I don’t know how long it took, until an oil lamp on the wall started to flicker, and the suffocating silence in the tavern finally dissipated.
"Damn it, Prince..." Tampa sighed painfully: "This...why am I so unlucky today..."
"Oops, uh, this is not a good sign..." Kuaisheng lowered his head and muttered something.
"You..." This is Marina staring at Thales with her eyes wide open, her palm pressed tightly on the hilt of the sword.
The mercenaries also began to whisper.
"Quiet."
Clay ordered calmly, his eyes not leaving Thales, but the sword was still pressed against Dean's chest.
Thales put aside all his scruples, leaned back on the chair with relief, and calmly faced everyone's gaze.
Now that things have come to this, what else can be done?
It's better to think about it, next...
"Do you really think you can smuggle out loot right under our noses, Dean?"
The former special envoy of the Exeters, Russell Vader, who was no longer a baron, snorted from his nose, glanced at Thales, and said coldly to Dean: "Especially such a big portion?"
Dean curled his lips disdainfully: "You are just lucky, the king's lackey."
Russell gave him a contemptuous smile in return.
Ricky slowly walked forward, stood in front of Thales, and looked directly into Thales' eyes.
"Tiles Bright Star?"
Ricky raised the corners of his mouth and looked at Thales with slightly divergent eyes: "You really exceeded my expectations."
At that moment, his eyes became stern:
"Just like other bright stars."
Thales was a little stunned.
Whether it was Nicolai, Monty, Dean, or just now Dozer and Russell, when they looked at Thales, it was often like looking at a prey or valuable treasure.
But the strange thing is that the way Ricky looked at him didn't have any such meaning at all, but was slightly confused.
It's like seeing another person through Thales.
But Thales, who was in danger, couldn't think so much. He thought carefully about his opportunities.
Thales coughed first, then took a deep breath: "Same for you, Sword of Disaster."
“Choosing the hardest road was beyond my expectation.”
Ricky closed his eyes, smiled, and turned around. The figure cast on the wall swayed in the light.
"It seems that your mission has been completed ahead of schedule, Drill," Ricky glanced sideways at Drill in the distance: "It's easier than expected, maybe too easy?"
The driller bowed from afar, with a smile on his face.
"Thanks to you all."
"Don't waste any more time," Russell interrupted them decisively: "This is the enemy's territory, and we still need to arrange evacuation."
"You are intercepting the secret room..." Dean wanted to say something, but Clay turned his wrist slightly, and the pressing edge of the sword blocked all the words of the dark room agent in his throat.
Ricky walked back and waved, and Clay and the masked man nodded to him.
Thales observed their interaction, saw Ricky's gesture, and knew that he could no longer remain silent.
"I don't understand, Ricky," Thales cleared his throat and said loudly to Ricky's back: "I heard about you from an attendant, a group of swordsmen who aim to overthrow the Terminator Tower, right?
"
Ricky paused.
"Of course, you have heard of it," Crassus, the Sword of Disaster, sneered:
"But you don't know that."
Thales snorted softly.
"does it worth?"
The prince stood up from his seat, and the mercenaries beside him unconsciously shifted into combat postures until Ricky waved them away.
"The Prison of Bones...is it worth you giving up everything and going against the entire Kingdom of Stars? Even to the point of cooperating with these people to kidnap me and make yourself the mortal enemy of the stars?" Thales said solemnly.
Russell frowned in the distance.
"Stop talking nonsense to him, this prince is used to inciting..."
But Ricky raised a hand to suppress the Exeter man's words.
The leader of the Sword of Disaster turned around again and approached Thales step by step.
Compared with other people who are murderous or have a sharp aura that keeps strangers away, the leader of the Sword of Disaster has gentle eyes and a calm demeanor, and is not very aggressive. However, for some reason, he seems to have a slowly accumulating whirlpool around him.
As the steps slowly accumulated, Thales' breathing stagnated unconsciously wherever he stepped.
"Like I said, you don't know."
He bent down and looked directly into Thales's eyes: "You don't know what we want."
Thales gritted his teeth and raised his fingers.
"Listen, no matter what you want, or who you want to rescue from the Bone Prison, I can satisfy you, just a small order..."
The prince took a step forward and said firmly: "Don't forget, I am the prince of the stars and the heir to the kingdom. This is your best and safest opportunity, as long as..."
But Ricky just smiled mysteriously and shook his head.
Instead, the masked man behind him said in a low voice: "You can't."
