In the dark cell, the atmosphere full of ominousness and horror lingered for a long time.
Even after Ricky's laughter and Sak'el's sobs both disappeared, Thales could still feel the gloomy, creepy trembling in the air.
Year of Blood.
Eddie II.
Bright Star Royal Family.
And, the only thing that threatens the Queen of Magic...
The perfect anti-demon weapon.
Thales was breathing in a daze, and just realized that his limbs were trembling slightly.
The secret just now shocked the prince so much.
Thales lowered his head in shock and looked at his left hand - there were several shallow scars on his palm, which could not be seen without looking closely.
Six years ago, he used this hand to hold the forbidden weapon... and sealed Giza?
That one was most likely the culprit who killed the Canxing royal family...
The Purifying Frontier?
Thinking of its name that should not be a coincidence and its strange call as if it were alive, Thales couldn't help but clenched his fists and his heart tightened.
What on earth is that?
Countless questions and goosebumps came to him, engulfing him.
"We should go."
On the other side, Ricky put away his aftertaste and joyful expression and replied calmly:
"That's it for today."
But just when he turned around.
"Wait, Ricky."
Sameer, who was also stunned, sighed and looked at Sak'el in the cell: "One last question."
Under the dim light, the figure of the punishment knight seemed to be sitting slumped on the ground, full of sadness.
Ricky frowned slightly, but didn't say anything in the end.
Samir walked towards the fence step by step, and the firelight forced the shadow of the fence closer to him, and continued to approach the corner where Sak'el was hiding.
"Just now, Sak'el."
"Little Barney told me," Samuel took a breath and hesitated slightly: "There was a traitor in the royal guard back then and betrayed His Majesty and His Highness."
Sak'el in the cell shuddered and raised his head sluggishly.
The expression is erratic.
Thales forcibly put away the chaotic thoughts in his heart and looked at the field.
"Barney spoke so eloquently and so eloquently." Thinking of the scene just now, Samir, who was holding a torch, had a painful expression on his face: "What's inside and outside, what's falsely conveying orders from His Highness the Crown Prince, what's deliberately taking us in circles, what's still lurking behind our backs afterward.
In the team... nonsense like that."
Sak'el, who was sitting against the wall, was still looking at him silently, but his face was slightly lowered, immersed in the shadows, and he couldn't see clearly.
Samir chuckled, not knowing whether it was sarcasm or self-deprecation.
"It seems that traitors really exist," Samir's tone revealed unspeakable sadness:
"It seems that as long as they find him, Barney and the others can be freed and at least atone for their own sins."
Sak'el in the prison breathed a sigh of relief, as if he had not yet recovered from the blow just now.
But at least he spoke, in a casual tone, as if he was sleepwalking:
"Is it."
Samir's face tightened.
"So, Sak'el," he gritted his teeth as if he had made up his mind: "I must ask this: is it you?"
"The so-called traitors back then..."
"is it you?"
This question made both Thales and Ricky have different opinions. The former was silent and the latter was indifferent.
Sak'el was like a slow old man, it took him a few seconds to react.
He slowly raised his head and looked at Samuel confusedly in the dark corner where light could not reach.
"When the situation was urgent and we encountered enemies on all sides."
Samir exhaled, gritted his teeth, and said with difficulty:
"Whether it's at the palace gate or the Hall of Stars, whether it's Captain Cullen or Big Barney, Tony, they can safely hand over the elite main force of the Guard - including the forty-six people who were later sentenced - into your hands, or
Watching you leave, or counting on your help..."
He clenched his fists unconsciously.
"Because they all know and believe that no matter how powerful the enemy is, if they are led by the Punishment Knight and the next captain of the guard they are optimistic about is present, then danger can be turned into good fortune and everything will be safe."
Samir held his head, as if he couldn't bear to hurt the deeply hit and bruised man in front of him: "Unless...unless he is a traitor."
The flag officer gently closed his eyes.
"Is that you, Sak'el?"
