
"There is also the difficult current situation of the Star Kingdom, especially the series of problems caused by the royal succession."
"In addition to the predicament the king is in, as well as those overt and covert, our common enemies and allies?"
"Perhaps you should tell me the above in detail, so that I will no longer have doubts in the following courses, and I will be better able to choose and focus on the knowledge I want to learn. I think this is for the stars and your king.
the best choice."
The voice fell.
The middle-aged noble's chin was slightly open and he looked back at Thales in surprise.
Did Yodel tell him this?
No, it's impossible.
Thales put away his hands with a calm expression, calmly but firmly waiting for Gilbert's answer.
At that moment, Gilbert felt as if he had seen the young Katherine Eddie Brightstar.
At that time, the stars in Prince Kessel's eyes were still there, and the warm light had not yet turned into the biting north wind.
Gilbert only lost consciousness for a moment, then came back to his senses and sighed slightly.
An extraordinary child?
From the next moment, the middle-aged noble began to answer his young master honestly, respectfully and respectfully:
"I see."
"I'll answer it for you right away."
"In order to save a little time, if you have any questions, you can ask them as well."
Thales frowned slightly.
"Very good," he stood up from the comfortable but uncomfortable leather chair, "Then I'll be direct."
The time traveler lets go of the extraordinary thinking in his brain, pulls out all the intelligence and information, and summarizes the key points just like he used to organize documents.
"You said that the bloodline lamp was a magic spell cast twelve years ago, but I am obviously only 7 years old. Why did you start preparing to find bloodline descendants twelve years ago? I think this is probably the same as mine.
It is related to an ulterior biological mother. Who is she? Why did she leave me in the hands of gangsters after giving birth to me seven years ago? These questions can be boiled down to 'where do I come from'."
"Also, Kessel - my father is obviously still in his prime, so what is the reason why the Kingdom of Stars has had no heir for twelve years? Why do all the hopes of an heir fall on an illegitimate son of unknown origin? What does my father mean to me?
His attitude is not right. If it is not a matter of personal character, then I have to ask: What is his relationship with my mother? Why should my identity be kept so secret? These questions are probably 'Who am I'?"
"Finally, what does my existence mean to the Kingdom of Stars? What kind of problems will Stars without heirs face? Who are our enemies and who are allies? From what you say, Sunset Temple is my business
What is their situation? If my identity is recognized, or if I just appear in the kingdom, what situation will I face? As an illegitimate child, what are my rights? As an heir, what exactly do I want to inherit? These questions
, which can be summed up as 'where am I going'."
"Where I come from, who I am, and where I'm going."
"Mr. Gilbert, please answer these three questions for me."
Time seems to have stopped at this moment.
Gilbert stared at the boy in front of him.
For no reason, strangeness and fear arose in his heart.
The ancestor of ancient times, the ancestor of the stars.
He sighed in his heart.
Is this boy your descendant?
What kind of power does your bloodline contain?
It took a long while before a word came out of the middle-aged noble's mouth.
"Mr. Thales," he breathed out with some difficulty and organized his words:
"You really don't look like a seven-year-old."
Taylor immediately realized that what he had just done was inappropriate.
But he was already riding a tiger.
Anyway, a child prodigy who knows everything about the world is better than an ignorant puppet?
"More than one person has said this. If you want to please me, you have to use a creative way of saying it, Mr. Gilbert." In order to ease Gilbert's expression, Thales had a rare moment of humor, and a smile appeared on his face.
Make a smile.
Gilbert didn't reply, but looked at him deeply, his eyes unmoving for a long time.
Just when Thales was wondering if time had stopped, the sculptural middle-aged nobleman suddenly spoke and began to answer his doubts.
"Dear Mr. Thales, first of all, where are you from?"
"It all started twelve years ago."
"In March of 660, although the late King Eddy II was old, he was still in power. His rule was long and stable, and he was known as the 'King of Eternal Rule'."
"But suddenly, the entire Kingdom of Stars fell into unprecedented turmoil due to an intensifying rebellion, which even implicated the entire Western Continent."
"War, disaster, and famine, this was the theme of that year."
"Many people refer to that year as the 'Year of Blood.'"
"In such chaos and bloodshed, King Eddie was killed, and the entire Bright Star royal family was almost slaughtered."
"Among all the orthodox royal members, only his fifth son, the 35-year-old Prince Kessel Brightstar, survived and was eventually crowned king."
"That is your father, Kessel V, known as the 'Iron-fisted King'."