On the horse-drawn road under the sun, the carriage was still advancing slowly towards Yongxing City. The people on both sides were separated by standing armies, and only their faces were blurred.
But no one could imagine that a strange conversation was taking place between this extraordinary carriage and the dozen or so royal guards surrounding it.
Gilbert watched in surprise as Thales raised his right arm expressionlessly and showed what he was holding next to the car window.
The guards, including Marius, Doyle, and Glover, all frowned, either confused or in disbelief.
That is……
"This is the vigilante."
The prince was seen caressing the hilt of the long and narrow sword in his hand expressionlessly, and said in a profound tone:
"An ancient imperial sword forged by gathering the skills of dwarves and elves, and the essence of the earth and the seven seas."
vigilant.
Marius was suddenly startled.
Doyle and Glover were both stunned.
"Your Highness, I don't..." The watchman glanced around and suppressed the strange looks in his subordinates' eyes.
Whoosh!
The sound of metal sliding through leather made Mallos' words pause.
The young man looked at the long sword that was slightly unsheathed and felt its cold light:
"Going back a long way, it is the sword handed down from generation to generation by the Falkenhaus family. It once participated in the final battle with their ancestors, overcoming obstacles and witnessing the founding of the rejuvenated king;"
"In recent times, it has also served as the most reliable blade in the royal guard. Together with its owner, it weathered the wind and rain and helped King Eddie ascend the throne."
In front of everyone, Thales' fingers brushed the blade of the sword, sheathed it, and sighed in deep appreciation:
"Significance."
Perhaps unable to withstand the oppressive atmosphere, the horse under Mallos's crotch neighed unnaturally and turned its head uneasily.
But Marius in the saddle had burning eyes and unknown emotions.
The uneasiness of the war horses aroused the similar feeling, and for a while, they began to neigh, making the carriage move more and more difficult.
While Doyle struggled to control the mount on his crotch, he stared at the sword with a special arc in surprise, his mouth wide open.
That sword...
Glover next to him pursed his lips and comforted his horse.
Gilbert stared at the sword, thinking about something.
The next second, under various eyes, the young Duke of Xinghu spoke coldly, leaving no room for doubt:
"Lord Marius, from now on."
Thales raised his right arm steadily and sent the sword hilt out of the car window:
"It's yours."
It's yours.
The air was quiet for a moment, and the only sound was the noise of the wind.
Gilbert came to his senses in shock and looked at the boy in disbelief.
The surrounding guards were in a slight uproar, and Doyle even looked as if he had seen a ghost, as if he was meeting the prince for the first time.
Mallos frowned slightly and tightened the reins in his hands.
But Thales didn't give him a chance to speak.
"Of course, I hope for more than that."
Young Duke Wen Yan continued:
"In fact, with my return, discussions and speculations about this sword will surge throughout the kingdom."
"People will come one after another to ask you about the secret behind this legendary sword, either out of curiosity, incomprehension or confusion..."
Gilbert's face looked a little strange.
"Especially about how it left the Western Wasteland, from Duke Falkenhauser's crutch, then arrived at Yongxing City, then at Fuxing Palace, then in the hands of Prince Thales and Duke of Star Lake, and finally fell into your hands."
"Including the reason and significance of it passing through many hands."
Thales glanced at each of the royal guards coldly, his tone rising and falling, as if he was reciting an ancient bard.
From Doyle to Glover, everyone who passed by his gaze subconsciously averted their eyes.
Finally, Thales' eyes returned to Mallos, who said nothing but frowned more and more:
"But I'm sure you can handle it."
"right?"
The young Duke said in an understatement and raised the hilt of his sword.
Everyone was silent.
They all looked at Marius, waiting for the latter's decision.
The next moment, Mallos turned his head suddenly!
Look at everyone with burning eyes.
As if there was a tacit understanding, the royal guards all turned their heads away!
Never dare to look at Marius or the Vigilant again.
It seems that the former is not their boss, and the latter is not a famous sword.
The scene became quiet again.
But Mallos's face no longer looked relaxed at all.
He tightened his mount slightly stiffly, forcing it to become quiet.
Time seemed to have turned into a long-lasting mural, dim and silent, peeling off piece by piece as Marius moved.
"Your Majesty the Duke," he stared at the vigilante who was half exposed through the car window, and spoke slowly:
"What does it mean."
Mallos' words were very soft and small.
It's like the sound of turning old pages bit by bit.
But the surrounding guards held back their breaths and did not dare to take a breath.
Shi Tuo, the logistics officer at the back, even swallowed subconsciously.
Gilbert also said nothing.
"I mean……"
Only the Duke of Xinghu himself was different, with a relaxed and carefree smile.
"Congratulations, Lord Marius."