Both Thales and Ricky listened quietly.
In the cell, Sak'el took a few breaths and slowly raised his eyes.
"Is it me?" he repeated blankly, with confusion in his eyes.
Samuel opened his eyes slightly, and although he couldn't bear it a little, he still spoke forcefully:
"Sak'el, you may not be good at forgery or espionage, but you are the confidant of the crown prince's bodyguard, and you are still second to none in combat power, not to mention that you also serve as the chief flag officer."
Sak'el twitched the corners of his mouth with a half-smile. Due to the limited light, Thales couldn't see the exact expression above the corners of his mouth.
"Is it me?"
He repeated quietly again.
Samir sighed, seeming to have no confidence in the other party's condition.
But he paused for a few seconds and then spoke decisively.
"Sak'el, I know you are not clear-headed," the flag officer gritted his teeth and said harshly: "But it doesn't matter. I believe that, like many people, like me, there is only one thing in your memory that will never fade.
"
Boom!
Samuel raised his fist and hit himself hard on the chest!
The three people present couldn't help but look askance.
"Swear, Sak'el, swear in front of me, in front of the blood of the Bright Star."
Samir said resolutely, with a cold light flashing in his eyes:
"On your honor, your dignity, your sword, your ancestors, and on the name of the Sak'el family, the Ludor nobles who have been loyal to the throne since the empire's time and have been passed down for a long time!"
Finally, Sak'el trembled when he heard these words!
The punishment knight stood up slowly, revealing his branded face in the dim firelight, and his eyes slowly gained focus.
Ricky was thoughtful.
I heard Samuel breathing rapidly, and continued with a face full of pain: "Solemnly swear, Sak'el... In this life, you have never betrayed the Bright Star royal family, betrayed the royal guard, or betrayed the oath of the imperial guard!"
Sak'el's face slowly turned solemn.
Thales's breathing gradually became smaller.
"Tell me, tell me personally, you are not a traitor."
Samir said in a low voice, with a hint of helplessness in his tone:
"tell me."
But Sak'el didn't answer, he just looked at Samir from a distance, his eyes slightly cold.
For a moment, the only sounds of four people's breathing were heard in the air.
But in the next second——
tread!
I saw Samir take a fierce step forward and grab Sak'el's cell fence!
Ricky's face changed slightly.
"I beg you!"
Samir turned his back to Thales, with an unclear expression and a rather gritty tone.
But Sak'el remained silent, just staring at him.
"Please, answer me, Your Majesty the Punisher," Once again, Samir's words already had a hint of pleading:
"This is so important."
His hand holding the fence began to tremble.
Finally, Sak'el snorted lightly, and his eyes that had just become distracted returned to clarity.
"Too important?"
"Why are they—Barney Jr. questioning you, Samuel?"
He curled up the corners of his mouth and shook his head silently:
"Asking whether you are a traitor or not?"
Samir's face turned pale. He didn't know whether it was because he couldn't bear the pain or for some other reason. He subconsciously let go of the fence and took a step back.
His palms trembled slightly.
"And you, do you hope that I am a traitor," the punishment knight smiled: "Or do you hope that I am not?"
There was silence in the air for a long time.
Samir lowered his head deeply.
However, not long after, a silent sigh came from the darkness.
Unexpectedly, Sak'el's voice gradually sounded, from low to high, from light to heavy.
"I swear," he said calmly:
"Imanu Sak'el, hereby solemnly swear by my honor, my dignity, my sword, my ancestors, and in the name of the Sak'el family that has been loyal to the throne since the time of the empire.
"
Samir seemed to be inspired by something and raised his head with a complicated expression.
"I'll spend my whole life, forever." As the words progressed, Sak'el's tone became more and more solemn:
"I have never betrayed the Royal Family of Bright Star, nor have I betrayed the oath of the Imperial Guard."
Thales' eyebrows jumped.
He seemed to have missed something.
Sure enough, Sak'el's sigh came again:
"The only person I'm sorry for is you."
