Before opening the door to Dean's room, Thales imagined many possible scenarios.
The situation before us was one of them: the suspicious and sophisticated mercenary prince showed an uncooperative attitude, treating him as an enemy and always being wary of Thales.
But the other party's reaction was simply too much.
"You don't have to do this."
Thales stared at Moral, feeling the faint stinging pain in his neck. He raised his hands in surprise and signaled to his opponent.
He calmed his breathing, suppressed the surging guilt of the prison river, and suppressed the unfounded thoughts of fighting back desperately: "I said I will keep my promise and let you go. No one will keep an eye on you, and neither will you."
trouble."
"you say'?"
Moral's voice sounded a little unusual, calm and cold: "This doesn't sound like a strong guarantee."
The opponent did not completely suppress him, but the knife in his hand was accurately and expertly placed on the artery. Thales could even clearly feel the surge of blood in his neck.
damn it.
Prince Xingchen tried his best to keep calm, and the luggage behind him was pressed against the bed, causing pain in his back.
But the suspicion and vigilance of the former Prince Exeter made him extremely uneasy: the other person seemed to have changed, as if the former mercenary Dean with a cheerful smile and easy-going personality had died and came to life in him.
Yes, he is another cold-blooded and cruel guy.
Thales even regretted it: maybe he should have gone to the army in the first place.
Not to mention those annoying officers in the desert, at least they can find the Star Army in the camp, and then come here without any loss to face the possible Moral.
but……
Thales shook his head in his heart to get rid of this thought.
No.
he can not.
"What more assurance do you want, Moral, of my life?"
"If I really want to deal with you, whether in the desert or now, I can go to my army. With them as my trump card, killing you or letting you go is a decision I can make."
Thales tried to figure out the other person's psychology and thoughts.
"But I didn't, and the reason why I did it..."
Thales swallowed his throat, causing another stabbing pain in his neck.
"No matter what I want to do with you, Morar, once I use the army and the power of the kingdom, your identity can no longer be kept secret," the Star Prince took a deep breath and tried his best to pull his neck back:
"No matter what I say, even if I explicitly let you go, the Secret Service or other interested people will notice the mercenary that the prince is targeting, and they will thoroughly investigate his origins, his details, and his secrets.
It all comes to light.”
Moral continued to stare at him, his eyes reflecting the thin moonlight, shining coldly.
From his expression, Thales saw a hint of coldness and...joking?
The uneasiness became more and more serious.
"If the secret department knows your identity, the first heir of Longxiao City who should have died..."
Thales gritted his teeth: "They won't let you go."
"If you fall into the hands of the Secret Department, everything will be irreversible..."
"This is something neither you nor I want to see."
Thales gasped, remembering something deeper and further away.
If Morar falls into the hands of the Secret Service...
That girl.
The girl in Longxiao City.
It is only a matter of time before her identity, her bloodline, and the truth of that night are exposed to the Black Prophet...
Thales thought bitterly.
By then, her end may be a hundred times worse than being coerced and controlled by King Charmaine. At least Charmaine still cares about the legitimacy of his throne and more or less maintains the fragile status of the Grand Duchess.
As the head of the Secret Service, Morat Hansen is not Thales. The old man in black wearing a cane has no friendship with the Grand Duchess.
As the creator of "Dragon's Blood", as long as it is profitable, Black Prophet will never care whether the poor girl will be cut into pieces or beheaded and hanged.
That girl.
The girl in the library, the girl with glasses.
The girl who was taken out of the Palace of Heroes six years ago because of him and returned to the Palace of Heroes because of him.
The girl who stood in front of the princes for him during the political day...
Thales seemed to feel that the pair of glasses on his chest had an unusual weight.
Moral's pupils slowly focused.
"You don't seem to trust the Kingdom Secret Service that serves you?"
These words reminded Thales of six years ago.
Reminds me of Dragon's Blood.
No, it cannot.
Thales clenched his fists.
The secret science cannot know Moral.