"From now on," Thales's eyes met with Mallos's, like a confrontation in the void:
"The 'Vigilant' with a long history and great significance is a family heirloom of the noble and loyal Mallos family, one of the Seven Shining Stars."
He said softly:
"Remember, pass it on to your son..."
"Give it to your grandson again."
Marius froze on his horse, his face so heavy that it looked like he was about to drip. He just allowed his mount to drive him up and down.
But Thales just looked at him calmly.
The guards looked at each other with different expressions.
Don't even know how to deal with it.
"Ahem... Although the prince appreciates you very much, I don't think now is a good time to accept the reward," Gilbert said stiffly and said:
"What do you say, Lord Marius?"
No one responded.
After what Doyle thought was about a century, Mallos' voice came slowly, sounding like it was cracking from a rock formation:
"This gift is too precious and too heavy."
"I'm sorry I can't accept it."
After saying this, without waiting for Thales's reaction, the watchman whipped his horse and flew past Thales' car window with his hooves.
Mallos ordered with a straight face:
"Prince is tired!"
"Step up and keep moving forward!"
Caught between the prince and his superiors, the royal guards, who were already very uncomfortable, turned their heads and acted as ordered.
But Thales's voice penetrated the crowd again and sounded clearly:
"Then this is no longer a reward!"
Everyone's movements subconsciously stopped.
I saw the young Duke in the carriage saying coldly:
"It's something you can't shirk - responsibility."
"Lord Tormund Malhos."
Mallos' back also slowed down in the air.
responsibility?
"You are the watchman of the royal guard, right."
"Watchman..."
Under everyone's gaze, Thales easily retracted the hilt of his sword and admired the black gem inlaid on it.
"If I remember correctly, at least since the founding of the Star Nation, this position has been sacred and important, second only to the captain of the guard."
"One of its responsibilities is to guard the royal treasury and control the entry and exit of secret treasures."
As soon as these words came out, the surrounding royal guards were all startled.
Doyle frowned and looked at Punishment Officer Gray Parson, but the latter could only give him a gloomy look.
Even Gilbert was lost in thought.
Thales stared at Mallos's back, his tone unquestionable:
"So, it is your duty to protect the secret treasures of the Bright Star royal family including the Vigilers - if I remember correctly, it is my family - the secret treasure."
"There is no room for shirk."
The vigilant vibrated in Thales' palm and turned around.
The young voice of the Duke rang in every ear:
"Take it and put it in the most conspicuous place. No matter what the occasion, I will see it - with you."
The sun is still shining, and the sound of hooves is rolling.
But Mallos's back was completely stiff.
Doyle looked cautiously at his boss, but the latter didn't react at all.
After a few seconds, the watchman's words slowly sounded:
"Abusing rules and avenging private vengeance is not the quality a king should have."
"Your Majesty the Duke."
His voice was no longer as relaxed and indifferent as before, but more solemn and gloomy.
Thales smiled.
"I'm sorry you feel that way, Lord Mallos."
The new Duke of Star Lake's next words seemed familiar, causing everyone's expressions to change:
"After entering the palace, you can take this sword with you at any time to protest to His Majesty and suggest that he revoke your position - of course, I guess in the end, he will still put this sword into the royal treasury."
Thales narrowed his eyes and his words were cold:
"But before that, in accordance with tradition and rules, as the watchman of the royal guard and the head of my personal guard..."
"I'm afraid that your job responsibilities as a member of the Guard take precedence over your personal preferences."
At that moment, the muscles in Mallos' arms tightened.
Thales snorted lightly and finally said:
"The responsibility lies with Wan Wang Haihan."
Mallos still had his back to the carriage and showed no expression, but the guard members driving the carriage did not dare to look at his face.
In the atmosphere of dead silence and embarrassment, Thales knocked on the car window with the hilt of his sword.
"Your Excellency, Watchman?"
At this moment, Doyle coughed suddenly and interrupted with a laugh:
"Ah, well, as a watchman, your Lordship has a higher rank, and you need to report before accepting gifts... Well, our flag officer, Hugo Fubi, will record everything today, and then His Majesty will make a decision...
…”
Perhaps because of his talent, Doyle's words relaxed the atmosphere a lot.
Thales frowned slightly:
"So troublesome?"
Doyle rushed to the car window and gave the prince an apologetic smile.
The young Duke also laughed:
"forget about it."
"This sword will not be given to Marius."
As soon as this was said, everyone felt relieved.
But……
"Little d.d?"
The sudden address made Doyle subconsciously shaken:
"ah?"
But then he realized who was calling him:
"Yes... yes, Your Highness?"
I saw the Duke leaning against the car window and sighing:
"You know, sixty years ago..."