Samir's breath seemed to have been cut off.
Just listen to the decadent and sad voice of the punishment knight continue to sound:
He sounded like a waning old man regretting the sins of his youth.
Samir remained motionless.
"As a person with high hopes, in such a storm, I am neither capable nor capable of protecting you, helping you, leading you, and going through difficulties and dangers with you," Sak'el looked at Samir,
Looking at the mark on his face, he said blankly:
"I can only sit here, day after day, year after year, watching you sink to this point and suffer so much."
Thales turned his head and thought of the thirty-seven emperor's guards who died in the Bone Prison above, and thought of their dull, desolate, relieved, or crazy eyes, and then looked at the unshaven Sacé.
Well, it was quite unpleasant for a while.
Sak'el closed his eyes gently and squeezed out a word that had been on his heart for who knows how many years:
"sorry."
There was silence again.
Samir's expression remained unchanged for a long time, but he slowly turned his head away.
"So, the traitor is not you," the flag officer trembled slightly: "Or, the traitor has died in prison."
"Or is there no traitor at all? No one betrayed His Majesty's family?"
Samir turned his head suddenly, with a hint of pleading in his tone:
"Everything, everything is just the imagination of that conspirator Barney Jr.?"
Sak'el did not answer him immediately, but walked silently and sat back down in his original position filled with a desolate atmosphere.
After a while, a faint sigh came from the air.
"Maybe there is."
Samir was slightly startled: "What?"
I saw Sak'el leaning his head back against the wall, and his eyes seemed to have lost focus again:
"I think there are some traitors."
As soon as these words came out, both Samir, Thales, and even Ricky's expressions changed.
Until his words continue.
"But they're not just a person, or a face, or a name."
Samir frowned:
"What's the meaning?"
Sak'el shook his head with a helpless and hollow smile.
"Brothers of the royal guard are all from the major noble families in the royal capital," he looked above his head, seeming to see the past there, and the rhythm of his tone also became ups and downs, with a regular rhythm:
"Barney, Belletti, Samuel, Tardin, Sak'el...the old captain is the Sun Sword Shield from one of the six wealthy families, and is the youngest brother of the Duke of the East China Sea."
"They all have a very high sense of honor, responsibility, and even mission. They are proud to be Star People, proud to be descendants of the Empire, and regard the Kingdom as their eternal home and belonging."
Listening to the punishment knight's words, Samir was silently lost in thought.
"but……"
Sak'el changed the topic.
"You just heard what that man said, about the secret of Dragon Breaker," his expression became sad and painful: "About...that year."
The other three people were all startled.
Sak'el's breathing was disordered for a moment, a bitter look flashed across his face, and then turned into a convulsive chuckle:
"Hahahahaha..."
No one spoke.
"Actually, there were signs of everything a long time ago. I knew it. I should have known it a long time ago."
"Starting from the restriction order issued to the great nobles, from the trade decree, from His Majesty's wedding, from the advisors who frequently come in and out of the palace, from the meetings convened from time to time, and from the increasingly heated interviews of the subjects, I should
I saw that whether it was the brothers or others, the doubts in their eyes had already been planted and slowly sprouted."
Samir said nothing.
"Look at what His Majesty has done, look at the path His Majesty has embarked on, look at the battlefield he has set foot on, and look at the enemies he has chosen," the prisoner still looked at the ceiling with a complicated expression, his laughter full of bitterness and regret:
"Look at the future he has chosen for the millions of people in the stars."
Thales listened to his words silently, imagining everything that Eddie II had to face in that era.
Thacker breathed out hoarsely.
Thinking of the Purifying Edge and the secret he just learned, Thales couldn't help but frown.
Samir turned his head sharply, as if he couldn't bear to listen anymore.
"You and Barney, you are so eager to find the betrayer, but..."
"I'm thinking... if the so-called traitors you call, if those who have expectations and longings for the future of the Star Kingdom, if they really know something - such as the Dragon Breaker, that's why they act for this and are willing to endure it
The condemnation of conscience, even if it goes against the king's will..."