He couldn't go to the army to deal with this matter at the cost of destroying Selma.
That night, everything that happened in the Hall of Heroes must be an eternal secret. King Nun is dead, and Nikolai and Lisban must also shut up. As for King Charmaine...
Thales thought coldly.
No one will use this secret to concoct a second "Dragon's Blood".
Thales calmed down his breathing and forced out an ugly smile: "Trust is a rare thing in this era."
Moral's expression changed slightly.
"But why do you believe me?"
He asked softly, the knife in his hand turned at an angle, but still close to Thales' artery.
"Because you have no other better choice."
Thales said slowly: "Listen to me, Morar, leave now and pretend that nothing has happened. From now on, you will remain anonymous and stay away from the eyes of Lombard's minions and the secret department. At least you can have freedom."
"I'm sure that's something you value."
This time, Moral stared at him for a long time, but the strength of his hand never relaxed.
Thales looked back at him, hoping that he could regain some sense.
Finally, Moral laughed.
"Ha ha ha ha……"
The laughter is full of chills.
Thales' nerves, which had finally calmed down, became tense again.
But what was scary was not Moral's laughter, but what he said next.
"You misunderstood, Your Highness."
I saw Moral speaking slowly and authentically: "What I just asked is..."
"Why do you believe me..."
"Must be Morrel Walton?"
As soon as these words came out, Thales was stunned for three seconds.
What.
He said……
The night at the Blade Tooth Camp is quite quiet. The heavy fortress houses block the wind and sand, and also block the propagation of sound.
At this moment, the atmosphere in this small room was even more frighteningly silent.
Thales stared at his opponent in disbelief.
"I don't understand." He said subconsciously.
Moral snorted coldly.
"Of course you don't understand," the mercenary said sharply, "just like a fish that takes the bait doesn't understand: why is there a fishhook in the bait?"
Thales's hands trembled.
etc.
The prince stared at "Moral" who held his life in his hands, feeling chilled in his heart.
No.
No.
He finally realized that he had made a fatal mistake.
"It's so obvious."
Thales murmured.
He stared blankly at Moral in front of him, remembering a doubt that he had ignored for a long time.
"It's so obvious, your hair, eye color, words and deeds, political opinions, orc language, including your ax skills, and your identity as a mercenary...even the origin and accent of the Northlanders..."
A scary sneer appeared on Moral's face.
Prince Star looked at the mercenary in shock.
His brain started to work, thinking about things that he usually didn't pay attention to.
He remembered their first meeting.
Since then, this excellent and outstanding mercenary has led Dante's sword to negotiate, fight, and survive in the vast and complex desert, leading the mercenary's life to be vivid and colorful.
Even...a little famous.
"It's so obvious."
Thales' pupils focused on the other person, his heartbeat accelerated, and his breathing became rapid.
"As a mercenary, you run around here and there all year round, arrogantly running back and forth...but you don't cover up, hide, or even have any scruples," Thales shuddered at his own thoughts:
"You are almost telling those few people who know that Morar is still alive: The prince is here."
"This is not what someone who has been on the run for many years would do."
Moral, no, it should be Dean, his smile remains the same.
"And your reaction after being discovered... is also problematic."
"No, you're not him." Thales stared at the man in front of him and suddenly lost his expression.
"You are not Moral Walton." He said blankly.
The voice fell.
The hut was as quiet as ever.
The cold moonlight scattered onto Dean's face, making him look pale and gloomy at this moment.
The first thing that sounded was his low and intermittent laughter.
Dean's shoulders shook slightly, but the hand holding the knife was as steady as before.
The bald mercenary said calmly: "No, I'm not."
Thales' breathing stopped for a moment.
"I just didn't expect you to be so interested in Morar," Dean said softly, holding the knife in his left hand steadily: "In the original plan, it would take more time to fish you out from the heavily defended army.
It takes a little effort and cost.”
Thales took a long breath, not even caring that too much movement might endanger his neck.