"The widow of the 'Silent One' Sumei IV, the 'Witch Queen' Bella from the Kelvindir family, once conspired with the Teback family of the Blade Territory to murder my grandfather. They tried to support John Brightstar——
The previous Duke of Star Lake before me - was crowned king."
Thales' tone was mysterious, making every noun that came out of his mouth even more shocking.
What?
The royal guards made a slight uproar again, and even Gilbert could not control his expression.
Maybe it was too different from the previous impression, maybe it was because this passage contained too many secrets. Doyle was stunned for a moment, and his answer was extremely unnatural:
"Ah, yes, yes, yes, yes?"
But Thales didn't care, he just looked at the vigilante in his hand in ecstasy:
"It is thanks to this legendary sword that my grandfather was able to be successfully crowned without losing his throne."
Doyle raised his eyebrows slightly, trying to send a questioning look to his boss, but Mallos didn't look back at all.
"But can you feel it?"
The prince's expression of fascination slowly turned into solemnity:
"Can you feel from this sword the kind of... bloody storm between the Supreme Royal Family and the two feudal giants sixty years ago?"
Rain of blood...
Doyle's eyelids twitched.
"I……"
But Thales didn't give him a chance to answer:
"Today, I decided to give the 'Vigilant' to you, Guard Officer Danny Doyle."
At that moment, Doyle's whole body was shocked.
The Duke of Star Lake turned to Doyle and handed out the alerter seriously:
"As the most reliable person among the six guards officers under me, perform well."
Thales squinted his left eye:
"Don't disgrace it."
Like his peers, Doyle froze on the spot.
"Okay...ah...ah?" Staring at the sword, he nodded subconsciously at first, then realized something, and was suddenly shocked!
But Doyle reacted very quickly. Before the sympathetic eyes of his peers came, he looked solemn, straightened up, and grasped the weapon at his waist in a cool and simple manner:
"Ahem, no, Your Highness, in fact, the sword I have now was left to me by my grandmother..."
Doyle looked slightly sad, but immediately became firm, like a loyal young man inspired by something:
"I made an oath to my grandmother's grave, and I will never change my mind until it breaks..."
Thales sneered and shook the vigilant:
"So you don't want it?"
"Even a precious ancient imperial sword?"
Doyle shook his head like a rattle.
"Okay then." Thales sighed sadly.
Doyle breathed a sigh of relief.
but……
"Glover Vanguard!"
Under Doyle's sigh of relief and Thales' sudden roll call, Glover, who was almost expressionless, tensed up at first, and then looked at the prince with wary eyes.
Thales waved to him with a smile.
"I heard that your grandfather also served in the royal guard and held a high position."
"Then I think the most suitable family to inherit this weapon is the Glover family..."
Glover was slightly shocked.
But he shook his head subconsciously and said decisively:
"No."
Thales' smile faltered:
"No?"
"You don't want it either?"
I saw that Glover still had that motionless expression, and he shook his head like a wood:
"No."
Thales sighed heavily.
When he raised his head again, he suddenly found that at some point, the royal guards around the carriage had all turned their faces, either dutifully surveying the enemy's situation, or conversing with their peers in a serious manner.
Even Doyle pulled Glover, who was silent, and seemed to be talking and laughing.
"All right."
Thales shook his head helplessly, turned around and exchanged glances with Gilbert, who looked strange:
"Then I have to tell them that no matter the Marius, Doyle or Glover families, they all disdain the 'vigilant' who represents the relationship between the wealthy families and the Renaissance Palace, and abandon them like worn shoes..."
Mallos's horse's hooves shook slightly, and Doyle's smile solidified.
The prince chuckled and stretched his sword out of the carriage regretfully:
"On the first day I returned, the vigilantes were abandoned by the roadside..."
"His whereabouts are unknown since then."
The next second, Thales let go of his hand without hesitation.
Snap.
In the disbelieving eyes of the royal guards, the precious ancient imperial sword, the heirloom of the Falkenhaus family, and the extraordinary vigilante, fell off the carriage alone and helplessly, and fell to the ground.
It stirred up a lot of dust.
What?
Doyle almost stared out of his eyes, and Glover tightened his grip on the reins.
Several members of the guard subconsciously reined in their horses and turned to avoid stepping on the ancient sword.
In an instant, the formation of the entire convoy was in chaos.
Mallos turned his head sharply and stared at the indifferent young Duke.
He winked, and Doyle hurriedly chased after him, trying to pick up the vigilante before he was covered in dust...
"Very good, d.d."
Thales rested his elbows by the car window and his eyes lit up.
"Thank you, you still accepted this weapon that no one dared to ask for."
Doyle had already half leaned out of the horse and was frozen in mid-air.
The soles of his feet were hooked in the stirrups, and his palms were hovering above the vigilante, only one foot away from the hilt of the sword.