His tone was cold:
"Unless you are the king."
The masked man's tone contained an irresistible negative emotion, as if Thales was his enemy, which made the prince stunned for a moment.
"But I will eventually," Thales came back to his senses and tried his best to seize the opportunity:
"And you're ruining that opportunity..."
Ricky suddenly spoke and interrupted him.
"I heard another Bright Star say something like "I will become a king," Ricky said lightly: "Guess what happened to him?"
Thales was stunned for a second by these words.
"Even if you do become the king, Thales Bright Star," Ricky straightened up and looked down at Thales: "By then, everything will have changed. Whether it's us..."
His eyes dimmed slightly:
"still you."
"In contrast, I prefer to choose the present."
The melancholy in his tone made Thales think deeply.
Ricky shook his head.
"Tie him up, pack him up and take him away." The leader of the Sword of Disaster returned to his previous calmness and ruthlessness.
This made Thales nervous!
Oops.
what to do?
Ricky glanced at the fast rope beside Thales and frowned, "As for the other person..."
Quick Rope immediately sat up straight, pointing at Thales with a frightened and innocent look on his face: "No, no, no..."
"I swear, he paid me to do this. I really have nothing to do with this person."
What? Thales raised his eyebrows.
Ricky snorted: "Very good, then kill him."
What? Kuaisheng's throat seemed to have been strangled instantly, and together with his unbelievable expression, he was frozen in place.
The two mercenaries behind Quick Rope drew their swords and prepared to step forward.
Dean couldn't help but frown.
"Really, there really isn't anything..." Kuaisheng looked at this and then that, biting the word "relationship" in his mouth, and repeated in shock and mechanically: "No, no, no
any……"
The next second, the sluggish Quick Rope seemed to have made up his mind. He gritted his teeth, raised his voice, and shouted out the words he was still hesitating intermittently: "There is really no possibility of separation!"
In the strange eyes of everyone, Kuaisheng threw away his arms, looking righteous and awe-inspiring.
"I, Wyatt Kasuo, must stay with His Highness Thales!" He stopped in front of Thales and shouted categorically under the latter's stunned eyes.
Quick Rope bravely raised his arms and pointed at the people around him, his tone was heroic and fearless, and he looked down upon death:
"In the name of my father, Gilbert Castle, you will never try to separate me from the prince!"
Dean looked at him in disbelief, as if he was meeting a new member of the team for the first time.
Thales's face twitched.
"Kasuo?"
Russell's expression moved and he said suspiciously:
"Are you the son of Xingchen Cunning Fox?"
Kuai Rope, who was still panicking at first, became elated when he heard this.
But he still kept a straight face, ignoring the weird looks in Thales and Dean's eyes, and finished his words despite everyone's questions:
"Exactly!"
Kuai Sheng said solemnly with a righteous face: "Do you miss him, or do you miss the "Fortress Peace Treaty"? Northerners who don't have a long memory?"
Thales on the side could only cover his forehead and sigh deeply.
Russell stared at the fast rope for a long time before grinning.
"very good."
"Then let's tie up this young Master Castle," Exeter's former diplomatic envoy sneered:
"It will be very useful."
Thales noticed that the fast rope beside him secretly let out a big sigh of relief.
"Well done, dear Wyatt Castle, I can't help but applaud you," Thales sarcastically said without moving his lips: "What's the next step?"
Marina and Sunny signaled, and several mercenaries immediately followed them. Clay put away his sword and retreated, letting these people get closer to Thales and the other two.
"Next step?"
Quick Rope raised his eyebrows: "We... Dean, do you have any other secret weapons?"
"No matter what weapons I have," Dean said sarcastically in a low voice, holding back his anger and watching the enemies around him getting closer and closer, "after being strangled once and put into a sack, it's useless.
.”
Kuaisheng curved his mouth with a serious expression to show understanding.
Thales listened to their questions and answers and sighed.
Then, all that's left is...
"Wait a moment."
Thales raised his palm and stopped it in front of the mercenaries.
"If I am really that important, Ricky," Prince Star raised his head, took a step forward, and shouted to Ricky: "Then are you going to hand me over to Shadow Shield or King Charmaine?"
Thales glanced at the drill and then at Russell:
"In order for your next actions to go smoothly, maybe you should please Shadow Shield now, right?"
"To prevent them from stumbling upon you?"
Ricky frowned and looked at him.
Russell snorted angrily, but the drill beside him smiled and shook his head, pressing the former's words.