He can't control that much anymore.
At this moment, he was already filled with surprise and regret in his heart.
"Why?"
Thales's chest heaved: "Who on earth are you!"
Dean shook his head and let out a sigh of relief.
He lowered his body, got close to Thales' face, and used the knife to suppress the target's possibility of resistance: "At first, when I was sent to perform this task, I was full of confidence that only those with the most potential and ability can get this.
The honor of going deep behind enemy lines and getting in touch with the most profound and unpleasant secrets..."
"Find the prince who should have been dead for a long time."
Thales was stunned.
Perform tasks...
Going deep behind enemy lines...
Find the prince who should have been dead for a long time?
he is……
He is here...
"But as time flies, the search day after day turns out to be fruitless, and the investigation year after year still yields no news."
Dean's voice was particularly cold:
"Morar is like evaporating from the world: No matter the Three Kingdoms of the Lost Sea, the Land of Thorns, the Land of Dragon's Kiss, Camas, the Great Desert, I have searched all the places where I can find mercenaries, but I have never found him.
trace."
"I have exhausted all methods and tried my best to figure out his psychology, behavior, and goals from all the known information." Dean's words were filled with deep hatred: "For countless days and nights, I lurked
In a place full of secret eyes and ears, full of star power, I carefully concealed myself and racked my brains to search for Morar."
"No."
Dean gritted his teeth and said:
"There are no clues."
"I'm just desperate."
Thales' breathing trembled.
Through the sin of the prison river, the prince desperately forced himself to calm down and rethink the current situation.
"So," Thales frowned: "So you just..."
Dean looked at Thales who was in disbelief and smiled, seemingly enjoying the moment.
"So, when I was desperate, I turned myself into him, into Moral."
The mercenary gritted his teeth.
"I imitated his appearance, copied his words and deeds, learned his manners, and even his thoughts and his character: Prince? Northerner? Learned Orc language? Student of Faller? Mercenary? Bitch who likes the lower classes.
?”
His words became more urgent, with deep resentment and unwillingness hidden in them.
"I regarded his wishes as my wishes and his actions as my actions. I went where he was most likely to go and did what he was most likely to do, hoping to find someone with the suspicious identity of 'Dean'
To understand something, or to lead out those who are interested in him, to see what clues can be obtained from them, or even to lead to Moral himself."
Dean's raised voice stopped abruptly, and his expression was obscure and painful.
"But I still failed."
"No," the mercenary with a suspicious identity said bitterly: "Except for a few spies who are suspected of being from the North, there is still nothing."
"For five years, I was like a headless fly, a blind cheetah, and a stiff sand snake, fluttering in vain in all the places where Morar might appear, in pain and hopelessness."
"A day without good news, a day without trace of him, a day without completing the task, I have been trapped here, unable to go back, unable to leave, unable to escape..."
He stared at Thales: "For five whole years."
"do you understand?"
Thales slowly calmed down.
So everything is very clear. The person in front of me, he is...
Dean sneered and said: "I've had enough. This never-ending, fruitless pursuit has wasted my years and talents that should have made a difference in sand and swords."
His eyes changed.
"But at this moment, you appeared."
Dean looked at Thales feverishly, the muscles on his face distorted inch by inch.
"My savior."
Thales looked at him blankly, but his right hand quietly touched his waist.
But the veteran mercenary noticed this.
The knife in his hand moved slightly.
Thales had to raise his head to prevent it from getting embedded in his arteries, and at the same time he sighed and put down his right hand.
"So, you were targeting me as early as when we met." The prince said angrily.
Dean didn't care about Thales's little moves. He just snorted and shook his head: "At first, I wasn't sure who you were, especially when we first met the Star Army. You didn't show up from the beginning to the end.
Despite your identity, even after arriving at the Blade Tooth Camp, you showed no sign of looking for reinforcements, which made me more suspicious: Maybe you are not the person I thought you were?"