Doyle's weird posture shows off his equestrian skills.
If you don't look at his expression.
"Remember, it is of great significance, and you must treat it well..." Thales looked at Doyle who seemed to be frozen above the sword with interest.
"enough!"
Finally, Majoros reined his horse back, his face sullen.
"Your Highness, what exactly do you want to do?"
The whole convoy stopped for it.
Gilbert sighed and looked at Thales with a slightly complicated expression.
Doyle, who was frozen in mid-air, seemed to have received amnesty. He crawled back to the saddle without even looking at the unusual sword.
"What do I want to do?"
Thales repeated these words slowly, his tone becoming serious.
He turned to Marius, his originally humorous and relaxed expression turning serious.
"It's very simple."
Thales glanced at each of the royal guards and spoke in a deep voice:
"I want to tell you: my sword is very heavy."
Mallos's eyes flashed slightly.
"From the Central Territory to the Western Wilderness, from the Kingdom of Stars to Exeter, it bears the weight of many, many people."
"It's so heavy that sometimes I don't know if I can even lift it."
Doyle and Glover looked at each other.
"So, when my mission conflicts with your mission," Thales stared at the watchman's expression and stretched the rhythm of his words to the limit:
"I hope you can do more than just 'sorry.'"
"My personal guards."
No one answered.
Including Mallos.
Thales withdrew his warning gaze and sat upright.
"And next time, if you insist on putting His Majesty's orders and my wishes on both ends of the chessboard..."
He said calmly:
"Then you'd better make sure first whether you, the one standing in the middle, can handle this damn sword."
The royal guards were silent.
Even Mallos stopped in place and looked at Thales with extremely complicated eyes.
"Because, no matter how troublesome you think my wishes are," Thales knocked on the carriage and looked coldly at the vigilante on the ground:
"Don't forget, there are more troubles in this world than you think..."
"More troublesome things."
At that moment, with a little satisfaction, Thales suddenly understood something.
Falkenhausz, he gave himself more than just a sword.
But a direction.
Thinking this, Thales sat back down.
"Sorry, I'm in a bad mood today."
"D.D, can you get my sword back?"
Doyle was startled and was about to lean down to take the sword, but hesitated again.
"You mean..."
"You, your sword?"
Thales let out a breath.
"right."
He showed Doyle a friendly smile through the car window:
"It's 'my' sword."
Thales said with deep meaning:
"Because no one can touch it except me."
Marius remained silent.
So, with everyone's eyes on him and with extreme caution, Doyle quickly picked up the vigilant and handed it back to the prince as fast as a moment's delay, as if a moment's delay would mean disaster was imminent.
Thales held the sword, stroked its curve, and sighed softly.
"Now, because of you, this sword is covered with dust and the carriage is dirty." Thales put down the guard and looked at his guards calmly:
"So, before returning to Fuxing Palace..."
"I need to go outside and get some fresh air."
"It's best to be on a good horse that is docile, obedient, tall and strong."
He stared at the leader Marius with burning eyes:
"Is there a problem?"
Under the nervous or uneasy gazes of his colleagues, Mallos said nothing but frowned deeply.
A few minutes later.
Thales sat comfortably on the horse, swaying, ups and downs, and strolled forward with the royal guards.
Looking at the wilderness scenery on the outskirts of Yongxing City, he slowly breathed a sigh of relief in his heart.
The royal guards pulled up their cloaks to hide their identities. They seemed to be in a scattered formation, but in fact they surrounded him tightly and meticulously.
In addition, Marius also rejected Gilbert's request to raise the nine-pointed star flag, let the carriage go first, and instead disguised himself as a standing army accompanying the handover of defense.
but……
This is just the beginning.
Is not it.
Thales whispered in his heart.
"You have not only grown up," Gilbert, who was riding on another horse, sighed slightly:
"You are still... different."
Thales lowered his head, feeling indescribable.
"Is it."
Gilbert nodded, his eyes filled with emotion.
"Just now, I thought I was thirty-five years old again."
Thales raised his head:
"Why?"
Gilbert smiled.
He sighed, as if going back to the past:
"Well, because it was when I was that age that I went to Broken Dragon Fortress."
Thales was startled.
Broken Dragon Fortress?
"It was also there that I met him for the first time."
Thales frowned:
"Who did you see?"
The Foreign Secretary paused slightly.
"he."
Gilbert's tone was filled with fascination and fear at the same time:
"My negotiating counterpart."
"The Overlord of Exeter."
"The born king."
"Nunn VII."
Upon hearing this name, Thales was stunned.
Nunn.
Facing Gilbert's pleased and respectful eyes, he watched the people coming and going and the scenery in front of him in a daze.