"Your Highness, there is no need to worry. We have already made an agreement." The driller spread his hands from a distance, as if he had seen through Thales' sinister intentions: "Under our careful care, you will first visit our branch for a while.
Time, after we clear up some misunderstandings, we can safely send you back to Exeter..."
Thales' nerves slowly became tense.
But right now.
"No," Ricky raised his eyes, interrupted the drill, and said coldly: "This prince will be guarded by us."
This sentence seemed to freeze the entire atmosphere.
Thales breathed out.
He achieved his goal.
The driller's eyes narrowed.
"What?"
Ricky's expression remained unchanged, and he calmly faced the driller's rhetorical question, as if the other party had not spoken.
The driller showed a confused smile: "I don't, I don't understand?"
Russell also looked surprised.
"He made it clear enough," the masked man behind Ricky said to them unceremoniously: "Until the goal is accomplished, the prince must remain in our hands."
The drill boy raised his eyebrows, seeming a little surprised.
"But, this prince is our target." He pointed at Thales, still smiling.
Ricky shook his head: "But it's not ours."
The driller and Russell looked at each other and changed their expressions at the same time.
"That prince is a mercenary on the terms we have negotiated." Russell maintained his restraint, but even the fast rope could hear that he was trying to suppress his emotions: "We get him, and we will help you break into the Prison of Bones.
.”
Ricky, Clay and the masked man exchanged glances and laughed together.
"But he's here now."
"Your goal is close at hand, but our mission has yet to be completed," Ricky said steadily, with a solemn look in his eyes: "How do I know that you and the people you arranged outside will keep your promises and fulfill the agreement?
"
He glanced at the drill and Russell:
"How do I know that you won't burn bridges across the river, become ruthless, and use us as bait to lure the enemy to escape and sell us out to a whole camp of Starmen after you get out?"
Russell no longer cared about his image, he strode forward and glared at Ricky.
"You shouldn't doubt Exeter's promise." Exeter said coldly.
But as if it was prepared for him, the masked man took a step forward at the right time and stopped in front of Russell.
The mercenaries became nervous again, and they moved quietly to block the way of the two guests.
"Based on the character of the Kinslayer King?" The masked man replied with hostility: "Don't overestimate yourselves, people of Exeter."
Russell looked around with a cold look in his eyes: "Aha, I smell the stink of the Star People."
Ricky clapped his hands gently to stop this little conflict.
"I don't doubt your promise, Baron Vader," Ricky said calmly, but looked directly at the driller with a complicated expression: "But I don't believe him."
"Don't trust Teng's deputy or Teng's student."
"I don't believe anyone who dares to betray even Teng."
The boy's expression froze slightly.
"So this prince remains in our hands and will be guarded by us until you complete the part of the cooperation you agreed on."
"Until we get what we want."
Russell turned around and glanced at the silent driller with a frown.
The drill took a breath and opened the corner of his mouth.
"You know……"
"Tonight, I summoned so many people at short notice and ventured back to the camp to meet with you at all costs and propose cooperation. I did not do it to cause harm or to harm both of you."
Zhuozi spread his hands and said with a pleasant smile but with deep meaning: "I am here to prevent your plan from conflicting with our goal... resulting in a conflict between the two, resulting in a loss for both parties."
Ricky snorted slightly.
"so?"
"So, dear Crassus," the driller lowered his head, his tone gradually tightened, and his eyes gradually became colder: "When you grasp our goal but are greedy and refuse to let go, you are wasting my efforts today.
, destroying the bridge of our cooperation.”
"And the conflict of goals that brings us to each other."
"You know, we still have many resources that can help you, such as the defense of the Bone Prison?"
Ricky's smile slowly disappeared.
"Threat?" Clay on the side sneered and showed his sword hilt: "Very good, this is what you should be like, Shadow."
The atmosphere in the venue became tense again.
"Really? You guys?" Russell gritted his teeth as he saw that the situation was slowly going wrong, and reluctantly slapped his thigh: "Oh, please!"
Thales gritted his teeth and observed the situation, thinking about how to add more fire.
The alliance between the Shield of Shadow and the Sword of Disaster is not that stable. As Diaozi said, they each have their own desires and are wary of each other, so they temporarily shook hands and made peace.
In fact, the former is calculating to take advantage of the latter's power, while the latter is always wary of the former's backlash.
Just tear down the basis of their cooperation...
Ricky shook his head.
"A bridge of cooperation?"