"I have to resist the urge to take action again and again... My temptation must be stopped. I am lurking here, isolated and helpless. If I am not careful, I will be doomed and drowned in the secrets and stars that come from the wind.
In the army."
"Until tonight."
The cabin is still silent, but the atmosphere here is completely different.
The man with a cold face suppressed Thales, turning the first night of the mercenaries' return home into a night of conflict full of conspiracy and danger.
"You are a spy, spy, agent, or something else," Thales said unwillingly:
"You're not here to find me."
Dean raised his eyebrows.
"No," he shook his head, quite satisfied:
"Escaped Thales, you are an unexpected surprise. Maybe you are not my first target, not my mission to lurk here, but there is no doubt that you are the ticket that allows me to jump out of this bottomless quagmire.
of… charter.”
Thales closed his eyes and exhaled a painful breath.
"Haha, now it seems that both King Charmaine and you know the news about Moral, and she will not be satisfied," Dean said solemnly: "But I caught you, which at least makes sense. I can finally leave here.
.”
Thales's heart moved.
etc.
He opened his eyes, held the knife against his neck, and spoke with difficulty.
"she?"
Thales asked in surprise: "You said, 'her'?"
"Yes, dear Prince Thales."
Dean nodded slightly, a sneer appearing on the corner of his mouth.
His upper body was slightly lowered, showing a non-standard etiquette:
"Darkroom says hello."
Thales didn't answer, his sighs were all muffled in his chest.
There was silence between the man and the boy for a long time.
After a long time, Thales finally breathed out.
"What are you going to do? Knock me out and take me away?"
"Where are you going from? Don't forget that this is the Saber Fang Camp. Are you taking me west and north to the desert filled with star armies? Or go east and south, and simply enter the inland land of the Star Kingdom?"
Dean shook his head.
"The situation here is indeed not good, but there will always be a way."
Thales chuckled.
"So not only are you not Morar, you are also a spy sent to search for Morar."
He frowned slightly.
"But... dear Dean, do you really think that I would be so stupid that I would put myself at risk and come to confront you at night without any confidence?"
Dean's smile froze.
"Have you not thought about it carefully?"
Thales said softly: "How did we meet?"
Dean was slightly startled.
But at this moment, something unexpected interrupted the confrontation between the two people.
Snap.
A soft sound.
The bright light shone into this dim cabin, clearly illuminating the two people on the bed.
Thales and Dean both turned their gazes.
I saw a drunk mercenary rookie, holding an oil lamp on a quick rope, standing at the door with a confused look on his face, maintaining the posture of pushing the door open.
Both of them were stunned.
Kuai Sheng yawned heavily and looked sleepy.
"Sorry, Dean, I didn't mean to wake you up, I just wanted to get in the tub in the middle of the night to get something to wipe my butt..." Kuaisheng murmured: "Those few glasses of wine are going to kill me...
"
A second later, he saw Thales pinned down on the bed by Dean and was stunned.
The mouth opens wider than an egg.
Under the unbelievable gazes of the two people, Kuai Rope suddenly covered his eyes!
He stammered and spoke in a panic: "Don't worry, I didn't see anything... I mean, you can continue, I swear I won't say anything to Louisa..."
Quick Rope covered his eyes tightly and stepped in cautiously, as if he was afraid of disturbing something.
He touched a broken cabinet next to the bed: "So where are the things..."
Only then did the two people who were nervously confronting each other on the bed come to their senses.
The two of them rushed to speak!
"Quick Rope, it's not what you see..." Dean, who was holding the opponent down, frowned: "Huaiya is very suspicious. I suspect he may be..."
"No, Quick Rope, I am Prince Thales, and he is a Northland spy!" Thales, who was pinned down, said with difficulty: "Hurry up and find the people in the camp..."
Dean put a little force on the knife in his hand, blocking Thales's words in his throat.
Kuai Sheng covered his eyes and fumbled his way to the cabinet.
"Wow, role play? Torture the prince?"
The new mercenary smiled awkwardly: "You have so many tricks..."