Sak'el stared blankly into the void, immersed in his own world, becoming more and more incoherent:
"If they can no longer distinguish between betrayal and loyalty...it's not impossible, right?"
Samir was stunned.
However, Sak'el continued in a daze:
"The question is, Samuel, what position should we stand on before we can criticize them without hesitation? Is it the contempt of loyal people for betrayers? Is it the condemnation of those who are single-minded towards those who are single-minded?"
The air inside and outside the cell seemed to solidify, and the prisoners and prison robbers tasted different bitterness in it.
In the end, Samir's expression moved as if he was from another world.
"I don't understand." He said quietly.
Thacker smiled.
"Huh, I don't understand either."
The punishment knight seemed to slowly come back to his senses. He folded his arms and sunk his face into the darkness.
"Let's go, you don't belong here, you don't have to be here, you are not the one who deserves to be blamed."
Sak'el slowly stretched out his hand and pointed to the empty corner outside the cell again, as if there was really someone there:
"Not the one who should face him here."
It seemed like a long time passed before Samir turned around with difficulty, like a hibernating animal suddenly waking up.
No longer looking at the Punishment Knight.
Samir took a deep breath, as if he wanted to swallow all the unexpressed anger and grievances into his chest.
"I told you," Ricky tapped the hilt of his sword lightly on the other side, as if he didn't care:
"Those who face the past cannot find the answer."
Finally, under Ricky's gaze, Samir took steps and walked towards the way he came with a feeling of regret or relief.
Leave Sak'el's cell behind.
Thales stared at his back and frowned tightly.
"What are you waiting for, Your Highness?"
Ricky chuckled, as if calling a child to eat:
"The show is over."
To his surprise, Thales did not follow up, but raised a pair of eyes that had become alert at some point and looked at Ricky.
"So this is your goal?"
"This secret?"
Thales leaned down and picked up the extinguished torch on the ground. Looking at the warm substance on it, he could vaguely identify thin flakes of ashes.
Ricky frowned imperceptibly.
The prince slowly raised his head and exhaled softly under the firelight as Samir walked further and further away: "Then what?"
Samir's footsteps stopped, and he also noticed Thales' performance.
"Then, let's go home." Ricky looked at Thales coldly, not satisfied with the latter's uncooperative appearance.
"Unless you still want to have a drink with the man who killed your uncle?"
Thales sighed heavily.
so.
Right in front of us is the final step for this group of people.
Perhaps as suspected, there is another exit in the Prison of Bones, which can completely avoid the surveillance of the camp.
After this, he has no way to go except through their claws.
Thales took a deep breath and whispered to himself: "I'm ready."
I'm ready.
The next second, His Royal Highness the Prince raised his head with a bright smile:
"Hey, can we discuss it?"
Thales looked at the torch with only a wooden stick in his hand and scratched his head in frustration: "I mean, look, since you have got what you want, and I, as a weak boy..."
Ricky shook his head slightly and accepted his words without any doubt:
"That's what we want too."
Thales was speechless.
I saw Ricky walking forward slowly, with a faint hint of threat:
"Even more than our original goal."
Thales couldn't help but raise his eyebrows.
He had to sigh: "But, you know, whether it is the kingdom or the secret department, they will not let you leave the camp easily."
Samuel walked back and looked with Ricky at Thales, who seemed intent on negotiating.
"They won't," Ricky snorted:
"But they don't know."
Thales showed a helpless smile and spread his hands: "But..."
"What if they knew?"
Under the light of Samuel's fire, Ricky frowned slightly:
"What's the meaning?"
Thales showed his big white teeth and smiled shyly.
"What I mean is, what if the Kingdom's Secret Department knew your actions clearly and clearly from beginning to end?"
Ricky was slightly startled at first, then his face darkened:
"you……"
But the moment Ricky uttered the first syllable, a sudden change occurred!