"On the contrary, drill, I'm reinforcing it," Ricky looked at him steadily:
"Just waiting for your next brick."
"To ensure that our cooperation will not cause one side of the bridge to collapse due to excessive weight."
He patted the table.
The next second, the mercenaries around him, including those at the fence on the second floor, all stood up and looked at the drill with cold eyes.
The driller frowned tightly.
He put his hand into his robe and grasped a signal whistle.
He knew that as soon as he blew it, the Shadow Shield assassins' ambush would invade from the weak points around the tavern.
but……
Zhuo Zi looked at the mercenaries standing around him, his expression getting worse and worse.
Damn it.
The air became increasingly oppressive, and the two principals of Shadow Shield and Sword of Disaster exchanged glances countless times.
Finally, in the unspeakable tension, Dongzi let out a breath.
"You always like to have the initiative in your hands, don't you?" He put on his friendly smile again and faced Ricky.
Ricky snorted lightly and didn't answer.
The driller blinked and raised his hand seemingly helplessly.
"I understand, dear Crassus, if this is the case..."
He lowered his head and seemed to hesitate for a second.
The next second, in the eyes of everyone who were either worried or wary, questioning or wary, Zhuo Zi raised his head with a bright smile.
"I can guarantee you."
Ricky narrowed his eyes: "Guarantee?"
The driller nodded with a smile and stretched his hand to his chest: "I promise that my people will not ruin your business after being lucky enough to invite Prince Thales."
He took out a short knife!
Seeing the drill's movements, the mercenaries nervously held down their weapons to prevent a surprise attack.
At that moment, Thales, who originally thought there was still a chance of improvement, felt his heart sink.
An unpleasant feeling came to mind.
But Ricky gently raised his hand to restrain his nervous subordinate.
"What am I talking about?" Clay said coldly, holding a dim light in his hand: "They can hide a weapon even in a **."
The driller smiled, flicked his backhand, and turned the blade inward, cutting a gap in his robe.
Thales frowned slightly: Mezzanine?
Perhaps to prevent misunderstanding, the driller used two fingers to very slowly draw out a neatly folded, yellowed page from the middle of the robe.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, he smiled and walked forward slowly. He put the knife back into his robe with one hand and gently took it out with the other hand, handing the paper he was holding in front of Ricky.
Ricky watched the drill's movements solemnly, and also took the paper from the drill's hand with a few slow movements.
"What is this?" he frowned.
The driller smiled.
"An old letter."
"A letter written to a sweetheart expresses one's heartfelt feelings and is sincere and touching." A rare light flashed in the eyes of the man: "Unfortunately, it will never reach the hands of the recipient."
Almost everyone was stunned.
What?
Ricky pursed his lips and turned his attention to the letter.
"Be careful," the masked man warned coldly, "They are also good at using poison."
Ricky nodded, carefully grasped the corner of the letter, and shook it open.
From Thales's perspective, it could be seen that it was a rather old piece of animal skin paper, and it was obviously not a cheap item.
As for the content of the letter, because the distance was too far, Thales entered the hell sense and could see it from the side. It was a line of neat and beautiful black cursive characters. Even from the outline of the chapter, the owner's writing could be vaguely seen.
Attentiveness and seriousness on time.
letter?
Thales became confused.
Ricky glanced at it roughly, then raised his head and frowned: "Why?"
As if he had anticipated the other party's reaction, he kept smiling and bowed patiently:
"Look at the signature."
Ricky took a deep look at the drill, obviously dissatisfied with the other person's pretentiousness.
But he still looked at the letter:
"h·n......."
Ricky's expression changed.
He raised his head and waited for the other party's answer.
In response to the other party's question, the driller smiled contentedly and mysteriously.
"That's right."
"h·n·Brilliant Star." He repeated each letter one by one, his tone was ethereal, as if calling up a long memory.
The drill took a deep breath and said softly:
"That's the person who wrote this letter."
"Hyman Knight Bright Star."
"The former fourth prince of the Kingdom of Stars."
At that moment, only two people reacted: Thales took a sharp breath, and the masked man's eyes widened.
But after a few seconds, many people's expressions changed.
I heard the man say in a solemn tone: "On that night eighteen years ago, I got this unsent posthumous letter from him."
The assassin of Shadow Shield squinted his eyes, as if savoring a delicacy he had not tasted for a long time:
"Just when I took Prince Heiman from the highest tower in the Blade Tooth Camp..."